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Coronavirus Cases In India Cross 1-Lakh Mark Despite World’s Biggest Lockdown

Coronavirus cases in India have reached a grim milestone.

A young boy sits on luggage as a railway porter pushes the cart after arriving at Howrah Station via a train from New Delhi, during the 4th phase of the ongoing COVID-19 nationwide lockdown, in Kolkata. (Source: PTI) 
A young boy sits on luggage as a railway porter pushes the cart after arriving at Howrah Station via a train from New Delhi, during the 4th phase of the ongoing COVID-19 nationwide lockdown, in Kolkata. (Source: PTI) 

Coronavirus cases in India have reached a grim milestone.

Confirmed infections rose to 1,01,139 cases today, in 111 days since the first case was reported on Jan. 30, despite the country being under the biggest lockdown in the world.

This comes as India added 4,970 new cases in the last 24 hours, according to the Health Ministry’s 8 a.m. update on May 19. A total of 39,174 people have recovered and 3,163 people have succumbed to the virus.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi imposed a lockdown in India from March 25 when the country had less than 1,000 cases. Despite strict rules and constant guidelines from the Ministry of Home Affairs, Health Ministry, state governments and bodies, it now ranks 11th on the list of countries with the highest cases.

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India’s pace, though slower when compared to the countries above, has quickened drastically. The first 10,000 cases were reported over more than two months while the most recent 10,000 cases took merely two days. This could partially be attributed to increased testing capacity.

As of April 14 - the day total India cases crossed the 10,000-mark - authorities had conducted little less than 2.5 lakh tests. In comparison, 75,150 tests were carried out just on May 18.

The rising number of cases and the quickening pace is a worry for the country’s citizens, businessmen and authorities alike as the economy is set to witness its deepest recession, with gross domestic product forecast to contract 45 percent in the April to June quarter. Companies are expected to see a washout in earnings amid an extending lockdown and consumers tightening their purse strings due to job losses, salary cuts and the surrounding uncertainty.

India is the latest entrant to the club of nations with more than one lakh cases—U.S. leading with over 15 lakh cases, followed by Russia with more than 2.9 lakh cases. Brazil’s cases topped U.K.’s today, taking the third position with more than 2.5 lakh cases.

Coronavirus Cases In India Cross 1-Lakh Mark Despite World’s Biggest Lockdown