As India grapples with a staggering rise in new coronavirus infections, President Joe Biden's administration announced Sunday that it will immediately offer relief.
During the weekend, India set another global record for daily cases, bringing the nation’s total to nearly 17 million.
Doctors said that loosening restrictions, public complacency, and emerging variants are contributing to the surge in India.
Deep Agarwal and his family came to the Sunnyvale Hindu temple Sunday Night to pray for more than 20 relatives now battling the coronavirus in India.
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“My father, my brothers my in-laws the entire family is all positive all infected,” he said.
Balakrishna Kambhampati, the head priest at the Sunnyvale Hindu Temple told NBC Bay Area that his uncle died from the coronavirus and his youngest son and 72-year-old mother tested positive.
Kambhampati added because of travel restrictions, he can’t fly to India to help them so he relies on phone calls.
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“I am calling my mom morning and night. I call my mom every hour,” he said. "We are praying every day in the temple to help people in India."
The Biden administration said it will immediately make raw materials needed for India’s coronavirus vaccine production and will send therapeutics, rapid diagnostic test kits and ventilators.
Bay Area families hope the assistance will make a difference in protecting their loved ones.
