23:23 (IST)
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Separate wards, medical teams for Mucormycosis, says Maharashtra govt
The Maharashtra government plans to set up separate wards at hospitals to treat people with Mucormycosis, a rare and dangerous fungal infection which has been found in some COVID-19 patients as well as those who had recovered from the infection, state health minister Rajesh Tope said on Saturday. He said the infection, also called black fungus, was a new challenge and its treatment needed ophthalmologists, ENT specialists, neuro and plastic surgeons etc under the same roof and that is why the state government had decided to set up separate wards.
21:07 (IST)
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Punjab govt to ask Centre for more oxygen tankers
The Punjab government on Saturday said that it will demand more oxygen tankers from the Centre to meet the rising demand for the crucial medical resource used to treat COVID-19 patients.
“In order to bridge the gap between the rising demand and supply of medical oxygen, Punjab Government will demand additional oxygen tankers from the Centre to speed up the supply chain of the life-saving gas in the state from far and near,” the statement said.
20:50 (IST)
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Maharashtra reports 34,848 new cases today
Maharashtra on Saturday reported 34,848 new COVID-19 cases, 59,073 discharges and 960 deaths.
20:10 (IST)
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Cases with black fungus infection also seen in Kerala, says CM
“Few cases of the fungal infection seen in Maharashtra and Gujarat have been seen in Kerala also. The disease was reported before COVID also. State Medical Board is collecting samples for studies,” said Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Saturday.
19:41 (IST)
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Kerala reports 32,680 new COVID-19 cases today
Kerala’s COVID-19 caseload rose to 20,88,208 with 32,680 new cases on Saturday. The toll in the state climbed to 6,339 with 96 more fatalities
19:24 (IST)
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Delhi Police arrests 15 people, lodges 17 FIRs over posters critical of Centre’s vaccine policy
Delhi Police has registered 17 FIRs and arrested 15 people for allegedly pasting posters critical of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in connection with the vaccination drive against COVID-19, officials said on Saturday.
The posters reading “Modiji humare bachon ki vaccine videsh kyu bhej diya (PM why did you send vaccines of our children to foreign countries?)” were pasted in several parts of the city, they said.
On Thursday, police received information about the posters following which senior officers of the districts were alerted. And based on further complaints, as many as 17 FIRs were registered under sections 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) of the Indian Penal Code and other relevant sections including section 3 of the Prevention of Defacement of Property Act across various districts of the Delhi Police, the officials said.
19:18 (IST)
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MK Stalin says Goondas Act to be invoked against those hoarding remdesivir
Goondas Act will be invoked against those who hoard Remdesivir injections and oxygen cylinders, and sell them at an exorbitant price: Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin
19:01 (IST)
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Andhra Pradesh receives first Oxygen Express, another one on the way
The first Oxygen Express for Andhra Pradesh on Saturday reached the Krishnapatnam Port. The express with two containers of 40 tonnes of liquid medical oxygen reached the port while another is on its way, a press release from South Central Railway (SCR) said.
The SCR said two additional trains with a combined capacity of 140 tonnes are on their way to Telangana. The train for Andhra was operated from Durgapur in West Bengal and covered a distance of nearly 1,650 kms in around 27 hours, the release said.
18:38 (IST)
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Shivraj Singh Chouhan orders setting up wards to treat black fungus cases
Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Saturday gave directions to set up special wards at five medical colleges in Bhopal, Jabalpur, Gwalior, Indore and Rewa for the treatment of patients with black fungus.
18:17 (IST)
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Overall coronavirus situation ‘stabilising’ in India, says Centre
The overall COVID-19 situation in the country is stabilising and the government will work towards ensuring further stabilisation, NITI Aayog member VK Paul said on Saturday. At a press conference on Saturday, top health officials said 10 states account for 85 percent of the total coronavirus cases in the country.
The Union Health Ministry said 11 states have over one lakh active COVID-19 cases, 17 have less than 50,000 cases while eight have active cases between 50,000 and one lakh.
It also said Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat and Chhattisgarh, which are recording a high number of novel coronavirus cases, are also reporting decline in the number of active cases. Twenty-four states have a COVID-19 positivity rate of more than 15 percent while Delhi, Chhattisgarh, Daman and Diu, Haryana and Madhya Pradesh have reported a major drop in case positivity, it said.
18:04 (IST)
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Rise in active cases in Tamil Nadu is ’cause of concern’, says Centre
Union Health Ministry joint secretary Lav Aggarwal on Saturday said, “The cause of concern is Tamil Nadu where a rise in number of active cases has been reported in last one week.”
17:53 (IST)
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Delhi govt fixes rates for hearse services for deceased COVID-19 patients
The Delhi government has fixed the rates for hearse services provided for deceased COVID-19 patients, according to an official order on Saturday. A committee was constituted under the chairmanship of the North Delhi Municipal Corporation commissioner, which recommended the rates for hearse/mortuary services to be provided to deceased coronavirus patients, it said.
On the recommendations of the committee, the rates have been fixed, the order by the Delhi Disaster Management Authority said.
“The rates of hearse van facility for deceased COVID-19 patients has been fixed at Rs 1,300 per trip for initial 10 kilometres and Rs 100 per kilometre thereafter. This will include the cost of transportation with driver and one attendant wearing PPE kits,” it said.
17:35 (IST)
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Himachal Pradesh govt extends curfew till 26 May
The Himachal Pradesh government on Saturday decided to extend the coronavirus-induced curfew till 26 May. The decision to extend the curfew was taken in a state cabinet meeting chaired by chief minister Jai Ram Thakur on Saturday, The Times of India reported.
17:19 (IST)
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Single-dose vaccination coverage among healthcare workers is 89%: NITI Aayog
NITI Aayog member (Health) VK Paul on Saturday said that the single-dose vaccination coverage among healthcare workers is 89 percent at the national level.
“It’s 95 percent in Rajasthan, 96 percent in Madhya Pradesh and 99 percent in Chhattisgarh. In Delhi, it stands at 78 percent, which is 11 percent below the national average. It should be taken to above 95 percent.
“Overall single-dose vaccination coverage among frontline workers stands at 82 percent in the country. It is 93 percent in Gujarat, 91 percent in Rajasthan, and 90 percent in Madhya Pradesh — well above the national average. In Delhi, it stands at 80 percent,” he said
16:59 (IST)
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Siddaramaiah asks Karnataka govt for permission to buy COVID-19 vaccines
Karnataka Congress Legislative Party leader Siddaramaiah on Saturday wrote to Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa, seeking the state government’s permission to purchase COVID-19 vaccines using the MLA Area Development Fund.
On Friday, the Congress announced its plans to pool in Rs 100 crores to purchase vaccines.
16:57 (IST)
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Delhi’s positivity rate dips to 11.32%
Delhi recorded 6,430 new COVID-19 cases and 337 fatalities on Saturday while the positivity rate dipped to 11.32 percent, even as Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal asserted that the cases are “slowly and steadily” reducing in Delhi. This is the second consecutive day when Delhi has recorded less than 10,000 cases in a day.
However, the lesser number of fresh cases recorded on Saturday came from a relatively smaller number of tests — 56,811 — conducted on Friday. According to the latest health bulletin, 6,430 fresh cases were recorded, while the 337 new fatalities pushed the death toll here to 21,244.
16:30 (IST)
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Odisha’s COVID-19 tally crosses six-lakh mark with 11,805 new cases
The COVID-19 tally in Odisha crossed the six-lakh mark on Saturday as 11,805 more people tested positive for the infection, while 21 fresh fatalities pushed the state’s death toll to 2,294.
With these new infections, the caseload of coronavirus disease reached 6,00,492 in the coastal state. At least 6,611 fresh cases were reported from quarantine centres and 5,194 detected during contact tracing.
16:23 (IST)
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Twenty-three patients being treated for black fungus in AIIMS, says Randeep Guleria
AIIMS chief Randeep Gularia on Saturday spoke to reporters about the Mucormycosis infection, or ‘black fungus’ infection.
“Mucormycosis spores are found in soil, air and even in food. But they are of low virulence and usually don’t causes infection. There were very few cases of this infection before COVID. Now a large number of cases are being reported due to COVID.
“At AIIMS, 23 patients are being treated for this fungal infection. Out of them, 20 are still COVID-19 positive and the rest are negative for COVID. Many states have reported more than 500 cases of Mucormycosis,” he said.
16:07 (IST)
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COVID-19 positivity rate drops to 19.8%, says Centre
The Union Health Ministry on Saturday stated that the Centre’s containment efforts “are working”.
“Overall positivity rate in India, which stood at 21.9 percent last week has now fallen to 19.8 percent. Delhi, Chhattisgarh, Daman and Diu, Haryana and Madhya Pradesh have reported a major drop in case positivity,” the ministry said.
16:00 (IST)
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Chhattisgarh govt issues new curbs:
Stand-alone shops including those selling groceries,essentials, vegetables and fruits can function till 5 pm. “Shops located in established markets can operate, but with an odd-even system, under which they will be allowed to open on alternate days. Collectors and superintendents of police can decide modalities after consulting local traders’ associations,” an official said.
All shops and establishments shall remain shut after 5pm on working days, he said. On Sundays, only petrol pumps, hospitals, medical establishments, medicine shops, PDS shops will be allowed to function. Home delivery of essential commodities will be permitted, he said.
Vegetable markets, wedding venues, cinema halls,malls, clubs, swimming pools, supermarkets, showrooms, gyms,religious places, coaching classes, schools, colleges, parks,liquor stores and roadside establishments will remain shut,the official said. Tourist spots will remain shut and public gatherings will be prohibited, he said, adding that exams maybe permitted as per the state government orders and home delivery of liquor will be allowed for online orders.
15:51 (IST)
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Chhattisgarh govt extends lockdown till 31 May
The Chhattisgarh government has asked authorities in all the 28 districts to extend the COVID-19 lockdown till 31 May, even as it granted more relaxations in economic activities, PTI reported.
The lockdown, currently in force in all districts of the state, was set to end in most regions at 15 May midnight.
“The lockdown will not be lifted in the state. Only certain relaxations will be granted, depending on the COVID-19 situation and risks in each of the districts,” the official from the public relations department said. The restrictions and relaxations will be applicable till 31 May.
The state government had on 4 May asked all the districts to extend the lockdown, which was imposed in early April, till 16 May, while giving some relaxations As per the new guidelines, all government and private construction activities will be allowed and they can be carried out in compliance with all standard operating procedures (SOPs) and labour safety measures, he said.
15:41 (IST)
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Secondary infections are causing more mortality, says Randeep Guleria
AIIMS director Randeep Guleria on Saturday urged hospital administration to follow infection-control protocol.
“As COVID-19 cases are increasing, it’s of paramount importance that we follow protocols of infection-control practices at hospitals. It is been seen that secondary infections — fungal and bacterial — are causing more mortality,” he said.
15:25 (IST)
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Delhi govt announces Rs 1,051 cr for municipal corporations to pay salaries
The Delhi government on Saturday announced a fund of Rs 1,051 crore for the three municipal corporations here to pay salaries of healthcare workers and other employees amid the ongoing second wave of the coronavirus pandemic.
Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, in an online briefing, said despite constrained circumstances due to the lockdown, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has taken this decision as those people who are helping fight the COVID-19 pandemic should get their salaries. Doctors and other employees of the civic bodies are not getting their salaries due to “mismanagement and corruption in MCD (municipal corporations of Delhi)”, the Aam Aadmi Party leader alleged.
The South Delhi Municipal Corporation, East Delhi Municipal Corporation and North Delhi Municipal Corporation are all BJP-led civic bodies.
15:02 (IST)
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Vaccination centres in Bengal start implementing 12-16 week interval between two Covishield doses
With the Covid Vaccination Centres (CVC) in West Bengal implementing the minimum gap of 12 weeks or 84 days between the first and second dose of Covishield vaccine from Saturday a large number of people who had come to the CVCs had to return home.
Earlier the interval between the two doses of the Covishield vaccine was six to eight weeks.
14:44 (IST)
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Over 50 of 141 residents in Uttarakhand village test COVID-19 positive
Fifty-one out of the 141 people living in a village in Uttarakhand’s Pauri district have tested positive for COVID-19, officials said on Saturday.
The village has been declared a containment zone and villagers have been put in home isolation, they said.
Residents of Kurkhyal village in Pauri’s Ekeshwar block had been showing symptoms of COVID-19 like fever for some time. A health department team from the primary health centre at Pathisain took samples of villagers for testing on 11 May, said Sub-Divisional Magistrate, Satpuli, Sandip Kumar.
The reports were received on Friday. Fifty-one out of the total 141 villagers were found infected with the coronavirus, he said.
14:08 (IST)
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Mamata Banerjee’s younger brother succumbs to COVID-19
West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee’s younger brother Ashim Banerjee passed away at the Medica Superspecialty Hospital, Kolkata on Saturday due to COVID-19, ANI quoted Dr Alok Roy, Chairman of the hospital.
Ashim Banerjee was undergoing treatment at Medica Hospital in Kolkata.
Meanwhile, the state on Friday registered its highest single-day spike of 20,846 fresh COVID-19 cases, taking the tally to 10,94,802, the health department said in its bulletin.
13:37 (IST)
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Bodies found floating in Ganga river: NHRC sends notices to UP, Bihar govts
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has issued notices to the Union Jal Shakti Ministry, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, after receiving complaints about several bodies found floating in the Ganga river in the two states, over the week.
The bodies are suspected to be of COVID-19 victims.
“It (NHRC) has issued notices to the chief secretaries of both the states and the secretary, Union Ministry of Jal Shakti, today calling for action taken report within four weeks,” its statement noted.
India has been badly hit by the second wave of Covid as cremation grounds and burial grounds across the country have been overburdened.
The NHRC’s statement said, “The practice of disposal of dead bodies in our sacred river Ganga is clearly in violation of guidelines of the National Mission for Clean Ganga project of the Ministry of Jal Shakti.”
13:32 (IST)
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Market places to remain open from 7 am to 10 am in Bengal
There is now an unprecedented situation in Bengal where the scarcity of oxygen and other medicines is increasing. To control this situation, we are imposing strict conditions on the movement of transport and other sectors for two weeks, said Chief Secretary Alapan Bandyopadhyay on Saturday.
The state government did not officially call the restrictions a lockdown, but, nearly all services, including the education sector, and private and public offices, will be closed.
All shops will be closed, except food related and essential services. Shops selling vegetables, groceries, milk and meat can be open from 7 am to 10 am.
13:07 (IST)
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All public transport to remain suspended in Bengal till 30 May
Local trains, metro services, inter state bus/train services, inland waterways to remain suspended during the lockdown in West Bengal till 30 May, said the state chief secretary on Saturday.
Intra-state goods trucks movement is restricted except for essential supplies.
All outdoor activities will be halted from 9 pm to 5 am. Banks will remain open from 10 am to 2 pm.
12:59 (IST)
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West Bengal announces statewide lockdown till 30 May
The West Bengal government on Saturday announced a complete lockdown across the state from Sunday 6 am till 6 pm on 30 May.
West Bengal chief secretary announced that all government and private offices will remain shut except essential and emergency services starting Sunday.
12:41 (IST)
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Delhi to set up banks with 200 oxygen concentrators in every district: Kejriwal
From today, every district in Delhi will have a bank with 200 oxygen concentrators. It has been seen that COVID-19 patients often need to get admitted to ICUs when they’re not given medical oxygen when needed. We have set up these banks to fulfill their needs, Arvind Kejriwal said in a televised briefing.
“If any patient – in home isolation – needs medical oxygen, our teams will reach at their doorstep within two hours,” the chief minister said.
12:31 (IST)
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Delhi announces oxygen concentrator banks for those under home isolation
Oxygen concentrator banks are being set up in each Delhi district for those under home isolation. They can be delivered to the patient’s home in two hours, said chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday.
12:23 (IST)
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India’s COVID-19 toll: Local news media uncovers scale of crisis, challenges official data
When the pandemic’s second wave swept India in mid-April, Deepak Patel, an aviation reporter for the Press Trust of India in New Delhi, noticed something odd. Whenever he perused the local papers from his home state of Gujarat—Divya Bhaskar, Gujarat Samachar, and Sandesh—reports about COVID-19 cases, and the obituaries that filled the pages, didn’t match the government statistics on cases and deaths.
Patel began tallying the numbers and posting his findings on Twitter each day. On 26 April, he pointed out that in Sandesh’s Rajkot edition (different cities have their own editions), seven out of eighteen pages contained only obituaries—a total of 287 deaths—while official figures recorded just 26. On 6 May, Patel tweeted a picture of Sandesh’s front page, with the translation: “17,822 bodies were cremated or buried as per COVID-19 protocol in 7 major cities of Gujarat in last 1 month…But Gujarat govt’s data says only 1,745 people died of Covid in these 7 cities in last 1 month: Sandesh.”
12:17 (IST)
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Delhi reports 6,500 COVID-19 cases in a day, positivity rate drops to 11%: Kejriwal
At least 6,500 COVID-19 cases were reported in Delhi in past 24 hours. The positivity rate in the National Capital has further gone down to 11 percent. 1,000 ICU beds have been set up within 15 days, said chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday.
Delhi recorded 8,500 daily cases on Friday, the first time the figure has dipped below 10,000 since 10 April, Kejriwal said. The city’s positivity rate had also dipped to 12 percent.
Around 3,000 beds have cleared up in the past 10 days, he said, indicating that the second wave was easing in the city.
12:07 (IST)
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Maharashtra reports 695 of 3,890 new COVID-19 deaths
Of the 3,890 new COVID-19 deaths reported on Saturday, Maharashtra reported the highest number of fatalities with 695 patients succumbing to the infection.
This was followed by Karnataka with 373 deaths, 311 in Uttar Pradesh, 289 in Delhi, 288 in Tamil Nadu, 181 in Uttarakhand, 180 in Punjab, 172 in Chhattisgarh, 164 in Haryana, 155 in Rajasthan, 136 in West Bengal and 104 in Gujarat.
So far, 2,66,207 deaths have been reported in the country.
11:51 (IST)
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India registers over 3 lakh daily cases for nearly three weeks
India has been logging over three lakh coronavirus cases every day for nearly three weeks, raising global concerns on the alarming surge. The COVID-19 tally rose to 2.43 crore on Saturday with 3.26 lakh cases recorded in past 24 hours, according to the health ministry data.
11:46 (IST)
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PM holds high-level meet on COVID-19 situation, vaccination
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is holding a high-level meeting to review the country’s coronavirus situation and the vaccination drive. The meeting began at around 11 am.
Amid criticism by Opposition leaders over handling of the second wave of COVID-19, which has overwhelmed hospitals across the country, Modi on Friday said: “The pandemic, the worst in 100 years, is testing the world at every step. There is an invisible enemy before us.”
11:10 (IST)
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Health minister to review COVID-19 situation in 4 states, including UP, at 3 pm
Union health minister Harsh Vardhan Saturday said he will conduct a video conference with Health Ministers of Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat to review the current COVID-19 situation and progress of vaccination drive at 3 pm.
11:05 (IST)
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Second Oxygen Express with 120 MT reaches Bengaluru
The second Oxygen Express to Karnataka with 120 MT liquid medical oxygen (LMO) from Kalinganagar in Odisha’s Jajpur district reached Bengaluru on Saturday morning.
The third such train to the state with 120 MT LMO from Tatanagar in Jharkhand will reach on Saturday evening, the South Western Railway said.
10:44 (IST)
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What are vaccine passports?
As more and more people get vaccinated, some governments are relying on “vaccine passports” as a way of reopening society. These passports are essentially certificates that show the holder has been immunised against COVID-19, which restaurants, pubs, bars, sports venues and others can use to grant them entry.
Israel currently operates a “green pass” system, which allows vaccinated people access to theatres, concert halls, indoor restaurants and bars. The UK government had to roll back plans to trial vaccine passports after some of the venues involved experienced significant backlash against the proposals.
10:36 (IST)
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Watch: Nurse communicating with COVID-19 patient in sign language
A nurse in Chhattisgarh learned sign language to communicate with a COVID-19 patient. Doctors, nurses and medical staff have been a comforting presence for many patients, as the virus forces them to isolate themselves away from family.
Here is one such nurse, Swati Bhimgaj, as per reports, at a hospital in Chattisgarh, who can be seen speaking with a mute patient.
10:21 (IST)
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India’s active caseload over 36.73 lakh
The active COVID-19 caseload in India reached 36,73,802 on Saturday, comprising 15.07 percent of the total infections reported so far, said the Union health ministry. India Saturday reported 3,26,098 fresh coronavirus cases, taking the overall count over 2.43 crore.
10:07 (IST)
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Bengal records 20,846 new cases in highest single-day spike
West Bengal on Friday registered its highest single-day spike of 20,846 new COVID-19 cases, taking the overall count to 10,94,802, the health department said in its bulletin.
The toll rose to 12,993 after 136 more people, including five eminent doctors, succumbed to the infection, the bulletin said.
Senior BJP leader Mukul Roy and his wife Krishna are among those who contracted the disease. Roy, who is the saffron party’s vice president, is currently undergoing home isolation, sources in the health department said.
09:43 (IST)
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At least 3,890 new COVID-19 deaths in India
With the death of 3,890 more COVID-19 patients in the past 24 hours, the total number of fatalities in the country climbed to 2,66,207, said the Union health ministry on Saturday. This takes the national fatality rate to 1.09 percent.
09:42 (IST)
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India adds 3.26 lakh new cases
India registered 3,26,098 fresh coronavirus infections in the past 24 hours, taking the overall count over 2.43 crore on Saturday, said the Union health ministry.
09:36 (IST)
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Over 31.30 cr COVID-19 samples tested so far: ICMR
According to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), as many as 31,30,17,193 COVID-19 samples have been tested till 14 May, including 16,93,093 samples being tested on Friday alone.
Coronavirus Latest News LIVE Updates: “Few cases of the fungal infection seen in Maharashtra and Gujarat have been seen in Kerala also. The disease was reported before COVID also. State Medical Board is collecting samples for studies,” said Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Saturday.
Union Health Ministry joint secretary Lav Aggarwal on Saturday said, “The cause of concern is Tamil Nadu where a rise in number of active cases has been reported in last one week.”
The Union Health Ministry on Saturday stated that the Centre’s containment efforts “are working”.
“Overall positivity rate in India, which stood at 21.9 percent last week has now fallen to 19.8 percent. Delhi, Chhattisgarh, Daman and Diu, Haryana and Madhya Pradesh have reported a major drop in case positivity,” the ministry said.
The Chhattisgarh government has asked authorities in all the 28 districts to extend the COVID-19 lockdown till 31 May, even as it granted more relaxations in economic activities, PTI reported.
The lockdown, currently in force in all districts of the state, was set to end in most regions at 15 May midnight.
“The lockdown will not be lifted in the state. Only certain relaxations will be granted, depending on the COVID-19 situation and risks in each of the districts,” the official from the public relations department said. The restrictions and relaxations will be applicable till 31 May.
The state government had on 4 May asked all the districts to extend the lockdown, which was imposed in early April, till 16 May, while giving some relaxations As per the new guidelines, all government and private construction activities will be allowed and they can be carried out in compliance with all standard operating procedures (SOPs) and labour safety measures, he said.
In its statement, the NHRC said that ‘it seems the public authorities have failed to take efforts in educating the masses and checking the immersion of half-burnt or unburnt bodies into the Ganga’.
Local trains, metro services, inter state bus/train services, inland waterways to remain shut. Intra-state goods trucks movement is restricted except for essential supplies.
If any patient – in home isolation – needs medical oxygen, our teams will reach at their doorstep within two hours, said Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday.
Delhi recorded 8,500 daily cases on Friday, the first time the figure has dipped below 10,000 since 10 April. The city’s positivity rate had also dipped to 12 percent.
Amid criticism by Opposition leaders over handling of the second wave of COVID-19, which has overwhelmed hospitals across the country, Modi on Friday said: “The pandemic, the worst in 100 years, is testing the world at every step. There is an invisible enemy before us.”
The cumulative number of COVID-19 vaccine doses administered in the country stands at 18,04,29,261 said the health ministry.
With the death of 3,890 more COVID-19 patients, the total number of fatalities climbed to 2,66,207, said the health ministry on Saturday. This takes the national fatality rate to 1.09 percent.
The active COVID-19 caseload in India reached 36,73,802 on Saturday, comprising 15.07 percent of the total infections reported so far. India Saturday reported 3,26,098 fresh coronavirus cases, taking the overall count over 2.43 crore.
The cumulative number of COVID-19 vaccine doses administered in the country has crossed 18 crore, the Union health ministry said on Friday.
The ministry said 3,25,071 beneficiaries in the age group of 18-44 years received their first dose of COVID vaccine on Thursday and cumulatively 42,55,362 across 32 states and union territories since the start of the third phase of the vaccination drive.
The total of 18,04,29,261 include 96,27,199 healthcare workers (HCWs) who have taken the first dose and 66,21,675 HCWs who have taken the second dose, 1,43,63,754 frontline workers (FLWs) who have received the first dose, 81,48,757 FLWs who have taken the second dose, and 42,55,362 individuals in the 18-44 years age group who have received the first dose.
Besides, 5,67,99,389 and 87,50,224 beneficiaries aged over 45 to 60 years old have been administered the first and second dose, respectively, while 5,43,15,317 and 1,75,47,584 beneficiaries above 60 years have taken the first and second dose.
As on day-119 of the vaccination drive (14 May), total 10,79,759 vaccine doses were given.
A total of 6,16,781 beneficiaries were vaccinated for the first dose and 4,62,978 beneficiaries received the second dose of vaccine according to the provisional report till 8 pm, the ministry said, adding that the final reports would be completed for the day by late night.
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, it said.
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