MUMBAI - In India, the health care crisis triggered by the second wave of the coronavirus pandemic is shifting from big cities to small towns and rural areas. But as ill-equipped medical infrastructure in villages leaves people struggling to cope with the deadly virus, health experts say combating its spread in rural areas has emerged as the country’s new challenge.
WASHINGTON - Announcing that the United States is taking additional steps to help the world combat the coronavirus pandemic, President Joe Biden on Monday (May 17) said the country will be sending 20 million more doses of its COVID-19 vaccines abroad by the end of June.
The World Health Organization (WHO) warned Monday (May 18) that while global infection and death rates are declining, the COVID-19 pandemic is not over, contrary to the behavior in some nations where high numbers of people have been vaccinated.
An additional 20 million doses of American-authorized vaccines on top of the 60-million vaccine pledge will be donated to other countries by the United States (US) government.
COVAX, the international scheme for the equitable international distribution of COVID vaccines, is running short of the shots. The shortfall is largely due to the Serum Institute of India which has not been able to meet its global commitments for the vaccine in several months due to an overwhelming domestic demand for the vaccine.
NEW DELHI - India is bracing for Cyclone Tauktae, expected to hit the country’s Western coast Monday evening. Thousands of people have been evacuated and COVID vaccination programs have closed down in some areas. India has reported hundreds of thousands of new COVID infections for weeks and there is fear that as people seek shelter from the cyclone that the shelters will be the locations for superspreader events. The coronavirus is easily spread when people are in close proximity.
