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Coronavirus News Highlights: India is witnessing a second wave of COVID-19 pandemic. So far, the country has recorded over 2.18 crore confirmed COVID-19 cases, including 2,38,270 deaths. A total of 1,79,30,960 people have recuperated from COVID-19 so far. There are 37,23,446 active cases in the country as of date, which comprises 17.01 percent of the total caseload, the data stated. India's recovery rate now stands at 81.90 percent. Globally, more than 15.64 crore people have been infected by the coronavirus and 32.64 lakh have died so far. India has begun the third phase of the vaccination drive in which everyone above 18 years of age will be able to get the COVID-19 vaccine. India's regulator has granted restricted emergency use approval for three vaccines -- Covishield, Covaxin and Sputnik V. The cumulative number of COVID-19 vaccine doses administered in India has crossed 16.71 crore, according to the Union Health Ministry.
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Assam reports 5756 new COVID-19 cases, 3053 recoveries and 50 deaths on May 8.
Karnataka reports 47,563 new COVID-19 cases, 482 deaths and 34,881 discharges in the last 24 hours.
Maharashtra''s COVID-19 caseload on Saturday crossed the 50 lakh-mark as it reported 53,605 new cases, a health department official said.
The case tally of the state rose to 50,53,336, while with 864 fatalities the death toll reached 75,277, he said.
A record 82,266 people were discharged from hospitals during the day, pushing total recoveries to 43,47,592.
There are 6,28,213 active patients in the state now.
Cases of mucormycosis, a serious but rare fungal infection, are on the rise among COVID-19 survivors, causing blindness or other serious issues, health officials in Maharashtra and Gujarat said on Saturday.
Mathur Savani, chairman of Surat-based Kiran Super Multi-speciality Hospital, said mucormycosis patients are coming to his hospital from many parts of Gujarat.
"Fifty mucormycosis patients are being treated and 60 more are awaiting treatment," Savani told PTI.
Seven such patients lost their eyesight, he said.
BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis on Saturday alleged that the Shiv Sena-controlled civic body was under-reporting COVID-19 deaths in Mumbai.
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) was attributing the deaths of some COVID-19 patients to other reasons and thus suppressing the real toll of the viral infection, he said in a letter to Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray.
"The ''death due to other reasons'' category has to be used only in exceptional cases, like when a COVID-19 patient commits suicide, dies in an accident, is murdered, is brain-dead or a fourth-stage cancer patient," Fadnavis said.
Aviation major Boeing will set up a 250-oxygenated bed hospital inKalaburagito tide over the COVID-19 crisis,KarnatakaMines and Geology and district in-charge MinisterMurugeshNiranisaid on Saturday. "The 250-bed hospital would be set up under public- private partnership (PPP) model and would be completed at the earliest possible time,"Nirani, who is district in-charge minister ofKalaburagidistrict, told reporters.The minister said a suitable land in a prominent location will be identified after consultation with district administration and people''s representatives from the district."The work will start from tomorrow itself and hope that it will be completed in six months," he added.Denying the shortage of oxygen and medicine inKalaburagi, the minister said transportation was affected due to logistics problems."We have 1,600 beds inKalaburagiincluding 400 oxygenated beds, 378 ICU beds and 500 beds arranged inESIhospital.We have received 200Remdesivirvials today and requested Deputy Chief Minister DrAshwathNarayanto send more vials tomorrow." "We don''t have an oxygen shortage but we are facing problems to transport from outside due to logistics challenges,"Niranicontended.Elaborating further on oxygen supply,Niranisaid arrangement has been made to bring two oxygen tankers apart from government quota.
Since the first day of European mobilisation against COVID-19we showed solidarity by contributing funds to research to make vaccines available for whole world. We played active role inCOVAX, so vaccines could be available to whole world.The fact that we are exporting vaccines doses does show our solidarity & we encourage all of our partners and vaccine producing countries to follow our example by maintaining and enabling supply chains.
At least 8 COVID survivors have died so far due to mucormycosis, a fungal infection, during treatment in Maharashtra; 200 such patients being treated.
Active cases 1,99,307
Case tally 7,38,786
Death toll 5,506
Total recoveries 5,33,973
Bihar government caps the price for High Resolution CT (HRCT) Scan in the private laboratories in state – Rs 2,500 (single slice CT machine) and Rs 3,000 (multi slice CT machine).
Total cases 4,92,385
Total recoveries 4,21,219
Death toll 2704
Active cases 68,462
