Coronavirus News Highlights: Today is the 352nd day since India implemented a nationwide lockdown to help curb the novel coronavirus pandemic. So far, India has recorded a total of 1,13,08,846 confirmed COVID-19 cases, including 1,58,306 deaths. A total of 1,09,53,303 people have recuperated from COVID-19 so far. However, there are 1,97,237 'active' cases in the country, which comprises 1.74 percent of the total caseload. India's recovery rate continues to rise and now stands at 96.86 percent. Globally, more than 11.84 crore people have been infected by the coronavirus and 26.28 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 2.56 crore, according to the Union Health Ministry.
Andhra Pradeshreports 210 COVID-19 cases, the highest after 2 months
Andhra Pradesh reported 210 fresh cases of COVID-19 on Friday, the highest after two months, pushing the gross up to 8,91,388. In 24 hours ending 9 am on Friday, 140 patients had recovered and one more succumbed in the state, the latest bulletin said. The number of active cases rose to 1,227 after a total of 8,82,981 recoveries and 7,180 deaths, it said.
Kerala added 1,780 fresh COVID-19 cases on Friday pushing the caseload to 10,87,792, while 3,377 people were cured of the infection, the state government said. With 14 more fatalities being recorded, the toll mounted to 4,369.
Active cases touched 32,174 and recoveries 10,50,603, Health minister K K Shailaja said in a release.
In the last 24 hours, 52,134 samples were tested and the test positivity rate was 3.41 per cent.
So far, 1,21,82,285 samples have been sent for testing.
Bulgaria on Friday temporary halted inoculations with the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine until the European medicine regulator produces a written statement dispelling all doubts about the vaccine's safety.
"Until all doubts are dispelled and as long as the experts do not give guarantees that it does not pose a risk to the people, we are halting the inoculations with this vaccine," Prime Minister Boyko Borissov said in a statement.
Bulgaria joined Denmark, Norway and Iceland, who had temporary suspended the rollout of the AstraZeneca vaccine amid reports that blood clots had formed in some who had received the shot.
The number of fresh COVID-19 cases reported daily in Uttar Pradesh has been showing an upward trend in the last 10 days with 167 new instances of the infection reported in a day, according to official data on Friday.
Two fresh COVID-19 fatalities took the death toll in the state to 8,743, he said.
Ten days ago, daily cases were in two-digits. Now it is seeing an upward trend, Additional Chief Secretary, Health, Amit Mohan Prasad said.
"In the past 24 hours there were 167 fresh cases of COVID-19," he said.
So far, 5,94,396 COVID-19 patients have been discharged following treatment. The state now has 1819 active cases of which 802 are in home-isolation.
Delhi on Friday recorded 431 new COVID-19 cases, the highest single-day rise in nearly two months, while the positivity rate increased to 0.60 per cent, according to data shared by the health department.
The death toll climbed to 10,936 with two more fatalities, as per the latest bulletin issued by the Delhi Health Department.
The city recorded over 400 cases for the second consecutive days on Friday. The count on Thursday was 409.
Delhi had registered 370 cases on Wednesday and 320 on Tuesday. The city had reported three deaths due to the disease on Wednesday and four on Tuesday.
On Sunday and Monday, 286 and 239 cases, respectively, were recorded in the national capital. Delhi had registered 321 coronavirus cases and one death last Saturday, and 312 cases and a fatality on Friday.
Patients without COVID-19 symptoms are far less likely to test positive, and unknowingly spread COVID-19 ten days after receiving a second dose of a messenger RNA vaccine, compared to those who have not been vaccinated, a study says. Researchers from Mayo Clinic in the US noted that several vaccines are now clinically available under emergency use authorisation and have demonstrated efficacy against symptomatic COVID-19. (PTI)
As many as 90 percent patients in Mumbai, who tested positive for COVID-19 in January and inFebruary this year, were residents of high-rise buildings, while the remaining 10 percent were from slums and chawls,the city civic body has said. However, the situation has changed to some extent thismonth as the number of cases from slums are also going up, civic officials said. Of the total number of 23,002 people, who tested positive for COVID-19 in the first two months of this year, 90percent were residents of building and 10 percent others from slums and chawls, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) said in a release. (PTI)
Six states account for over 85 percent of new cases
Maharashtra, Kerala, Punjab, Karnataka, Gujarat and Tamil Nadu continue to report a surge in daily COVID-19 cases, accounting for 85.6 per cent of the new cases, the Union Health Ministry said on Friday.
India's total COVID-19 active caseload has reached 1,97,237 and now comprises 1.74 per cent of India's total infections.
Manoj Bajpayee has tested positive for the novel coronavirus and is currently under home quarantine, the actor''s spokesperson said on Friday.
Bajpayee''s spokesperson said the actor, who had commenced shooting for Kanu Behl-directed "Despatch" last month, was diagnosed with COVID-19 after the director got infected with it.
"Manoj Bajpayee was shooting for ''Despatch'' film which is produced by Ronnie Screwvala and has tested COVID positive after his director got infected with it.
Considering the recent spike in COVID-19 cases, the administration in Maharashtra''s Pune district has directed schools and colleges to remain shut till March 31 and curtailed the operating time for hotels and restaurants.
According to the new set of restrictions, schools and colleges will remain closed till March 31, hotels and restaurants will be allowed to function till 10 pm, and food deliveries will be permitted till 11 pm, Pune divisional commissionerSaurabhRaosaid.
The administration will ensure that the preparations for Class 10 and 12 board exams will not be affected at this time, he said.
Hotels and restaurants will have to operate with 50 per cent seating capacity, and operators have been asked to put up a board displaying the number of patrons in the premises at any given time, the official said.
Arunachal Pradesh did notreport any COVID-19 case in the past 24 hours, a senior health official said today. The total caseload in the northeastern state remained at 16,840, State Surveillance Officer (SSO) Lobsang Jampasaid. Arunachal Pradesh now has four active cases, while16,780 people have recovered from the disease so far. A total of 56 people have died due to the contagion,the SSO said. (PTI)
Telangana recorded 181 new COVID-19 cases, pushing the total caseload to 3,00,717, while the death toll rose to 1,650 with one more fatality, the state government said today. It said 163 patients recovered from the infection on March 11.The cumulative recovered cases stood at 2,97,195, while 1,872 were under treatment. The recovery rate in the state was 98.82 percent, while it was 96.8 percent in the country, it added.The case fatality rate in the state was 0.54 percent, while it was 1.4 percent at the national level, it said. (PTI)
