India surges past 2 million coronavirus cases, angry health workers launch a strike

MUMBAI, India (Reuters) - India, the country hardest hit in Asia by the coronavirus pandemic, reported on Friday a record daily jump in infections, taking its total number of cases over two million, as government struggled to contain the spread amid striking health workers.

More than 3.5 million health workers, who have been the foot-soldiers in the Covid-19 detection efforts across India, embarked on a two-day strike from Friday to secure better wages and proper protective equipment.

“At least 100 health workers have died of Covid-19 in the country so far, but there has been no insurance provided to them by the government,” said A. R, Sindhu secretary of the Centre of Trade Unions, a key participant in the ongoing strike.

Accredited Social Health Activists or ASHA workers, are the government’s recognised health workers who are usually the first point of contact in economically deprived sections, where there is limited or no direct access to health-care facilities....

With infections spreading further to smaller towns and rural areas, experts say the epidemic in India is likely to be months away from hitting its peak, putting more strain on an already overburdened healthcare system in a nation of 1.3 billion people.

India is the third nation to pass the unwanted milestone of two million Covid-19 cases, lagging behind only the United States and Brazil.

India has been posting an average of around 50,000 new cases a day since mid-June, but experts say its testing rate at 16,035 per million people is far too low...