News Analysis India

Tag: COVID19

  • Centre releases first instalment of Rs 8873.6 crore under State Disaster Response Fund to states

    By Express News Service
    NEW DELHI: The Centre has released the first instalment, Rs 8,873.6 crore, of State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) in advance to the states in view of the continuing COVID-19 surge. Half of the amount, i.e. Rs 4,436 crore can be used for COVID-19 containment measures, including setting up of hospitals and oxygen generation units.

    The Union Home Ministry said as a special dispensation, the Department of Expenditure, under the Ministry of Finance, has released the amount in advance of the normal schedule at its recommendation. An amount of Rs 8,873.6 crore has been released to the states, an official statement said.

    Normally, the first instalment of the SDRF is released in June according to the recommendations of the Finance Commission, the ministry said, in a statement. However, in relaxation of the normal procedure, not only has the release of the SDRF been advanced but the amount has also been released without waiting for the utilisation certificate of the amount provided to the states in the last financial year.

    Of the total amount released by the Centre, the worst affected states of Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Karnataka and Kerala will get Rs 1,288.80 crore, Rs 728 crore, 773.20 crore, 529.60 crore, 316.40 crore and Rs 125.60 crore respectively.

    Of the total amount, following sums would be released to Haryana (Rs 196.40 crore), Himachal Pradesh (Rs 163.60 crore), Jharkhand (Rs 227.20 crore), Odisha (Rs 641.60 crore), Punjab (Rs 198 crore), Rajasthan (Rs 592.40 crore), Telangana (Rs 179. 60), Tamil Nadu (Rs 408 crore), Uttarakhand (Rs 374.80 crore) and West Bengal (Rs 404.40 crore).

    The funds from the SDRF may be used by the states for meeting the cost of oxygen generation and storage plants in hospitals, ventilators, air purifiers, strengthening ambulance services, COVID-19 hospitals, COVID care centres, etc.

  • Jailed former RJD MP Mohammad Shahabuddin dies of COVID-19 at Delhi hospital

    By Express News Service
    NEW DELHI:  Jailed former RJD MP Mohammad Shahabuddin, 53, died of COVID-19 at the Deen Dayal Upadhyay (DDU) Hospital here on Saturday, the Delhi Prisons Department said. Shahabuddin, who was serving a life sentence in a murder case, was admitted to the hospital on April 20, it said.

    Director General (Prisons) Sandeep Goel said, “Information has been received from DDU Hospital about the death of Mohd Shahabuddin, an inmate of Delhi Prisons. He was suffering from COVID-19.” Prison officials said Shahabuddin was admitted to the ICU two-three days ago.

    After hours of suspense, former RJD MP from Bihar’s Siwan district Md.Shahabuddin’s death due to Covid-19 has been confirmed.He was admitted at DDU Hospital in New Delhi from Tihar jail on April 20.@NewIndianXpress @TheMornStandard
    — Rajesh K Thakur (@hajipurrajesh) May 1, 2021

    The former Siwan MP was lodged in high-security jail number 2 at Tihar, they said. Earlier this week, the Delhi High Court had directed the AAP government and prison authorities to ensure proper medical supervision and care of Shahabuddin.

    The former Rashtriya Janata Dal leader was shifted to Tihar from Siwan jail following a Supreme Court order on February 15, 2018. On December 9, 2015, a special judge in Bihar’s Siwan convicted Shahabuddin and his associates in a 2004 double murder case and sentenced them to life imprisonment.

    Two brothers, Satish and Girish Roshan, were murdered in August 2004 in Siwan for allegedly refusing to pay extortion money. A third brother, Rajiv Roshan, who was an eyewitness to the crime committed by Shahabuddin’s men, was shot dead on June 6, 2014 when he was on his way to a trial court to depose against the strongman.

    The conviction and sentencing of the ex-MP and three others were eventually upheld by the Patna High Court and the Supreme Court. The don-turned-politician had several other run-ins with the law. He was convicted for the kidnapping and disappearance of an activist of the Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) Liberation, Chote Lal Gupta. He was accused of killing 15 other Communist Party activists, including former JNU student leader Chandrashekhar Prasad. 

  • India records highest-ever spike of 4,01,993 new COVID-19 cases and 3,523 deaths

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: India’s daily coronavirus tally crossed the grim milestone of four lakh, while the death toll rose to 2,11,853 with 3,523 fresh fatalities, according to date updated by the Union Health Ministry on Saturday.

    The data updated at 8 am showed at the infection tally rose to 1,91,64,969 with 4,01,993 new cases, while the active cases crossed the 32-lakh mark. Registering a steady increase, the active cases stood at 32,68,710, accounting for 17.06 per cent of the total infections, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate has further dropped to 81.84 per cent.

    The data stated that the number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 1,56,84,406, while the case fatality rate stands 1.11 per cent. 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. India crossed the grim milestone of 1.50 crore on April 19.

    According to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), 28,83,37,385 samples have been tested up to April 30, of which 19,45,299 were done on Friday.

    The 3,523 new fatalities include 828 from Maharashtra, 375 from Delhi, 332  from Uttar Pradesh, 269 from Chhattisgarh, 217 from Karnataka, 173 from Gujarat, 155 from Rajasthan, 122 from Uttarakhand and 120 from Jharkhand, 113 each from Punjab and Tamil Nadu.

    A total of 2,11,853 deaths have been reported so far in the country, including 68,813 from Maharashtra, 16,147 from Delhi ,15,523 from Karnataka, 14,046 from Tamil Nadu, 12,570 from Uttar Pradesh, 11,344 from West Bengal, 9,022 from Punjab and 8,581 from Chhattisgarh.

    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.

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  • Evolve political consensus on national policy to tackle COVID surge: Sonia Gandhi to Centre

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: With India facing a surge in COVID-19 cases, Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Saturday urged the Centre to evolve a national policy to deal with the pandemic after bringing about a political consensus on it.

    In a video message, she said it is time for the central and state governments to wake up and fulfil their duties.

    Gandhi also said COVID-19 jabs should be provided free of cost to all citizens and sought compulsory licensing to ramp up vaccine production to speed up the country’s inoculation drive to help save Indians.

    “I urge the central government to evolve a national policy to deal with the COVID crisis in the country and a strategy to bring about a political consensus over it,” the Congress president said.

    She also said that the central government should “first think about the poor and provide them with Rs 6,000 each to the bank accounts of all to stop their migration, till the end of the pandemic”.

    Gandhi called for increasing testing and checking the black marketing of essential life-saving drugs besides providing oxygen, medicines and other equipment to hospitals on a war-footing.

    The discrimination over vaccine pricing should end and black marketing of life-saving drugs be stopped and all industrial oxygen be provided to hospitals for medical purposes, she said.

    The Congress chief said her party will stand with the Centre in the fight against the pandemic and appealed to all Indians to unite in these testing times.

    She also prayed for the good health of all Indians during these challenging times of the pandemic and offered her heartfelt condolences to the lakhs of families who have lost their loved ones.

    “Our country is facing the pandemic and lakhs of our citizens have been affected by coronavirus everyday.

    This crisis is the testing time for all of us and we have to hold each other’s hands, support each other and be their strength.

    “This is the time for central and state governments to wake up and fulfil their duties,” she said.

    कोरोना महामारी के इस चुनौतीपूर्ण समय में आपके व आपके परिवार की सुरक्षा और अच्छे स्वास्थ्य की कामना करती हूं। वह लाखों परिवार जिन्होंने अपने परिजनों को खोया है, उनके प्रति दिल से अपनी संवेदना व्यक्त करती हूं।- कांग्रेस अध्यक्षा, श्रीमती सोनिया गांधी#COVID19India pic.twitter.com/btmCeG8K6B
    — Congress (@INCIndia) May 1, 2021

    “The current times have shattered humanity, with many states facing shortage of beds, oxygen and life-saving medicines,” she said, urging everyone to avoid moving out of their homes unless necessary.

    She also called upon all to unite and try and help each other leaving aside any discrimination.

    “I am confident that you will understand the seriousness of the COVID pandemic and will contribute as a citizen.

    I hope the country will soon succeed in coming out of this crisis,” Gandhi said in her five-minute video message.

    She complimented the doctors and nursing staff and all health workers who are treating all those affected with COVID while risking their lives.

    India’s daily COVID-19 cases reached a record high of 4,01,993 on Saturday, taking the cumulative caseload to 1,91,64,969.

    The death toll climbed to 2,11,853 with 3,523 fresh fatalities, according to Union health ministry data.

  • Few weeks’ lockdown in India may break chain of transmission: Top US COVID expert Anthony Fauci

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: Top US epidemiologist Anthony Fauci has suggested a lockdown for a few weeks in India as an immediate step to contain the spread of the coronavirus as its deadly second wave shows no signs of ebbing.

    Fauci, in an interview, said that another most important thing in the immediate is to get supplies of oxygen, medication, PPEs. He said that looking at the magnitude of the crisis, India should look at putting together a crisis group that would meet and start getting things organised.

    Without naming any government, he said one of the things that should have been recognised that “victory was declared maybe too prematurely”.

    “Well, one of the things you really need to do, to the extent that you can, is shut down temporarily the country, I think is important. If we want to time out and go back to what I said: there is the immediate, the intermediate, and the long range (measures to contain the virus),” said Fauci, who is the chief medical adviser to the Biden administration.

    ALSO READ| COVID vaccination for people in 18-44 age group begins at some private hospitals in Delhi

    “I think the most important thing in the immediate is to get oxygen, get supplies, get medication, get PPE, those kinds of things but also, one of the immediate things to do is to essentially call a shutdown of the country,” he added.

    He said that when China had a big explosion of coronavirus cases a year ago, they completely shut down. Fauci said that it is not necessary to shut down for six months, but it can be a temporary one to put an end to the cycle of transmission.

    “So one of the things to be considered is to temporarily shut down. Literally, lock down so that you wind up having less spread. No one likes to lock down the country. Well, that’s a problem when you do it for six months,” he said.

    But just for a few weeks of lockdown could have a significant impact on the dynamics of the outbreak. Some states have imposed a lockdown.

    Last month, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said lockdown should be the “last resort” to deal with the raging pandemic and asked states to convince migrant workers to stay put at their places of work with a guarantee for their lives and livelihood.

    Breaching its all previous records, India on Saturday hit a record daily high with over 4 lakh new infections, while the active cases crossed the 32-lakh mark. The second wave of the coronavirus has been wreaking havoc, infecting lakhs and killing thousands every day for the past few days.

    There have been cases where people have died due to lack of medical facilities, including oxygen. In many cases, families have to arrange oxygen for their patients as they are not able to get admission in hospitals.

    ALSO READ| People start panic-buying over fear of likely lockdown in Kerala

    “I heard from some of the people in the street bringing their mothers and their fathers and their sisters and their brothers searching for oxygen. They seem to think there really was not any organisation, any central organisation,” Fauci said.

    Underlining that vaccination plays a crucial role in handling the coronavirus situation, Fauci said if India, a country of 1.4 billion people, has fully vaccinated only two per cent of its total population, then it has a very long way to go.

    “You’ve got to get supplies. You’ve got to make contractual arrangements with the various companies that are out there in the world. There are many companies that now have vaccines. I think you have to negotiate with them to try and get a commitment. And also, India is the largest vaccine-producing country in the world. That’s the thing – you should rev up your own capabilities to make vaccines,” he said.

  • Over 79 lakh COVID-19 vaccine doses available with states/UTs: Centre

    The ministry also said that Maharashtra has been allocated 17,50,620 #39;Covishield #39; and 5,76,890 #39;Covaxin #39; vaccine doses by the Centre for the first fortnight of May.

  • COVID-19: PIL filed in Delhi HC for CBI probe into politicians procuring Remdesivir

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: A PIL demanding an FIR and CBI probe into claims of politicians being able to procure and distribute Remdesivir, used for treating COVID-19 patients, even as others run pillar to post to get the medicine, was mentioned before the Delhi High Court on Saturday.

    The plea was mentioned before a bench of Justices Vipin Sanghi and Rekha Palli by advocate Virag Gupta who was asked by the court to bring the petition on record during the day. The plea questions how politicians are able to procure large stocks of the medicine without having the requisite permission under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, when the general public was not getting it.

    ALSO READ| Three nabbed in Hyderabad for selling Remdesivir in black market

    Petitioner Deepak Singh, the chairperson of Hruduya Foundation and a national-level shooter, has contended that “denying access to medicines for one’s own political gain is a crime of very serious nature, and affects coronavirus patients all over India”.

    Singh has alleged in his plea, filed through advocate Gaurav Pathak, that politicians have been involved in large-scale hoarding, transfer and distribution of crucial medicines like Remdesivir. “Political parties, most of which are invariably headquartered in Delhi, are taking advantage of their political powers and giving patronage to the medical mafia,” the plea claimed.

    Besides lodging of FIR and CBI invetsigation, the plea also seeks “detention of persons indulging in black-marketing of COVID-19 medicines as per the National Security Act, 1980” and “disqualification of MPs and MLAs found to be hoarding and illegally distributing COVID-19 medicines”.

  • COVID-19 lockdown extended in Rajasthan till May 17

    By PTI
    JAIPUR: The Rajasthan government on Friday extended the lockdown till May 17 due to the soaring coronavirus infections. Principal Secretary (Home) Abhay Kumar issued the order, calling it ‘Pandemic Red Alert- Public Discipline Fortnight’.

    The restrictions, which were imposed from April 19 to to May 3, were extended for 15 days. All workplaces, except a few government offices engaged in COVID management, and markets would remain closed, according to the guidelines.

    Retail and wholesale shops of grocery, flour mills, cattle feed will continue to open for five hours from 6 am to 11 am from Monday to Friday, while dairy shops would operate daily from 6 am to 11 am and from 5 pm to 7 pm.

    Wholesale markets, vegetable and fruit shops, garland vendors will continue to open daily from 6 am to 11 am. Vendors who sell fruits and vegetables on pull carts, e-rickshaws and others would also be allowed from 6  am to 11 am daily.

    Optical shops will also be allowed to open on Tuesday and Friday from 6 am to 11 am. Only 31 people will be allowed in marriage ceremonies and the wedding functions will be allowed for only three hours. If anyone who is not under exempted category is found roaming, that person will be shifted to institutional quarantine facility till the RT-PCR report is negative.

  • We don’t even have stock for people aged 45 and above: Maharashtra Dy CM Ajit Pawar on COVID vaccine

    By ANI
    MUMBAI: Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar has said that the state had planned a big COVID-19 vaccination event for Saturday but has only received 3 lakh doses out of which 20,000 doses have been given to Pune district, adding that the state government does not even have the stock to vaccinate people aged 45 and above.

    Speaking to reporters, Pawar said, “We had planned a big event for today but we received only 3 lakh doses for today. Out of that 20,000 have been given to Pune district. Today, we don’t have vaccine stock to vaccinate people aged 45 and above hence vaccination centres in Pune district were closed.”

    The third phase of the vaccination drive for those in the 18-44 age bracket started from Saturday in the country despite some of the states flagging the shortage of vaccines and expressing their inability to start vaccination of people aged above 18 years.

    Pawar further said, “We had taken a decision in a cabinet meeting that people aged 18 to 44 years will start getting vaccinated from May 1. 5.71 crore people are there in this age category in Maharashtra and we have to vaccinate around 12 crore people. 6.5 crore vaccine doses were supposed to be purchased and we had approved that purchase. The state finance department is ready to clear the payment in one go.”

    He said that Serum Institute of India (SII) CEO Adar Poonawalla had told Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray that it was difficult for them to provide vaccines in such large amount, adding that to procure sufficient vaccine doses, the state government has also done bookings with Bharat Biotech.

    “Adar Poonawala told the CM that it is difficult to give the vaccines in large stock. We have done booking with Bharat Biotech as well. We are trying to conduct the vaccination as early as possible. We are also trying to get the central government’s permission for importing vaccines from other countries. The first lot of vaccines from Russia will be received today but its price is not yet clear,” said the Deputy CM.

    Responding to the state government’s action on fire incidents in hospitals, Pawar said, “Fire audit of the hospitals was ordered. Most of the government hospital’s audit had been completed as well, some are remaining and they too shall be covered soon. For private hospitals also an inspection has been ordered which will start very soon.”

    Further responding to a question on extended restrictions in Maharashtra amid rising cases, Pawar said, “Not only Maharashtra but many other states have imposed or extended lockdown.”

    The state government had on Friday extended the ongoing restrictions till May 15. The restrictions imposed to curb the infections were initially in place till May 1. Maharashtra recorded 66,159 new COVID-19 cases on Friday and the state currently has 6,64,683 active cases.

  • COVID-19: 61st Maharashtra foundation day celebrations remain low-key

    By PTI
    MUMBAI: The 61st foundation day of Maharashtra is being celebrated in a low-key manner on Saturday in view of the coronavirus situation in the state. This is for the second consecutive year that no big events are being held to mark the state foundation day due to the pandemic.

    महाराष्ट्र दिनानिमित्त मंत्रालयात आयोजित कार्यक्रमात मुख्यमंत्री उद्धव बाळासाहेब ठाकरे यांच्या हस्ते ध्वजारोहण करण्यात आले. त्यानंतर छत्रपती शिवाजी महाराज, डॉ. बाबासाहेब आंबेडकर, राजमाता जिजाऊ यांच्या प्रतिमेस पुष्प अर्पण करून अभिवादन केले. pic.twitter.com/i9MtT6ET35
    — CMO Maharashtra (@CMOMaharashtra) May 1, 2021

    On the occasion, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray hoisted the national flag at Mantralaya, the administrative headquarters of the state in south Mumbai. Thackeray paid floral tributes to the portraits of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, the Maratha king’s mother Jijamata and Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar there.

    Home Minister Dilip Walse Patil, Revenue Minister Balasaheb Thorat were also present there. Earlier, Thackeray visited Hutatma Chowk in south Mumbai and placed a wreath at the memorial to pay respects to 105 martyrs, who laid down their lives for a unified Maharashtra.

    Apart from Thackeray and Walse Patil, Chief Secretary Sitaram Kunte, Mumbai mayor Kishori Pednekar, DGP Sanjay Pandey, Mumbai city collector Rajiv Nivatkar and Municipal Commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal were present there.

    In other parts of the state, guardian ministers unfurled the tricolour at the respective district headquarters.