News Analysis India

Tag: Pandemic

  • India’s vaccine drive loses steam, 2nd doses delayed

    Express News Service
    NEW DELHI:  The speed of the country’s Covid-19 vaccination campaign is decreasing rapidly, owing to an acute shortage of doses, and the slowdown has triggered concerns that it could impede taming of the massive surge in cases across the country. 

    The average daily doses administered has come down by nearly 80% over the last one month from its peak, when on average 3.5 million vaccinations had been done per day.  According to the Centre’s own projection, the average daily vaccination between May 1- and 6 is only 7,17,100 about 79% less than the average daily vaccinations done in the first week of April.  

    The Centre has supplied states with 17.02 crore doses while 16.05 crore doses have been administered so far, as per the Union health ministry. States are struggling to procure vaccines independently under the new policy. The reduced supply from the Centre also means many people from priority age groups who have taken their first jabs are being forced to delay their second. 

    The Union government on Wednesday said 36 lakh doses are set to reach states in 3 days.   The health ministry plans to procure 11 crore doses of Covishield and 5 crore doses of Covaxin between May-July which will be supplied to states, but it may be available mainly for those over 45, and that too may not be adequate.

    Experts say India needs to vaccinate at least 6-7 million a day to cover the most vulnerable population within the next few months. “It is clear that the government did not plan well for the vaccination… And even now I see no sense of urgency,” said a WHO India official.

    Note: Graphic has been updated.

  • Double mutant tied to surge, 3rd wave inevitable: Centre

    By Express News Service
    NEW DELHI:  The Centre on Wednesday came up with a grim warning that a third Covid-19 wave in India was inevitable and admitted for the first time that B.1.617, an Indian mutant of the virus, could be fuelling the massive surge in the country. “A phase three is inevitable, given the higher levels of the circulating virus, but it is not clear on what time scale this will occur. We should prepare for new waves,” said K Vijay Raghavan, Principal Scientific Advisor to the Centre said on Wednesday.

    ALSO READ: The industry and measures to save lives, livelihoods

    Amid clamour for stricter measures to contain the spread of the fierce wave, Niti Aayog member (health), V K Paul, who also heads the national Covid-19 task force, did not rule out the possibility of a national lockdown to break the chain of the virus.  Listing the Centre’s guidelines like night curfews and restrictions in districts with over 10% test positivity rate and more than 60% ICU bed occupancy, Paul said: “In that direction there is a clear balanced advisory. At the same time, if anything more is required, those options are always being discussed, and decisions, as required, will be taken.” 

    Meanwhile, data shared during the briefing marked the B.1.617 variant – also known as double mutant – as a “variant of concern”  for the first time.  Samples collected from at least 18 states, which underwent genomic surveillance, showed the presence of the variant. This variant, along with E484Q and L452R mutants, was first identified in February. Its spread has been exponential, overtaking several other local variants, including  N440K and B.1.618, suggesting that it was more transmissible.

    ALSO READ: Covid double mutant B1617, a variant of concern, says Centre

    Data from  other countries suggest that while E484Q can escape antibody neutralisation, L452R increases infectivity. According to the WHO, this Indian strain has been detected in at least 17 countries, including the UK, US and Singapore. Sources said that following a request by the UK government, India has agreed to send samples of B.1.617 for examining  the efficacy of the available vaccines against it.  Renu Swarup, secretary of department of biotechnology, said initial data has shown that vaccines in India effectively neutralised the variants in circulation. More work is underway to fully establish the findings, she added.

    Link between variant, surgeThe director of the National Centre for Disease Control said that an exercise was underway to establish the link between the rise of the variant and the progression of the disease in the country

    Lockdown-like situation already in many states

    Maharashtra: Lockdown-like curbs imposed since April 5Odisha: Two-week lockdown since May 5Andhra Pradesh: Two-week noon-to-6 am curfew starting May 5Kerala: Mini-lockdown till May 9, night curfewTelangana: Only night curfew so farTamil Nadu: Shops selling essential commodities can function till 12 noonKarnataka: Corona Curfew extended till May 12West Bengal: Shops to open from 7 am to 10 am and 5 pm to 7 pmJharkhand: Lockdown since April 22Madhya Pradesh: Staggered Janta Curfew in various districtsUttar Pradesh: Corona Curfew till May 10 morningBihar: 11-day lockdown starting WednesdayPunjab: Non-essential shops shut till May 15Haryana: Lockdown from May 3-10Rajasthan: Virtual lockdown from April 19 to May 3Chhattisgarh: Lockdown extended till May 15J&K: Corona curfew in 14 districts till Thursday morning; four districts under curfew till May 10Northeast: Almost all states have clamped night curfew; complete lockdown in Meghalaya’s East Khasi Hills district

  • For 75 years, we under-invested in health sector, says External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar

    By Express News Service
    NEW DELHI: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Wednesday said the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic is an all-consuming challenge and welcomed goodwill from various countries.

    “We will get through this. But there is a larger lesson out of all of this. There is a sense of solidarity. I feel it here in London from the G7 because almost all the countries have been through exactly what we are going through. They feel for you. This pandemic is truly not just a game-changer, it’s a thought changer. I see solidarity in diplomacy today, and I would like to see that at home as well,” Jaishankar said during a live event ‘Does India have a plan? From survival to revival’ as part of the Global Dialogue Series organised by UK-based media house India Inc Group and the Indian High Commission in London.

    The EAM is on a four-day trip to the UK to attend the G7 foreign minister’s meeting. Admitting that the country’s healthcare system has been exposed to the virus, Jaishankar said there was a focused plan to boost vaccination drive and tackle the country’s needs even after the pandemic. “Repeated advisories were going out and public health teams sent out. There was a move to ramp up oxygen production. The reality, unfortunately, was, as the numbers came down there was an amount of public confidence. This is not a blame game, but I don’t think anyone in the country can say we kept our guard up all the time. We are a deeply democratic and political country and in a democracy, you can’t have elections. Elections are sacrosanct. It is clear that for 75 years, we have under-invested in health,” he said. 

  • Bihar: About 30 ventilators bought under PM-Cares fund lie unused

    Express News Service
    PATNA:  Take a look at how Bihar treats its healthcare facilities: 30 ventilators in the home districts of CM Nitish Kumar, health minister Mangal Pandey, two deputy CMs, Renu Devi, Tar Kishor Prasad, and Union MoS for health and family welfare-cum Buxar MP Ashwini Choubey, are not operational for last one year.

    These 30 ventilators, provided to the state under the PM-Cares Fund last year, have been found lying unused in government hospitals of Nalanda, Siwan, Bhagalpur, Katihar, Saharsa and Buxar districts, besides other 177 new ventilators in the same condition in other districts for years. As many as 207 ventilators were allotted to Bihar for hospitals in 36 districts in March last year after they were purchased under the PM CARES Fund.

    “Since then, ventilators in 36 districts of the state have not been made operational simply because there are no operators. It shows how the state government is concerned about the health care system,” said a senior doctor, preferring anonymity. Meanwhile, the state health society has decided to release these ventilators to private hospitals treating Covid patients for the next three months on some conditions. Applications have been sought from private hospitals, but sources said only a few private hospitals have responded to the offer so far.

    As per official figures, six new ventilators are lying unused each in Siwan, home district of state health minister Mangal Pandey, Nalanda, home district of CM Nitish Kumar, Katihar and Saharsa of deputy CM Tar Kishor Prasad, West Champaran, the home district of another deputy CM Renu Devi and Bhagalpur-Buxar, which are home district and Lok Sabha constituency of Ashwini Choubey. When this newspaper tried to contact the state health minister and health officials to know the current status of these ventilators, none of them was available or responded.

    Postpone weddings for some time, says CM Nitish

    Bihar CM Nitish Kumar has appealed to the people on Wednesday to postpone weddings and other functions for some time. A day after announcing an 11-day lockdown from May 5, Kumar tweeted saying that postponements of functions will help in breaking the Covid chain. He directed officials to take all steps to ramp up oxygen generation.

  • COVID-19: India crosses 2 crore mark with 3,57,229 new cases reported in single day

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: India’s total tally of COVID-19 cases crossed the 2-crore mark with over 50 lakh infections being added in just 15 days.

    The total tally of coronavirus cases in the country mounted to 2,02,82,833 with 3,57,229 new infections being reported in a day, while the death toll increased to 2,22,408 with 3,449 new fatalities, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Tuesday.

    ALSO READ: 18+ vaccination push crawls; supply side crunch in various states

    ndia’s total COVID-19 infections had surpassed the one-crore mark on December 19 after which it took 107 days to reach  1.25 crore on April 5. However, it only took 15 days for the cases to cross the 1.50 mark.

    Registering a steady increase, the active cases have increased to 34,47,133 comprising 17 per cent of the total infections, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate was recorded at 81.91 per cent, the data updated at 8 am showed.

    3,57,229 people tested positive for #COVID19 while 3,449 succumbed to the infection in a single-day. With 3,20,289 discharges in the last 24 hours, India’s total recoveries stand at 1,66,13,292. pic.twitter.com/xLeDnMsFT6
    — The New Indian Express (@NewIndianXpress) May 4, 2021

    The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 1,66,13,292, while the case fatality rate was recorded at 1.10 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.

    ALSO READ: Centre places order for 16 crore doses of COVID-19 vaccines 

    ndia crossed the grim milestone of 1.50 crore on April 19. According to the ICMR, 29,33,10,779 samples have been tested up to May 3 with 16,63,742 samples being tested on Monday.

    The 3,449 new fatalities include 567 from Maharashtra, 448 from Delhi, 285 from Uttar Pradesh, 266 from Chhattisgarh, 239  from Karnataka, 155 from Punjab, 154  from Rajasthan, 140 each  from Gujarat and Haryana, 129 from Jharkhand, 128 from Uttarakhand and 122 from Tamil Nadu.

    A total of 2,22,408 deaths have been reported so far in the country including 70,851 from Maharashtra, 17,414 from Delhi, 16,250 from Karnataka, 14,468 from Tamil Nadu, 13,447 from Uttar Pradesh, 11,637 from West Bengal, 9,472 from Punjab and 9,275 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.

  • Weavers in Varanasi facing huge loss due to COVID-19 lockdown in UP

    By ANI
    VARANASI: After second extesion of lockdown-like curfew in Uttar Pradesh on Monday amid rising COVD-19 cases and deaths in the state, weavers in Varanasi said they are facing financial loss due to the pandemic.

    A weaver said, “Since last month there is no work, the power loom is closed, and handloom is also in the same condition, weavers are out of money.”

    Banarasi saari weavers said they are now planning to cease the production of saaris as they feel there is no demand for their production since all weddings and other functions which triggered demand for their product shall now remain suspended due to the disease.

    “We are unhappy with the fact that when there was an election, all the people gathered around and rallied. Not only this, lakhs of people were allowed to bathe during the Kumbh mela in Haridwar. But now that the wedding season has come, the government is trying to impose a full curfew,” said a weaver.

    He further said, “Marriages and and other such celebrations were our sole source of income. But now for the past one year, the country has been struggling with the Corona crisis and the government has ordered to limit social ceremonies including marriages. COVID-induced lockdown has ruined our businesses. It is very difficult for us now to make our ends meet.”

    Amid the spike in the COVID-19 cases across the state, the Uttar Pradesh government on Monday announced the extension of the partial lockdown till May 7.

    According to an order issued by Additional Chief Secretary Navneet Sehgal, the partial ‘corona curfew’ imposed in Uttar Pradesh has been extended till 7 am on May 6.

    The restrictions were slated to be lifted on Tuesday (May 4) morning. This is the second extension of lockdown-like curfew in the country’s most populous state.

    The restrictions will continue as earlier and markets, shopping malls, and restaurants will remain shut.

    The government has advised people to remain indoors and only those involved in essential services will be exempted from the restrictions. Medical shops and hospitals will remain open during the lockdown. Religious places will also remain closed, as per the order.

    According to official data, Uttar Pradesh reported 30,857 new COVID cases and 288 deaths on Sunday while the number of active cases stood at 2,95,752.

  • Phase-3 vaccination: Over 86,000 received first dose on May 1

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: A total of 86,023 beneficiaries in the age group of 18-44 years received their first dose of COVID vaccine across 11 states on May 1, the Union Health Ministry said on Sunday.

    The cumulative number of COVID-19 vaccine doses administered in the country has crossed 15.68 crore as the phase-3 of the nationwide vaccination drive commenced on Saturday.

    The ministry said, “86,023 beneficiaries in the age group of 18-44 years received their first dose of COVID vaccine across 11 states”.

    These states are Chhattisgarh (987), Delhi (1,472), Gujarat (51,622), Jammu and Kashmir (201), Karnataka (649), Maharashtra (12,525), Odisha (97), Punjab (298), Rajasthan (1853), Tamil Nadu (527) and UP (15,792).

    Cumulatively, 15,68,16,031 vaccine doses have been administered through 22,93,911 sessions, as per the provisional report till 7 am, the ministry said.

    These include 94,28,490 healthcare workers  (HCWs) who have taken the first dose and 62,65,397 HCWs who have taken the second dose, 1,27,57,529 FLWs who received the first dose and 69,22,093 FLWs who took the second dose.

    It also includes  86,023 beneficiaries in the age-group of  18-45 . Besides, 5,26,18,135 and 1,14,49,310  beneficiaries more than 60 years old have been administered the first and second dose respectively, while  5,32,80,976 and 40,08,078 beneficiaries aged 45 to 60 have taken the first and second dose.

    Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Kerala, Bihar and Andhra Pradesh account for 67.00 per cent of the cumulative doses given so far in the country. More than 18 lakh vaccination doses were administered in a span of  24 hours. As on day-106 of the vaccination drive (May 1), 18,26,219 vaccine doses were given.

    Across 15,968 sessions, 11,14,214 beneficiaries were vaccinated for the first dose and 7,12,005 beneficiaries received their  second dose of vaccine.

    The Government of India along with states and UTs through a ‘Whole of Government’ approach has embarked on a five-point strategy for prevention, containment, and management of the COVID-19 pandemic in the country.

    Vaccination forms an integral component of the five-point strategy including Test, Track, Treat, and COVID Appropriate Behaviour, the ministry said.

    The Liberalized and Accelerated Phase-3 Strategy of COVID-19 vaccination has come into force from May 1.

    Registration for the newly eligible population groups had commenced on April 28.

    Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Karnataka, Kerala, Chhattisgarh, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Rajasthan reported 72.72 per cent of the 3,92,488 new cases registered in a day, the ministry said.

    Maharashtra has reported the highe/st daily new cases at 63,282. It is followed by Karnataka with 40,990 while Kerala reported 35,636 new cases, the ministry said. India’s total active caseload has reached 33,49,644 and now comprises 17.13 per cent of the country’s total positive infections.

    A net increase of 80,934 cases have been recorded in the total active caseload in a span of 24 hours. Twelve states cumulatively account for 81.22 per cent of India’s total Active Cases. Over 29 crore tests have been conducted so far while the cumulative positivity rate has increased to 6.74 per cent, the ministry said.

    “The National Mortality Rate has been falling and currently stands at 1.10 per cent,” the ministry said. A record 3,689 deaths were reported in a span of 24 hours.Ten States account for 76.01 per cent of the new deaths. Maharashtra saw the maximum casualties (802).Delhi follows with 412 daily deaths.

    India’s cumulative recoveries have surged to 1,59,92,271  with 3,07,865 recoveries being registered in a span of 24 hours. Ten states account for 75.59 per cent of the new recoveries.

  • COVID-19 surge: Congress wants extension of lockdown in Goa

    By PTI
    PANAJI: Leader of Opposition in the Goa Assembly Digambar Kamat on Sunday said the four-day lockdown imposed in the state needs to be extended in view of the “grim situation” in the coastal state.

    Following a very high test positivity rate, Goa went into a lockdown on Friday and it will remain applicable till 6 am on Monday.

    All essential services have been exempted from the curbs. In a statement issued here, Congress leader Kamat claimed people of Goa are scared in the wake of the “unstoppable rise” in COVID-19 cases and the increasing number of deaths.

    “As the situation is grim, extending lockdown with strict enforcement is the only option left,” he said. He demanded that the BJP-led state government announce a Rs 100 crore package for the marginalised sector to minimise the effect of the lockdown.

    He also said the need of the hour is to hand over the COVID-19 management to a “task force of experts from the civil society and the Army”.

    The task force must be empowered with financial powers to take decisions in the best interest of the people, he said.

    “Enough is enough, let us not play with the innocent lives any more,” Kamat stated. He said once the monsoon season starts, things will become more challenging.

    “We need to anticipate frequent power cuts, road blockages and flooding which will seriously affect COVID-19 management,” he said.

    Kamat also said vaccines against COVID-19 should be procured on a war-footing and the first dose should be administered to all eligible people by mid-July this year.

    On Saturday, Goa recorded 2,303 new coronavirus infection, taking its caseload to 93,355, while 54 deaths pushed the toll to 1,222, as per official data.

  • Record 3,689 daily COVID-19 deaths reported in India, 3,92,488 more test positive

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: A record 3,689 daily COVID-19 fatalities pushed India’s death toll to 2,15,542, while the infection count reached to 1,95,57,457 with 3,92,488 more people being confirmed positive for the disease, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Sunday.

    The active cases have crossed the 33-lakh mark, the data updated at 8 am showed. Registering a steady increase, the active cases have increased to 33,49,644, comprising 17.13 per cent of the total infections, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate has further dropped to 81.77 per cent.

    The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 1, 59,92,271, while the case fatality rate has further dropped to 1.10 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.The country crossed the grim milestone of 1.50 crore on April 19.

    According to ICMR, 29,01,42,339 samples have been tested up to May 1 with 18,04,954 samples being tested on Saturday.

    The 3,689 new fatalities included 802 from Maharashtra, 412 from Delhi, 304 from Uttar Pradesh, 271 from Karnataka, 229 from Chhattisgarh, 172 from Gujarat, 169 from Jharkhand,160 from Rajasthan, 147 from Tamil Nadu, 138 from Punjab,125 from Haryana, 107 from Uttarakhand, 103 from West Bengal and 102 from Madhya Pradesh.

    A total of 2,15,542 deaths have been reported so far in the country including 69,615 from Maharashtra, 16,559 from Delhi ,15,794 from Karnataka, 14,193 from Tamil Nadu, 12,874 from Uttar Pradesh, 11,447 from West Bengal, 9,160 from Punjab and 8,810 from Chhattisgarh.

    The health ministry stressed that more than 70 per cent of the deaths occurred due to comorbidities.

  • PM Modi to review human resource situation in fight against COVID-19

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold a meeting on Sunday to review the human resource situation in dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic and ways to augment it, sources said.

    The meeting comes amid reports of healthcare personnel feeling overwhelmed in some parts of the country due to the surge in the COVID-19 cases, with testing facilities also being under a strain.

    In an earlier review meetings with Modi, institutions like Army had highlighted that they had opened temporary hospitals and their medical staff is also treating civilians wherever they can.

    (More details awaited)