Friday, March 29, 2024 | Ramadan 18, 1445 H
clear sky
weather
OMAN
25°C / 25°C
EDITOR IN CHIEF- ABDULLAH BIN SALIM AL SHUEILI

Germany sends COVID-19 assistance to India

1505665
1505665
minus
plus

BERLIN: Germany is sending 330,000 coronavirus test kits and 600,000 sets of protective gear for health care workers to India to help the country cope with the pandemic, Development Aid Minister Gerd Mueller said in remarks to Funke media group newspapers published on Sunday.


In addition, the ministry is providing short-term loans worth 460 million euros (some $ 544 million) for food and for bridging aid to people in India who lost their jobs due to the coronavirus crisis.


“This is one of the largest [coronavirus] support measures worldwide,” said Mueller.


The novel coronavirus is spreading faster in India than anywhere across the world, with 1 million new COVID-19 cases reported over the past two weeks, taking the total well past 4 million, according to government data released on Saturday.


India is the third country after the United States and Brazil to record 4 million cases.


It looks set to soon overtake Brazil, which has so far recorded 4,123,000 cases, according to the country’s Health Ministry.


Experts say the rate of increase in India, a country of 1.3 billion, was to be expected as it gradually lifted a lockdown that had been in place since mid-May.


— dpa


SHARE ARTICLE
arrow up
home icon