US working closely with India to fight COVID-19 crisis: American officials

US working closely with India to fight COVID-19 crisis: American officials.

The United States is working closely with India to identify ways to help address the current COVID-19 crisis in the country, US officials said, as the Biden administration came under intense pressure from various quarters to ship vaccines. COVID-19 along with life-saving vaccines. medical supplies.

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said Friday that the United States offers its deepest condolences to the people of India who are suffering during this global pandemic.

“We are working closely with Indian officials at both the political and expert levels to identify ways to help address the crisis,” Psaki said in his daily press conference.

He said the US has made cooperation on vaccines a high priority, including with its Quad partners.

“India is one of our Quad partners, of course, in the debate on creating and distributing vaccines for the future. We have also provided $ 1 billion to COVAX, ”he said in response to a question.

The Quad is the grouping of India, the USA, Japan, and Australia.

“Since the early stages of the pandemic, we have provided India with emergency relief supplies, medical consumables, pandemic training for Indian state and local health officials, and ventilators, which has been part of our effort throughout overtime, including USD 1.4 billion in healthcare to India to help them prepare for pandemics in the future and deal with the current one we face, ”said Psaki.

Psaki said there are ongoing discussions on the matter.

“I have nothing else to do a preview, but we are in contact with them on a variety of levels about how we can help them get through this time frame,” said Psaki.

In a separate press conference at the White House, Dr. Anthony Fauci, President Joe Biden’s chief medical adviser, said that India is going through a very dire situation right now.

“Yesterday they had the highest number of cases ever reported in any country. There they have a situation in which variants have arisen. We have not yet fully characterized the variants and the relationship between the ability of vaccines to protect, but we are clearly assuming that they need vaccines, “he said.

India on Friday added a record of more than 3.32 lakh of new coronavirus cases in a single day, bringing the country’s tally to 1.62,63,695, while active cases crossed the 24 lakh mark. The death toll rose to 1.86,920 with a record 2,263 new deaths.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is working with its counterpart agency in India to provide technical support and assistance, Fauci said.

“But it is a desperate situation where we are trying to help in any way we can; we just have to see how things go. And obviously, they need to vaccinate their people because that’s the only way we’re going to change that, ”Fauci said.

White House COVID-19 Response Coordinator Jeff Zients said the United States has a longstanding commitment to the public health of India and is working closely with them on the response to COVID-19.

“This is a global pandemic and India demonstrates the risk of what can happen if we don’t control the pandemic everywhere. That is why we made the largest investment in COVAX and we are committed to sharing the vaccine supply as our confidence in our supply increases, we will explore those options, ”said Zients.

Deputy State Department spokeswoman Jalina Porter told reporters that the United States continues to work closely with India to facilitate the movement of essential supplies and also address supply chain bottlenecks.

“The COVID-19 situation in India is a global concern,” he said.

“We also continue to collaborate with our partners in India to fight this at the highest level. We know Secretary (of State Tony) Blinken spoke with his counterpart on Tuesday and we remain deeply committed to India at all levels as we work together to combat this pandemic crisis, ”said Porter.

The comments by U.S. officials came as the Biden administration came under intense pressure from various quarters, including powerful U.S. Chambers of Commerce, lawmakers, and eminent American Indians, to ship COVID-19 vaccines alongside various life-saving medical supplies to India.

“As the Covid pandemic causes a heavy toll in countries around the world, the US Chamber strongly encourages the administration to release the millions of stored doses of AstraZeneca vaccine, as well as other life support, for its shipping to India, Brazil, and other nations heavily affected by the pandemic, ”said Myron Brilliante, executive vice president and head of international affairs for the US Chamber of Commerce.

He said these doses of vaccines will not be needed in the United States, where it is estimated that vaccine manufacturers will be able to produce enough doses by early June to inoculate all Americans.

The United States Chambers issued the statement after Indian Foreign Minister S Jaishankar sought global help in the fight against COVID-19.

Congresswoman Rashida Talib tweeted that the COVID-19 crisis in India is a stark reminder that the pandemic will not end until the entire world is safe.

President Biden “must support a patent exemption to increase world production now,” he said.

Shekar Narasimhan, a top Democratic fundraiser for Biden’s presidential campaign, urged the president to speak with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and “see if we can loan 10 million doses of AZ (AstraZeneca) vaccines like tomorrow.”