Dominica keeping India in its prayers, says PM Skerrit in letter to India’s Modi

Roseau, Dominica: Prime Minister of Dominica Dr Roosevelt Skerri gave condolences to the Indian PM Narendra Modi as his country undergoes a massive surge of coronavirus cases and deaths.

Prime Minister Skerrit wrote in a letter addressed to Indian PM that Dominica and its people stand with India as the country is going through hardships caused by the second wave of coronavirus.

He stated that the thoughts and prayers for all Dominicans are with India and its people as the country endeavours to overcome the scourge.

India is currently undergoing the worse coronavirus crisis experienced by any country since 2019. The second most populous country in the world has been recording more than 300,000 cases almost every day for the past two weeks. The daily death count due to coronavirus is also more than 3000. The rise in COVID-19 cases and lack of supplies have rung a global alarm.

Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit also applauded the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi for vaccine equity and facilitating other countries with life-saving vaccines.

PM Skerrit stated, “The vaccine Maitri Initiative had an extremely positive impact on the many countries that have benefited from it, including my own.”

Even though today India itself is experiencing a shortage of vaccines, it supplied many countries COVID-19 vaccines under the Vaccine Maitri Initiative. Dominica was the first country in the region to benefit from the initiative as it received 70,000 doses of Oxford Astrazeneca COVID-19 vaccine manufactured by the Serum Institute of India (SII) in February 2021.

Many countries including the United Kingdom, United States of America have sent out medical supplies to India. As per India Foreign Secretary, more than 40 countries came up to help India and the country is anticipating to get 550 oxygen generating plants, 4,000 oxygen concentrators and 10,000 oxygen cylinders from other countries to deal with the coronavirus pandemic.