Coronavirus crisis in India overwhelming hospitals

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Britain and the United States have pledged to send aid to India where a wave of COVID-19 cases has set a global record high, a fifth day in a row. Health authorities on Monday reported more than 352,000 new infections in a single day. The surge in cases, which has been steadily climbing since March, is overwhelming the health system, where vital supplies like oxygen and ICU beds are critically low, and hospitals are turning away patients.

The Biden administration on Sunday lifted an export ban on raw materials for vaccines for India and pledged to supply the country with test kits, ventilators and personal protective gear. Officials in the UK said they have begun shipping ventilators and oxygen concentrator devices to the South Asian country.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was accused of downplaying an escalating crisis after his government ordered Twitter to remove posts critical of its handling of the pandemic.

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