India's daily COVID-19 cases near 380,000... Record high broken again

More than 6 Times Daily Cases Compared to the US... Cumulative Total Surpasses 18 Million
Emergency Aid Supplies Arrive from Various Countries... Transportation Issues Across Regions

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] Indian health authorities announced that nearly 380,000 new COVID-19 cases were reported in a single day, setting a new record high once again. Faced with a sudden surge of massive cases, India is experiencing an absolute shortage of basic medical supplies such as medical oxygen, causing the healthcare system to completely collapse, while the number of confirmed cases shows no signs of slowing down.

According to foreign media including The Times of India on the 29th (local time), Indian health authorities reported that the number of new confirmed cases in India in one day reached 379,257, breaking the previous record once again. The number of new confirmed cases in India has surpassed record highs for seven consecutive days. The cumulative number of confirmed cases stands at 18,368,096, ranking second in the world after the United States (32,980,000). The number of new cases in the U.S. on the same day was counted at 56,604, meaning India's daily new cases exceed six times that of the U.S.

The number of new deaths also reached 3,645, surpassing the previous record once again, with the cumulative death toll reaching 204,832. Medical experts in India estimate that including unreported figures, the actual damage is at least ten times higher than the official government records. Due to the absolute shortage of basic medical supplies such as medical oxygen, patients are unable to receive treatment in hospitals, and cremated bodies are piling up.

International aid efforts are also ongoing. The U.S. government announced that it would provide medical supplies worth about 100 million dollars, including 20 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine, medical oxygen, and masks. The United Kingdom also urgently sent oxygen generators by air. Russia promised support with Sputnik V vaccines and medical supplies, and Taiwan announced it would send emergency aid supplies by air, with support materials being delivered to airports.

The problem lies in the nationwide transportation plan for these aid supplies. According to The Hindustan Times, India currently faces an absolute shortage of oxygen tanks for transporting liquefied oxygen. While most liquefied oxygen production sites are located in the southern region, major COVID-19 affected areas such as New Delhi are located in the northern region thousands of kilometers away, causing difficulties in transportation. The Indian government is reportedly urgently securing transport ships to increase liquefied oxygen imports from overseas and is mobilizing naval and air force resources to transport oxygen and vaccines.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.