First shipment of US COVID-19 relief material departs for India

The first shipment of the United States emergency COVID-19 relief material carrying 440 oxygen cylinders and regulators; 960,000 Rapid Diagnostic Tests and 100,000 N95 masks, departed from California to New Delhi on Wednesday (local time).

The US Agency for International Development (USAID), in a statement, said it is rapidly mobilizing assistance to save lives, stop the spread of COVID-19, and meet the urgent health needs of the Indian people.

"Today, the United States deployed the first of several emergency COVID-19 relief shipments to India. Arriving in New Delhi from Travis Air Force Base on the world's largest military aircraft, the shipment includes 440 oxygen cylinders and regulators, generously donated by the State of California," the statement read.

In addition, on this first flight, the USAID will send 960,000 Rapid Diagnostic Tests to identify infections early to help prevent the community spread of COVID-19, and 100,000 N95 masks to protect India's frontline healthcare heroes.

The United States has stood shoulder to shoulder with the people of India for more than 70 years, and will continue to fight the COVID-19 pandemic together, the US agency said.

"Just as India sent assistance to the United States when U.S. hospitals were strained early in the pandemic, the United States is now helping India during its time of need," the statement read.

Earlier on Wednesday, the White House announced that the United States will be delivering medical supplies worth more than USD 100 million in the coming days to India to provide urgent relief as the country battles a new wave of COVID-19 cases, said the White House.

Under the immediate emergency COVID-19 Assistance, Washington is providing 1700 oxygen concentrators, an initial delivery of 1,100 cylinders, multiple large-scale Oxygen Generation Units to support up to 20 patients each, to India.

( With inputs from ANI )