India is breaking records for "Corona" injuries for the sixth day

International aid reaches India ... and Turkey imposes a complete closure

A crematorium for Corona virus victims in New Delhi.

A.F.B.

Yesterday, international aid began to arrive in India, which is dominated by a "more than painful" situation, according to the World Health Organization, due to an epidemic wave that records record numbers of injuries and deaths, while Turkey announced the imposition of a complete closure until May 17 to limit a jump in cases of infection and death from the Coronavirus. .

India broke world records for the numbers of emerging coronavirus infections for the sixth consecutive day, yesterday, as health systems collapsed under pressure, and a lack of medical oxygen and hospital beds led to more deaths.

The Indian Ministry of Health data showed that 323,144 new cases and 2,771 deaths were recorded within 24 hours, bringing the total number of injuries to 17.6 million, and deaths to 197,894.

And in the worst outbreak ever, India has recorded more than 300,000 cases per day since last Thursday, when it surpassed the previous record for daily infections recorded in the United States in January, which was 300,300.

The country also recorded the highest daily death toll from Corona last week.

Doctors in New Delhi, the worst-hit among Indian cities, described how patients were dying on the streets in critical condition due to a shortage of hospital beds and medical oxygen.

The daily "Times of India" reported that the oxygen crisis has caused 14 more deaths in four states, including Maharashtra, which is the worst affected.

In New Delhi, eyewitnesses spoke of overcrowding in hospital corridors full of beds and bras, on which two or three people sometimes lie, while families unsuccessfully beg workers to find a place for their dying relatives, and some die at the doors of hospitals, while others queue in front of pharmacies in search of Medicines for treating Covid patients.

Yesterday, the first shipment of medical supplies for relief from Corona from Britain, including 100 ventilators and 95 oxygen generators, arrived in New Delhi.

In total, nine air containers will be dispatched this week with equipment including 495 oxygen generators, 120 mask respirators and 20 hand-held respirators, according to the British High Commission in New Delhi.

For its part, France explained the nature of the "solidarity process" that would reach India by the end of the week. It includes eight medical oxygen generation units through a generator and liquefied oxygen containers, five of which have already been sent, allowing the provision of medical oxygen to up to 10 thousand patients. In one day, in addition to special medical equipment that contains in particular 28 respirators, according to what the French embassy said in a statement sent to Agence France-Presse.

The United States pledged, after a phone call between US President Joe Biden and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, to provide urgent assistance, including components for the production of vaccines, protective equipment, respirators and infection tests.

In the coming days, the European Union is supposed to send a batch of emergency equipment as part of the Civil Protection Mechanism, in coordination with the European Commission.

The director of the World Health Organization, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, considered the situation in India "more than painful."

And the Indian mutated strain still raises questions, and the Health Organization indicated that it is still not known whether the high death rate is due to the high risk of the strain or from the strain on the health system capabilities due to the rapid rise in the number of infections in India, or it is caused by both.

In addition, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced that Turks will have to stay in their homes most of the time under a complete nationwide lockdown that begins tomorrow and continues until May 17, to limit the jump in cases of infection and death with the Coronavirus.

The data of the Turkish Ministry of Health showed that 37,312 new infections were recorded in Corona and 353 deaths within 24 hours, which are much lower numbers than recorded in mid-April, but the country is still fourth in the world in injuries and the worst in terms of population size among large countries.

In remarks after a government meeting, Erdogan said that all inter-city trips will require approval from the authorities, as well as closing all schools and explaining lessons online, and there will also be a limited number of public transport users.

Turks will be forced to stay at home and not go out unless necessary, such as buying their basic needs and receiving urgent medical treatment.

He said groups of workers, including those in emergency services, the manufacturing and food sectors, would be exempt from the new restrictions.

Erdogan said: “At a time when Europe is entering a phase of reopening, we need to quickly reduce our number of cases to less than 5,000 so as not to lag behind them.

Otherwise, we will inevitably face heavy prices in every field from tourism to trade and education. ”

He added that the measures would be applied "in the most stringent manner to ensure that they lead to the best results."

• The oxygen crisis causes 14 new deaths in four Indian states.

• Turkey records 37 thousand new cases of "Corona" within one day.

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