China News Service, May 7 reported that the new crown epidemic in India is out of control, with a total of more than 21 million people infected, and medical oxygen shortages everywhere.
On the one hand, India increased the supply of medical oxygen to various places, and on the other hand sent warships to transport oxygen to many countries in an attempt to alleviate the domestic oxygen shortage.
At the same time, the spread of the epidemic is difficult to stop.
The epidemic in neighbouring Nepal has deteriorated sharply. 17 people have been diagnosed in the Everest base camp, and more people have developed symptoms. What is more worrying is that in addition to Southeast Asia and Oceania, Uganda and Kenya in Africa have also appeared first in India. Variant of the virus.
Data map: May 5, 2021 local time, the Adani Vidya Mandir school in the suburb of Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India, has been converted into a new crown care center, and the administrator is arranging beds.
[The epidemic has spilled! Nepal’s Mount Everest base camp "occupies", Africa is now mutated virus]
On the 6th, India added more than 410,000 confirmed new crown cases and 3980 deaths, which was a record high in a single day. A total of more than 21 million people have been infected and 230,000 people have died.
The World Health Organization previously issued a report stating that the epidemic in India continues to spread to neighboring countries, and the epidemics in Nepal and Sri Lanka are rapidly deteriorating.
In the Everest base camp in Nepal, at least 17 climbers have been diagnosed with the new crown virus, and more and more people have been infected with the new crown.
Baudell, director of the Nepal Epidemiology and Disease Control Center, believes that the returnees from India are part of the reason for the surge in Nepal's new crown cases.
The health department has found several mutated viruses from the United Kingdom and India in Nepalese patients.
In addition, some countries in Southeast Asia, including Laos, Cambodia and Thailand, are also facing a new wave of epidemic shocks.
Some analysts believe that the epidemic in Laos and other countries has a great relationship with the cross-border movement of Indians.
In addition, some Southeast Asian countries, like India, slackened in epidemic prevention after the first wave of epidemics, leading to a rebound of the epidemic.
In Oceania, Australia has 2 local confirmed cases, one of which was infected with a variant virus strain first discovered in India. This is the first time Australia has notified a local case of a variant virus found in India.
The confirmed case has visited nearly 20 locations, and the local government is concerned about a major outbreak.
The risk of the spillover of the epidemic in India is not only a threat to neighboring countries.
On the 6th, the WHO Regional Director for Africa, Morty, said that the mutant strain B.1.617, which was first discovered in India, has already appeared in Uganda and Kenya.
Morty called for the tragedy in India not to happen in Africa, and all countries must be vigilant.
Data map: Many medical systems in India are paralyzed, and many patients can only receive treatment in temporary establishments.
The picture shows the entrance of the temporary ward rebuilt by medical staff in the banquet hall.
[Oxygen shortage! India sends 9 warships to many countries to transport oxygen]
As the epidemic continues to worsen, medical oxygen shortages are occurring throughout India.
According to the Supreme Court’s order, the Indian government agreed to provide more medical oxygen to hospitals in New Delhi, increasing the supply from 490 tons per day to 730 tons.
Government officials said the demand for oxygen in hospitals has increased sevenfold since last month.
Indian Health Minister Vardan pointed out that most of the medical oxygen is produced in eastern India, but the demand is concentrated in the north and west, and transportation is facing difficulties.
"Hindustan Times" reported on the 6th that the Indian Railway Corporation has transported 2,511 tons of liquid medical oxygen to various places.
As many as 40 "oxygen express trains" have delivered urgently needed oxygen to their destinations, and there are currently 22 trains carrying more than 400 tons of oxygen on the way.
On the other hand, India has also accelerated the pace of returning oxygen from abroad.
India's "Economic Times" stated that on the 5th, the Indian Navy "Tawar" returned from Bahrain with 54 tons of oxygen and docked at the Port of New Mangaluru.
In addition, the "Elawat" heading to Singapore and the "Kolkata" heading to Kuwait are also returning to India with liquid oxygen and other medical equipment.
Pawar, deputy commander-in-chief of the Indian Naval Staff, said that India has sent nine warships to various countries to transport oxygen, "from Kuwait in the west to Singapore in the east." An official from the Indian Ministry of Defense said that it plans to send three more warships from Kuwait and Doha. Get more supplies.
Data map: On May 4, local time, in New Delhi, India, people wearing protective masks were waiting at the vaccination center to be vaccinated with the COVISHIELD Covid-19 vaccine produced in India.
[Impact shipping, affecting the "crash" of the Suez Canal? 】
There are about 1.6 million crew members working on international cargo ships, of which 240,000 are from India. As various places have closed customs on India, some ports have also prohibited cargo ships that have visited India from berthing, making it impossible for many crew members to change shifts.
Some representatives of the industry described that the crew cannot be rotated, which will impact the global shipping industry, and its impact is even more serious than the previous "ship jam" in the Suez Canal.
Singapore and Fujairah in the UAE have recently banned crew changes from India, and Singapore has extended the ban to India’s neighbors Pakistan and Bangladesh.
Even if some cargo ships have asked the crew from India to undergo isolation and testing before boarding, there are still crew members who have been diagnosed after boarding the ship.
The Norwegian ship management company Wilson has about 10,000 crew members, of which 15% are from India. The company has banned crew members from changing shifts in India since the 24th of last month, at least until the end of this month. Chief Executive Carl Shu pointed out that Indian seafarers When they were scheduled to board the ship, they often failed to produce a negative test certificate, describing that “India’s entire medical system has basically collapsed.”
Germany's Best Ship Management Company stated that it is temporarily recruiting crew members from other countries to fill vacancies.
Some shipping industry management believe that when vaccination programs are launched in various parts of the world, consideration should be given to giving the crew members a priority.
In the summer of 2020, about 400,000 seafarers were affected by the epidemic, and their stay at sea was longer than originally planned. With the emergence of a new wave of epidemics around the world since March, various places have imposed entry restrictions, and the shortage of seafarers may repeat itself.