India’s vaccine, oxygen crisis deepens as caseload nears 20 million

0
165


India's vaccine drive crumbles as daily virus cases near 400,000

India’s cumulative coronavirus case count neared 20 million on Monday as hospitals continued to send distress messages for emergency oxygen supplies and a top jab-maker said the country may face a vaccine crunch for the next two to three months.

The last 24 hours brought 368,147 fresh cases, taking the number of people who have suffered an infection so far to 19.93 million, government data showed. India, in the grip of a second wave, has logged more than 300,000 cases every day for more than 10 days.

The overall death toll hit 218,959, with 3,417 new deaths reported. That means India has moved past Mexico to become the third-ranked country, after the United States and Brazil, in terms of Covid-19 fatalities.

Experts have said the numbers may be an underestimate, due to low testing rates and the number of people dying at home, particularly in the rural areas.

The shortage of medical oxygen has also worsened. Twenty-eight patients died overnight, allegedly for want of the…



Source: Vanguard Newspaper