Ganges crowds highlight distancing challenges as Covid cases soar in India

New infections passed 160,000 a day over the weekend, and vaccine shortages are being reported

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Hundreds of thousands of devotees bathed in the River Ganges on Monday despite soaring rates of new Covid-19 cases across India, a second wave that has struck down Bollywood stars, sent migrant workers fleeing from cities and contributed to the slowing of vaccination programmes around the world.

The largest bathing day of the Hindu religious festival Kumbh Mela in the northern Indian city of Haridwar highlighted the immense challenge facing officials in trying to implement social distancing as the daily rate of new Covid-19 cases crossed 160,000 over the weekend, India's highest point since the beginning of the pandemic.