News Analysis India

Tag: COVID 19 Pandemic

  • All set to start administering precaution dose of COVID vaccine in India from Monday

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: India will start administering the precaution dose of Covid vaccine to healthcare and frontline workers, and comorbid people aged 60 and above from Monday in a bid to stymie the coronavirus spread driven by its Omicron variant.

    Personnel deployed in election duty in poll-bound Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Manipur and Goa have also been designated as frontline workers.

    Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, in a tweet on Sunday, said reminder SMSes have been sent to over one crore healthcare and frontline workers and senior citizens for their precaution dose.

    An estimated 1.05 crore healthcare and 1.9 crore frontline workers, and 2.75 crore comorbid people in the 60 plus age group would be administered the precaution dose according to schedule, Health Ministry sources said.

    There would be no mix-and-match of vaccines for the precaution dose.

    The beneficiaries would be given the same vaccine as their previous two jabs.

    According to guidelines issued by the Union Health Ministry, the gap between the date of administering the second dose of vaccine and the precaution dose would be nine months (39 weeks).

    CoWIN will send reminder messages to all those eligible for this dose and after administration of the shot, it will be noted in the digital vaccination certificate.

    Online appointments for precaution dose began on the CoWin portal on Saturday evening.

    However, there is also the option of an onsite appointment and it will start on January 10.

    “The government is ensuring the security of the health army that keeps the country secure. Reminder SMS have been sent to more than one crore health and frontline workers and 60+ citizens for their precaution dose. Appointments on COWIN are already open. Administering the doses will start tomorrow,” Mandaviya said in a tweet in Hindi.

    According to the Health Ministry, private hospitals that function as COVID-19 Vaccination Centres can inoculate their eligible staff members.

    Those aged 60 years and above with comorbidities will not be required to produce or submit any certificate from a doctor at the time of administration of the precautionary dose of vaccine.

    The countrywide COVID-19 vaccination drive was rolled out on January 16 last year with healthcare workers getting inoculated in the first phase.

    The vaccination of frontline workers started from February 2.

    The next phase of inoculation commenced from March 1 for people over 60 years of age and those aged 45 and above with specified co-morbid conditions.

    The country launched vaccination for all people aged more than 45 years from April 1.

    The government then decided to expand its vaccination drive by allowing everyone above 18 to be vaccinated from May 1.

    COVID-19 vaccination for adolescents in the age group of 15-18 years commenced from January 3.

  • Four judges, 5 per cent of Supreme Court staff test positive for COVID

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Four Supreme Court judges and almost five per cent of its staff have tested positive for COVID-19, official sources said on Sunday, as the national capital witnesses a sharp spike in coronavirus cases.

    An apex court official told PTI that out of the 32 judges in the apex court, at least four judges, and 150 out of the nearly 3,000 staff members, are currently infected with the virus.

    Delhi on Saturday, recorded seven fatalities due to Covid and 20,181 cases as the positivity rate rose to 19.60 per cent, while the country, according to Union health ministry data updated on Sunday, reported a single day rise of 1,59,632 cases and 327 fatalities.

    A COVID-19 testing facility has been set up on the top court’s premises and it is open from Monday to Saturday.

    “In view to contain the spread of the highly contagious coronavirus infection and sudden upsurge in the cases of Omicron variant of the coronavirus, it is reiterated that the entrants to the Supreme Court premises, i.e. the registry staff, staff of the coordinate agencies, advocates and their staff etc., particularly those who may be showing any symptom(s) similar to those notified for COVID-19 infection(s), may kindly get themselves tested at such facility…,” a circular read.

    The top court on January 2 had decided to conduct all hearings in virtual mode for two weeks starting from January 3, in view of rising number of cases.

    A circular issued in this regard stated that an earlier circular prescribing standard operating procedure for physical hearing (hybrid hearing) will remain suspended for the time being.

  • Uttarakhand High Court suspends physical hearing after judge, four others test COVID positive

    By PTI

    NAINITAL: Uttarakhand High Court has suspended physical hearings after a judge and four other employees of the court tested positive for Covid-19 on Friday, officials said.

    Important matters will be heard virtually, according to a high court official.

    Apart from the five, four Nainital residents also tested positive for Covid on Friday.

    Although all the infected people are asymptomatic, they have been home quarantined and around 60 samples from the High Court sent for testing, he said.

  • India reports 1,41,986 new coronavirus cases in 24 hours, daily tally up by 21 per cent

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: India saw a single-day rise of 1,41,986 new coronavirus cases, raising the tally to 3,53,68,372, which included 3,071 cases of Omicron variant reported across 27 states and union territories so far, the Union Health Ministry said on Saturday.

    Of the 3,071 cases of Omicron variant, 1,203 have recovered or migrated, according to the data updated by the ministry at 8 am.

    Maharashtra has recorded the maximum number of 876 Omicron variant cases, followed by Delhi at 513, Karnataka 333, Rajasthan 291, Kerala 284 and Gujarat 204.

    1,41,986 #COVID19 cases, 40,895 recoveries, and 285 deaths were reported in the last 24 hours.Express Photo | @shrirambn pic.twitter.com/lHhToSbOiU
    — The New Indian Express (@NewIndianXpress) January 8, 2022
    A total of 1,41,986 new coronavirus infections were reported in a day, the highest in around 222 days.

    The active Covid cases have increased to 4,72,169, the highest in around 187 days, according to the data.

    The death toll has climbed to 4,83,463 with 285 fresh fatalities, it stated.

    A total of 1,52,734 new infections were reported on May 31 last year.

    ALSO READ: Uttarakhand government bans political rallies, shuts schools till January 16 amid Covid surge

    The active Covid cases have increased to 4,72,169, comprising 1.34 per cent of the total infections.

    The national COVID-19 recovery rate has decreased to 97.30 per cent, the health ministry said.

    An increase of 1,00,806 cases has been recorded in the active COVID-19 caseload in a span of 24 hours, it said.

    The daily positivity rate was recorded at 9.28 per cent, while the weekly positivity rate was recorded at 5.66 per cent, the ministry said.

    ALSO READ: Nine COVID deaths in New Delhi, highest in six months

    The number of people who have recuperated from COVID-19 surged to 3,44,12,740, while the case fatality rate was recorded at 1.37 per cent, it said.

    The cumulative doses administered in the country so far under the nationwide COVID-19 vaccination drive has exceeded 150.06 crore, the ministry said.

    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, 2020.

    READ OPINION: When hospitals turn COVID clusters

    The country crossed the grim milestone of two crore on May 4, 2021, and three crore on June 23 of that year.

    The 285 new fatalities included 189 from Kerala and 20 from Maharashtra.

    A total of 4,83,463 deaths due to the pandemic have been reported so far in the country, including 1,41,614 from Maharashtra, 49,305 from Kerala, 38,362 from Karnataka, 36,833 from Tamil Nadu, 25,136 from Delhi, 22,918 from Uttar Pradesh and 19,864 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 state-wise distribution of figures is subject to further verification and reconciliation.

  • Gujarat: No physical classes in schools upto class 9; night curfew time extended in 10 cities

    By PTI

    AHMEDABAD: Amid rising coronavirus cases, the Gujarat government on Friday extended the night curfew time in 10 cities by two hours.

    There would be no in-person classes at school for students of Std first to ninth till January 31, it announced.

    Gujarat recorded 5,396 new cases of coronavirus since Thursday evening, as per the health department.

    To curb further spread of the infection, the government has asked schools to stop offline education for Classes 1 to 9 till January 31 and continue with only online lessons.

    Coaching centres for students of Class 9 upwards and those for post-graduate courses as well as competitive exams can run with 50 per cent capacity, the official release stated.

    Night curfew is already in force in eight major cities – Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Rajkot, Surat, Gandhinagar, Jamnagar, Bhavnagar and Junagadh.

    The time of the curfew was 11 pm to 5 am.

    Now it will be from 10 pm to 6 am.

    Further, the night curfew will be implemented in Anand and Nadiad cities too.

    People who are part of emergency services, pregnant women, patients and their attendants and those traveling to catch flights, buses and trains will be allowed to commute during night curfew.

    All others are barred from venturing out in these 10 cities from 10 pm to 6 am.

    Shops and other commercial establishments in these cities can operate till 10 pm, while home delivery of food is allowed till 11 pm.

    Across the state, sports complexes and stadiums are permitted to organise sports events without spectators, while cinema halls, gymnasiums, water parks, swimming pools, libraries, auditoriums can operate with 50 per cent capacity.

    People associated with such commercial activities, including owners and employees, must be fully vaccinated, the government has said.

    Public gardens in the state will be shut after 10 pm.

    The new guidelines mandate that not more than 400 persons are allowed to attend social, religious, educational, political or cultural events including weddings, while for funerals and last rites, the limit has been set at 100.

    Meanwhile, following representations made by lawyers, the Gujarat High Court on Friday decided to stop physical hearings.

    Starting Monday (January 10), the high court will “function in the virtual mode only through video-conferencing till further orders,” said a circular.

  • Bihar Deputy CMs, two ministers test positive for COVID-19

    By PTI

    PATNA: Four members of the Nitish Kumar cabinet in Bihar, including both Deputy Chief Ministers Renu Devi and Tar Kishor Prasad, tested positive for COVID 19 Wednesday, officials said.

    Besides the two Deputy CMs, those who tested positive are Ashok Choudhary and Sunil Kumar, the ministers for building construction, and prohibition, excise and registration respectively.

    According to officials, all members of the cabinet had undergone RTPCR tests ahead of the cabinet meeting scheduled for Wednesday as a precautionary measure.

    Those who have tested positive are in home isolation and experiencing mild to moderate symptoms.

    Meanwhile, the state headquarters of the Chief Minister’s Janata Dal (United) here has been shut down after the party’s national president Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lalan tested positive the previous day.

  • SAD (Sanyukt) chief Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa tests positive for COVID-19

    By PTI

    CHANDIGARH: SAD (Sanyukt) president Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa on Wednesday tested positive for the novel coronavirus infection and has isolated himself at his house, a party statement said.

    The Rajya Sabha member was scheduled to participate in a rally to be addressed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Ferozepur.

    Modi will lay the foundation stones of development projects worth over Rs 42,750 crore, including the Delhi-Amritsar-Katra expressway and a PGIMER satellite centre at Ferozepur.

    Dhindsa’s party Shiromani Akali Dal (Sanyukt) and former Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh’s party Punjab Lok Congress have joined hands with the BJP for the 2022 state assembly polls.

    Dhindsa has urged people who came in contact with him to get themselves tested for the infection.

  • Maharashtra worst on Centre’s COVID fund utilisation; Delhi, Tamil Nadu among top five performers

    Express News Service

    NEW DELHI: Maharashtra is the worst performer among large states, having spent less than 1% of the funds released by the Centre to upgrade health infrastructure to tackle a Covid-19 wave, government data shows.

    Nationally, of the Rs 6,075 crore released by the Centre under the emergency Covid response package II so far, only Rs 1,679 crore or just about 27% have been spent by the states.

    The scheme is aimed at preventing, detecting and responding to the threat posed by Covid-19 and strengthen national health systems for emergency response.

    ALSO READ: Karnataka imposes weekend curfew; schools closed in Bengaluru

    Rajasthan, having spent less than 5 of the fund, however, is also among the worst performers. Uttar Pradesh, with just about 9% expenditure, is also among the bottom ones.

    Bihar, the second most populous state in the country, which is known for its limited health systems, has spent just about 18% of the funds, while Kerala with just about 20% expenditure is also among the disappointing performers. 

    Under ECRP II, the Centre has committed a fund of Rs 15,000 crore to upgrade health infrastructure and resources across India while the states too will have to cough up Rs 8,123 crore collectively between July 1, 2021 to March 31, 2022.

    ALSO READ: Bihar government imposes night curfew and other restrictions to curb COVID-19 cases

    Statistics shared by the Union Health Ministry on Tuesday to deny claims that it has released only 26% from its share to states, showed that it had released 50% of its share of the funds by August last year.

    “The remaining funds will be released to states based on the progress and utilisation of at least 50% of the funds already released,” said the ministry. 

    So far, only five states have reported expenditure of more than 50% which include Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal. Delhi, which has spent 138% of the Central fund released, has contributed a higher amount from its own kitty than stipulated.

    ALSO READ: Third COVID wave on, Bengaluru leads spike

    Worryingly, there are many states and UTs such as the ones in the north-east, Goa and Sikkim and Andaman and Nicobar Islands which have not spent any funds so far or have spent less than 2% under the scheme.

    The government said it is actively pursuing with states for speedy implementation of the ECRP II package and is monitoring physical progress and expenditure on a daily basis.

  • If COVID-19 cases keep rising there will be strict restrictions: Maharashtra Deputy CM Ajit Pawar

    By PTI

    PUNE: More than ten ministers and at least 20 MLAs in Maharashtra have tested positive for coronavirus so far, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar said on Saturday and added that strict restrictions might be clamped if the new COVID-19 cases continue to rise in the state.

    Pawar’s warning came a day after Maharashtra reported 8,067 fresh coronavirus positive cases, as much as 50 per cent more than Thursday.

    “We cut short the Assembly session recently. So far, over 10 ministers and over 20 MLAs have tested positive for coronavirus. Everybody wants to be part of the celebrations of New Year, birthdays and other occasions. Keep in mind that the new variant (Omicron) spreads fast and hence caution is needed.  PM Narendra Modi has appealed and some states have announced a night curfew. In Maharashtra, cases are increasing in Mumbai and Pune,” he told reporters after visiting the Jaystambh military monument in Perne village on the occasion of the 204th anniversary of the Battle of Koregaon Bhima.

    Queried on the possibility of imposition of more curbs, Pawar said the state government is keeping a tab on the increasing number of patients.

    “If the number of patients continues to rise then there will be strict restrictions. To avoid strict restriction everybody should follow norms,” he said.

    Maharashtra has seen a sharp rise in new daily coronavirus cases in the last 12 days of 2021.

    The state government, in fresh guidelines issued on Thursday night, capped the attendance at gatherings in open or closed spaces at 50.

    Mumbai on Friday reported 5,631 new COVID-19 cases, almost 2,000 more than Thursday, which took the caseload in the city on the last day of the year to 7,85,110, a civic official had said.

    This was a rise of 53 per cent over 3,671 cases recorded on Thursday.

    The COVID-19 positivity rate in Pune city touched 5.9 per cent on Friday after 412 cases were detected, raising the tally within civic limits to 5,10,218, as per officials.

    Pawar said the government recently told the state legislature that land may be acquired for the redevelopment of the monument (Jaystambh) for the convenience of lakhs of people who visit the spot every year to pay tributes on the anniversary of the Koregaon Bhima battle.

    He said a committee has been formed to take further action.

    When asked about the Maharashtra government denying permission for organising a bullock cart race and former MP Shivaji Adhalrao Patil announcing to go ahead with the event, Pawar said, “After the meeting (of the COVID-19 task force), chief minister Uddhav Thackeray directed the state chief secretary to issue orders to all collectors to avoid public gatherings to (stop) another wave of the pandemic.

    Based on this, the permission might have been denied in the larger interest.

    Not only Shivaji Adhalrao Patil but those who want to hold the bullock cart race should also consider the looming threat (of the third COVID-19 wave)”.

  • India reports 16,764 new COVID-19 cases, Omicron tally surges to 1,270

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: India logged 309 fresh Omicron infections, taking the total tally of such cases in the country to 1,270, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Friday.

    The 1,270 cases have been detected across 23 states and UTs so far, and 374 people have recovered or migrated.

    Maharashtra recorded the maximum number of 450 cases followed by Delhi at 320, Kerala 109 and Gujarat 97.

    The daily rise in COVID-19 cases crossed the 16,000 mark after around 64 days taking India’s total tally of COVID-19 cases to 3,48,38,804, while the active cases increased to 91,361 ,according to the data updated at 8 am.

    India saw 16,764 new infections being reported in a day, while the death toll climbed to 4,81,080 with 220 daily fatalities, the data stated.

    A total of 16,156 new coronavirus infections were reported in a span of 24 hours on October 27.

    The active cases have increased to 91,361 comprising 0.26 per cent of the total infections, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate was recorded at 98.36 per cent, the health ministry said.

    An increase of 8,959 cases has been recorded in the active COVID-19 caseload in a span of 24 hours.

    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.

    India crossed the grim milestone of two crore on May 4 and three crore on June 23.