India has recorded over 400,000 new coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours. This is the highest number of new COVID-19 infections recorded by a country since the start of the pandemic.
India’s health ministry said that 401,993 new infections were registered, taking India’s total cases to 19.1 million.
There were 3,523 deaths, bringing the toll to 211,853.
Experts said that the number of cases could ne higher since there’s insufficient being conducted and inaccurate death toll being recorded.
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India has previously declared victory over the coronavirus early this year. easing restrictions and allowing activities including religious gatherings.
Mass religious gatherings such as the Kumbh Mela, attracting millions of Hindu pilgrims, and political rallies were allowed amid increase in new cases in March.
India has recorded 7 million cases in April alone driving the global tally.
Health Secretary Francisco Duque said that the catastrophic coronavirus surge in India could also happen in the Philippines.
“Kapag hindi tayo sumunod doon sa ating minimum public health standard [and] if we do not intensify our COVID-19 pandemic response, like what has happened in India and also in some other countries where the second or third waves are being experienced, that’s a big possibility,” Duque said in an interview.
Duque was reponding to questions on the fears of some experts that the country could also experience what happened in India which is currently battling a double mutant COVID-19 variant.
“This is a lesson we all have to learn from what’s happening in other countries, we cannot dig our heads into the sand and make it appear that we’re doing OK all the time. There’s always ways of doing things better. It’s very dynamic, every day you have to read, every day you have to watch out for what’s happening,” Duque said.
READ ON: Duque: India-like COVID-19 surge in PH a ‘possibility’ if public-gov’t cooperation not intensified
“What are the best practices, what are the practices that are worth avoiding or making sure we avoid such measures that don’t work,” he added.
Duque said that there should be unity with the national government and the public.
“At the end of the day, we just have to work together and the whole world is in a crisis. Everybody is really reeling from this pandemic. But we must stand in solidarity with each other in this fight against the pandemic. The war against COVID is really on the shoulders of every person so it cannot just be the work of the national government, local government, private sector, etcetera,” he added.
“But we’re not helpless. We are not without the power to fight this. Simple interventions e. Face masks, face shields, physical distancing, proper ventilation, avoidance of people in super spreader events,” he also said. (TDT)
