With more residents staying indoors, fewer Indians are dying from road and train accidents, leading to a drop in overall mortality. Crime is also down.
Underlying issues such as poverty and chronic disease make the South particularly vulnerable. The region is also at high risk for natural disasters at a time when emergency resources are stretched.
Giving to the poor is an essential part of the holy month, which began Friday, and with so many people thrown out of work, observers say it's particularly needed now.
Cemeteries and hospitals are overwhelmed by a surge in fatalities, most of which are not registered in official COVID-19 statistics because of a lack of testing and bureaucratic delays.
The European country of under 12 million people surged to the top of the chart as authorities tally not only fatalities that are confirmed as virus-related but also many suspected of being linked.
Millions of children are taking classes online because of the coronavirus pandemic. But for families who live in homeless shelters, it's more than just inconvenient. It's overwhelming.
The country has been testing on a larger scale than most other countries. Studying antibodies in the blood can show whether someone has fought off the virus.