India continues to beat records of cases of contamination.

The country recorded Monday, April 26, nearly 353,000 people infected with Covid-19 in 24 hours.

In an attempt to stem the meteoric spread of the epidemic, linked in part to the emergence of a new variant, the authorities have announced an extension of the confinement in the capital New Delhi.

The country, which has 1.3 billion inhabitants, is in the throes of a terrible epidemic with still 352,991 new cases.

India has simultaneously deplored 2,812 new deaths from Covid-19, which is a national record since the start of the pandemic, according to official data released Monday by the Ministry of Health.

"We have decided to extend the confinement for a week," Delhi's head of government Arvind Kejriwal announced on Sunday.

“The ravages of the coronavirus continue and there is no respite,” he said.

The capital, which has 20 million inhabitants, is the Indian agglomeration most affected by the epidemic.

On Sunday, just under 23,000 new cases of contamination were recorded and 350 deaths.

A weeklong confinement began there on April 19 in an attempt to ease the pressure on hospitals, facing a serious oxygen shortage.

New Delhi is not the only Indian metropolitan area currently under lockdown.

Indian Kashmir became the latest region to announce weekend containment on Saturday.

Over the past seven days, India has recorded more than two million new cases, an increase of 58% from the previous week, according to data compiled by AFP.

Anger on social media

The crisis once again sheds light on the dilapidated state of India's health care system, as anger mounts over the federal government's alleged lack of preparedness in the face of this epidemic wave.

"Patients are dying in front of hospitals because they cannot be taken care of," explains Alban Alvarez, France 24 correspondent in New Delhi.

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The country has administered nearly 141 million doses of anti-Covid vaccines so far, but experts believe that number should increase significantly.

In his monthly radio address, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said India was "rocked by a storm" and called on people to get vaccinated and not "to be swayed by any rumor about vaccines. ".

Sunday, Twitter confirmed to have deleted, at the request of the Indian authorities, dozens of tweets which criticized the executive in the management of the health crisis.

The American social network had already acceded to such a request in February concerning a protest movement by farmers.

The weakness of resources in hospitals, where patients have died due to oxygen shortages, was denounced by some tweets from elected members of the opposition.

"When we receive a request that is legally admissible, we look at it through the prism of Twitter rules and local laws," Twitter said in a statement.

The government has stepped up efforts to supply oxygen, with special trains and flights from overseas, notably from Singapore and Saudi Arabia.

International aid

More than 500 oxygen production units will also be installed in public hospitals, the health ministry said on Sunday.

Private companies have also announced their contribution.

The White House said on Sunday that the United States would send "immediately" components for vaccine production as well as medical equipment.

Several countries in Europe, including the United Kingdom, France and Germany have also pledged their help.

Pakistan, a traditional enemy, has offered medical supplies and equipment and its Prime Minister Imran Khan has tweeted prayers for "a speedy recovery".

The pandemic is also hitting this neighboring country which reported 157 deaths on Sunday in 24 hours, the highest toll since the start of the pandemic.

Other countries have imposed restrictions.

Thailand on Sunday banned foreigners from India from entering their territory. 

Bangladesh, which shares a 4,000 km border with India, said on Sunday it was suspending land links with its neighbor for two weeks from Monday.

With AFP

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