India deploys army, cases race upwards
India ordered its armed forces on Monday to help tackle surging new coronavirus infections, as nations including Britain, Germany and the United States pledged urgent medical aid to try to contain an emergency overwhelming the country’s hospitals.
The situation in the world’ s second most populous country is “beyond heartbreaking”, World Health organisation chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said, adding that WHO is sending extra staff and supplies including oxygen concentrator devices.
The patchy curbs, complicated by local elections and mass festival gatherings, could prompt breakouts elsewhere, as infections rose by 352,991 in the last 24 hours, with crowded hospitals running out of oxygen supplies and beds.
In a meeting with india’ s prime minister na rend ra Modi, the Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat said oxygen would be sent to hospitals from armed forces reserves and retired medical military personnel would join COVID-19 health facilities.
Where possible, military medical infrastructure will be made available to civilians, a government statement said, as new coronavirus infections hit a record peak for a fith day.
“Air, Rail, Road & Sea; Heaven & earth are being moved to overcome challenges thrown up by this wave of COVID19,” Health Minister Harsh Vardhan said on Twiter.
Modi said he had spoken to US President Joe Biden about the crisis, discussing supply chains for COVID-19 vaccine raw materials and medicines. On Sunday Biden said his country would send medical supplies to India to help fight the pandemic.
Modi has urged all citizens to get vaccinated and to exercise caution amid what he called a “storm” of infections, while hospitals and doctors in some northern states posted urgent notices saying they were unable to cope with the influx.
In some of the worst-hit cities, bodies were being burnt in makeshit facilities offering mass cremations.
The southern state of Karnataka, home to the tech city of Bengaluru, ordered a 14-day lockdown from Tuesday, joining the western industrial state of Maharashtra, where lockdowns run until May 1, although some states were also set to lit lockdown measures this week.
The Madras High Court exploded in anger as it called the Election Commission of India (ECI) “murderers” for not stopping political parties from wanton abuse of the COVID-19 protocol.
“The Election Commission of India should be put up on murder charges probably for being the most irresponsible institution over the last few months,” a visibly upset Chief Justice Sanjib Banerjee said. “Were you on another planet when political rallies were being held?” He told the Election Commission’s counsel: “Your institution is singularly responsible for the second wave of COVID-19.
“Your officers should be booked on murder charges probably. You have been singularly lacking any kind of exercise of authority.
“You have not taken measures against political parties holding rallies despite every order of this court saying ‘maintain Covid protocol, maintain Covid protocol.’ With the COVID-19 situation in India continuing to wreak havoc the neighbouring country, the people of Pakistan — politicians, journalists, and citizens — are all prayers, sending wishes and expressing genuine concerns for all Indians.
Social media has been flooded with vexing stories of Indians, suffering to the shortage of oxygen and medical facilitations.
Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has also expressed solidarity with the people of India, offering every kind of support in the difficult times.
Pakistani troops have been deployed in 16 major cities to assist civilian authorities in enforcing measures meant to curb the spread of the coronavirus, including the wearing of masks in public and the closing of non-essential businesses ater 6pm.
“Starting at 6am this morning, troops have been sent to aid the civilian administration in each district,” military spokesperson Major General Babar Itikhar said on Monday.
The UAE Ministry of Health and Prevention (MOHAP) recorded 1, 759 new coronavirus cases on Monday.
Additionally, it also recorded 1,580 recoveries and two deaths.
Emirates and the Dubai Health Authority (DHA) have begun to implement full digital verification of COVID-19 medical records connected to testing and vaccination for travellers based in the UAE.
UAE reports 1,759 new cases, 2 deaths; Dubai begins digital verification of virus records for travellers; Indian patients reach 3,52,991; Pakistanis pray for Indians; India court calls election commission ‘murderers’ for wanton abuse of restrictions.