Rural India is COVID-19's new hunting ground

In Andhra Pradesh, the coronavirus outbreak was predominantly limited to urban areas until about a month ago, accounting for nearly 90% cases. But the rural parts of AP are showing an exponential increase in numbers. The state reported about 1,500 cases in the last three weeks, of which about 500 cases emerged from the rural areas of the state. Some infections are also reported from interior tribal pockets of AP.

Govt officials say more than 80% positive cases in the state are now from rural areas, with 4.5 lakh migrants back till now. More than 80% of the 4.5 lakh migrants have returned to 11 districts, all of which have witnessed spurt in positive cases, with Ganjam, that had zero cases till May 2, now with the highest in Odisha at 499 cases and three deaths.

The state saw 4,094 cases being reported till June 2, of which 2,905 were attributed to migrants. About 70% of cases in Bihar are of migrants and an official said they are from rural areas of Bihar.

As scores of villagers who worked in the Koyambedu wholesale vegetable market in Chennai returned to their native villages, rural areas started reporting a surge in cases. Now, there is a second wave of surge in rural TN with the return of migrant workers.