News Analysis India

Tag: Pandemic

  • Maharashtra reports 10,219 cases, lowest since March 9; over 21,000 recover

    By PTI
    MUMBAI: Maharashtra on Monday reported 10,219 fresh coronavirus positive cases, the lowest after March 9 this year, and 154 fatalities while 21,081 patients were discharged, the state health department said.

    With the new additions, Maharashtra’s caseload now stands at 58,42,000 and the toll at 1,00,470. On March 9, Maharashtra had reported 9,927 COVID-19 cases.

    A total of 21,081 patients were discharged during the day in Maharashtra, raising the count of recoveries so far in the state to 55,64,348, leaving the state with 1,74,320 active cases, the department said in a release.

    Maharashtra’s case recovery rate now stands at 95.25 per cent while the fatality rate is 1.72 per cent. With 1,87,172 new tests, the number of samples tested so far in Maharashtra went up to 3,66,96,139, the department said.

    Mumbai reported 730 fresh cases and 28 deaths, taking the total count to 7,11,373 and the toll to 14,999. Mumbai division reported 1,895 new cases and 36 deaths, raising the tally to 15,50,389 and the fatality count to 28,320, it said.

    Nashik division reported 948 cases, Pune division 2,435, including 1,152 infections in Satara district,while Kolhapur division added 3,186 cases including 1,017 in Kolhapur district.

    Aurangabad division saw 311 cases during the day, Latur division 347, Akola division 466, while Nagpur division added 631 cases.

    Maharashtra’s coronavirus tally: Positive 58,42,000, deaths 1,00,470, recoveries 55,64,348, active 1,74,320, total tests 3,66,96,139, tests today 1,87,172.

  • PM should clarify which states demanded to buy vaccines to inoculate people aged 18-44 years: Gehlot

    #39;To my knowledge, no state had made such a demand. The PM #39;s advisors seem to have given him wrong information, #39; he wrote on Twitter.

  • Mizoram slashes class 11 admission fees by 30 per cent

    By PTI
    AIZWAL: The Mizoram government has decided to reduce admission fees by 30 per cent in all state-run schools for students seeking admission in class 11, Education Minister Lalchhandama Ralte said on Monday.

    Addressing a felicitation function at the Mizo Higher Secondary School here, Ralte said the decision was taken in view of the hardship being faced by the parents and students due to the pandemic.

    “The state government has decided to reduce admission fees for class 11 students, seeking admission in government higher secondary schools, adhoc aided higher secondary schools, lumpsum aided higher secondary schools and deficit higher secondary schools, which receive regular grants from the government,” the minister said.

    The fees would be reduced by 30 per cent, he added. Ralte also urged all private schools to slash admission fees in view of the difficulties being faced by the people due to the pandemic.

    He also urged parents to get their children admitted to government schools, which are managed not only by qualified teachers but charge no tuition fees.

    Several students’ bodies and organisations, including the Central Young Mizo Association (CYMA), lauded the state government’s decision to reduce admission fees.

    On June 3, the Mizoram Board of School Education (MBSE) had declared results for class 10 examinations.

  • Centre issues SOPs to administer 2nd dose of Covishield before 84 days for certain categories

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: Those intending to undertake international travel for education purposes, joining employment and as part of the Indian contingent to the Tokyo Olympics will be allowed to take the second dose of Covid vaccine Covishield prior to the prescribed time interval of 84 days after the first dose.

    However, according to the standard operating procedures (SOPs) issued by the Union health ministry on Monday, even in these cases, the second dose will only be administered after 28 days from the date of the first dose.

    The Co-WIN system will soon provide the facility for the administration of the second dose in such exceptional cases, the ministry said.

    It said it has received several representations for allowing the administration of the second dose of Covishield to such people who have taken the first dose and are seeking to undertake international travel for educational purposes or for employment opportunities or as part of the Indian contingent for the Tokyo Olympic games, but whose planned travel dates fall prior to the completion of the currently-mandated minimum interval of 84 days from the date of the first dose.

    The matter has been discussed in Empowered Group 5 (EG-5) and appropriate recommendations have been received.

    In this context, with a view to providing full coverage of vaccination and facilitating international travel for such genuine reasons, the ministry has issued the SOPs according to which the states shall designate a competent authority in each district to grant permission for such administration of the second dose of Covishield.

    The competent authority shall check whether a period of 28 days has elapsed after the date of the first dose and the genuineness of the purpose of travel, based on documents related to admission offers or the associated formal communications for the purpose of education.

    It will also check whether a person is already studying in a foreign educational institution and has to return to that institution for continuing his or her education, interview calls for a job or offer letters for taking up employment and the nomination to participate in the Tokyo Olympic games, before according the permission for the administration of the second dose.

    This special dispensation will be available to the students who have to undertake foreign travel for the purposes of education, those who have to take up jobs in foreign countries, athletes, sportspersons and the accompanying staff of the Indian contingent attending the Tokyo Olympic games.

    The ministry advised that vaccination may be availed in such cases through passport, which is one of the permissible ID documents according to the current guidelines, so that the passport number is printed in the vaccination certificate.

    However, if the passport was not used at the time of the administration of the first dose, the details of the photo ID card used for vaccination will be printed in the vaccination certificate and a mention of the passport number in the vaccination certificate is not to be insisted upon, the SOPs stated.

    Wherever necessary, the competent authority may issue another certificate linking the vaccination certificate with the passport number of the beneficiary, it stated.

    A mention of the vaccine type as “Covishield” is sufficient and no other qualifying entries are required in the vaccination certificates.

    This facility shall be available to those who need to undertake international travel for these specified purposes in the period up to August 31.

    All technical protocols as prescribed in the guidelines of the ministry regarding Covid vaccination centres and AEFI management etc. shall have to be followed.

    The states and Union territories have been advised to widely publicise and take all necessary measures to immediately implement these SOPs.

    Presently, based on the recommendations by the National Expert Group on Vaccine Administration for COVID-19 (NEGVAC), the dosage schedule of Covishield under the National COVID-19 Vaccination Strategy is to administer the second dose at an interval of 12-16 weeks (after 84 days) since the administration of the first dose.

  • SC intervention behind the decision on free Covid vaccines for all: Sisodia after PM announcement 

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: Soon after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that states will be provided free Covid vaccines from June 21, Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on Monday said it was done after the Supreme Court’s intervention and blamed the Centre’s policies for which states could not buy doses directly.

    His remarks came after PM Modi announced that the central government will provide free COVID-19 vaccine to states for inoculation of all above the age of 18 from June 21, and asserted that vaccine supply would be increased significantly in coming days.

    “We express our gratitude to the Hon’ble Supreme Court that after its intervention, free vaccines will be available to all age groups across the country. If the central government wanted, it could have done this long ago, but due to the policies of the Centre, neither the states were able to buy the vaccines nor the central government was giving it,” Sisodia tweeted.

    On June 2, the Supreme Court questioned the Centre’s policy of paid vaccination for 18-44 age group, saying it is “prima facie, arbitrary and irrational”.

    The top court had pointed out the changing nature of the COVID-19 pandemic and asked the Centre to review its vaccination policy.

  • Railway employees launch campaign demanding ‘frontline worker’ status

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: The Railways’ largest employee union Monday launched a major campaign demanding they be declared frontline Covid workers as they have been serving people during the coronavirus crisis, losing more than 2,000 colleagues in the process.

    They also initiated a social media campaign to press for their demands, running the Twitter hashtag #TreatRailwayEmployeesFrontlineWorker.

    “Responding to a clarion call given by the All India Railwaymen’s Federation (AIRF), railwaymen across the country demanded, through a Twitter Campaign, the status of ‘Frontline Workers’ for them, by tweeting to the prime minister, the railways and the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare,” a statement from the All India Railwaymen’s Federation said.

    AIRF General Secretary Shiva Gopal Mishra said there is “serious unrest and discontent” among railway employees on not being recognised as “frontline workers” even though they are “performing their duties day and night, and sacrificing their valuable lives”.

    “While the government is extending all the benefits to the staff of other departments, treating them as ‘Frontline Workers’, Railwaymen are being given step-motherly treatment,” Mishra said.

    He also said the agitation will be intensified if their demands are not met and the government does not extend to them the benefit of ‘frontline workers’ such as priority vaccination and Rs 50 lakh ex gratia in case of death due to the virus.

    Railway Board Chairman Suneet Sharma had recently said that 1,952 railway employees succumbed to coronavirus by then, and around 1,000 cases were reported among them daily.

    Last month, in a letter to Railway Minister Piyush Goyal, Mishra had said that around 1,500 railway staffers died during the pandemic while more than one lakh have been infected by the virus.

    He also said that more than 65,000 have recovered and joined their duties again, adding while a letter of appreciation from the minister lauding their dedication was encouraging, a parity in compensation would be of great help for the affected families.

    “We also appreciate the prime minister when during ‘Mann Ki Baat’ he called railwaymen as corona warriors.

    AIRF, since the beginning has been demanding parity between different cadres who are working 24×7 during this corona period and scarifying their lives.

    However, It is quite unfortunate that while other categories of front line workers viz medical staff, security forces, sanitation staff etc. are being paid Rs 50 lakh as compensation but Railwaymen are being paid Rs 25 lakh only.”

  • Over 2 crore COVID-19 vaccine doses administered in Uttar Pradesh till now

    By PTI
    LUCKNOW: Uttar Pradesh has administered over two crore COVID-19 vaccine doses till now with over 30 lakh jabs given to beneficiaries in the 18-44 age group, the state government said on Sunday.

    So far, 1,66,27,059 people have received the first dose of vaccine while 36,27,433 have received both doses, it said.

    “Till now, we have administered more than two crore (2,02,34,598) doses of vaccine. In view of the huge population of Uttar Pradesh, we have to speed up the vaccination drive,” Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said at a high-level COVID review meeting.

    Uttar Pradesh is the most populous state in the country. Last month, Maharashtra has achieved the milestone of administering two crore vaccine doses.

    “We must now work on increasing the target set under Mission June by three times for July,” the chief minister said. Uttar Pradesh had set a target of administering one crore vaccine doses in one month under ‘Mission June’.

    The UP government also said the state has administered over 30 lakh vaccine doses in the 18-44 age category, the highest in the country. In a day, the state has jabbed around 3.88 lakh people.

    CM Adityanath said the speed of vaccination must be increased further to prevent a third wave of COVID-19 infections and start targeting to administer at least 10 lakh doses a day from July. The target is to administer at least 10 crore people in the next three months.

    So far, India has administered around 22.80 crore vaccine doses, with Uttar Pradesh accounting for around 8.9 per cent of it.

    “A district-wise strategy should be prepared to meet the target of administering 10 lakh doses a day in July. There is no shortage of vaccines. With the help of the Centre, many new vaccines will be available soon,” Adityanath said.

    “About one lakh additional vaccinators, including the nursing students, should be trained to achieve the new target.” To encourage women to take the jabs, ‘Special Pink Booths’ will start operating in all the 75 districts of the state from Monday. Each district has been directed to set up at least two such booths.

    ALSO WATCH | Black, white and yellow fungal infections, explained

  • More states announce easing of COVID-induced curbs from Monday 

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI/ CHENNAI/ MUMBAI: Haryana and Sikkim were the latest to extend lockdown from Monday but have eased the curbs like several other states including Maharashtra that have announced cautious steps towards restarting or scaling up activities after over a month following a decline in COVID cases.

    “The state government is taking a calculated risk and hence people have to take care of themselves. Nothing is going to be eased immediately,” Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray said ahead of the start of the ‘five-tier’ unlock process based on weekly positivity rate and occupancy of oxygen beds in districts.

    READ MORE: Maharashtra to lift lockdown-like restrictions in 18 out of 36 districts from June 4

    Thackeray emphasised that the local administration will take decisions on whether to ease restrictions and further tighten them.

    In Mumbai, the country’s financial capital, restaurants, shops selling non-essential items and public places are set to reopen from Monday but malls, theatres and multiplexes will continue to remain shut as the metropolis has been categorised under level 3 of the ‘unlock’ plan.

    However, the national capital, which began the unlock exercise from May 31 will see further easing of restrictions from Monday, with the government allowing resumption of metro services at 50 per cent capacity and reopening of markets and malls on an odd-even basis.

    READ MORE: Malls to reopen, shops to operate under odd-even format as Haryana extends lockdown till June 7 

    Officials said teams of police and district administration have been deployed across the city to enforce COVID-appropriate behaviour.

    Possible super spreader areas like prominent markets, malls and liquor stores that attract large crowds have been marked for strict compliance with precautions like the use of face masks and social distancing.

    In June, several states and Union Territories have begun easing the lockdown restrictions which they first started imposing in mid-April as the second COVID wave hit the country, but the Centre has cautioned that the unlock process has to be slow and that COVID-appropriate behaviour needs to be strictly followed.

    ALSO READ: CM Stalin extends Covid-19 lockdown in Tamil Nadu for one more week with a few relaxations

    “Whatever we know from possible scenarios presented by eminent people, it (COVID) will decline and June will be much much more better but the concerns are when we open up, how do we behave because the virus has not gone anywhere,” NITI Aayog member (Health) V K Paul had said last week.

    The Uttar Pradesh government also extended the relaxations in the coronavirus curfew to four more districts on Sunday.

    With this, curbs have been eased in 71 districts where shops and markets outside containment zones will be allowed to open for five days a week.

    While the count of active cases has fallen below the 600-mark in these districts, a watch is being kept on the remaining four districts of Lucknow, Gorakhpur, Meerut and Saharanpur, and a decision on these districts may be taken on Tuesday, an official statement said The Haryana government said it was extending the lockdown, clamped in the state on May 3, till June 14 as a preventive and precautionary measure though the COVID positivity rate and the number of new Covid positive cases have declined.

    While further relaxations regarding the opening of shops and shopping malls have been given, religious places are also allowed to open now with 21 people at a time.

    Corporate offices can have 50 per cent attendance after adopting social distancing norms and gatherings of up to 21 people are allowed at weddings, funerals and cremations from the earlier 11.

    The Sikkim government, while announcing the state-wide lockdown for one more week till June 14, also allowed relaxation for shops selling groceries and hardware.

    Even as the COVID situation has relatively improved in most of the northern and western states, southern and eastern parts of the country are still reporting a high number of cases.

    Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin had announced the extension of the lockdown by a week till June 14 with some easing of restrictions from Monday, except in 11 districts where the number of new cases reported was still high.

    Earlier, neighbouring Karnataka had extended the lockdown till June 14. Himachal Pradesh and Goa had also extended the ‘Corona curfew’ till June 14 with some easing of curbs.

    Ladakh on Sunday announced a gradual unlocking after a month-long ‘corona curfew’ in the Union Territory.

    India reported 1,14,460 new coronavirus infections, the lowest in 60 days, while the daily positivity rate further dropped to 5.62 per cent, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Sunday.

    With the fresh cases, the total tally of coronavirus cases in the country climbed to 2,88,09,339. The COVID-19 death toll climbed to 3,46,759 with 2,677 daily deaths, the lowest in 42 days, while the active cases dropped below 15 lakh, the data updated at 8 am showed India had reported more than 88.

    82 lakh coronavirus infections in May alone during the raging second wave of COVID-19, accounting for 31.67 per cent of the over 2.8 crore cases reported in the country so far and making it the worst month of the pandemic.

    The month of May also saw 1,17,247 fatalities due to the disease, which is around 35.63 per cent of the total 3,29,100 deaths recorded so far.

    The daily cases peaked on May 7 when the country registered 4,14,188 infections in a span of 24 hours, while daily deaths were the highest on May 19 with India reporting 4,529 fatalities due to COVID-19.

    The active cases had peaked on May 10 at 37,45,237. Here is a look at coronavirus-induced restrictions/lockdown imposed by states and union territories: *Delhi will continue with lockdown with the second phase of easing of restrictions from June 7.

    *Haryana has extended lockdown till June 14 with some easing of restrictions.

    *Punjab has extended the coronavirus restrictions till June 10.

    *Uttar Pradesh has eased restrictions in 71 districts. Night curfew and weekend lockdown to remain in the state.

    *Bihar has extended lockdown till June 8.

    *Jharkhand has extended lockdown till June 10.

    * Odisha has extended lockdown till June 17.

    * West Bengal government extended ongoing COVID-19 restrictions till June 15.

    *Rajasthan has extended lockdown till June 8 but has eased some restrictions.

    * Madhya Pradesh has extended corona curfew with eased restrictions till June 15.

    The state has announced separate unlock guidelines for districts.

    *Gujarat has extended night curfew in 36 cities of the state for a week from June 4, with further relaxation in timings.

    *Chhattisgarh government has on May 31 extended lockdown till further orders.

    *Kerala has extended lockdown till June 9 with some concessions.

    *Tamil Nadu has extended the lockdown till June 14.

    *Puducherry has imposed lockdown till June 7.

    * Lakshadweep administration has extended lockdown till June 10.

    *Karnataka has announced an extension of lockdown till June 14.

    *Telangana has extended lockdown till June 9.

    * Andhra Pradesh has extended curfew till June 10.

    *Goa government has extended curfew till June 14.

    *Maharashtra has extended the lockdown-like restrictions till June 15, though they will be eased from June 7.

    *Assam has extended the restrictions till June 15 though on June 4 it increased the curfew relaxation by one hour.

    *Nagaland has extended the lockdown till June 11.

    *Mizoram has extended the lockdown, which was imposed in Aizawl and other district headquarters, till June 6.

    * Arunachal Pradesh has imposed complete lockdown in Anjaw, Dibang Valley, Lower Subansiri, Lohit and Tawang districts and the Capital Complex Region till June 7.

    *Manipur government has imposed curfew in seven districts of Imphal West, Imphal East, Bishnupur, Ukhrul, Thoubal, Kakching and Churachandpur till June 11.

    * Meghalaya extended lockdown in the worst-affected East Khasi Hills district till June 7.

    *Tripura government has extended corona curfew in Agartala Municipal Corporation areas and urban areas in the state till June 10.

    *Sikkim has extended lockdown till June 14.

    *Jammu and Kashmir administration has eased restrictions but night curfew and weekend lockdown will remain.

    *Uttarakhand has extended COVID curfew till June 8.

    *Himachal Pradesh government has extended the coronavirus curfew till June 14 with some relaxation.

    ALSO WATCH | Black, white and yellow fungal infections, explained 

  • Assam logs 2,228 new COVID-19 cases, 37 deaths in 24 hours

    By PTI
    GUWAHATI: Assam reported 2,228 new COVID- 19 cases and 37 fresh fatalities on Sunday with caseload rising to 4,34,942, National Health Mission bulletin said.

    The death toll in the state increased to 3,658 while the number of active cases is currently is 49,518. Six deaths were reported from Tinsukia, four from Sonitpur, three each from Kamrup Metro, Cachar, and Nagaon, and two each from Darrang Sivasagar and Udalguri.

    Baksa, Barpeta, Biswanath, Bongaigaon, Charaideo, Goalpara Kamrup Rural, Karbi Anglong, and Lakhimpur reported one death each. Dibrugarh, Dhubri and Hailakandi also reported one death each.

    The current death rate is 0.84 percent and the number of COVID-19 patients dying due to other causes is 1,347. The new cases detected during the day include 309 from Kamrup Metro, 281 from Cachar, 196 from Tinsukia, and 170 from Dibrugarh.

    The fresh COVID-19 cases were detected out of 73,648 tests conducted during the day. The daily positivity rate is 3.03 per cent while the cumulative tests conducted in the state so far are 1,16,84,421.

    The number of recovered patients discharged during the day is 4,076 and as many as 3,80,419 patients have recuperated from the infection.

    As many as 43,38,790 people have been vaccinated which includes 34,88,484 beneficiaries having received the first dose and 8,50,306 the second dose.

  • Nagaland records more recoveries than new infections, tally

    By PTI
    KOHIMA: Nagaland on Sunday reported more recoveries than fresh COVID-19 cases, as 160 people were cured of the disease while 77 new infections pushed the tally to 22,773, a health official said.

    The demise of four coronavirus patients, 3 in Dimapur and one in Zunheboto district, has increased the death toll to 426, of which 14 were related to other diseases, the official said.

    Of the new cases, 20 were reported in Kohima, 17 each in Dimapur and Zunheboto, 10 in Mokokchung, 7 in Phek, 2 each in Peren and Tuensang, and 1 each in Wokha and Mon districts, State Nodal Officer for Integrated Disease Surveillance Project Dr.

    Nyanthung Kikon said in the daily COVID-19 bulletin. He also said that 101 COVID-19 patients from Dimapur, Kohima (18), Zunheboto (13 ), Phek (9), Tuensang (8), Mokokchung (4), Wokha (3), and two each in Longleng and Peren districts recovered during the day.

    This has increased the number of patients who have recovered from the infection to 16,974, improving the recovery rate in the state to 74.53 per cent from 74.08 per cent on Saturday, he said. At present, there are 4,732 active patients in the state.

    Altogether 641 COVID-19 patients have migrated to other states, he said. A total of 1,989,365 samples have been tested for COVID-19 so far in Nagaland. It includes 91,743 on RT-PCR, 56,925 on TrueNat, and 50,688 on Rapid Antigen Test so far, Dr. Kikon said.

    Meanwhile, state immunisation officer Dr Ritu Thurr said, a total of 2,33,604 persons have been administered the COVID-19 vaccine. As many as 54,234 beneficiaries have received both doses of the vaccine.