India posts Covid daily record as worldwide cases hit 150 million

United Airlines' workers facilitate the first shipment of ventilators from Chicago to Delhi on Wednesday evening. The ventilators were donated by the US-India Chamber of Commerce in Dallas-Fort Worth.

A US military transporter carrying more than 400 oxygen cylinders, other hospital equipment and nearly one million rapid coronavirus tests arrived in New Delhi Friday

India on Friday posted another global record for daily coronavirus infections, pushing worldwide cases past 150 million as a pandemic that has killed almost 3.2 million worldwide continues to wreak devastation.

The number of new daily cases has more than doubled since mid-February, an AFP tally showed, in an explosion in infections blamed in part on a new Covid-19 variant but also on failure to follow virus restrictions.

The continent seeing the bulk of new daily cases is Asia, driven largely by a devastating wave in India which has overwhelmed hospitals and crematoriums.

More than 40 countries have committed to sending medical aid to India, with a US Super Galaxy military transporter carrying more than 400 oxygen cylinders, other hospital equipment and nearly one million rapid coronavirus tests arriving in New Delhi on Friday. 

Compounding India's woes as cases soared has been its failure to get a much-needed vaccine programme off the ground.

As of Saturday jabs will be open to all adults, meaning around 600 million more people will be eligible.

- Brazil woes -

Experts blame the latest surge partly on the "Brazil variant" of the virus, a mutation that emerged in or around the Amazon rainforest city of Manaus in December.

Around 28 million people have received a first Covid-19 vaccine dose, just over 10 percent of the population.

- 'Perfect storm' -

But the continent is beginning to open up again as their vaccination campaigns pick up.

In France, cafes, cultural venues and business will reopen in several phases from May, President Emmanuel Macron said.

Among those celebrating will be British pharmaceuticals giant AstraZeneca, which on Friday reported $275 million (227 million euros) in sales from its Covid vaccine in the first three months of the year.

But the World Health Organization issued a stark warning to eager European nations that relaxing Covid measures could spark a "perfect storm" allowing cases to spiral -- as in India.

burs-oho/mtp

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Originally published as India posts Covid daily record as worldwide cases hit 150 million