從本月早些時候開始，印度單日新增新冠確診病例數連創新高，疫情迅猛反彈。

印度衛生部4月25日最新數據顯示，印度昨日新增新冠確診病例34.9萬例，連續第四天刷新全球單國單日新增確診最高紀錄。這個新增確診病例數，相當于美洲、歐洲和非洲的新增確診病例總和。

世衛組織稱，過去一周，全球近28%的新增病例來自印度。印度專家根據疫情模型預測，本輪新冠疫情將在5月達到峰值。

 People cremate the body of a victim of COVID-19 at a crematorium ground in New Delhi, India, April 23, 2021. /Reuters

India reported a new daily high of nearly 350,000 cases and more than 2,700 deaths on Sunday – the worst toll since the start of the pandemic. Experts predict that the second wave of infections may peak by mid-May.

In the past week, nearly 28 percent of new cases worldwide came from India, the WHO said.

“缺氧”

與此同時，印度醫用氧氣和病床的短缺仍在加劇。

新德里規模較大的巴特拉醫院執行理事蘇丹舒?班卡塔在接受新德里電視臺采訪時表示：“每家醫院氧氣都快耗盡。”

在新德里的醫院，兩到三個病人共用一張病床已經不是新鮮事了。

《印度快報》報道，位于新德里的齋浦爾?戈爾登醫院內，由于重癥監護室“氧氣壓力低”，一夜之間至少20名新冠病患死亡。院長巴盧賈說，23日夜間氧氣供應延遲7到8小時，醫院當晚獲得的氧氣供應量僅為需求量的40%。

India has been suffering from oxygen shortages and hospitals in the capital New Delhi and many other cities have run out of beds.

In one New Delhi hospital, video showed two or three patients sharing a bed, with barely enough space for others to stand.

At least 20 COVID-19 patients died overnight due to "low oxygen pressure" in the intensive care unit at Jaipur Golden Hospital in New Delhi, the Indian Express reported. Dr. D.K. Baluja, Medical director of the Hospital, said that the oxygen supply was delayed by 7 to 8 hours during the night, and the hospital received only 40 percent of the oxygen needed that night.

治療困難重重，預防措施也不太“靠譜”。

印度《每日新聞與分析》24日報道，在印度賈坎德邦一個邊境安全部隊，士兵正采用一種創新的蒸汽吸入技術來為自己“消毒”。報道視頻顯示，幾名士兵坐在一個連接著高壓鍋的裝置前，吸入冒出的蒸汽。

“有援”

據印度媒體24日統計，在過去24小時內，印度鐵路已向全國運送了近150噸醫用氧氣。印度政府已決定對進口新冠疫苗和醫用氧氣免除基本關稅，措施有效期為三個月。

 Tanks of oxygen are being shuttled across the country to hotspots to keep up with the demand. /Narinder Nanu/AFP

中國、俄羅斯、澳大利亞、法國、英國、美國等均表示將向印度提供必要援助。歐盟委員會也計劃向印度運送氧氣和藥品，歐盟委員會主席馮德萊恩表示“正在集合資源，以便迅速響應印度的援助請求”。

巴基斯坦總理伊姆蘭?汗也發推希望印度“迅速戰勝疫情”，巴基斯坦慈善組織“艾德希國際基金會”表示愿為印度提供50輛救護車。

The shortage of oxygen at hospitals across the country had compelled Indian Railways to run oxygen express trains by sourcing the gas from steel plants. Trains delivered nearly 150 tons of oxygen across the country over the past 24 hours, the state-run Press Information Bureau said.

China, Russia, Australia, France, the United Kingdom, the United States and other countries have pledged to provide necessary assistance to India.

The European Union (EU) is gearing up to "respond rapidly" to India's worrying COVID-19 situation which has made it the current epicenter of the pandemic, the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen said on Sunday.

昨日，美國終于松口，表示將幫助印度抗擊新冠疫情。

美國總統拜登發推表示，“我們決定在印度需要幫助的時刻提供支持。”美國白宮也發布聲明稱，將向印度提供醫療資源，包括疫苗生產原料、新冠肺炎治療藥物、快速診斷試劑盒、呼吸機以及醫療防護設備，并且派遣來自美國疾病控制和預防中心和美國國際開發署的專家幫助印度控制疫情。