The sharp daily rise in coronavirus cases has taken India’s case count past 13 lakh as more infections emerge in the country’s rural belts. The death toll due to the novel coronavirus has also crossed 30,000. Maharashtra continues to be the worst-affected state with over 1.4 lakh active cases. However, other states like Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Bihar and Karnataka are witnessing a sharp surge in the number of daily cases. While the coronavirus fatality and recovery rate have shown significant improvement, the sharp rise in cases has become a concern for state governments. Many have reimposed lockdowns to stop the virus from spreading, but the fact that it is now spreading fast in rural areas has become a major concern. Many experts said that India’s rural areas do not have the required medical infrastructure to deal with the sharp rise in cases and awareness about social distancing remains low. Meanwhile, states like Assam and Bihar are facing a double whammy due to the worsening flood situation and it could lead to an even greater spike in cases in days to come.
