China has said it is willing to help India amid a devastating COVID-19 surge that saw the South Asian country post the world’s highest single-day case count on Thursday.
“China is willing to provide assistance to India against the latest COVID-19 rebound in the country, which has caused a temporary shortage of medical materials,” Wang Wenbin, spokesperson for China’s Foreign Ministry, told a news conference in Beijing, according to local daily Global Times.
“The Chinese side notes that the epidemic situation in India is severe and there is a temporary shortage of epidemic prevention and medical supplies. We are ready to provide necessary support and assistance to India so that they can control the epidemic,” Wang added.
India reported a staggering 314,835 new infections and 2,104 more deaths on Thursday, taking its overall count past 15.9 million, including more than 184,650 fatalities.
The country of 1.3 billion people is witnessing an exponential surge in infections, with daily figures having been over 200,000 since April 15. Hospitals across India are overwhelmed as critical supplies of oxygen and drugs are running dangerously low.