© Reuters / Craig LassigResearchers work with coronavirus samples as a trial begins to see whether malaria treatment hydroxychloroquine can treat Covid-19, at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis.
US President Donald Trump has warned that Washington may retaliate against New Delhi over a decision to bar exports of an experimental treatment for Covid-19, not long after asking his Indian counterpart to reverse the move.
Though India on Saturday imposed a
blanket ban on the export of hydroxychloroquine - an antimalarial drug under clinical trial as a treatment for the coronavirus - Trump told reporters on Monday that New Delhi could face consequences if Prime Minister Narendra Modi fails to drop the restriction, insisting he wasn't aware that a final decision had been made.
"I don't like that decision. I didn't hear if that was his decision. I know he stopped it for other countries," Trump said, referring to the Indian PM. "I would be surprised if he would, because India does very well with the United States, for many years they've been taking advantage of the United States on trade."
If [Modi] doesn't allow it, that would be OK. But of course there may be retaliation. Why wouldn't there be?
Indian producers provide the US with nearly half of its supply of the drug, according to Bloomberg News. It has been repeatedly touted by President Trump as a potential treatment for the deadly virus gripping all 50 states and much of the world. While concrete evidence for its effectiveness against Covid-19 remains thin, testing is already underway in states like New York and Michigan, while US Surgeon General Jerome Adams acknowledged on Sunday that there were early signs the drug was "helping."
After a phone call with Modi over the weekend,
Trump said his counterpart was "giving serious consideration" to allowing hydroxychloroquine to continue flowing to the US, adding that he told Modi he "would appreciate it if they would release the amounts that we ordered," but the PM has yet to announce a reversal of the ban. A readout of the phone call provided by the Indian Foreign Ministry also made no mention of the request.
The export restrictions come as India sees a surge of infections, the state of Maharashtra being the worst-hit, counting 4,778 cases of Covid-19 across the country and 136 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University. All of India was placed under lockdown by order of the prime minister in late March to stem the spread of the virus, set to last until mid-April barring any decision to extend it.
Comment: India
responded quickly:
New Delhi has agreed to ship Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) to the nations most impacted by Covid-19 and urged not to "politicize" the issue after US President Donald Trump threatened "retaliation" for its drug export ban.
"In view of the humanitarian aspects of the pandemic, it has been decided that India would license paracetamol and hydroxychloroquine in appropriate quantities to all our neighboring countries... dependent on our capabilities," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said on Tuesday.
We will also be supplying these essential drugs to some nations who have been particularly badly affected by the pandemic.
Srivastava warned against "any speculation in this regard or any attempts to politicize the matter."
France's health minister said
this regarding when the country may see the end of its lockdown:
"We are not at the peak of the epidemic yet... We are still at the aggravation phase," Health Minister Olivier Veran said in an interview with BFM TV on Tuesday.
"It is too early to talk about ending the isolation," Veran said. "The isolation [regime] will last as long as it needs to... It's up to each of us in our daily behavior to understand that by staying inside we are saving lives. We have to be patient. Our patience saves lives."
And
kills others...
For the first time, China reported
no new deaths. Italy's deputy health minister
says the corona "tsunami" is "gradually receding" in the country, "but hugs and kisses can only return to Italian life after a vaccine is found." Trump blasted the WHO on Twitter for being pro-China:
The acting US Navy secretary has
resigned over the USS
Theodore Roosevelt scandal (less than an hour after Pelosi demanded his removal). Rand Paul, who had tested positive for the virus 2 weeks ago, was retested as
negative, and is now volunteering at a hospital in Kentucky.
Also on a lighter note, here's a rhino enforcing lockdown in Nepal:
See also:
Comment: India responded quickly: France's health minister said this regarding when the country may see the end of its lockdown: And kills others...
For the first time, China reported no new deaths. Italy's deputy health minister says the corona "tsunami" is "gradually receding" in the country, "but hugs and kisses can only return to Italian life after a vaccine is found." Trump blasted the WHO on Twitter for being pro-China:
The acting US Navy secretary has resigned over the USS Theodore Roosevelt scandal (less than an hour after Pelosi demanded his removal). Rand Paul, who had tested positive for the virus 2 weeks ago, was retested as negative, and is now volunteering at a hospital in Kentucky.
Also on a lighter note, here's a rhino enforcing lockdown in Nepal:
See also: