US working closely with India to identify continued, emerging needs in COVID-19 crisis

Ned Price, US Department of State spokesperson in a press briefing on Tuesday (local time) said that Washington is working closely with India to identify continued, emerging needs in the COVID-19 crisis.

"We're continuing to work closely with Indian officials and health experts to identify continued needs and emerging needs in this ongoing crisis," said Price.

Briefing about COVID-19 assistance to India from the US, Price stated, "United States Agency for International Development (USAID) issued a pretty comprehensive fact sheet when it comes to our aid to India in recent days. Taken together, our assistance to combat COVID-19 in India has totalled about USD 100 million in all."

Giving an update on it, Price added, "There have been now six airlifts to India deployed in the course of six days. Among the supplies included in those airlifts: 20,000 courses of Remdesivir, nearly 1,500 oxygen cylinders, 550 mobile oxygen concentrators, 1 million rapid diagnostic tests, nearly 2.5 million N-95 masks, a large-scale deployable oxygen concentration system, pulse oximeters, and I could go on and on. In addition, USAID immediately allocated funding to purchase locally an additional 1,000 mobile oxygen concentrators."

Price also informed that the United States Government has delivered these supplies totalling some USD 100 million, other elements have also stepped up - NGOs as well as the private sector.

"We understand that the private sector to date has donated an additional USD 400 million, totalling a half-billion dollars, in assistance to India," added Price.

Moreover, "Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, Special Coordinator Gayle Smith participated in calls the other week with the US-India Business Council and the Chamber of Commerce in an effort to elicit - and to elicit additional supplies from the private sector," informed the spokesperson.

( With inputs from ANI )