《TAIPEI TIMES》 India’s death toll hits new record as oxygen runs out

/ AFP, NEW DELHI

India’s daily COVID-19 death toll yesterday set a new record as the government battled to get oxygen to hospitals overwhelmed by the hundreds of thousands of new daily cases.

Twenty people died in one night at one New Delhi hospital suffering from oxygen shortages, medical officials said.

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A Delhi court said that the new COVID-19 wave had become “a tsunami.”

Lines of COVID-19 patients and their fearful relatives were growing outside hospitals in major cities across India, the world’s new COVID-19 pandemic hotspot, which has reported nearly 1 million new cases in three days.

Another 2,624 deaths were reported in 24 hours, taking the official toll to nearly 190,000 since the pandemic started. More than 340,000 new cases were also reported, taking India’s total to 16.5 million, second only to the US.

However, many experts are predicting the current wave would not peak for at least three weeks, and that the real death toll and case count are much higher.

Germany and Kuwait yesterday followed the United Arab Emirates, the UK and New Zealand in restricting travel from the country.

Stung by criticism of its lack of preparation ahead of the wave of infections, the central government has organized special trains to get oxygen supplies to the worst-hit cities.

The Indian Air Force was also being used to transport oxygen tanks and other supplies around the country, and to bring oxygen equipment from Singapore.

The government has also pressed industrialists to increase production of oxygen and life-saving drugs.

One “oxygen express” carrying 30,000 liters for hospitals arrived in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, where armed guards were waiting to escort trucks that would carry the oxygen to hospitals.

Lucknow has been one of the worst-hit cities, with hospitals and crematoriums inundated with patients and bodies.

Officials said the liquid oxygen would only be enough for half a day’s needs.

Uttar Pradesh, a state of 200 million people, has imposed a weekend lockdown in a bid to curb the virus’ spread.

In New Delhi, the city government said it would begin setting up buffer stocks of oxygen.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said “the government should take over all oxygen plants through the army.”

Many patients are dying outside hospitals in the capital because of the lack of beds and oxygen.

Twenty patients at the Jaipur Golden Hospital in the capital died during the night as it suffered oxygen shortages, the hospital’s director told Indian media.

He said that at one stage yesterday morning, the reserve was down to 30 minutes.

新聞來源：TAIPEI TIMES