Jul 11, 2020 - World

India reimposes lockdowns as coronavirus cases soar

Jacob Knutson

Medical workers processing coronavirus tests in Ahmedabad on July 11. — Medical workers processing coronavirus tests on July 11 in Ahmedabad. Photo: Sam Panthaky/AFP via Getty Images

India is set to reinstate mandatory lockdowns for cities as medical facilities across the country are strained due to a recent surge in new coronavirus infections, the New York Times reports.

Why it matters: Roughly four months ago, India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a national lockdown to prevent the spread of the virus, hoping to avoid the large-scale crisis it's now experiencing.

By the numbers: New COVID-19 cases have rapidly increased since the federal government and regional governments began easing restrictions in May.

India’s total case count rose to the third highest in the world this week, with more than 820,000 confirmed infections and 22,123 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University data.
With 1.3 billion people, India is the second-most populated country in the world.

Details: City officials in the town of Pune plan to shut down next week after several days of high new case numbers, according to NYT.

Officials in Aurangabad extended their curfew, while the state of Uttar Pradesh, the country's most populous, ordered almost all businesses to close for the weekend.
The city of Bengaluru is set to implement a complete lockdown from July 14-23, according to the Times of India.

Go deeper: India reports third-highest coronavirus case count in the world

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India reimposes lockdowns as coronavirus cases soar

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