Patients receive treatment inside a Covid-19 ward in a hospital, in Bangalore, India, April 30, 2021. - Xinhua
BEIJING (Global Times): The "double mutant" variant that is wrecking havoc in India is feared to be spilling into neighbouring countries and is starting to affect Southeast Asia.
Experts warned that without strict border controls and anti-virus measures, countries in South and Southeast Asia would fall into a grave situation, given their weak medical systems and lack of vaccines, and they suggested anti-virus cooperation with China may be helpful.
India has continued to show a Covid-19 surge with the country hitting a new record of 412,262 new cases and 3,980 deaths on Thursday. The country has reported a death toll of more than 230,000 and an infection tally of 21 million, according to the Times of India.