Air Force delivers oxygen concentrators to India, brings infected Thai embassy staff home

The embassy thanked the Thai government and other donors for their assistance.

Apart from the delivery of oxygen concentrators, the Airbus will also pick up four Royal Thai Embassy officials in New Delhi -- three are Covid-19 patients and and one has a high risk of infection -- and bring them to Thailand for treatment.

According to the RTAF plan, the three patients will be treated at Ramathibodi Chakri Naruebodindra Hospital, Lerdsin Hospital and Prasat Neurological Institute, while the official with high risk of infection will be quarantined at Bangkok Palace Hotel.

Meanwhile, the Airbus crew and medical team will undergo self-quarantine to contain the spread of Covid-19 in line with the Public Health Ministry's standards.

According to The Washington Post report, India reported more than 400,000 new cases on Saturday, a global record. Experts believe that the number will climb even higher in the coming days, an unimaginable burden for a health system already under siege with hospitals issuing pleas for oxygen.

Anthony Fauci, the Biden administration's chief medical adviser, urged India to explore ways its military could help alleviate the calamity, saying the situation is "like a war", in an interview with the Indian Express newspaper.

He also strongly advised India to implement a nationwide shutdown. "No one likes to lock down the country," he said. But a temporary lockdown "could have a significant impact on the dynamics of the outbreak".