Covid-19: Virus surge brings back lockdowns

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Reuters
Reuters

In India, the worst-hit state of Maharashtra was running out of vaccines as the health system buckled under the weight of the contagion.

By AFP

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Published: Sat 10 Apr 2021, 10:59 PM

Fresh lockdowns and curfews were imposed on tens of millions of people from India to Argentina on Saturday, as Covid-19 infections surged again and vaccine roll-outs were hampered by shortages and scares over side effects.

In India, the worst-hit state of Maharashtra was running out of vaccines as the health system buckled under the weight of the contagion, which has killed 2.9 million people worldwide.


India has so far inoculated 94 million of its 1.3 billion people, but The Times of India reported on Friday that states on average had just over five days of stock left, citing health ministry data, with some regions already grappling with severe shortages.

Stay-at-home orders were also set to come into force for the eight million inhabitants of Bogota, as the Colombian capital battled a third wave of infections, adding to curfews already covering seven million across four other major cities.


Elsewhere in South America, Argentina entered a night-time curfew on Friday running from midnight to 6am every day until April 30. It will be in force in highest-risk areas, mainly urban centres, where bars and restaurants will close at 11pm.


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