Indian hospitals swamped by coronavirus as countries promise aid

A patient receives oxygen outside a Gurdwara, a Sikh house of worship, in New Delhi, India on Saturday. [Courtesy: AP]

India’s new coronavirus infections hit a record peak for a fifth day yesterday, as countries including Britain, Germany and the United States pledged to send urgent medical aid to help battle the crisis overwhelming its hospitals.

The southern state of Karnataka, home to the tech city of Bengaluru, ordered a 14-day lockdown from today, joining the western industrial state of Maharashtra, where lockdowns run until May 1, although some states were set to lift the measures this week.