Rallies, religious gatherings aggravate India’s worst COVID surge

Rallies led by Modi and other figures as well as crowded festivals and religious gatherings contribute to second wave.

India’s COVID-19 cases have soared 13-fold in barely two months, a vicious second wave propelled by open disregard for safety protocols in much of the vast country. The country on Friday reported 131,968 new COVID-19 infections, a record increase for a third-straight day, data from the health ministry showed. Deaths rose by 780 to a total of 167,642. With an overall tally at 13.06 million, India’s overall caseload was the third-highest globally, behind the United States and Brazil.