News Analysis India

Tag: Coronavirus Outbreak

  • Total number of COVID-19 vaccine doses given in India crosses 15.89 crore

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: The cumulative number of COVID-19 vaccine doses administered in the country has crossed 15.89 crore with 17,08,390 doses being given on May 3, the Union health ministry said on Tuesday.

    It said 4,06,339 beneficiaries of the age group 18-44 years received their first dose of COVID-19 vaccine across 12 states and union territories.

    These are Chhattisgarh (1,025), Delhi (40,028), Gujarat (1,08,191), Haryana (55,565), Jammu and Kashmir (5,587), Karnataka (2,353), Maharashtra (73,714), Odisha (6,802), Punjab (635), Rajasthan (76,151), Tamil Nadu (2,744) and Uttar Pradesh (33,544).

    Cumulatively, 15,89,32,921 vaccine doses have been administered through 23,35,822 sessions so far, according to the provisional report till 7 am.

    These include 94,48,289 healthcare workers (HCWs) who have taken the first dose and 62,97,900 HCWs who have taken the second dose 1,35,05,877 frontline workers (FLWs) who have received the first dose and 72,66,380 FLWs who have taken the second dose.

    This also includes 4,06,339 individuals in the age-group of 18-44 years who have taken the first dose.

    Besides, 5,30,50,669 and 41,42,786 beneficiaries over 45 to 60 years have been administered the first and second dose, respectively, while 5,28,16,238 and 1,19,98,443 beneficiaries above 60 years have taken the first and second dose.

    Ten states Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Kerala, Bihar and Andhra Pradesh accounted for 66.

    94 per cent of the cumulative doses given so far in the country As on day-108 of the vaccination drive (May 3), 17,08,390 vaccine doses were given.

    Across 12,739 sessions, 8,38,343 beneficiaries were vaccinated for the first dose and 8,70,047 beneficiaries received the second dose of vaccine.

  • Restore MPLAD scheme for MPs to take care of people’s COVID-19 healthcare needs: Danish Ali to PM Narendra Modi

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: Lok Sabha MP Kunwar Danish Ali on Tuesday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to restore the Member of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme (MPLADS) so that legislators can set up oxygen plants in their constituencies and provide for other healthcare needs in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic’s second wave.

    The government suspended MPLADS during 2020-21 and 2021-22, and said the funds will be used for managing health services and the adverse impact of COVID-19 pandemic in the country.

    In a letter to the prime minister, the BSP leader Ali flagged the “very serious situation” arising due to the spread of coronavirus in his parliamentary constituency of Amroha in Uttar Pradesh.

    “The people of Amroha Lok Sabha constituency are in the grip of COVID-19 pandemic. The disease has spread from village to village…There is a huge shortage of medicines, beds, oxygen and other medical facilities necessary to deal with this disease but there is hardly any medical support to save precious lives,” he said.

    As per the decision of the Union government, the MPLAD funds for the years 2020-21 and 2021-22 were suspended with the aim of fighting COVID-19 and providing medical facilities throughout the country, including Amroha, Ali said.

    “No notable medical facility has been provided in my parliamentary constituency till date with the PMCARES or MPLAD scheme’s suspended funds. Because of this, the people of my constituency are facing great difficulties in this crisis of pandemic and are facing untimely death due to non-availability of basic medical infrastructure,” he claimed.

    “In view of the catastrophic situation created by the second wave of Covid, as a representative of my people, I request you to immediately release the funds to all the MPs of the country that have been withheld for two years (2020-21 and 2021-22) under the MPLAD scheme so that I and all other Members of Parliament could try to save the lives by setting up oxygen plants in their parliamentary constituencies and providing relief and all other necessary facilities to the victims,” he said.

    The Lok Sabha MP called for decentralisation of responsibility of providing healthcare facilities.

    The handing over of funds of MPLADS to all MPs and other public representatives who know their area well, would be a very important step in enabling them to provide relief to the people of their area, Ali asserted.

    He said the district administration is also expressing its helplessness in providing relief to the people of his constituency.

    “In this crisis, I would like to state that during the first wave of COVID-19 pandemic in the country in 2020, I also donated my one month’s salary to the PMCARES fund,” he said.

  • Only way to stop COVID-19 spread now is full lockdown: Rahul Gandhi

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday said the only way to stop the spread of coronavirus now was a full lockdown with the protection of minimum income guarantee scheme, NYAY, for the vulnerable sections.

    “GOI doesn’t get it. The only way to stop the spread of Corona now is a full lockdown- with the protection of NYAY for the vulnerable sections,” Gandhi said in a tweet.

    “GOI’s inaction is killing many innocent people,” he said.

    The Congress has been asserting that the central and state governments move to control the situation by resorting to partial curfews, travel restrictions, closure and lockdowns will again be restricting economic activity that will hit the poor and, therefore, it was imperative to provide monthly income support.

    Gandhi has been pushing for the implementation of the party’s proposed Nyuntam Aay Yojana (NYAY) providing minimum income guarantee to vulnerable sections.

    The Congress have been critical of the government’s response to the COVID-19 crisis.

    India’s total tally of COVID-19 cases crossed the 2-crore mark with 3,57,229 infections being reported in a day, while the death toll increased to 2,22,408 with 3,449 new fatalities, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Tuesday.

  • COVID-19: 18+ vaccination push crawls; supply side crunch in various states

    By Express News Service
    Just three days after the rollout of the Covid vaccination programme for those in the 18-44 age group, the process is just about crawling across the country.

    Chart topper Gujarat has barely crossed 1 lakh cumulative vaccinations in that age group, followed by Rajasthan (75,817), Maharashtra (73,455), Haryana (54,946) and Delhi (39,799), apparently due to vaccine shortage. 

    Reports of acute scarcity of jabs came from various states, including Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. While Andhra has fully exhausted its stock, just 1.58 lakh doses of vaccines are available in Telangana, said Dr G S Rao, Director of Public Health. 

    Karnataka received five lakh vials of Covishield on Monday, but Kerala was awaiting fresh stock. As on May 2, it had just 2,67,510 doses.

    Maharashtra has purchased about 3 lakh doses for the 18+ age group but has no stock for the 45+ population for which the Centre is the only provider. 

    Meanwhile, the Centre announced it has already placed orders for 11 crore doses of Covishield and 5 crore doses of Covaxin for May through July amid concerns that no recent orders were issued.

    The clarification came amid Serum Institute of India (SII) CEO Adar Poonawala saying that the vaccine supply crunch will continue for at least 2-3 months.

    The impetus to prepare for the crisis ought to come from the Centre and not on SII, he said. 

  • Centre places order for 16 crore doses of COVID-19 vaccines 

    By Express News Service
    NEW DELHI: The Centre on Monday said it has ordered 11 crore doses of Covishield vaccine and five crore doses of Covaxin, which will help ramp up the country’s vaccine drive amid a surge in Covid-19 cases. Once delivered the new supplies will ease the vaccine shortage and will last through July. 

    It comes amid complaints that the Centre has not placed any fresh orders for the supply of vaccines.  

    The Union Health Ministry said the government has paid a full advance of Rs 1732.50 crore to the Serum Institute of India, the maker of Covishield, on April 28 for 11 crore doses. That works out to Rs 157.5 per dose. The company has so far supplied 8.74 crore doses against the previous order of 10 crore doses. 

    The ministry said the government has paid Rs 787.50 crore to Bharat Biotech for 5 crore doses of Covaxin. Bharat Biotech has delivered about 88 lakh doses of Covaxin so far against a previous order of two crore doses. 

    “Hence to say that fresh orders have not been placed by the Government of India is not correct,” the Centre said in a statement.

    Enough oxygen available, says the Centre

    Meanwhile, the Centre on Monday said despite the growing demand for medical oxygen in the country, there is adequate oxygen available.

    Additional Secretary, Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) Piyush Goyal, however, admitted there were issues in transporting oxygen and requested hospitals to use it “judiciously”.

    Goyal said multiple efforts were being undertaken to enhance production and quickly transport oxygen to the hospitals and patients.

    “It is very important for all the hospitals that they ensure judicious use of oxygen. We need to continuously monitor this so that very judicious use of oxygen is undertaken,” Goyal said.

    Goyal appealed to the citizens to not get “jittery about the lack of oxygen in the country.” 

    “Oxygen is available in adequate quantity in the country and efforts are being made to transport it to hospitals in the shortest possible time,” Goyal said.

  • Rift within Madhya Pradesh unit of  BJP over COVID crisis

    By Express News Service
    BHOPAL: Resentment is growing within the ranks of the ruling BJP in Madhya Pradesh over the government’s handling of the Covid-19 situation in the state.  

    Two BJP lawmakers, a former minister, and two young leaders of the party have publicly expressed their disappointment over the handling of the Covid-19 situation in the state in recent days.

    Narayan Tripathi, the BJP MLA from the Maihar seat of the Satna district recently wrote a letter to Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, stating that the ‘tamasha’ of virtual meetings won’t address the grave situation, but a month-long total lock-down is urgently needed in the state.  He also urged the government to conduct door-to-door testing and expand the vaccination programme.

    Just a few days prior to it, another MLA of the ruling party, ex-minister and Bhojpur legislator Surendra Patwa wrote to health minister Dr Prabhuram Chowdhary complaining about the state of hospitals in the state. Both, Patwa and Chowdhary are BJP legislators from the same Raisen district.

    Another senior BJP leader and ex-minister Anup Mishra (nephew of Atal Bihari Vajpayee) too had recently attacked the government over the rampant black marketing of oxygen and Remdesivir.

    “Oxygen and Remdesivir injections are being black-marketed. They are available either with middlemen or influential politicians, but not with the commoners, who need them,” Mishra had tweeted recently.  

    Further, Monu Patel, the nephew of Union Minister Prahlad Patel, alleging that the entire system had collapsed and the authorities were hiding the real picture.

  • Centre has failed to provide COVID-19 vaccines: Maharashtra Minister Nawab Malik

    Express News Service
    MUMBAI: Senior Maharashtra minister Nawab Malik alleged on Monday that the Centre had failed to provide adequate stocks of vaccines to the state.

    “Many people registered for vaccination, but there are no vaccines. Maharashtra has a very limited stock of vaccines,” he said.

    The Serum Institute of India had agreed to provide more than one crore doses, “but the Centre pressured it, so we have no vaccines,” said Malik, who is a senior NCP leader and Minister of Minority Development, Aukaf, Skill Development and Entrepreneurship.

    “The Centre is neither providing us vaccines nor allowing us to buy them from manufacturing firms,” Malik alleged.

    He said since the Centre has failed to tackle the Covid situation in the country, Prime Minister Modi should call an all-party meeting for collective decision-making and form a committee of experts to suggest ways to contain the spread of the virus.

    “He (Modi) has had no time to handle the pandemic situation. It is better the PM called leaders from all parties and formed a committee of experts. The committee should be empowered to take all important decisions. Otherwise, people will continue to die due to lack of oxygen supply and other medical facilities,” said Malik.

    State Congress chief Nana Patole said the state government would take responsibility for SII chief Adar Poonawalla’s security once he is back from the UK.

    He was responding to Poonawalla’s remarks a few days back that “senior leaders were pressuring him to ramp up the vaccine supply” and that some leaders had used threatening language.

    Maharashtra government has vaccinated more than 1.63 crore people so far. “We had placed an order for 12 crore vaccines with the SII and Bharat Biotech, but neither of them has shown willingness to supply the vaccines. The SII has given us only three lakh vaccines to be used for vaccinating people in the 18-45 age group,” said a senior government official.

  • Messiah in PPE: Delivering medicines, ration in Jharkhand

    Express News Service
    RANCHI: With Covid-19 cases being reported from several localities of West Singhbhum district in Jharkhand, Good Samaritans are stepping up to help patients who are in home isolation.

    One such Covid hero is Santosh Kumar Panda, 38, who has been supplying ration and medicines to positive patients at their doorsteps on a bike, without taking any extra charges.

    Every day, the resident of Kiriburu receives more than 10 calls ever since he started delivering ration and medicines for Covid patients weeks ago. He delivers the items to at least 5-6 houses every day.

    But before stepping out of his house, Panda says he takes all precautions by wearing wear a PPE kit.

    “Since it is a highly contagious disease, I make sure that my body is fully protected before delivering the items, while my wife washes and sanitises them every day,” Panda says.

    According to Panda, he takes orders on WhatsApp and receives payment in digital mode. Panda says, of late, some people have also come forward to extend their support in providing free medicines and ration to the poor and needy.

  • Supreme Court directs Centre to revisit current COVID vaccine policy, says it may create disparity

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court has directed the Centre to revisit its COVID-19 vaccine pricing policy, saying it would prima facie result in a detriment to the right to public health.

    A bench headed by Justice D Y Chandrachud said as of date, the manufacturers have suggested two different prices, a lower price which is applicable to the Centre and a higher price which is applicable to the quantities purchased by state governments.

    The apex court said that compelling state governments to negotiate with manufacturers on grounds of promoting competition and making it attractive for new vaccine manufacturers will result in a serious detriment to those in the age group of 18 to 44 years, who will be vaccinated by state governments.

    ALSO READ: India records 3,68,147 new COVID-19 cases and 3,417 fatalities in single day

    The social strata of this age group also comprises persons who are Bahujans or belong to other underprivileged and marginalised groups, like many in the other population age groups.

    They may not have the ability to pay.

    “Whether or not essential vaccines will be made available to them will depend upon the decision of each state government, based on its own finances, on whether or not the vaccine should be made available free or should be subsidised and if so, to what extent. This will create disparity across the nation. The vaccinations being provided to citizens constitute a valuable public good,” the bench said.

    ALSO READ: Vaccine policy against right to health, Supreme Court tells Centre

    The bench, also comprising Justices L Nageswara Rao and Ravindra Bhat said, discrimination cannot be made between different classes of citizens who are similarly circumstanced on the ground that while the Central government will carry the burden of providing free vaccines for the 45 years and above population, state governments will discharge the responsibility of the 18 to 44 age group on such commercial terms as they may negotiate.

    “Prima facie, the rational method of proceeding in a manner consistent with the right to life (which includes the right to health) under Article 21 would be for the Central Government to procure all vaccines and to negotiate the price with vaccine manufacturers,” the court said.

    The apex court said that once quantities are allocated by it to each state government, the latter would lift the allocated quantities and carry out the distribution.

    ALSO READ: COVID vaccine shortage hits 18-45 age group in Chennai

    “While we are not passing a conclusive determination on the constitutionality of the current policy, the manner in which the current policy has been framed would prima facie result in a detriment to the right to public health which is an integral element of Article 21 of the Constitution.

    “Therefore, we believe that the Central Government should consider revisiting its current vaccine policy to ensure that it withstands the scrutiny of Articles 14 (equality before law) and Article 21 (Protection of life and personal liberty)of the Constitution,” it said.

    At present, the two coronavirus vaccines — Covishield and Covaxin– are in use.

    The directions were passed in a suo motu case for ensuring essential supplies and services during the COVID-19 pandemic.

    The bench has taken up issues such as the projected demand for oxygen in the country at present and in the near future, how the government intends to allocate it to “critically affected” states and its monitoring mechanism to ensure supply.

    The Supreme Court had earlier made clear that any attempt to clamp down on the free flow of information on social media, including a call for help from people, would be treated as contempt of the court.

  • Lockdown to continue in Goa’s tourist hotspots: Minister Michael Lobo

    By PTI
    PANAJI: Tourist hotspots like Calangute and Candolim in North Goa will continue to be under lockdown, even as the government has lifted the lockdown in other parts of the state, Ports Minister Michael Lobo said on Monday.

    Goa, a popular tourism destination, reported an extremely high COVID-19 test positivity rate of over 50 per cent last Thursday, following which the state government imposed the lockdown from April 29.

    The lockdown was lifted at 6 am on Monday.

    However, Lobo told PTI that the lockdown will continue in the tourism belt of North Goa district to break the chain of the viral infection.

    “We are going to continue a strict lockdown in the villages of Calangute, Candolim and Arpora-Nagoa,” Lobo said.

    The panchayats of these three areas, which are very popular among tourists, have passed orders to continue the lockdown to curb the spread of the infection, said the MLA from Calangute.

    Local administration will ensure proper availability of the essential commodities for people living in these areas, Lobo said.

    Currently, there are 1,611 active COVID-19 cases in these areas, as per the state health directorate.

    Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Sunday said the lockdown imposed in Goa on April 29 will be lifted at 6 am on Monday.

    He also said the COVID-19-induced restrictions will remain in force in the state till May 10 during which various commercial establishments will remain closed and political and social gatherings will be banned.

    On Sunday, Goa’s coronavirus caseload went up by 2,030 to reach 95,385 on Sunday, while 52 deaths pushed the toll to 1,274, as per official data.