News Analysis India

Tag: COVID19

  • Country’s recovery from COVID-19 first sign that Atmanirbhar Bharat is working: S Jaishankar

    By ANI
    VIJAYAWADA: The country’s recovery from coronavirus due to the early steps taken by it was the first sign that Atmanirbhar Bharat was working, said External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar here on Saturday.

    “When coronavirus hit us, this country — like many other countries of the world– was completely unprepared. We had hospitals, clinics, but nobody had thought of treatment for Coronavirus, nobody had dedicated centres for it. Very few people made masks, nobody had PPE kits,” Jaishankar said at a conference here.

    He said that after a few months since then, today, India is one of the world’s biggest producers of PPE and the biggest producers of masks. “We have 25 companies that are making ventilators. We’re making for ourselves. We’re making for the world. We set up 16,000 centres to deal with the Coronavirus (pandemic),” the External Affairs Minister said.

    He said that Jaishankar hailed the Centre’s decision to impose an “early lockdown.” It was a health response for something which was unprecedented. “The result is, we have one of the lowest case-fatality rates in the world, we have one of the highest recovery rates in the world,” he said adding that India’s recovery from the pandemic was the “first sign” of Atmanirbhar Bharat working.

    ALSO READ| 25 countries in queue for ‘Made in India’ COVID-19 vaccine: EAM Jaishankar

    “I cite to you the (country’s) Coronavirus recovery, as the first sign of Atmanirbhar Bharat working. I believe that if we can do what we’ve done against a terrible disease if we put our minds on how to build this country, how to take it to a higher level, we’re capable of doing it. Today we have the leadership. Today we have the vision. We have that plan in the Budget and I think we have the self-belief and self-confidence that we are capable of it,” Jaishankar said.

    India on Saturday registered a record by crossing the landmark 20-crore total cumulative COVID-19 tests. Out of 20 crore total tests the country has conducted 7,40,794 tests in the past 24 hours, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said.

    The country’s total active caseload continued to follow a consistent downward slope. It has dropped to less than 1.5 lakh (1,48,590) today and is the lowest in eight months. The present active caseload now consists of just 1.37 per cent of India’s total positive cases. The country has seen less than 100 fatalities (95) in the past 24 hours.

    The total number of vaccinated beneficiaries surpassed 54 lakh (54,16,849) under the countrywide COVID-19 vaccination exercise, as per today’s record till 8 am. The number of beneficiaries being vaccinated every day has shown a consistent and progressive increase.

  • India developing seven more COVID vaccines: Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan

    By PTI
    KOLKATA: Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan on Saturday said that the country is developing seven more COVID-19 vaccines and also working on further vaccine development to inoculate every citizen of India.

    He said the Centre does not have any immediate plan to make the vaccines available in the open market and a decision will be taken as the situation demands. The COVID-19 inoculation process for people aged above 50 will start in March, he told reporters.

    “We are not dependent only on the two vaccines as the country is working on seven more indigenous vaccines. Simultaneously, we are also working on the development of more vaccines because India is a huge country and we need more players and research to reach out to everyone,” he said.

    The Union health minister said that three of the vaccines are in the trial phase, two are in the pre-clinical stage, one is in phase 1 and another in phase-II. “The COVID-19 inoculation process for people above 50 years of age will start next month,” he said.

    “Presently, COVID-19 vaccines are being administered on an emergency basis, under full observation and in a controlled manner. If the vaccines are released in the open market, there won’t be any control over them. The decision will be taken as the situation demands,” he added.

  • Centre urges states/UTs to exponentially increase pace of COVID-19 vaccination

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: The Centre on Saturday urged states and Union territories to exponentially increase the pace of coronavirus vaccination and schedule the inoculation of all healthcare workers at least once before February 20.

    Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan also asked the states/UTs to ensure that beneficiaries of the inaugural vaccination day on January 16 should start getting a second dose on February 13. In a statement, the health ministry said there remains a substantial scope for improvement in the number of average vaccinations per inoculation session.

    “The state health secretaries were asked to analyze the daily variation in the number of average vaccinations and take necessary steps to increase them. States/UTs were advised to ensure 100 per cent saturation of people who have already been registered on CoWin digital platform. They were also asked to organise simultaneous vaccination sessions/day in the health facility wherever possible. Each state/UT was advised to devise a state specific strategy to achieve this target,” it said.

    The states/UTs were also advised to ensure regular review meetings of the state, district and block task force to assess emerging challenges, understand ground issues and promptly address them at appropriate levels, it said.

    “Every state/UT must schedule all healthcare workers for vaccination at least once before February 20, 2021 and immediately thereafter organise mop-up rounds for them. Similarly, all frontline workers must be scheduled for vaccination at least once before March 6, 2021 and immediately thereafter organise mop-up rounds for them,” the ministry said.

    The ministry said the failure of potential beneficiaries to get vaccinated in the mop-up round would automatically push them to age-appropriate vaccination category.

    The health secretary also reiterated the need for adequate attention to issuance of provisional digital vaccination certificates after the first dose and final certificate after completing the second dose; importance of authentication of beneficiaries; and timely data reconciliation on CoWIN application.

    He added that CoWIN 2.0 version will be released soon.

  • 165 lakh COVID vaccine doses procured so far at cost of Rs 350.25 crore: MoS Health Ashwini Choubey

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: A total of 165 lakh doses of COVID-19 vaccines – Covishield and Covaxin – have been procured so far at a cost of Rs 350.25 crore, Minister of State for Health Ashwini Choubey told Lok Sabha on Friday.

    Giving out the details of the number of vaccines already procured by the government, Choubey, in a written reply, said only two vaccines namely Covishield manufactured by the Serum Institute of India and Covaxin manufactured by Bharat Biotech International Limited have so far been granted permission for restricted use in emergency situation by the Drugs Controller General of India.

    “Therefore, only these two vaccines have been procured for COVID-19 vaccination drive in the country. A total of 165 lakh doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been procured so far, of which 110 lakh doses are of Covishield and 55 lakh doses are of Covaxin vaccine. The total cost of procurement of above mentioned doses of vaccines is Rs 350.25 crore,” he said.

    Choubey clarified that no pre-procurement agreements have been entered into.

    In response to a question on the logistical hurdles in deployment of these vaccines, including storage and transportation, the minister said there are no logistical hurdles in the deployment of these vaccines, including storage and transportation.

    The existing infrastructure under Universal Immunization Programme is being used and simultaneously strengthened for deployment of vaccines, including storage and transportation.

    A National Expert Group on Vaccine Administration for COVID-19 (NEGVAC) has been established, which provides guidance on all aspects of COVID-19 vaccination, including prioritisation of population groups, procurement and inventory management, vaccine selection, vaccine delivery and tracking mechanism.

    The introduction of the vaccine is being taken up in a phased manner starting with priority groups of healthcare workers and frontline workers, subsequent to this, NEGVAC recommends covering prioritised groups of persons aged 50 years and above and those aged less than 50 years with comorbidities.

    A ‘Task Force on Focused Research on Corona Vaccine and other Science and Technology Issues’ chaired by Principal Scientific Advisor (PSA) is facilitating research and development of vaccines, drugs, diagnostics and other related issues.

    The Central Drugs Standards Control Organization (CDSCO) has granted permission to manufacture both Covishield and Covaxin as per the New Drugs and Clinical Trials Rules, 2019 under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940.

    As far as Covaxin is concerned, Bharat Biotech had submitted interim safety and immunogenicity data of phase I and II clinical trials carried out in the country along with safety data, including Serious Adverse Event (SAE) data, of the ongoing phase III clinical trial in the country.

    The data was reviewed by the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) in consultation with Subject Expert Committee (SEC) comprising domain knowledge experts. The committee noted that this vaccine is inactivated whole virion coronavirus vaccine having potential to target mutated coronavirus strains.

    The data demonstrated a strong immune response (both antibody as well as T cell) and in-vitro viral neutralisation. The ongoing clinical trial is a large trial on 25,800 Indian subjects in which all the subjects have already been enrolled.

    ALSO READ| COVID vaccine: Pfizer withdraws Emergency Use Authorisation application in India

    Moreover, the firm presented the safety and efficacy data from non-human primate challenge study also to CDSCO, where the vaccine has been found to be safe and effective. “After detailed deliberations, SEC recommended grant of permission for restricted use in emergency situation in public interest as an abundant precaution, in clinical trial mode, to have more options for vaccinations, especially in case of infection by mutant strains,” Choubey said in response to another question.

    Based on the recommendations of SEC, CDSCO has granted permission to Bharat Biotech International Limited, Hyderabad to manufacture Covaxin vaccine for restricted use in emergency situation in public interest as an abundant precaution, in clinical trial mode with various conditions/restrictions.

    The Serum Institute of India, Pune has submitted safety immunogenicity and efficacy data of phase II/III clinical trials of AstraZeneca vaccine carried out in the UK, Brazil and South Africa along with the safety and immunogenicity data from the ongoing phase II/III clinical trial in the country.

    The Subject Expert Committee (SEC) of CDSCO reviewed the proposal of restricted emergency use along with above details and the data received. The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) approval for AstraZeneca vaccine on December 30 last year along with its conditions/restrictions was also reviewed by the committee.

    The committee noted that the safety and immunogenicity data presented by the firm from the Indian study is comparable with that of the overseas clinical trial data.

    Based on the recommendations of SEC, CDSCO granted permission to Serum Institute of India to manufacture Covisheild vaccine for restricted use in emergency situation with various conditions/restrictions.

    Furthermore, CDSCO has granted permission to conduct clinical trials of COVID-19 vaccines either manufactured in the country or outside the country. So far, as Serious Adverse Events (SAE) are concerned, 51 SAEs have been received by CDSCO from various clinical trials of COVID-19 vaccine.

  • Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh tests positive for COVID-19

    By PTI
    MUMBAI: Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh on Friday said he has tested coronavirus positive. He shared the information on his Twitter handle.

    “I tested positive for coronavirus today, but I am in good health. I appeal to those who came in my contact to get theselves tested. I will return in your service soon after defeating coronavirus,” Deshmukh said in his tweet.

    आज माझी कोरोना चाचणी पॉझिटिव्ह आली असून माझी प्रकृती उत्तम आहे. तरी माझ्या संपर्कात आलेल्या सर्वांनी कोरोना चाचणी करून घ्यावी, असे मी आवाहन करतो. लवकरच मी कोरोनावर मात करून पुन्हा आपल्या सेवेसाठी हजर होईल.
    — ANIL DESHMUKH (@AnilDeshmukhNCP) February 5, 2021

    A state health official said Deshmukh was on a tour of east Vidarbha over the last few days and returned to Nagpur on Thursday. “A precautionary test was conducted on him today, which confirmed that he has contracted the infection. Deshmukh is currently at his residence in Nagpur,” the official said.

    He added that it is not yet clear whether he has been advised to remain in home quarantine or get admitted to a hospital

  • Doctors, health workers treating COVID patients to get Rs 11,000: Uttarakhand CM Trivendra Rawat

    Flagging off a fleet of 132 ambulances under the 108 emergency service, he said that all corona warriors of the Health Department will be given certificates.

  • Sanitation worker dies hours after getting COVID-19 vaccine in Gujarat’s Vadodara

    By PTI

    AHMEDABAD: A 30-year-old sanitation worker died around two hours after being administered a coronavirus vaccine in Gujarat’s Vadodara on Sunday, following which authorities ordered a postmortem to ascertain the exact cause of his death, officials said.

    While the family members of the deceased said they suspect that the COVID-19 vaccine was the reason behind his sudden death, officials said he might have died due to a heart attack as he had a history of heart disease since 2016 and was not taking medicines.

    Jignesh Solanki was a sanitation worker at the Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC). He was vaccinated on Sunday morning. However, hours later, he fainted at home and was rushed to the SSG Hospital in the city, where he was declared brought dead by doctors, the officials said.

    Solanki’s wife Divya said, “I had no idea that he was going to be vaccinated. We had not discussed about it. After getting vaccinated, he returned home, but fainted while playing with our daughter. We suspect that his sudden death was caused due to the vaccination.”

    Medical Superintendent of SSG Hospital Dr Ranjan Aiyer said Solanki was administered the COVID-19 vaccine at a booth set up by the civic body, following which he was monitored for half an hour. During that period, there were no signs of any adverse side effects.

    “He was declared brought dead at the SSG Hospital. We have learnt that Jignesh had suffered from chest pain and was admitted to a private hospital nearly one-and-a-half years back. It is possible that he died due to heart attack as he had a history of heart disease. We will conduct his panel postmortem to ascertain the exact cause of death,” Aiyer said.

    Aiyer said if a patient does not declare his medical history, and is on medicines, then he should not be vaccinated as per the general guidelines. “As far as Jignesh is concerned, he had stopped taking medicines despite having a history of heart disease. On the basis of his medical history, we shall be able to get a better picture,” he said.

    VMC’s medical officer of health Dr Devesh Patel said the postmortem report is awaited, which will ascertain the exact cause of Solanki’s death. “The patient had a history of heart disease since 2016. His heart was weak, but he was not taking medicines, as his relatives told us,” he said.

    Patel added that so far, more than 12,000 beneficiaries have been administered COVID-19 vaccine in Vadodara, but nobody has complained of any side effects.

  • Halsey cancels long-postponed Manic tour amid COVID-19 pandemic

    By PTI
    LOS ANGELES: Singer-songwriter Halsey has officially cancelled her 2020 tour, which was rescheduled for 2021, due to the coronavirus pandemic.

    The 26-year-old “Without me” hitmaker took to Twitter to announce the cancellation of her tour. “Despite our absolute best efforts, there is no guarantee I’ll be able to tour the currently scheduled dates. I miss seeing all of you in the crowd every night more than anything, but I need to prioritize your health and safety. That being said, the Manic tour is now officially canceled. As much as we wanted to hold out hope that this tour could eventually happen, our priority is now getting your ticket money back to you immediately,” Halsey said.

    The singer added that fans will soon receive an email from their point of purchase with instructions regarding how to receive the ticket refund. Halsey concluded her statement by promising to “find new ways to connect despite the circumstances”.

    The Manic tour started in early 2020 and the signer managed to perform 17 concerts in Europe. Her last performance prior to the pandemic was on March 12 in Manchester, England. Halsey announced in May that the US concert calender would be pushed back to the summer of 2021.

  • Two flights with Covishield vaccine depart from Mumbai airport to Brazil, Morocco

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: Two flights, each carrying two million doses of Covishield vaccine, departed from the Mumbai airport for Brazil and Morocco in the early hours of Friday. India is one of the world’s biggest drugmakers, and an increasing number of countries have already approached it for procuring coronavirus vaccines.

    “The Covishield vaccine, manufactured by the Serum Institute of India, departed from Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) carrying 2 million doses to Brazil via Emirates Sky Cargo and 2 million doses to Morocco on Royal Air Maroc,” said a press release by CSMIA.

    It mentioned that as of January 22, CSMIA has facilitated movement of over 14.17 million doses of the Covishield vaccine across various international and domestic destinations. Since Wednesday, India has been sending COVID-19 vaccines under grant assistance to Bhutan, the Maldives, Bangladesh, Nepal, Myanmar and Seychelles.

    India has already rolled out a massive coronavirus immunisation drive under which two vaccines, Covishield and Covaxin, are being administered to frontline health workers across the country. While Oxford-AstraZeneca’s Covishield is being manufactured by the Serum Institute, Covaxin is being produced by Bharat Biotech.

  • ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ pervades every sphere of life, from cricket field to COVID fight: PM Modi

    By PTI
    TEZPUR: Invoking the young Indian cricket team’s remarkable victory in Australia and the country’s fight against COVID-19, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Friday the spirit of ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ pervades all spheres and has become a part of everyday lives of people.

    Modi said the fight against COVID-19 made the slogan of ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ not only a part of popular vocubulary but also encapsulated the nation’s dreams, hopes, its motivation and determination to deal with the crisis.

    He said that a change of approach and perspective to meet every challenge differently and with determination became visible. “This change was also visible on the cricket field when the Indian team lost disastrously but fought back with confidence and determination in the next match to beat a much more experienced Australian team. The players turned adversity into opportunity, creating history with their talent and temperament. Their performance is important not only in the history of sports but also gave us three life lessons. The first being trust and self-confidence, then the need for a positive mindset, and finally, the will to explore if there is a possibility of victory and go for it,” he said.

    The prime minister was addressing the 18th convocation of Tezpur University. “We should learn to take risks and overcome fear of failure,” Modi said.

    Speaking about India’s fight against the pandemic, the prime minister said there was a lot of scepticism about how such a large country will tackle it. “Our COVID-19 management showed where there is resolve and resilience, resources come naturally. And today the world’s largest vaccination programme is under way in India,” he said.

    The prime minister said despite the initial challenges, the country fought against the coronavirus with ‘Made in India’ solutions.

    It minimised the impact of the virus, improved health infrastructure and now two vaccines manufactured in the country will provide a shield against the disease to its people and those across the world, he said.

    ALSO READ| PM Narendra Modi interacts with COVID vaccine beneficiaries in Varanasi

    Modi said that the development of digital infrastructure made possible online transfer of relief funds to the poor during the lockdown. “Today, India does not hesitate in facing challenges. We launched the world’s biggest schemes for financial inclusion, for building toilets, providing houses to the poor, safe drinking water. Now the world’s largest vaccination drive is also taking place in India,” he asserted.

    He urged the student community to innovate and bring about change as new technology has opened up fresh possibilities in every sector with banks operating without branches, cloud kitchens coming up , and products being sold without showrooms.

    Modi said that the students of Tezpur University must take advantage of the numerous opportunities before them as a result of the government’s initiatives for improving connectivity, education and health care.

    Tezpur University’s unique identity is its Innovation Centre, and the grassroots innovations by its researchers are an example of ‘vocal for local’ because they help resolve local problems and open up new areas of development, he said.

    The prime minister cited an initiative of the university’s Department of Chemical Science which developed a low-cost technology to purify water which was being replicated in many states.

    He also spoke about research for conservation of North East’s biodiversity, documenting the rich heritage of different communities, preservation of the rare wood art at the birthplace of Vaishnav saint Srimanta Sankardeva at Bordowa and digitisation of historical records.

    The prime minister recalled the history of Tezpur since the mythological ages to the modern times as the cultural capital of the state where Assam’s icons like Bhupen Hazarika, Jyoti Prasad Agarwalla and Bishnu Prasad Rabha were born and spent a considerable part of their lives.

    He asked the students to draw inspiration from their works to create a self-reliant India and the world where they can make tangible changes to the lives of the future generations. “The country is about to enter the 75th year of its Independence for which many sacrificed their lives. It’s now your turn to build the future of those who will be students like you in the next 25 years when the nation enters its 100th year of Independence,” he said.

    It is the duty of today’s students to transform and ensure that future universities are globally linked, and for this a new regulatory framework is necessary. The New Education Policy is a step in that direction, he said, underscoring the need for greater use of technology and importance of multi-disciplinary education.

    “After you complete your formal education, work not only for your own future but also of the state and the nation,” he said.