23:58 (IST)
Coronavirus LATEST Updates
Mumbai suspends vaccination for 18-44 age group
The COVID-19 inoculation drive for the 18-44 years age group in Mumbai has been suspended until further orders, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) announced on Wednesday evening.
The announcement followed the Maharashtra government’s decision to suspend inoculation for this category and divert the vaccine stock for the above 45 years age group due to paucity of doses.
The BMC earlier in the day also issued revised guidelines allowingwalk-in vaccination in Mumbai for certain categories for three days.
23:50 (IST)
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Jharkhand extends lockdown-like restrictions till 27 May
The Jharkhand government on Wednesday extended the lockdown-like restrictions with stricter provisions, including 7 days mandatory quarantine for people visiting the state, till May 27 amid a surge in COVID- 19 cases, officials said.
The cap on people attending weddings has been fixed at 11, lower from earlier 50 persons with a provision that marriages can be conducted either at homes or at courts. The restrictions, first imposed on 22 April were enlarged till 13 May and now stand further extended till 27 May with harsh provisions.
The decision to this effect was taken at a meeting of the State Disaster Management Authority, chaired by Chief Minister Hemant Soren.
23:40 (IST)
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Maharashtra’s daily COVID-19 growth rate is half of national average: Tope
Maharashtra’s per day COVID-19 growth rate is 0.8 percent, which is half of the country’s average of 1.4 percent, state Health Minister Rajesh Tope said on Wednesday. He said that out of 36 states, Maharashtra is at the 30th position in terms of the growth of coronavirus infection.
“Maharashtra’s COVID-19 growth rate is merely half of the country’s daily growth rate. The state’s per day growth rate is 0.8 percent as against the country’s rate of 1.4 percent. The state is carrying out around two lakh tests on a daily basis while per million testings is around 2.50 lakh. It is a very good sign for us,” he said.
Tope, however, cautioned by saying, “The strict measures under the ‘Break the Chain’ directives introduced by the Maharashtra government have definitely brought down the number of COVID-19 cases, but the curve is not stable yet.
23:26 (IST)
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Rajasthan to issue global tender for COVID-19 vaccines
The Rajasthan government will purchase vaccines from abroad to speed up the coronavirus vaccination process in the state and a global tender will be issued for the same.
Along with this, the government has also approved direct purchase of coronavirus treatment drugs and equipment from the companies.
The decision was taken at a meeting of the state council of ministers held through video conference on Wednesday under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot.
In the meeting, important decisions were made for speedy procurement of vaccines, medicines, oxygen concentrators and other necessary resources to deal with the surge in coronavirus infections in the state.
23:13 (IST)
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Vaccination for journalists: Not enough vaccine stock, says Maharashtra govt
The Maharashtra government said on Wednesday that journalists can be extended the facility of inoculation on priority only when the state gets a sufficient stock of vaccine doses. Earlier in the day, BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis supported the demand that journalists be considered frontline workers and vaccinated on priority.
Asked about the demand, Health Minister Rajesh Tope said, “There is no sufficient stock of vaccine doses and the available stock is going to be used for the above-45 age group because their inoculation can not be delayed further.
“We are being told that over one crore Covishield vials would be available from May 20 onwards. If we get vials in such a large quantity, we can discuss the proposal of vaccinating journalists under the frontline workers category,” he told reporters.
22:52 (IST)
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With vaccine shortage hitting the state, Karnataka suspends vaccine for 18-44 yrs group
The Karnataka government on Wednesday decided to import vaccines, as a shortage of dosages hit the state and the demand went up substantially with an alarming rise in COVID cases. The state government also decided to suspend the vaccination for people between 18-44 years age group, which had started symbolically on May 1, till further orders.
“Today the state government has decided that the vaccine procured directly by the state for vaccination of persons between 18 and 44 years will be utilised for vaccination of beneficiaries who are due for second dose,” a notification issued by the government said.
“We have to purchase vaccines for people between the age group of 18-44 years. We have already paid money to the two vaccine manufacturers in the country for three crore doses. Out of three crore doses, we have received seven lakh,” Karnataka Chief Secretary P Ravi Kumar told reporters here.
He said the government will administer vaccines as and when the stocks arrive. “Since we are not getting adequate vaccines because there are just two manufacturers, we are going to issue orders to import (vaccine),” Ravi Kumar said. He added that the Government of India has approved only one vaccine outside India.
22:42 (IST)
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India’s total COVID-19 vaccination coverage exceeds 17.70 cr doses
The cumulative number of COVID-19 vaccine doses administered in the country has gone past 17.70 crore, the Union Health Ministry said on Wednesday.
It said 4,17,321 beneficiaries in the age group of 18-44 years have received their first dose of COVID-19 vaccine and cumulatively 34,66,895 across 30 states and union territories since the start of the third phase of the vaccination drive.
“The cumulative number of COVID-19 vaccine doses administered in the country stands at 17,70,85,371 as per the 8 pm provisional report,” the ministry said.
The total of 17,70,85,371 include 95,98,626 healthcare workers (HCWs) who have taken the first dose and 65,68,343 HCWs who have taken the second dose, 1,42,26,185 frontline workers (FLWs) who have received the first dose, 80,25,849 FLWs who have taken the second dose and 34,66,895 beneficiaries in the 18-44 years of age group who have taken the first dose.
22:31 (IST)
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Crematorium workers to be considered as frontline warriors, says Gujarat govt
Those working at crematoriums will be considered as COVID-19 frontline workers and will get all related benefits, the Gujarat government said on Wednesday.
The benefits include Rs 25 lakh for the family if a worker dies due to the virus infection.
“At the meeting of the state core committee headed by Chief Minister Vijay Rupani it was decided that staff of crematoriums throughout the state should be considered as frontline workers,” an official release said. They will be eligible for benefits retrospectively, from April 1, 2020, when the outbreak began.
The decision was taken as a compassionate measure considering that crematorium workers are overburdened, the release added.
22:23 (IST)
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PM reviews availability, supply of oxygen and medicines
The supply of oxygen is now more than three times of what it was during the peak of the first COVID-19 wave, the Prime Minister’s Office said on Wednesday, noting that production of all drugs, including Remdesivir, has been ramped up significantly in the last few weeks as India battles the nationwide surge in infections.
At a high-level meeting which Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired to review the availability and supply of oxygen and medicines, it was noted that states are being provided medicines in good quantities with the Centre in regular touch with the manufacturers to enhance their production and extend all help needed.
The central government is actively monitoring the supply of drugs being used in the management of COVID as well mucormycosis, a rare fungal infection being reported at some places
21:51 (IST)
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Madhya Pradesh logs 8,970 new cases, 84 deaths
Madhya Pradesh on Wednesday reported 8,970 fresh cases of COVID-19 and 84 fatalities, taking its infection tally to 7,00,202 and death toll to 6,679, the state health department said. A total of 10,324 patients were discharged from hospitals in the last 24 hours, which pushed the state’s recovery count to 5,83,595, it said.
With 1,597 new cases, Indore’s caseload went up to 1,31,707, while that of Bhopal rose to 1,08,546 with 1,304 new cases. Indore reported seven deaths, taking the toll to 1,227, while the number of fatalities in Bhopal rose to 817 after five people succumbed to the virus, the officials said. Indore is now left with 17,514 active cases while Bhopal has 15,664 such cases.
21:41 (IST)
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Tamil Nadu reports highest single-day rise
Tamil Nadu recorded 30,355 new COVID-19 cases in the single biggest day spike so far on Wednesday, pushing the caseload to 14,68,864 while 293 deaths in the last 24 hours took the toll to 16,471
21:28 (IST)
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Maharashtra reports 46,781 new COVID-19 cases, 816 deaths
Maharashtra reported 46,781 new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, an uptick from 40,956 a day ago, and 816 deaths, the health department said.
The caseload increased to 52,26,710, while toll reached 78,007, it said. On Tuesday Maharashtra had reported 40,956 COVID-19 cases, 793 deaths and 71,966 recoveries.
Of 816 fatalities, 387 had occurred in the past 48 hours, 193 last week and the rest even before that but were added to the tally on Wednesday. As many as 58,805 patients were discharged from hospitals taking the total of recoveries to 46,00,196. Maharashtra now has 5,46,129 active cases.
21:22 (IST)
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111 mucormycosis patients undergoing treatment in Mumbai
As many as 111 patients, all COVID-19 survivors, are undergoing treatment for the fungal infection `mucormycosis’ in Mumbai hospitals, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) informed on Wednesday.
Prabhakar Shinde, the BJP’s group leader in the BMC said the information was provided to the civic body’s standing committee upon his query.
Additional municipal commissioner Suresh Kakani told the committee that 38 mucormycosis patients are being treated at the civic-run BY Nair Hospital, 34 at KEM Hospital, 32 at Sion Hospital and seven at Cooper Hospital, he said. Most of these patients are from outside Mumbai, according to the BMC.
Shinde also said that the civic body has set up a medical experts’ panel to decide the line of treatment for the disease, and all hospitals have been informed about the precautionary measures to avoid its spread.
-PTI
21:14 (IST)
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Parliamentary panel had asked Centre to ramp up production in March
A parliamentary standing committee had in March suggested ramping up of production capacity of the two COVID vaccines manufactured in India for ensuring their availability to a wider population as soon as possible after it was informed that there could be a “shortage” if the inoculation is opened beyond the priority groups.
The recommendation was made by the 31-member committee on Science and Technology, Environment, Forests and Climate Change, chaired by senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh, in its report on Demand for Grants for Department of Biotechnology that was tabled in Parliament on 8 March.
The panel has as many as 14 members from the ruling BJP.
21:05 (IST)
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Shift vaccine centres to avoid crowding, says Madras HC
The Madras High Court on Wednesday suggested to the Tamil Nadu government to relocate Covid-19 vaccination centres from hospitals elsewhere in order to prevent crowding. The state government also submitted a status report on various aspects including availability of beds, oxygen and vaccine stocks.
The first bench of Chief Justice Sanjib Banerjee and Justice Senthilkumar Ramamoorthy, said that “to reduce the fear, stress and crowding among the people, we are asking to shift the vaccination centers from the hospital and set up at other places of public convenience.”
The court was hearing a case taken up on its own on issues, including shortage of beds and ventillators, besides diversion of oxygen.
20:49 (IST)
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Uttarakhand import 20 lakh doses of Sputnik V
20:44 (IST)
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269 IIT-Jodhpur students test COVID positive since 2 Feb
20:36 (IST)
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Allahabad HC asks UP govt to respond to allegations of mismanagement of oxygen, beds
20:16 (IST)
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SII, Bharat Biotech submit production plan for the next four months
Amid multiple states reporting a shortage of COVID-19 vaccine, Serum Institute and Bharat Biotech have submitted to the Centre their production plan for the next four months, informing they can ramp it up to 10 crore and 7.8 crore doses respectively by August, official sources said on Wednesday
The sources said the Union Health Ministry and the office of Drugs Controller General of India had sought from both the firms their production plan for June, July, August and September.
The Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech’s indigenously developed Covaxin and Oxford-AstraZeneca”s Covishield, being manufactured by the Pune-based Serum Institute of India, are currently being used in India”s inoculation drive against coronavirus.
20:11 (IST)
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No politician should hold physical functions amid lockdown, says HC
Expressing its displeasure with politicians for not following COVID-19 lockdown curbs imposed in Maharashtra, the Aurangabad bench of the Bombay High Court on Wednesday said no leader or minister should conduct physical ceremonies or functions.
While hearing a suo motu (on its own) on COVID-19- related issues, a division bench of Justices R V Ghuge and B U Debadwar said no politician or minister shall conduct physical ceremonies or functions.
The bench was informed by an advocate that Shiv Sena leader and state cabinet minister Sandipan Bhumre had participated in inauguration functions where people had gathered in large numbers.
19:51 (IST)
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Ministers propose extending Maharashtra lockdown, CM to take final call
At the Cabinet meeting, the health department & ministers proposed to extend the lockdown for 15 days. The chief minister will take a final decision on this matter: Maharashtra Health Minister Rajesh Tope pic.twitter.com/tjIEQZ8YLg
— ANI (@ANI) May 12, 2021
19:39 (IST)
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Maharashtra halts vaccinations for 18-44 age group
The Maharashtra govt has temporarily suspended the vaccination programme for those in the 18 to 44 age group, due to a shortage of vaccine, say reports. According to news agency ANI, state health minister Rajesh Tope said all vaccine doses will be diverted to those above the age of 45.
“Serum Institute of India CEO Adar Poonawalla has promised the chief minister to deliver 1.5 crore doses of Covishield to Maharashtra after 20 May. We will start the vaccination for 18-44 age group after we receive the vaccines,” ANI quotes Tope as saying.
Vaccination for 18-44 age group has been suspended for the time being due to shortage of vaccines. All the doses purchased by the state government for the age group will now be diverted for the 45+ category: Maharashtra Health Minister Rajesh Tope after state Cabinet meeting pic.twitter.com/hZIoJqqevP
— ANI (@ANI) May 12, 2021
19:33 (IST)
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Delhi receives 2.67 lakh more doses of Covishield, runs out of Covaxin stock: Atishi
18:58 (IST)
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Twelve Opposition leaders write to Modi, suggest nine measures to fight pandemic
Leaders of 12 Opposition parties in a joint letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the government should implement nine measures, including procuring vaccines from all available sources centrally and immediately starting a universal and free mass vaccination programme, on a war footing. Other measures suggested by the Opposition leaders include spending Rs 35,000 crore budgetary allocation for the vaccines and releasing all money in the ” unaccounted private trust fund” PM CARES for the purchase of more vaccines, oxygen, and medical equipment. The signatories include Sonia Gandhi (Congress), Mamata Banerjee (TMC), MK Stalin (DMK), Hemant Soren (JMM), Sitaram Yechury (CPM), among others.
Without going into all the acts of commission and omission by the Central govt that have brought the country to such a tragic pass, we are of the firm opinion that the following measures be undertaken on a war footing.
– Joint Letter by Major Opposition Parties to PM Modi pic.twitter.com/YJ283g4arV
— Congress (@INCIndia) May 12, 2021
18:43 (IST)
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Karnataka puts off CET exam to August-end
18:37 (IST)
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SC judge Justice DY Chandrachud tests positive
18:17 (IST)
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17:57 (IST)
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Mamata Banerjee proposes franchise mode for bulk production of COVID-19 vaccines
West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee writes to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, calling for a liberal, pro-active import of COVID-19 vaccines. In her letter, Banerjee says that the production and hence supply and distribution of COVID-19 vaccine seems to be extremely inadequate and insignificant when compared to the massive needs of the people. Banerjee also asked the prime minister to consider encouraging global and national manufacturers to set up franchise operations in the country. the Bengal govt is ready to provide land and support in this regard, she says in the letter.
West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee writes to PM Narendra Modi, urging to ‘speedily import vaccines’ from global manufacturers
She suggests PM Modi to ‘encourage world & national players (vaccine manufacturers) to open up franchise operations’. pic.twitter.com/Ss2sQLX2xi
— ANI (@ANI) May 12, 2021
17:48 (IST)
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Azam Khan’s condition stable, but next 72 hours critical: Hospital
17:31 (IST)
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Could have saved many lives with door-to-door vaccination, says Bombay HC
17:27 (IST)
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Tamil Nadu to invite global tenders for vaccines
The Tamil Nadu government decided to invite short-term global tenders for procuring COVID-19 vaccines for the 18-45 age group, said reports. According to The New Indian Express, Chief Minister MK Stalin also ordered establishing additional oxygen production units in the state to meet the rising demand.
17:17 (IST)
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Over 84% vaccine doses sent abroad due to commercial, licensing liabilities: BJP
17:11 (IST)
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The government is engaging with the drug manufacturers to ramp up the production of an antifungal drug used for the treatment of mucormycosis, the Chemicals and Fertilizers Ministry said, as a rash of cases of rare black fungus infection have been reported among people either recovered or recovering from COVID-19. With a spike in the cases of COVID-19 in the country, doctors have been reporting a rare infection mucormycosis, also called as black fungus, among people recovered from COVID-19. The infection is caused by exposure to mucor mould and it affects the sinuses, the brain and the lungs and can be life-threatening.
“A sudden increase in demand has been observed in some states for Amphotericin B which is being actively prescribed by the physicians to patients suffering from mucormycosis, a post-COVID complication,” the ministry said in a statement. The government is therefore engaging with the manufacturers to ramp up production of the drug. The supply position is expected to improve with extra imports of this drug and increase in its production domestically, it added.
PTI
17:09 (IST)
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Order on Navneet Kalra’s anticipatory bail plea tomorrow
Delhi Court reserves order in anticipatory bail application moved by Navneet Kalra in case filed in connection with seizure of oxygen concentrators from his restaurants. The order will be pronounced on Thursday at 10 am, reports Bar&Bench.
16:57 (IST)
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Follow Centre’s SoP on vaccinating prison inmates, Bombay HC tells Maharashtra
16:45 (IST)
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Delhi records 13,287 new cases, 300 deaths
16:34 (IST)
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HC pulls up Delhi govt for not fully operationalising Indira Gandhi Hospital
16:11 (IST)
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Make action plan for possible third wave, Karnataka HC tells state govt
HC: By projecting estimate for drugs, oxygen personnel etc. We direct state to prepare an action plan and vision statement dealing with state of preparedness for dealing with third possible wave of Covid-19. Necessary vision plan to be placed on record within two weeks from tdy.
— Live Law (@LiveLawIndia) May 12, 2021
15:59 (IST)
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Rajasthan to conduct rapid antigen tests in rural areas, says health minister
With the coronavirus infection spreading rapidly in rural areas of Rajasthan, the state government has decided to conduct rapid antigen tests to detect COVID-19 cases at an early stage. Health Minister Raghu Sharma said on Wednesday that the rapid antigen test will be conducted in community health centres and other hospitals to check the spread of the virus in rural areas.
15:56 (IST)
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World could have prevented COVID catastrophe: expert panel
The catastrophic scale of the COVID-19 pandemic could have been prevented, an independent global panel concluded Wednesday, but a “toxic cocktail” of dithering and poor coordination meant the warning signs went unheeded. The Independent Panel for Pandemic Preparedness and Response (IPPPR) said a series of bad decisions meant Covid-19 went on to kill at least 3.3 million people so far and devastate the global economy. Institutions “failed to protect people” and science-denying leaders eroded public trust in health interventions, the IPPPR said in its long-awaited final report.
Early responses to the outbreak detected in Wuhan, China in December 2019 “lacked urgency”, with February 2020 a costly “lost month” as countries failed to heed the alarm, said the panel. The panel did not spare the WHO, saying it could have declared the situation a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) —its highest level of alarm —on 22 January , 2020. Instead, it waited eight more days before doing so. Nevertheless, given countries’ relative inaction, “we might still have ended up in the same place”, said former New Zealand prime minister Helen Clark.
AFP
15:43 (IST)
Karnataka HC seeks district-wise data of beds
During a hearing on a batch of petition on the management of COVID-19 in the state, the Karnataka HC said going by estimates there is a shortage of beds and told the state to be prepared as experts have warned of a third wave, reports LiveLaw. “Perhaps nobody anticipated about future requirement during the first wave and thus now you (State) should be more prepared. Disaster Management Act says about preparedness. Address us on this next week,” LiveLaw quotes Chief Justice Abhay Oka as saying. The court said it wanted district wise data of beds, as increase only in one area it may not serve the purpose.
The court also said that the suggestion made by the KSLSA Committee in the report on the Chamarajanagar incident should be considered by the state government immediately.
HC: Vehicles carrying LMO should be installed by GPS. It is observed that one bottling plaint in Mysuru city is non functional. State will take immediate steps to revive the functioning.
— Live Law (@LiveLawIndia) May 12, 2021
15:35 (IST)
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WHO has not associated term “Indian Variant” with the B.1.617 strain, says health ministry
15:20 (IST)
Tamil Nadu to give Rs 25L ex-gratia to families of 43 doctors who died in COVID-19 fight
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK. Stalin on Wednesday announced an ex-gratia of Rs 25 lakh each to the families of 43 doctors who died while performing their duty in the COVID-19 pandemic, said reports. According to The Hindu, Stalin also announced incentives to doctors, nurses, sanitary workers, people working in labs, operating CT scan equipment and those involved in operating ambulances during the second wave of COVID-19, for the months of April, May and June this year. According to the report, doctors, nurses, trained and qualified health workers and other medical staff will be given an incentive of Rs 30,000, Rs 20,000, Rs 15,000 and Rs 10,000 respectively for these three months.
15:07 (IST)
Oxygen allocation to TN increased, Centre tells Madras HC
Appearing for the Union government, ASG R Sankaranarayanan says that the oxygen allocation to Tamil Nadu has been increased to 519 MT, reports Bar&Bench. Chief Justice Sanjib Banerjee thanks the Centre and informs that the state estimates the requirement for oxygen to go up to 800 MT. The ASG tells the court that DRDO has informed that they are setting up (PSA plants) under the PMCARES. After the ASG says states can write to PMCARES , the chief justice suggests that the state should immediately write to PM CARES for release of funds for DRDO to set up the PSA plants.
CJ suggests to State: Mr Adv … immediately write to PMCARES for release of funds for DRDO to set up the PSA plants.. at least four or five places if you can do that, it would be much better. #MadrasHighCourt #COVID19India
— Bar & Bench (@barandbench) May 12, 2021
14:54 (IST)
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Procurement of 1.50 lakh units of oxycare system developed by DRDO approved under PM-CARES fund: DRDO
PM CARES Fund has approved procurement of 1,50,000 units of Oxycare System developed by DRDO at a cost of Rs 322.5 Cr. It’s a SpO2 based Oxygen Supply System, that regulates oxygen being administered to patients based on sensed SpO2 levels: DRDO pic.twitter.com/hkdcSZLtY6
— ANI (@ANI) May 12, 2021
14:46 (IST)
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UK strain of COVID-19 found in Rajasthan
The UK strain of COVID-19 has been found in the samples sent from Rajasthan for genome sequencing, the state government said.
The state’s Health Minister Raghu Sharma said the process of setting up genome sequencing facility at the Swai Man Singh (SMS) Medical College in Jaipur has commenced.
14:45 (IST)
Coronavirus LATEST Updatex
Corpses found floating in rivers in UP, Bihar
The Bihar government on Tuesday said altogether 71 bodies have been fished out from the Ganges in Buxar district, where these were found floating in the river, triggering suspicion that the abandoned corpses could be those of COVID-19 patients. State Water Resources Minister Sanjay Kumar, a key aide of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, came out with a series of tweets, asserting that the bodies had flown downstream from neighbouring Uttar Pradesh.
Bodies were seen floating in the Ganga in Uttar Pradesh’s Ballia and Ghazipur districts, reported news agency PTI on Tuesday quoting local residents and authorities. Earlier, residents in UP’s Hamirpur district had spotted five bodies floating in the Yamuna, creating a scare that these were of COVID patients, an apprehension dismissed by the authorities.
14:41 (IST)
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Centre celebrated Tika Utsav but didn’t provide vaccines:Priyanka Gandhi
Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said the Centre celebrated Tika Utsav in April but allegedly did not make arrangements to provide vaccines against COVID-19 which led to a decline in vaccinations.
The government had marked Tika Utsav, a vaccination drive between 11 and 14 April, with an aim to inoculate the maximum number of eligible people against coronavirus amid a surge in cases. “India is the largest vaccine-producing country. The BJP government marked Tika Utsav on 12 April, but did not make arrangements for providing vaccines and in 30 days there was an 82 percent decline in our vaccinations,” Gandhi alleged, sharing graphics comparing the number of vaccinations on 12 April and 9 May.
जनवरी 2021 में क्यों किया?
अमरीका और अन्य देशों ने हिंदुस्तानी वैक्सीन कंपनियों को बहुत पहले ऑर्डर दे रखा था। इसकी जिम्मेदारी कौन लेगा?
घर-घर वैक्सीन पहुंचाए बिना कोरोना से लड़ना असम्भव है। 2/2
— Priyanka Gandhi Vadra (@priyankagandhi) May 12, 2021
14:13 (IST)
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Centre sends 80 MT oxygen to Uttarakhand
Eighty metric tonnes of oxygen sent by the Centre by an Oxygen Express train was dispatched to different districts of Uttarakhand.
Chief Minister Tirath Singh Rawat said enough oxygen is being supplied by the Centre to the state in view of the difficult circumstances arising out of the surge in COVID-19 cases.
Though there was never a shortage of oxygen in the state, its consumption has gone up with the rising number of oxygenated beds in hospitals and COVID care centres, Rawat said.
13:58 (IST)
Coronavirus LATEST Updates
Punjab AAP MLA alleges ventilators lying unused at Faridkot hospital
Kultar Singh Sandhwan, AAP MLA from Punjab’s Kotkapura, has alleged that ventilators supplied under PM Cares Fund are lying unused in the Guru Gobind Singh Medical College and Hospital in Faridkot.
Meanwhile, the Vice Chancellor of Faridkot’s Baba Farid University of Health Sciences, said 62 of the 82 ventilators given to the institute under the PM Cares Fund were not in working condition. He added that the hospital only has 42 working ventilators currently.
On 11 April , the Union health ministry had informed the Punjab Chief Secretary that the state was allocated 809 ventilators, out of which only 558 ventilators were installed.
These r the ventilators fm #PMCaresFund lying unused in GGSMC Faridkot. @CMOPb pls make them work for the needy #COVID19 patients….I shall be Obliged..and Appreciate….@ChitleenKSethi @ANI @AAPPunjab @CsPunjab pic.twitter.com/GV9lUZBlox
— Kultar Singh Sandhwan (@Sandhwan) May 11, 2021
India Covid LATEST News and Updates: Maharashtra’s per day COVID-19 growth rate is 0.8 percent, which is half of the country’s average of 1.4 percent, state Health Minister Rajesh Tope said on Wednesday.
The Karnataka government on Wednesday decided to import vaccines, as a shortage of dosages hit the state and the demand went up substantially with an alarming rise in COVID cases. The state government also decided to suspend the vaccination for people between 18-44 years age group, which had started symbolically on May 1, till further orders.
Those working at crematoriums will be considered as COVID-19 frontline workers and will get all related benefits, the Gujarat government said on Wednesday. The benefits include Rs 25 lakh for the family if a worker dies due to the virus infection.
Tamil Nadu recorded 30,355 new COVID-19 cases in the single biggest day spike so far on Wednesday, pushing the caseload to 14,68,864 while 293 deaths in the last 24 hours took the toll to 16,471
Supreme Court judge Justice DY Chandrachud has tested positive for COVID-19, said reports. Justice Chandrachud is currently heading the bench which is hearing the suo motu case concerning COVID-19 issues.
The top court meanwhile issued a notice which said the scheduled hearing on Thursday before a three-judge bench headed by Justice Chandrachud in the suo motu case for ensuring distribution of essential supplies and services during the COVID-19 pandemic stands deferred as one of the judges of the bench has tested positive for coronavirus.
The Maharashtra govt has temporarily suspended the vaccination programme for those in the 18 to 45 age group, due to a shortage of vaccine, say reports. According to news agency ANI, state health minister Rajesh Tope said all vaccine doses will be diverted to those above the age of 45.
Leaders of 12 Opposition parties in a joint letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the government should implement nine measures, including procuring vaccines from all available sources centrally and immediately starting a universal and free mass vaccination programme, on a war footing.
Other measures suggested by the Opposition leaders include spending Rs 35,000 crore budgetary allocation for the vaccines and releasing all money in the PM CARES for the purchase of more vaccines, oxygen, and medical equipment.
West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee writes to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, calling for a liberal, pro-active import of COVID-19 vaccines. Banerjee also asked the prime minister to consider encouraging global and national manufacturers to set up franchise operations in the country. The Bengal govt is ready to provide land and support in this regard, she says in the letter.
The Bombay High Court on Wednesday said if the Union government had started door-to-door vaccination programme for senior citizens a few months back, then lives of many of them, including prominent persons, could have been saved.
The Karnataka HC directs the state government to prepare an action plan and vision statement outlining its preparedness for dealing with possible third wave of COVID-19, said reports.
With the coronavirus infection spreading rapidly in rural areas of Rajasthan, the state government has decided to conduct rapid antigen tests to detect COVID-19 cases at an early stage. Health Minister Raghu Sharma said on Wednesday that the rapid antigen test will be conducted in community health centres and other hospitals to check the spread of the virus in rural areas.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK. Stalin on Wednesday announced an ex-gratia of Rs 25 lakh each to the families of 43 doctors who died while performing their duty in the COVID-19 pandemic, said reports.
India’s COVID-19 active cases dipped to 37,04,099 with a net decline of 11,122 cases in a span of 24 hours, the Union Health Ministry said on Wednesday. This is the second consecutive day that active cases have dipped.
Kultar Singh Sandhwan, AAP MLA from Punjab’s Kotkapura, has alleged that ventilators supplied under PM Cares Fund are lying unused in the Guru Gobind Singh Medical College and Hospital in Faridkot.
Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said Delhi’s reserve stock of vaccines is exhausted, adding that while centres administering Covishield vaccines are functioning, 100 centres across 17 schools administering Covaxin will be closed down.
As many states raise the issue of deficient supply of COVID-19 vaccines, Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan will hold a meeting with the health ministers of Jammu and Kashmir, Uttarakhand, Haryana, Punjab, Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha and Telangana.
India recorded 3,48,421 new COVID-19 cases, 3,55,338 discharges and 4,205 deaths in the last 24 hours.
The Centre on Tuesday said that an early trend of decline in daily new COVID-19 cases and deaths has been noted in India even as hospitals and crematoriums in several cities remained full.
Addressing a press conference, Joint Secretary in the Health Ministry Lav Agarwal said Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Bihar, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, and Telangana were among 18 states and Union Territories showing continued plateauing or decrease in daily new COVID-19 cases.
However, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Punjab, Assam, Odisha, Himachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, and Tripura were among 16 states and Union Territories showing a continued increasing trend in daily new COVID-19 cases.
The claim comes in the backdrop of an alarming news report from Bihar’s Buxar, where local authorities claim as many as 71 bodies of suspected COVID patients floated downstream from neighbouring Uttar Pradesh. Another bunch of over 40 bodies were found floating in the river in UP’s Ballia and Ghazipur districts.
While there was no clarity on the circumstances surrounding the deaths of these unidentified people, their sheer numbers in the midst of an unprecedented pandemic instilled fear that these were bodies of COVID patients either abandoned by resource-starved family members or dumped by callous officials at a time when crematorium and funeral homes are overburdened.
On the other hand, as per this Firstpost report, in the national capital, the administration has been forced to build makeshift crematoriums at public places, as Delhi is running out of space to cremate its dead. Public parks and other empty spaces are also being utilised for cremations.
In other development, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will not travel to the UK to attend a summit of the G7 grouping in person in view of the prevailing coronavirus situation, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Tuesday. The G7 summit is scheduled to take place in Cornwall in the UK next month.
“While appreciating the invitation to the Prime Minister by UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson to attend the G7 Summit as a special invitee, given the prevailing COVID situation, it has been decided that the Prime Minister will not attend the G7 Summit in person,” MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said.
The numbers
India has been reeling under a calamitous second wave of coronavirus infection. However, according to official data, the daily numbers of deaths and infections have started to go down. New cases of coronavirus in India fell to 3.29 lakh after 14 days, taking the infection tally to 2,29,92,517, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Tuesday. The toll climbed by 3,876 to 2,49,992.
After registering a steady rise for two months, the active cases have reduced to 37,15,221, accounting for 16.16 percent of the total infections, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate was recorded at 82.75 percent.
Replicate Mumbai, Pune models at national level, says govt
Appreciating models of containment used in Mumbai and Pune, the Union health ministry called it a “fine example” that shows how containment measures can help restrict the spread of the disease. The Centre also said that these models should be replicated at the national level.
“Around 800 SUVs were refurbished to convert them into makeshift ambulances. A software platform was created to track and manage these ambulances. All these systems work together to ensure that patients do not face problems in finding a bed.” Joint Secretary Lav Agarwal said, appreciating the systematic efforts of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, in fighting COVID-19 in Mumbai.
#Mumbai‘s decentralized approach to #COVID19 containment needs to be adopted at the national level
– @MoHFW_INDIA appreciates @mybmc‘s efforts in fighting the #Pandemic#Unite2FightCorona@MahaDGIPR @MahaHealthIEC @MahaMicHindi @airnews_mumbai @MantralayaRoom pic.twitter.com/kAxGQ0Auge
— PIB in Maharashtra 🇮🇳 (@PIBMumbai) May 11, 2021
“We have observed that strict measures like restrictions on mass gatherings and on the intermingling of people along with the closing of non-essential activities for a period of 15 days reduce the rate of growth of cases and cases start plateauing”, said the Joint Secretary.
Covaxin shortage in Delhi, Mumbai
The Delhi government Tuesday said it will have to shut a large number of Covid-19 jab centres due to a shortage of shots and urged the Centre to use its special power to allow more firms to manufacture vaccines. The Aam Aadmi Party government also announced that it will float a global tender to procure additional doses.
As many as 125 centres administering Covaxin to 18-44 age group are likely to be closed down Wednesday as the Delhi government did not receive new stock of the vaccine till Tuesday evening.
Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying the Centre should share the vaccine formula of the two manufacturers with other capable pharmaceutical companies to scale up production in the country.
In his letter to Modi, Kejriwal said the entire country can be provided a safety cover by allowing more companies to manufacture the vaccines on a war footing in preparation for an anticipated third wave of the pandemic.
He said the Centre can also terminate the monopoly on vaccine production through the patent law.
Similarly, citing a shortage of COVID-19 vaccine does, the Maharashtra government on Tuesday decided to divert three lakh vials of Covaxin meant for the 18-44 age group for the use of the people aged 45 years and above.
Speaking to reporters, state Health Minister Rajesh Tope also said more than five lakh people above 45 years are awaiting the second dose for the want of the vaccine.
“Efficacy of the vaccine is largely affected if the second dose is not administered in a stipulated time. To avoid such health crisis, the state government has decided to divert three lakh vials (of Covaxin) purchased for the 18-44 age category for the people above 45 years,” Tope said.
In south India, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy asked the Centre to direct Bharat Biotech and ICMR-NIV to transfer the Covaxin manufacturing technology and provide the viral strain to “whoever is interested and capable of manufacturing the vaccine” so that the production could be ramped up.
In a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Jagan claimed that the present total manufacturing capacity of Covaxin did not cater to the country’s requirement.
“It may take several months to get all vaccinated at this pace. Please explore the possibility of involving all such production firms and enable them with the technology, intellectual property rights to deliver the vaccine as quickly and as affordable as possible,” the Chief Minister said.
“Anyone who can manufacture or is interested in manufacturing the vaccine should be encouraged to do so in the larger public interest. Entire manufacturing capacity should be mobilised and put to use in this testing times,” Jagan added.
Taking note of these vaccine shortages, many states took other measures to keep up with rising measures.
States issue global tender for COVID vaccine procurement
The governments of Delhi, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana on Tuesday joined several other states which have decided to issue global tenders for procurement of COVID vaccines as the domestic supply fails to keep up with the rising demand amid the fierce second wave of the pandemic.
The Centre said it has so far provided more than 18 crore vaccine doses to states and UTs free of cost, but many of them have complained of an acute shortage of the jabs and are now prioritising people who need to be given their second dose within a prescribed period.
Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Odisha have also taken the global tender route for procuring vaccines swiftly.
Two crore COVID vaccine doses will be procured through global tender to meet the increased demand and to facilitate vaccination of the age group of 18-44 years, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister and state COVID task force head C N Ashwath Narayan said.
“Till now, we had depended only on vaccines supplied by the central government and it was not procured from the open market by floating tender. Now, it has been instructed to float the tender and to complete the process within seven days,” Narayan said.
Delhi government too said it will float a global tender for procuring coronavirus vaccines.
Addressing a press conference, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia alleged that the BJP-ruled Centre was “forcing” state governments to invite global tenders for vaccine procurement.
The Telangana cabinet also decided to invite global tenders for procurement of COVID-19 vaccine, an official statement said.
Officials said the Andhra Pradesh government will float a global tender in a day or two for the procurement of COVID-19 vaccines from foreign manufacturers to complete the vaccination process as quickly as possible.
WHO warns against use of Ivermectin
World Health Organisation has warned against the use of Ivermectin, an orally administered drug in treating COVID-19 patients. The move comes one day after Goa government decided to administer the drug to its entire adult population, notwithstanding the fact whether they are COVID positive or not.
Chief Scientist of the WHO said that the organisation recommends against the use of the drug in the treatment of those with COVID-19, with the only exception for its use being during clinical trials.
“Safety and efficacy are important when using any drug for a new indication,” chief scientist Soumya Swaminathan said.
Safety and efficacy are important when using any drug for a new indication. @WHO recommends against the use of ivermectin for #COVID19 except within clinical trials https://t.co/dSbDiW5tCW
— Soumya Swaminathan (@doctorsoumya) May 10, 2021
US Food and Drug Authority and European Medical Agency (EMA) have both advised against the use of ‘ivermectin’ to treat COVID-19 patients.
Even the Union ministry of health and family welfare had also opted out from including Ivermectin in its official Clinical Management Protocol for COVID-19 last year. Experts of the central government’s joint monitoring group and the Indian Council of Medical Research’s COVID-19 task force held a meeting to deliberate upon the issue and decided not to include Ivermectin in the clinical management protocol “because of lack of sufficient evidence on its efficacy based on randomised trials held in India and abroad,” news agency PTI had reported, citing ministry sources.
71 bodies fished out from the Ganges in Bihar so far
The Bihar government on Tuesday said altogether 71 bodies have been fished out from the Ganges in Buxar district, where these were found floating in the river, triggering suspicion that the abandoned corpses could be those of COVID-19 patients.
State Water Resources Minister Sanjay Kumar, a key aide of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, came out with a series of tweets, asserting that the bodies had flown downstream from neighbouring Uttar Pradesh.
“The Bihar government is seized of the matter of unfortunate case of floating mortal remains in river Ganga… The bodies have floated into Bihar from UP,” said Jha, adding, doctors have confirmed upon post-mortem that the deaths had taken place “four-five days” ago
Bodies were also seen floating in the Ganga in Uttar Pradesh’s Ballia and Ghazipur districts, according to local residents and the authorities on Tuesday. Ironically, the authorities here blamed the state of Bihar.
Superintendent of Police Vipin Tada said he did not know how many bodies were found. “The bodies were old. In Bihar, there is a tradition of disposing of dead bodies in the river,” he said, adding that seeing the wind direction, it seems the bodies came from Bihar.
24 COVID patients in Goa, 11 in Andhra die in govt hospitals
Goa Health Minister Vishwajit Rane on Tuesday said 26 COVID-19 patients died at the state-run Goa Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) in the early hours and sought an investigation by the High Court to find out the exact cause.
He said these fatalities occurred between 2 am and 6 am “which is a fact”, but remained evasive about the cause.
Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, who visited GMCH, said the gap between the “availability of medical oxygen and its supply to COVID-19 wards in the GMCH might have caused some issues for the patients” even as he stressed that there is no scarcity of oxygen supply in the state.
Meanwhile, in Andhra Pradesh, 11 COVID-19 patients have died due to a problem with oxygen supply inside the ICU in Ruia hospital late on Monday night. The state government has announced a compensation of Rs 10 lakh each to the kin of these COVID-19 patients, who died at the government-run Ruia Hospital in Tirupati.
Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy announced this during a videoconference with district Collectors. There was a five-minute lag in reloading liquid medical oxygen, which caused the pressure to drop, resulting in the deaths, Chittoor district Collector M Hari Narayanan had said.
Telangana announces 10-day lockdown from tomorrow
The Telangana Cabinet on Tuesday decided to impose a 10-day lockdown beginning 12 May from 10 am to prevent further spread of COVID-19, with four hours of relaxation in the morning.
From Wednesday onwards, all southern states – except Andhra Pradesh, where there is a partial curfew – will be under lockdown. Tamil Nadu and Karnataka are under lockdown till 24 May. In Kerala, the curbs are in force till 16 May.
The Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao-led cabinet meeting, which was held at Pragathi Bhavan has decided to give a relaxation period from 6 AM to 10 AM for the people for their general activities and needs, an official release said.
The Cabinet also decided to invite global tenders to procure the Covid-19 vaccines on a war footing, it said.
Works related to agriculture produce, allied sectors, work undertaken with the agriculture machines, running of rice mills, transport of the paddy and rice, supplying paddy to FCI, fertiliser and seeds shops and manufacturing companies and other agri-based sectors are exempted from the lockdown, it said.
“The State Cabinet will meet again on 20 May, would review the situation on the continuing of the lockdown and take a decision accordingly,” the release said.
With inputs from PTI
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