White House: US has provided over $500 million in COVID aid to India

The US has so far provided over $500 million in COVID-19 assistance to India, the White House said on Wednesday, adding it would soon make a determination on distribution of 80 million vaccines to other countries.

"To date, the United States has provided over $500 million in COVID relief to India, including contributions from the US federal and state governments, American companies and organisations and private citizens," White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki told members of the White House Foreign Press Group in a virtual press conference call.

The Biden administration, she said, is now working to extend that assistance to other South Asian countries that have been impacted by COVID-19 pandemic. "We've sent seven air shipments, including health supplies, oxygen, oxygen supplies… N95 masks, rapid diagnostic tests and medicine."

The inter-agency team including National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan and those from the State Department are discussing to determine how the US is going to distribute and share these vaccine doses.