NEW DELHI: India’s foreign minister was forced to abandon face-to-face G7 meetings on the pandemic in London on Wednesday because he may have been exposed to Covid-19, as the crisis deepened back home with his nation’s daily death toll hitting a record at almost 3,800.

Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar was in Britain for talks with counterparts from the Group of Seven wealthy democracies but announced he would hold his meetings virtually after possible exposure to virus cases.

The G7 discussed coronavirus vaccines on Wednesday as pressure grows on the group to share stockpiles and know-how with poorer nations.

India is not part of the Group of Seven wealthy democracies but was invited to the talks by Britain, which holds the rotating presidency of the group throughout 2021.

However, those talks were thrown into disarray after reports of two cases among the Indian delegation.

He met US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in-person, with both wearing masks, on Monday evening on the sidelines of a foreign ministers summit.

Blinken has already received two vaccine doses. The US State Department said it had been advised that its health protocols “would permit us to continue with our G7 activities as planned”.