New Delhi: US State Department on Friday said that the Centre for Disease Control (CDS) will soon send its team to check on the staff in the US embassy in New Delhi, amid the surging COVID-19 cases.
US State Department spokesperson Ned Price, while, responding to a media query on the number of US embassy personnel infected by COVID-19 in New Delhi so far, said, "numbers are difficult for us to offer publicly, given privacy concerns. What we will say is that, of course, our hearts go out to the people of India as they navigate this surge".
Read:| US supplies of AstraZeneca vaccine to India could take 'weeks'
"The CDC team was mentioned in the White House fact sheet, as you know. I know they will be engaging as quickly as possible, but I’d have to refer you to the CDC for specific details", Ned Price added.
"CDC experts are expected to work hand in hand with Indian experts. The US CDC team will assist India in areas including lab, surveillance and epidemiology, bioinformatics for genomic sequencing and modelling, infection prevention and control, vaccine rollout, and risk communication," he added.
India is witnessing the darkest days in history as it continues to fight against the second wave of the deadly coronavirus, which has claimed millions of lives so far.
New Delhi, among the worst hit by the second wave of the coronavirus, continues to struggle with the shortage of oxygen, vaccine and other medical aid.
"It is fair to say that COVID has touched every– just about every element of Indian society, and of course, we do have a large diplomatic presence in India, as you might expect, given our global comprehensive partnership with India", Price added.
Read:| Biden says US determined to help India amid COVID-19 crisis
I can’t offer any specifics on U.S. embassy employees or family members or locally employed staff clearly, this is a pandemic; this is an outbreak. A surge of cases in India has left no part of the country untouched, he said during a media briefing on Thursday.
On being asked if there has been a delay in sending vaccine to embassies in India, Price reiterated, " As we mentioned, during mid-April, our missions around the world, all of them have had access to the vaccine. It was an effort that was conducted as expeditiously as possible. The vaccines reached India weeks before for our employees and embassy staffers."
"But, with any global distribution effort, it’s a complex undertaking, It’s something we did as quickly as we could and it’s something we’re proud of. As we mentioned the other day, not a single vaccine dose was lost in that massive undertaking – nearly 200,000 doses worldwide, including our mission in India", he stated.
According to the fact sheet released by the White House, reflecting the United States’ solidarity with India as it battles a new wave of COVID-19 cases, the United States is delivering supplies worth more than $100 million in the coming days to provide urgent relief to India.
The first and second batch of the several emergency COVID-19 relief shipments including 423 oxygen cylinders with regulators, various medical supplies, 7 lakh rapid testing kits from the United States has arrived in India starting 29th April.
In addition, U.S. state governments, private companies, non-government organisations, and thousands of Americans have mobilised to deliver vital oxygen, related equipment, and essential supplies for Indian hospitals to support frontline health care workers and the people of India most affected during the current outbreak.
Read:| PM Modi thanks Biden over phone after US extends help to fight COVID-19 pandemic
