India's rising coronavirus cases risk denting recovery out of recession

India's jobless rate, as calculated by think-tank Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy Pvt., inched up to 6.9% in February from 6.5% in January

Passengers stand a queue for board a train at Patna railway station during the complete lockdown imposed to curb the spread of coronavirus, in Patna on Saturday.
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Passengers stand a queue for board a train at Patna railway station during the complete lockdown imposed to curb the spread of coronavirus, in Patna on Saturday.

Anirban Nag | Bloomberg
A surge in coronavirus cases in India could hurt the economy’s recovery from a rare recession, as curbs to avoid a new wave creates delays in putting back to work millions who lost their jobs due to the pandemic.

In recent weeks, new coronavirus cases have shot up across India despite a rollout of a nationwide vaccination drive. Confirmed infections have risen to more than 40,000 daily from a low of about 9,800 in February, pushing the overall tally past the 11.5 million mark.

Unlike other Covid-19 hit regions such as Europe, India has so far been reluctant to reimpose any more harsh restrictions. Around this time last year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi ordered a strict national lockdown with just a few

First Published: Mar 23 2021 | 11:26 AM IST

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