NEW DELHI • India passed eight million coronavirus cases yesterday, and the world's second worst-hit country is bracing itself for a new wave of infections.
There have also been more than 120,000 deaths across the country of 1.3 billion people, according to the latest government figures.
Only the United States has seen more infections, with 9.1 million confirmed cases and nearly 230,000 deaths.
India has one of the world's lowest death rates from the virus and the government has highlighted the slowing number of new infections in recent weeks.
But the authorities are preparing for a new surge after Deepavali, the country's most important religious festival, on Nov 14.
Textiles Minister Smriti Irani has become the latest of several Cabinet members to test positive.
Health Minister Harsh Vardhan said in a recent statement: "All states need to be careful during the coming festive season. This caution must be exercised for the next three months at least."
A stringent lockdown imposed in March has gradually been eased as the government seeks to reboot the economy after the loss of millions of jobs nationwide.
But experts say this has helped spread the disease.
New Delhi recorded 5,000 new cases on Wednesday, its highest daily figure since the outbreak of the pandemic. Officials have warned that the capital city could see more than 10,000 cases a day in the next wave.
Experts have said crowds gathering for Deepavali and other festivals, colder temperatures and the annual winter pollution crisis could worsen the impact of coronavirus cases in Delhi.
The authorities are also worried about the southern state of Kerala and West Bengal in the east, which have seen worrying spikes in cases.
Financial capital Mumbai, India's worst-hit city, is adding about 2,000 cases a day.
Dr Suresh Kumar Rathi, an epidemiologist from the health charity Public Health Foundation of India, said that if the country took "proper precautions" now it could beat a new wave of infections, but lack of discipline would lead to a "disastrous" unravelling of recent gains.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also warned the public in recent speeches that they were being "careless" in giving up social distancing and other precautions.
"The virus is still out there. It thrives on our complacency," Mr Modi said in an interview with the Economic Times yesterday.
Meanwhile, India's Health Ministry said it is preparing a detailed plan for distribution of Covid-19 vaccines in the nation, in what is likely to be one of the world's largest such programmes.
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120,000
At least this number of people have died from Covid-19 in India.
5,000
Number of new cases New Delhi recorded on Wednesday, its highest daily figure since the outbreak of the pandemic.
Nov 14
The date of Deepavali, the country's most important religious festival, after which the authorities expect a surge in cases.
Dr Vinod Paul, a member of the federal government planning organisation Niti Aayog, said front-line health workers will be the first to be inoculated once an effective vaccine is available.
Three vaccines are at different stages of development in India so far, and a safe candidate is expected early next year.
Two Indian drug manufacturers, Cadila Healthcare and Bharat Biotech International, are both conducting stage two human clinical trials.
The Serum Institute of India, the world's largest vaccine producer, is working on Covishield, the candidate being developed by the University of Oxford and AstraZeneca, and has received approval for phase three trials.
While businesses and cinemas have slowly started to reopen, schools and colleges remain shut in most cities in India.
International flights are severely limited, and India has air links with only a small number of countries - including the US, France, Germany and Britain.
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, BLOOMBERG
