Claims Of Success In Suppressing COVID-19, Indians Can Swim And Watch Movies

Illustration (Photo: Antara)

JAKARTA - India on Thursday, January 28, claimed to have succeeded in suppressing a spike in COVID-19 infections. That is with the fifth district in the country reporting new cases during the kickoff. Even when the vaccination campaign has reached 2.4 million people.

The country of 1.35 billion has the highest number of COVID-19 cases in the world after the United States. Although the infection rate fell significantly from a peak in mid-September. Numerous studies have shown that enclaves in India have acquired herd immunity through natural infections.

"India has managed to contain the pandemic," said Health Minister Harsh Vardhan, noting that less than 12,000 cases were reported in a day.

According to Vardhan, 146 of India's 718 districts reported zero new cases for a week and 18 districts for two weeks.

"India succeeded in flattening the COVID-19 chart," he continued.

With infections falling, the government announced that from February 1 restrictions on the use of public swimming pools would be removed. In addition, cinemas and theaters will be allowed to operate at more than 50 percent capacity and all types of exhibition halls will also be allowed to host events.

The country of Bollywood began launching a vaccination program on January 16, with a target of 300 million people by July-August.

To date India has reported 10.7 million COVID-19 infections and 153,847 deaths - one of the lowest COVID-19 death rates in the world.

One of India's top three diagnostic chains, Thyrocare Technologies, told Reuters that antibody tests against more than 700,000 people indicated that 55 percent of the country's population may have been infected.

The World Health Organization (WHO) says that at least 60-70 percent of the population must have immunity to break the chain of transmission.

India's vaccine strategy committee chairman, Vinod Kumar Paul, told Reuters he didn't think India had reached that level, but that a smaller percentage could help slow the spread of the virus.

"Most of our densely populated districts and cities are now free from the pandemic ... and are likely to have what you would call herd immunity, to some extent," Paul said in early January.