The prime minister said there was a "long battle" ahead against the novel coronavirus that causes Covid-19. "Our country (is) besieged with problems amidst a vast population and limited resources," Modi said, adding that laborers and migrant workers had "undergone tremendous suffering" due to restrictions. India has recorded a total of 173,763 Covid-19 cases and 4,971 deaths, making it the ninth most-affected country globally, Reuters data showed. Officials are also nervous about the pandemic spreading through villages as millions of jobless migrant workers return home from cities. Over 100 migrant workers have died either in accidents or due to starvation as they desperately tried to head back to their villages, the home ministry official said.

Source: Dhaka Tribune May 30, 2020 09:22 UTC