Joe Biden vows to help India deal with surge in coronavirus cases

President Joe Biden said the US is determined to help India as it grapples with a surge in coronavirus cases.

In a tweet, Mr Biden said: “Just as India sent assistance to the United States as our hospitals were strained early in the pandemic, we are determined to help India in its time of need.”

The president did not offer specifics in the brief message.

But earlier on Sunday the White House said the US is “working around the clock” to immediately deploy to India drug treatments and rapid diagnostic Covid-19 testing kits.

Also coming are ventilators and personal protective equipment, and the US will seek to provide oxygen supplies as well.

The White House says it has identified sources of raw material urgently needed for India’s manufacture of the Covishield vaccine and will make that available.

The US also intends to pay for an expansion of manufacturing capability for the vaccine manufacturer in India, BioE, so it can ramp up and produce at least one billion doses of Covid-19 vaccines by the end of 2022.