India has recorded 93,249 new cases of the new coronavirus in the past 24 hours, the highest daily infection rate in the South Asian country this year, the health ministry said Sunday.
Mumbai, India’s financial capital and the capital of Maharashtra, is currently under strict lockdown measures. Half of the country’s new cases have been recorded in the state.
Nawab Malik, a minister in the state government, told reporters that a curfew is in effect from 8 p.m. to 7 a.m. local time starting Monday. Shopping centers, cinemas, bars, restaurants and places of worship will be closed from Monday night. A full lockdown will take effect over the weekend.
Millions of people worldwide were subject to the new lockdown during the Easter weekend as the number of infections spiked despite the ongoing vaccination campaign.
Italy imposed a strict three-day nationwide blockade Saturday, banning large gatherings in St. Peter’s Square for the second year in a row.
The new blockade took effect in France on Sunday. A rapidly spreading variant of a new coronavirus first discovered in Britain has packed intensive care units with patients. Belgium and other European countries have also recently imposed restrictions.
Across the Atlantic, the Canadian province of Ontario entered its third 28-day lockdown Saturday as the more dangerous variant spreads and hospitalizations increase. New restrictions were also imposed in British Columbia and Quebec.
Brazil is experiencing one of its worst outbreaks as a more contagious variant first identified in the country is spreading, alarming other Latin American countries.
Bolivia closed its border with Brazil, Chile sealed all borders, and Ecuador and Peru went into lockdown.
As vaccination programs to curb the spread of the new crown infection struggle to keep pace with the contagion, the United States announced on Friday that it had become the first country to fully vaccinate 100 million people. Just over a week ago, President Joe Biden’s administration achieved its goal of administering 100 million doses of the vaccine.
However, cases of the new coronavirus are still on the rise in some parts of the United States.
Biden said Friday, “I implore you, don’t waste what we’ve fought so hard to achieve. We need every American to be fully committed and vigilant in this final effort.”
Biden added last week, “On April 19, three weeks from now, at least 90 percent of adults in this country will be eligible to be vaccinated because we have the vaccine. For the vast majority of adults, you don’t have to wait until May 1.”
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