News Analysis India

Tag: COVID19

  • All anganwadi centres shut in Punjab amid spike in COVID-19 cases

    By ANI
    CHANDIGARH: Punjab Social Security Women and Child Development Minister Aruna Chaudhary on Saturday instructed to close all Anganwadi centres in the state due to resurgence of COVID-19.

    She termed the decision as a safety measure for children and said that ration and other materials for children and other beneficiaries will continue to be distributed door to door through Anganwadi workers and helpers so that nutritional support to the beneficiaries is not affected.

    She also instructed the Anganwari workers to follow all health protocols such as wearing masks, washing hands, and maintaining social distancing.

    The state cabinet minister said that efforts are on war footing to save little ones from the jaws of this deadly virus. She also appealed to workers and helpers to aware people of the precautionary measures. She also made it clear that Anganwari workers and helpers would be present in Anganwari centres and conduct home visits for door-to-door distribution of supplementary nutrition programs and other activities.

    Chaudhary also said that the workers and helpers will call in beneficiaries in a staggered manner and ensure that the growth monitoring record is prepared within the timeline given by the department. Punjab has been witnessing a spike in COVID-19 cases in recent times. It reported 1408 fresh coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours, as per the union health ministry update on Saturday morning.

  • With over 20 lakh doses, India records highest single-day COVID-19 vaccinations

    By ANI
    NEW DELHI: With over 20 lakh COVID-19 vaccine doses, India on Friday recorded the highest number of vaccinations administered in a single day, the Union Health Ministry informed on Saturday. As many as 20,53,537 vaccine doses were administered on Day 56 of the vaccination drive ( March 12) through 30,561 sessions.

    A total of 16,39,663 beneficiaries that included Health Care Workers (HCW) and Front Line Workers (FLW) were vaccinated the first dose and 4,13,874 HCWs and FLWs received the second dose of the vaccine.

    So far, a cumulative total of 2,82,18,457 doses of the vaccine have been administered through 4,86,314 sessions. Eight states constituted 74 per cent of the 20,53,537 doses administered in the last 24 hours. Uttar Pradesh has topped the list with more than 3.3 lakh doses.

    Ten states account for 69 per cent of the second dose vaccinations in the country. Uttar Pradesh alone accounts for 9.71 per cent (4,99,242) of the total second dose vaccinations. There are currently 2,02,022 active cases in the country, 1.78 per cent of the total positive cases, including 24,882 new cases in the last 24 hours.

    Maharashtra, one of the worst affected states, accounts for 63.57 per cent of the total active cases. 15,817 new cases reported in the last 24 hours in the state. As many as 20 States/UTs have less than 1,000 active Cases.

    Meanwhile, cumulative recoveries rose to 1,09,73,260 with the national recovery rate reaching 96.82 per cent. A total of 140 deaths were reported in the last 24 hours. Five States account for 81.43 per cent of the new deaths.

  • 81.59 lakh healthcare workers, 1.01 crore frontline workers registered on Co-WIN till March 2: Data

    As of March 2, a total of nine states and Union Territories have administered the 1st dose of anti-coronavirus vaccine to more than 90 per cent of the registered healthcare workers.

  • No shortage of COVID-19 vaccine in Rajasthan: Union Health ministry

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: The Centre on Tuesday rejected reports about impending shortage of COVID-19 vaccine doses in Rajasthan saying it regularly monitors the availability of vaccine supply in all states and union territories, and provides doses according to their requirement and consumption pattern.

    The union health ministry clarified that Rajasthan has been supplied 37.61 lakh doses and has consumed only 24.28 lakh doses till Monday night. “There have been some news reports suggesting impending shortage of COVID-19 vaccine doses in Rajasthan. The factual position is that there is no shortage of COVID-19 vaccine with the state at present. Rajasthan has been supplied 37.61 lakh doses and has consumed only 24.28 lakh doses till yesterday night,” the ministry said.

    The central government is regularly monitoring availability of vaccine supply in all states and union territories, and providing the doses as per their requirement and consumption pattern, it added.

  • Maharashtra MLCs claim discrepancy in COVID-19 tests, seek probe

    By PTI
    MUMBAI: Two Maharashtra legislators on Tuesday claimed there were variations in the results of COVID-19 tests conducted by different labs and sought a probe into it. Speaking in the state Legislative Council, BJP MLC Gopichand Padalkar said two days back, his swab sample test conducted by a private laboratory in Pune came out positive for coronavirus.

    “I informed my party leaders and went back to Pune to get isolated. As a precautionary measure, I gave my another swab sample on Monday to a different lab and also underwent other tests. I was surprised when the test report came out negative for coronavirus,” he said.

    He said that this should be thoroughly probed as two private laboratories in the same city have come out with “contradictory” reports. “It is a serious health issue,” the legislator said.

    At this, NCP legislator Shashikant Shinde claimed BJP MLC Prashant Paricharak also had a similar experience. “I have his COVID-19 test reports. His first report was positive, but another report came out negative for the coronavirus,” Shinde claimed.

    He demanded that the Council’s Deputy Chairperson Neelam Gorhe issue directives in the matter.

    Shiv Sena MLC Diwakar Raote demanded a statement from the state Home and Public Health departments over the alleged fake positive COVID-19 reports being issued by some laboratories in Amravati, Washim and Akola districts.

    These districts last month witnessed a sudden spike in daily COVID-19 cases, following which strict curbs were imposed there.

    Responding to the issue, Minister of State for Home Satej Patil said they will inform about this to the health department. “A statement will be made in Council on Wednesday regarding the claims of MLCs and alleged fake positive cases found in Akola division,” he added.

  • Everyone on poll duty to get COVID-19 vaccine before assembly elections: Election Commission

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: Everyone on election duty for the upcoming polls for five assemblies will be vaccinated against COVID-19 before polling day, the Election Commission said on Friday.

    Voting will take place for 126 seats in Assam, 234 in Tamil Nadu, 294 in West Bengal, 140 in Kerala and 30 in Puducherry. Nearly 18.68 crore electors will be eligible to vote at 2.7 lakh polling stations for 824 seats in five assembly elections, Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora said at a press conference here.

    Arrangements will be put in place for candidates to file their nominations online for the five assembly polls. Voting will be allowed for an additional hour, keeping in mind COVID-19 safety guidelines, he said.

    Also, webcasting arrangements will be in place at polling stations in critical and vulnerable areas, while adequate CAPF (Central Armed Police Forces) deployment will be ensured for the assembly polls, Arora said.

    He added that all critical and vulnerable areas have been identified and advance teams have been already deployed across all four states and one union territory Puducherry going to the polls. He said that door-to-door campaigning will be restricted to five persons, including the candidate, while roadshows will be allowed with a maximum of five vehicles.

    Arora said the nationwide vaccination drive has made the situation more conducive for conducting elections and the Health Ministry has declared everyone on poll duty as frontline workers for the vaccine purpose.

    Arora said that all poll officials will be vaccinated before the elections.

  • Existing COVID-19 guidelines to continue till March 31: Ministry of Home Affairs

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: The home ministry Friday said the existing COVID-19 guidelines will remain in force till March 31.

    In a statement, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said while there has been a substantial decline in the active and new COVID-19 cases, there is need to maintain surveillance, containment and caution so as to fully overcome the pandemic.

    The states and union territories have also been advised to speed up the vaccination of the target population so as to break the chain of transmission and overcome the pandemic.

    Accordingly, containment zones continue to be demarcated carefully; prescribed containment measures strictly followed within these zones; COVID-appropriate behaviour promoted and strictly enforced; and the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) prescribed in respect of various permitted activities followed scrupulously, the home ministry said.

    Therefore, the focussed approach on surveillance, containment and strict observance of the guidelines and SOPs, as envisaged in the guidelines issued on January 27 need to be enforced strictly by states and union territories, it said.

    The statement said that the MHA issued an order on Friday extending the existing guidelines for surveillance, containment and caution and they will remain in force up to March 31. As per the existing guidelines, cinema halls and theatres are allowed to operate with more people while swimming pools have also been permitted for use by all.

    There is no restriction on inter-state and intra-state movement of persons and goods including those for cross land-border trade under treaties with neighbouring countries. No separate permission or approval or e-permit will be required for such movements.

    All activities have been permitted outside containment zones, except a few which will be subject to strict adherence of SOPs.

    Social, religious, sports, entertainment, educational, cultural, religious gatherings have already been permitted up to a maximum of 50 per cent of the hall capacity, with a ceiling of 200 people in closed spaces; and keeping of the size of the ground or space in view, in open spaces.

    “Now such gatherings will be allowed subject to SOP of the state and UT concerned. Cinema halls and theatres have already been permitted up to 50 per cent of seating capacity. Now they will be permitted to operate at higher seating capacity, for which a revised SOP will be issued by Ministry of Information and Broadcasting in consultation with MHA,” the ministry said.

    The guidelines said swimming pools have already been permitted for use of sports persons. Now swimming pools will be permitted for use of all, for which a revised SOP will be issued by Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports in consultation with MHA.

  • COVID-19 testing tripled in Nagpur amid rise in cases: Maharashtra minister Nitin Raut

    By PTI
    NAGPUR: Maharashtra minister Nitin Raut on Friday said coronavirus testing in Nagpur has tripled to over 10,000 tests per day, amid rise in infections. Addressing the media after a review meeting with district officials, Raut said that there are 1,769 oxygen beds, 684 ICU and 263 ventilator beds available for COVID-19 patients in the district.

    The district’s guardian minister said that although the cases of coronavirus are increasing in Maharashtra, the administration has been able to control the situation in Nagpur. “Coronavirus testing has tripled, as more than 10,000 swab samples are tested in the district in a day,” he said.

    He said that apart from this, stamping of people placed under home quarantine and recording data of patients visiting government hospitals are also underway. Nagpur had on Thursday recorded 1,116 fresh cases of coronavirus and 13 more casualties. The district’s COVID-19 tally now stands at 1,46,831, of which 4,314 patients have died of the infection.

  • Second round of COVID-19 vaccination drive begins

    NEW DELHI: As the COVID-19 vaccination numbers crossed the 8 million-mark, administration of the second dose of the vaccine to those who took the first shot on day 1 of the nationwide inoculation drive on January 16 also began in several states. 

    Several healthcare workers, who had taken the first, lined up to receive the second shot – 28 days later – to complete the inoculation regimen, said an official.  However, officials maintained that while the second jab of vaccine (either Covishield or Covaxin taken as the first dose) is recommended 28 days later, it can be taken anytime between four to six weeks from the first dose.

    Of about 8 million healthcare and frontline workers who have received the first shot till Friday, the Union Health Ministry said, 97 per cent are “satisfied”. The number of people who have taken the shot so far reached 80,52,454 on Saturday, and 7,668 HCWs received the second dose on its first day.

    India has set a target of inoculating 30 crore people against COVID-19 by July which include those identified most at the risk of catching an infection or developing severe disease. In a statement on Saturday, the government said eight states account for about 60 per cent of the total beneficiaries vaccinated in India. 

  • Government places orders for 1.45 crore doses of COVID-19 vaccines

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: The government has placed orders for 1 crore additional doses of Covishield from Serum Institute of India and 45 lakh more doses of Covaxin from Bharat Biotech, officials of the two vaccine makers said on Tuesday.

    India’s COVID-19 vaccination drive was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on January 16. Serum Institute has received another order from the government for 10 million doses of Covishield, a company official said in response to a query.

    The government had earlier placed a purchase order with Serum Institute of India (SII) for 1.1 crore doses of AstraZeneca-Oxford COVID-19 vaccine, Covishield. When asked, a Bharat Biotech spokesperson said, “The company has received a letter of comfort from the Government of India to supply another 4.5 million (or 45 lakh) doses.”

    The spokesperson also added that Bharat Biotech will also be exporting its COVID-19 vaccine, Covaxin, to Brazil and the United Arab Emirates. The company is also likely to export the vaccine to the Philippines and other South Asian countries, the spokesperson said.

    The government had earlier placed an order for 55 lakh doses of Covaxin from Bharat Biotech.