The Biden administration stated on Friday that the U.S. will restrict travel from India as the country continues to battle a surge in coronavirus cases, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Friday.

The policy will be effective Tuesday, May 4, Psaki said in a statement, with the White House's decision being made on the advice of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

What's happening in India?

India is currently experiencing a gigantic second wave of the coronavirus pandemic, with the nation logging more 300,000 cases per day over the past seven days. The nation is also averaging about 3,000 COVID deaths per day, but health experts believe that number is undercounted.

What's causing such a deadly infection wave?

The situation in India resembles similar infection waves seen in other countries like Brazil and South Africa, infectious disease scientist Kristian Andersen as Scripps Research Institute told NPR.

"These countries already has a lot of people infection, and there was a sense that the country had reached some level of herd immunity," he said. But then, over time, a second, more deadly wave of infections immere alongside more contagious COVID variants, which sparkes another surge.

Scientists believe that the main catalyst behind India's second wave is a new COVID-19 variant known as the "double mutant," or B.1.617. This new viral strain was first discovered in India last October and shares key mutations with the dominate strain in California as well as the strains first detected in South Africa and Brazil, according to NPR.

These mutations, known as E484Q and E484K, respectively, are believed to be more contagious than the original SARS-CoV-2 strain and may be more resistant to current COVID vaccines.

How are other nations helping?

The World Health Organization announced earlier this week that it is sending extra medical staff and critical equipments like oxygen concentrators as well as laboratory supplies and mobile field hospitals to help fill the holes in India's public health system during this crisis. More international aid is also on the way from nations like Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom and Germany.

The United States is also sending more than $100 million worth of COVID supplies, including 1,000 oxygen cylinders, 15 million N95 masks and 1 million rapid diagnostic tests.