Nationwide cases of confirmed coronavirus infections rose on Friday by over 1,750 -- the maximum for a day -- to nearly 23,500 with several states including Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Gujarat detecting new patients, even as the government said the outbreak is under control and the tally could have reached one lakh by now without a nationwide lockdown.
Government officials also credited a robust surveillance network and various containment measures for the spread being "under control", along with the lockdown, which was announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi a month ago on March 24 in an address to the nation.
Addressing village panchayat heads and members through video conferencing, Modi on Friday said the coronavirus pandemic has taught the country "to be self-reliant and self-sufficient" and not look for solutions abroad, as he stressed that every village, district and state should be able to provide for its basic needs.
He also applauded rural India for its simple and motivating mantra of "Do Gaz Ki Doori" to popularise social distancing.
Separately, several medical experts said the prevailing restrictions have been crucial in preventing a situation similar to the US or Europe, but cautioned that a "bigger challenge" awaits the country when it gradually move towards exiting the nationwide lockdown.
Some scientists also warned that the trajectory of COVID-19 cases could have plateaued and might even fall for some weeks after the lockdown is lifted but India is likely to see a second wave in late July or August with a surge in the number of cases during the monsoon.
It looks apparentthat the trajectory of daily new cases has reached a plateau and eventually it will take a downward fall, maybe for some weeks or even months, Samit Bhattacharya, associate professor at the Department of Mathematics, Shiv Nadar University, told PTI.
Rajesh Sundaresan, professor at Bengaluru's Indian Institute of Science (IISc), said, "Once we return to normal activity levels, there is a chance that infection may begin to rise again. China is seeing this to some extent post easing of some restrictions on travel."