The Boris Johnson government on Wednesday thanked India for approving the export of nearly 3 million packets of paracetamol to ease shortage and supply gaps of the drug in the United Kingdom.

The drug is prescribed to deal with fever, which is one of the key symptoms of coronavirus. The UK has 93,873 cases of people who tested positive, besides 12,107 deaths, according to figures released on Tuesday evening.

Officials said the drug’s supply from India will now be distributed to leading supermarkets and retailers in the UK, which is one of the worst affected countries in the pandemic.

International trade secretary Liz Truss said: “Coronavirus is the largest threat we have all faced in decades, so it’s imperative that we work together to continue global trade and keep supply chains open”.

“This will mean nearly 3 million more packets of paracetamol on British supermarket shelves. I’d like to extend a big thank you to officials both in the UK and India who worked hard on this agreement and I look forward to working with India and other countries soon to ensure we beat COVID-19”, she added.

The Johnson government is expected to announce an extension of the current lockdown on Thursday. Johnson, who was stricken by the virus, is recuperating in the prime minister’s country residence of Chequers in Buckinghamshire.