In western India, Nagpur is the first major city in India to return to full lockdown after a spike in coronavirus cases. This lockdown begins on March 15 and will last a week, extending to other areas of the district as well. Nagpur is located in Maharashtra state, which has always been considered a Covid-19 hotspot.
India has had more than 11 million cases and 157,000 deaths due to Covid so far. In recent months, there has been a decline in cases and deaths across the country, but six states are reporting new surges. Another district in Maharashtra, Amaravati, was put in lockdown for a week in February. Scientists fear the new variants could be causing the spike in cases, but the fatigue of following protocol for citizens could also be the reason.
Read more: Maharashtra: Nagpur becomes first major Indian city to return to lockdown