Coronavirus News Highlights: Today is the 342nd day since India implemented a nationwide lockdown to help curb the novel coronavirus pandemic. So far, India has recorded 1,11,12,241 confirmed COVID-19 cases, including 1,57,157 deaths. A total of 1,07,86,457 people have recuperated from COVID-19 so far. There are 1,68,627 active cases in the country as of date, which comprises 1.48 percent of the total caseload, the data stated. India's recovery rate continues to rise and now stands at 96.1 percent. Globally, more than 11.4 crore people have been infected by the coronavirus and 25.29 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.
This LIVE blog session has concluded. Stay tuned to Moneycontrol for the latest news, views and updates.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates | 96-year-old gets COVID-19 vaccine in Nagaland
A total of 31,391 people have been administered the COVID-19 vaccine in Nagaland till now, a health department official said on Tuesday.
State Immunization Officer Dr Ritu Thurr said that 302 senior citizens and 22 people above 45 years of age with comorbidities were administered the vaccine across the state on Tuesday.
A 96-year-old beneficiary from Dimapur district is the oldest to be inoculated, the officer said.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates | MP sees 331 new COVID-19 cases, 259 recoveries
Madhya Pradesh on Tuesday reported 331 fresh coronavirus positive cases, taking the tally of the infections to 2,62,433, the state Health department said.
No new COVID-19 fatality was reported in the last 24 hours in the state, which has so far reported 3,865 deaths, officials said.
During the day, no fresh COVID-19 case was reported in 15 of the total 52 districts in the state.
A total of 259 patients were discharged from hospitals in the last 24 hours, taking the count of recoveries in Madhya Pradesh to 2,55,595, the department said.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates | Give free COVID-19 vaccine to elderly lawyers: MP Bar Council
The Bar Council in Madhya Pradesh has demanded that lawyers above the age of 60 be given the COVID-19 vaccine free of cost.
The demand was made in a letter written to Madhya Pradesh High Court Chief Justice Mohammad Rafiq and Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, said Hitoshi Jai Hardia, co- chairman of the Bar Council, in a statement issued on Tuesday,
He said hearings in courts are being held physically now and elderly lawyers need to be protected from the infection, for which they must be vaccinated soon.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates | Man in Maharshtra dies after getting 2nd dose of COVID-19 vaccine
A 45-year-old man died shortly after he was administered the second dose of a COVID-19 vaccine in a hospital in Bhiwandi in Maharashtra's Thane district on Tuesday, officials said.
Sukhdeo Kirdit, employed as the driver of a local doctor, took the shot around 11 AM. He complained of giddiness after some time while he was seated in the waiting hall at the civic-run inoculation centre, they said.
'He was rushed to IGM Hospital nearby where doctors declared him dead on arrival,' an official said.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates | Children have lost over a third of standard global 190-day school year due to COVID-19: Report
Children across the world have lost an average of 74 days of education or more than a third of the standard global 190-day school year each due to COVID-19-related school closures and lack of access to remote learning, a report by Save the Children revealed on Tuesday. In total, an estimated 112 billion days of education have been lost altogether, with the world's poorest children being disproportionately affected, it said.A new analysis of data for 194 countries and different regions showed that children in Latin America and the Caribbean, and South Asia, missed out on almost triple the education of children in Western Europe, the child rights NGO said.For the study, the analysis of the total number of 112 billion days of lost education and the impact per region, Save the Children looked at existing data on school closures, access to remote learning, out-of-school rates, and school-aged population. (PTI)
Coronavirus in Goa LIVE Updates | Goa adds 47 fresh COVID-19 cases to tally; no new casualties
With the addition of 47 fresh cases of coronavirus, the tally of infections in Goa reached 55,073 on Tuesday, an official from the health department said.While 48 patients were discharged from hospitals, no new casualties were reported during the day, the official said.With this, the count of recoveries rose to 53,695 and toll stood at 796, he said.The coastal state is now left with 582 active cases, the official said.At least 1,554 samples were tested during the day, taking the total number of tests conducted in the state to 4,96,089, he added.Goa's COVID-19 figures are as follows: Positive cases 55,073, new cases 47, death toll 796, discharged 53,695, active cases 582, samples tested till date 4,96,089. (PTI)
Coronavirus LIVE Updates | About 50 lakh registrations on Co-WIN portal since Monday, no glitch in system: Govt
About 50 lakh people have registered themselves on the Co-WIN portal, without any system glitch, since the window opened Monday morning, the Centre said Tuesday, adding that over 2.08 lakh beneficiaries above 60 or those aged 45-60 with comorbidities have received the first dose of Covid-19 vaccine till this afternoon.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates | State Health Minister KK Shailaja after taking COVID-19 vaccine:
We have more than 50 lakhs people above 60 years of age in Kerala so we have requested the Central government to provide more vaccines. I hope they will supply a sufficient quantity of vaccines to Kerala.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates | Pfizer requirements causing delays in COVAX deliveries: GAVI
The head of the GAVI vaccine alliance said on Tuesday that there have been delays to some Pfizer BioNTech COVID-19 shot deliveries via the COVAX vaccine-sharing programme because of additional requirements set by the manufacturer.Seth Berkley, CEO of the GAVI alliance that co-leads the COVAX multilateral vaccine facility with the World Health Organization (WHO), told journalists the requirements were partly related to indemnification issues.At the same briefing, WHO adviser Bruce Aylward said it was still possible for COVID-19 vaccine rollouts to all participating countries to begin in the first 100 days of 2021 assuming that manufacturers can keep up with orders. (Reuters)
Coronavirus in Kerala LIVE Updates |
Kerala reports 2,938 new cases, 16 deaths & 3,512 recoveries today. Total number of active cases: 47,277, death toll: 4,226, recovered cases: 10,12,484.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates | Karnataka Agriculture Minister B C Patil takes COVID-19 vaccine at home, triggers controversy
Karnataka Agriculture Minister B C Patil on Tuesday courted controversy after taking COVID-19 vaccine at his home instead of going to designated hospital, drawing criticism from Health Minister K Sudhakar and others. Patil, 64, and his wife took the vaccine at his Hirekerur residence in Haveri district, on the second day of the vaccination drive to cover people aged above 60 and 45 plus with co-morbidities. Patil tweeted, "Took the #COVID19Vaccine with my wife, at my Hirekerur house from the Govt. doctors today. While ''Made In India'' vaccines are being immensely appreciated by many countries, some vested interest groups are spreading false information about the vaccines. As several social media users questioned his decision to take the vaccine at home, Sudhakar said the protocol is to get it in the hospital. When reporters sought Chief Minister B S Yediyurappas reaction, he said getting vaccinated was more important than the place where the inoculation happened. Patil defended himself, saying he has not committed any crime and wanted to avoid trouble for the public. "Have I done any theft or robbery? I have only taken the vaccine at home, which is not a crime," the Minister told reporters. He said it was good that his inoculation became public which would inspire others to take the shot. Patil added that had he gone to the hospital, it would have caused trouble to people waiting there. However, Sudhakar expressed his dissatisfaction over the conduct of Patil and said the medical team should have persuaded him to come to the hospital. "Unless there is a prior permission, no one is allowed to go home to vaccinate. It is wrong to go home to administer a vaccine," he said. He would issue a circular to the doctors not to administer vaccines at home, the minister added. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and several others had taken the vaccine shots in designated hospitals on Monday. (PTI)
Coronavirus in Andhra Pradesh LIVE Updates | Andhra Pradesh clocks 106 fresh COVID-19 cases, nil deaths
Andhra Pradesh logged 106 new COVID-19 cases in the 24 hours ending 9 am on Tuesday, pushing the infection count to 8,90,080. A government bulletin said 57 patients recovered during the period, taking the cumulative recoveries to 8,82,137. No fresh deaths were reported and the toll remained at 7,169. Over 35,800 tests were conducted.The number of active cases stood at 774, the bulletin said.After 1.40 crore samples were tested, at the rate of 2.62 lakh per million population, the overall infection positivity rate in the state touched 6.35 per cent.In 24 hours, Chittoor district added 33 fresh cases, East Godavari 11 and Anantapuramu 10.The remaining 10 districts reported less than 10 new cases each. (PTI)
Coronavirus in Delhi LIVE Updates | Delhi records zero COVID-19 deaths, 217 new cases on Tuesday
Delhi recorded no new COVID-19 fatality on Tuesday, even as 217 new cases pushed the city's infection tally to 6,39,681, and the positivity rate fell from 0.44 per cent to 0.33 per cent, the health department said.The new cases came out of 66,624 tests for COVID-19 conducted on Monday, as per data shared by the department.Seventy-eight more people have recovered from the disease in the national capital, it showed.Delhi had recorded 175 new cases of COVID-19 on Monday. The death toll due to the disease in the city stands at 10,911. (PTI)
Coronavirus LIVE Updates | Official:
Fifty-four students of a school in Haryana’s Karnal test COVID-19 positive, leading to suspension of classes and other academic activities.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates | 142 countries to get 237 million vaccines doses from COVAX by end May: WHO
Some 237 million doses of AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine are expected to be delivered to 142 countries by the end of May through the COVAX facility, the head of the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Tuesday. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO director-general, told a news conference that vaccine deliveries were planned on Tuesday to Angola, Cambodia, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Nigeria. Ghana's president Nana Akufo-Addo said his West African country, which has begun its innoculation campaign with COVAX doses, aimed to vaccinate 20 million people by the end of 2021. (Reuters)
Coronavirus LIVE Updates | Karnataka Minister BC Patil on his first shot of COVID19 vaccine at his residence today:
If I go to hospital to get vaccinated, then, people there will have to wait due to my visit there. But, here I can attend to people & also can get vaccinated. What is wrong in this?:
Coronavirus in Maharashtra LIVE Updates | Devendra Fadnavis alleges corruption in Covid-19 management
BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday alleged corruption in the measures taken by the Shiv Sena-led Maharashtra government in handling the COVID-19 situation in the state.Speaking in the Legislative Assembly, the Leader of the Opposition also referred to a Central survey and said the number of COVID-19 deaths in Maharashtra could have been lesser by 30,900 and the cases by 9.55 lakh had the state government handled the situation properly.Maharashtra's caseload is 21,61,467 and the fatality count is 52,184 as on March 1, as per state Health department.Launching a broadside against the state government on various issues, Fadnavis wondered why an FIR was not registered in connection with the death of a Pune-based woman and accused the government of pressuring the police.The death of the 23-year-old woman has triggered a huge political row in the state with the BJP alleging the link of Shiv Sena MLA Sanjay Rathod to the incident. Rathod resigned as Forest minister on Sunday but denied all allegations against him.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates | Woman dies from brain haemorrhage in Japan days after vaccine, but link uncertain
A Japanese a woman in her 60s died from a brain haemorrhage three days after receiving a Pfizer coronavirus vaccination, the health ministry said on Tuesday, adding that there may not be a link between the two.The woman was vaccinated on Friday and is suspected to have suffered a brain haemorrhage three days later, on Monday, it said. It was Japan’s first reported death following a vaccination.“The brain haemorrhage that is suspected as a cause is relatively common among people from their 40s to their 60s, and at this time, based on examples overseas, there does not seem to be a link between brain haemorrhages and the coronavirus vaccine,” the ministry quoted Tomohiro Morio, a doctor advising the government, as saying.“It may be a coincidental case, but there is a need to gather more information and make an assessment in upcoming working groups.”Pfizer officials in Japan were not immediately available for comment. Pfizer said in November the efficacy of its vaccine was consistent across age and ethnic groups, and that there were no major side effects, a sign that the immunisation could be employed broadly around the world. (Reuters)
Coronavirus LIVE Updates | Odisha reports 74 new COVID-19 cases, 1 fresh fatality
Odisha's COVID-19 caseload mounted to 3,37,351 on Tuesday as 74 more people tested positive for the infection, while one fresh fatality pushed the state's coronavirus death toll to 1,917, a health official said.Forty-five new cases were reported in quarantine centres, while 29 fresh infections were detected during contact tracing, he said.Sundergarh district reported the highest number of new cases at 13, followed by Sambalpur (12) and Khurda (eight).The lone fatality was reported in Khurda district.Fifty-three other COVID-19 patients have died due to comorbidities so far, the official said.Odisha now has 734 active cases, while 3,34,647 people have recovered from the disease to date.The state has so far tested over 83.60 lakh samples for COVID-19, including 18,228 on Monday.The vaccination drive for elderly people and those with comorbidities between the age group of 45-59 years is underway.As many as 11,289 senior citizens, including Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and Assembly Speaker S N Patro, received the first jab of the COVID vaccine at the Vidhan Sabha dispensary in Bhubaneswar on Monday. (PTI)
Coronavirus LIVE Updates | Nigeria receives nearly four million free Covax vaccines
A shipment of nearly four million coronavirus jabs arrived in Nigeria on Tuesday, making Africa's most populous nation the world's third country to receive vaccines under Covax, a global scheme to provide free inoculations.The shipment aboard an Emirates flight arrived shortly before noon at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in the capital Abuja, an AFP journalist said. It contained 3.94 million Oxford/AstraZenica doses, the UN and Nigeria's health agency added.Richer countries have surged ahead with vaccinations, but many poorer countries are still awaiting deliveries, prompting the World Health Organization (WHO) to warn that the crisis cannot end unless everyone can inoculate their populations. (AFP)
Coronavirus LIVE Updates | Govt:
India has recorded 113 COVID-19 deaths per million and conducted 1,57,684 tests per million population.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates | Yogesh Kumar Sharma, Civil Surgeon, Karnal:
54 students of a school hostel have tested positive for COVID-19 in Karnal, Haryana. Our medical teams have reached the spot and the hostel is being marked as a containment zone.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates | Germany to extend coronavirus lockdown until March 28
Germany plans to extend its coronavirus lockdown until March 28 while easing some restrictions from next week, a draft document to be discussed by Chancellor Angela Merkel and federal state leaders showed on Tuesday.Merkel is due to discuss lockdown and easing options with the 16 state heads on Wednesday, as coronavirus cases in Germany hit more than 2.4 million and public frustration mounts over restrictive measures and a sluggish vaccine roll-out.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates |
This is not allowed in the protocol. We have asked for a report from the State government: Rajesh Bhushan, Health Secretary, on being asked about a Karnataka MLA receiving vaccine shot at his residence today.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates |
This is not allowed in the protocol. We have asked for a report from the State government: Rajesh Bhushan, Health Secretary, on being asked about a Karnataka MLA receiving vaccine shot at his residence today.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates | Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan:
According to World Health Organisation, if 140 tests per million are being conducted per day & case positivity rate is at 5% or below, it means the COVID-19pandemic is under control. We are very close to that mark at 5.11% overall case positivity.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates | Dr VK Paul, Member (Health), NITI Aayog:
Public compliance for COVID appropriate behaviour cannot be diluted. Please avoid large gatherings, parties, weddings etc. These could be super spreading events.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates | RS Sharma, Chairman, Empowered Group on COVID vaccination:
Since yesterday, we have had 50 lakh registrations on CoWIN for COVID19 vaccination.
Coronavirus LIVE Update | Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan:
Although certain states in the country have seen a surge in the number of active cases, the fact remains that the recovered cases are more than 97% and active cases are still less than 2%.
Coronavirus LIVE Update | Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan:
More than 1.48 crores doses of the COVID-19 vaccine have been administered till 1 pm today. Out of this, 2.08 lakh doses have been given to people who are 45 years to 59 years of age with comorbidities & people with above 60 years of age.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates | Over 84% active cases are from Maharashtra, Kerala and 3 other states
India's total coronavirus active cases stand at 1.68 lakh with five states accounting for 84.16% of the active infections, while six states and UTs have a weekly positivity rate higher than the national average of 2%, the Union Health Ministry said on Tuesday. The country's present active caseload now consists of 1.51% of India's total infections.
Five states -- Maharashtra, Kerala, Karnataka, Punjab and Tamil Nadu cumulatively account for 84.16% of the total active cases in the country. Maharashtra alone accounts for 46.82% of India's total active cases, followed by Kerala with 28.61%. Six states and UTs including Maharashtra, Kerala, Goa, Chandigarh, Punjab and Gujarat have a weekly positivity rate higher than the national average of 2%. Maharashtra leads all the states with a weekly positivity rate of 10.02%, the ministry added.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates | Germany extends Covid lockdown till March 28, but will ease curbs from next week
Germany plans to extend its coronavirus lockdown until March 28 but some restrictions will be eased starting from March 8, Focus Online reported, citing a draft agreement for talks between Chancellor Angela Merkel and leader of the 16 federal states. Merkel is due to discuss lockdown options with the heads of the state on Wednesday, as coronavirus cases in Germany reached more than 2.4 million. As more aggressive variants spread, the measure of new infections has been inching back up, moving the country further from targets Merkel has set for loosening curbs. Her coronavirus cabinet, which includes Scholz, met on Monday to prepare for a critical meeting with state leaders on Wednesday.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates | Uday Kotak takes first jab of COVID-19 vaccine
Kotak Mahindra Bank MD and CEO Uday Kotak on Tuesday took the first shot of COVID-19 vaccine. "Happy to share that I took the first shot of the vaccine this morning. Smooth and no pain," Kotak said in a tweet sharing his photograph while being administered the vaccine. Prime Minister Narendra Modi too took his first shot of vaccine, Bharat Biotech''s Covaxin, on Monday.
Modi, while tweeting about his first dose of COVID-19 vaccine at AIIMS on Monday, had congratulated doctors and scientists who have worked in quick time to strengthen the global fight against the coronavirus. Bharat Biotech is the indigenous maker of COVID-19 vaccine. Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan took the first dose of Covaxin on Tuesday. India opened up vaccination for those over 60 years and within the age bracket of 45 to 59 years with specified co-morbidities from March 1.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates | WHO chief scientist says India exhibited capacity to innovate, manufacture vaccines
India has shown the capacity to be a global-scale manufacturer and also an innovator when it comes to coronavirus vaccines, World Health Organization's Chief Scientist Soumya Swaminathan said. Speaking at the Global Bio-India 2021, she opined that the fight against the coronavirus pandemic is at a very critical junction now as cases have suddenly gone up, particularly in Europe and America.
There are many uncertainties now, especially on the different variants of the virus, she noted. "India has shown the capacity to be a manufacturer at the global scale and also be an innovator when it came to vaccine development. There is a huge amount of scope to study the impact of vaccines, which needs to be thought-through by a very coordinated approach," she said.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates | Maharashtra has enough doses of vaccines, says Health official
Maharashtra has a stock of over 44 lakh doses ofCovishield and COVAXIN vaccines, enough to inoculate people eligible for taking the shots in the state, a senior health official said on Tuesday. The vaccination drive in the country was expanded from Monday to include people above 60 years of age and those aged between 45 and 59 who have co-morbidities.
Asked whether there will be any shortage of doses in Maharashtra as the vaccination drive is being scaled up, state immunisation officer Dr Dilip Patil told PTI that the Centre is releasing sufficient number of doses to the state. The Centre has also assured to provide more vaccine doses to Maharashtra, he said.
"Currently, we have over 44 lakh doses (39.94 lakh doses of Covishield and 4.08 lakh of COVAXIN) available with us. So far, 12 lakh people have been vaccinated 10 lakh more people can be inoculated with the stock available with us," the official said. The state has enough vaccine doses, he said, adding that as of now, the immunisation drive is going on smoothly.
When contacted, Dr Subhash Salunke, the state's technical adviser on COVID-19, said the Centre should scale up the disbursement of vaccine doses. "Since yesterday, practical difficulties regarding the Co-Win app are coming to light. People are complaining and that might lead to discontent," he said.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates | One death, 163 new COVID-19 cases in Telangana
Telangana recorded 163 new coronavirus cases, pushing the total caseload to 2.99 lakh, while the toll rose to 1,635 with one more fatality. The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) accounted for the most number ofcaseswith 27, followed by Medchal Malkajgiri and Rangareddy districts with 13 and 12 respectively, a state government bulletin said on Tuesday providing details as of 8 PM on March 1.
The cumulative recoveredcasesstood at 2,95,544, while 1,907 were under treatment. The bulletin said 40,181 samples were tested on March 1. Cumulatively, the number of samples tested was 87,61,207. The samples tested per million population was 2,35,389, it said. The recovery rate in the state was 98.81 per cent, while it was 97.1 per cent in the country, it said. The case fatality rate in the state was 0.54 per cent, while it was 1.4 per cent at the national level, it said.
Meanwhile, vaccination for people aged 60 and above and those over 45 years of age with co-morbidities continued in the state on the second day. Union Minister of State for Home G Kishan Reddy received the vaccine at the state-run Gandhi hospital in the city. It has been one year since the first case of COVID-19 was reported in Telangana and state Health Minister Eatala Rajender felicitated Covid warriors at the Gandhi hospital, which served as nodal centre for COVID-19 care for long during the year.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates | Prithviraj Chavan slams Centre for letting private hospitals charge for COVID-19 vaccine
Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan on Tuesday questioned the Centre's decision to let private hospitals charge people for COVID-19 vaccine in the phase-II of the immunisation drive that began on Monday. Last week, the government had announced that people above the age of 60 and those over 45 years suffering from co-morbidities can avail the vaccine for free at government facilities and for Rs 250 at private hospitals.
According to a statement issued by his office, Chavan said in phase-I of the drive, the Union government had procured 1.65 crore doses of the vaccine at a cost of Rs 210 per dose. As per the February 1 budget speech delivered by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Rs 35,000 crore had been earmarked for the vaccination drive, the former Maharashtra chief minister said.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates | Growing evidence on Oxford shot should guide other countries, vaccine chief says
Real-world data on the effectiveness of Oxford and AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine in older people from its rollout in Britain should help inform decision making in other countries, Oxford Vaccine Group Director Andrew Pollard said on Tuesday. Asked if other countries should look at real world data from Public Health England, Pollard said: “I think that the scientific committees in each of these countries will be doing exactly that over the days ahead. “The strength of evidence that we’re now seeing... all of that is being accessed by scientific committees in different countries, and I’m sure will help support their decision making,” he told BBC radio.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates | Kerala Health Minister receives first dose of COVID-19 vaccine
Kerala Health Minister K K Shailaja on Tuesday received the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine at the government medical college hospital here as the second phase of the vaccination drive progressed in the State. The 64-year-old minister later appealed to everyone to take part in the government programme. Besides Shailaja, her cabinet colleagueE Chandrasekharan also received thejab from the same hospital.
Earlier, Minister of Ports and Museums, Kadannappally Ramachandran (76) got the shot from a hospital in his home district, Kannur. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and his other cabinet colleagues, belonging to the prescribed age group targetedin the second phase, are also expected to take the vaccine in the coming days. Shailaja, who won global recognition for her effective intervention in containing the pandemic in the state in the initial phase of the virus outbreak, had on Monday indicated that she would get vaccinated soon.
The minister had also said she wanted to receive the vaccine much earlier to alleviate concerns among people. But, she decided to wait as there wasa suggestion during the Prime Minister''s meeting that people''s representatives need not take the vaccine along with health workers and they can do it when their turn comes, the minister had said. Meanwhile, Health Department sources here said the response of people towards the second phase vaccination drive was overwhelming and the number of those who turned up to take the shot in the state-run hospitals on the first day was much more than they expected.
However, a state-wide tally of the recipients of the vaccine was not yet available, the sources added. The second phase targets anyone over 60 and those aged between 45-59 who have comorbidities. They can receive vaccine shots for free at government hospitals and for a charge at private hospitals, as per the Centre's directive.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates | COVID vaccine will work as 'Sanjeevani', says Harsh Vardhan after taking first shot
Union health minister Harsh Vardhan and his wife Nutan Goel took the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) vaccine shot at Delhi Heart and Lung Institute on Tuesday morning. "I request everyone to get vaccinated. After 28 days of first dose, everyone should get their second dose. Do not worry if you experince minor side-effects, but do let your doctors know," the minister said after getting vaccinated. "Today is Tuesday. I want to tell everyone that Hanumanji had to cross half of the world to get 'sanjeevani'. But now it is there at your nearest hospital," the health minister said.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates | Andhra Pradesh Governor Biswabhusan Harichandan and wife receives COVID-19 vaccine shot
Andhra Pradesh Governor Biswabhusan Harichandan and First Lady Suprava Harichandan on Tuesday got the COVID-19 vaccine administered as the process for inoculating those above 60 years of age began in the state. The First Citizen and the First Lady drove to the Government General Hospital in Vijayawada and got inoculated. "All eligible (persons) should get vaccinated.
Covid-19 has to be rooted out not only of the state but also the country," the Governor said on the occasion. He recalled that coronavirus shook the entire world for over a year now. "The vaccination was simple. I didn''t feel like I was injected. I am feeling well," Harichandan said. The state health department made arrangements for the COVID-19 vaccination in 432 government and 92 private hospitals for citizens above 60 yearsand those in the 45-59 age group with comorbidities. The state received an additional six lakh doses of the vaccine on Monday.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates | US downplays possibility of sharing COVID-19 vaccines with Mexico
The Biden administration on Monday downplayed the prospect of sharing coronavirus vaccines with Mexico, saying it is focused first on getting its own population protected against a pandemic that has killed more than 500,000 Americans. The remarks by White House press secretary Jen Psaki came before a video conference between Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador and U.S. President Joe Biden, in which the Mexican leader was expected to ask the United States to consider sharing some of its COVID-19 vaccine supply.
“The administration’s focus is on ensuring that every American is vaccinated. And once we accomplish that objective, we’re happy to discuss further steps,” Psaki said at a White House news conference. Biden told reporters that the two leaders would discuss the issue at the meeting’s outset. But an official statement released after the meeting ended made no mention of vaccine distribution.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates | More than 400 acts of violence against COVID health workers in 2020, says report
Insults, beatings, arrests -- health workers battling the coronavirus were subjected to more than 400 acts of violence related to COVID-19 worldwide in 2020, according to a report published on Tuesday by a health NGO. The Safeguarding Health in Conflict Coalition unveiled an interactive map that shows 1,172 violent acts and attacks occurred against health workers or facilities last year, "a minimum estimate," according to the NGO.
More than a third (412) of the acts are directly related to COVID-19, it said, citing several examples including in Mexico, where a nurse was attacked and injured by a group accusing her of spreading the virus. In Dakar, three social workers had stones hurled at them by residents who refused to have a coronavirus victim buried near their homes.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates | Pfizer, Oxford vaccines reduce severe COVID-19 in elderly, study finds
The Pfizer and Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccines for COVID-19 are highly effective in reducing severe coronavirus infection among people aged 70 years and above, according to a study. The research, posted as a pre-print and yet to be peer-reviewed, estimated the effect of both the COVID-19 vaccines on laboratory confirmed symptomatic disease in individuals aged 70 years or older in England.
The researchers, including those from Public Health England (PHE), compared the rate of hospitalisation and deaths in confirmed COVID-19 patients aged over 80 who were vaccinated more than 14 days before testing positive, with unvaccinated cases. Data suggests that in the over 80s, a single dose of either vaccine is more than 80 per cent effective at preventing hospitalisation, around 3 to 4 weeks after the jab, PHE said in a statement. Evidence for the Pfizer vaccine suggests that it leads to 83 per cent reduction in deaths from COVID-19, it said.
The data also shows symptomatic infections in over 70s decreased from around three weeks after one dose of both vaccines. "Vaccination with either a single dose of Pfizer or Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccination was associated with a significant reduction in symptomatic SARS-CoV2 positive cases in older adults with even greater protection against severe disease," said the authors of the study, adding both the vaccines show similar effects. They said the protection was maintained for the duration of over six weeks of follow-up, and there is a clear effect of both the vaccines against the UK variant of concern.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates | China aims to vaccinate 40% of population by end-July: senior adviser
China aims to vaccinate 40% of its population against COVID-19 by the end of July, a senior health adviser told Reuters on Tuesday, requiring a significant increase in inoculations even as it ramps up exports of vaccines. Zhong Nanshan, a coronavirus expert who helped shape China’s COVID-19 response, said on Monday the current ratio of vaccine doses administered per 100 people in China is 3.56, much lower than those in Israel, United Arab Emirates and the United States.
In an online forum held by China’s Tsinghua University and the Washington-based Brookings Institution on Monday, Zhong said the target was 40% by the end of June, citing his contacts at the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention. However, in a phone call with Reuters on Tuesday, Zhong clarified that 40% target would be hit in July, after taking into account the proportion of people who do not want to be vaccinated.
The 40% by the end of July would include people who have received either one dose or two doses, Zhong said. Three Chinese-made vaccines require two shots, while another one requires a single dose. China, which has approved four locally developed coronavirus vaccines for use on the general public, had administered 50.52 million doses as of Feb. 28, Zhong said.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates | Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad gets his first Covid vaccine shot in Patna
Union Minister of Law and Justice Ravi Shankar Prasad on Tuesday received his first dose of a Covid-19 vaccine at AIIMS Patna, a day after the second phase of the mega vaccination drive against the virus began in India. RS Prasad had on Monday said that the ministers have decided to avail the paid vaccination facility as India expanded the nationwide vaccination exercise.
Speaking to news agency ANI, Prasad had said, "Modi ji had clearly said that our Covid warriors would be vaccinated first, and then us. To those who were questioning him, he has replied, 'I was waiting for my turn'. We ministers have decided to avail paid vaccination facility." The Union Minister further added: "Today, when turn of people above 60 years came, PM was the first to lead from the front. I want to tell the Opposition that you will have enough opportunities to do politics in elections & otherwise, can we not unite in efforts against Corona?"
Coronavirus LIVE Updates | No new fatalities in 19 states, minimal decline in active tally
As many as 19 states and Union Territories saw no new fatalities due to Covid-19 in the last 24 hours even as the country overall recorded 91 deaths. India clocked in 12,286 new Covid-19 cases in the last 24 hours, taking the cumulative caseload to 1,11,24,527. This is a significant decline in fresh infections as the country had recorded 15,510 new cases on Monday.
With the new cases, the active tally in the country has reached 1,68,358. The tally has decreased when compared to 24 hours ago, when it was 1,68,627. However, it has increased significantly in the last month. There were 1,64,511 active cases in the country on Sunday, while the number was 1,59,590 on Saturday, 1,55,986 on Friday, 1,51,708 on Thursday, 1,46,907 on Wednesday and 1,47,306 on Tuesday.
