New Delhi: Coronavirus infections and deaths held close to record daily highs on Monday, increasing calls for the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to lock down the world's second-most populous country. Sunday's 1.47 million tests for COVID-19 were this month's lowest yet, data from the state-run Indian Council of Medical Research showed. But pressure is mounting on Modi to announce a nationwide lockdown as he did during the first wave of infections last year. "I believe several of the Indian states have already done that, but you need to break the chain of transmission. The Indian Medical Association (IMA) has also called for a "complete, well-planned, pre-announced" lockdown.

Source: Mint May 10, 2021 10:38 UTC