New Delhi

A flight from the USA carrying 1,000 oxygen cylinders, regulators and other medical equipment landed in India on Saturday night, the Ministry of External Affairs informed.

"Cooperation with US continues! Another flight from USA arrives carrying over 1000 oxygen cylinders, regulators & other medical equipment. Third shipment in a period of 2 days adding to our oxygen capacities. Grateful to US for its support," tweeted Arindam Bagchi, official spokesperson, Ministry of External Affairs.

🇮🇳 🇺🇸
Cooperation with 🇺🇸 continues! Another flight from U.S.A. arrives carrying over 1000 oxygen cylinders, regulators & other medical equipment. Third shipment in a period of 2 days adding to our oxygen capacities. Grateful to 🇺🇸 for its support. pic.twitter.com/EVmf6tTCEX

— Arindam Bagchi (@MEAIndia) May 1, 2021

Earlier on Friday, the US had dispatched the third set of its several emergency COVID-19 relief shipments to India. Two planes carrying the initial emergency relief of oxygen cylinders, regulators, and pulse oximeters generously donated by California, rapid diagnostic tests and N95 masks, reached India, according to the release.

Earlier this week, US President Joe Biden reaffirmed that the US is determined to support India in its efforts to contain the pandemic during the talks.

US will be sending supplies worth more than USD 100 million to India, including 1,000 refillable oxygen cylinders, 15 million N95 masks, and one million rapid diagnostic tests.

The Biden administration has also redirected its own order of AstraZeneca manufacturing supplies to India, which will allow it to make over 20 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine.

US announces departure of additional emergency supplies to India

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has also announced the departures of three additional COVID-19 relief supply aircraft carrying life-saving oxygen, oxygen supplies, and other critical health commodities to India.

According to a press release, these additional flights are transporting additional oxygen cylinders and regulators, oxygen concentrators, rapid diagnostic tests, and more than one million N95 masks. Importantly, one of these flights will carry a Deployable Oxygen Concentration System, donated generously by California, with additional supplies to follow.

"These emergency relief shipments build on USAID's ongoing efforts to combat the pandemic in India. Since the outset of the pandemic, USAID has worked closely with Indian health care facilities to improve preparedness and infection prevention and control. In addition, we have worked to keep India's brave frontline health workers safe so they can continue to save lives," the USAID said.