The United States Chamber of Commerce has warned that the Indian economy, which is the world’s sixth-largest, may suffer great loss as a result of the second wave and record spike in coronavirus cases, creating a negative effect on the global economy. Many United States companies employ millions of Indian workers to run their back-office operations. This is true for companies in other nations as well.
At the forefront, though, is getting help for the people of Inda. Many US companies had already pledged to provide financial assistance, logistics, and transportation support as well as key medical supplies including oxygen generators and concentrators, the Chamber said.
US goods and services trade with India amounted to $146.1illion in 2019. This is according to the US Trade Representative’s office. India was the ninth-largest US goods trading partner, with some $92 billion in two-way trade in 2019.
With an indication that the second increase in COVID in India will likely affect the global and United States economy, there is a question of how it will affect citizens worldwide as well as in the United States. At least 49 passengers on a flight from New Delhi to Hong Kong have tested positive for COVID-19. Currently, there is a two-week ban on all flights from India, as well as Pakistan and the Philippines. All of the passengers who tested positive flew into Hong Kong on a flight run by Indian operator Vistara on April 4. The positive COVID-19 results surfaced during Hong Kong’s mandatory three-week quarantine period, one of the strictest entry regimes in the world. It can be stated that should those who unknowingly have COVID travel to the United States, that same surge could manifest here.
In order to combat the possible resurgence of COVID, US citizens in all 50 states need to continue wearing masks, social distancing, and getting the vaccine to help avoid contagion and create herd immunity against the disease. As of April 14th, 2021 15% of all COVID deaths are among African Americans or non-Hispanic Blacks.
From the kff.org website: “As observed in prior weeks, Black and Hispanic people have received smaller shares of vaccinations compared to their shares of cases and deaths and compared to their shares of the total population in most states. For example, in Colorado, 10% of vaccinations have gone to Hispanic people, while they account for 42% of cases, 25% of deaths, and 22% of the total population in the state. Similarly, in the District of Columbia, Black people have received 36% of vaccinations, while they make up 54% of cases, 69% of deaths, and 46% of the total population. However, the size of these differences varies across states. Moreover, there is a small but growing number of states where the shares of vaccinations received by Black and Hispanic people are more proportionate to their shares of the total population and/or their share of cases or deaths in the state. For example, in Oregon, 2% of vaccinations have been received by Black people, similar to their share of cases (3%), deaths (2%), and the total population (2%). In Virginia, 11% of vaccinations have been received by Hispanic people, which is higher than their share of deaths (7%) and similar to their share of the total population (10%), but about half their share of cases (20%). These smaller differences are observed largely in states that have smaller shares of Hispanic and Black residents overall.
Overall, across these 43 states, the percent of White people who have received at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose (38%) was 1.6 times higher than the rate for Black people (24%), and 1.5 times higher than the rate for Hispanic people (25%) as of April 26, 2021.