Indian industry body urges curbs to economic activity to save lives

A man stands next to a funeral pyre of a relative who died from the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), during a mass cremation, at a crematorium in New Delhi, India May 1, 2021. REUTERS/Adnan Abidi

NEW DELHI (Reuters) -A leading Indian industry body urged authorities to take the "strongest national steps" and to curtail economic activity to save lives on Sunday as the country battles surging coronavirus cases that have overwhelmed the healthcare system.

The rate of new infections dipped marginally but deaths kept climbing. Authorities reported 392,488 new cases in the previous 24 hours, pushing total cases to 19.56 million. Deaths jumped by a record 3,689, taking the overall toll to 215,542.