The Scotsman

320,000 new Covid-19 cases in India

- By MARGARET NEIGHBOUR

India recorded more than 320,000 new cases of coronaviru­s infection on yesterday as the country's sinking health system started receiving muchneeded support from foreign nations.

New infections raised India's total past 17.6 million.

India recorded more than 320,000 new cases of coronaviru­s infection yesterday as the country's sinking health system started receiving much-needed support from foreign nations.

Yesterday' s 323,144 new infections­raised india' s total past 17.6 million, behind only the United States. it ended a five-day streak of recording the largest singleday increases in any country throughout the pandemic, but the decline likely reflects lower weekend testing rather than reduced spread of the virus.

The health ministry also reported another 2,771 deaths in 24 hours, with roughly 115 Indians succumbing to the diseaseeve­ry hour. the latest fatalities pushed India' s death toll to 197,894, behind the US, Brazil and Mexico. Experts say even these figures are probably an undercount.

Makeshift pyres are being built in crematoriu­ms in india' s capital delhi as the city runs out of space to cremate its dead.

Crematoriu­m staff are working throughout the night, with relatives of the dead reportedly having to help with the cremations, pi ling wood and assisting in other rituals.

In Delhi, parking lots, parks or empty ground are now being sought for the increasing need for cremations. Families often have to wait for hours before they are allowed to cremate their dead.

Foreign ministry spokesman Arindam Bagchi tweeted photos yesterday of the first shipment of medical aid India received from Britain. It included 100 ventilator­s and 95 oxygen concentrat­ors.

Other nations including the Us, germany, israel, france and Pakistan have also promised medical aid to India. The countries have said they will supply oxygen, diagnostic tests, treatments, ventilator­s and protective gear to help India at a time of crisis which World Health Organisati­on chief tedro sad ha no mg hebr eyes us on monday called "beyond heartbreak­ing".

The surge, spurred by insidiousn­ew variants of corona virus, has undermined the indian government' s premature claims of victory over the pandemic. The country of nearly 1.4 billion

people is facing a chronic shortageof space on its intensive care wards. hospitals are experienci­ngoxygen shortage sand many people are being forced to turn to makeshift facilities for mass burials and cremations as the country's funeral services have become overwhelme­d.

In a bid to tackle the shortage of beds, Indian authoritie­s are turning to train carriages, which have been converted into isolation wards.

India has also started airlifting oxygen tankers to states in need. special trains with oxygen supplies are also running in the country.

The white house was moving to share raw materials for the production of the Astrazenec­a vaccine with India by diverting some US orders to the vaccine manufactur­er, Serum Institute of India.

White House Covid-19 coordinato­r Jeff Zients said the

Biden administra­tion was working to satisfy other "key requests" from the Indian government, namely for personal protective equipment, tests, therapeuti­cs, supplies of oxygen and respirator­y assistance devices.

Epidemiolo­gists from America's Centres for Disease Control and Prevention were also expected to soon travel to India to assist with its virus response.

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 ??  ?? 0 The brother of a victim of Covid-19 performs rituals during cremation in Gauhati, India, as cases surge faster than anywhere else in the world
0 The brother of a victim of Covid-19 performs rituals during cremation in Gauhati, India, as cases surge faster than anywhere else in the world
 ??  ?? 0 People queue up to receive the the Covishield Covid-19 vaccine at a hospital in Siliguri
0 People queue up to receive the the Covishield Covid-19 vaccine at a hospital in Siliguri

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