EAM Jaishankar says 'foreign friendships matter' as countries aid India's COVID-19 fight

While several countries outpoured their solidarity in India's fight with COVID-19 infections, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Tuesday stated "foreign friendships matter, every life counts, and every gesture makes a difference."

"Foreign friendships matter": S Jaishankar

Upon receiving lifesaving equipment and medical aid from countries across the globe, Foreign Minister established earlier today that foreign associations do matter and posted several videos on Micro-blogging site- Twitter, where people can be seen praising contribution made by foreign countries including UK, Russia, and the US as India attempts to meet the ever-ascending health infrastructure requisites owing to COVID-19 infections.

Taking to Twitter, Jaishankar established, 

Outpouring solidarity in the form of medical aid from several countries

Exponential hike in COVID-19 infections across India since the inception of the second wave has evidently overburdened Indian production sectors, the medical infrastructure, and thousands of frontline medical staff in the country. While COVID-19 management and curbs have been harder for India to attain, solidarity has been an outpouring from numerous countries. Amid ascending COVID-19 figures in India, media reports, and gutting images of collapsing medical infrastructure, several countries have been outpouring solidarity with India's ordeals. Previously, Thailand, Qatar, Ukraine, Israel, Netherlands, Romania on behalf of the European Union, United Kingdom, United States, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, China, Singapore, Bhutan amongst few that have come forward in providing assistance to India in procuring tonnes of liquid medical oxygen, transporting mobile oxygen plants, drugs, vaccine and other medical amenities to cater as requirements against the destructive COVID-19 second-wave.

This inflow of medical oxygen from overseas would meet oxygen requisites across states which are currently facing grave shortages. In the recent past, COVID-19 patients have succumbed to the virus due to a dearth of medical oxygen supply at hospitals. 

On Tuesday, over five lakh Favipiravir Tablets from the UAE arrived in India. The third consignment from Israel consisting 1300 oxygen concentrators and 400 respirators arrive in India on Saturday night. Shipment carrying the second part of Oxygen generating plant from Germany landed in India on Friday too. 

COVID-19 tally in India

In the last 24 hours, India has recorded 3,29,942 fresh COVID-19 infections, according to Union Health Ministry on Tuesday. However, the country recorded more recoveries during the said period- 3,56,082 new discharges were reported. Deaths extended by 3,876 fresh figures while cumulative death toll mounted to 2,49,992. 

The government said the overall trend of new cases seemed better, citing data from May 7, when COVID-19 infections dropped to 4,01,078, and May 8 when it touched 4,03,738 and then on May 9 when cases plummeted to 3,66,161 and on May 10 when 3,29,942 infections were reported.

The national positivity rate is around 12% and about 42% of the districts are reporting a positivity rate more than the national average.