Coronavirus News Highlights: Today is the 360th day since India implemented a nationwide lockdown to help curb the novel coronavirus pandemic. So far, India has recorded 1,15,14,331 confirmed COVID-19 cases, including 1,59,370 deaths. A total of 1,10,83,679 people have recuperated from COVID-19 so far. There are 2,71,282 active cases in the country as of date, which comprises 2.2 percent of the total caseload, the data stated. India's recovery rate continues to rise and now stands at 96.41 percent. Globally, more than 12.17 crore people have been infected by the coronavirus and 26.89 lakh have died so far. India has begun the second phase of the vaccination drive in which everyone above 60 years of age and those over 45 years with comorbidities will be able to get the COVID-19 vaccine. India's regulator has granted restricted emergency use approval for two vaccines -- Covishield and Covaxin. The cumulative number of COVID-19 vaccine doses administered in India has crossed 3.71 crore, according to the Union Health Ministry.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates | Haryana: Over 3.85 lakh vaccine doses administered in six days
The Haryana Health Department has administered 3,85,103 vaccine doses in the past six days, taking the number of beneficiaries to 9,07,478 in the state, according to an official.
Additional Chief Secretary (Health) Rajeev Arora said on Saturday that the concept of “Mega Vaccine Day” on two days of a week has been rewarding. The state has already administered the COVID-19 vaccine doses to 9,07,478 beneficiaries in all, he said.
Divulging details, Arora said the Health Department administered the vaccine doses to 14,581 beneficiaries on Saturday.
The concept of “Mega Vaccination Day” was introduced on Monday when 1.5 lakh (1,58,901) beneficiaries were administered the vaccine.
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Domestic carrier IndiGo on March 20 handed over a passenger from its Bengaluru-Kolkata flight to security agencies at the destination airport for not wearing a mask despite repeated warnings from the flight crew, government officials said. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) had last Saturday asked airlines to de-board passengers who do not wear masks “properly” despite repeated warnings.
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4,36,75,564 vaccine doses have been administered in the country, as per the provisional report till 7 pm on March 20. A total of 16,12,172 vaccine doses were given till 7 pm on March 20, the 64th day of nationwide COVID-19 vaccination: Ministry of Health
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In view of the resurgence of COVID-19 infection, schools will remain closed for students of Classes 9 and 11 with effect from March 22 until further orders: Puducherry Government
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PakistanPrime Minister Imran Khan's wife and First Lady Bushra Bibi has also tested positive for coronavirus: Pakistan Media
Coronavirus LIVE Updates | 1,798 new COVID-19 cases in Karnataka, 7 deaths
Karnataka logged over 1,798 new COVID-19 cases and seven related fatalities, taking the COVID-19 caseload to 9.68 lakh and the toll to 12,432, the Health Department said on March 20. Bengaluru Urban continued to head the list of cases, accounting for 1,186 infections. This is for the fifth consecutive day that the state is reporting over 1,000 new cases. The day also saw 1,030 patients getting discharged after recovery.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates | Bengal reports 383 new COVID-19 cases, 2 fresh fatalities
West Bengal's COVID-19 tally mounted to 5,80,209 as 383 more people tested positive for the infection, while two fresh fatalities took the state's coronavirus death toll to 10,303, a health bulletin said. Kolkata reported the highest number of new cases at125, followed by North 24 Parganas at 99 and Howrah at 33, it said. Two COVID-19 patients from Kolkata and North 24Parganas died due to comorbidities in the last 24 hours, the bulletin said. Altogether, 298 people were cured of the disease since Friday, taking the total number of recoveries in the state to 5,66,526. The discharge rate of COVID-19 patients stands at 97.64 per cent. West Bengal now has 3,380 active cases. The state has so far conducted 89,37,990 sample tests, the bulletin added. (PTI)
Coronavirus LIVE Updates | Punjab reports 2587 new COVID19 cases, 1011 recoveries and 38 deaths in the last 24 hours
Total cases 2,10,466
Total recoveries 1,87,198
Death toll 6,280
Active cases 16,988
Coronavirus LIVE Updates | TN Schools closed for IX, X, XI students
With Covid19 cases on the rise in the state, the TamilNadu government has decided to close schools for students of Classes IX, X and XI with effect from Monday, 22 March. (IANS)
Coronavirus LIVE Updates | Maharashtra reports 27,126 new COVID19 cases, 13,588 recoveries and 92 deaths in the last 24 hours
Total cases 24,49,147
Total recoveries 22,03,553
Death toll 53,300
Active cases 1,91,006
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi wishes a speedy recovery to Pakistan counterpart Imran Khan, who tested positive for COVID-19 on March 20
Coronavirus LIVE Updates | BMC to carry out over 47,000 rapid antigen tests at public places every day
With a spurt in coronavirus cases in the city, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation has decided to carry out over 47,000 rapid antigen tests at public places every day.
People will be chosen randomly for testing. Even if a person has already undergone testing, the civic body will insist on retesting, as detection of the infection is more important, the BMC official said.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates | Over 40 lakh vaccinated against COVID-19 in Maharashtra since January 16
Over 40 lakh people have received the COVID-19 vaccine jab in Maharashtra since the immunization drive commenced on January 16, an official said on March 20. As per the data released by the state health department, 1,89,130 persons received vaccine shots on Friday, raising the tally to 40,96,898.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates | Britain hits milestone as half of all adults get first vaccine dose
Half of all adults in Britain have now received at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose, becoming the world's first major economy to hit that milestone.
Health minister Matt Hancock said on Twitter the figure had been reached after a record 660,276 shots were administered on Friday.
Israel is the leader in vaccinating its population, followed by the United Arab Emirates, Chile, and then the United Kingdom – and investors are watching closely to see which economies could recover first.
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In Nagpur, restaurants will be allowed to remain open till 7 pm and online food delivery will be allowed till 11 pm. Schools and colleges will remain closed till 31 March. Scheduled examinations will be conducted while strictly observing COVID-19 guidelines: Nitin Raut, Guardian Minister, Nagpur, said on March 20, 2021
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In Mumbai, rapid antigen tests will be done randomly without citizens’ consent at crowded places like malls, railway stations, bus depots, khau galli, markets, tourist places, and government offices. If a citizen refuses to get tested, they would be booked under Epidemic Act: BMC
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COVID-19 curbs in Nagpur till March 31
In view of increasing COVID-19 cases, coronavirus restrictions will continue in Maharashtra’s Nagpur till March 31. Vegetables and other essentials shops will remain open till 4 pm, Nagpur Guardian Minister Dr Nitin Raut said on March 20. Complete lockdown was imposed in Nagpur City on March 15.
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In a bid to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus in Ahmedabad, one of the cities in Gujarat where the number of infection cases is rising, the civic body said on March 20 it has decided to once again launch its drive to screen the virus “super-spreaders”.
People such as vegetable vendors, medicine store owners, grocers, auto-rickshaw drivers, salon owners, and masons will have to obtain identity cards after getting themselves tested for the virus across 18 urban health centres in the city, the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) said.
Apart from them, food delivery boys and those working in super markets will have to get their RT-PCR test done.
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I feel a team of experts should be constituted to study the surge in COVID-19 cases in the state. Maharashtra is no different from other states but then why is it witnessing such a surge in infections: Senior BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis
Coronavirus LIVE Updates | Pakistan PM Imran Khan tests COVID-19 positive
Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has tested positive for COVID-19, the country's health minister said on Saturday, two days after the premier got his vaccination. Khan is "self isolating at home," said minister Faisal Sultan in a tweet. PM Imran Khan has tested positive for Covid-19 and is self isolating at home Earlier, Imran Khan on Friday received the first shot of vaccination against COVID-19 and urged the citizens of his country to ensure the full implementation of norms to prevent the surge in cases of coronavirus. Khan, 67, was vaccinated as part of the nationwide anti-coronavirus vaccination campaign which is underway in its first phase.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates | Eight states showing rising trajectory in COVID-19 cases, says Health Ministry
A rising trajectory of daily new cases is visible in eight states and UTs, including Delhi and Maharashtra, while Kerala is showing a declining trend, the Health Ministry said on Saturday. The ministry said Maharashtra, Kerala and Punjab cumulatively account for 76.22 percent of India's total active caseload, with Maharashtra contributing to 62 percent of such cases, while Kerala and Punjab account for 8.83 percent and 5.36 percent of active cases respectively.
The top five districts in Maharashtra recording the highest number of cases are Pune (37,384), Nagpur (25,861), Mumbai (18,850), Thane (16,735) and Nashik (11,867). The top five districts in Kerala recording the highest number of cases are Ernakulam (2,673), Pathanamthitta (2,482), Kannur (2,263), Palakkad (2,147) and Thrissur (2,065). The top five districts in Punjab recording the highest number of cases are Jalandhar (2,131), SAS Nagar (1,868), Patiala (1,685), Ludhiana (1,643) and Hoshiarpur (1,572).
Coronavirus LIVE Updates | Two more deaths, 364 new COVID-19 cases in Telangana
Two more succumbed to COVID-19 and 364 tested positive for the virus in Telangana as the caseload mounted to 3.02 lakh, health department said. The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) accounted for the most number of cases with 75, followed by Medchal Malkajgiri and Rangareddy districts with 32 and 31 cases respectively, a state government bulletin said on Saturday providing details as of 8 PM on March 19.
The state has been witnessing a gradual rise in cases for the last 10 days with a large number of infections being reported from a few schools in the state. According to the bulletin, 189 patients recovered from the infection on March 19. The cumulative recovered cases stood at 2.98 lakh while 2,607 were under treatment. The bulletin said 66,036 samples were tested on March 19. Cumulatively, the number of samples tested was 95,48,685.
The samples tested per million population was 2,56,547, it said. The recovery rate in the state was 98.58 per cent, while it was 96.1 per cent in the country, it said. The case fatality rate in the state was 0.55 per cent, while it was 1.4 per cent at the national level, it said. Meanwhile, an official release said the vaccine wastage in the state stood at 0.62 per cent.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates | COVID-19 vaccine should be able to give protection for 8-10 months, says AIIMS director Randeep Guleria
The COVID-19 vaccine should be able to give good protection from the infection for eight to ten months, AIIMS director Randeep Guleria said on Saturday. He also said that no major side-effect of the vaccine has been recorded. The COVID-19 vaccine should be able to give good protection from the infection for eight to ten months and maybe, even more, Guleria said at an event organised by the IPS (Central) Association.
He said the biggest reason for the surge in cases is that people feel the pandemic is over and they are not following COVID-appropriate behaviour. "There are multiple reasons for the surge, but the main reason is that there is change in people's attitude and they feel coronavirus is over. People should still restrict non-essential travel for some more time," the official asserted. NITI Aayog member (Health) V K Paul said the chain of transmission has to be stopped and for that vaccine is one tool but another is containment and surveillance strategy.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates | Sri Lanka says no deaths from COVID vaccinations
There have been no deaths in Sri Lanka due to the COVID-19 vaccination drive, the government said on Saturday, rejecting reports that three people died from blood clots after being inoculated with the AstraZeneca vaccine. The minister for the prevention of COVID-19, Sudarshani Fernandopulle, said all the three, including a Buddhist monk, died of heart failure from other health complications last week and the deaths were not caused by the coronavirus vaccine.
Some European countries, including Sweden, Denmark, Slovenia and Bulgaria, had briefly halted use of the Oxford-AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine as a precautionary measure after reports of blood clots in some recipients of the vaccine, even though international health agencies urged governments to press ahead with the shot, saying the benefits outweighed the risks. On Thursday, the European Medicines Agency said that the vaccine doesn''t increase the overall incidence of blood clots, though it could not rule out a link to a small number of rare clots.
The move paved the way for more than a dozen European countries to resume using the vaccine. Sri Lanka began its vaccination drive early February on receipt of a gift of 500,000 Oxford/AstraZenica vaccine from India. Later, the country placed an order with the Serum Institute of India for more doses. After the initial vaccination was limited to the frontline health workers and the security forces, the inoculation programme was extended to cover everyone between 30 and 60 years of age.
The epidemiology unit of the ministry of health said so far more than a one third of the 21 million population had been vaccinated. Sri Lanka recorded nearly 90,000 cases and 544 deaths since the outbreak of the pandemic year ago. According to the health authorities, the number of positive cases had gone down drastically over the last few weeks. With the second wave of the coronavirus recorded in early October, nearly 1,000 cases had been detected on a daily basis. The figure has now dropped drastically and only less than 300 cases were reported on Friday.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates | Bahraini Sheikh arrives in Nepal with 2,000 COVID-19 vaccine doses for Everest Trek, but brings the ‘wrong’ kind
Fulfilling his promise of providing 2,000 COVID-19 vaccine doses to local villagers in Nepal after completing an expedition there in September 2020, a member of Bahrain’s royal family arrived in Kathmandu for another expedition - this time to Mount Everest, the New York Times reported. The situation has however turned into a Catch-22.
The Nepali government had earlier announced that the gifted doses would be AstraZeneca’s vaccine, but the country’s drug regulators found that doses brought by the Bahraini climbers led by Sheikh Mohamed Hamad Mohamed al-Khalifa, are China’s Sinopharm vaccine. The doses, which arrived on March 15, now sit in cold storage at the Kathmandu International Airport as Nepal deliberates on whether to accept them or not. Meanwhile, the climbers are being quarantined at a hotel till the situation is sorted.
The Bahraini climbers visited Nepal in September 2020 to climb the Lobuche Peak and Mount Manaslu and had promised to provide 2,000 COVID-19 vaccine doses for villagers of Samagaun, which is a gateway to Mount Manaslu. The promise led to villagers dub the local peak “Bahrain’s peak.”
Coronavirus LIVE Updates | No fresh COVID-19 case in Arunachal, tally remains at 16,842
Arunachal Pradesh did not report any fresh COVID-19 case in the past 24 hours, a senior health official said on Saturday. The northeastern state''s tally remained at 16,842, State Surveillance Officer (SSO) Lobsang Jampa said. Arunachal Pradesh now has three active cases, while 16,783 people have recovered from the disease so far, he said.
A total of 56 people have died due to the contagion, Jampa said, adding, till Friday, 4,11,459 samples have been tested for COVID-19 in the state. Meanwhile, State Immunisation Officer (SIO) Dimong Padung said 61,063 people have been inoculated thus far.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates | Pakistan records highest single-day spike in coronavirus cases this year
Pakistan on Saturday recorded its highest single-day increase in the coronavirus infections this year with 3,876 new cases as the positivity rate reached 9.4 per cent in the country. The national tally of cases reached 623,135 while the death toll jumped to 13,799 as 40 patients died in the last 24 hours, the health ministry said. The data showed that 579,760 people recovered so far but some 2,122 were in a critical condition.
The Sindh province reported majority 262,796 cases, followed by Punjab with 195,087 cases, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa 78,653, Islamabad 50,843, Balochistan 19,306, Pakistan-occupied Kashmir 11,483 and Gilgit-Baltistan 4,967 cases. Islamabad Deputy Commissioner Hamza Shafqaat tweeted that 747 new coronavirus cases were detected in the capital on Friday, the highest number of daily infections ever recorded in the city.
He said the district administration had started a crackdown on violations of SOP (standard operating procedures). Islamabad district administration announced that both indoor and outdoor dining in restaurants of the capital will be closed after 10pm along with all other commercial activities other than essential services link drug stores. However, takeaway services were allowed to keep the restaurants functional. The measures came as the government announced plans to import one million doses of COVID-19 vaccines from China by the end of this month, according to Minister for Planning Asad Umar.
“First consignment would reach by March 25 and the second one on March 30. The government will acquire more [COVID-19 vaccines] next month. We are bringing these vaccines from two different companies in China,” he told Geo TV. He also urged the people to follow the standard operating procedures (SOPs) in letter and spirit, warning that the government would be forced to place stronger restrictions if the situation continued to deteriorate.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates | Punjab announces closure of educational institutions till March 31 amid surge in COVID-19 cases
Amid a surge in coronavirus infections, the Punjab government has announced the closure of educational institutions till 31 March. Punjab School Education Minister Vijay Inder Singla has said that as Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh announced the closure of educational institutions in the state till 31 March, the school education department has also decided to postpone exams of all classes till the end of March.
The cabinet minister said that the Congress government is committed to ensure the safety of the school students and every possible step will be taken to curb the Covid-19 contamination. Singla said that the education department would release a fresh schedule/datesheet of exams before March 31 and the mode of examination could also be reviewed as per the situation.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates | SpiceJet honours actor Sonu Sood for ‘exemplary work’ during COVID-19 pandemic
SpiceJet has dedicated a special aircraft livery to honour actor and “real-life superhero” Sonu Sood for his “unparalleled contribution and efforts” at helping millions of stranded Indians reach their homes amid the COVID-19 pandemic last year. The airline unveiled a special livery with an image of the actor wrapped on its Boeing 737 aircraft.
After the lockdown was imposed in 2020 amid the spread of the coronavirus pandemic, SpiceJet and Sood teamed up to repatriate thousands of stranded Indians including over 1,500 Indian students stranded in Kyrgyzstan, hundreds of Indian nationals stuck in Russia, Uzbekistan, Manila, and Almaty among other countries.
SpiceJet CMD Ajay Singh expressed pride in the company’s association with Sood during the pandemic and called the special livery a “tribute for Sonu’s selfless efforts and to thank him for the outstanding and exemplary work that he has done to help millions during this pandemic.” In response to the gesture, Sood acknowledged SpiceJet’s non-stop operation during the lockdown. “I am thankful to SpiceJet for their untiring and invaluable support that helped reunite thousands of stranded Indians with their families,” he said.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates | 2 new cases push COVID-19 tally of Andamans to 5,038
The COVID-19 tally of Andaman and Nicobar Islands rose to 5,038 on Saturday as two more people tested positive for the infection, a health official said. The Union territory now has seven active cases, while 4,969 people have recovered from the disease and 62 patients have succumbed to the infection so far, he said. The administration has tested over 3 lakh samples for COVID-19 to date, the official added.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates | Not everyone in India will get a coronavirus vaccine. Harsh Vardhan explains why
Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan on Friday said there should not be any misconceptions about the two Indian vaccines being administered in the country. During the Question Hour in Lok Sabha, Vardhan said India has vaccinated 3.5 to 4 crore people so far and side effects of the vaccines has been recorded at 0.000432 percent.
"Every vaccine doesn't require universal immunisation and all these priority groups whom we are vaccinating today like healthcare staff first and then senior citizens and people aged between 45 and 59 years, it will be extended in the coming days – all these are based on experts' opinion. "Not only Indian experts, but we have also consulted WHO guidelines regarding priority groups," he said.
Serum Institute's Covishield and Bharat Biotech's Covaxin have been currently approved for restricted emergency use in India. Replying to a question by NCP MP Supriya Sule on whether the government is aiming at universal immunisation of COVID-19 vaccine, Vardhan said it is not scientifically necessary to administer the vaccine to each and every person in the country. "Not each and every person in the world will be vaccinated. The prioritisation process is a dynamic process. "The behaviour of the virus is also dynamic. All things are based on scientific facts, scrutiny and vision of the overall scientific and health community," he said.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates | BMC seals 305 buildings amid Maharashtra COVID-19 surge in Mumbai
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation or BMC has sealed 305 buildings in Mumbai after the city reported the highest spike of 3,062 new COVID-19 cases. The number of containment zones and sealed buildings has significantly gone up in the past six days in Mumbai with an increase in the number of Covid-19 cases.
According to the Mumbai civic body's latest report, 4,476 floors in the city now remain sealed. Mumbai reported the highest spike of 3,062 new Covid-19 cases on Friday, taking its caseload to 3,55,897, the BMC said. With 10 deaths since Thursday evening, the death toll increased to 11,565. The day before too the city had set a new record of daily cases at 2,877, but on Friday new cases crossed the 3,000-mark.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates | Dharavi sees 62% jump in COVID-19 cases in March as compared to February
Dharavi, the biggest slum in Mumbai, has reported 272 coronavirus cases so far in the month of March as against the entire February''s infection count of 168, a rise of 62 per cent, civic officials said on Saturday. The spike in cases in this slum sprawl, which is spread over 2.5 sq km of area, has set alarm bells ringing for the authorities, although they say that they are better prepared this year to tackle the situation as compared to last year when the outbreak had started.
The officials said that the number of single-day cases in Dharavi, which had started steadily going up since February, has witnessed a significant jump starting this month. Till March 19, it has reported 272 cases. The officials said that the cases being reported now are scattered across the slum and not concentrated in any particular pocket. Dharavi currently has 72 active COVID-19 cases. Of the total number of 4,133 patients so far, 3,745 have recovered, while 316 have died due to the infection.
Around 6.5 lakh people live in Dharavi, with a population density of 2,27,136 per sq km. Maintaining social distancing there is a tough task, as families of eight to 10 members live in 10x10 hutments and residents have to walk along narrow lanes lined with crowded tenements on either side. This slum is also home to several small-scale leather, pottery and textile manufacturing units. The first COVID-19 patient in Dharavi was found on April 1 last year, about 20 days after the city reported its first case. Thereafter, the daily case count in Dharavi kept rising and it was declared as COVID-19 hotspot.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates | China's first local coronavirus case since February was vaccinated, says report
China's first local coronavirus case since February was a staff worker at a hospital and had received two shots of a vaccine between end-January and early February, state media reported on Saturday. The patient, identified by her surname Liu, had been working in the quarantine area of a hospital in Xian city since March 4, and was mainly responsible for collecting samples of quarantined people for coronavirus testing, reported the Health Times.
The Health Times is listed as a newspaper published under The People's Daily, the official newspaper of China's ruling Communist Party. China had reported the case on Thursday, making it the country's first locally transmitted case since Feb. 14. The Health Times, citing a joint expert group of Shaanxi province where Xian city is located, said Liu was infected after being accidentally exposed while in the hospital's quarantine area.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates | Vaccinations in India cross 4.2 crore, daily test over 10 lakh
As many as 4,20,63,392 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine have been administered in India so far. 27,23,575 vaccine doses were administered in the last 24 hours. According to ICMR, 23,24,31,517 samples have been tested up to March 19 with 10,60,971 samples being tested on Friday. India saw 40,953 new coronavirus infections being reported in a day, the highest single-day rise recorded in 111 days, taking the nationwide COVID-19 tally to 1,15,55,284, according to Union Health Ministry data updated on Saturday.
Registering an increase for the tenth day in a row, the total active caseload has reached 2,88,394, which now comprises 2.49 per cent of the total infections, while the recovery rate has further dropped to 96.12 per cent, the data stated. The daily rise in infections (40,953) was the highest recorded in 111 days, while the death toll increased to 1,59,558 with 188 new fatalities, the data updated at 8 am showed.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates | Over 40,000 coronavirus cases recorded in India, highest in 111 days
India saw 40,953 new coronavirus infections being reported in a day, the highest single-day rise recorded in 111 days, taking the nationwide COVID-19 tally to 1,15,55,284, according to Union Health Ministry data updated on Saturday. Registering an increase for the tenth day in a row, the total active caseload has reached 2,88,394, which now comprises 2.49 percent of the total infections, while the recovery rate has further dropped to 96.12 percent, the data stated.
The daily rise in infections (40,953) was the highest recorded in 111 days, while the death toll increased to 1,59,558 with 188 new fatalities, the data updated at 8 am showed. On November 29, 41,810 new infections were recorded in a span of 24 hours. The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 1,11,07,332, while the case fatality rate stood at 1.38 percent, the data stated.
India's COVID-19 tally had crossed the 20 lakh mark on August 7, 30 lakh on August 23, 40 lakh on September 5 and 50 lakh on September 16. It went past 60 lakh on September 28, 70 lakh on October 11, crossed 80 lakh on October 29, 90 lakh on November 20 and surpassed the one-crore mark on December 19. According to ICMR, 23,24,31,517 samples have been tested up to March 19 with 10,60,971 samples being tested on Friday.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates | Mizoram's COVID-19 tally rises to 4,446
Mizoram on Saturday reported one more case of COVID-19, taking the state''s tally to 4,446, an official said. A 62-year-old man from Siaha district tested positive for the virus, he said. The northeastern state now has 14 active cases, while 4,421 people have recovered from the disease. The death toll stands at 11.
Mizoram has tested 2,45,679 samples till date, including 454 on Friday, the official said. Meanwhile, State Immunisation Officer Lalzawmi said 49,837 people, including 15,907 senior citizens and 1,607 people with comorbidities, have been administered the first dose of COVID-19 vaccine so far.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates | Thane district's COVID-19 count up by 1,949, death toll by 8
With the addition of 1,949 coronavirus cases, the infection count in Thane district of Maharashtra mounted to 2,84,317, an official said on Saturday. These new cases were reported on Friday, he said. As the virus claimed the life of eight persons, the death toll in the district rose to 6,370. The COVID-19 mortality rate in the district is 2.24 percent, he added.
So far, 2,64,590 patients have recuperated from the infection, which took the recovery rate to 93.06 per cent. There are 13,357 active cases in the district at present, the official said. In neighboring Palghar district, the COVID-19 case count has gone up to 47,200, while the death toll is 1,208, another official said. Superintendent of an ashram school at Dabhosa in Palghar''s Jawhar died due to the infection while undergoing treatment in Nashik. He was among the 79 from three ashram schools in Jawhar, who had tested positive last week, a health official said.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates | Maharashtra district group urges vaccination of student before HSC, SSC exams
A student and parents delegation in Latur on Friday urged Maharashtra government to conduct a vaccination drive for all students before the start of HSC and SSC exams amid the fear a second COVID-19 wave in the state. The delegation met Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education said the HSC and SSC exams, scheduled from April must be conducted after all students are vaccinated for COVID-19.
The HSC (Class XII) and SSC (Class X) exams in the state are to start from April 23 and April 29 respectively and will go on till the last week of May. The delegation said vaccinating all students as well as school staff will allow those appearing for the exams to do so in a "tension- free environment".
Coronavirus LIVE Updates | Frontline health workers in Jharkhand to get a month's extra pay
TheJharkhandgovernment has decided to give a month's extra pay to frontline health workers who have been working round the clock since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, said state Health MinisterBannaGupta."The state government has decided to provide one-month extra pay to all frontline medical workers for their services. Currently, the identification process of beneficiaries is underway," the minister said while responding to a question byBJPMLAAmarBauriin the state Assembly.
Earlier on Friday, Gupta expressed his concerns over rising cases of COVID-19 in the country."Coronavirus cases are rising in states like Maharashtra and some others but we are very vigilant. We are following guidelines strictly.Holiand RamNavamiare ahead, we have to take maximum precautions during these festivals," said the Health Minister.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates | Punjab CM Amarinder Singh asks hospitals to vaccinate people against COVID-19 seven days a week
Taking note of the low vaccination numbers in the state, Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Friday asked all private and government hospitals and health facilities to offer hassle-free vaccination services for at least 8 hours daily, seven days a week, till March 31. There should be no requirement of a separate certificate if an eligible over 45 year-old person brings the medical record regarding co-morbidities, he said.
The directions came during the COVID review meeting chaired by the Chief Minister, who pointed out with concern that of the 1291 registered private facilities, 891 have reportedly not administered a single dose. An official release said the Chief Minister asked the district administration to come down strictly on such hospitals, stressing that private hospitals need to join the government battle against COVID-19 for the survival of the state and its people.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates | UK PM Boris Johnson gets his first dose of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has received his first dose of AstraZeneca's Covid vaccine at the London hospital on Friday and urged the public to do the same, saying "he did not feel a thing." While speaking to reporters at St Thomas' Hospital in central London, 56-year-old UK PM assured the public that the jab is safe. "I literally did not feel a thing. It was very good, very quick," Johnson said.
"I cannot recommend it too highly, everybody when you do get your notification to go for a jab, please go and get it, it is the best thing for you, best thing for your family and for everyone else," he added. "It's the best thing for you, the best thing for your family and for everybody else," he added, stressing the renewed green light given by scientists in Europe for the AstraZeneca jab. "The risk is Covid. This is a great thing to do," Johnson said, hours after French Prime Minister Jean Castex received the AstraZeneca injection live on television.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates | Greece relaxes lockdown to cut indoor COVID-19 infections
Greece on Friday said it would relax a four-month coronavirus lockdown by allowing visits to archaeological sites and parks in an effort to reduce indoor infections, while boosting rapid tests. "We are allowing more outdoor activities...(as) indoor gatherings favour the spread of the virus," Akis Skertsos, deputy minister to Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, told a news teleconference.
Archaeological sites and parks will reopen from Monday, but only to small groups of people who live nearby and are able to walk or cycle there. Hair salons will be allowed to resume operation. Cathedrals will also be allowed to reopen to limited numbers on three major religious celebrations in March. And free rapid tests will be available to the entire population on a weekly basis from pharmacies later in March, said Skertsos.
Over 233,000 coronavirus cases and over 7,300 deaths have been recorded in Greece since the start of the pandemic, which officials on Friday said shows no sign of abating. "Pressure on the health system continues to grow, without signs of stabilising," said Gikas Magiorkinis, a member of the health ministry's coronavirus committee.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates | Odisha bans public Holi celebrations amid surge in COVID-19 cases
With Odisha registering 100 plus new coronavirus cases after a gap of 40 days, the state government has banned Holi celebrations in public places on 28 and 29 March this year, anticipating that the festival has the potentiality to cause the virus to spread. The order came in the wake of a spike in Covid-19 cases in the Cuttack and Khurda districts. The state on Friday reported 110 new positive cases taking the tally to 3,38,599.
With Odisha registering 100 plus new coronavirus cases after a gap of 40 days, the state government has banned Holi celebrations in public places on 28 and 29 March this year, anticipating that the festival has the potentiality to cause the virus to spread. The order came in the wake of a spike in Covid-19 cases in the Cuttack and Khurda districts. The state on Friday reported 110 new positive cases taking the tally to 3,38,599.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates | India's fresh COVID cases breach 40,000 mark for first time in 4 months
As many as 40,953 new COVID-19 cases and 23,653 recoveries were reported in India in the last 24 hours, the Union Health Ministry informed on Saturday. With the addition of fresh infections, the total cases in the country reached 1,15,55,284, including 2,88,394 active cases and 1,11,07,332 recoveries. The death toll stands at 1,59,558 including 188 fatalities recorded in the last 24 hours.
As many as 4,20,63,392 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine have been administered in the country so far. As per the India Council of Medical Research (ICMR), 23,24,31,517 samples up to Friday had been tested for the coronavirus. 10,60,971 samples were tested yesterday.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates | Amid rising cases, Centre asks states to ensure COVID-appropriate behaviour is followed
In view of rapidly increasing coronavirus cases in parts of the country, the Central Government has asked the states and Union territories to ensure that people follow Covid-appropriate behaviour like wearing face masks, maintaining hand hygiene and social distancing.
In a communication to the chief secretaries of all the states and Union territories, Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla said the states and UTs have been mandated to take all necessary measures to promote Covid-appropriate behaviour and ensure that people wear face masks, maintain hand hygiene and social distancing. Further, these measures are also included in the National Directives for Covid-19 Management, which have to be strictly followed throughout the country.
"After a steady decline in the number of Covid-19 cases for about five months, for the last few weeks, the number is showing an increasing trend in several parts of the country," the notification read. "It has been observed that it is largely due to laxity in the observance of Covid-appropriate behaviour by people, especially at crowded places," Bhalla said.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates | COVID-19 tests in Mumbai to be doubled to 50,000 per day, says BMC
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation on Friday decided to double the number of COVID-19 tests from 25,000 per day now to 50,000, the decision coming on a day when Mumbai reported a record 3,062 cases, officials said. The decision was taken after a virtual meeting chaired by Mumbai civic commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal, they added.
It was also decided to increase the daily COVID-19 vaccination target in the metropolis to one lakh, as the number of inoculation centres in the private sector had been increased from 59 to 80, the officials informed. A BMC release said Chahal asked private hospitals providing COVID-19 treatment to take the consent of patient or kin before administering costly medicines and line of treatment so that disputes on bills could be avoided. It added that the BMC would appoint two auditors at private hospitals for verification of bills and complaints centred around them.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates | India crosses 4-crore vaccination doses figure
India has scaled a landmark peak in its fight against COVID-19 with the total doses administered in the country having crossed 4 crore till Friday evening, the Union health ministry said. A total of 4,11,55,978 vaccine doses have been given, as per the provisional report till Friday 7pm. As many as 18,16,161 people were vaccinated during the day.
The total figure includes 76,86,920 healthcare workers (HCWs) who have taken the first dose and 47,69,469HCWs who have taken the second dose, 79,10,529 frontline workers (FLWs) who have been administered the first dose and 23,16,922 FLWs who have been given the second dose. Besides, 1,53,78,622 beneficiaries more than 60 years old and 30,93,516 individuals aged 45 to 60 with specific co-morbidities have taken the first dose. "Total 18,16,161 vaccine doses were given till 7 pm on Friday, the sixty-third day of nationwide COVID-19 vaccination drive.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates | Will try to supply more doses of COVID-19 vaccine to UK later, says Serum Institute
Serum Institute of India (SII) has said it will try to supply more doses ofOxford-AstraZenecaCOVID-19 vaccine to the United Kingdom later, based on the current situation and requirement for the governmentimmunisationprogrammein India. The UK's National Health Service has warned of a significant reduction in weekly supplies of vaccines to protect against COVID-19 by the end of this month. When contacted, a spokesperson forSIIsaid, "Five million doses had been delivered a few weeks ago to the UK and we will try to supply more later, based on the current situation and requirement for the governmentimmunisationprogrammein India".
Coronavirus Vaccine LIVE Updates
| The Philippines has approved Russia’s Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use, the country’s Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said today, as the Southeast Asian country battles a renewed surge in infections. The vaccine, developed by Russia’s Gamaleya Institute, is the fourth to get emergency use authorisation in the Philippines.
