India's rate of infection with the Corona virus continues to rapidly rise with to date a recorded 217,541 confirmed cases and tragically 6,091 deaths. These figures make India the 7th highest infected country in the world. This represents a substantial increase in the last couple of weeks. Densely populated cities such as Delhi and Mumbai are seeing a spike in infections. Day after day, there has been a record number of cases and deaths. As we start the month of June, There is no sign of the spread of the virus decreasing or the curve reaching its highest point.
Nandri sadly has experienced the first two cases of infection among its families. We are doing everything in our power to care for them. Throughout India rural areas have seen an increase in the virus as millions of migrant workers return home to their villages from large cities with high levels of infection, bringing the virus with them. The increase of COVID19 in the villages is extremely worrying as there is little health care available and few doctors to care for the sick. Unfortunately some migrants who returned from cities to quarantine centres near their villages are absconding and causing further infection in their communities.With the threat of COVID19 now reaching rural villages, we have strongly stressed to our families the importance of safety measures to prevent the spread of the virus as the impact of wide infection rates on Nandri and the local villages would be devastating.
In the meantime the working class Indian people are enduring untold poverty and food shortages because of the lockdown. Right now our rural Nandri families are suffering far more from the economic effect of COVID19 than the Corona virus itself. This week we distributed rice to 250 rickshaw drivers and their families in Chetpet whose livelihood has come to a sudden halt because of lockdown. This rice will prevent them from starving for 10 days. We are working hard every day to support our mothers, their families and the local villages with food distribution and financial aid and importantly encourage them to keep safe and do everything possible to prevent COVID infection that would severely impact the whole community. Thank you to our supporters and donors for helping Nandri undertake this essential work.
On behalf of us and the countless people you are helping, a heartfelt Nandri to you all.
If you would like to contribute to Nandris ongoing COVID19 relief fund, please donate here: https://www.nandri.org/donate