PM Modi says India shaken by Covid-19 'storm'; US readies help
Record surge in cases in past 24 hours; S'pore sends oxygen containers
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Workers preparing beds in a makeshift ward at the Sardar Patel Covid Care Centre in New Delhi at the weekend. Hospitals in India have had to turn away Covid-19 patients after running out of medical oxygen and beds. Daily cases have gone up eightfold over the past month, and deaths by 10 times.
PHOTO: BLOOMBERG
NEW DELHI • India set a new global record for the most number of Covid-19 infections in a day, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi yesterday urged all citizens to be vaccinated and exercise caution, saying that the "storm" of infections had shaken the country.
The United States said it was deeply concerned with India's massive surge in cases and was racing to send aid there. Meanwhile, the European Commission has activated its EU Civil Protection Mechanism and is seeking to send oxygen and medicine to the country after receiving a request from New Delhi.
Singapore sent oxygen containers to mitigate the shortage in India, with the Indian Air Force airlifting four cryogenic tanks from Changi Airport on Saturday.
"We stand with India in its fight against Covid-19," Singapore's diplomatic missions in New Delhi, Mumbai and Chennai tweeted.
India's number of cases surged 349,691 in the past 24 hours, the fourth straight day of record peaks, and hospitals are turning away patients after running out of medical oxygen and beds.
"We were confident, our spirits were up after successfully tackling the first wave, but this storm has shaken the nation," said Mr Modi.
His government has faced criticism that it let down its guard, allowed big gatherings and did not build up the healthcare systems when there was time. The government has asked Twitter to take down dozens of tweets critical of its handling of the outbreak, including some by local lawmakers.
Outside a Sikh temple in Ghaziabad city on the outskirts of Delhi, the street resembled an emergency ward, crammed with cars carrying Covid-19 patients gasping for air while hooked up to handheld oxygen tanks.
Delhi's Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal extended by a week a lockdown in the capital that was due to end today to try and stem the transmission of the virus, which is killing one person every four minutes.
"A lockdown was the last weapon we had... but with cases rising so quickly, we had to use this weapon," said Mr Kejriwal.
Total infections in India stand at around 17 million and deaths at over 92,000. Daily cases have gone up eightfold over the past month, and deaths by 10 times. Health experts say the death count is probably much higher.
"Our hearts go out to the Indian people in the midst of the horrific Covid-19 outbreak," US Secretary of State Antony Blinken tweeted.
"We are working closely with our partners in the Indian government, and we will rapidly deploy additional support to the people of India and India's healthcare heroes."
The US has faced criticism in India for its export controls on raw materials for vaccines. The Serum Institute of India has urged US President Joe Biden to lift the embargo on exports of raw materials that is hurting its production of the AstraZeneca Covid-19 shots.
Others such as US congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi urged the Biden administration to release unused vaccines to India.
"When people in India and elsewhere desperately need help, we can't let vaccines sit in a warehouse, we need to get them to where they will save lives," he said.
India's surge is expected to peak in mid-May with the daily count of infections reaching half a million, the Indian Express said, citing an internal government assessment.
Dr V.K. Paul, a Covid-19 task force leader who made the presentation to Mr Modi and state chief ministers, said the health infrastructure in heavily populated states is not adequate to cope, the newspaper reported.
REUTERS
