India holds mock drills as Covid cases increase

Amid an upward trend in fresh Covid-19 cases, mock drills were held across hospitals in India today to take stock of the preparedness.

The drills were held in several public and private health facilities. Indian Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya visited the state-owned Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital in New Delhi to review the exercise there.

The mock drills came on a day when India reported 5,880 fresh coronavirus cases while the active cases have increased to 35,199. The death toll has increased to 5,30,979 with 14 deaths, according to the health ministry data updated today.

Concerned over the rise in daily cases, Mumbai civic body today decided to make wearing face masks mandatory from tomorrow in a bid to curb the spread of the virus.

Mumbai reported 211 new Covid-9 cases on Sunday, marking the sixth consecutive day that India's financial and entertainment capital has seen more than 200 fresh infections.

Maharashtra state, whose capital city is Mumbai, recorded 788 new Covid-9 cases and one new death on Sunday.

Mumbai joins Haryana and Kerala states to order mandatory wearing of face masks to cope with the rising coronavirus cases there.