Modi issues directives to disclose exact number of Covid-19 cases

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has issued directives not to hide the exact number of coronavirus cases in the country. 

He made the directives during a review meeting on coronavirus with senior central government officials on Saturday (May 15).

The death toll from the second wave of coronavirus epidemic in India is rising every day. A number of international and local media outlets have recently complained that the number of coronavirus cases and deaths in some states is being reduced and then published.

On Saturday, Modi said the state governments should report their pandemic numbers transparently without any pressure of high numbers showing adversely on their efforts.

Indian PM also asked officials to step up testing in areas reporting high test positivity rates, with a focus on door-to-door testing in rural parts of the country which were facing the brunt of the pandemic.