India's daily COVID-19 infections rise to five-month high

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - India added 53,476 COVID-19 infections overnight, the highest daily rise since October 23, its health ministry data showed on Thursday.

India has 11.8 million COVID-19 cases, the third-highest amount behind the United States and Brazil.

The country reported 251 new deaths, taking the overall tally to 160,692, the data showed.

 “We understand that deliveries of COVID-19 vaccines to lower-income economies participating in the COVAX Facility will likely face delays following a setback in securing export licenses for further doses of COVID-19 vaccines produced by the Serum Institute of India (SII), expected to be shipped in March and April,” UNICEF said in an email.

“COVAX is in talks with the Government of India with a view to ensuring deliveries as quickly as possible.”

Reuters reported on Wednesday that India had put a temporary hold on all major exports of the AstraZeneca shot made by SII, the world’s biggest vaccine-maker, to meet domestic demand as infections rise.

UNICEF also said that COVAX participant countries have also been told about lower-than-expected supplies of AstraZeneca doses made in South Korea for March.