India¡¯s 50 million domestic workers already had it tough. Now the mostly female force of cooks, cleaners and carers must test negative for coronavirus and get vaccinated to keep earning, a crippling new cost of the pandemic.

COVID-19 infections have already topped 15 million nationwide, a tally only surpassed by the United States.

Parts of the country, including New Delhi and India¡¯s financial capital Mumbai, have imposed lockdowns with health facilities unable to cope with the latest wave of the virus.