Still too few tests

Union and states are failing to test enough for Covid

A week into the unlocking of India’s economy, and the Covid-19 pandemic has gained momentum. At an emergency meeting chaired by the prime minister over the weekend, it was pointed out that of the more than 320,000 cases of the disease registered, two-thirds are from just five states. These were earliest exposed to the virus, and four of the top five — Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Delhi, and Gujarat — are heavily urbanised. With an uncontrolled re-opening, the other states will begin to approach the more urbanised states’ numbers. Worryingly, it is not necessarily true that India’s fatality rate — the