India Reports Record Rise in CCP Virus Cases; Delhi Cancels All Medical Staff Leave

India Reports Record Rise in CCP Virus Cases; Delhi Cancels All Medical Staff Leave
A medical staff (R) wearing personal protective equipment collects a nasal swab with a rapid antigen test for the CCP virus at a testing center after the government eased a nationwide lockdown as a preventive measure against COVID-19, in New Delhi on June 19, 2020. (Prakash Singh/AFP/Getty Images)
Reuters
6/20/2020
Updated:
6/20/2020
NEW DELHI/BENGALURU—India reported a record jump in CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus infections on Saturday, a day after the government in the capital New Delhi ordered hospitals to cancel any leave and have workers return to duty immediately.

India saw an increase of 14,516 COVID-19 cases, the health ministry said, taking the total to 395,047 with 12,948 deaths.

In a memo to all government hospitals on Friday, the Delhi government ordered all leave canceled and said further leave would only be granted under the most compelling circumstances.

A number of countries continue to evacuate their citizens from India, amid concerns hospitals in major cities such as Delhi and Mumbai may be overwhelmed.

Ireland became the latest country to warn its citizens that medical assistance may become difficult with India’s sharp spike in cases and urged them to consider making use of a series of evacuation flights in the next few weeks.

In an email seen by Reuters, the embassy’s second secretary, Máirtín Cronin, warned Irish citizens that access to medical care for COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 treatment may become increasingly difficult in the coming period.

By Aftab Ahmed and Patrick Graham
Epoch Times staff contributed to this report