Coronavirus India News Highlights: As many as 3,82,315 more people tested positive for Covid-19 in the last 24 hours, taking the cumulative caseload to 2,06,65,148, said the Union health ministry on Monday morning. The new cases have seen a jump after two days of decline. The fatality count has also gone up to 3,780. This is the most number of deaths recorded in the country in 24 hours. The cumulative death toll now stands at 2,26,188. In addition to this, 3,38,439 people were discharged from various hospitals, taking the total number of recoveries in India to 1,69,51,731. As a result, the active tally saw a minimal increase and stands at 34,87,229. The number was 34,13,642 on Tuesday. India has tested a total of 29,48,52,078 samples tested for Covid-19 until now, said the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR). Out of these, 15,41,299 samples were tested on Tuesday. The number of tests conducted in the last 24 hours decreased slightly too as the number stood at 16,63,742 on Monday. The country has so far administered 16,04,94,188 anti-Covid shots. The total number of doses given to beneficiaries in India crossed the 16-crore mark on Tuesday. With the vaccination of people in the age group of 18-44 picking pace, the health ministry said that 6,62,619 people in the category have been inoculated so far. "The vaccination exercise as a tool to protect the most vulnerable population groups in the country from Covid-19 continues to be regularly reviewed and monitored at the highest level," the ministry said.
This LIVE blog session has concluded. Stay tuned to Moneycontrol for the latest news, views and updates.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates | Ministry of Health and Family Welfare:
Union Health Secy Rajesh Bhushan along with Member (Health) NITI Aayog Dr VK Paul chaired high-level meeting today with eastern states of Assam, West Bengal, Odisha, Bihar & Jharkhand to assess arrangements regarding containment & management of COVID19 pandemic.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates |
'Corona curfew' has been extended till May 10 in the districts of Dehradun, Haridwar and Udham Singh Nagar in Uttarakhand, says state government spokesperson Subodh Uniyal.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates | Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray:
Central governments scientific body has warned about third wave of COVID. We're preparing for that since last month. Several districts are seeing a decline in COVID cases while some districts are seeing an increase in cases.We're keeping a close tab on it.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates | Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan:
Banks should stop all recovery proceedings considering the pandemic situation people are going through. Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) and Kerala Water Authority (KWA) have been asked to stop collect pending bill arrears for two months.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates |Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan:Kerala is going through a serious situation with COVID spreading rapidly in the state. Test positivity rate is not coming down. The situation calls for imposing more restrictions in the state.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates
| Passengers entering West Bengal via long-distance trains, inter-state buses must carry RT-PCR negative report, saysCM Mamata Banerjee
Coronavirus LIVE Updates | Jharkhand makes COVID test, week-long quarantine mandatory for all migrant workers returning to state
Coronavirus LIVE Updates | 11-day lockdown underway in COVID-rattled Bihar
An 11-day complete lockdown, imposed in the wake of a state-wide COVID 19 surge on an unprecedented scale, got underway on Wednesday in Bihar where the authorities had a tough time ensuring compliance from people. Police personnel had begun patrolling the streets since early in the morning, anticipating heavy rush and overcrowding between 7 A.M. and 11 A.M., the four-hour period during which shops selling vegetables, meat, fish, poultry, and grocery items have been allowed to do business.
Owners of many shops, not dealing in items deemed as essentials, faced a rude shock as they were made to down their shutters, besides being slapped with fines, by the men in uniform. The policemen were also seen striking their canes against the ground at many places to scare away and disperse people who had come out to make purchases and gathered at shops or around hand-pulled vegetable and fruit carts throwing physical distancing norms to the winds.
Many motorcycle-borne youths, loitering around to enjoy high-speed rides on the deserted streets, tried to brazen it out when stopped by police personnel whom they told with a sheepish grin that they had come out for "hawakhori" (breath of fresh air). Some of them ended up being fined and even their vehicles being impounded. The luckier ones were let off after being made to undergo, in public, the humiliation of doing squats with their hands grabbing their earlobes.
Some of the businessmen and residents, whose behaviour was deemed to be recalcitrant, also ended up being arrested. The number of arrests made, vehicles seized and amount of money recovered by way of fines is likely to be provided by the state police headquarters by the evening.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates | Centre to allot additional food grains under PMGKAY as more states opt for lockdown
In a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Cabinet on May 5 approved the allocation of additional foodgrain under Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana Phase for two months. The Centre will provide 5 kg foodgrain per person for free in May and June. This is expected to benefit 79.88 crore beneficiaries covered under National Food Security Act (NFSA), including those covered under Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT), the Prime Minister's Office said in a statement.
Centre had launched PMGKAY in March last year after the country went into a nationwide lockdown to stop the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. The state/UT-wise allocation of wheat/rice shall be decided by the Department of Food & Public Distribution on the basis of the existing allocation ratio under NFSA, it added. PMO also said that the Department of Food and Public Distribution may decide on the extension of the lifting/distribution period under Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana. A decision will be taken keeping in mind partial and local lockdown situations, and adverse weather conditions like monsoon, cyclones, supply chain and COVID-induced constraints.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates | Putting officers in jail won't bring oxygen to Delhi, says SC; seeks info on allocation in 3 days
Putting officers in jail is not going to bring oxygen to Delhi, the Supreme Court said on Wednesday while it asked the Centre about the supply it has made to the national capital since May 3. 'Let us ensure lives are saved,' it said. The top court is hearing Centre's appeal against Delhi High Court's Tuesday order of issuing contempt notice and seeking personal appearance of its officials for non-compliance with the directions on supply of oxygen to treat COVID-19 patients in the national capital.
A bench headed by Justice D Y Chandrachud said that it had ordered supply of 700 MT oxygen to Delhi daily from May 3 as the “pandemic in Delhi is at a very critical stage”. “Putting officers in jail is not going to bring oxygen to the city, let us ensure lives are saved,” said the bench which also comprised justice M R Shah. “This is not adversarial litigation. Centre, Delhi governments are elected and doing their best to serve COVID-19 patients,” Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said. 'Tell us how much oxygen you have allocated to Delhi in the last three days,' the bench said. The hearing is still going on.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates | Members in Jaishankar's delegation to UK test COVID positive, schedule modified
Members of the small delegation accompanying External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar to the UK have tested positive for COVID-19, forcing the minister to take his remaining schedule here virtual as a 'measure of abundant caution'. 'Was made aware yesterday evening of exposure to possible Covid positive cases,' Jaishankar said on Twitter on Wednesday.
'As a measure of abundant caution and also out of consideration for others, I decided to conduct my engagements in the virtual mode. That will be the case with the G7 Meeting today as well,' he said. According to numerous sources, two members of the delegation tested positive on Tuesday with further test results still awaited.
Jaishankar arrived in London on Monday for a four-day visit at the invitation of UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab to join the G7 Foreign and Development Ministers Meeting as one of the guest ministers. “The addition of our friends from Australia, India, the Republic of Korea and South Africa, as well as the chair of ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) reflects the growing significance of the Indo Pacific region for the G7,” said Raab. Jaishankar was to join ministers from the other guest nations for the first formal gathering of the summit over a working dinner on Tuesday evening.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates | COVID-19 deaths in India may double in coming weeks, forecasters warn, says report
Even as India struggles with the second wave of coronavirus with daily infections reaching a high of over four lakh, several forecasters have warned of a potential worsening of the crisis with the death toll more than doubling from the current levels in the coming weeks. A mathematical model used by a team at the Indian Institute of Science in Bengaluru pegs the death toll at 404,000 by June 11, while another model by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington forecasts over a million deaths by the end of July, according to a Bloomberg report.
Moneycontrol could not independently verify the report. India added 3.82 lakh fresh cases of COVID-19 in the last 24 hours, the highest in the last three days. The fatalities continue to be over 3,000 for an eighth consecutive day at 3,780, the biggest single-day increase. Total deaths have been recorded at 2.26 lakhs. The medical infrastructure is struggling to take in the rapidly growing number of patients as their family and friends run around looking for hospital beds, oxygen and medicines
Coronavirus LIVE Updates | Local train services to be suspended in West Bengal from May 6 to combat COVID-19 pandemic, says CM Mamata Banerjee
Coronavirus LIVE Updates | Sudha Murty says Infosys Foundation to commit additional Rs 100 crore toward COVID-19 relief efforts
Infosys Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Infosys will commit an additional Rs 100 crore to support efforts to fight COVID-19 in India, its top executive told Moneycontrol. This comes on top of the Rs 100 crore that it allocated last year, taking its total commitment to Rs 200 crore.
"Last year, we helped in establishing full-fledged COVID hospital in Bengaluru which is now running at full capacity. We will be allocating funds this time to various other cities where Infosys has a presence- Hyderabad, Pune, Nagpur, Mangalore, Trivandrum, and Delhi. We are supporting hospitals by giving ventilators, oxygen concentrators, sanitisers, PPE kits, N95 masks. We are also helping construction workers with rice and food kits, apart from providing maintenance money to auto drivers. We are also spending money on vaccination awareness programs because there are many people who are not taking vaccines. We are also helping animal care centres," Sudha Murty, Chairperson, Infosys Foundation, told Moneycontrol in a phone interview.
Half of the Rs 100-crore commitment last March was earmarked for the PM Cares fund. This time around, the entire commitment will be used by the Foundation to fund various initiatives at the grassroots level. "There is a lot of work that we are doing at the grass-root level and we need funds for all this. We have distributed thousands of ration kits to vulnerable sections," she said.
70-year old Murty's day usually starts at 5:30 am and she works for up to 15 hours a day, coordinating relief efforts from home, seeking requirements from various hospitals and organizations. "It is not easy, we work very hard. I would have done more if I was on the road," she said.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates | Over Rs 54 crore collected for mask violations in Mumbai in one year
The civic authorities in Mumbai have collected fines to the tune of over Rs 54 crore in the last one year from 26.87 lakh citizens who violated the COVID-19 mask rule in public places during the pandemic, an official said on Wednesday. As per the data released by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), as many as 4,314 people were caught without masks on Tuesday, of which 1,478 were nabbed by the city police. A total fine of Rs 5.67 lakh was collected from these offenders during the day, it stated.
The BMC had made wearing masks or covering the mouth mandatory in public places in April 2020 due to the rise in the number of COVID-19 cases in the city, and violators were slapped with a fine of Rs 200. The civic body has deployed marshals to enforce mask rule at public places. Mumbai, one of the worst-affected metropolises in the country, has so far recorded 6,61,420 infections and 13,470 casualties.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates | Unfazed Australia PM Scott Morrison stays firm on ban on flights from India, says it is working'
A defiant Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Wednesday stood firm on his decision to halt flights from India in a bid to curb the COVID-19 infections and a possible third wave of the deadly contagion, saying positive cases have started to come down as a result of the pause. The Australian government, for the first time in history, recently imposed a ban on its citizens from returning home, if they have spent time in India up to 14 days before flying back.
The government threatened to prosecute them with a possibility of five years of jail term or a penalty of 66,000 Australian dollars (USD 50,899). The move triggered a backlash with several lawmakers, doctors, civil societies and businessmen criticising the government for "abandoning" Australians in India and threatening the travellers with a hefty penalty and a jail term.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates | Roads empty, marketplaces shut as 14-day lockdown comes into effect in Odisha
Streets were largely empty and shops dotting the thoroughfares mostly closed on Wednesday morning as a 14-day lockdown came into effect in Odisha with the imposition of several restrictions. Movement of goods carriers, however, were not affected by the shutdown -- enforced by the government to break the chain of COVID-19 transmission in the state.
Early in the day, a handful of residents here were found buying essentials at grocery stores -- which have been given permission to operate from 7 am till noon. Short queues were also witnessed outside some of the city's vaccination centres, as people waited patiently for their turn to take the COVID-19 jab. Police personnel deployed in the residential areas and along the arterial roads were seen stopping one or two persons to check if they had a genuine reason to venture out of homes.
All educational institutes, shopping malls, marketplaces, entertainment parks and cinema halls remained shut during the day in accordance with the government order. Meanwhile, the state's excise department has requested the government to make provision for home delivery of liquor amid the two-week lockdown.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates | Good to see health workers setting example in reducing vaccine wastage: PM Modi responds to Kerala CM
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday appreciated healthcare workers and nurses for setting an example in reducing vaccine wastage in Kerala, responding to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan''s tweet about these professionals being "super efficient" in his state. Vijayan had on Tuesday pointed out that Kerala received 73,38,806 doses of vaccine from the Centre and provided 74,26,164 doses, even making use of the extra dose available as wastage factor in each vial.
The health workers, especially nurses, have been super efficient and deserve wholehearted appreciation, he had said. Responding to Vijayan''s post, Modi tweeted, "Good to see our healthcare workers and nurses set an example in reducing vaccine wastage. Reducing vaccine wastage is important in strengthening the fight against COVID-19." In his discussion with chief ministers on the COVID-19 pandemic, Modi has often stressed the need to reduce the wastage of vaccines and has noted their high rates in a few states.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates | 'Accountability should be fixed', says Priyanka Gandhi slams UP govt over 'deaths due to lack of oxygen'
A day after the Allahabad High Court observed that the death of COVID-19 patients due to non supply of oxygen to hospitals is a criminal act, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Wednesday said the Uttar Pradesh government has continuously denied the lack of oxygen when the truth is that there have been many deaths due to it for which accountability should be fixed.
In stern remarks, the Allahabad High Court on Tuesday observed that the death of COVID-19 patients just for non-supply of oxygen to hospitals is a criminal act, "not less than a genocide" by authorities entrusted the task to ensure the oxygen supply chain is maintained. In an apparent reference to the observation by the court, Priyanka Gandhi said the high court has shown the mirror to the government.
"The UP government has continuously denied the lack of oxygen. It has been threatening those flagging the lack of oxygen," the Congress general secretary said in a Facebook post in Hindi. "While the truth is that continuously there have been deaths due to lack of oxygen and its accountability should be fixed," she said. The observation by the court came over some news items doing the rounds on social media regarding the death of COVID-19 patients due to lack of oxygen in Lucknow and Meerut districts. The court also ordered a probe into the incidents.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates | Karnataka would implement decision taken by PM Modi, says Yediyurappa
Ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's address to the nation on the COVID-19 situation, Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa on Wednesday said the state government will abide by his decision. Addressing reporters here, Yediyurappa said, ''We have to implement the decision taken by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
We are also waiting for his directions. Based on it, we will take a decision in the evening.'' The Prime Minister is going to take a decision against the backdrop of the Supreme Court's recommendation, which would be binding on Karnataka as well. The Apex Court has asked the Central and state governments to consider imposing a lockdown to curb the spread of COVID-19.
Replying to a query, Yediyurappa said he has directed the ministers to camp in the districts they are in charge of and work there to control COVID. He said the ministers have been briefing him about the COVID situation on a daily basis but henceforth they would work in a more focused manner. The COVID cases are on rise in the state at an alarming proportion despite a lockdown from April 27 to May 12. The state is reporting 44,000 cases and over 200 fatalities daily.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates | Curfew in Uttar Pradesh extended till May 10
Amid a surge in coronavirus cases, the Uttar Pradesh government on Wednesday decided to increase the duration of the weekend lockdown till 7 am on May 10, an official spokesman said here. "The corona curfew from Friday 8 pm to Tuesday 7 am, which was extended on May 3 for 48 hours and is in force till May 6 till 7 am has been further extended till Monday (May 10) 7 am," an official spokesman said here.
All shops and establishments will now remain closed till Monday 7 am. The official said that further decision to extend the curfew will be taken on Sunday. The decision for extension has been taken for breaking the chain of coronavirus. During this period, all essential services will be allowed and vaccination drive will continue, a senior official said, but refused to term it as a "lockdown", preferring "closure" instead. On April 29, the state government had announced that weekend lockdowns will now cover Mondays too and on May 3 it was extended till May 6.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates | UP Govt floats global e-tender for 40 million doses of COVID vaccine
Coronavirus LIVE Updates | India accounted for one in four COVID-19 deaths globally last week, says WHO
India accounted for nearly half of the COVID-19 cases reported worldwide last week and one in four of deaths, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Wednesday. “India accounts for over 90% of both cases and deaths in the region, as well as 46% of global cases and 25% of global deaths reported in the past week,” the Geneva-based agency said in its weekly epidemiological report.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates | IndiGo airlifts 2,717 oxygen concentrators from 5 countries to India
IndiGo has airlifted 2,717 oxygen concentrators from Thailand, China, Qatar, Hong Kong and Singapore to India amid the COVID-19 pandemic''s second wave in the country, the airline said on Wednesday. In total, the airline has transported 4,142 oxygen concentrators -- weighing about 72,461 kg -- within India or from outside India, it said in a statement.
India has been badly hit by the second wave of the coronavirus infection as hospitals in several states are reeling under a severe shortage of oxygen, drugs, equipment and beds. "As many as 2,717 have been airlifted from Thailand, China, Qatar, Hong Kong, and Singapore to India, while 1,425 oxygen concentrators have been transported domestically between 36 airports," the airline's statement noted. A massive load of other medical supplies has also been flown in on IndiGo flights to support the country, it mentioned.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates | Nepal extends lockdown in Kathmandu Valley till May 12
Authorities in the Nepalese capital on Wednesday extended the lockdown in Kathmandu and surrounding districts till May 12 due to the spike in COVID-19 cases. Nepal on Tuesday recorded yet another highest single-day rise of 7,660 new cases of the coronavirus. The health ministry also confirmed 55 new deaths in the past 24 hours, which is so far the highest number of fatalities recorded in a single day.
The local authorities have extended the ongoing prohibitory orders in the Kathmandu Valley till May 12. The decision to extend the lockdown by another one week in three districts Kathmandu, Lalitpur and Bhaktapur comes as the COVID-19 cases continue to rise every day across Nepal, authorities said.
The first phase of lockdown comes to an end on Wednesday midnight. During the lockdown period, all transportation services except those operating for emergencies remain shut and markets remain closed. However, grocery stores can operate between 7 am and 9 am only, according to officials. Prohibitory orders have been imposed in Kathmandu Valley and some other districts since April 29 with the outbreak of second wave COVID-19 pandemic. Out of 77 districts across the country, lockdown is in place in 42 districts. Nepal has also halted all domestic flights this week and international flights would be stopped from Thursday.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates | Uttar Pradesh lockdown extended till May 10, 7 am
Coronavirus LIVE Updates | UK and U.S. agree on importance of global COVID vaccine rollout to end pandemic
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken agreed on the need for a global rollout of COVID-19 vaccines to end the pandemic, Downing Street said on Tuesday after the pair met in London.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates | U.S. administers 247.8 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines
The United States has administered 247,769,049 doses of COVID-19 vaccines in the country as of Tuesday morning and distributed 318,474,035 doses, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said on Tuesday.
Those figures are up from the 246,780,203 vaccine doses the CDC said had gone into arms by Monday out of 312,509,575 doses delivered.
The agency said 147,894,671 people had received at least one dose while 106,168,588 people are fully vaccinated as of Tuesday.
The CDC tally includes two-dose vaccines from Moderna and Pfizer/BioNTech, as well as Johnson & Johnson's one-shot vaccine as of 6:00 a.m. ET on Tuesday.
A total of 7,802,685 vaccine doses have been administered in long-term care facilities, the agency said.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates | Over 94 lakh COVID-19 vaccine doses still available with states,says Centre
More than 94.47 lakh COVID-19 vaccine doses are still available with the states and UTs which will receive over 36 lakh fresh doses in the next three days, the Union Health Ministry said on Wednesday. The Government of India has so far provided nearly 17.02 crore vaccine doses (17,02,42,410) to states and UTs free of cost. Of this, the total consumption including wastages is 16,07,94,796 doses, according to data available at 8 am.
"More than 94.47 lakh COVID vaccine doses (94,47,614) are still available with the states and UTs to be administered. "Furthermore, more than 36 lakh (36,37,030) vaccine doses will be received in addition by the states and UTs within the next three days," the ministry said. Implementation of the Liberalised and Accelerated Phase 3 Strategy of Covid-19 Vaccination to inoculate those in the age group of 18-44 years has started from May 1.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates | People aged over 50 in Britain to be offered 3rd COVID vaccine shot, says report
Everyone aged over 50 in Britain will be offered a third COVID-19 vaccination jab in the autumn in an attempt to eradicate the threat from the infection entirely by Christmas, The Times newspaper reported. Trials of two options are underway, supervised by Chris Whitty, the chief medical officer for England, the newspaper said. The first involves vaccines specifically modified to tackle new variants. The second is for a third shot of one of the three versions already in use: Pfizer-BioNTech , Oxford-AstraZeneca or Moderna, the newspaper reported.
A total of more than 34.6 million people in Britain have been given a first dose of COVID-19 vaccine, government statistics showed on Tuesday. Britain, which has a population of 67 million, has deals for over 510 million doses of eight different COVID-19 vaccines, some of which remain under development. Britain will buy 60 million more doses of Pfizer/BioNTech's vaccine, health minister Matt Hancock said last week, in a deal that more than doubles the country's supply of the shot ahead of a booster programme later this year. Britain has now ordered a total of 100 million doses of the Pfizer vaccine, one of three COVID-19 shots being rolled out in the country.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates | South Korea says AstraZeneca, Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines 87% effective after first shot
One dose of COVID-19 vaccines from AstraZeneca Plc and Pfizer was 86.6% effective in preventing infections among people aged 60 and older, real world data released by South Korea showed on Wednesday. Data by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) showed the Pfizer vaccine, jointly developed by BioNTech, was 89.7% effective in preventing infection at least two weeks after a first dose was given, while the AstraZeneca shot was 86.0% effective.
Its analysis is based on more than 3.5 million people in South Korea aged 60 and older for two months from Feb. 26 and included 521,133 people who received a first dose of either Pfizer or AstraZeneca shot. There were 1,237 COVID-19 cases in the data and only 29 were from the vaccinated group, the KDCA said.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates | India's services sector activities eased to 3-month low in April amid COVID crisis, says survey
India's services sector activities eased to a three-month low in April, as the rise in business activity was constrained by the pandemic and sentiment towards growth prospects faded, a monthly survey said on Wednesday. The seasonally adjusted India Services Business Activity Index fell to 54 in April from 54.6 in March, the slowest increase in output in three months.
In PMI parlance, a print above 50 means expansion while a score below 50 denotes contraction. "The PMI results for April showed a more resilient economic performance for the service sector than expected given the escalation of the COVID-19 crisis in India," said Pollyanna De Lima, Economics Associate Director at IHS Markit.
Lima further noted that firms foresee higher output volumes over the course of the coming year, but business sentiment was dampened by worries surrounding the pandemic. As per the survey, Indian services firms were optimistic regarding the 12-month outlook for business activity, but the overall level of positive sentiment fell to the lowest since last October. The escalation of the pandemic was the main drag on confidence.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates | India records 3,780 fresh fatalities, 3.80 lakh cases in single day
A record 3,780 fresh COVID-19 fatalities were registered in a single day in India taking the death toll to 2,26,188, while 3,82,315 new coronavirus infections were recorded, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Wednesday. With the fresh cases, the total tally of COVID-19 cases in the country climbed to 2,06,65,148.
Registering a steady increase, the active cases have increased to 34,87,229 comprising 16.87 per cent of the total infections, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate was recorded at 82.03 per cent, the data updated at 8 am showed. The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 1, 69,51,731 while the case fatality rate has further dropped to 1.09 per cent, the data stated.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates | L&T to deliver 22 oxygen generators to hospitals across India
Infrastructure major Larsen & Toubro (L&T) on Wednesday said it will soon deliver 22 oxygen generators to various hospitals across India to address the severe crunch of oxygen for COVID-19 patients in the country "L&T will soon start delivering 22 oxygen generators to various hospitals in India, where the scarcity is most acute. These units will absorb air from the atmosphere before converting it into medical-grade oxygen and pumping it into pre-existing pipes in the hospitals," the company said in a regulatory filing.
L&T said of these, the parts of the first tranche of nine equipments will reach India by May 9. These will be progressively delivered from May 15 to hospitals that are in acute need and do not possess required infrastructure to receive bulk oxygen supply, the company added.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates | Delhi records 338 deaths; positivity rate below 30%, says Health department
The national capital recorded 338 COVID-19 deaths and 19,953 cases in a day with a positivity rate of 26.73 percent, according to the health bulletin issued by the Delhi health department on Wednesday morning. The department could not release the document, which contains important figures reflecting the coronavirus situation in the city, on Tuesday night, and said, “we are also looking into the reasons why it was delayed”.
This is the second time on the trot that the number of cases remained below 20,000. The positivity rate has remained below 30 percent since Sunday. Delhi had recorded 18043 cases on Monday, the lowest since April 15, when 16,699 people were diagnosed with the disease.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates | Zydus Cadila likely to seek approval for its COVID-19 vaccine this month
Zydus Cadila is likely to apply for emergency use authorisation (EUA) of its COVID-19 vaccine this month, after obtaining the first set of interim efficacy data. "Now we are in the phase where we believe we have to get an event number. We believe this can be achieved this month. Once that outcome is achieved, we can submit the information (to the regulator) in the same month and eventually seek approval if the data is good," Sharvil Patel, the Managing Director of Zydus Cadila, told Mint.
Phase 3 clinical trial for the plasmid DNA vaccine had started in February, with 28,000 participants. This trial is testing a three-dose regimen of the vaccine, taken at intervals of one-month. The company is also testing a two-dose regimen of the COVID-19 vaccine, which is called ZyCoV-D. This two-dose regimen trial is also expected to be completed in May, Patel told the newspaper.
"If the data is equally good, we will look at it; but currently, we believe the three-dose regimen is more suitable for our vaccine and will give a better immune response and longer antibody response, which we have seen in our data," Patel was quoted as saying. The Ahmedabad-based drugmaker is planning to manufacture 10 million doses per month, to begin with, and subsequently raise it to 20 million doses.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates | India records 3,780 more fatalities, highest-ever in 24 hours; new cases see spike again
As many as 3,82,315 more people tested positive for Covid-19 in the last 24 hours, taking the cumulative caseload to 2,06,65,148, said the Union health ministry on Monday morning. The new cases have seen a jump after two days of decline. The fatality count has also gone up to 3,780. This is the most number of deaths recorded in the country in 24 hours. The cumulative death toll now stands at 2,26,188. In addition to this, 3,38,439 people were discharged from various hospitals, taking the total number of recoveries in India to 1,69,51,731.
As a result, the active tally saw a minimal increase and stands at 34,87,229. The number was 34,13,642 on Tuesday. India has tested a total of 29,48,52,078 samples tested for Covid-19 until now, said the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR). Out of these, 15,41,299 samples were tested on Tuesday. The number of tests conducted in the last 24 hours decreased slightly too as the number stood at 16,63,742 on Monday. The country has so far administered 16,04,94,188 anti-Covid shots.
The total number of doses given to beneficiaries in India crossed the 16-crore mark on Tuesday. With the vaccination of people in the age group of 18-44 picking pace, the health ministry said that 6,62,619 people in the category have been inoculated so far. "The vaccination exercise as a tool to protect the most vulnerable population groups in the country from Covid-19 continues to be regularly reviewed and monitored at the highest level," the ministry said.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates | Air India vows to vaccinate all employees by May-end after ultimatum from pilots' union
Following a stern ultimatum from the pilots' union, Air India on May 4 announced that it will vaccinate all its employees against COVID-19 by May-end. The national carrier said that discussions were already on to vaccinate all employees, including the crew. "As the guidelines did not allow vaccination of persons below 45 years of age, Air India could not complete the vaccination," it said.
"Since May 1 all persons above 18 years of age can be vaccinated, a schedule for vaccination is now being drawn up and it is expected to commence as early as next week and all employees will be vaccinated by the end of this month," Air India said, adding that a schedule is being drawn up keeping in mind crew who do not have fixed working days.
The Indian Commercial Pilots Association (ICPA) had in a letter threatened to stop work if the airline management failed to start vaccination camps for the flying crew immediately. "If Air India fails to set up vaccination camps on a pan-India basis for the flying crew above the age of 18 years on priority, we will stop work," the union had said.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates | Production of oxygen cylinders affected due to ban on supply to industries, says report
Blanket orders from the government to stop industries from using oxygen has affected the production of cylinders used to store and transport the gas. India’s biggest oxygen cylinder manufacturers Rama Cylinders and Everest Kanto Cylinders have halted production due to shortage of oxygen, needed during the heat treatment process to produce seamless cylinders, sources told The Economic Times.
Production has been stopped over the past two days, they added. Moneycontrol could not independently verify the report. Other sources said that production had also been impacted for other cylinder makers across India, including the Kandla Special Economic Zone. An executive at Everest Kanto told the paper that they had requested the government to “allocate a consistent supply of oxygen” so that the factory could be run. But, with astronomical cases amid the second wave of the coronavirus pandemic in India and a desperate need for oxygen for medical purposes, authorities face a “hard choice” between sparing some oxygen for cylinder factories and dispatching it for SOS calls from hospitals.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates | Over 14.8 lakh people in India get jabbed on May 4, more than 16 crore shots administered so far
As many as 14.84 lakh COVID-19 vaccine doses were administered in India on May 4, according to the Union Health Ministry's latest provisional report.
With that, more than 16 crore COVID-19 vaccine doses have been administered across the country so far. On May 4, 7.80 lakh beneficiaries received their first shot and 7.04 lakh people were given their second dose. This included healthcare and frontline workers, people aged over 60 and beneficiaries above the age of 45 with or without comorbidities.
The government had earlier revised the gap between the two doses for the Oxford-AstraZeneca's Covishield, being manufactured by the Serum Institute of India, to six-eight weeks. However, the interval for the second dose of Bharat Biotech's Covaxin remains unchanged.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates | Insurers may reject your COVID-19 policy claim - here is why
Insurance claims are increasing as the daily coronavirus cases in India are rising. There are several instances when insurers have rejected many COVID-19 policy claims. However, they have accelerated the claim settlement process. On certain grounds, the insurer can still reject your claims. They may not settle your claim completely when you or your family member get hospitalised. There are three essential boxes to be ticked for hospitalisation to get covered under health insurance.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates | IPL 2021 suspended: Here's why the game isn't insured against COVID-19
The 2021 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) has been suspended with immediate effect, the organisers announced on May 4. This came amid news reports of players across multiple teams testing positive for COVID-19 in recent days. "The BCCI does not want to compromise on the safety of the players, support staff and the other participants involved in organising the IPL.
This decision was taken keeping the safety, health and well-being of all stakeholders in mind," the IPL Governing Council (GC) said in a statement. While the event has been suspended, sources told Moneycontrol that insurance will not pay for delays.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates | Delhi HC tells Centre that we need compliance of Supreme Court's order relating to oxygen supply to Delhi
"Contempt may be the last thing but it is there. Enough is enough. There is no way that you won't supply 700 MT right away. We won't hear anything except compliance" says Delhi HC.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates | Positivity rate in state has dropped from 27 to 22%, says Maharashtra Health Minister Rajesh Tope
We're testing 2.80 lakh persons daily & there's been no shortage in testing. From 63,000, tally for COVID patients have come down to 61,000. At 84.07%, our recovery rate is highest in country, says Maharashtra Health MinisterRajesh Tope
Coronavirus LIVE Updates | Bajaj Healthcare launches generic favipiravir tablets for COVID-19 treatment
Drug firm Bajaj Healthcare on Tuesday announced the launch of its antiviral Favipiravir tablets under the brand name ''Favijaj'' used for the treatment of mild to moderate COVID-19 infections in the country. The company has received approval from India''s drug regulator DCGI to manufacture and market the tablets, Bajaj Healthcare said in a BSE filing.
"We hope the availability of an effective treatment such as Favijaj will considerably ease the pressure and offer patients much-needed and timely therapy options," Bajaj Healthcare Joint MD Anil Jain said. The company has successfully developed the active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) and the formulation for favipiravir through its own in-house R&D team, Bajaj Healthcare said. Shares of Bajaj Healthcare closed at Rs 583.05 per scrip on BSE, up steep 10.85 percent from its previous close.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates | Tata group to airlift 60 cryogenic tankers from overseas, build 400 oxygen plants
Tata group will airlift 60 cryogenic oxygen tankers from overseas and build around 400 oxygen generating units that can be used by hospitals in smaller towns amid the pandemic, according to a senior official of Tata Sons. Besides, the group makes around 5,000 beds available for COVID-care with its various firms coming together in the fight against the second wave of the COVID-19, the official added.
The group is also reskilling some of its staff, especially within Indian Hotels, which has converted many of its hotels into COVID-care facilities to prevent a shortage of support staff for the patients. "As we speak, we are making available around 900 MT of oxygen per day, that is Tata Steel alone. Our people in Tata Steel identified that the bottleneck is in transportation. We need special cryogenic containers. India doesn''t have it. So, one just has to find them outside and get them airlifted.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates | Air India airlifts 190 tonnes of medical equipment from various countries in last 10 days
Air India says it has airlifted over 190 tonnes of medical equipment from various countries, including Germany, US, UK and Singapore, in last 10 days
Coronavirus LIVE Updates | India receives essential medical supplies from several countries, including US, Ireland, United Arab Emirates and Kuwait
Coronavirus LIVE Updates | Tamil Nadu reports 21,228 new COVID cases, 19,112 recoveries and 144 deaths in the last 24 hours.
Total cases: 12,49,292
Total recoveries: 11,09,450
Active cases: 1,25,230
Death toll: 14,612