India will become worst-hit nation soon as COVID-19 cases top 5 million
India confirmed more than five million COVID-19 cases today,
(September 16) and will surpass the United States to become the worst-hit
country in the world soon.
The nation of almost 1.4 billion people had 90,123
cases in the past 24 hours alone, with 1,290 people reported dead over the
period. The fatalities bring India’s tally to 82,066, the third highest in the
world behind the US and Brazil.
The United States has recorded 6.6 million cases so
far, but India –having added one million in the last month alone – will likely
see its numbers surpass the US in the coming weeks.
With roughly 600 million Indians living in rural
areas, the fear is that the limited health resources will become overwhelmed as
the virus continues to spread.
India is testing more than one million samples per day
even as the country continues to ease restrictions that were imposed six months
ago. The April to June quarter saw the economy shrink by just under 24 per
cent, with several industries struggling to recover.
