The swine flu death toll in India reached 1,158 as of Tuesday morning, according to News India.
Per data collated by the Health Ministry of India, the number of swine flu cases has climbed to approximately 21,412 as of Mar. 2.
Several city officials have advised workers concerned about the disease to stay home until the situation improves.
The outbreak has caused panic, prompting nearly 10,000 lawyers practicing in the city of Ahmedabad to assume a five-day leave beginning on Tuesday.
"As many as 10,000 advocates, […] will not work from March 3 to March 7 due to the swine flu menace in the city," said Rajesh Parekh, President of the Ahmedabad District Bar Association.
The number of cases in the country reportedly declined last week, but health department officials in Delhi warn that the decline that had taken place may not continue due to unseasonal rains in the region.
Epidemics thrive in rainy seasons.
According to New Delhi Television, Health Minister JP Nadda said that the country was facing a shortage of H1N1 testing facilities.
As of Mar. 1, there were only 21 capable laboratories.
Nadda assured the people of India, however, that efforts were being made to set up such facilities in every state.
Citizens have been advised to report to a hospital at the first sign of flu-like symptoms—such as high fever, sneezing, coughing, and muscle aches. Health Ministry & Family Welfare has also recommended vaccination for health care workers.
Swine flu, a respiratory illness found in pigs otherwise known as H1N1, is both an airborne and direct contact disease, transmittable via droplets in the air (from sneezing or coughing) or person-to-person contact.
H1N1 took the world by storm back in 2009, claiming an estimated 12,469 deaths in the U.S. alone according to data collected by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).