India records 352,000 new daily COVID-19 cases, 2,812 deaths

India on Monday saw a new global record of 352,991 daily new COVID-19 infections as a second wave of the pandemic overwhelmed the health systems.

This prompted countries like the U.S., Britain, France and Germany to offer support.

The South Asian country had registered 2,812 COVID-19 deaths in the past 24 hours, the deadliest since the pandemic began, data from India’s federal Health Ministry showed.

India has been logging global daily records of over 300,000 cases for the last five days in the world’s worst-ever COVID-19 outbreak.

Altogether, 195,123 people have died while 17.3 million people have been infected with the virus in India.

Hospitals, helpless patients, their families and friends in major cities have been sending distress messages for medical oxygen, hospital beds and medicines.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said the COVID-19 “storm has shaken the country’’ and India’s top priority was to fight the pandemic.

U.S. President Joe Biden has said his country was “determined to help India in its time of need.’’

The U.S. confirmed that it will make available sources of raw materials required to increase production of the Covishield vaccine.

Britain said it would send life-saving medical equipment including hundreds of oxygen concentrates and ventilators to support India’s fight against the virus.

The European Union, Germany and Israel have also offered help.

India, the worst-affected country worldwide after the U.S., is in the grip of a second deadly wave that began mid-February.

Experts attribute the rapid spread of cases to presence of more infectious variants of the virus, people’s failure to observe safety measures as well as a lack of preparedness by the government.(dpa/ NAN)