Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
State Department Tells Americans To Flee India As US Covid Supplies Arrive
The Washington Post: U.S. Coronavirus Aid To Begin Arriving In India Amid Record Surge, White House Says
U.S. flights carrying urgent coronavirus aid for India will begin arriving on Thursday, the White House said in a statement, as health officials there reported another record number of new cases and deaths. The U.S. government will deliver more than $100 million worth of supplies for overstretched hospitals and front-line health care workers, the White House said late Wednesday, including oxygen support, personal protective equipment, therapeutics and rapid diagnostic tests. (Cunningham, 4/29)
Axios: U.S. Sends India $100 Million In Aid Amid COVID Record
The White House announced the U.S. is sending more than $100 million worth of supplies to India — which set new records for COVID-19 cases and deaths in a single day on Thursday. Coronavirus cases are surging in India amid a widespread oxygen shortage and slow vaccine rollout. The country's pandemic death toll surpassed 200,000 on Wednesday, amid reports that COVID fatalities and cases are going uncounted. (Falconer, 4/29)
Bloomberg: Blackstone, Amazon Join Global Race To Fight India Covid Crisis
As Indian authorities and hospitals struggle to cope with record Covid-19 infections and deaths, companies ranging from the nation’s biggest conglomerate to global giants like Amazon.com Inc. are stepping in to help ease the crisis. Reliance Industries Ltd., controlled by Asia’s richest man Mukesh Ambani, the Tata group, global drug giants like Gilead Sciences Inc., technology titans such as Alphabet Inc. are all rushing in supplies and funds. Blackstone Group Inc.’s Chairman Stephen Schwarzman said his private equity firm is committing $5 million to support India’s Covid relief and vaccination services to “marginalized communities.” (Rai, 4/28)
Bloomberg: US Tells Citizens To Leave India As Soon As Possible Due To Covid-19 Crisis
The U.S. told its citizens to get out of India as soon as possible as the country’s Covid-19 crisis worsens at an astonishing pace. In a Level 4 travel advisory --- the highest of its kind issued by the State Department -- U.S. citizens were told “not to travel to India or to leave as soon as it is safe to do so.” There are 14 direct daily flights between India and the U.S. and other services that connect through Europe, the department said. (Whitley, 4/29)
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AP: India Adds Another 379K Virus Cases, Tries To Vaccinate More
India set another global record in new virus cases Thursday, as millions of people in one state cast votes despite rising infections and the country geared up to open its vaccination rollout to all adults amid snags. With 379,257 new infections, India now has reported more than 18.3 million cases, second only to the United States. The Health Ministry also reported 3,645 deaths in the last 24 hours, bringing the total to 204,832. Experts believe both figures are an undercount, but it’s unclear by how much. (Pathi and Saaliq, 4/29)
The New York Times: India Blames Covid-19 Variant For Its Pandemic Crisis
At Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, a huge facility in the middle of India’s capital, 37 fully vaccinated doctors came down with Covid-19 earlier this month. The infections left most with mild symptoms, but it added to their growing fears that the virus behind India’s catastrophic second wave is different. They wonder if a more contagious variant that dodges the immune system could be fueling the epidemic inside the world’s hardest-hit nation. (Gettleman, Venugopal and Mandavilli, 4/28)
The Washington Post: In Desperate Hunt For Oxygen And Hospital Beds, India Turns To Twitter
With India’s coronavirus crisis becoming increasingly more desperate and beds, medicine and oxygen supplies scarce, people in cities across the country are relying on Twitter and the kindness of strangers for help during a time of national upheaval. About 360,000 new cases have been recorded in the past 24 hours alone. Some are using the platform to share locations where gas cylinders, which are in limited supply, can be refilled. Others are posting details about patients in urgent need of help. Some posts advertise which hospitals have empty beds and others ask for blood plasma donors. There are tweets that offer advice on how to stay safe and others that beg for ambulances before it is too late. (Hassan, 4/28)
CNBC: India Covid Crisis: Zydus Cadila Plans To Seek Approval In Mid-May
India could soon have its second domestically developed coronavirus vaccine even as a deadly second wave shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon. Drugmaker Cadila Healthcare, also known as Zydus Cadila, is conducting phase three clinical trials on 28,000 people, including those above 75 and children between ages 12 and 18, for its DNA-based vaccine candidate. (Choudhury, 4/29)
