News Analysis India

Tag: Pandemic

  • Over 12.25 crore vaccination doses administered till now: Health Ministry

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: More than 12.25 crore vaccination doses have been given till now with over 25.65 lakh administered on Saturday, the health ministry said.

    In a statement, the ministry said that 60,057 COVID Vaccination Centres (CVCs) were operational on Saturday, marking a rise of more than 15,000 operational Vaccination Centres (45,000 CVCs on an average are functional on any given day).

    “Workplace vaccinations have also enabled such a high turnout of beneficiaries,” the ministry said.

    The cumulative number of COVID19 vaccine doses administered in the country stands at 12,25,02,790 as per the 8 PM provisional report today.

    These include 91,27,451 Healthcare Workers (HCWs) who have taken the first dose and 57,07,322 HCWs who have taken the second dose.

    Also, among the frontline workers — 1,12,29,062 have got first dose and 55,08,179 have got second dose; for over 45 years old to 60 years old — 4,04,16,170 have got first dose and 10,76,752 have got second dose; for above 60 years — 4,55,60,187 got first dose and 38,77,667 have got second dose.

    A total of 25,65,179 vaccine doses were given till 8 PM today, the 92nd day of nationwide COVID19 vaccination.

    Out of these, 19,24,416 beneficiaries were vaccinated for first dose and 6,40,763 beneficiaries received second dose of the vaccine as per the provisional report.

  • ‘Humility, clear vaccine strategy, income support’ needed to contain COVID damage: Rahul Gandhi

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: As the country reeled from a fierce COVID-19 wave, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday alleged that the government’s “arrogance and suppression of truth is killing people”.

    He suggested that a clear vaccine strategy and income support are needed to contain the damage due to the virus.

    “We need humility, a clear vaccine strategy, and income support to contain this virus and related damage.”

    “GOI’s mix of arrogance and suppression of the truth is killing lakhs of people,” he said in a tweet.

    In a video attached to the tweet, he hit out a what he called the “constant declaration of victory” and a “sense of arrogance” on the part of the government with its claim that “we have done it”.

    “It is the nature of this government, the way of their action, that is causing this problem,” he alleged.

    The former Congress chief alleged that the government “has taken off all our warning systems and shut them down.”

    “And, we are in the middle of the ocean and a storm. And, now the ship has no idea where to go,” he said on the situation arising out of the pandemic.

    In another tweet, he also accused the prime minister of being responsible for the current COVID situation in the country.

    A record single-day rise of 2,34,692 cases and 1,341 fatalities have pushed India’s COVID-19 tally to 1,45,26,609 and the death toll due to the viral disease to 1,75,649, the health ministry said on Saturday.

    The number of active coronavirus cases in the country has surpassed the 16-lakh mark, the ministry’s data updated at 8 AM showed.

  • Kumbh Mela: Plea in Supreme Court seeks direction to clear mass gathering from Haridwar

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: A plea has been filed in the Supreme Court seeking directions to the Centre and others to clear the “mass gathering” from Haridwar amid a surge in COVID-19 cases across the country and prescribe a safety protocol with respect to people returning from Kumbh Mela.

    The plea, which referred to the recent spike in COVID-19 cases, has also sought directions to the Centre and the Uttarakhand government to immediately withdraw the advertisements inviting people to Haridwar for Kumbh Mela.

    It said that the Election Commission should be asked to issue direction to the authorities in the states where elections are being held to strictly enforce COVID-19 guidelines during the poll process and take appropriate action against the violators.

    The plea, filed by Noida-resident Sanjai Kumar Pathak, said that COVID-19 cases are increasing rapidly across the country and the health infrastructure is “crumbling” in many states.

    It claimed that hospitals and crematoriums are running out of space and shortage of essential drugs has been reported from many cities.

    The petition said that India is currently witnessing its highest surge in COVID-19 cases since onset of the pandemic, but visuals of lakh of devotees crowding in Haridwar for Kumbh Mela and in election rallies in states have surfaced.

    “On the one hand, poor common man on the street is often punished and treated violently by the police and executive authorities for individual violations of COVID-19 rules and regulations in the name of strict enforcement, and on the other hand, the authorities are not only permitting but facilitating and promoting congregation of people in the events like Kumbh-2021 and election rallies,” the plea has alleged.

    It sought the apex court’s direction to the Centre, Uttarakhand government and the National Disaster Management Authority to not encourage or promote any gathering or event “inconsistent with the spirit and object of the COVID guidelines” and orders issued by these authorities.

    “It is axiomatic that the respondents have turned a blind eye towards the violation of COVID-19 guidelines at the Kumbh Mela and during election campaigns and rallies which have the potential to become super spreader events but common people on the street is being fined and challans are being issued,” the plea has claimed.

  • No mask on our premises will attract Rs 500 fine: Southern Railway

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: Southern Railway on Saturday said a fine of Rs 500 would be imposed on passengers who do not adhere to COVID-19 standard operating procedures (SOPs) while on a railway station premises or on a train journey.

    In reference to the orders from various state governments on fines for not wearing masks in public places, Southern Railway said the Railway Board has authorised all zonal railways to collect the fine from people not wearing face masks on railway premises, including aboard trains.

    The new rule of the railway comes into immediate effect and extend for six months until further notice, a press release said here.

    A station master or the station manager, Railway Protection Force personnel and an officer not below the rank of ticket collector have been authorised to collect the fines.

    Tamil Nadu, witnessing a surge in COVID-19 infections from March 5, on Friday reported 8,449 new cases and 33 fatalities, pushing the caseload to 9,71,384 and 13,032 deaths.

  • COVID-19: Maharashtra CM chairs meet on oxygen supply, beds in Mumbai

    By PTI
    MUMBAI: Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Friday said people must get their COVID-19 test reports quickly, while officials must also ensure optimum medical oxygen supply as well as effective bed and medicine management amid the surge in case.

    The CM chaired a review meeting on the COVID-19 situation in Mumbai, which was also attended by BMC commissioner IS Chahal.

    Chahal said there were 20,400 beds in 153 COVID hospitals in Mumbai, and this wold be increased to 22,000 by next week.

    “The daily count of cases per day is between 8000 to 10,000. The number of patients discharged on a daily basis is also around 10,000. There are 3,900 available beds at present,” the civic chief said.

    He said two lakh vials of Remdesivir were being purchased, while 25,000 were available.

  • Gujarat reports highest one-day rise of 8,920 COVID-19 cases; 94 die

    By PTI
    AHMEDABAD: In the highest single-day spike so far, Gujarat reported 8,920 new coronavirus cases on Friday, taking the tally to 3,84,688, while a record 94 patients died due to the infection, the state Health Department said.

    The death of 94 infected persons, the highest in a day so far, pushed the toll to 5,170, said a department release.

    The COVID-19 tally in Gujarat went up to 3,84,688 following the emergence of 8,920 new cases, said the department. The previous highest daily case count (8,152) and deaths (81) were recorded on April 15.

    As many as 3,387 patients were discharged from hospitals during the past 24 hours, taking the tally of recovered cases to 3,29,781, said the release.

    The number of active cases stood at 49,737, of which, 283 patients were on ventilators, while 49,454 were stable, it said. Gujarat’s COVID-19 recovery rate has gone down to 85.73 per cent, the department said.

    Both Ahmedabad and Surat recorded 26 deaths each, followed by 13 in Rajkot, 9 in Vadodara, 4 each in Morbi and Jamnagar, 3 in Surendranagar, 2 each in Dang and Sabarkantha, and one each in Devbhumi-Dwarka, Mahisagar, Mehsana, Panchmahal and Valsad, the release said. Ahmedabad city registered 2,842 new COVID-19 cases during the last 24 hours.

    Among others, Surat city registered 1,522 cases, followed by 707 in Rajkot city, 429 in Vadodara city, 398 in Surat district, 330 in Mehsana, 192 in Jamnagar city, 173 in Bharuch, 171 in Vadodara district and 125 in Patan, the department said.

    As many as 87.11 lakh people in the state have been given the first dose of COVID-19 vaccines, while 13.02 lakh have received the second dose so far, said the release.

    A total of 147 new cases and two deaths were reported in the adjoining Union Territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu in the last 24 hours, said a release by the local authorities.

    Also, 26 patients were discharged during the day in the UT, said the release. Of the total 4,647 persons found positive for coronavirus in the territory since the outbreak, four have died, 3,770 recovered, while 873 patients are under treatment, it said.

    Gujarat’s COVID-19 figures are as follows: Positive cases 3,84,688, new cases 8,920, deaths 5,170, discharged 3,29,781, active cases 49,737, people tested so far (figures not released).

  • COVID-19 vaccinations near 12 crore-mark in India: Health Ministry

    By PTI
    NEW DEHI: The total number of COVID-19 vaccine doses administered in the country approached the 12 crore-mark on Friday with more than 26.14 lakh doses being given till 8 pm, the Union Health Ministry said on Friday.

    A total of 66,689 COVID Vaccination Centres (CVCs) were operational, marking a rise of an average of 21,689 operational centres (45,000 CVCs on an average are functional on any given day).

    Workplace vaccinations have also enabled such a high turnout of beneficiaries, it said. The cumulative number of COVID-19 vaccine doses administered in the country stands at 11,97,87,239, according to the 8 pm provisional report.

    These include 91,04,680 healthcare workers (HCWs) who have taken the first dose and 56,69,734 HCWs who have taken the second dose, 1,06,58,497 frontline workers (FLWs) who have received the first dose and 52,94,889 FLWs who have taken the second dose.

    Besides, 3,96,39,132 and 10,44,958 beneficiaries over 45 to 60 years old have been administered the first and second dose, respectively, while 4,48,99,446 and 34,75,903 people aged above 60 have taken the first and second dose, respectively.

    Total 26,14,326 vaccine doses were given till 8 pm on Friday, the ninety-first day of the nationwide COVID-19 vaccination drive.

    Out of which 19,91,780 beneficiaries were vaccinated for the first dose and 6,22,546 beneficiaries received the second dose of the vaccine according to the provisional report, the ministry said, adding that final reports would be completed for the day by late night.

    The countrywide vaccination drive was rolled out on January 16 with healthcare workers getting inoculated and vaccination of frontline workers started from February 2.

    The next phase of COVID-19 vaccination commenced from March 1 for those over 60 years of age and for people aged 45 and above with specified co-morbid conditions. India launched vaccination for all people aged more than 45 from April 1.

  • Second wave of coronavirus can last up to 100 days: Expert’s advisory

    Aimed at creating awareness among police personnel, the advisory by Dr. Neeraj Kaushik said the new mutated virus has potential to skip immunity and even vaccine.

  • 1,189 samples have tested positive for variants of concern of SARS COV-2 in India: Health Ministry

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: A total of 1,189 samples have so far tested positive for variants of concern of SARS COV-2 in India, the health ministry said on Friday as the country is witnessing a steep surge in COVID-19 cases.

    These include 1,109 samples testing positive for the UK variants, 79 for the South Africa variant and one sample for the Brazil variant, the ministry said.

    Till April 15, 13,614 samples have been processed at the 10 designated INSACOG laboratories for whole genome sequencing (WGS), it added.

    “Of these, 1,189 samples have tested positive for variants of concern for SARS COV-2 in India. This includes 1,109 samples with the UK variants; 79 samples with the South Africa variant and one sample with the Brazil variant,” the ministry said.

    The coronavirus has been mutating and various mutations have been found in several countries, including the UK (17 mutations), Brazil (17 mutations) and South Africa (12 mutations).

    “These variants have a higher transmissibility. The UK variant has been found extensively in the UK, all across Europe and has spread to Asia and America.

    “The double mutation (two mutations) is another variant and has been found in several countries like Australia, Belgium, Germany, Ireland, Namibia, New Zealand, Singapore, the United Kingdom, the USA. Higher transmissibility of this variant is not established as yet,” the ministry said in a statement.

    It said the RT-PCR tests being conducted in India do not miss these mutations as these tests target more than two genes. The sensitivity and specificity of the RT-PCR tests remain the same as earlier, it said.

    “The detection of these mutations does not change the strategy of management which remains to test, track, trace and treat. The use of masks remains as the most important shield to prevent the spread of COVID-19,” the ministry stressed.

    It said the INSACOG guidelines were shared with the states again and they were advised to send samples for genome sequencing by also providing the clinical data of positive persons.

    This will enable a great epidemiological insight into the link of the surge at various places to the variants as well as enable the INSACOG to discover other variants of concern, if present in the community.

    Many states, including Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Kerala, are yet to share the data with the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), though Punjab and Delhi have shared the information, the ministry highlighted.

    The Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG) is a network of 10 laboratories established in December 2020 for continuously monitoring the genomic changes of SARS-CoV-2 in the country through WGS.

    The SOPs for epidemiological surveillance and response in the context of a new variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus detected in the UK were disseminated to all the states as well as placed on the ministry’s website on December 22, 2020.

    According to the INSACOG guidelines, positive samples are sourced for WGS from international travellers who are positive by RT-PCR, community samples are coordinated by the state surveillance officers, who facilitate the transfer of samples from the districts or laboratories to the designated INSACOG laboratories. All states have been mapped to specific INSACOG laboratories.

    The 10 identified INSACOG laboratories report their sequencing results to the Central Surveillance Unit (CSU) of the NCDC, from where it is shared with the state surveillance units (SSUs) of the IDSP through email as well as regular meetings by the NCDC with the state surveillance officers, who, in turn, take up the operational response with the health secretaries.

    Hence, the states are continuously informed of the virus variants found in other states, the ministry said. In a few instances, the INSACOG laboratories have also communicated the results directly to the states.

    The NCDC has also communicated state-specific results formally to the states concerned from time to time. The results of Himachal Pradesh were communicated on April 8, those of Punjab were communicated on March 26, those of Rajasthan on April 10 and those of Maharashtra were shared with the state on nine different occasions from March 12 to April 16.

    Written communications on the need for more stringent measures were sent at regular intervals not just to the high-burden states, but all the states by the secretary (health), assistant secretary (health), NCDC director and IDSP to the chief secretaries, ACS health, SSOs, DHSs etc.

    The states and Union territories were repeatedly asked to keep a strict vigil and take up stringent public health measures in view of the unlock provisions and new strains being reported from various countries.

    Press briefings conducted by the health ministry provide specific updates on the current status of the variants of concern and the new mutants, and also stress on increased and stringent public health interventions.

    At a press briefing on March 24, the NCDC director made a detailed presentation on various variants of the coronavirus detected in the country, the ministry said.

  •  Maharshtra to face shortage of Remdesivir for next 2 to 3 days: Minister

    State FDA Minister Rajendra Shingane said pharma companies manufacturing Remdesivir have stepped up production but it will take time for the new stock to reach market.