US President Donald Trump on Friday said that America is working “very closely” with India to develop a vaccine against the novel Coronavirus that has so far killed over 3 lakh people worldwide.
Trump also lauded Indian-American scientists and researchers for their efforts in developing medicines and vaccines to treat the deadly Coronavirus.
“We have a tremendous Indian population in the United States and many of the people that you are talking about are working on the vaccine too. Great scientists and researchers,” Donald Trump told reporters in the Rose Garden of the White House on Friday.
“India has been so great… Your PM has been a very good friend of mine. We are working with India too… We have a tremendous Indian population in the US and many of the people you are talking about are working on the vaccine too, great scientists and researchers,” the President said.
He was responding to the Indian-American community’s appreciation of his fight against the coronavirus. This is the first time that a President has recognised the scientific and research talent of the Indian-American community.
Outlining Operation Warp Speed’s strategy, Trump said that experts had looked at 100 vaccine projects, narrowed the list down to 14 and were now trying to winnow it further.
Also, in a tweet, shortly after midnight on Friday, Donald Trump announced that his country would donate ventilators to India in the fight against COVID-19.
“We stand with India and Narendra Modi during this pandemic,” he said.
India, for its part, had lifted a ban on the export of Hydroxychloroquine at the personal request of Trump and sent 3.5 million tablets and nine tonnes of ingredients to manufacture it last month.
Meanwhile, the US government, through its aid agency USAID, has announced nearly $9 million to support India in its fight against the novel Coronavirus.
The overall number of global Coronavirus cases has increased to over 4.5 million, while the death toll has surpassed 307,000, according to the Johns Hopkins University.
The US currently accounts for the world’s highest number of cases and deaths at 1,442,819 and 87,530, respectively.