India has registered 4,421 cases of COVID-19 including 114 deaths since the outbreak began earlier this year. If the current growth rate of coronavirus cases continues, India will have over 17,000 patients by the time ongoing nationwide lockdown ends on April 14, data has showed. The rate at which coronavirus cases double in the country has risen in the past eight days - from six to four days now.
After US President Donald Trump's comments about "retaliation" if Prime Minister Narendra Modi declined to ship the medicines needed for coronavirus treatment, India said it will supply the key drugs being tested as coronavirus cure to "nations that have been badly affected" by the pandemic.
"In view of the humanitarian aspects of the pandemic, it has been decided that India would licence paracetamol and Hydroxychloroquine in appropriate quantities to all our neighbouring countries who are dependent on our capabilities. We will also be supplying these essential drugs to some nations who have been particularly badly affected by the pandemic," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said.
