Washington DC has sent seven air shipments funded by the US Agency for International Development

Reiterating that its expected total assistance to India would be about $ 100 million, the US on Monday said it will continue to provide a range of assistance to New Delhi to help combat the disastrous second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic.

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki, replying to a question in her Press Briefing on Monday, assured that the Biden Administration will provide a range of assistance and continues to remain in touch with the direct needs on the ground.

“We remain closely in touch and engaged, and we will continue to work through how we can provide assistance during this difficult time,” she said in reply to a question asking her assessment of the Covid-19 situation in India.

Noting that the US expects its assistance to be about $100 million, the White House Press Secretary pointed out that Washington DC has sent seven air shipments funded by the US Agency for International Development to India.

“The seventh flight, carrying additional oxygen concentrators via commercial shipping center, arrived today, and those — that obviously is critical for a number of the patients who have already been — are already battling COVID,” she stated.

“So, we will continue to provide a range of assistance. We will remain in touch about what the direct needs are on the ground, and hope that we can play a constructive role in reducing the numbers and bringing some relief to the people of India,” Psaki submitted.

Replying to a question on whether New Delhi will be one of the 80 million recipients to receive 80 million Astra Zeneca vaccines and what would be the quantity, she said that in coming days a team lead by Jeff Zients in partnership with US national security team will make those determinations.

“I expect and hope we’ll have more in the coming days on how our team — led by Jeff Zients, in partnership with our national security team — will be making those determinations, what criteria they’ll be looking at, and where the doses will be going,” the White House Press Secretary clarified.

She maintained that President Joe Biden was kept abreast of the Covid-19 pandemic and how it was impacting different regions in the world, including important partners in India.

“The President has been deeply engaged as we’ve made determinations about the type of relief and assistance that we can and should provide,” she mentioned.