LISBON, May 20 (NNN-Xinhua) — The Directorate-General of Health (DGS) of Portugal on Wednesday announced a donation of 5,500 units of antiviral drug Remdesivir to India.
“India has requested the activation of the Emergency Response Coordination Center (ERCC) to deal with the serious pandemic situation that it has been experiencing, with Portugal expressing its willingness to contribute in solidarity,” said the DGS in a statement.
The ERCC is the heart of the European Union’s (EU) Civil Protection Mechanism. It coordinates the delivery of assistance to disaster-stricken countries, such as relief items, expertise, civil protection teams and specialized equipment.
Remdesivir has been authorized in the EU for treating COVID-19.
India’s COVID-19 tally reached 25,496,330 on Wednesday, with 267,334 new cases registered in the past 24 hours, confirmed the health ministry. The death toll rose to 283,248 with 4,529 more deaths, the highest in 24 hours so far, recorded since Tuesday morning.
India’s death toll is the third highest in the world, after the United States and Brazil, the World Health Organization’s COVID-19 Dashboard showed. — NNN-XINHUA
