India’s coronavirus cases hit a record peak for a fifth day as the European Union, Britain and the United States pledged to send urgent medical aid to help tackle the crisis overwhelming its hospitals.
Infections in the past 24 hours rose to 352,991, with overcrowded hospitals in Delhi and nationwide turning away patients after running out of supplies of medical oxygen and beds.
Yesterday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged all citizens to be vaccinated and exercise caution, saying the storm of infections had shaken the nation.
Hospitals and doctors have put out urgent notices saying they were unable to cope with the rush of patients.
The United States will immediately send raw materials for vaccines, medical equipment and protective gear to help India respond to its massive surge in infections, President Joe Biden said.
Germany will send oxygen and medical aid in the coming days ,Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said this morning, while the European Commission has also said it aims to send oxygen and medicines.
Yesterday, Tánaiste Leo Varadkar said Ireland will work with the EU to assist India.
He said in a Twitter post that there “are many Indian people working in our health service. India is currently facing a terrible second wave causing suffering beyond our comprehension. We are assessing a plan to provide oxygen and ventilators to India working with the EU”.
India, with a population of 1.3 billion, has a tally of 17.31 million infections and 195,123 deaths, after 2,812 deaths overnight, health ministry data showed.
Health experts say the death count is probably far higher.
Latest coronavirus stories
A surge in recent days has seen patients’ families taking to social media to beg for oxygen supplies and locations of available hospital beds, and has forced the capital New Delhi to extend a week-long lockdown.
Relatives of a person who died of Covid-19 at a crematorium in Noida
The first of nine airline container-loads of supplies from the UK, including ventilators and oxygen concentrators, was set to arrive in India early tomorrow, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said, pledging the UK would do “all it can” to help.
India’s government is facing growing criticism for allowing mass gatherings across the country in recent weeks, with millions attending religious festivals and thronging political rallies.