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India's tally of coronavirus infections crosses 600,000

India's tally of coronavirus infections crosses 600,000

By Reuters

Migrant workers are seen waiting as they were stopped from crossing the border to their home state of Uttar Pradesh, during an extended nationwide lockdown to slow the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in New Delhi, India, May 14, 2020. Photo: Reuters

MUMBAI: India’s coronavirus infections surpassed 600,000 on Thursday, with 17,834 deaths, as authorities battled to contain the pandemic while easing lockdown rules, officials and the health ministry said. The increase presents a severe challenge for India’s strained medical capacity and overburdened health system. An easing phase called “Unlock 2” was announced on Monday, allowing more economic activities to resume even as some densely populated containment zones stay under lockdown. (Interactive graphic tracking global spread of coronavirus: open tmsnrt.rs/3aIRuz7 in an external browser.)