India bans Remdesivir exports as coronavirus rages on; rallies continue

NEW DELHI - India on Sunday banned the export of anti-viral drug Remdesivir and its active pharmaceutical ingredients as demand rocketed due to a record surge in COVID-19 infections, leading to a crippling shortages in many parts.

Authorities have blamed the ferocious resurgence of the virus mainly on crowding and a reluctance to wear masks. Still, religious gatherings have continued and Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah have themselves addressed election campaigns attended by tens of thousands of people, many without masks and hardly any following social distancing.