India Has Daily COVID-19 Infection Cases Record Above 300 Thousand In 12 Days, The UK Is Concerned

Ilustrasi pasien COVID-19. (Wikimedia Commons/US Navy/Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Sara Eshleman)

JAKARTA - Britain is concerned about the condition of the COVID-19 tsunami experienced by India, a country that is a member of the Commonwealth since August 15, 1947.

India's Ministry of Health announced 368.147 new cases of COVID-19 infection in the past 24 hours. Making India record an increase in daily COVID-19 infections of more than 300 thousand in the last 12 days.

In total, India has now recorded 19.93 million cases of COVID-19 infection. As for the death toll, India reported 3.417 cases yesterday in the past 24 hours, bringing India to a record of 218.959 deaths.

After last week sent medical personnel, oxygen supplies, and ventilators. The British government will send additional assistance to India, such as 1.000 ventilators, and send an advisory group for handling COVID-19.

"British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is scheduled to make a video call with Indian Prime Minister Narenda Modi on Tuesday, to discuss further cooperation between the two countries in handling COVID-19", said the British government, as reported by Euronews.

India itself extended its lockdown for a week to reduce the rate of COVID-19 infection, amid the oxygen crisis that exacerbated the COVID-19 tsunami in India.

New Delhi authorities have threatened to punish government officials who fail to deliver oxygen supplies, as India continues to battle a devastating wave of the coronavirus causing many deaths and overflowing hospitals.

This step was taken, amid the hospital's struggle to secure a stable oxygen supply. Several hospital authorities requested court intervention due to a lack of oxygen supplies.

The Indian government uses railroads, the air force, and the navy to carry oxygen supplies to the worst-affected areas.

"This is already over the limit. Enough, enough. We will start punishing government officials if the oxygen supply allocated to the hospital is not delivered. We cannot let people die", said Judges Vipin Sanghi and Rekha Patil of the New Delhi High Court.

To support the handling of COVID-19, the Government of India has involved the military. PM Narendra Modi's government provided emergency financial power to the army to set up new quarantine facilities and hospitals, and to purchase equipment.

The military opened its hospitals to civilians in a desperate attempt to rein in a massive humanitarian crisis. The military also summoned 600 doctors who have retired in recent years. Meanwhile, the Navy deployed 200 nursing assistants at civilian hospitals.