New Delhi, April 6: India has recieved 1.70 lakh Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) coveralls from China which have been donated to the government of India, the Centre said on Monday. Along with domestic supplies of 20,000 coveralls, a total of 1.90 lakh coveralls will now be distributed to hospitals across the country amid the coronavirus outbreak. According to the government, there are 3,87,473 PPEs in the country. Coronavirus Cases Jump to 4,281 in India as Country Records Biggest Single-Day Surge With 704 New Patients, Death Toll Reaches 111.

The commencement of foreign supplies marks a major milestone in our efforts to procure personal protection equipment for the battle against COVID-19, the Centre said. Besides PPE coveralls, the government has begun distribution of two lakh domestically produced N95 masks. About 16 lakh N95 masks are presently available in the country, and this figure will increase with the fresh supply of 2 lakh masks. Salaries of MPs Cut by 30% For A Year From April 1, 2020; President, VP, Governors Take Voluntary Pay Cut of 30%; MPLAD Funds Suspended For 2020-2022 to Make Consolidated Fund For Fight Against Coronavirus.

States such as Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Delhi, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Rajasthan will get priority as the number of coronavirus cases is higher than other states. Supplies are also being sent to central institutions like AIIMS, Safdarjung and RML hospitals, RIMS, NEIGRIHMS, BHU and AMU. The government has also placed orders for procurement of PPE kits and expedited efforts for the production of coveralls and N95 masks.

An order for 80 lakh complete PPE kits (including N95 masks) had been placed on a Singapore-based platform earlier and now it has been indicated that supplies will commence from April, 11, 2020 with 2 lakh, followed by 8 lakh more in a week. Negotiations are in final stages with a Chinese platform for placing an order of 60 lakh complete PPE kits, which will also include N95 masks. Separate orders for N95 masks and protective goggles are also being placed on some foreign companies.

"Giving a further fillip to domestic capabilities, Northern Railways have developed a PPE coverall. This is in addition to the PPE coveralls and N99 masks developed by DRDO earlier. Efforts are now being made to start mass production of these products. Existing N95 mask producers have increased their capacity to about 80,000 masks per day," the government said.

Orders have been placed for 112.76 lakhs stand-alone N95 masks and 157.32 lakhs PPE coveralls. Out of these, 80 lakh PPE kits will include N95 masks. The objective is to achieve a supply of about 10 lakh PPE kits per week. Looking at the number of patients in the country, sufficient quantities are available for the moment. Further supplies are expected within this week.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 06, 2020 09:23 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).