A SUDDEN RISEIn late January, when India's daily count of coronavirus infections had fallen to around 12,000, Modi all but declared victory at a World Economic Forum event, saying the country had "saved humanity from a big disaster by containing coronavirus effectively."That sense of optimism was sweeping large parts of India, including Amravati, where cases had dropped to a trickle, according to local health officials.
The district, home to 2.9 million people, had reported only dozens of COVID-19 cases daily through much of January, according to government data."Everyone was relaxed," said Shyamsunder Nikam, Amravati's civil surgeon, who supervises public health matters in the district.But case numbers started suddenly rising in late.