News Analysis India

Tag: Coronavirus Outbreak

  • Omicron variant: Government to review decision on restarting international flights, SOP for incoming passengers

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: The government on Sunday decided to review the decision on resuming scheduled commercial international passenger services as well SOP on testing and surveillance of incoming passengers, especially from countries identified as ‘at risk’, in the wake of the emergence of the new COVID-19 variant of concern ‘Omicron’.

    The decisions were taken at an urgent meeting chaired by Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla and attended by various stakeholders, an official spokesperson said.

    The meeting was held a day after a high-level review by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the new COVID-19 variant of concern ‘Omicron’.

    ALSO READ: Covid ‘Omicron’ fears – Karnataka government asks Centre to ban passengers from South Africa, Hong Kong, Botswana

    After a long hiatus of more than 20 months, the government had on November 26 announced the resumption of scheduled international commercial flights from December 15.

    The home ministry spokesperson said at the meeting, chaired by the home secretary, the overall global situation in the wake of the Omicron virus was comprehensively reviewed and various preventive measures in place and to be further strengthened were discussed.

    The government will review the decision on the effective date of resumption of scheduled commercial international passenger services as per evolving global scenario, the spokesperson said.

    ALSO READ: Omicron variant – Returnees from abroad to Madhya Pradesh in last one month to undergo COVID-19 test, says CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan

    The new, potentially more contagious B.1.1.529 variant was first reported to the World Health Organisation (WHO) from South Africa on November 24 and has also been identified in Botswana, Belgium, Hong Kong and Israel.

    It was on Friday designated as a “Variant of Concern” by the WHO, which named it Omicron.

    A variant of concern is the WHO’s top category of worrying COVID-19 variants.

    EXPLAINER: Is new COVID variant ‘Omicron’ more lethal than Delta? Here’s all you need to know

    “Government to review Standard Operating Procedure on testing and surveillance of incoming international passengers, especially for those countries identified ‘at risk’ category,” the spokesperson said in a series of tweets.

    The government has also decided that the genomic surveillance for variants will be further strengthened and intensified and Airport Health Officials (APHOs) and Port Health Officials (PHOs) will be sensitised for strict supervision of testing protocol at airports and seaports.

    “Decision on effective date of resumption of scheduled commercial international passengers service, to be reviewed, as per evolving global scenario,” the spokesperson said.

    EXPLAINER: What is this new COVID variant in South Africa?

    A closer watch on the emerging pandemic situation within the country will be maintained, the spokesperson said.

    The meeting was held with various experts including V K Paul, Member (Health), NITI Aayog, Vijay Raghavan, Principal Scientific Adviser to Prime Minister, senior officers from Health, Civil Aviation and other Ministries.

  • Arvind Kejriwal writes to PM Narendra Modi to stop flights from countries affected by new COVID variant

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to stop flights coming to India from countries affected by a new variant of coronavirus with immediate effect.

    “Our country has fought a tough fight against corona for the last one and half years. With great difficulty and due to the selfless service of millions of our Covid warriors, our country has recovered from coronavirus,” he wrote in the letter.

    In view of the new Covid variant, a number of countries, including the European Union, have suspended travel to the affected regions, he said.

    “We should do everything possible to prevent the new variant of concern, recently recognised by the WHO, from entering India…I urge you to stop flights from these regions with immediate effect. Any delay in this regard may prove harmful, if any affected person enters India,” the letter read.

    As concerns grow over the new COVID variant, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday called for a proactive approach and a review of plans for easing of international travel curbs, and urged people to be more cautious while several states moved quickly to take precautionary measures and remain vigilant.

    Modi, who was briefed by officials about the recently discovered variant Omicron during a comprehensive meeting here to review the public health preparedness and COVID-19 vaccination, also highlighted the need for monitoring all international arrivals, their testing as per guidelines, with a specific focus on countries identified ‘at risk’.

    The Centre on Thursday had asked all states and Union territories to conduct rigorous screening and testing of all international travellers coming from or transiting through South Africa, Hong Kong and Botswana, where the variant of serious public health implications has been reported.

    Meanwhile, the Delhi government has called a meeting of the Delhi Disaster Management Authority on Monday to discuss steps that need to be taken in view of threat of the new COVID-19 variant, Kejriwal had said on Friday.

  • No scientific evidence to support need for booster vaccine dose against COVID: ICMR chief Dr Balram Bhargava

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: There is no scientific evidence so far to support the need for a booster vaccine dose against COVID-19, ICMR Director General Dr Balram Bhargava said on Monday underlining the completion of second dose for India’s adult population is the priority for the government for now.

    According to sources, the booster dose issue is likely to be discussed in the next meeting of the National Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation in India (NTAGI).

    “Administering the second dose of COVID-19 vaccine to all adult population and ensuring that not only India but the entire world gets vaccinated is the priority of the government for now.

    “More so, there is no scientific evidence so far to support the need for a booster vaccine dose against COVID-19,” Bhargava told PTI.

    On the probability of administering a booster dose, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya recently said that adequate stocks are available and the aim is to complete the vaccination of the target population with two doses.

    After that, a decision on booster dose would be taken based on expert recommendation, he had said.

    “The government cannot take a direct decision in such a matter. When the Indian Council of Medical Research and expert team will say that a booster dose should be given, we will consider it then,” he had said, adding that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has always depended on expert opinion, be it vaccine research, manufacturing or approval.

    According to officials, around 82 per cent of the eligible population in India have received the first dose of the vaccine while around 43 per cent have been fully inoculated.

    The total number of COVID-19 vaccine doses administered in the country has exceeded 116.87 crore, according to provisional reports till 7 am.

    The government has launched a month-long ‘Har Ghar Dastak’ campaign for house-to-house COVID-19 vaccination of those who are yet to take a dose and for people whose second dose is overdue.

    According to officials, over 12 crore beneficiaries are overdue for their second dose of COVID-19 vaccine after the expiry of the prescribed interval between the two doses.

  • Mansukh Mandaviya urges 3 states, 1 UT reporting low COVID vaccination coverage to launch aggressive campaign

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Monday urged Manipur, Meghalaya, Nagaland and Puducherry, which have been reporting a low vaccination coverage, to launch aggressive campaign to increase the pace and ensure full COVID-19 inoculation of the adult population.

    Reiterating that vaccination is the most potent weapon in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, Mandaviya urged the states and the union territory to innovatively rope in all stakeholders, including NGOs, faith-based organisations, religious leaders, community influencers and other partners, to motivate and mobilise all eligible population towards full Covid vaccination, a health ministry statement said.

    “We are in the last lap of COVID-19 vaccination. Let us launch aggressive campaign to ensure full COVID-19 vaccination by increasing the pace of vaccination and expanding the coverage,” he said while virtually interacting with health secretaries and senior officials of the health department from Manipur, Meghalaya, Nagaland and Puducherry during a meeting he chaired to review the status of Covid vaccination in these states and the union territory and the progress under the ‘Har Ghar Dastak’ campaign.

    These states and the UT have been reporting low vaccination coverage, the health ministry statement said.

    While India’s first dose coverage is at 82 per cent and second dose coverage at 43 per cent, Puducherry (66 per cent, 39 per cent), Nagaland (49 per cent, 36 per cent), Meghalaya (57 per cent, 38 per cent) and Manipur (54 per cent, 36 per cent) lag behind from national average in their first and second dose coverage, it said.

    “Let us ensure collectively that no eligible citizen is left without the ‘Suraksha Kawachh’ of COVID-19 vaccine in the country, and to address issues of hesitancy, misinformation, superstition etc.”

    Mandaviya urged the states to deploy all state government officials, one day each week, to visit each eligible household to motivate and mobilise them towards full vaccination, the statement said.

    He reiterated the prime minister’s mop-up strategies for strengthening the ‘Har Ghar Dastak’ campaign, including deploying ‘Prachar Toli’ in advance to villages, which would ensure mobilisation and counselling of the eligible population along with awareness campaigns, followed by the ‘Vaccination Toli’, who would ensure that all eligible citizens are vaccinated with the first and second dose, it stated.

    “I have observed during my recent visit to Arunachal Pradesh the use of stickers of ‘Fully Vaccinated Home’. Similar innovative strategies can be used in other states too,” he said.

    States can also make children and students Covid vaccination ambassadors to urge and motivate the elders and eligible members in their families and communities to take both doses of COVID-19 vaccine, the minister added.

    Mandaviya exhorted the states to prepare detailed district-wise micro plans, deploy adequate number of teams and to regularly review the daily progress of the low performing districts.

    States were urged to make innovative short video clips to address target groups for hesitancy, along with effective use of various social media platforms and traditional media, the statement said.

    The Union health minister engaged with the states and the UT to know the specific reasons holding back the wide scaling up of the vaccination drive under the ongoing ‘Har Ghar Dastak’ campaign.

    He was apprised of the ongoing efforts by the state and the UT administration to address issues of hesitancy, the statement said.

    While India’s first dose coverage is at 82 per cent (as on date), except for the Union Territory of Puducherry, coverage of other states remain below 60 per cent, according to the statement.

    Meghalaya, with a target population over 20 lakh, has eight lakh people waiting to be given first dose and due beneficiaries for second dose are over 2.5 lakh, it said.

    Similarly, Manipur has over 10 lakh people yet to get their first dose and over 3.7 lakh due beneficiaries for their second dose out of a target population of 23.4 lakh.

    Nagaland, with a target population of 14.7 lakh, has over 7.5 lakh first doses to be achieved and 1.2 lakh beneficiaries due for second doses.

    Puducherry, with a population has 11.3 lakh, has 3.88 lakh people yet to get first dose and 1.91 lakh eligible but yet to receive second dose, the statement said.

  • Second COVID-19 vaccine dose of 18 lakh people in West Bengal overdue: Report

    Quite a few of them changed their mobile numbers after the initial dose and could not be traced, the official said.

  • Lucky draw among strategies planned to improve COVID vaccine coverage

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Weekly or monthly lucky draw programmes for those fully vaccinated against COVID-19 are among the strategies planned by the government to encourage people yet to take the first dose and those overdue for the second jab to get inoculated, sources said on Sunday.

    The Union Health Ministry has planned other initiatives also such as organising workplace vaccination and providing badges to fully vaccinated employees.

    States and Union Territories may soon be suggested to undertake these initiatives.

    The strategies also include involving influential figures in districts or villages, who themselves are vaccinated, to motivate their peer groups in getting the anti-Covid shots.

    Such people may be appointed as ‘ambassadors’ and oriented about the government’s ‘Har Ghar Dastak’ initiative.

    They can, in turn, provide sound advice to people on the importance of taking both the doses of vaccine and completing the vaccination schedule.

    The government has launched the month-long ‘Har Ghar Dastak’ campaign for house-to-house COVID-19 vaccination of those who are yet to take a dose and those whose second jab is overdue.

    “Workplace vaccination can be organised targeting people who are due for their doses. Employees, both at private and government offices and other workplaces, may be given badges having vaccination messages such as ‘I am fully vaccinated, are you fully vaccinated too’ to encourage their colleagues to get the doses,” a source said.

    “Also, weekly or monthly lucky draw programmes may be organized for the fully vaccinated. Household items like kitchen appliances, ration kit, travel passes, cash prizes can be given to the winners of the lucky draw to motivate the fence-sitters to go for vaccination.”

    Ideas or initiatives at the local level may further help in motivating people and mobilizing the left-out or dropped-out beneficiaries and help in ensuring that all adults are protected against Covid infection, the source said.

    According to officials, around 82 per cent of the eligible population in India have received the first dose of the vaccine while around 43 per cent have been fully inoculated.

    Over 12 crore beneficiaries are overdue for their second dose of COVID-19 vaccine after the expiry of the prescribed interval between the two doses.

  • SII urges government to fast-track movement of increasing Covishield stock

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Serum Institute of India (SII) has urged the government to fast-track Covishield movement citing the difficulties being faced in production and cold chain space planning for other vaccines because of the increasing stock of its COVID-19 jab, official sources said on Sunday.

    Prakash Kumar Singh, Director, Government and Regulatory Affairs at SII, is learnt to have recently communicated to the Union Health Ministry that it has a manufactured stock of 24,89,15,000 Covishield doses and it is increasing every day.

    In addition to the Covishield vaccine, the Pune-based firm also manufactures and supplies various life-saving vaccines to EPI, UNICEF and different countries, Singh is learnt to have told the ministry.

    “To fulfil our domestic and global supply commitments, we have to plan our production/cold chain space/human resource well in advance. In view of continuous increase in the stock of Covishield, we are facing a lot of difficulties in production/cold chain space/human resource planning for other life-saving vaccines,” an official source quoted Singh as having stated in the letter.

    “In view of these facts, genuine difficulties and as this matter is directly concerned with the availability of various other life-saving vaccines in our country and the world at large, we request for your kind intervention for fast-track movement of our Covishield vaccine domestically and globally,” Singh is learnt to have stated.

    The Centre has allowed SII to export 50 Lakh doses of Covishied under the UN-backed COVAX global vaccine sharing programme to Nepal, Tajikistan and Mozambique.

    SII will also export Covishield to Bangladesh under COVAX, an official source said.

    The Serum Institute will commence its Covid vaccine export under the COVAX programme from November 23 and Nepal will receive the first lot of Covishiled on November 24.

    The government had in October permitted SII to export 10 lakh Covishield doses, each to Nepal, Myanmar and Bangladesh under the ‘Vaccine Maitri’ programme.

  • Austria orders nationwide lockdown for unvaccinated

    By Associated Press

    BERLIN: The Austrian government ordered a nationwide lockdown for unvaccinated people starting midnight Sunday to slow the fast spread of the coronavirus in the country.

    The move prohibits unvaccinated individuals older than age 12 from leaving their homes except for basic activities such as working, grocery shopping, going for a walk — or getting vaccinated.

    Authorities are concerned about rising deaths and that hospital staff will no longer be able to handle the growing influx of COVID-19 patients.

    “It’s our job as the government of Austria to protect the people,” Chancellor Alexander Schallenberg told reporters in Vienna on Sunday. “Therefore we decided that starting Monday … there will be a lockdown for the unvaccinated.”

    The lockdown affects about 2 million people in the Alpine country of 8.9 million people, news agency APA reported. It doesn’t apply to children under the age of 12 because they cannot yet officially get vaccinated.

    The lockdown will initially last for 10 days and police have been asked to check people outside to make sure they are vaccinated, Schallenberg said adding that additional officers would go on patrol to control the lockdown.

    Unvaccinated people can be fined up to 1,450 euros ($1,660) if they do not adhere to the restrictions.

    Austria has one of the lowest vaccination rates in western Europe: only around 65% of the total population is fully vaccinated. In recent weeks, the country has faced a worrying trend in infections. The country reported 11,552 new cases on Sunday; a week ago there were 8,554 new infections.

    The seven-day infection rate stands at 775.5 new cases per 100,000 inhabitants. In comparison, the rate is at 289 in neighboring Germany, which has already also sounded the alarm over the rising numbers.

    Schallenberg pointed out that while the seven-day infection rate for vaccinated people has been falling in recent days, the same rate is rising quickly for the unvaccinated.

    “The rate for the unvaccinated is at over 1,700, while for the vaccinated it is at 383,” the chancellor said.

    Schallenberg also called on people who have been vaccinated to get their booster shot, saying that otherwise “we will never get out of this vicious circle.”

  • Zydus Cadila’s COVID vaccine to be administered only to adults as of now: Sources

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Zydus Cadila’s COVID-19 vaccine ZyCov-D, which has been cleared by India’s drug regulator for those aged 12 years and above, will only be administered to adults as of now under the government’s national anti-coronavirus vaccination programme, sources said on Sunday.

    The health ministry has given a go ahead to initiate the preparatory work for the inclusion of the indigenously-developed, needle-free jab in the national Covid inoculation drive and it can be introduced in the programme anytime soon.

    The ministry has already placed a purchase order with the Ahmedabad-based firm for one crore doses of the vaccine.

    “ZyCov-D, which has been cleared by India’s drug regulator for those aged 12 years and above, will be given only to adults as of now under the national Covid vaccination drive,” an official source said.

    Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Thursday said the government does not want to make haste about administering Covid vaccines to children and any decision in this regard will be taken based on expert opinion.

    He said children are not being inoculated against COVID-19 on a large scale anywhere in the world, though it has been initiated in some countries in a limited manner.

    “About vaccinating the children, we will take a decision based on expert opinion. We have decided to think and evaluate before going ahead with vaccinating children as they are the future of our country and we need to tread with caution in this matter,” Mandaviya had said.

    Meanwhile, a comprehensive programme for paediatric immunisation, including developing a priority list of comorbidities, is being worked out by the National Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (NTAGI).

    ZyCov-D is the first Covid vaccine cleared by India’s drug regulator for inoculation of those aged 12 years and above.

    As for the emergency use approval for Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin in the age group of two to 18 years by the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI), it is under expert opinion and evaluation, official sources said.

    For administering ZyCov-D to adults, frontline workers and vaccinators will be provided a brief training for using the needle-free applicator in actual field settings.

    At present, every citizen aged above 18 years is eligible for Covid vaccination.

    Drug firm Zydus Cadila on November 8 said it had received an order to supply one crore doses of its Covid vaccine, ZyCoV-D, to the Indian government at Rs 265 per dose.

    “Zydus Cadila has received an order to supply one crore doses of ZyCoV-D, the world’s first Plasmid DNA Vaccine, to the Government of India at Rs 265 per dose and the needle-free applicator is being offered at Rs 93 per dose, excluding GST,” the pharma firm said in a regulatory filing.

    The vaccine will be administered using a needle-free applicator as opposed to the traditional syringes.

    The applicator is called “PharmaJet”.

    PharmaJet is a needle-free applicator to ensure painless intradermal vaccine delivery, which also leads to a significant reduction in any kind of major side effects.

    ZyCoV-D is the first DNA plasmid vaccine in the world for human use, developed indigenously by the company against COVID-19, Zydus Cadila said.

    The three doses of ZyCoV-D are to be administered 28 days apart.

    The vaccine was given emergency use authorisation (EUA) by the Indian drug regulator on August 20.

  • IMA pushes for COVID-19 vaccine for all diabetes patients

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Noticing their vulnerabilities, IMA on Sunday demanded Covid-19 vaccination for all diabetes patients, including a third dose, if needed.

    The IMA on Sunday launched a campaign for early detection and mitigation of diabetes complications with organising of walkathon, marathon, screening camps, and a social media drive.

    The campaign also included research paper promotion among young doctors and an “intense” personal intervention at hospitals.

    The campaign, launched on the occasion of world Diabetes Day, will run for 10 days and will aim to reach one billion people, the Indian Medical Association (IMA) said in a statement.

    As part of the campaign, the IMA has joined hands with the association of Physicians of India, RSSDI, Endocrine Society, and many other niche organisations.

    As per the data from the 10th Edition of the IDF Diabetes Atlas, diabetes caused 6.7 million deaths in 2021, with 537 million adults (aged 20 to 79 years) around the world currently living with the condition.

    Their number is predicted to rise to 643 million by 2030 and 784 million by 2045, the statement said.

    In India, more than 77 million adults are living with diabetes and researchers predict that this will increase to 134 million by 2045.

    World Diabetes Day became an official United Nations Day in 2006 with the passage of United Nation Resolution 61/225.

    It is held every year on November 14 to mark the birthday of Sir Frederick Banting, who co-discovered insulin along with Charles Best in 1922.

    The theme for World Diabetes Day 2021-23 is access to diabetes care.

    Even after 100 years of the discovery of insulin, millions of people with diabetes around the world do not have access to the kind of care they need, the doctors’ body said.

    Its patients require continuous care and support to manage their condition and avoid complications, they said.

    To make insulin accessible, IMA’s state and local branches will set up special centres to help people get insulin therapy at appropriate times, the statement said.

    The World Diabetes Day logo — a blue circle — will be depicted by blue light and blue balloon during the campaign at all IMA branches.

    Also, special sessions will be organised during the week at ‘blue corners’ to make people aware about diabetes and complications caused by it, the statement said.

    According to a 2021 review, people who live in cities and metropolitan areas in India are more likely to develop diabetes than ever before.

    This is due in part to a city lifestyle that is marked by sedentariness, stress, junk food, smoking, and liquor consumption.

    All these factors lead to an increase in a person’s body mass index (BMI) – a major risk factor in causing diabetes, the statement said.

    Overall, women have a higher risk of developing diabetes than males, but as both groups get older, the risk decreases, it said.

    Although diabetes figures are high, researchers estimate that 57 per cent of cases remain undiagnosed.

    This is particularly concerning, as the risk of serious complications increases when people do not take medication to control their blood sugar, it added.

    The IMA campaign includes holding programmes in both urban and rural areas to promote detection of these hidden and Pre-diabetes cases.

    It also spoke about the diabetic foot, terming it a dreaded complication, and saying that 80 per cent of amputations of leg In India are due to this condition.

    The association said such complications are preventable if proper care is given.

    To improve dietary habits of the patients, IMA has also joined hands with the Food Safety department of government of India and propagate an ‘Eat Right campaign’.

    Under it, IMA is organising a one-day training programme to teach the trainers in each state with the help of FSSAI, so that they can coach people on their diet further in their respective states.