The United States has asked its citizens to leave India “as soon as it is safe to do so” in view of a deepening Covid-19 crisis in the country of 1.3 billion population where the daily count of new infections is crossing the 350,000 mark.

The US Embassy in India said the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has issued a Level 4 Travel Health Notice and the Department of State has issued a Level 4 Travel Advisory advising against all travel to India.

The current Level 4 Travel Advisory is the highest level issued by the Department of State and advises US citizens not to travel to India or to leave as soon as it is safe to do so due to the current health situation in the country.

“New cases and deaths from Covid-19 have risen sharply throughout India to record levels. Covid-19 testing infrastructure is reportedly constrained in many locations. Hospitals are reporting shortages of supplies, oxygen, and beds for both Covid-19 and non-Covid 19 related patients,” said a “Health Alert” from the US Department of State. “US citizens are reporting being denied admittance to hospitals in some cities due to a lack of space. Some states  have enacted curfews  and other restrictions  that limit movement  and the operation of non-essential businesses.”

Stating that access to medical care had become “severely limited in India due to the surge in Covid-19 cases”, the advisory has urged US citizens to opt for direct flights between India and the US that were currently operating daily.

India’s total Covid-19 cases passed 18 million on Thursday after another world record daily infection, according to Reuters.

India’s health ministry data suggested 379,257 new Covid-19 cases and 3,645 new deaths on Thursday, the highest number of deaths reported in a single day in India since the start of the pandemic.