Prime Minister Modi says India shaken by new coronavirus ‘storm’

India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday urged all citizens to take COVID-19 vaccines and exercise caution, saying a "storm" of infections had shaken the country.

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India has reported more than 300,000 new cases each day for the past four days, more than anywhere else in the world since the pandemic began, piling pressure on the public health system.

"Our spirits were high after successfully dealing with the first wave," Modi said in a radio address. "But this storm has shaken the nation."

Delhi's Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said on Sunday the city state would continue to be under a lockdown till May 3, as coronavirus cases rise steeply.

A total of 2,767 people were reported dead on Sunday, according to health ministry data.

India's number of cases surged by 349,691 in the past 24 hours, the fourth straight day of record peaks, and hospitals in Delhi and across the country are turning away patients after running out of medical oxygen and beds.

Reuters