The government has revised the Foreign Trade Policy, 2015-2020 and permitted the import of oxygen concentrators for personal use amid a massive surge in COVID-19 cases in the country. An official press release from the ministry of commerce and industry stated that oxygen concentrators have added to the list of exempted categories, where customs clearance sought as "gifts".
These oxygen concentrators can be procured through post, courier or e-commerce portals. The exemption for oxygen concentrators allowed till July 31, 2021, for personal use, according to a notification of the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) issued on Friday.
The "Import of goods, including those purchased from e-commerce portals, through post or courier, where customs clearance sought as gifts, is prohibited except for life-saving drugs/medicines/ oxygen concentrators and rakhi (but not gifts related to rakhi)," the notification said.
India's health care system overwhelmed with the current surge in COVID-19 cases and shortage of oxygen, beds and medicines. The country recorded more than four lakh new cases in the past 24 hours. 4,01,993 cases reported in the country taking the total tally of COVID-19 cases to 1,91,64,969. With 3,523 people succumbing to the infection in the last 24 hours, the death toll has mounted to 2,11,853. Currently, there are 32,68,710 active cases of COVID-19 in the country.
India also witnessed as many as 2,99,988 recoveries in the last 24 hours taking the cumulative recoveries to 1,56,84,406. According to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), as many as 28,83,37,385 samples tested for COVID-19 up to April 30. Of these 19,45,299 samples tested on Friday. The total doses of the COVID-19 vaccine administered stand at over 15,49,89,635 crore, informed the health ministry.
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