Lessons forgotten: Election rallies feed Indian virus surge

By SHEIKH SAALIQ
Associated Press

NEW DELHI (AP) — Coronavirus cases fueled by the highly transmissible omicron variant are rocketing through India, prompting the federal government and states to swiftly reintroduce a string of restrictions, including limits on gatherings. But India’s political leaders are busy campaigning ahead of crucial state polls, addressing packed rallies of tens of thousands of people, many without masks. The scenes are strikingly similar to last year’s election season, when the delta variant ravaged the country and made India one of the world’s worst-hit countries. Some political parties have begun to curtail their campaigns and halt a few rallies, but health experts worry that the lessons learned last year have already been forgotten. On Saturday, the Election Commission barred all rallies for a week.