A healthcare worker collects a swab sample of a woman for Covid-19 test, amid a rise in coronavirus cases in the country, in Jammu, April 12, 2023. (PTI)
Coronavirus News in India Highlights: India recorded 11,109 new coronavirus infections on Friday, the highest in 236 days, while the active cases increased to 49,622, according to the Union Health Ministry data. The death toll has climbed to 5,31,064 with 29 deaths. While three deaths each were reported from Delhi and Rajasthan, two each were from Chhattisgarh and Punjab and one each from Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh ,Maharastra, Odisha, Puducherry, Tamil Nadu, Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh besides nine reconciled by Kerala.
Meanwhile, the daily positivity rate was recorded at 5.01 per cent while the weekly positivity rate was pegged at 4.29 per cent. The Covid case tally was recorded at 4.47 crore (4,47,97,269) The active cases now comprise 0.11 per cent of the total infections and the national Covid-19 recovery rate has been recorded at 98.70 per cent, the ministry said. The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 4,42,16,586 and the case fatality rate was recorded at 1.19 per cent.
In other news, amid an increase in Covid cases in the NCR, schools in Noida and Ghaziabad have been asked to ensure students and teachers are masked and social distancing norms are being followed. The Delhi government, meanwhile, said it will soon release a set of guidelines for schools.
Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya (L) during the inspection of a mock drill for COVID-19 preparedness, at RML Hospital, in New Delhi, Monday, April 10, 2023. (PTI Photo/Shahbaz Khan)
Pune and Mumbai account for nearly half the Covid infections in Maharashtra and, along with Thane, are among the top three districts where the spike in coronavirus cases is being actively observed. Pune has seen a more-than-tenfold jump in cases, as per the health department.
Pune has seen a rise from 69 cases registered on March 1 to 752 on April 13, while Mumbai reported 47 cases on March 1 and saw a huge jump with 1,635 active infections being registered on April 13. In Thane, during the same period, the cases spiked from 26 to 1,040. Read more
The hospitalisation rate due to Covid-19 remains low in the national capital despite a recent spurt in cases, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said on Friday.
Delhi recorded 1,527 Covid cases with a positivity rate of 27.77 on Thursday, according to data shared by the city government's Health department. Only 231 of the 7,945 beds in the city's dedicated Covid hospitals are occupied, it said.
"The cases are not serious and people are not requiring hospitalisation. If needed, then appropriate steps will be taken," Kejriwal said.
(PTI)
Vulnerable people aged 65 years and over receiving the Pfizer bivalent mRNA vaccine booster dose showed 72 per cent lower risk of Covid-related hospitalisation and 68 per cent lower risk of Covid-related death, according to a new study published in the journal The Lancet Infectious Diseases.
Bivalent mRNA vaccines, containing elements from both the original wild type COVID strain and an updated component from the omicron strain, were designed to help improve vaccine-induced immunity against the omicron variant and subsequent subvariants.
These vaccines started replacing the older style monovalent boosters in the USA, Israel, and other countries since September, 2022. (PTI)
Rajasthan Governor Kalraj Mishra has tested positive for COVID-19, the Raj Bhavan said on Friday.
Mishra's test report is positive, the Raj Bhavan said, and suggested that those who came into contact with him recently get themselves tested and follow Covid guidelines.
Recently, Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and his predecessor Vasundhara Raje also tested positive for COVID-19. (PTI)
Amid the Covid surge in India, sources close to the government told PTI that the new Covid cases will keep rising for the next 10-12 days but will start subsiding soon after that. They added that in India, Covid is moving towards the endemic stage. But, what does it mean? We reached out to experts to understand better.
Dr Vijay Kumar Gurjar, Senior Consultant and Head of the Department of Geriatric Medicine, Primus Super Speciality Hospital, New Delhi said that when Healthy Ministry sources refer to Covid-19 being in the endemic stage, it means that the virus has become a part of the population’s regular disease cycle, much like the flu. “It is no longer considered a pandemic but rather a common occurrence that people will encounter from time to time. This also suggests that people may have to learn to live with the virus in the long term, and measures will have to be put in place to keep the virus under control while allowing daily life to continue,” he added. Read more
Amid an increase in Covid cases in the NCR, schools in Noida and Ghaziabad have been asked to ensure students and teachers are masked and social distancing norms are being followed. The Delhi government, meanwhile, said it will soon release a set of guidelines for schools.
On Thursday, Delhi reported 1,527 Covid cases — up from 1,149 cases a day earlier — at a positivity rate of 28%. Two deaths, one where the primary cause of death of Covid and one where Covid finding was incidental, have also been reported. Read more
In view of the increasing cases of Covid-19, Deputy Commissioner Aashika Jain has issued instructions to carry out the work of Covid-19 testing in two shifts. She gave these orders due to the delay in receiving the test reports.
Since April 1, the district has recorded 201 positive Covid-19 cases. Issuing instructions to speed up the work of Punjab Biotechnology Incubator (PBTI) and other labs, the DC said that the report of each test must be received before 24 hours. Read more
The daily positivity rate was recorded at 5.01 per cent while the weekly positivity rate was pegged at 4.29 per cent.
The Covid case tally was recorded at 4.47 crore (4,47,97,269) The active cases now comprise 0.11 per cent of the total infections and the national COVID-19 recovery rate has been recorded at 98.70 per cent, the ministry said.
The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 4,42,16,586 and the case fatality rate was recorded at 1.19 per cent.
According to the ministry's website, 220.66 crore doses of Covid vaccine have been administered in the country so far under the nationwide vaccination drive. (PTI)
India recorded 11,109 new coronavirus infections, the highest in 236 days, while the active cases increased to 49,622, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Friday. The death toll climbed to 5,31,064 with 29 deaths.
While three deaths each were reported from Delhi and Rajasthan, two each were from Chhattisgarh and Punjab and one each from Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh ,Maharastra, Odisha, Puducherry, Tamil Nadu, Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh besides nine reconciled by Kerala, the data updated at 8 am stated. (PTI)
Delhi recorded 1,527 COVID-19 cases with a positivity rate of 27.77 per cent on Thursday, according to data shared by the city government's health department.
Two Covid-related deaths were also reported.
According to the latest bulletin, in one of these two fatalities, COVID-19 was the primary cause, while in the other, Covid was incidental.
Delhi's single-day COVID-19 cases count breached the 1,000-mark for the first time in more than seven months on Wednesday, while the positivity rate stood at 23.8 per cent.
The national capital logged 1,149 fresh cases along with one fatality on Wednesday. However, the department had said that coronavirus was not the primary cause of death.
The city had on August 19 last year recorded 1,417 cases, with a positivity rate of 7.53 per cent and three fatalities due to the viral disease.
Amid a rise in Covid cases, the Gautam Buddh Nagar Health Department on Thursday issued a set of recommendations that includes practising social distancing and use of face masks at offices, schools, colleges, and cinema halls, among other public places.
For workplaces, the guidelines recommend the use of sanitisers, proper cleaning of offices, thermal temperature scanners at office entries, and work-from-home option for employees showing signs of cold, cough, fever, and flu and suggested Covid test for them.
The guidelines came as Gautam Buddh Nagar, adjoining Delhi, registered 114 more positive cases of Covid on Thursday, pushing the tally of active patients across Noida and Greater Noida to 396 -- the highest so far this year, according to official data.
As of date, of the total, only 15 Covid patients are hospitalised while 69 have recovered since Wednesday. The total samples taken for testing since Wednesday were 1,727, the data showed.
"A rise in cases of Covid has been noted in the country, including parts of Uttar Pradesh. Keeping that and protection against the infection in mind, it is very important to follow these precautions and Covid protocol,” Chief Medical Officer Sunil Kumar Sharma, who issued the guidelines, said. (PTI)
Nine patients succumbed to SARS-CoV-2 virus across Maharashtra on Wednesday, the highest single-day fatality reported since August 6, 2022. The total daily caseload of the infection also crossed 1,000 on Wednesday.
After 213 days, both Maharashtra and Mumbai recorded the highest single-day Covid-19 tally on April 12. On Wednesday, the state reported 1,115 new cases, the highest since September 7 last year, when 1,094 cases were recorded. Read more
Serum Institute of India CEO Adar Poonawalla on Wednesday said the company has restarted manufacturing of COVID-19 vaccine Covishield amid rising numbers of cases of the virus infection.
He said the company already has six million booster doses of Covovax vaccine available and adults must take the booster shot. “Just as a precaution, at risk we have done it so that people have Covishield as a choice if they want it,” Poonawalla told PTI on restarting manufacturing of the vaccine.
He further said Serum Institute of India (SII) will make 6-7 million doses of Covishield available in 90 days and it could take up to nine months to further build up the stock based on demand. Read more
Delhi Health Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj on Thursday said there were no indications that Omicron variant XBB.1.16 was leading to severe infection among children, and assured that the government was closely monitoring the situation.
Addressing a press conference, the minister said the government was fully prepared to handle the Covid situation.
"Commonly, any illness affects the children and elderly. But there is no information coming in from experts that says that the Omicron XBB.1.16 variant infection is more severe among children.
"I would advise people with low immunity or those with severe illnesses to avoid crowded places and wear masks. The transmissibility of this variant is high," he said.
Delhi's single-day caseload additions on Wednesday breached the 1,000-mark for the first time in over seven months while the positivity rate stood at 23.8 per cent, according to data shared by the Health department.
The national capital logged 1,149 fresh cases and one fatality on Wednesday. (PTI)
IN 2021-22, the year that started with the deadly second wave of Covid-19, street vendors who took loans of Rs 5,000-10,000 under a Central scheme, were hit the hardest, with almost half of those who borrowed defaulting on their repayment. But overall, between July 2020 and February 2023, just 17.51 per cent of the total number of loans turned bad or non-performing.
Under Prime Minister Street Vendor’s AtmaNirbhar Nidhi (PM-SVANidhi), the number of loans with the smallest ticket size of Rs 5,000-10,000 that turned non-performing or bad shot up from 3.98 per cent of the total number of loans disbursed in 2020-21 to 48.18 per cent of the total number of loans disbursed in 2021-22, government data shows. In 2022-23 (till February 10, 2023), 19.09 per cent of the total number of loans disbursed turned bad. Read more
Amid a spurt in Covid cases, Delhi Education minister Atishi on Thursday said the government is reviewing the situation and guidelines for schools will be issued soon.
Meanwhile, according to the chairperson of the National Progressive Schools' Conference Sudha Acharya, over 200 private schools have already made masks mandatory for students.
Delhi's single-day COVID-19 cases count breached the 1,000-mark for the first time in over seven months on Wednesday, while the positivity rate stood at 23.8 per cent, according to data shared by the health department here.
Addressing a press conference here, Atishi said, "Our government is reviewing the Covid situation and guidelines will be issued to all the schools in this regard very soon." Meanwhile, chairperson of the National Progressive Schools' conference Sudha Acharya said around 230 private schools in Delhi have mandated mask for all students and implemented social distancing norms as well.
"Since the Covid situation is deteriorating again, we have decided to take precautionary measures beforehand. Masks have been made compulsory for students and social distancing norms have also been implemented," Acharya told PTI. (PTI)
A newborn diagnosed with COVID-19 has been admitted to LNJP Hospital here, its medical director said on Thursday, as he cautioned that coronavirus cases in the national capital will peak in the next couple of weeks.
Delhi's single-day caseload addition on Wednesday breached the 1,000-mark for the first time in over seven months while the positivity rate stood at 23.8 per cent, according to data shared by the Health department.
The national capital logged 1,149 fresh cases and one fatality on Wednesday.
Dr Suresh Kumar, the medical director at LNJP Hospital, told PTI during an interaction that wearing masks has been made "mandatory" at the facility.
The 2,000-bed British-era facility is the largest hospital under the Delhi government.
"Children are not vaccinated, so we need to take precautions for them as they are getting symptoms like fever, cough, eye infection and stomach infection as well. This variant (XBB.1.16) is affecting children more. An 18-day-old newborn has even been admitted to our hospital and the child is Covid positive," he said. (PTI)
Puducherry registered 104 new Covid-19 cases on Thursday out of 1,048 samples tested in the last 24 hours and also reported one virus-related death of an octogenarian, a senior health official said.
Director of Health G Sriramulu, in a press release, said Puducherry region alone had 65 fresh cases out of the total daily count while Karaikal accounted for 29 and Yanam 10 cases. Mahe, an enclave of Puducherry in Kerala, did not report any fresh case, he said.
Sriramulu said an 85-year-old male patient, who had co-morbid conditions of diabetes and hypertension, succumbed to Covid-19 in Karaikal today. In all, 1,978 people have died of Covid in the Union Territory till now.
The test positivity rate was 9.92 per cent while fatality rate was 1.12 per cent. The recovery rate was 98.64 percent in the Union Territory. With the fresh cases, the total number of cases in the UT has gone up to 1,76,654, while the active infections count stands at 416.
Of the active cases, 17 patients are recovering in hospitals (four in JIPMER, three in Puducherry Government Chest Clinic and 10 patients in Covid-care centres). The Director said 399 patients were in home quarantine while 50 patients recuperated in the last 24 hours taking the overall recoveries to 1,74,260. (PTI)
India witnessed a single-day rise of 10,158 coronavirus cases, the highest in nearly eight months, while 19 more deaths were recorded including four reconciled by Kerala on Thursday.
The newly recorded deaths included nine from Maharashtra, two from Gujarat and one each from Delhi, Kerala, Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu and four reconciled by Kerala, the data updated at 8 am stated. (PTI)
Of the 270 healthcare facilities – government and private — in the Pune district that participated in the national mock drill on Covid preparedness, health authorities have reported availability of 5,125 functional oxygen-supported beds and 1,238 functional ICU beds. A total of 1,013 ventilators were found to be functional.
With the spike in Covid infections, a national mock drill was conducted across 36,592 healthcare facilities in the country on April 10 and 11 for assessing the healthcare infrastructure for Covid 19. (Read more)
The All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS)-Delhi has issued an advisory for its staff to follow Covid-19 appropriate behaviour after a few of them were tested positive for the infection.
"Must use reusable cloth face cover/surgical mask in the workplace. Ensure proper cleaning and frequent sanitation of the workplace, particularly of the frequently touched surfaces," the AIIMS management said in an advisory on Wednesday.
"Cover your nose and mouth with elbow/handkerchief/tissue while sneezing and coughing. Maintain personal hygiene and physical distancing," read the advisory.
"Gathering especially in canteens must be avoided, a gathering of five or more persons at any place in the office should be avoided. If feeling unwell then should leave the workplace immediately after informing their reporting officers. Such employees should also home quarantine themselves." it added.
All employees who are at higher risk like pregnant employees, older employees or with underlying medical conditions should take extra precautions. (ANI)
Experts have attributed to the XBB variant the rise in Covid infections in Karnataka, where the weekly average positivity rate is 3.75 per cent and the case fatality rate 0.35 per cent. There were 1,572 active cases—1,074 of them in Bengaluru—and 99 hospitalisations on Tuesday.
M K Sudarshan, chairman of the technical advisory committee, said healthy individuals recovered fast. “XBB and its sub-variants which are in circulation now, are highly transmissible and leading to infections. Healthy individuals get symptoms like cough and cold. They recover and get along with their daily routine. However, people with comorbidities are at risk. Some patients, while being treated for comorbidities, are found to be Covid- positive,” he said. (Read more)
The single-day Covid case count in Delhi crossed the 1,000 mark on Wednesday after the city saw 1,149 fresh cases with a positivity rate of 23.8 per cent, and death, according to the health bulletin released by the state health department.
It added that the Covid finding was incidental to the death. As per the bulletin, 4,827 tests were conducted in the last 24 hours. (Read more)
India recorded a single-day rise of 10,158 coronavirus cases, highest in nearly eight months, according to the Union Health Ministry data.
The number of active cases has increased to 44,998, the data updated on Thursday showed. India had reported 7,830 coronavirus infections on Wednesday. The daily positivity rate was recorded at 4.42% while the weekly positivity rate was 4.02%. The active cases now constitute 0.10% of the total infections.
The nationwide Covid-19 recovery rate has been recorded at 98.71%, according to the health ministry website. The case fatality rate was recorded at 1.19%.
The number of people who have recuperated from the disease rose to 4,42,10,127. According to the ministry's website, 220.66 crore doses of Covid vaccine have been administered in the country. (PTI)
Over 90% of the total isolation, oxygen and ICU beds available in 36,592 health facilities across the country are ready for the treatment of Covid-19 patients, according to data shared by the Union Health Ministry after a two-day mock drill conducted on Monday and Tuesday.
The data shows that at present, there are 2.18 lakh isolation beds, 3.04 lakh oxygen beds and 54,040 ICU beds with ventilators that are available. (Read more)
India has reported 10,158 new Covid-19 cases in the last 24 hours with the active caseload reaching 44,998, reported the news agency ANI.
India has registered a single-day rise of 7,830 new coronavirus infections, the highest in 223 days, and the count of active cases in the country has increased to 40,215, according to Union Health Ministry data updated on Wednesday. India, on an average, recorded 5,555 Covid-19 daily in the last one week as compared to 3,108 the week before, according to data shared by the Union Health ministry.
Maharashtra Wednesday recorded 1,115 fresh Covid-19 cases – the highest daily surge in the past seven months – out of which Mumbai reported 320 cases of the infection. The state witnessed nine deaths in the past 24 hours.
Following a three-fold jump in the daily Covid tally last week, districts across Maharashtra had sharpened their focus on testing and genome sequencing.
Moreover, Delhi reported 1,149 Covid cases in the past 24 hours, at a positivity rate of 23.8 per cent. One death, where Covid was incidental, was also reported in the national capital. About 4,827 tests were conducted across the state. The active Covid-19 tally presently lies at 3,347...Continue
On Wednesday, Delhi recorded 1,149 new Covid-19 cases with a high positivity rate of 24%. However, only one death was reported, where Covid-19 was incidental. A total of 4,827 Covid tests were conducted in the past 24 hours and the current number of Covid positive cases in the national capital stand at 3,347. On Tuesday Delhi reported 980 cases and 2 virus-related deaths.
The single-day coronavirus count in Maharashtra crossed the 1,000 mark with 1,115 fresh cases, while nine patients succumbed to the infection during the day. The single-day case count has crossed the 1,000 mark after a gap of seven months as the state had recorded 1,076 cases on September 8 last year. Mumbai recorded 320 new cases and two fatalities, followed by 93 in Pune city that saw three deaths.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has urged officials to immediately make dedicated Covid hospitals functional and reactivate the Integrated Covid Control and Command Centre.
The chief minister reviewed the Covid situation in the state during a meeting with officials and emphasized the need for special vigilance in certain districts. He also called for a dialogue with the State Election Commission to ensure the safety of voters during the upcoming municipal elections.
Currently, the state has 1,791 active Covid cases and a positivity rate of 0.65% in April.
Adityanath stressed the importance of remaining alert and adopting Covid-appropriate behaviour. (PTI)
Two Indian-origin executives of a health technology start-up in Chicago have been found guilty by a US federal jury of running a $1 billion corporate fraud scheme. Rishi Shah, the co-founder and former CEO, was convicted of 19 out of 22 counts, while co-founder and former president Shradha Agarwal and former chief operating officer Brad Purdy were convicted on 15 out of 17 counts and 13 out of 15 counts respectively.
The trio faces a maximum of 20-30 years in prison for each count of wire fraud, mail fraud, and bank fraud.
The Justice Department found that the company sold advertising space on television screens and tablets in doctors' offices across the US, which they did not have, and then under-delivered on advertising campaigns while still invoicing their clients as if they had delivered in full.
The scheme resulted in at least $45 million in overbilled advertising services from 2011 to 2017, and the executives were also convicted of defrauding the company's lenders and investors.
The verdict could have implications for others in the tech community, as parts of the case focused on the line between typical growing pains of startups and fraud. (PTI)
Amid an uptick in the number of Covid cases, Serum Institute of India CEO Adar Poonawalla on Wednesday said it has restarted manufacturing of Covishield vaccine. He said the company already has six million booster doses of Covovax vaccine available and adults must take the booster shot. The company had stopped manufacturing of Covishield in December 2021. (PTI)
According to official sources, Covid-19 in India is moving towards an endemic stage, with cases expected to rise for the next 10-12 days before subsiding. The increase in cases is being driven by XBB.1.16, a sub-variant of Omicron, which has seen a rise in prevalence from 21.6% in February to 35.8% in March. However, despite the rise in cases, hospitalization rates are low and expected to remain so. Most assigned variants have little or no significant transmissibility, disease severity, or immune escape, with no evidence of an increase in hospitalization or mortality reported. (PTI)
Adar Poonawalla, CEO, Serum Institute of India, has appealed to senior citizens to consider taking the company’s Covovax vaccine as a booster dose for Covid. With cases of Covid and its variants XBB.1.16 on the rise, Poonawala told The Indian Express that it was an optional precautionary dose if anyone wants to take it, especially the elderly population.
“We are not supplying to the government and this is more for the private market. So whosoever wishes, can go to the hospital, pay the charges and take the booster shot,” Poonawalla said. The SII chief said that they had six million doses in stock and can make more as per the demand. “We will wait and watch over the next few weeks,” he said. Read More
Delhi on Tuesday inched closer to the 1,000 mark as it recorded 980 fresh cases of Covid-19 along with a test positivity rate of 25.98 per cent.
According to the health bulletin, two deaths were reported in which Covid finding was incidental in one case and the case sheet on the other death was awaited.
Between March 30 and April 10, the capital recorded 15 fatalities, including four deaths, on Sunday. Read More
Despite repeated advisories from the Centre to improve screening, Maharashtra’s daily Covid-19 testing still hovers around 11,000 — which can dip as low as 6,000 on certain days.
This also leads to massive fluctuation in detection of new cases, as on April 11, the state experienced a 180 per cent surge in cases in the last 24 hours. Read More
Tamil Nadu Health Minister Ma Subramanian Tuesday informed the legislative assembly that a total of five Covid-19 deaths have been reported in the state in the past one month.
Amid the rising Covid-19 cases, the state had been conducting mock drills to take stock of hospital preparedness in case of emergency in all medical facilities in the state. Under these circumstances, Leader of Opposition and AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami moved the special calling attention motion over the measures taken up by the government to prevent the spread of the virus in the state. Read More
India has registered a single-day rise of 7,830 new coronavirus infections, the highest in 223 days, and the count of active cases in the country has increased to 40,215, according to Union Health Ministry data updated on Wednesday.
The death toll due to the disease has increased to 5,31,016 with 16 new fatalities being reported – two each in Delhi, Punjab and Himachal Pradesh, and one each in Gujarat, Haryana, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh, and five reconciled by Kerala – the data updated at 8 am stated. Read More
IN 2021-22, the year that started with the deadly second wave of Covid-19, street vendors who took loans of Rs 5,000-10,000 under a Central scheme, were hit the hardest, with almost half of those who borrowed defaulting on their repayment. But overall, between July 2020 and February 2023, just 17.51 per cent of the total number of loans turned bad or non-performing.
Under Prime Minister Street Vendor’s AtmaNirbhar Nidhi (PM-SVANidhi), the number of loans with the smallest ticket size of Rs 5,000-10,000 that turned non-performing or bad shot up from 3.98 per cent of the total number of loans disbursed in 2020-21 to 48.18 per cent of the total number of loans disbursed in 2021-22, government data shows. In 2022-23 (till February 10, 2023), 19.09 per cent of the total number of loans disbursed turned bad. ? Read the full report here
Hospitals across the country participated in the two-day-long mock drill to check preparedness for treating Covid-19 patients as cases of the viral infection continue to rise. India, on an average, recorded 5,555 Covid-19 daily in the last one week as compared to 3,108 the week before, according to data shared by the Union Health ministry.
A total of 33,685 health facilities – 28,050 government and 5,635 private – across 724 districts participated in the mock drill conducted on Monday and Tuesday. The healthcare facilities were checked for availability of oxygen beds, isolation beds, ventilators, oxygen concentrators, PSA plants, and oxygen cylinders. Read More
Mumbai reported 242 new COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, a sharp rise from the previous day's 95.
The city's overall tally stands at 11,59,225, with the death toll remaining unchanged at 19,750.
The active caseload increased to 1,478, with only 110 occupied hospital beds out of 4,359 earmarked for coronavirus patients. Since last week, Mumbai has been reporting over 200 daily cases, except for Monday.The recovery rate stands at 98.2%, and the case doubling rate is 3,943 days. (PTI)
Adar Poonawalla, CEO, Serum Institute of India, has appealed to senior citizens to consider taking the company's Covovax vaccine as a booster dose for Covid. With cases of Covid and its variants XBB.1.16 on the rise, Poonawala told The Indian Express that it was an optional precautionary dose if anyone wants to take it, especially the elderly population.
``We are not supplying to the government and this is more for the private market. So whosoever wishes, can go to the hospital, pay the charges and take the booster shot,” Poonawalla said. The SII chief said that they had six million doses in stock and can make more as per the demand. ``We will wait and watch over the next few weeks,” he said.
Earlier Poonawalla took to Twitter to inform that the Covovax booster is now on the CoWin App and `is excellent against all variants and is approved in the United States and Europe'. He urged the elderly population to mask up as Omicron XBB variants can be severe.
According to the latest Covid 19 update on April 11 from the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, India's active caseload currently stands at 37,093. A total of 5,676 new cases were recorded in the last 24 hours and the daily covid positivity rate is 2.88 percent. In the last 24 hours, a total of 385 doses were administered. To date as part of the nationwide vaccination drive a total of 220.66 cr Total Vaccine doses (95.21 cr Second Dose and 22.87 cr Precaution Dose) have been administered. Read More
Tamil Nadu Health Minister Ma Subramanian Tuesday informed the legislative assembly that a total of five Covid-19 deaths have been reported in the state in the past one month.
Amid the rising Covid-19 cases, the state had been conducting mock drills to take stock of hospital preparedness in case of emergency in all medical facilities in the state. Under these circumstances, Leader of Opposition and AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami moved the special calling attention motion over the measures taken up by the government to prevent the spread of the virus in the state.
The AIADMK leader said that the daily cases in the state are increasing and Covid tests have to be intensified and fever camps need to be set up in public spaces across the state. Edappadi also noted that door-to-door screening has to be made and a separate ward needs to be allocated for treating Covid cases.
In his reply, Subramanian said that the deaths in the past one month are to be considered as incidental Covid-19 deaths. Citing a few instances, he said that in all these cases, the patients were not admitted to the hospital after being affected with Covid-19 and succumbed due to the virus.... Click Here
Tamil Nadu Health Minister, Ma. Subramanian has urged people to wear masks as Covid-19 cases surge in the state. ? The Minister stated that after assessing the situation, masks have been made mandatory in all hospitals from April 1, and the public is being urged to wear masks. The state has also conducted mock drills in hospitals on the advice of the Union Health Department.
Leader of Opposition, Edappadi K Palaniswami, brought a motion in the Assembly, asking the state government to clarify its position on masks and to create a separate ward for Covid patients in hospitals. As of April 10, Tamil Nadu has recorded 2,099 active Covid-19 cases, with a test positivity rate of 8 per cent.
Amid rising Coronavirus infections and emerging new variants across the country, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy directed officials to be fully prepared to face medical exigencies.
At a review meeting, the Chief Minister instructed officials to conduct COVID tests and provide medicines at the village level itself to the affected people.
“If patients of acute and long-term diseases fall prey to the virus, they should be immediately shifted to hospitals,” said Reddy in a statement on Monday night. (PTI)
A mock drill is underway at various Delhi hospitals to check COVID-19 preparedness amid a surge in cases of the viral disease in the national capital.
Delhi reported 699 Covid cases and four deaths due to the infection on Sunday, and 484 cases with a positivity rate of 26.58 per cent and three fatalities on Monday. (PTI)
In view of the rise in coronavirus cases across the country, India has stepped up its surveillance on new variants and Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently urged people to follow Covid-19 appropriate behaviour.
Several states and Union Territories have introduced mask mandates, while others have issued advisories to curb the spread of the disease.
.? Here is the list of all the states and Union Territories with a mask mandate
India recorded 5,676 new coronavirus infections, while the active cases increased to 37,093, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Tuesday. The death toll has increased to 5,31,000 with 21 deaths.
While three deaths each were reported from Delhi, Punjab and Rajasthan, two were recorded in Karnataka and one each in Gujarat, Haryana, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu besides six reconciled by Kerala, the data updated at 8 am stated. Read More
All patients and their relatives have to wear masks while visiting hospitals in Mumbai, as per a directive given by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Monday. Senior citizens have also been advised to wear masks, although it has not been made compulsory.
The move, however, comes on a day when the state reported a drop of 58 per cent in Covid-19 cases. A day after recording 788 cases, it plunged to 328 on Monday. Mumbai’s daily Covid-19 case count dropped below 100, to 95. Read More
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Monday said that his government will purchase vaccines to continue the Covid vaccination drive in the state, even if it does not get the Centre's support.
The state government is fully alert to meet the challenges of Covid-19, Kumar said while chairing a meeting of senior officials to review the coronavirus situation.
“Bihar is conducting the highest number of Covid tests in the country. The country's average is above six lakh tests per 10 lakh population. For Bihar, it is eight lakh samples per 10 lakh population. As the stock of Covid vaccines has finished in the state and the central government has so far not provided fresh stock, we will continue the vaccination drive in the state by purchasing vaccines from our own coffer,” he said. (PTI)
Nagaland on Monday reported two fresh COVID-19 cases, a health official said. Both the infections were detected in Wokha district, he said.
A case was registered in Kohima on April 6, but the patient recovered on April 9, he said. Nagaland now has two active but asymptomatic patients, he said. (PTI)
The daily Covid-19 positivity rate in Haryana crossed 8.8 per cent on Monday evening. While one patient in Karnal died, at least 24 patients were hospitalised including four patients on ventilator. The woman, who died due to Covid-19 was identified as a woman who had reached hospital with low-blood pressure. She was a resident of Taraori in Karnal. Read More
Mock drills to assess the COVID preparedness of government-run hospitals across Maharashtra were carried out on Monday, officials said here.
The mock drills, which will also continue on Tuesday, were being conducted after the Union government recently asked states to review the preparedness of the health infrastructure amid a rise in COVID-19 cases across the country over the past few days.
At Mumbai's JJ Hospital, among the biggest medical facilities in the state, one mock drill was held at the OPD and another in the wards, during which medicine stock, X-ray machinery, oxygen supply and personnel deployment etc were checked, an official said. (PTI)
Due to the recent surge in the number of Covid-19 cases in the city and as per the instructions of MOHFW, a mock drill was carried out at the major health facilities — GMSH-16, Civil Hospitals Sector 45, 22, Manimajra, GMCH-32 and PGI — to assess the preparedness of the department regarding Covid-19 .
Dr Suman Singh, Director Health Services, Dr V K Nagpal, Medical Superintendent, along with senior officials of the health department supervised the mock drill performed at GMSH-16 for a Covid positive patient reporting to the hospital. Read More
Tamil Nadu Health Minister Ma Subramanian Monday visited the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital in Chennai to inspect a mock drill for Covid-19 preparedness.
Amid rising cases of Covid-19, mock drills are being held Monday and Tuesday to take stock of preparedness in all medical facilities in the state. Read More
Delhi Health Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj Monday advised people to not step out in public places if they have flu-like symptoms, adding that cases are expected to rise in the coming days owing to Delhi’s high population density.
“I believe that Covid cases will increase in the city in the coming days, symptoms of flu and influenza-like fever, cough and cold will appear. I suggest that people with such symptoms should not step out in public places and wear masks if necessary to prevent any further infection,” said Bharadwaj. Read More