News Analysis India

Tag: Coronavirus

  • BA.2.75 not severe, won’t bring 4th wave in India, says NK Arora

    Express News Service

    NEW DELHI: Omicron sub-variant, BA.2.75, which is driving the latest Covid-19 surge in India, is not severe or brought serious diseases and risk of death despite being more transmissible than BA.2 responsible for the second Covid wave in India.

    Speaking to TNIE, Dr N K Arora, co-chair of the Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG), said the cases are not being reported from any cluster or any one particular area, despite the transmission and efficiency of the virus being 20-30 per cent more as compared to BA.2.

    “The new sub-variant has not led to any major increase or expansion of the case pool or risk of severe disease. These cases are all spread out. I would be worried if they were occurring in one or two districts. It is happening in a scattered manner. This means it is not something which is either spreading too fast or causing too many severe cases,” said Arora, head of the Covid-19 Working Group of the National Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (NTAGI).

    An Israeli researcher first flagged the new sub-variant, and then the World Health Organisation (WHO) also said they were following BA.2.75 detected in India and other countries.

    So far, around 70 BA.2.75 infections have been reported in the country from different states, including Maharashtra, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, and Telangana and Uttar Pradesh.

    When asked whether the surge in Covid cases in the country due to the new sub-variant could lead to a fourth wave, Arora said India is not entering the fourth phase of the pandemic.

    “We are very much part of the third wave led by Omicron because any new wave has to be with a new variant of concern. What we are seeing are all off-springs of Omicron. There should not be any concern about this new sub-lineage,” he added.

    “What is important is whether any of these new sub-lineages cause severe or serious diseases, which requires hospitalisation or requires ventilation or which is likely to lead to death,” he said, adding that deaths are being reported from those individuals who were already admitted for some other diseases, like cancer, heart, lung, liver and then they got infected with Covid.

    India has been seeing a continuous Covid-19 surge since June.

    Arora said that the reason is mainly that people have become complacent, attending substantial social gatherings, travelling, and also due to the increased transmission ability of the sub-variants.

    “We are keeping a close watch through genomic and sewage surveillance to see if there is anything new which is of public health concern or could cause severe disease to an individual,” he added.

  • 18,815 new COVID infections in India; active infections in country rise to 1,22,335

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: India saw a single-day rise of 18,815 new coronavirus infections, taking the tally of COVID-19 cases to 4,35,85,554, while the active cases increased to 1,22,335, according to the Union health ministry data updated on Friday.

    The death toll has climbed to 5,25,343 with 38 new fatalities, the data updated at 8 am showed.

    The active cases comprise 0.28 per cent of the total infections, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate was recorded at 98.51 per cent, the health ministry said.

    An increase of 2,878 cases has been recorded in the active COVID-19 caseload in a span of 24 hours.

    The daily positivity rate was recorded at 4.96 per cent while the weekly positivity rate was 4.09 per cent, according to the health ministry.

    The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 4,29,37,876 while the case fatality rate was recorded at 1.21 per cent.

    According to the ministry, 198.51 crore doses of Covid vaccine have been administered in the country so far under the nationwide vaccination drive.

    India’s COVID-19 tally had crossed the 20-lakh mark on August 7, 2020, 30 lakh on August 23, 40 lakh on September 5 and 50 lakh on September 16.

    It went past 60 lakh on September 28, 70 lakh on October 11, 80 lakh on October 29, 90 lakh on November 20 and surpassed the one-crore mark on December 19.

    India crossed the grim milestone of two crore on May 4, three crore on June 23 last year and four crore on January 25 this year.

    The 38 new fatalities include 16 from Kerala, eight from Maharashtra, two each from Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal and one each from Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Haryana, Meghalaya, Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu.

    A total of 5,25,343 deaths have been reported so far in the country, including 1,47,964 from Maharashtra, 70,089 from Kerala, 40,122 from Karnataka, 38,028 from Tamil Nadu, 26,277 from Delhi, 23,545 from Uttar Pradesh and 21,233 from West Bengal.

    The health ministry stressed that more than 70 per cent of the deaths occurred due to comorbidities.

    “Our figures are being reconciled with the Indian Council of Medical Research,” the ministry said on its website, adding that the state-wise distribution of figures is subject to further verification and reconciliation.

  • India records 17,073 new Covid cases, 21 deaths; daily positivity rate 5.62 per cent

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: India logged 17,073 new coronavirus infections, raising its tally to 4,34,07,046, while the daily positivity crossed 5 per cent after over four months, the Union Health Ministry said on Monday.

    The death toll climbed to 5,25,020 with 21 fresh fatalities, data updated at 8 am by the ministry stated. The active cases increased to 94,420, comprising 0.22 per cent of the total infections.

    The national COVID-19 recovery rate was recorded at 98.57 per cent, the ministry said. An increase of 1,844 cases was recorded in the active COVID-19 case count in a span of 24 hours, as per the data.

    The daily positivity rate was recorded at 5.62 per cent, while the weekly positivity rate was recorded at 3.39 per cent, it stated. The daily positivity crossed 5 per cent after a gap of 139 days.

    The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 4,27,87,606, while the case fatality rate was recorded at 1.21 per cent.

    According to the ministry, 197.11 crore doses of vaccine have been administered in the country so far under the nationwide COVID-19 inoculation drive.

    India’s COVID-19 tally had crossed the 20-lakh mark on August 7, 2020, 30 lakh on August 23, 40 lakh on September 5 and 50 lakh on September 16.

    It went past 60 lakh on September 28, 70 lakh on October 11, crossed 80 lakh on October 29, 90 lakh on November 20 and surpassed the one-crore mark on December 19.

    The country crossed the grim milestone of two crore cases on May 4, 2021, three crore on June 23 and four crore cases on January 25 this year.

    The 21 new fatalities include six from Kerala, five from Maharashtra, four from Delhi, two each from Goa and Punjab and one each from Jammu and Kashmir and Uttar Pradesh, the data stated.

  • Take precautionary dose of Covid vaccine on time: PM Modi to people

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday urged people to ensure that they along with their family members, especially the elderly, get the precautionary dose of the vaccine against coronavirus on time and take necessary precautions like hand hygiene and masks.

    In his Mann Ki Baat radio broadcast, Modi also said that it is a matter of satisfaction that today the country has a comprehensive protective shield of vaccines.

    “We have reached close to 200 crore vaccine doses. The precaution dose is also being rapidly administered in the country,” he noted.

    “If it is time for a precaution dose after your second dose, then you must take this third dose. Make your family members, especially the elderly, take a precautionary dose. We also have to take necessary precautions like hand hygiene and masks,” Modi said.

    The prime minister also called on people to be alert to diseases caused by the surrounding filth during the rainy season.

    “All of you stay alert, stay healthy and keep moving forward with similar positive energy,” he said in his radio broadcast.

    The cumulative number of COVID-19 vaccine doses administered in the country crossed 197 crore on Saturday, according to the Union Health Ministry.

    India began administering precaution doses of vaccines to healthcare and frontline workers and those aged 60 and above with comorbidities from January 10.

    The country began inoculating children aged 12-14 from March 16 and also removed the comorbidity clause, making all people aged above 60 eligible for the precaution dose of Covid vaccine. India on April 10 began administering precaution doses of COVID-19 vaccines to all aged above 18 years.

  • Maharashtra Governor discharged from hospital after COVID-19 recovery

    By PTI

    MUMBAI: Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari was discharged from a hospital here on Sunday after recovering from COVID-19, authorities said.

    Koshyari, 80, was admitted to the private hospital in south Mumbai on Wednesday after testing positive for the infection.

    A statement issued by the Raj Bhavan said the governor returned to his official residence after remaining hospitalised for four days.

    In a tweet on Wednesday, the governor had said, “I have tested positive for COVID-19. There are only mild symptoms. However I have been admitted to a Hospital as a precautionary measure.” A day before that, Shiv Sena’s cabinet minister Eknath Shinde had launched a rebellion against his own party, setting off hectic political activities in the state.

    Majority of the Sena legislators have supported Shinde and joined him in Guwahati, where all of them are currently camping.

    Their rebellion has pushed the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government headed by Sena president Uddhav Thackeray to the brink of collapse. NCP and Congress are also part of the ruling combine.

  • Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray discusses COVID situation, mulls mask rule in Mumbai local trains

    By PTI

    MUMBAI: Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Friday discussed the COVID-19 situation with senior government officials and explored the possibility of making face masks mandatory again in Mumbai suburban trains in view of the rising cases.

    An official statement issued by the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) said that Thackeray reviewed the prevailing COVID-19 situation in the state, which has been recording a steady rise in new infections, especially in Mumbai and some other big cities.

    The statement said that the chief minister, at a virtual meeting with senior bureaucrats, also discussed the possibility of making face masks mandatory for suburban train commuters. The mask mandate option was discussed as a measure to curb growing cases of the novel coronavirus infection in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR), it said.

    Maharashtra withdrew its mandatory mask rule in early April and made it optional in view of a sharp drop in daily cases. “Coronavirus cases are on the rise in the state, chiefly in Mumbai, Thane, Pune, Raigad and Palghar districts. People should follow COVID-19-appropriate behaviour on their own,” the CM was quoted as saying in the statement.

    Maharashtra recorded 4,205 new COVID-19 cases on Friday, a day after breaching the 5,000-mark. Of the new cases, Mumbai alone reported 1,898 infections. The number of active cases has gone past 25,000, indicating a widening gap between new patients and those recovering from the infection.

  • Covid vax prevented over 42 lakh deaths in India: Lancet

    Further 599,300 lives could have been saved if the World Health Organization's target of vaccinating 40 per cent of the population in each country with two or more doses by end of 2021 had been met.

  • Delhi BJP leader files plaint against Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray for ‘violating COVID rules’

    By PTI

    MUMBAI: A BJP leader from Delhi filed a complaint against Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray for allegedly violating COVID-19 related protocols by meeting his supporters while heading to his personal residence from his official house in the state capital on Wednesday night, police said.

    Thackeray, who tested positive for the infection on Wednesday, moved out of ‘Varsha’, his official residence in south Mumbai, to ‘Matoshree’ his family home in suburban Bandra, at night – hours after offering to quit the top post amid rebellion by Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde.

    Party workers could be seen raising slogans and showering petals on the chief minister as he left his official house along with his family members – wife Rashmi Thackeray, sons Aaditya and Tejas Thackeray at around 9:50 pm. He reached outside ‘Matoshree’ around 10:30 pm.

    On the way, Thackeray, who was wearing a face mask, could be seen stepping out of his car at Worli, the constituency of his son and Tourism minister Aaditya Thackeray, and near Matoshree and waiving at the party workers. “Delhi BJP spokesperson Tajinder Pal Singh Bagga submitted an online complaint against Thackeray to Malabar Hill police,” the official said.

    The complaint was made available on Twitter and circulated on social media groups. It was retweeted by Bagga himself. The complaint said that as per the news, CM Thackeray has tested positive for COVID-19 and according to the protocols, such a patient cannot meet anyone and should remain in isolation.

    But Thackeray was seen meeting his supporters and thereby violating the COVID-19 protocol. The visuals about it were shown on TV channels, the complaint said, and requested the police to file an FIR against Thackeray.

    The Shiv Sena-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government is battling a survival crisis following the rebellion of senior Sena minister Eknath Shinde and a sizable number of MLAs belonging to the Uddhav Thackeray-led party.

    Shinde and the party rebels, who are currently camping in Guwahati, has said he has 46 MLAs supporting him.

  • Maharashtra reports 4,004 fresh cases of COVID-19, one death

    By PTI

    MUMBAI: Maharashtra on Sunday reported 4,004 fresh COVID-19 cases, including 2,087 in Mumbai, and one fatality, taking the tally to 79,35,749 and the toll to 1,47,886, the state health department said. A day earlier the state had reported 3,883 cases and two COVID-19 fatalities.

    Maharashtra is now left with 23,746 active cases after 3,085 patients were discharged on Sunday, taking the tally of recoveries to 77,64,117, the department said in a statement. A total of 41,823 tests were conducted on Sunday, raising the number of samples tested so far in the state to 8,16 03,506.

    The case recovery rate in the state now stands at 97.84 per cent while the fatality rate is 1.86 per cent, it said. The sole COVID-19 fatality in the state was reported from Mumbai which saw 2,087 new cases.

    Mumbai’s overall tally of cases has reached 10,93,722 and the COVID-19 death toll to 19,583. Mumbai division added 3,358 new cases, pushing the tally to 22,84,103. The COVID-19 death toll in the Mumbai division is 39,858.

    Nashik division saw 60 cases, Pune division 408, Kolhapur division 43, Aurangabad division 11, Latur division 13, Akola division 24, and Nagpur division 87. The tally of COVID-19 cases in Maharashtra is as follows: Positive cases 79,35,749, deaths 1,47,886, recoveries 77,64,117, active cases 23,746, total tests 8,16,03,506, tests today 41,823.

  • India sees 12,899 fresh COVID-19 cases with 15 new fatalities

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: India on Sunday recorded 12,899 fresh COVID-19 cases that pushed its infection tally to 4,32,96,692, while the number of active cases increased to 72,474, according to Union health ministry data.

    The death toll climbed to 5,24,855 with 15 fresh fatalities, the data updated at 8 am stated. The active cases comprise 0.17 per cent of the total infections. The national COVID-19 recovery rate was recorded at 98.62 per cent, the health ministry said.

    An increase of 4,366 cases has been recorded in the active COVID-19 caseload in a span of 24 hours. The daily positivity rate was recorded at 2.89 per cent and the weekly positivity rate at 2.50 per cent, the ministry said.

    ALSO READ: States, UTs asked to submit ‘larger number’ of samples for whole-genome sequencing

    The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 4,26,99,363. The case fatality rate stood at 1.21 per cent, it said. According to the ministry, 196.14 crore COVID-19 vaccine doses have been administered so far in the country under the nationwide inoculation drive.

    India’s COVID-19 tally had crossed the 20-lakh mark on August 7, 2020, 30 lakh on August 23, 40 lakh on September 5 and 50 lakh on September 16.

    It went past 60 lakh on September 28, 70 lakh on October 11, crossed 80 lakh on October 29, 90 lakh on November 20 and surpassed the 1-crore mark on December 19.

    ALSO READ: Free COVID vaccine booster jabs in private hospitals across Tamil Nadu soon

    India crossed the grim milestone of 2 crore on May 4, 3 crore on June 23 and 4 crore on January 25 this year.