As many as 3,980 patients succumbed to the infection during the last 24 hours, taking the total COVID-related death toll to 2,30,168. India registered a total of 3,29,113 recoveries in the last 24 hours. The total number of recoveries in the country now stands at 1,72,80,844.

Variants are already outracing  vaccination progress in many parts of the world, fueling bigger outbreaks that spread faster. While some rich nations that secured effective vaccines early have seen their epidemics wane, the virus is still spreading like wildfire in developing economies, prolonging the pandemic.

A bench of Chief Justice D N Patel and Justice Jasmeet Singh asked the authorities concerned to treat the plea as a representation and take a decision in accordance with the law, rules, regulations and government policy applicable to the case.

“Do not travel to India due to COVID-19. Exercise increased caution due to crime and terrorism,” the State Department said on Wednesday in its latest travel advisory that looked identical to the one issued on April 28.

Both the travel advisory has been marked ‘Level 4’ which is the highest warning level.

With 8.5 hospital beds per 10,000 population and eight physicians per 10,000, the country’s healthcare sector is not equipped for such a crisis. Hospitals across the country have filled to capacity and in addition to oxygen running out, intensive care units are operating at full capacity and nearly all in the country ventilators are in use.