News Analysis India

Tag: COVID cases

  • IAF airlifts medical equipment to Ladakh to augment COVID-19 testing capacity

    By PTI
    JAMMU: The Indian Air Force (IAF) on Saturday airlifted to Ladakh medical equipment weighing 1,700 kg, including bio-safety cabinets and centrifuges, which will help augment COVID-19 testing facilities in the union territory, officials said.

    The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine (CSIR-IIIM) in Jammu provided the equipment.

    “The IAF’s Chinook and AN-32 helicopters airlifted a payload of 850 kgs each, comprising a total of four bio-safety cabinets, two centrifuges and two stabilizers to Leh and Kargil.

    The items worth over Rs one crore were handed over by CSIR-IIIM Jammu for the UT of Ladakh,” Jammu-based Defence PRO Lt Col Devender Anand said.

    Last year, CSIR-IIIM director D S Reddy had promised the equipment to Ladakh in collaboration with Sun Pharma as part of its corporate social responsibility to augment COVID-19 testing capacity in the union territory’s two districts — Leh and Kargil.

    The Union Territory of Ladakh has recorded 152 new CVOID-19 cases, taking the infection count to 13,089, according to an official bulletin on Saturday.

    Ladakh had recorded a total of 135 COVID-related deaths — 91 in Leh district and 44 in Kargil district — since the outbreak of the pandemic last year.

  • West Bengal polls: Mamata wants rest of phases clubbed, EC isn’t willing

    By Express News Service
    NEW DELHI:  Rejecting rumours that the remaining phases of elections in West Bengal would be clubbed in view of the rising Covid cases, the Election Commission said on Thursday that there is no such plan. 

    Later in the day, Bengal CM and TMC chief Mamata Banerjee urged the Election Commission to consider conducting the remain polls at one go. “In view of the huge surge in #COVID19 cases, I urge the ECI to consider holding the remaining phases in ONE go,” she tweeted.

    Ex-chief election commissioner S Y Quraishi said while the campaign period is fixed at 14 days, extending by a few days is possible. “Clubbing with the last phase is doable,” he said. Meanwhile, the West Bengal Chief Electoral Officer has called an all-party meeting on Friday to ensure adherence to the Covid-19 guidelines for the remaining phases of polls. 

  • Daily case count crosses two lakh, doubles in 10 days 

    By Express News Service
    NEW DELHI:  The daily fresh Covid case count in the country shot past the 2-lakh mark on Thursday morning for the first time, amid reports of acute oxygen scarcity from various states. To get a sense of the unprecedented public health emergency staring India in the face, the country took just 10 days to double its active cases from 1 lakh to 2 lakh, while the US had taken more than 20 days in doubling to 2 lakh. And daily fatalities have crossed 1,000 since the past two days.

    Many experts fear the current trend may push daily infections up for many days to come and the country may even surpass the highest daily infections of over 3 lakh registered in the US in early January.  Amid all the anxiety about the ongoing Maha Kumbh in Uttarakhand becoming a super spreader, there was some self-regulation as the Shri Panchayati Niranjani Akhada, one of the 13 participating akhadas, announced the conclusion of the mega event on April 17 instead of the scheduled May 8. 

    A final call will be taken by the apex body of 13 akhadas, the Akhada Parishad. As many as 2,269 Covid positive cases have been detected so far in the mela area. The figure includes 18 seers/saints from different akhadas. Also, one saint succumbed to Covid on April 13. With Delhi overtaking Mumbai’s single-day peak (11,163 on April 4) by recording over 17,000 fresh cases, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal announced a weekend curfew and the closure of malls, gymnasiums and auditoriums till April 30. 

    Maharashtra stayed on top of the Covid chart with 61,695 fresh cases and 349 fatalities. As many as 36 lakh patients in the state are on home quarantine while 27,273 are under institutional quarantine. With Uttar Pradesh recording 22,439 new cases and staying at second highest on the national list, the government decided to incremnetally increase the time of night curfew across the state. 

    With the demand for medical oxygen shooting in states like Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh, the Centre decided to  import 50,000 metric tonnes of medical oxygen as also mapping its domestic sources and production capacity. In Gujarat, a high court bench saw a mismatch between the case data presented by the state government and the actual positive cases, and chided it for not being proactive. 

    Tika Utsav1.28 crore vax doses administered during 4-day Tika Utsav. But four days prior to that, 1.45 crore vaccine doses were administered

    NEET PG examNational Eligibility-Cum-Entrance Test for PG courses scheduled to be held on April 18 postponed 

    Train services upThe Railways has pushed its train operations to 70% of pre-Covid level to handle the rush of migrant workers trying to return home 

  • COVID test results not delivered over 4 days in Jharkhand; some labs stop sample collection

    Express News Service
    RANCHI: Sudden spike in COVID-19 cases in Jharkhand has further resulted into the delay in sample testing with path-labs not being able to handle it. Testing labs, both government and private, in Ranchi are flooded with samples with a backlog of over four days and 48 hours respectively.

    Not able to clear the backlog, some of the private testing labs have even stopped taking samples for some time so that those who have already given samples may be provided their test reports.

    Sources in the State’s premier health centre – Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) in Ranchi, claimed that samples are flooded everywhere and they have to work round the clock to clear it.

    “Samples of at least 4-5 days are pending for testing due to which we have been asked to give extra hours to clear them as soon as possible,” said a RIMS staff, requesting anonymity. Earlier, they were able to deliver test reports within 12-15 hours, but people are not getting it even after four days, he added.

    “It is just because there has been sudden increase in sample collection, without making arrangements to testing,” said the RIMS staff.

    Similar is the situation at private path-labs, most of which have simply stopped taking samples to avoid any further load on them.

    Since, we are overburdened with the samples we are not taking samples as of now. “As against 4-6 hours, we are not able to provide the test reports even after 48 hours, due to which we have to stop taking samples,” said swab collection staff at a private testing lab in Ranchi.

    ALSO READ: COVID appropriate behaviour not being followed in 50 most-affected districts in 3 states, says Government

    It is because there has been sudden rise in the number of people comming for testing. The sample collection has increased up to 1000-1200 everyday which was 150-200 every day last month, he added.

    Amid this entire crisis, common people are suffering the most as they are being charged heavily by the sample collectors even for rapid antigen test.

    “After I felt some symptoms of COVID-19, I called up the sample collector but he denied to collect samples for RTPCR but insisted on doing rapid antigen test for which he charged 600 per head for five persons in the family,” said a local resident Pranav Singh. When he opposed, the lab-staff asked him to get them tested from somewhere else, he added.

    Notably, the Jharkhand High Court had also pulled up Civil Surgeon in Ranchi on Friday for the delay in testing of samples and sought detailed report on the number of samples collected and the backlog on Monday. According to government records, around 7000 swab samples are collected for COVID-19 in Ranchi everyday.

  • Mumbai Indians face Royal Challengers Bangalore in opener amid rise in Covid cases

    The IPL has been known to defy challenges. But with India busy battling an alarming surge in Covid cases, how will cricket’s biggest party end this time around?
    Here’s wishing the Indian Premier League (IPL) a very happy and safe 14th birthday. The party begins today. Starting 7.30 pm, fans will once again let their hair down and dance to a tune that appeals to one and all. It’s been a ritual since 2008, when India’s single-biggest export to the world was born out of a consummation between the game’s powerful patrons and the country’s corporate echelons.

  • India reports 72,330 new COVID-19 cases, 459 deaths; highest single-day spike since October

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: India recorded its highest daily rise in COVID-19 cases this year with 72,330 new infections being reported in a span of 24 hours, taking the total tally of cases to 1,22,21,665, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Thursday.

    The single-day rise in cases is the highest recorded since October 11, 2020, while the death toll increased to 1,62,927 with 459 daily new fatalities, the highest in around 116 days, the data updated at 8 am showed.

    Registering a steady increase for the 22nd day in row, the active cases have increased to 5,84,055 comprising 4.78 per cent of the total infections, while the recovery rate has further dropped to 93.89 per cent, the data stated.

    As many as 74,383 new infections were recorded in a span of 24 hours on October 11, 2020.

    The active caseload was at its lowest at 1, 35,926 on February 12 comprising 1.25 per cent of the total infections.

    The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 1,14,74,683.

    The case fatality rate has further has dropped to 1.33 per cent, the data stated.

    India’s COVID-19 tally had crossed the 20-lakh mark on August 7, 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.

    According to the ICMR, 24,47,98,621 samples have been tested up to March 31 with 11,25,681 samples being tested on Wednesday.

    The 459 new fatalities include 227 from Maharashtra, 55 Punjab, 39 from Chhattisgarh, 26 from Karnataka, 19 from Tamil Nadu, 15 from Kerala and 11 each from Delhi and Uttar Pradesh.

    A total of 1,62,927 deaths have been reported so far in the country including 54,649 from Maharashtra, 12,719 from Tamil Nadu, 12,567 from Karnataka, 11,027 from Delhi, 10,329 from West Bengal, 8,811 from Uttar Pradesh and 7,217 from Andhra Pradesh and 6,868 from Punjab.

    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.

  • Maharashtra, Kerala among six states accounting for over 80 per cent fresh COVID cases

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: Maharashtra, Punjab, Kerala, Karnataka, Chhattisgarh and Gujarat are reporting a surge in daily coronavirus cases, accounting for 80.63 per cent of the new COVID-19 infections, the Union Health Ministry said on Thursday.

    The three states of Maharashtra, Kerala and Punjab also account for 74.32 per cent the of total active cases in the country which has increased to 3.95 lakh and comprises 3.35 per cent of the total infections.

    A total of 53,476 new cases have been reported in a span of 24 hours, the highest single day rise so far this year.

    Maharashtra continues to report the highest daily new cases at 31,855 (59.57 per cent).

    It is followed by Punjab with 2,613 while Kerala reported 2,456 new cases, the ministry said.

    Ten states including Delhi, Tamil Nadu, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, Haryana, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh are displaying an upward trajectory in daily new cases, it highlighted.

    ALSO READ | Second Coronavirus wave to peak in April, may last up to 100 days: SBI report

    India’s total COVID-19 active caseload has increased to 3,95,192.

     A net rise of 26,735 cases is recorded from the total active caseload in a span of 24 hours.

    “Three states, Maharashtra, Kerala and Punjab, account for 74.32 per cent the of total active cases in the country.

    Maharashtra alone accounts for 62.91 per cent of the total active cases in the country,” the ministry underlined.

    The ministry also said that over 5.31 crore vaccine doses have been administered through 8,61,292 sessions.

    These include 79,80,849 HCWs (1st dose), 50,61,790 HCWs (2nd dose), 84,78,478 FLWs (1st dose) and 3 2,37,381 FLWs (2nd Dose), 51,31,949 beneficiaries aged more than 45 years with specific co-morbidities (1st Dose) and 2,32,55,262 beneficiaries aged more than 60 years.

    As on day-68 of the vaccination drive (March 24), more than 23 lakh (23,03,305) vaccine doses were given.

    Out of which, 21,13,323 beneficiaries were vaccinated across 38,243 sessions for 1st dose and 1,89,982 HCWs and FLWs received the 2nd dose of vaccine.

    The ministry said that 60 per cent of the cumulative doses (5,31,45,709) have been given in eight states –Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, West Bengal, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Maharashtra.

    India’s cumulative recoveries stand at 1,12,31,650 with 26,490 recoveries being registered in a span of 24 hours.

    The gap between total recovered cases and the active cases stands at 10,836,458 as on date, the ministry stated.

    Also, 251 deaths were reported in a span of 24 hours. Six states account for 78.49 per cent of the daily deaths.

    Maharashtra saw the maximum casualties (95).

    Punjab follows with 39 daily deaths and Chhattisgarh reported 29 deaths in a span of 24 hours.

    Fourteen states and UTs have not reported any COVID-19 deaths in the last 24 hours.

    These are Jammu and Kashmir, Goa, Uttarakhand, Odisha, Lakshadweep, Daman and Diu and Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Ladakh (UT), Sikkim, Tripura, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland.

  • 25,681 new coronavirus cases in Maharashtra, 70 deaths

    By PTI
    MUMBAI: Maharashtra on Friday recorded 25,681 new COVID-19 cases, the second highest one-day rise since the pandemic began last year, a health official said.

    The caseload in the state crossed the 24 lakh-mark to rise to 24,22,021.

    With 70 fatalities, death toll reached 53,208, the official said.

    On Thursday, Maharashtra had set a new record of daily rise with 25,833 new infections being reported.

    On Friday, 14,400 patients were discharged from hospitals, taking the total recoveries to 21,89,965.

    There are 1,77,560 active cases now.

    Mumbai recorded 3,063 new cases (3,062 as per the city’s civic body), followed by 2,872 in Pune city and 2,617 in Nagpur city.

    Mumbai’s COVID-19 tally increased to 3,55,914 while 10 deaths took the fatality count to 11,569, as per the state government’s data.

    Mumbai division reported 5,737 new cases and 19 deaths, taking the cumulative caseload to 7,82,316 and death toll to 20,028.

    With 1,27,147 tests carried out on Friday, the state has so far tested 1,80,83,977 samples for coronavirus.

    There are 8,67,333 people in home quarantine while 7,848 are in institutional quarantine.

    Out of 70 deaths, 43 occurred in the last 48 hours and 15 in the last week.

    Rest 12 deaths are from the period before the last week.

    Maharashtra’s COVID-19 figures are as follows: Positive cases: 24,22,021, new cases: 25,681, death toll: 53,208, discharged: 21,89,965, active cases: 1,77,560, people tested so far: 1,80,83,977.

  • Issues in Co-WIN, hesitancy resulted in low coverage of COVID-19 vaccination drive initially: Govt

    The rate of vaccination coverage has subsequently increased, Minister of State for Health Ashwini Choubey said in a written reply.

  • Night curfew in four Gujarat cities gets another 15-day extension

    By PTI
    AHMEDABAD: In view of the recent spike in coronavirus cases, the Gujarat government has decided to extend the night curfew in four major cities of the state, including Ahmedabad, by another 15 days.

    The ongoing night curfew in Ahmedabad, Surat, Vadodara and Rajkot, was to end on February 28.

    An official statement issued on Friday night said, the government decided to extend the night curfew by another 15 days in view of the recent rise in coronavirus cases in four municipal corporations.

    This is the fifth extension of the night curfew, which first came into force in November last year after a spurt in COVID-19 cases in these cities post-Diwali.

    The ongoing night curfew starts at midnight and ends at 6 am.

    Although the statement about the extended night curfew does not mention the time, the existing schedule is likely to continue.

    In view of increasing COVID-19 cases, the government has decided to expedite the vaccination drive, the statement said.

    The statement was issued following a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Vijay Rupani on Friday evening to review the coronavirus situation in Gujarat.

    In the first phase of COVID-19 vaccination, out of the total 4.82 lakh health care workers, more than 4.07 lakh (or 84 percent) have been administered the first dose of the vaccine, the statement said.

    Also, out of the total 5.41 lakh frontline workers, 4.14 lakh (or 77 percent) have been covered in the drive so far.

    The second dose of COVID-19 vaccine has been given to 1.23 lakh healthcare workers till now, it said.

    The health department claimed that Gujarat ranks first in the country in terms of vaccination per million population.

    The state has so far received 15.70 lakh doses of Covishield, and 4.83 lakh Covaxin.

    The vaccination drive for senior citizens and those with co-morbidities will begin from March 1 as per the Centre’s instructions, it said.

    Gujarat has so far reported 2,69,031 COVID-19 cases, out of which 2,62,487 patients have recovered.

    On Friday, it reported 460 new cases.