The union government on Thursday said that Covid-19 vaccine is 96.6 per cent effective in preventing death after first dose while it prevents death by 97.5 per cent after second dose. Coronavirus Highlights: Kerala on Thursday reported 26,200 new Covid-19 cases along with 125 deaths. The test positivity rate in the state was recorded at 16.69 per cent. With this, the total infections in the state rose to 43,09,694 and the fatalities till now to 22,126. 29,209 people recovered from the infection taking the total number to 40,50,665 and the number of active cases to 2,36,345, the state government said in press release.
Meanwhile, ICMR DG Dr Balram Bhargava on Thursday said that Covid-19 vaccine is 96.6 per cent effective in preventing death after first dose while it prevents death by 97.5 per cent after second dose.
Earlier in the day, India reported 43,263 new coronavirus cases and 338 deaths in the last 24 hours ending at 8 AM on Thursday. With this, the country’s tally of cases rose to 3.31 crore (3,31,39,981), while the death toll increased to 4.41 lakh (4,41,749). Over 40,000 (40,567) patients recovered from coronavirus, taking the active number of cases to 3.91 lakh (3,93,614).
The cumulative Covid vaccine doses administered in India crossed 72 crore on Thursday.
The BRICS nations on Thursday noted that the cooperation on study of origins of SARS-COV-2 is an important aspect of the fight against the Covid pandemic and expressed support for science-based processes, free from politicisation or interference, to strengthen international capabilities to better understand the emergence of novel pathogens.
In the Delhi Declaration, adopted after a summit between leaders of the member states of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, the grouping also noted the ongoing discussions in the WTO on a COVID-19 vaccine Intellectual Property Rights waiver, with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa strongly emphasising the proposal for it. The proposal was mooted by South Africa and India. (PTI)
The Union Health Ministry has released the data of the national vaccination drive that showed the Covid-19 vaccines being administered in the country offer near-total protection against serious disease and death.
On Thursday, ICMR DG Dr Balram Bhargava released the preliminary data of the soon-to-be-launched vaccine tracker that has been synergised using the Cowin platform and the national Covid-19 testing database of the ICMR.
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The Union government on Thursday said no scientific body suggests that vaccination of children against COVID-19 should be a condition for reopening schools, but inoculation of teachers, school employees and parents is desirable.
At a press conference, NITI Aayog member (Health) V K Paul said whether children have to be vaccinated and who among them should get the jabs is an evolving scientific and public health discourse. Only a limited number of nations have introduced vaccination of children so far, he said.
Besides the aspect of vaccination, the overall epidemiological situation has to be safe for opening schools, he said. Most importantly, following standard operating procedures about ventilation, seating arrangements, staggered classes and wearing masks among others will be critical when schools reopen, Paul stressed. (PTI)
Kerala on Thursday reported 26,200 new Covid-19 cases along with 125 deaths. The test positivity rate in the state was recorded at 16.69 per cent. With this, the total infections in the state rose to 43,09,694 and the fatalities till now to 22,126. 29,209 people recovered from the infection taking the total number to 40,50,665 and the number of active cases to 2,36,345, the state government said in press release.
The government on Thursday said 58 per cent of India's adult population has received at least one dose of Covid-19 vaccine while 18 per cent got both the shots as the total number of jabs administered in the country crossed 72 crore.
Addressing a press conference, officials said India is still going through the second wave of coronavirus infections and it is not over yet.
They said 35 districts in the country are still reporting a weekly Covid positivity rate of over 10 per cent while in 30 districts it is between five to 10 per cent.
Covid-19 vaccine is 96.6 per cent effective in preventing death after first dose while it prevents death by 97.5 per cent after second dose, ICMR DG Dr Balram Bhargava said on Thursday.
The Goa government on Thursday announced that it will start releasing compensation to the families of people affected by Covid-19 in the state by September 13, according to PTI. Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said that amendments have been made in forms, which beneficiaries need to fill, to make the process simpler.
The state government had earlier announced two schemes for Covid-affected persons, which includes Rs 2 lakh compensation to families of people who have died of the disease and Rs 5,000 for traditional occupants, whose businesses have suffered due to the pandemic. The state government has received 200 applications from families who have lost people to COVID-19 infection, and all applications are being processed and compensation will be paid to them, Sawant said.
More than five crore people have been given anti-coronavirus vaccine doses in Madhya Pradesh so far, with nearly 94 lakh of them getting the second jab as well, a health official said on Thursday. "Till Wednesday night, a total of 5,00,69,857 people have been vaccinated in the state," managing director of the National Health Mission (NHM) in MP, Priyanka Das, said. Of them, 4,06,90,004 people have been given the first dose and 93,79,853 others both the jabs, Das said. (PTI)
Seeking reopening of cinema halls, multiplexes, auditoriums citing financial losses faced by these establishments, the Mumbai unit of the Congress has also urged the Maharashtra government to restart swimming pools so that professional swimmers can practise for tournaments. Mumbai Congress chief Bhai Jagtap made the demand while talking to reporters here on Wednesday.
"Swimming pools have been shut for more than 18 months now. Professional swimmers, who wish to participate in the upcoming national as well as international tournaments, need to practise. The pools should be opened but adherence to COVID-19 protocols must be ensured," he said.
The Congress leader, who is also a member of state Legislative Council, said that cinema halls have been shut for more than a year and they have faced losses to the tune of Rs 400 crore so far. In normal times, major economic activity is seen around the cinema halls in Mumbai, he added. (PTI)
More than 15 lakh doses of the coronavirus vaccine were administered in Maharashtra on Wednesday, setting a new record in the state, Dr Pradeep Vyas, Additional Chief Secretary (Health) told ANI.
While the Covid19 numbers in Maharashtra have remained more or less stable in the last three weeks, a small but appreciable spike in cases in Mumbai, and a couple of other districts, has been enough to raise the scare of an impending “third wave”.
Two days ago, state Energy Minister Nitin Raut said the “third wave” had already arrived in Nagpur, after the city reported two consecutive days double-digit increase in confirmed cases. Nagpur had been reporting less than ten cases since the start of August. On Tuesday, Mayor Kishori Pednekar made a similar statement about Mumbai, probably with a little more justification. There has been a noticeable rise in the number of cases in Mumbai in the last few days, from less than 300 a day till the last week of August to over 400 now.
Overall, there has been a slight improvement in the Covid situation in the state in the last three weeks. Daily case count has remained firmly below 5,000 for almost two weeks now. The death count has remained below 100 for about a week. Active cases have declined from about 65,000 in the middle of last month to less than 48,000 now. Read the full report here.
Japan said on Thursday it will extend emergency COVID-19 restrictions in Tokyo and other regions until the end of this month to curb infections and prevent hospitals from being overwhelmed, saying it was too early to let down its guard.
Japan has been struggling with a fifth wave of the virus and last month extended its long-running curbs until Sept. 12 to cover about 80% of its population.
However, the number of severe cases and the strain on the medical system have not eased sufficiently in Tokyo and surrounding areas to allow restrictions to be lifted. (Reuters)
India reported 43,263 new coronavirus cases and 338 deaths in the last 24 hours ending at 8 AM on Thursday. With this, the country’s tally of cases rose to 3.31 crore (3,31,39,981), while the death toll increased to 4.41 lakh (4,41,749). Over 40,000 (40,567) patients recovered from coronavirus, taking the active number of cases to 3.91 lakh (3,93,614).
Of the new cases and deaths reported in the last 24 hours in India, Kerala recorded 30,196 cases and 181 deaths yesterday.
Rich countries with large supplies of coronavirus vaccines should refrain from offering booster shots through the end of the year and make the doses available for poorer countries, the head of the World Health Organization said Wednesday, doubling down on an earlier appeal for a "moratorium" on boosters that has largely been ignored.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus also said he was "appalled" after hearing comments Tuesday from a top association of pharmaceutical manufacturers that vaccine supplies are high enough to allow for both booster shots for people in well-supplied countries and first jabs in poorer countries that face shortages. He said that's already been the case.
"I will not stay silent when companies and countries that control the global supply of vaccines think the world's poor should be satisfied with leftovers," he told a news conference. (AP)
Delhiites coughed up more than Rs 135 crore in fines with over eight lakh violations of Covid-appropriate behaviour norms in the last four months, officials said on Wednesday. The fines were imposed by Delhi government teams and police personnel, they said.
Official data showed that enforcement teams of the city government's revenue department and the Delhi Police booked over six lakh and two lakh people, respectively, in May-August for violating various Covid-related guidelines like not wearing masks, crowding and spitting in public places.
While government teams imposed fines of more than Rs 103 crore, the Delhi Police imposed over Rs 32 crore of penalties. The police also arrested over 15,600 people in the past four months for violating guidelines, it showed.
Officials said that nearly 1.8 lakh people were booked and Rs 32.41 crore in fine was imposed in August by the revenue department and the Delhi Police. (PTI)
The Arvind Kejriwal government on Wednesday launched a new COVID-19 'WhatsApp Helpdesk Number' which will help people in Delhi access credible information about the viral disease, locate nearest vaccination centres and book slots for receiving the jabs.
Tele-consultation and information about oxygen cylinder refilling stations will also be available through the WhatsApp chatbot, according to a statement.
It will be a single-window source of accurate, authentic and up-to-date information about Covid-related resources in Delhi. To avail it, all that a user has to do is send 'Hi' to +911122307145 on WhatsApp, it said. (PTI)
With over 1.7 lakh vaccines administered on the previous day, Delhi's present stock of vaccines will only last for six days, according to the health bulletin issued on Wednesday.
The national capital, as on Wednesday morning, had a balance stock of 11,14,800 coronavirus vaccines, out of which 9,97,910 doses were of Covishield and 1,16,890 of Covaxin, according to the government data.
A total of 1,72,852 vaccine doses were administered on Tuesday, of which 1,14,769 were first doses and 58,083 second doses. (PTI)
Mumbai Mayor Kishori Pednekar's claim on arrival of a "third wave" of COVID-19 in the city found few takers with opposition parties in the Shiv Sena-ruled BMC on Wednesday taking a dig at her and questioning the basis of the assertion.
Pednekar on Tuesday said a third wave of the pandemic had already arrived, only to issue a clarification a few hours later. "Third wave is not coming, it is already here," she had told reporters at a function.
Later, her office issued a press statement saying what she meant was that the third wave of COVID-19 was on the "threshold of Mumbai".
A day later, Pednekar came under attack from opposition leaders in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).
Slamming the Mayor, BJP leader Bhalchandra Shirsat said the ruling Shiv Sena in the BMC wants COVID-19 waves to "loot" by giving various civic contracts. (PTI)
No fresh COVID-19 death was reported from Uttar Pradesh, and the death toll stood at 22,863; while the total cases in the state touched 17,09,494 with as many as 16 fresh cases, an official statement said on Wednesday.
Of the 16 fresh cases, three were reported from Lucknow, two each from Prayagraj, Jalaun, Kanpur Nagar and one each from Gautam Buddh Nagar, Gorakhpur, Lakhimpur Kheri, Jaunpur, Mirzapur, Unnao, and Hardoi, the state government said in a statement.
In the past 24 hours, 28 COVID-19 patients have recovered from the disease in the state, and have been discharged, taking the number of patients discharged so far to 16,86,417. (PTI)
Mumbai on Wednesday recorded 530 new coronavirus positive cases, the highest since mid-July this year, and four fatalities, a senior Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) official said.
With this, the city's infection count rose to 7,47,608 and death toll to 16,004.
On July 15, the financial capital of the country had logged 545 COVID-19 cases. But after that its daily case count remained below 500 and even went under 190 by mid-August.
However, since the beginning of September, the city has started reporting over 400 COVID-19 daily, barring the last two days when there were 379 cases (on Monday) and 353 cases (on Tuesday).
After a long gap, a new containment zone was declared in Mumbai - this time in R-South ward in western suburbs. The city was free of containment zones since mid-August. (PTI)
Kerala Cabinet has decided to set up a vaccine manufacturing zone at the Life Science Park, Thonnakkal in Thiruvananthapuram district. (ANI)
Minister for Higher Education R Bindu Wednesday said that the Kerala government planning to open higher education institutions from October 4 for final year students, in line with the COVID guidelines. Speaking to reporters, the minister said that academic sessions will be arranged on a shift basis and students will be asked to show up in half strength on alternative days.
Bindu further said that the government was also considering organising vaccination camps in institutions to administer the first dose of vaccine to students. (ANI)
The Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) has said that Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations will not be allowed in public places in the national capital due to the Covid-19-related restrictions.
Citing a ban on religious/social/cultural and political gatherings in the city, the DDMA said in an order dated September 7 that the festival of Ganesh Chaturthi, which is falling on September 10, will not be celebrated in public places.
“Delhi Disaster Management Authority has issued an order, which directs that all social/political/sports/entertainment/cultural/religious/ festival related gatherings and congregations are prohibited. Further, no visitors are allowed in religious places in Delhi… It has been decided that Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations may not be allowed in public areas and people may be advised to celebrate the festival at their home,” the DDMA order said. Read More
Standing outside the rundown public hospital in Bulgaria's northern town of Veliko Tarnovo, the vaccination unit's chief nurse voices a sad reality about her fellow citizens: "They don't believe in vaccines."
Bulgaria has one of the highest coronavirus death rates in the 27-nation European Union and is facing a new, rapid surge of infections due to the more infectious delta variant. Despite that, people in this Balkan nation are the most hesitant in the bloc to get vaccinated against COVID-19.
Only 20% of adults in Bulgaria, which has a population of 7 million, have so far been fully vaccinated. That puts it last in the EU, which has an average of 69 % fully vaccinated.
Bulgaria has access to all four of the vaccines approved by the EU - Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson. But since the start of the pandemic, more than 19,000 people in Bulgaria have died of COVID-19, the EU's third-highest death rate, behind only the Czech Republic and Hungary. In the last week, an average of 41 people have died each day.
Bulgaria's largely failed inoculation campaign now risks putting the country's ailing health care system under serious strain. (AP)
More than 70.31 crore COVID-19 vaccine doses have been provided to states and UTs so far, the Union Health Ministry said on Wednesday.
Further, more than eight lakh doses are in the pipeline.
The ministry said more than 5.64 crore balance and unutilised COVID-19 vaccine doses are still available with the states and UTs to be administered.
The vaccination drive has been ramped up through availability of more vaccines, advance visibility of vaccine availability to states and UTs for enabling better planning by them, and streamlining the vaccine supply chain, it said. (PTI)
Health experts and medical groups are pushing to stamp out the growing use of a decades-old parasite drug to treat Covid-19, warning that it can cause harmful side effects and that there's little evidence it helps.
With a fourth wave of infections, more Americans are turning to ivermectin, a cheap drug used to kill worms and other parasites in humans and animals.
Federal health officials have seen a surge in prescriptions this summer, accompanied by worrying increases in reported overdoses. The drug was even given to inmates at a jail in northwest Arkansas for COVID-19, despite federal warnings against that use. (AP)
The Supreme Court on Wednesday said that courts cannot presume that all deaths due to COVID-19 in the second wave of the pandemic were due to negligence as it refused to entertain a plea seeking compensation for the kin of the victims by treating it as medical negligence.
A bench of Justices DY Chandrachud, Vikram Nath and Hima Kohli asked the petitioner Deepak Raj Singh to approach the competent authorities with his suggestions.
The bench said, “To assume that each death due to COVID-19 took place due to negligence is too much. The second wave had such an impact across the country that it cannot be presumed that all deaths happened due to negligence. Courts cannot have a presumption that all Covid deaths happened due to medical negligence, which your petition does.” (PTI)
The Mumbai civic body has issued fresh guidelines for the Ganpati festival beginning from Friday and has banned physical darshan for devotees at public pandals as well as imposed restrictions on the number of participants in processions during the celebrations.
For bringing the idols of the deity and during their immersion, there will not be more than 10 people in the processions of public mandals and not more than five for the household Ganpatis, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) in the guidelines issued on Tuesday.
"All devotees should wear masks and observe social distancing. Also, the 10 participants should have taken both the doses of COVID-19 vaccine and completed 15 days after taking the second dose," the guidelnes said.
In the wake of a rise in the number of new coronavirus infections and fear of a third wave, the BMC has banned physical darshan for devotees at the public Ganpati pandals and appealed to citizens to celebrate the festival with simplicity. (PTI)
Single-day recoveries outnumbered fresh Covid-19 cases in Arunachal Pradesh on Wednesday as 88 more people recuperated from the disease while 66 new infections were registered, a health department official said.
The new cases pushed the tally in the northeastern state to 53,474.
As many as 52,595 people have recovered from the disease thus far, he said.
The recovery rate among COVID-19 patients improved marginally to 98.36 per cent from 98.31 per cent the previous day, State Surveillance Officer (SSO) Dr Lobsang Jampa said.
The positivity rate currently stands at 1.99 per cent. (PTI)
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has said 88 oxygen generation plants, with a collective capacity to generate over 45,000 litres of oxygen per minute, have become operational in the state.
Overall, 190 oxygen plants will become operational by the end of this month, Chouhan said in an official statement late Tuesday evening.
"The deficiencies seen in the health infrastructure during the second wave of Covid-19 are being addressed on a priority basis. The most important of these shortcomings was the availability of medical oxygen," the CM said.
As on Tuesday, 88 out of the 190 proposed oxygen plants have become functional in Madhya Pradesh so far, he said. (PTI)
On Tuesday, Pimpri-Chinchwad recorded 176 new Covid postive cases, taking the active cases count to 1,338.
Of the total active cases, 735 are in home isolation, while 603 are admitted in civic and private hospitals. Two Covid deaths were also registered on Tuesday, which cumulatively takes the count to 4,405. Cases of recovery and discharge were 273 in number.
Maharashtra government authorised Pune Municipal Corporation to hold monthly general body offline. The condition given is to follow Covid appropriate behaviour.
The general body hall will only have 50 per cent occupancy, along with maintaining social distancing and using sanitiser and mask.
Of the over seven lakh people surveyed by the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), 21 per cent have received both doses of Covid-19 vaccines and 62 per cent had received at least one dose as of September 5.
Under BBMP’s Palike Vaidyaru Nimma Manege (doctors at your doorstep) initiative, health officials visited 2,48,280 households and took inputs from 7,11,648 people in the last three weeks. Bengaluru has a population of around one crore.
The survey found that around three per cent of those surveyed (22,362) in the city had been previously Covid-19 positive. Among the 57,528 who reported co-morbidities, 50.8 per cent had diabetes, 35.82 per cent blood pressure, 2.48 per cent heart-related diseases, and 2.99 per cent thyroid illnesses. Read more
Government centres in Pune will incorporate 31,140 free Covid-19 vaccines on September 8. There are 196 government centres involved in the process.
The probability of these doses will be 70 per cent to those who will be receiving their second shot; 30% will be people admistering their first dose of vaccine and walk in inoculation is available for pregnant women and physically handicaps. (ENS)
Pune Municipal Corporation reported 218 new Covid-19 cases on September 7. The active count has been pushed to 2,141 despite 239 patients recovered. Five people succumbed to the viral infection taking the cumulative death toll to 8,958. (ENS)
In last 24 hours India has recorded 37,875 new Covid-19 cases, with 39,114 recoveries and death toll at 369, according to the Health Ministry. This pushes the total Covid-19 toll to 3,30,96,718 and death toll 4,41,411. In the same time frame India has successfully completed 70,75,43,018 vaccinations.