News Analysis India

Tag: Rajasthan covid cases

  • Students return to Kota as coaching institutes reopen with Covid measures in place 

    Express News Service

    JAIPUR: Thousands of students have now started flocking to Kota, the coaching capital of the country. 

    The economy of the city that revolves around the coaching industry has been badly dented by the Covid pandemic. People in the city are now praying for a rapid return to normalcy so that their earnings can start picking up.

    Over 1.5 lakh students come to this city to train for engineering and medical entrance exams every year. 

    The educational institutes in Rajasthan reopened on Wednesday after a five-month gap. Thousands of students who are willing to resume physical classes have restarted their coaching stints and about 30,000 students have come in from all parts of India over the past 10 days.  

    On the first day of offline classes, students clapped in unison to welcome their teachers when they arrived to conduct classes. All coaching centres have put in place several safety measures to prevent the spread of coronavirus. “Due to online classes, we had almost forgotten how offline classes can be so much fun. Our parents are worried about our safety but we will tell them that the arrangements in our centres are very good and there is nothing to worry about Covid here”, said Priyanka Gupta. 

    Another student Amit Kumar remarked: “As soon as we got the message about offline classes, we were keen to get back to Kota. I and all my friends are very excited on the first day of regular classes because now we can interact with our teachers and fellow students and there is simply no way that online classes can replace this in any way.” 

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    Kota has around 35-40 major coaching institutes. Around 3,000 hostels and as many messes and eateries offer food and accommodation to the students. These are crucial to boost the local economy which has been hit hard by the pandemic. The coaching industry generates annual revenue of over Rs 4,000 crore which has become the virtual backbone of the local economy. 

    From the autorickshaw driver to the small trader/vendor to mess and hostel owners, everyone is thrilled with the return of students. The president of the Hostel Association, Navin Mittal, confirms that over 30,000 students have returned to the city in the past 15 days. While assuring that all hostels/messes have put in place all Covid protocols, Mittal said, “it’s a very big relief for all of us as 70% of the city’s economy directly or indirectly depends on the coaching industry. The return of students is like oxygen for our hopes. We hope that the good times that we have lost over the past 18 months will soon return to Kota.”

    All coaching centres are following various safety measures. At hostels, messes and coaching centres, biometric attendance has been replaced with registers that have a column for categorising students with influenza-like illness (ILI). They are also being advised on regular medical care and are monitored by medical teams. The institutes say they have ensured that vaccination and complete compliance of Covid protocol take the top priority and almost the entire staff, faculties and students above 18 years have been inoculated at most of the coaching centres. 

    The coaching institutes have also been asked to ensure the students have RT-PCR negative report and vaccination certificates. The deputy director of the education department has been deputed as the nodal officer to supervise the reopening of classes and will also arrange special vaccination camps for students above 18 years.

  • Rajasthan relieved as 30 districts report zero new Covid-19 cases

    Express News Service

    JAIPUR: Amid the fears of a possible third wave, Rajasthan is currently going through a remarkable Covid-free phase. The state registered just 3 cases on Thursday which is the lowest it has ever seen in a single day since the start of the pandemic. 

    In addition, it’s now nearly a month since the state saw a single Covid-related death. Also, the state has registered major success administering 4 crore doses whereby over one crore people in the state have now got both doses. As a result, over 20% of the state’s eligible population is now fully vaccinated. Rajasthan is the only state to achieve such a milestone. 

    Rajasthan is now moving towards a Corona-free phase. As many as 30 out of 33 districts in Rajasthan registered no new Covid cases in the past 24 hours. The state saw just 3 new cases on Thursday — the lowest in the 542 days of the coronavirus era. Only Jaipur, Alwar, and Baran districts saw one new case each and the state now has just 107 active cases – easily the lowest figure among the large states of the country. 

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    In terms of Covid deaths, not one person succumbed to the infection in the past 24 hours. In fact, all through the month of August, Rajasthan has not seen a single Covid death and the total death toll in the state stands at 8954. 

    Significantly, of the 30,905 samples, only 3 patients tested positive on Thursday. As a result, the positivity rate came to just 0.009% which is the lowest ever recorded in the state.

    While the second wave has almost vanished, the health department is now focusing on vaccination. The number of beneficiaries who have got the second dose has crossed the figure of 1 crore. Of the total number of 5.14 crore people eligible for vaccination in the state, 1,00,89,107 have now received both the doses. Another 3.14 crore have received their first doses. In effect, over 60% of the people in the state have now been given at least one dose from the 3177 vaccination sites functional in the state. 

    Ironically, despite all these successes, Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, who has been suffering from post-Covid complications, was rushed to hospital on Friday morning after he complained of severe chest pain. The angioplasty was successfully done on him in a few hours at Jaipur’s SMS Hospital. 

    According to the Health Bulletin, Dr. Sudhir Bhandari, Superintendent of SMS Hospital, the Chief Minister’s health is improving now. Dr. Bhandari said, “CM’s angioplasty has been successful and now his tests are normal. After angioplasty, he will be kept under observation for 24 hours. The CM has been advised to stay in the hospital for 2-3 days. He is feeling better now.” 

  • Second COVID wave effect now negligible in Rajasthan, but people shouldn’t lower guard: CM Gehlot

    Gehlot directed that the committee of ministers constituted regarding the reopening of educational institutions in the state should take appropriate decisions in view of the pandemic in other states.

  • Ashok Gehlot writes to PM Modi, seeks his intervention for adequate supply of vaccines to Rajasthan

    By PTI
    JAIPUR: Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot Sunday requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s personal intervention to ensure adequate supply of coronavirus vaccines to the state to prevent a possible third wave.

    In a letter to the prime minister, he said the state has created a capacity to vaccinate over 15 lakh people a day, but the pace of inoculation drive is limited to the extent of supplies received from the Centre.

    “The daily average of vaccine doses received since the start of vaccination drive for 18 years plus has been 3 to 4 lakh only,” Gehlot said.

    He said that following Covid-appropriate behavior and vaccination are the only ways to effectively counter the threat of coronavirus.

    “For ensuring 100 per cent vaccination to prevent the Covid third wave and to ensure that people are able to resume their livelihood related activities, I urge you to intervene personally and direct the concerned to ensure adequate supply of vaccines for the state,” Gehlot said in his letter.

    The chief minister said the current Covid situation in the state is relatively better with cases coming down sharply, but also mentioned the second wave had a far greater impact in the state.

    He said the state has done exemplary Covid management during both first and second wave, and added that it is equally or even more important to take steps to prevent the occurrence of a third wave.

    He also said Rajasthan is among the best performer in the vaccination drive.

    Over 2.

    36 crore people have already been vaccinated in the state and it has achieved negative (less than 0 %) vaccine wastage, he added.

    More than 70 lakh people would be due for their second dose by the end of July, he said, requesting supply of more doses.

    ALSO WATCH:

  • Rajasthan now has 4th highest active COVID cases, oxygen supply inadequate: CM Ashok Gehlot

    By PTI
    JAIPUR: Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Friday said that the state now has the fourth-highest active COVID-10 cases but oxygen supply is not adequate.

    He said the situation is “extremely fragile” as there are also constraints in lifting 100 metric tonnes (MT) of allocated oxygen from Burnpur and Kalinganagar in the East and “this quota has not been adequately utilised by us despite best efforts”.

    “Rajasthan has fourth highest active cases at 2.11 lac, which is 5.72% of the total active cases of the country. The present oxygen allocation is 435 MT,” Gehlot tweeted.

    The chief minister has urged to revise the allotment of oxygen from Jamnagar and Hazira immediately as active COVID-19 cases are going down in many states, and also allotment of more imported oxygen at the earliest.

    ALSO WATCH: 

  • Consider allotment of required oxygen, Remdesivir injections to Rajasthan: HC to Centre

    A Division Bench of Chief Justice Indrajit Mahanty and Justice Vinit Kumar Mathur said this on Friday while hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) over the issue.

  • 21 die in as many days in Rajasthan village allegedly after burial of man sans COVID protocol

    By PTI
    JAIPUR: Twenty-one people died in as many days at a village in Rajasthan’s Sikar district allegedly after a COVID-19-infected corpse was buried without following protocol.

    However, officials said that only four deaths have occurred due to the virus between April 15 and May 5.

    According to officials, a COVID-19-infected body was brought to Kheerva village on April 21 and about 150 people attended the last rites and the burial was done without following coronavirus protocol.

    The body was taken out of the plastic bag and several people touched it during burial, they said.

    “Only 3-4 deaths have occurred due to COVID-19 out of 21 deaths. A majority of deaths are from older age group.

    “We have taken sample of 147 members of families where deaths have occurred to check whether it is Covid-19 community transmission,” Lakshmangarh sub-divisional officer Kulraj Meena told PTI on Saturday.

    He said that the administration has carried out sanitisation drive in the village.

    Villagers are explained about the severity of the problem and now they are cooperating.

    Sikar’s Chief Medical and Health Officer Ajay Chaudhary said that a report has been sought from the local authorities following which he will be able to comment on the matter.

    Kheerva falls in Congress state president Govind Singh Dotasra’s assembly constituency.

    He had first shared the information about deaths following burial of infected corpse on social media, but later removed it.

    “With profound grief, I have to say that more than 20 people have lost their lives and several are infected,” he had tweeted.

    ALSO WATCH: 

  • Rajasthan reports 14,468 new COVID-19 infections; active caseload crosses one lakh with 59 deaths

    By PTI
    JAIPUR: Rajasthan’s active COVID-19 caseload crossed the one-lakh mark on Thursday as the state reported 14,468 new infections and 59 deaths due to the viral disease in a span of 24 hours.

    The infection tally in the state stands at 4,67,875 and the death toll 3,389, according to an official report issued by the government here.

    It said the Rajasthan currently has 1,07,157 active cases of the disease.

    Of the fresh fatalities, 11 were from Jaipur, followed by 10 in Jodhpur, six in Kota, five in Udaipur, three each in Bikaner and Chittorgarh, two each in Bharatpur, Bhilwara, Jhalawar, Jhunjhunu, Nagaur, Sawaimadhopur and Sikar, and one death each was reported from Ajmer, Alwar, Baran, Barmer, Dungarpur, Jalore, and Sirohi.

    Jaipur recorded the highest number of 2,317 new cases, followed by Jodhpur with 1,921, Udaipur with 1,215 and Kota with 1,126, the report stated.

  • COVID-19: Rajasthan govt sets up committee to monitor availability of oxygen cylinders, medicines

    By PTI
    JAIPUR: The Rajasthan government on Thursday set up a four-member committee to ensure availability of oxygen cylinders and medicines, including remdesivir, for COVID-19 patients in the state.

    The committee was set up on the direction of state Health Minister Raghu Sharma, a spokesperson said.

    It comprises drug control department officers Dinesh Kumar Taneja, Manish Kumar Modi and Komal Roopchandani, and Rajasthan Pharmacy Council member Navin Sanghi.

    The team will be responsible for conducting inspection of the medicine stock and their supply at private hospitals.

    It will submit a daily report to the Drug Control Organisation headquarters, the spokesperson said.

    Action as per rules will be taken if irregularity is found, he added.

  • COVID-19 vaccination drive 2.0: Teething troubles witnessed at some places in Rajasthan

    By PTI
    KOTA: Teething troubles were witnessed at a few places in Rajasthan as the second phase of the nationwide COVID-19 vaccination drive began on Monday.

    People aged above 60 and those between 45 and 59 who are suffering from comorbidities are eligible for vaccinations under the second phase of the drive.

    The drive was launched on January 16 with healthcare and sanitation workers being inoculated in the first phase.

    The day started with enthusiasm among the senior citizens who reached the vaccination centres for getting the first dose.

    However, problems like delay in registration were encouraged during the initial hours.

    At some centres including the one at Jaipuria hospital in Jaipur, people had to wait for one to two hours before getting the shot while technical glitches delayed the drive at a few places including six sites in the super-speciality block of the new medical college hospital in Kota.

    The vaccination drive was held at nearly two dozen centres in Jaipur and 118 sites, including those at private hospitals, in the Kota division comprising Kota, Bundi, Jhalawar and Baran districts, officials said.

    In Jaipur, Governor Kalraj Mishra got vaccinated at the Raj Bhavan.

    The first dose was administered under the supervision of the principal of SMS medical college Sudhir Bhandari.

    Thanking scientists for successfully developing the vaccine in a short time while following all standards and prescribed procedures, Mishra appealed that eligible people should get both doses of the vaccine on time without any hesitation.

    Mishra said that there should be no carelessness after the first dose of the vaccine and protocols like social distancing, wearing face masks should be properly followed. Meanwhile, 72-year-old Mangla Dixit was the first to receive the jab at the SMS government hospital in Jaipur.

    After getting the shot, she told reporters that those eligible should not hesitate in getting vaccinated.

    “The prime minister too got the first dose of vaccination today. It is safe and people should come forward,” she said.

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi took his first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in the national capital and appealed to all those who are eligible to get inoculated.

    A 69-year-old ex-serviceman received the first shot in Kota while former Rajasthan finance minister Harimohan Sharma received the first shot in Bundi.

    “I am feeling at ease with no complications or trouble and I appeal to the people to move to vaccination sites in their areas to get vaccinated,” 82-year-old Sharma said after getting the shot.

    According to chief medical and health officer, Jhalawar, Sajid Khan, “There has been a good response from senior citizens at most of the vaccination sites in Jhalawar, particularly in rural areas there is no apprehension among them.”

    While the vaccination is free at government hospitals, it costs Rs 250 per dose in private hospitals as fixed by the government.