Troops deployed in Gujarat as coronavirus cases surge
Hundreds of paramilitary forces have been deployed in coronavirus-hotspot Gujarat state as India yesterday faced a surge in the number of deaths and infections from the outbreak.
Official data show the deadly disease is taking a growing toll in the country of 1.3 billion people even as it begins to emerge from the world's largest lockdown.
India had 56,000 cases including 1,886 fatalities as of Friday, official figures showed. But experts fear limited testing and incomplete record keeping are masking the true scale of the health crisis.
The number of deaths has doubled to about 100 a day in the past two weeks, while the rate of infections is doubling about every 10 days, official data show. A week ago it was every 12 days.
But Health Minister Harsh Vardhan told AFP there was no uncontrolled "community transmission".
"India has surprised the world by handling the COVID-19 crisis in a more mature way than some of the most developed countries," Vardhan said.
"Given all the constraints, India has worked with speed, scale, determination and decisiveness."
While the known number of deaths is low compared with the United States and the worst-hit European nations, health specialists say India's pandemic curve may only peak in June or July.
The western state of Gujarat has become one of the most severe hotspots with about 6,500 cases.
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