Buliding Network

  Major Indian states that have been virus hotpots are easing restrictions as Covid case numbers continue to fall. National capital Delhi and financial hub, Mumbai, are among the cities that are opening partially. This comes in the wake of a crushing second wave that saw hospital beds, medicines and even oxygen run short as cases spiked and deaths rose. But experts continue to advice precaution amid a lagging vaccine drive and the threat posed by new variants. India has administered more than 230 million jabs of a Covid vaccine so far - but less than four percent of it's 1.4 billion people have been fully vaccinated. It has also struggled to speed up the drive across the country, partly because of a botched roll-out that saw demand outstrip supply. Among other things, it allowed higher prices for jabs in private hospitals, which has skewed access heavily in favour urban areas and those who can afford to pay. Vaccine hesitancy too remains a challenge, especially in rural areas. http