The Indian prime minister\u2019s overconfidence lies behind the country\u2019s disastrous Covid-19 response<\/p>\n
Political hubris met pandemic reality in India this week. At the beginning of March, the Hindu nationalist government of Narendra Modi claimed the country was in Covid-19\u2019s \u201cendgame<\/a>\u201d. India is now in a living hell. A new \u201cdouble mutant<\/a>\u201d variant, named B.1.617, has emerged<\/a> in a devastating coronavirus second wave which has seen hospitals run out of beds and oxygen<\/a>. Mortuaries are so full that bodies are left to decompose at home. Charities warn that the dead risk being left on the streets.<\/p>\n On Friday India recorded 332,730<\/a> new Sars\u2011CoV\u20112 infections, the highest one-day increase in cases worldwide for the second day in a row. More than 2,200 deaths were recorded in the previous 24 hours. Nations have either banned flights from India, suggested avoiding travelling there or insisted visitors quarantine<\/a> on their return. Yet little more than six weeks ago, Mr Modi, with not even 1% of the population vaccinated, declared that the country was the \u201cworld\u2019s pharmacy<\/a>\u201d and signalled that pre-pandemic life could resume. Superspreading<\/a> took place when thousands filled cricket stadiums and millions of Hindus took a dip in the Ganges during the Kumbh Mela<\/a> festival.<\/p>\n