Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan also attended the interaction.
Tag: Pandemic
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Uttar Pradesh government hiding coronavirus numbers, alleges Priyanka
By PTI
LUCKNOW: Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Wednesday accused the Uttar Pradesh government of hiding coronavirus numbers and said had they been cautious from day one, people would not have witnessed such times.Priyanka said this speaking to state party leaders during a virtual meeting. “The situation in Uttar Pradesh is on the verge of being the most explosive while the state government is constantly hiding the data. Had the government been cautious since the first day of the coronavirus pandemic, people would not have seen such days. The government has consistently hidden the number of infections and deaths,” she alleged.
“There is no system and plan of the government to deal with coronavirus and control it,” she said, accusing the state government of having a “failed, insensitive and irresponsible system” amid the infection spread.
She said from a letter of state minister Brijesh Pathak, it is clear that testing is not being done in hospitals.
Between April 5 and 11, while coronavirus cases increased by 70 per cent in the country, in Uttar Pradesh, infections have risen by 281 per cent, she said.
“Of 24 crore population of the state, not even 1 crore people have been vaccinated,” she added. The Congress leader claimed that the situation is such that queues of bodies can be seen in Lucknow and there is a shortage of wood at crematoriums for the last rites.
“The common man of the state is helpless to perform the last rites of his family in a dignified manner. People are cremating their loved ones in crematoriums and cemeteries from morning till late night,” she said.
Priyanka said her party stands with people of the state and committed to support them in every way.
The Congress leader demanded proper oxygen arrangements in state hospitals and said test reports should be provided within 24 hours.
Besides, she also demanded increasing RT-PCR testing, providing beds for treatment, a package of financial assistance from the government for poor victims, complete arrangements for the last rites of dead and to speed up the vaccination campaign.
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Maharashtra records 58,952 new COVID-19 cases, 278 deaths
By PTI
MUMBAI: Maharashtra on Wednesday reported 58,952 fresh coronavirus cases, taking the tally to 35,78,160, while 278 new fatalities pushed the toll to 58,804, the state health department said.In view of an alarming rise in cases, the state government has announced a 15-day-long stricter measures which came into force at 8 pm on Wednesday and will remain in operation till 7 am on May 1. Maharashtra on April 11 had reported 63,294 COVID-19 cases, the highest single-day tally so far.
Also, 39,624 patients were discharged during the day, taking the count of recoveries to 29,05,721, the department said in a release.
Maharashtra is now left with 6,12,070 active cases, the department said. Mumbai recorded 9,931 new cases and 54 fatalities, taking the tally to 5,45,195 and the toll to 12,147, it said.
With 2,42,149 new tests, the number of samples tested so far in Maharashtra has gone up to 2,28,02,200, the department added.
Currently, 34,55,206 people are in home isolation, while 28,494 persons are in institutional quarantine in the state, it said.
Maharashtra’s COVID-19 recovery rate stood at 81.21 per cent, while the fatality rate was 1.64 per cent, the department said.
The Mumbai division, including Mumbai city and its satellite towns, recorded 18,676 cases and 89 deaths during the day, taking the infection count to 11,33,870 and the fatalities to 21,334.
The Nashik division reported 8,309 cases, including 2,699 in Nashik city, while the Pune division recorded 9,909 fresh infections including 4,209 in Pune city.
The Kolhapur division added 1,368 new cases, the Aurangabad division 3,329, the Latur division 4,792 and the Akola division 1,753.
The Nagpur division registered 10,806 cases of the contagion, including 4,282 in Nagpur city.
Maharashtra’s coronavirus figures are as follows: Positive cases 35,78,160, new cases 58,952, death 58,804, recoveries 29,05,721, active 6,12,070, people tested so far 2,28,02,200.
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India ‘walked the talk’ during pandemic, says PM Modi
By Express News Service
NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said the pandemic has presented an opportunity to reshape the world order and create systems to address the problems today and tomorrow, and underlined that India has “walked the talk” in a humble way with limited resources to tackle the global crisis.Delivering the inaugural address of the Raisina Dialogue 2021, which is being held virtually for the first time owing to the pandemic, Modi said the edition of the event took a place at a “watershed moment in human history”. “A global pandemic has been ravaging the world for over a year.
The last such global pandemic was a century ago. During this pandemic, in our humble way and within our limited resources, we in India have tried to walk the talk. We have tried to protect our own 1.3 billion citizens from the pandemic. At the same time, we have also tried to support pandemic response efforts of others,” he said.
Asserting that mankind will not be able to defeat the pandemic unless “all of us, everywhere, regardless of the colour of our passports, come out of it”, Modi said it is important that a human-centric approach is put in place.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar called for additional manufacturing capacities in countries like India. “India’s ability to manufacture a range of vaccines is an example of global cooperation and said this couldn’t be seen as a “one-way street. Equitable access is critically important in this because we all know that no one will be safe till everyone is safe,” he said, adding that without building additional capabilities, distributive justice will not be enough.
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Problem not of COVID vaccine shortage but of planning: Government
By Express News Service
NEW DELHI: The government on Tuesday put the responsibility on states to manage and plan Covid-19 vaccines properly, reiterating that while there was no shortage of coronavirus doses in the country, there could be a problem in their appropriate usage in some states.So far, at least 10 states, including Maharashtra, Rajasthan Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Haryana Odisha, Telangana, Delhi and Punjab, have reported vaccine shortages with political heads of many of these states sparring with the Centre publicly over the issue. Local media reports have also suggested that thousands of beneficiaries have even been returned from vaccination centres in many cities and towns in several states owing to an acute shortage of vaccines.
“The problem is of better planning, not vaccine shortage,” Union health secretary Rajesh Bhushan, however, insisted at a press briefing. The data shared by him suggested that while more than 13 crore doses have already been supplied by the Centre so far, over 1.67 crore doses are still available with states and UTs as of Monday morning. Besides, he added that by April-end, the states and UTs will be given more than 2 crore doses.
Bhushan said bigger states were given four days’ worth of supply at one time. “Every fourth or fifth day, we replenish the supply,” he said, adding that smaller states are provided seven to eight days of supply at one time owing to the logistic issue. The official flagged wastage of doses in several states and advised them to take stock of the supply. He said that there was no wastage in Kerala.
Remdesivir not for home useThe Centre said doctors should ensure “rational and judicious” use of anti-viral drug Remdesivir, underlining it is to be given only to serious patients in hospitals and is not to be used in home settings. NITI Aayog member (Health) Dr V K Paul said: “Remdesivir is to be used only in those who require hospitalisation and are on oxygen support. That is the precondition. There is no question of its use in the home setting and for mild cases, and it is not to be procured from chemist shops.”
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3,29,056 more vaccinated against COVID-19 in Maharashtra
By PTI
MUMBAI: Maharashtra has carried out the vaccination of 3,29,056 more people against COVID-19, taking the cumulative figure to 1,05,71,680, said a state health department official on Tuesday.The state on Monday vaccinated 6,938 healthcare professionals, 18,854 frontline workers, 1,88,553 people in the 45-59 age group and having comorbidities and 1,14,711 senior citizens (total 3,29,056), he said.
With this, 12,78,391 healthcare workers and 15,58,299 frontline workers have received vaccine doses so far, the official said.
Similarly, the state has inoculated 33,83,427 people in the 45-59 age group and with comorbidities, and 43,51,563 senior citizens till date, he said.
The nationwide vaccination against COVID-19 started on January 16 with healthcare professionals and was later extended to other priority groups.
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Mumbai reports 7898 COVID-19 cases, 26 deaths; 11,263 recover
By PTI
MUMBAI: Mumbai on Tuesday reported 7,898 new COVID-19 cases, taking the tally to 5,35,017, while 26 more patients succumbed to the infection, the city civic body said. The fresh cases were nearly 1,000 higher than Monday when 6,905 infections were reported.Also, 11,263 people were discharged from hospitals during the day, pushing the number of recovered cases to 4,34,941, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) said.
With this, the number of active cases stood at 86,866 in the financial capital, it said. The BMC said 26 fresh deaths took the toll to 12,086.
With 49,320 more tests conducted to detect coronavirus, the number of samples examined so far rose to 46,99,507, the civic body said.
The COVID-19 recovery rate in the city was 81 per cent, while growth rate of cases between April 6 and 12 stood at 1.79 per cent, it said. There are 89 active containment zones in Mumbai, where 970 buildings have been sealed, the BMC added.
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COVID-19: Look for viability of complete lockdown in worst affected districts of UP: Allahabad HC
The high court, which favoured restriction on public gatherings to 50 persons, also asked authorities to give priority to public health over elections (panchayat).
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Over 25 lakh vaccine doses administered on day 3 of ‘Tika Utsav’: Government
On an average, 45,000 COVID Vaccination Centres (CVCs) are functional on any given day but 67,893 CVCs were operational on Tuesday, marking a rise of 21,000 operational vaccination centres.
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Covid wave surges to new high with 13,468 daily cases as Delhi becomes worst hit city in country
By PTI
NEW DELHI: Reeling under the fourth wave of COVID-19, the national capital Tuesday recorded the highest-ever spike of 13,468 cases and 81 deaths due to the infection, giving it the dubious distinction of being the worst affected city in the county.The highest single-day spike in Mumbai stands at 9,986 cases till date, followed by Bengaluru (6,387 cases), Chennai (2,105) and Kolkata ( 1,271 cases).
In the wake of an exponential rise in coronavirus cases in Delhi, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal appealed to the Centre to cancel the Class 10 and 12 board exams and explore alternative methods, including online exams.
Warning that conducting the exams may contribute to the large-scale spread of the virus, he said the centres could emerge as major hotspots.
“Six lakh children in Delhi are going to write CBSE exams. Nearly one lakh teachers will be a part of it. These (the centres) can become major hotspots leading to large-scale spreading of corona. Children’s lives and health are very important to us. I request the Centre to cancel the CBSE exams,” he said at a press conference on Tuesday afternoon.
The CBSE Class 10 and 12 exams are scheduled to begin on May 4. With the exponential increase in coronavirus cases, the chorus for cancellation or postponing the board exams is growing On Tuesday, the positivity rate rose to 13.14 percent from 12.44 percent a day ago.
The 81 deaths are the highest since December 3 when 82 deaths were recorded. The national capital had recorded 131 COVID-19 deaths on November 19, the highest single-day fatality count till date.
From April 4 to April 13, Delhi has recorded 77,775 COVID-19 cases, witnessing a massive rise of 234 per cent. During the same period, 376 people have died due to the disease.
As the coronavirus disease continue to spiral in the city, Kejriwal said plasma stocks to treat COVID-19 patients are running very low and appealed to those who have recovered from the infection to be proactive in donating it.
“This (fourth) wave is very dangerous. According to data of last 10-15 days, 65 per cent of patients are below 45 years of age. Your health and life are very important to us. So, I would like to appeal to the youth to step out of the house only when it is necessary and follow all COVID protocols,” Kejriwal told a press conference earlier in the day.
He also appealed to people whose condition improves to shift to home isolation so beds can be utilised for patients in severe condition.
“We need to also bring the hospital management within a system of efficient planning. For example, we are now monitoring each and every patient within the hospital.
If doctors feel that a particular patient can be cured from home, they are being requested to go back home. This is not the hospital or the government shirking from responsibility, not at all.
“We will provide such patients with an oximeter, our doctors will be calling them regularly to keep a check. We will monitor their situation even at home and bring them back to the hospital if the need be,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Delhi government has directed health facilities to strictly follow admission protocol while admitting coronavirus patients and said mild or asymptomatic cases can be considered for home isolation The Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) said that severe cases involving respiratory distress requiring mechanical ventilation should be admitted to a dedicated COVID hospital.
The government has warned of action for failure in adherence to laid down admission protocol.
In an order issued last week, the Directorate General of Health Services said that it has been observed that hospitals are admitting mild and moderate cases of COVID-19 which are not in line with the prescribed admission protocol.
According to official records, 7,731 beds have been occupied by COVID-19 patients till Tuesday while there were 21,954 people in home isolation in the national capital.
In Delhi, the cumulative coronavirus case count stands at 7,50,156, and the death toll is now 11,436, according to the latest health bulletin.
On Tuesday, 13,468 cases came out of the over 1.02 lakh tests conducted the previous day. The city had reported 11,491 cases and 72 deaths on Monday. 10,772 cases and 48 deaths were recorded on Sunday. Delhi recorded 7,897 COVID-19 cases and 39 deaths on Saturday. The positivity rate had also mounted to 10.21 per cent, breaching the 10-per cent mark for the first time this year.
The positivity rate was above 15 per cent in mid-November last year. As coronavirus cases surge in Delhi, private laboratories, which are conducting more tests than ever, say they are losing important time in manually uploading data on the ICMR website.
Dr Gauri Agarwal from Genestring Labs, responsible for conducting COVID-19 testing at the Delhi airport, said they are doing around 8,000 tests daily. “Manpower and data entry is a challenge. Many times, the entire system has to be realigned if workers get infected,” she said.
A day after the Delhi government declared 14 private hospitals as “full COVID-19” facilities, these health centres on Tuesday were trying to accommodate existing non-COVID patients for the lack of clearer instructions.
These included Indraprastha Apollo Hospital in Sarita Vihar, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, Holy Family Hospital, Max SS Hospital and Fortis Hospital in Shalimar Bagh.