India (MNN) — Coronavirus containment is complicated in the world’s second most-populated nation. More coronavirus coverage here.
Health experts say India hasn’t reached its COVID-19 peak yet. India’s government is extending restrictions through June 30th in places with high infection rates. At the same time, malls and hotels can open up next week in some locations. Plus, “Domestic flights are opening up but international travel is not allowed in or out of the country,” John Pudaite of Bibles For The World says.
“It is a very confusing and complicated situation over there in India. The country has been divided into zones… and there are different sets of rules for each of those levels. Trying to navigate through all this is a very, very challenging time for ministries.”
The first cyclone to hit Mumbai in more than a century made landfall yesterday, further complicating matters. “If hospitals and clinics are damaged by the cyclone, the city won’t be able to cope with the large number of COVID-19 cases, and social distancing measures will become virtually impossible to follow,” Bidisha Pillai, chief executive of Save the Children in India, told the Associated Press. Mumbai is India’s most populated city with 18 million residents.
Kingdom work continues
As reported here, the pandemic worsened persecution for religious groups in recent weeks. Nonetheless, God is at work. Eleven new believers from a previously-unreached people group were baptized on Pentecost Sunday, Pudaite says.
One of the new believers at baptism.
(Photo courtesy Bibles For The World)
“The work of the Lord, the work of the Holy Spirit, cannot and will not be quarantined; [it] will not be locked down, no matter what the government says.”
Keeping indigenous workers on the frontlines is critical to Bibles For The World. The ministry sends care packages to help its church partners and national workers meet daily needs. Send a care package to believers in India through Bibles For The World.
“I want to thank all the listeners who have gotten behind this,” Pudaite says. “Christian schools and their teaching staff are going to be affected for months to come so we’re extending this program, at least for another month or two.”
Header image depicts healthcare workers in India’s Kerala state. Photo obtained via Wikimedia Commons.
