A recent increase of coronavirus cases in India has garnered global attention due to its severity, prompting the Biden administration to severely restrict flight between the United States and the subcontinent beginning May 4th.

“The magnitude and scope of the COVID-19 pandemic in the Republic of India is surging; the Republic of India accounts for over one-third of new global cases, and the number of new cases in the Republic of India is accelerating at a rapid rate,” the proclamation states.

The move impacted families in  Irvine who scrambled to make travel arrangements back to the U.S., including Northwood sophomore Tanvi Garmeni, whose father was traveling in India.  “About a week ago, my dad was in Hyderabad and the Delhi airport had closed a couple days before he was flying back,”  Garneni said. “Luckily, he was able to reschedule his flight and return to Irvine.”

There was a 381,124 daily case count average as of April 28 to May 5, as cases began surging in March. An average of 3,572 people have died daily within the same week-long period, according to data from John Hopkins University. 

Only 2.1% of the population is fully vaccinated, and vaccinations have slowed due to the situation. This likely means that the situation could be prolonged for months to come.

For those looking to help, the local owners of Adya restaurants announced that they would donate 100% of their restaurant sales from May 10-16 to assist, according to the Orange County Register.

“There’s a feeling of helplessness when we receive updates from our families in India and see the devastation throughout India from news reports and social media,” Chef Shachi Mehra told the Register. “There’s no denying that the past year was rough for Adya, but nothing comes close to the devastation happening in India right now.”

There are several other reputable organizations to donate to as well, including Direct Relief, Indian Red Cross Society, and Oxygen for India.