The United States government issued a Level 4 Travel Health Notice, urging its citizens to leave India “as soon as it’s safe to do so” due to the current coronavirus situation. The department added that there are 14 direct flights daily between India and the USA. Apart from this, there are other flights that connect through Europe. The highest level of the advisory was issued amid the backdrop of the Joe Biden administration’s medical assistance to India. Here’s everything to know.
USA Issues Level 4 Travel Health Notice; Urges Citizens To Leave India
A “Health Alert” from the U.S. Department of State announced, “New cases and deaths from COVID-19 have risen sharply throughout India to record levels. COVID-19 testing infrastructure is reportedly constrained in many locations. Hospitals are reporting shortages of supplies, oxygen, and beds for both COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 related patients.” The US government issued a Level 4 advisory, the highest asking citizens to not travel to India or leave as soon as possible. The USA recently announced oxygen-related support and medical assistance to India.
#India: Access to medical care is severely limited due to COVID-19 cases. U.S. citizens wishing to depart should use available commercial options now. Daily direct flights to the US and flights via Paris and Frankfurt are available. https://t.co/p5a3v5ws9y pic.twitter.com/LqHhCiZVEg
— Travel – State Dept (@TravelGov) April 28, 2021
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The Advisory States That India Faces Limited Medical Care Due To Surge In Covid Cases
The advisory stated that access to medical care was “severely limited in India due to the surge in COVID-19 cases”. And it asked US citizens to choose direct flights between India and the USA that operated daily. This advisory comes as India battles a record number of Covid infections in the country. India faces a stretched out medical system including a shortage of oxygen, oxygen-related equipment, hospital beds and drugs. Multiple countries like France, Kuwait, UAE, Indonesia have banned travellers from India since it faces the world’s fastest-growing caseload.
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CoWIN App Open For Vaccine Registration For Everyone Above 18 Years Age
Meanwhile, India is all set to open up its vaccination drive for all citizens above the age of 18 years. The Centre commenced registration for the same on April 28. According to the government, nearly 1.33 crore people registered for the vaccinations on April 28. Soon after registrations started, the CoWIN app faced glitches due to the heavy load, leading to a delay for some. The advent of free Covid vaccines for people above the age of 18 shows a ray of hope for India.