Front Burner

Why India is lifting its lockdown as COVID-19 cases surpass 4 million

On Sunday, India recorded more than 90,000 COVID-19 cases, breaking a global daily record. Today on Front Burner, Washington Post reporter Joanna Slater looks into why India's government is lifting its pandemic lockdown.
(Dibyangshu Sarkar/AFP/Getty Images)

With over 4 million COVID-19 cases, and more than 71,000 deaths, India has surpassed Brazil as the second most-affected country in the world by the coronavirus. But that hasn't stopped India from reopening, because the pandemic has also taken a massive toll on its economy and workforce.

Today on Front Burner, host Josh Bloch talks to the Washington Post's India Bureau Chief, Joanna Slater, about why the Indian government is lifting its lockdown, just as the country recorded the largest single-day jump of COVID-19 cases anywhere in the world.