Reducing COVID-19 transmission in India a very difficult task: WHO

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New Delhi: Taking note of alarming rise in the number of new COVID-19 cases in India, the World Health Organization on Friday (April 23) said that reducing transmission in the country looks quite difficult.

Expressing concern over the deteriorating COVID situation, WHO Emergencies director Mike Ryan said that India needs to reduce mobility in order to contain the spread.

“Reducing transmission in India is a very difficult task,” Ryan was quoted as saying by Reuters.

“We have got to reduce mixing in whatever way we can to reduce infection. The Indian government is looking to do that,” he added.

India recorded the world's highest single-day spike with 3,32,730 fresh infections of COVID-19 on Friday. The data released by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare suggested that the overall caseload has reached 1,62,63,695.

Adding to the woes, acute shortage of oxygen supply have been reported from several hospitals across the country.

The oxygen crisis has led to the death of many patients. The crematoriums are running out of capacity. The top courts of the country had to step in to take stock of the worrying situation prevailing in the country.

Several hospitals in Delhi have approached the High Court complaining that they have very little oxygen left which would last only a few hours and consequently many patients could die.

Elsewhere too deaths due to lack of oxygen have been reported. In Nashik 24 people died after a leak in oxygen tanker. On Friday, death of five patients was reported in Jabalpur due to disruption in oxygen supply.