Lockdown averted up to 78,000 deaths

New Delhi, May 22

With lockdown restrictions starting to ease, government health experts today warned people against taking the Covid-19 virus lightly and said the way forward was resumption of normal life with full consciousness of risks as the virus was circulating.

The caution came as Covid cases peaked to 1,18,447 with record daily surge of 6,088 cases. The recoveries rose to 48,533 and the death toll mounted to 3,583. The active cases out of 1.18 lakh are 66,330.

Asserting that lockdowns 1 and 2 helped India avert new infections in the range of 14 lakh to 29 lakh and deaths between 37,000 and 78,000, NITI Aayog member VK Paul today said: “Lockdowns 1 and 2 helped us avert lakhs of cases and thousands of deaths. But you cannot have unlimited lockdown and the way forward is a balance between resuming normal life but not taking the virus lightly.”—TNS

India to chair WHO Executive Board

New Delhi: India was on Friday elected the chair of the WHO Executive Board with Health Minister Harsh Vardhan taking charge from Hiroki Nakatani of Japan. “I will work to realise WHO vision,” he said. TNS

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