India's Covid Deaths Reach All-Time High

India’s number of daily coronavirus deaths has reached over 6,000 after a single state revised its data for fatalities during the second wave, raising fears that the country’s toll is much higher than reported.

While the daily total would still be a global record for a single day, the number still rose as Bihar, one of the poorest states revised its total Covid-19 related death toll from 5,400 to 9,400 after a court challenge, accounting for people who died at home, in private hospitals, throughout the crippling second wave.

This new total comes as official figures for infections around the country are at 100,000 for the third consecutive day, suggesting the latest surge may be in a phase of decline.

According to the health ministry, 6,148 people died in the previous 24 hours, taking total fatalities to about 360,000 - the highest in the world. The previous world record was 5,527 deaths in 24 hours -in the US on 12 February, although this was also due to an upwards revision of earlier deaths.

The revision came amid allegations that the state of Bihar had undercounted its death toll, which led to an order of a detailed audit by a high court that now includes those who died from Covid complications after recovering from the disease, as well as those who died on the way to the hospital.

Similar accusations have been meted at other state governments after a surge in the coronavirus came as a result of crematoriums reaching maximum capacity and hundreds of bodies being dumped in rivers or buried in shallow graves.

India is desperately fighting a devastating second wave of outbreaks that began in February and worsened in April and early May, overwhelming the country’s healthcare infrastructure. The sector has faced many challenges, including shortages of beds, oxygen, and medication while many doctors and other healthcare workers succumbed to the disease.

While India’s official Covid-19 death toll is 359,676, an Indian research and polling agency, C-Voter, estimated that at least 1.8 million Indians may have died from Covid-19. If these numbers are accurate, it would mean that India has been by far the worst-hit country, even harder than countries like Brazil and the United States.

“Under-reporting is a widespread problem, not necessarily deliberate, often because of inadequacies,” said Rajib Dasgupta, head of the Centre of Social Medicine and Community Health at New Delhi’s Jawaharlal Nehru University. “In the rural context, whatever states may say or claim, testing is not simple, easy or accessible,” he said.

While the government has dismissed these estimates as exaggerated, the main opposition Congress party said other states must follow Bihar’s example and conduct a review of deaths over the past two months. “This proves beyond a doubt government has been hiding Covid deaths,” said Shama Mohamed, a Congress spokesperson, adding that an audit should also be ordered in the big states of Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Gujarat.

The number of cases peaked in early May, but the country's government has warned that there may be a third wave that could hit the country later this year.

According to experts, the most sustainable solution is to intensify vaccinations - both to end the current wave and mitigate the effects of the potential third wave. The vaccination program which began in January has however faced a couple of challenges, most notably vaccine shortage, translating into less than 5% of the population so far receiving both doses.

The government announced that an estimate of over 2 billion doses of vaccine could be available by December as more vaccine candidates are expected to receive regulatory approval. 

Narendra Modi, the country's Prime Minister, said this week that India will provide free Covid-19 vaccines to everyone.