Coronavirus India Highlights: Kerala logs 29,836 new Covid-19 cases, 75 deaths

In a step towards reopening schools, the Maharashtra Health Minister Rajesh Tope on Sunday said the state government plans to fully vaccinate all teaching and non-teaching staff against Covid-19 by September 5. A special drive will be conducted for the same.

He added that the state task force was of the view that schools in districts where there were no positive cases can be reopened, PTI reported.

With the new relaxations in the Covid-19 guidelines, Tamil Nadu reopened the Kodaikanal Boat and Rowing Club for tourists. 

Tamil Nadu | Kodaikanal Boat and Rowing Club reopens for tourists in wake of new relaxations in COVID-19 guidelines.

"I wanted to visit the Club for a long time. It's pretty safe around here. Police are checking vaccination certificates, masks and sanitisers," says a tourist pic.twitter.com/HVUM1f3iS9

— ANI (@ANI) August 29, 2021

Mumbai on Sunday recorded 345 new Covid-19 deaths and two fatalities. With 280 recoveries, the active cases in the city stood at 3,036.

Mumbai reports 345 new #COVID19 infections, 280 recoveries and two deaths in the last 24 hours.

Active cases: 3,036
Total cases: 743,498
Death toll: 15,974 pic.twitter.com/mNeGTGsSst

— ANI (@ANI) August 29, 2021

Recruitment of volunteers for the phase 2/3 clinical trial of Covid-19 vaccine Covovax among children aged 2 to 17 years began on Sunday at the Hamdard Institute of Medical Sciences and Research in Delhi.

The trial would be held across 10 sites and would cover 920 children - 460 each in the age groups of 12-17 and 2-11 - according to official sources.

Indigenously developed Zydus Cadila's needle-free Covid-19 vaccine ZyCoV-D has received emergency use authorisation from the drug regulator, making it the first vaccine to be administered in the age group of 12-18 years in the country. (PTI)

Karnataka reported 1,262 fresh Covid-19 cases and 17 deaths on Sunday. The total number of active cases in the state stood at 18,758, while the death toll is at 37,278.

Israel on Sunday began offering a Covid-19 booster shot to anyone who has been fully vaccinated, lowering the age of eligibility to 12.

"Starting today, the third vaccine dose is open to all," said Health Ministry Director General Nachman Ash, referring to the Pfizer vaccine. (Reuters)

More than half the days in the last month have seen no Covid deaths in Delhi. Since July 29, zero Covid deaths were recorded on 17 days – the longest stretch with no deaths was five days from August 20 to 24. The highest number of deaths in one day in the last month was on August 6, when the city recorded five fatalities. A total of 31 people died of Covid in the last month.

These are positive numbers for a city where the second Covid wave did not just see a large number of cases, but fatalities as well. The Covid death count had gone as high as 448 on a single day on May 3. In April and May, the city had recorded 13,201 deaths from the virus. May alone had seen 8,521 deaths. Read more.

As cases in Kerala continue to rise, Health Minister of the State Veena George on Sunday said the government has renewed its plan to test more number of people than before.

The Minister, in her post on Facebook, said new centres and clusters would be created based on the outcome of the sample testing methods. In districts of the State where the first dose of vaccine has been administered, she said RT-PCR (reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction)is recommended for individuals with symptoms such as sore throat, cough and diarrhoea. Rapid antigen tests (RATs) would be done on people who frequent shops, malls, offices, institutions, and transit sites, the Minister said. RAT would be enough to assess the Covid-19 situation in a district and the method would be adopted in areas where the first dose of the vaccine has been given to more than 80 per cent of the people there. (PTI)

Kerala on Sunday reported 29,836 new Covid-19 cases and 75 more fatalities. The active caseload in the state stands at 2,12,566, with 22,088 recoveries in the last 24 hours.

Kerala reports 29,836 new #COVID19 cases, 22,088 recoveries and 75 deaths today.

Active cases: 2,12,566
Total recoveries: 37,73,754
Death toll: 20,541

(file pic) pic.twitter.com/ApkysY0uLI

— ANI (@ANI) August 29, 2021

On Sunday, Andhra Pradesh recorded 1,557 fresh positive coronavirus cases, taking its active cases to 15,179. With 18 more fatalities, the state's death toll stands at 13,825.

The higher educational institutions in Jammu and Kashmir have been granted persmission by the administration to hold offline classes if all the staff members and students are fully vaccinated against Covid-19. Schools and coaching centres, however, will be closed until further orders. 

The administration has also decided to do away with Covid testing at the entry point to the Union Territory in Lakhanpur for all those fully vaccinated. However, other measures including the night curfew, are still in place, PTI reported.

Focus on the Covid-19 pandemic, which saw the postponement of several types of surgeries, and shortage of staff at hospitals were among the factors that affected patients in Maharashtra, as per a survey conducted recently.

In a release issued on Saturday, the Jan Arogya Abhiyan, a non-profit public health campaign involving activists, experts and NGOs, which carried out the survey, said cesarean section procedures, trauma care etc took a hit, especially in rural parts of the state.

At least 11 hospitals that were surveyed did not treat accident cases due to the pandemic, 22 rural and sub-district hospitals stopped performing C-section procedures and and 12 did not perform a wide range of surgeries, forcing many to rush to private hospitals and bear the resultant high costs, it said, adding that cataract operations, minor surgeries and sterilisation procedures were also postponed.

Highlighting the shortage of staff at health facilities, the survey report informed that only 51 per cent of the surveyed PHCs had one permanent medical officer, which meant only one doctor for around 30,000 people, and only 53 per cent had permanent nurses. (PTI)

According to the 22 guidelines issued by the Raipur district administration ahead of the Janamashtami celebrations, restrictions have been placed on the 'dahi handi loot' ritual and distribution of prasad.

People will have to maintain a distance of six metres at the festivities, PTI reported. Organisers must ensure that entry is allowed only to those showing no symptoms. Thermal screening, wearing of masks and using hand sanitizer would be mandatory at all festivities.

Several groups are working to get shots to poor countries, but they’re falling far short of what’s needed to curb outbreaks around the world. Among the efforts is COVAX, which relies on donations from rich countries and private funders. The group has missed its own distribution targets largely because it didn’t have the resources to secure vaccine supplies early on in the pandemic.

As of mid-August, COVAX has distributed about 207 million doses to 138 countries and territories. That’s compared with more than 417 million doses distributed in just the US, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Without enough purchased vaccines, COVAX is now relying on donated shots from wealthy countries, but most of the pledged doses won’t be delivered this year. Logistics are another problem. Read more.

Bharat Biotech is seeking international manufacturing partners as it targets a billion doses of its Covid-19 vaccine each year, the company said in a statement on Sunday.

"We want to ensure that Bharat Biotech can ably meet the demand for Covaxin such that individuals across the country, and the globe, have access to the vaccine," chairman and managing director Krishna Ella said, according to Reuters. The company said that it is exploring opportunities with its international partners who have expertise in commercial-scale manufacturing of inactivated viral vaccines.

The Supreme Court has issued fresh standard operating procedures to accord final hearing of cases in physical mode from September 1, and will employ a hybrid option from Tuesday to Thursday amid strict observance of Covid appropriate norms.

The SOP, issued by the Secretary General on August 28, made it clear that the courts would keep hearing miscellaneous cases through virtual mode on Mondays and Fridays.
"Wearing of mask, frequent use of hand sanitiser and maintaining physical distancing norms are mandatory for all entrants into the Supreme Court premises, including into the Courtrooms," the SOP said. The procedures mandated that once litigants and the lawyers opt for the hearing through physical mode then "hearing through video/tele-conferencing mode to the party concerned will not be facilitated". 

If the number of advocates for parties are more than 20, the average working capacity of the courtrooms as per Covid norms, the bench "at any given time" resort to virtual mode of hearing, the SOP said. (PTI)

A 16-year-old boy fell ill after he was allegedly administered a Covid-19 vaccine in Bagh Ka Pura locality in Ambah tehsil of Morena district in Madhya Pradesh, prompting authorities to order a probe on Sunday. A senior health official said the probe will find out how the teenager was given the shot even though the government is yet to roll out any anti-Covid-19 vaccination programme for minors.

Pillu, son of Kamlesh Kushwaha, was administered the jab at a vaccination centre, nearly 35 km away from the Morena district headquarters, on Saturday following which his head spun and he started frothing from the mouth, sources said. Read more.

The South-East Delhi DCP, RP Meena, said Sunday that devotees will not be permitted to visit temples on Janamashtami in line with the DDMA guidelines prohibiting religious gatherings. "We will urge people to celebrate it at their homes and not to gather at temples. Action will be taken against those violating guidelines," the DCP was quoted as saying by ANI.

Odisha has launched a sero survey to determine "the age-specific prevalence of SARC-CoV-2 antibodies among common people and healthcare workers in the state," that will help strategising for further Covid-19 management, PTI reported. The regional centre of ICMR will conduct the exercise in 12 districts of the state - Sambalpur, Sundargarh, Jharsuguda, Keonjhar, Khurda, Puri, Balasore, Mayurbhanj, Jajpur, Kandhamal, Kalahandi and Nabarangpur - till September 15.

On Sunday, Odisha reported 849 new Covid-19 cases and 69 fresh fatalities. According to a health official, at least 119 children are among the new patients.

The first commercial batch of Bharat Biotech's Covaxin vaccine was released on Sunday by Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya from the pharma company's new plant at Ankleshwar in Gujarat's Bharuch district. "This will increase the supply of vaccine in the country and will help the vaccine reach every Indian," Mandaviya tweeted

??? ?? ?????? ?? ????? ??? ?????? ???? ?? ??? ???? ?????? ?? ???????? ?? ?????????, ?????? ????? @BharatBiotech ?? ?????? ?? #COVAXIN ?? ???? commercial batch ?? ?????? ?????

???? ??? ??? ??????? ?? ??????? ??? ??????? ???? ??? ?? ?????? ?? ??????? ???????? ??? ??? ??????? pic.twitter.com/Z2NzvRwEuj

— Mansukh Mandaviya (@mansukhmandviya) August 29, 2021

Japan's vaccine programme chief Taro Kono said that he has asked the health ministry to consider mixing the AstraZeneca Covid-19 shot with other drug manufacturers in order to to speed up the vaccination drive in the country.

"I have asked the health ministry to come up with an opinion about the use of AstraZeneca vaccines for the first dose and Pfizer's with the second, or the AstraZeneca's as the first shot and Moderna as second," the chief was quoted as saying by Reuters. This could reduce the interval between the first and second shots, he added.

Japan, which has previously relied on the Pfizer Inc /BioNTech SE and Moderna Inc vaccines, approved AstraZeneca's vaccine in July and has secured two million doses.

Social activist Anna Hazare has questioned the Maharashtra government's stand to not reopen temples in the state and said he would extend his support if agitation is held for lifting curbs on temples.

Hazare pointed out "big queues" outside liquor shops to question the MVA government's refusal to reopen temples. Speaking in Ralegan Siddhi village in the Ahmednagar district on Saturday, Hazare said a delegation of some people demanding reopening of temples had met him.

"Why the state government is not opening temples? What danger the state government sees in opening temples for people? If COVID-19 is the reason, then there are big queues outside liquor shops," he said. (PTI)

Odisha on Sunday reported 849 new COVID-19 cases which took the tally in the state to 10,06,503, while 69 fresh fatalities pushed the coronavirus death toll to 7,834, a health official said. At least 119 children are among the new patients, he said. The infection rate among people below 18 years of age was at 14 per cent, up marginally from 13.47 per cent recorded on Saturday, the official said. The daily positivity rate was at 1.23 per cent as 849 new COVID cases were detected from 68,667 sample tests. (PTI)

The Covid-19 Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) constituted by the Karnataka government has recommended resuming offline sessions for Classes 6 to 8 from September 13. However, the TAC has urged that a final decision should be taken after assessing the impact of the offline classes that resumed for classes 9 and 10 from August 23.

Flights between India and Bangladesh under the bilateral air bubble arrangement will resume from September 3, according to the civil aviation ministry.

Something was different about ‘Pappu ki Dukan’.

India reported 45,083 new cases and 460 deaths in the last 24 hours, ending at 8 AM on Sunday. With 35,840 recoveries in the same period, the active caseload stands at 3,68,558. The nationwide recovery rate is currently at 97.53 per cent.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Saturday said the Centre's directives to states to ensure there is no crowding during the upcoming festivals underlines the need to prioritise lives of people amid the coronavirus pandemic. In a public appeal, Thackeray sought cooperation from political and social groups as well as all spheres of society as Covid-19 continued to hang over everyone's heads like the "sword of Damocles".

Maharashtra and the rest of the country had succeeded in slowing the spread of the virus, but there was need to continue focusing on testing, tracing and treatment as well as following all Covid-19 protocols, he said.

Health experts fear upcoming festivals may act as super spreaders, with a new variant of the virus already being detected in Maharashtra and some other states, the CM said, adding that people needed to behave responsibly. (PTI)

West Bengal government on Saturday extended Covid restrictions till September 15 with some additional relaxations. It has allowed coaching centres to reopen with 50 per cent capacity.

West Bengal Govt extends COVID restrictions till September 15 with some additional relaxations; allows coaching centres to reopen with 50% capacity pic.twitter.com/ljkcwIVSvv

— ANI (@ANI) August 28, 2021

In a significant achievement, India’s Covid-19 vaccination coverage has crossed 63 crore (63,00,67,629) landmark, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said. Also, more than 65 lakh (65,39,745) vaccine doses have been administered today as per the 7 pm provisional report.

A group of 56 academicians, doctors and other professionals have written an open letter to chief ministers and union territory administrators requesting them to urgently consider reopening schools and resuming in-person classes. In their letter which has also been marked to the Prime Minister's Office, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and the National Disaster Management Authority Chairperson, the signatories said Covid-19 vaccination of children should not be a prerequisite for reopening schools.

India is among only four to five countries across the world where schools have been closed for such a long time (one-and-half years), it said. (PTI)

The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) claimed to have vaccinated as many as 1,64,787 people in the city as a part of Covid-19 Lasikaa Mela on August 27.

Kerala government has decided to impose night curfew from 10pm to 6am in the state from Monday, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said.

Kerala on Saturday reported 31,265 Covid cases in the past 24 hours. This is the fourth consecutive day, the state reported over 30,000 daily infections. With 153 new fatalities, the death toll mounted to 20,466. The test positivity rate was recorded at 18.67 per cent.

A single dose of Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin in previously COVID-19-infected individuals elicits a similar antibody response as obtained with two doses of the vaccine in those without a previous history of the disease, according to an ICMR study.

All international passengers arriving in Maharashtra will have to carry a negative RT-PCR report even though they are fully vaccinated, the state government has said. "All international passengers arriving in Maharashtra, including those from the European countries, Middle Eastern countries and South Africa, will be in line with the above-mentioned guidelines issued by the Union ministry of health and family welfare," said the order issued by Maharashtra Chief Secretary Sitaram Kunte on Friday night.

The Maharashtra government later issued a statement mentioning that fresh rules of the Central government mandate a negative RT-PCR test report before arriving in India. "Same rule is applicable for international passengers arriving in Maharashtra. Although the passenger has taken two doses of vaccine against COVID-19, the negative report of RT-PCR is mandatory," the statement said. Maharashtra on Friday reported 4,654 new coronavirus cases and 170 fresh deaths, taking the infection tally to 64,47,442 and the toll to 1,36,900, a state health official had said. (PTI)

The Delhi government, which has been allotted 16.79 lakh Covid-19 vaccine doses for August, has demanded at least 45 lakh shots from the Centre. The central government has said that the supply has picked up and will “definitely increase” further in the coming months. Read ful report here

The Centre Saturday asked all states and union territories to ensure there is no large gathering during the upcoming festival season and, if necessary, impose local restrictions to check the spread of coronavirus.

In its fresh Covid guidelines, the Ministry of Home Affairs on Saturday said that containment measures will remain in force till September 31. 

Two people died after receiving Moderna COVID-19 vaccine shots that were among lots later suspended following the discovery of contaminants, Japan's health ministry said on Saturday.The men in their 30s died this month within days of receiving their second Moderna doses, the ministry said in a release. Each had a shot from one of three manufacturing lots suspended on Thursday. The cause of the deaths is still being investigated.

Japan halted the use of 1.63 million Moderna doses shipped to 863 vaccination centres nationwide, more than a week after the domestic distributor, Takeda Pharmaceutical, received reports of contaminants in some vials. (Reuters)

World Health Organization (WHO) Chief Scientist Dr Soumya Swaminathan on Friday congratulated India for vaccinating over half of its adult populationand crossing the 620 million mark in its nationwide inoculation drive.

Medical experts on Friday welcomed the Delhi government's decision to reopen schools, colleges and coaching institutes in the national capital but advised parents to tread with caution by teaching Covid protocols to children.

Following a marked improvement in the COVID-19 situation here, the Delhi government on Friday announced that schools for classes 9 to 12, colleges and coaching institutions will reopen from September 1.

Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said teaching and learning activities will continue to be conducted in a blended mode. (PTI)

Andaman and Nicobar Islands did not record any new COVID-19 case in the last three days, a health official said on Saturday. The total COVID-19 cases in the union territory remained at 7,560, he said.

One more person recuperated from COVID-19, taking the total number of coronavirus recoveries to 7,428, he said. The archipelago now has only three active COVID-19 cases and all three patients are in the South Andaman district.

The other two districts - North and Middle Andaman and Nicobar - are COVID-19 free, the official said. (PTI)

India reported 46,759 coronavirus cases and 509 deaths in the last 24 hours, ending at 8 AM on Saturday. With this the country’s total Covid caseload rose to 3.26 crore (3,26,49,947), while the death toll increased to 4.37 lakh (4,37,370).

President Ram Nath Kovind on Friday said COVID-19 pandemic is not over yet and no one should have a non-serious attitude towards it.

He also appreciated the work done by doctors, nurses and health workers during the pandemic outbreak. Speaking at the 26th convocation of the Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences (SGPGI) here, the president said, "The world continues to grapple with this pandemic. In our fight against the novel coronavirus infection, medical institutions like SGPGI have worked relentlessly." (PTI)