Cyclone Amphan recovery begins

The death toll from the superstorm that hit parts of India and Bangladesh rose to at least 95 people on Friday as officials and residents began cleanup operations. Cyclone Amphan pulled down trees, ripped off roofs, and overturned cars in Kolkata, India, which bore the brunt of the storm’s damage. Workers are trying to get roads and utility lines repaired in the area.

How does this complicate the coronavirus response? Storm recovery will make social distancing difficult and take up supplies and services needed to fight the pandemic. India on Friday reported 6,000 new COVID-19 infections over the past 24 hours, the highest daily spike for any country since the pandemic began. The nation plans to ease quarantine restrictions and resume domestic flights on Monday.

Dig deeper: Read Mindy Belz’s column for more details on the cyclone’s devastation of India and Bangladesh.