Coronavirus HIGHLIGHTS: Maharashtra sees slight dip, reports 51,751 fresh Covid cases

Uttarakhand reports 1,334 new Covid-19 cases and 7 deaths. (ANI)

Pune district reports 9,621 new cases, 8,151 recoveries and 86 deaths in the last 24 hours. (ANI)

Former Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh tests positive for Covid-19. (ANI)

For the second day in a row, more than 1,000 fresh Covid cases were reported in Gurgaon on Monday, with 1,132 people testing positive. This is the highest-ever single-day spike in Gurgaon. Read more

Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut on Monday blamed the Centre for the rise in coronavirus positive cases in Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh and Punjab.

Speaking to reporters, Raut said Maharashtra had followed every instruction issued by the Centre, and the latter must act sensitively and cautiously and stop blaming states. Read more

On the second day of Tika Utsav, 37,63,858 vaccine doses were administered till 8 pm on Monday, says Union Health Ministry. (ANI)

Maharashtra on Monday reported a slight dip in the number of fresh cases, with 51,751 more people testing positive. The state also reported 258 more deaths. On Sunday, more than 63,000 people had tested positive for Covid in the state.

Manufacturers of Remdesivir said they are under immense political pressure for supplies of the anti-viral drug and are fielding calls from politicians across party lines. Officials at Hetero Healthcare, the largest manufacturer of the drug in India, and Kamla Pharmaceutical, that supplies to Cipla, said they have been turning down requests from corporators, MLAs and MPs. Read more

The rest of the current ongoing semester at Jawaharlal Nehru University will be conducted in the online mode, said Vice-Chancellor M Jagadesh Kumar in a virtual address to students on Monday.

“As much as we would like to come to campus and participate in the physical classroom and other campus activities, the corona situation currently does not seem to be permitting that for us… the university has taken all steps to make sure those in the campus to complete their final semester practical work are safe and secure. But a vast majority are still in your residences… All our courses are being run on digital platforms… This entire semester will go on only in the online mode. We will review possibilities to see whether the next academic session can be conducted in physical mode or not,” said Kumar. Read more

We note the reports that a committee of experts recommended Sputnik V for use in India, said Nikolay Kudashev, Russian Ambassador to India. He added, “This step would definitely contribute to the efforts of the Indian government to counter the pandemic. We hope approval by the DCGI will be completed soon.” (ANI)

We note reports that a committee of experts recommended Sputnik V for use in India. This step would definitely contribute to the efforts of Indian govt to counter #COVID19 pandemic. We hope approval by the DCGI will be completed soon: Nikolay Kudashev, Russian Ambassador to India pic.twitter.com/I8POGs5czk

— ANI (@ANI) April 12, 2021

Due to the rising number of cases in Mumbai as well as Maharashtra, 5,300 new beds and 3 new facilities to be brought in. 70% of beds will have oxygen support while remaining to have ICU & ventilator. For upcoming festivals, strict SOPs to be followed, said Aslam Shaikh, Maharashtra Minister. (ANI)

11,491 new Covid-19 cases and 72 deaths reported in Delhi in the last 24 hours; case tally rises to 7,36,688.

11,491 new COVID19 cases and 72 deaths reported in Delhi in the last 24 hours; case tally rises to 7,36,688 pic.twitter.com/2mGKCKi32X

— ANI (@ANI) April 12, 2021

Kerala Monday announced fresh restrictions to curb the spread of Covid-19 in the state. Similar to the national picture, there has been a surge in new infections in Kerala, with the positivity rate climbing to 12.53% on Monday.

At a high-level meeting chaired by the chief secretary, it was decided to bring in fresh measures to curb the movement of people and thereby stem the transmission of the virus.

Hence, public meetings in open spaces cannot be attended by more than 200 people while those in closed spaces shall have attendance not exceeding 100 persons. The duration of such meetings should not exceed two hours. The restrictions would apply to weddings and other functions. Instead of ‘sadyas’, Kerala’s traditional meal served on banana leaves, arrangements should be made to offer guests packed food. Read more

Congress Interim President Sonia Gandhi has written a letter to PM Narendra Modi over the current situation in the country due to the rising number of Covid-19 cases.

Congress Interim President Sonia Gandhi has written a letter to PM Modi over the current situation in the country due to rising COVID19 cases pic.twitter.com/RChp7qLcKW

— ANI (@ANI) April 12, 2021

Vice-President M Venkaiah Naidu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi will interact with Governors of various states on April 14 on the COVID-19 situation, sources said on Monday.

It would be the first meeting of this kind during the pandemic and has been convened amid the Centre looking to push for stronger adherence to the pandemic protocols among citizens across the country.

The development comes days after Modi in a virtual meeting with chief ministers had called for the involvement of governors in handling the pandemic and also of personalities from different fields to push compliance with COVID-appropriate behaviour and pandemic management guidelines, including for providing vaccination to eligible people. (PTI)

Bhopal 'Crisis Management Group' has decided to impose ‘Corona Curfew’ in Bhopal, from April 13 to April 19, till 6 am. It means daily activities will continue. Inter-state & inter-district movement of essential services will be allowed, Vishvas Kailash Sarang, MP Minister, has said. (ANI)

Today, Bhopal 'Crisis Management Group' has decided to impose 'Corona Curfew' in Bhopal, from April 13 to April 19, till 6 am. It means daily activities will continue. Inter-state & inter-district movement of essential services will be allowed: Vishvas Kailash Sarang, MP Minister pic.twitter.com/hAbiA2HGsW

— ANI (@ANI) April 12, 2021

At Maharashtra govt's request, Railways has turned 21 coaches into isolation wards and sent them to Nandurbar, Western Railway PRO has said. There will be 16 beds in a coach, it added.

At Maharashtra govt's request, Railways has turned 21 coaches into isolation wards and sent them to Nandurbar. There will be 16 beds in a coach: Western Railway PRO pic.twitter.com/JqUfnmEyco

— ANI (@ANI) April 12, 2021

Sabarmati Ashram in Ahmedabad will be closed for visitors from April 13 in view of the rising COVID-19 cases. (ANI)

Uttar Pradesh reports 13,685 new Covid-19 cases, 3,197 recoveries and 72 deaths in the last 24 hours. (ANI)

Uttar Pradesh reports 13,685 new #COVID19 cases, 3197 recoveries and 72 deaths in the last 24 hours.

Total recoveries 6,14,819
Death toll 9224
Active cases 81,576 pic.twitter.com/xSBOR5GIKU

— ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) April 12, 2021

The total number of cases with UK, South Africa and Brazil variants of the COVID virus in the country till date is 948: Union Ministry of Health. (ANI)

Amid talk of a complete lockdown in Maharashtra to arrest the COVID-19 surge, the passenger rush on outstation trains in Mumbai has increased since the last weekend, Railway sources said on Monday.

The Railway administration, however, attributed the passenger rush to the summer season which sees a large number of people travelling to their native places.

The sources said though the rush on outstation trains has gone up since the state government announced fresh COVID-19 curbs earlier this month, the weekend saw a steady flow of passengers on long-distance trains originating from different stations in the metropolis. (PTI)

COVID-19 vaccines protect against serious illness but transmissibility can still continue and inoculated people can pass on the infection to others, say scientists, warning against complacency in those who stop maintaining protocol after they get their jabs.

Transmissibility from vaccinated persons can be a risk factor until global coverage is achieved, top experts said as India's Covid numbers escalated sharply, reaching 1,35,27,717 (1.35 crore/13,5 million), with 1,68,912 new cases on Monday to make it the country with the second-highest number of cases after the US.

Vaccination is simply one of the many different strategies we have to deal with in the pandemic. However, it is not a magical one-stop solution, immunologist Satyajit Rath, from the New Delhi's National Institute of Immunology, said. (PTI)

More Indian states are experiencing the 'second wave' of COVID-19 infections, while Madhya Pradesh and Punjab are "lagging behind" in vaccination, a report said on Monday.

The report by the research wing of ratings agency Crisil said the top six states of Maharashtra, Karnataka, Punjab, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat now contribute only 66 per cent of the new cases as of the week ended April 11, as against 75 per cent in the previous week.

“The dispersal indicates that more and more states are now beginning to experience the second wave," it said in the note. (PTI)

A plea has been filed in the Supreme Court challenging the Centre’s decision on COVID-19 vaccination only to ‘prioritized age groups’ above 45 years and sought doses for all citizens.

The plea filed by political activist and columnist Tehseen Poonawalla said there has been a steep increase in daily COVID-19 cases in the country, with 1.31 lakh new cases as of April 9.

This has necessitated an ever-increasing need to allow vaccination for COVID-19 to all age groups and especially to all persons with co-morbidities such as respiratory illnesses and terminal illness, who, despite being vulnerable to the virus, have not been given the option to be protected by the vaccine. (PTI) Read more

People not adhering to COVID-appropriate behaviour and the circulation of highly infectious strains of SARS-COV-2 could be the primary reasons behind the surge in coronavirus infections in India, AIIMS Director Dr Randeep Guleria said on Monday.

He also warned that if the situation is not reversed, then the galloping infection rate will eventually cause a huge strain on the country’s healthcare system. He sought stricter enforcement of COVID-appropriate behaviour on the ground level by the administration and authorities. Read more

Haryana announces night curfew from 9 pm till 5 am, with effect from tonight. Detailed order to be issued soon. The number of active cases in Haryana has doubled in the last 11 days, from 10,300 on April 1 to over 20,000 on April 11. (ENS Chandigarh)

The Civil Aviation Ministry has stated that no meals will be served on domestic flights with a duration of less than two hours to curb the Covid spread. (ANI)

An expert panel of India's central drug authority has recommended granting approval to Russian COVID-19 vaccine Sputnik V for emergency use in the country with certain conditions, PTI has reported.

The Subject Expert Committee (SEC) of the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO) on Monday took up the application of Dr Reddy's Laboratories seeking emergency use authorisation for Sputnik V.

The Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) will take a final call on the recommendation. If approved, it will be the third COVID-19 vaccine to be available in IndiThe vaccine would be imported from Russia for emergency use in the country, they said. (PTI)

State board exams for Class X and XII postponed in Maharashtra because of the Covid situation.

? Imp Announcement: Given the current #COVID-19 situation in Maharashtra, we’ve postponed state board exams for class 10th & 12th. The present circumstances are not conducive for holding exams. Your health is our priority. #PariskhaPeCharcha #HSC #SSC #exams (1/5) pic.twitter.com/cjeRZAT7ux

— Varsha Gaikwad (@VarshaEGaikwad) April 12, 2021

With India struggling to tackle the second wave of coronavirus infections, the Pune district has reported 446 deaths in the last 11 days at an average of around 41 deaths a day.

The demand for ventilator and ICU beds have been on the rise since the last month for the treatment of critical Covid-19 patients. The civic administration has been struggling to allocate beds for them and as on Monday, there was not a single ventilator or ICU bed available in Pune.

This is despite the Pune Municipal Corporation scaling up the capacity by acquiring beds of private hospitals and increasing the intake capacity of the PMC-run jumbo Covid hospital and civic hospitals. Read full report by Ajay Jadhav

BMC has stated that it will operationalise 1,100 additional DCHC/DCH COVID beds including 125 ICUs in the next 7 days.

BMC has added 325 additional ICU beds in various hospitals in Mumbai and the number of ICU beds has gone up to 2,466 now. The total number of COVID beds on online bed allotment dashboard has gone up to 19,151, comprising 141 hospitals, out of which presently 3777 DCHC/DCH beds are vacant.

Any patient calling the Ward War Room for a Covid bed between 11 pm and 7 am will be referred to a particular jumbo field hospital. On arrival at a particular jumbo hospital, a suitable bed will be allotted to the patient after assessing his medical condition.

All bed allotments between 11 pm and 7 am will be predominantly done in jumbo field hospitals only and fast-track bed allotment will be ensured throughout the night by nodal officers at Ward War Rooms and jumbo field hospitals respectively. (ANI)

Punjab CM Captain Amarinder Singh gets his second dose of Covid vaccine.

Got my second dose of #Covid19 vaccination today. In this fight against the #Covid19 virus, timely vaccination is our most potent shield. I urge all eligible persons to take their shot at the earliest by registering at the medical facilities of Punjab Government across the State. pic.twitter.com/1O3Yx9LzOZ

— Capt.Amarinder Singh (@capt_amarinder) April 12, 2021

A sub-inspector died due of COVID-19 on Monday, becoming the first person from the Mumbai Police force to fall victim to the second wave of the viral infection, an official said on Monday.

SI Mohan Dagade (52), posted at the Vakola police station for over two years, was admitted to a jumbo COVID-19 centre in the Bandra-Kurla Complex here for treatment on April 3 after he tested positive for the coronavirus.

He died early Monday morning, the official said. (PTI)

Sixty-two new COVID-19 cases have been reported from a village here in Maharashtra after the annual 'Bagad Yatra' festival held earlier this month, officials said on Monday.

Hundreds of people gathered at Bavdhan village in Wai tehsil of Satara district on April 2 during the Bagad (chariot of God) festival, celebrated to seek blessings of a local deity, in violation of the COVID-19 guidelines.

Later, the district administration had registered a case against more than 100 people, the officials said. (PTI)

The Gujarat High Court pulled up the state government on Monday over the COVID-19 situation in the state and problems being faced by citizens, saying the reality is contrary to what the government claims.

"People now think that they are at God's mercy," a division bench of Chief Justice Vikram Nath and Justice Bhargav Karia said while hearing a PIL, taken up suo motu (on its own), on the coronavirus situation in the state.

After Advocate General Kamal Trivedi informed the HC about steps taken by the Gujarat government to tackle the COVID-19 situation, the court said the reality is quite different from what the government claims

"The situation is quite different than what you are claiming. You are saying that everything is alright. But the reality is contrary to that," the high court said during the hearing held via video-conferencing. (PTI)

Maharashtra went into a state-wide weekend lockdown on April 10 as the country is going through a second wave of coronavirus infections and faces shortage of vaccines, drugs and hospital beds. Below is a picture of the Bandra Worli Sea Link in Mumbai

on Sunday evening. 

Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh Monday took his second dose of the Covid-19 vaccine at AIIMS, New Delhi. He received his first jab on March 11.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami will hold meetings with district collectors, medical and public health experts on Monday to discuss the course of action to control the second wave of Covid-19 in the state.

The meeting comes three days after the government re-introduced several restrictions on April 10. The Tamil Nadu government also warned of imposing prohibitory orders at night and imposing further restrictions if the public doesn’t adhere to the guidelines. On Saturday, the state government prohibited public gatherings on beaches in Chennai, Chengalpattu and Tiruvallur districts.

Amid signs of a vaccine shortage and rising Covid-19 cases, would it make sense to raise the gap between doses? Dr Gagandeep Kang, a leading vaccine expert, weighs in. Edited excerpts from an interview to Prabha Raghavan.

At a review meeting to assess the coronavirus situation in the capital, Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal Monday requested people to follow Covid-19 protocols. "We are taking several steps to increase beds in both pvt and govt sectors. Urge everyone to cooperate. Please follow COVID protocols. Don’t rush to hospital unless necessary. Go and vaccinate if you are eligible," he said.

As coronavirus cases continue to rise in the national capital, Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain said on Monday that the city government has written to the Centre to again scale up Covid-19 beds in its hospitals.

Jain appealed to people to step out of their homes only if necessary and wear masks all the time.

Regarding the availability of Covid beds in the city, Jain said "We are ramping up medical infrastructure post the surge in cases and 5,000 beds have been added in last one week".

"We have also written to the Centre to again scale up COVID beds in its hospitals in Delhi in view of the massive surge. As of now, about 1,090 beds are there in their hospitals, which was above 4,000 during last surge. So, our request is to scale up back to that level," he further added.

The Gujarat High Court conducted its hearing on suo motu PIL on the Covid-19 situation in the state on Monday.

Urging people not to rush to get remdesivir injections, Advocate General Kamal Trivedi said that the Covid-19 situtaion in the state has become a fight between people and coronavirus.

Trivedi said that a lockdown is not the solution and will affect daily wagers. Trivedi further said that 70 per cent of the oxygen being produced should go to the health sector.

The Chief Justice said sample collection and testing should be done faster, "It takes 4-5 days for common man to get report, whereas officers can get RT-PCR report within hrs. Sample collection & testing should be faster. There's no RT-PCR testing centre in taluka & small villages."

The court asked why remdesivir injections were not available at every Covid hospital and said "When 27000 Remdesivir injections are available for Gujarat, find out how many are unused."

The court also said the state could find out why the injections are being sold at high price. "When you (Advocate General) are saying that oxygen & beds are available, why do people have to stand in queue?" it further said.

The Pune Zone of Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Ltd (MSEDCL) has set up a COVID Coordination cell for its employees and their families to ensure bed availability for them in hospitals and any other assistance if required.

The Pune Zone which caters to power consumers in Pune, Pimpri Chinchwad cities, and parts of rural Pune, has an employee strength of around 5000.

A stampede-like situation may arise if police try to enforce social distancing at ghats during the ongoing Kumbh Mela, Inspector General Sanjay Gunjyal said.

“We are continuously appealing to people to follow COVID appropriate behaviour. But due to the huge crowd, it is practically not possible to issue challans today. It is very difficult to ensure social distancing at ghats,” he told news agency ANI. “A stampede-like situation may arise if we would try to enforce social distancing at ghats so we are unable to enforce social distancing here.”

A staggering 472 metric tonnes (MT) of medical oxygen was consumed across the state on April 9, the highest since the outbreak of the pandemic in March last year and double the amount used just five days back, Food and Drugs Control Administration (FDCA) data stated. On April 4, the state had consumed 234 MT medical oxygen, it said.

Surat, Ahmedabad, Vadodara and Rajkot along with the smaller districts like Jamnagar, Sabarkantha, Junagadh, and Bhavnagar have emerged as the highest consumers of medical oxygen as critical cases pile up in government and private hospitals, the data noted. On Saturday, 5,011 fresh cases were reported across Gujarat, taking the total count to 3.41 lakh and toll to 4,759.

Batting for coronavirus vaccine for all, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday said it is the need of the country as everyone has the right to a safe life. He said this as part of "SpeakUpForVaccinesForAll" campaign launched by the party on social media, demanding COVID-19 vaccine for all citizens to protect them from the virus. "Corona vaccine is the need of the country. You all should also raise your voice for it. Everyone has the right to a safe life," he said in a tweet. 

?????? ??????? ??? ?? ?????? ???

?? ?? ???? ??? ???? ????? ????? ?????- ???? ??? ?? ???????? ???? ???#SpeakUpForVaccinesForAll pic.twitter.com/qcxFZuzR2x

— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) April 12, 2021

On a day Maharashtra reported over 63,000 new coronavirus cases in its highest ever single-day surge along with 349 deaths, state Health Minister Rajesh Tope on Sunday said that a formal decision on imposition of a lockdown in Maharashtra is likely to be taken by Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray after a cabinet meeting on April 14.

Tope was speaking after a two-hour meeting that Thackeray had with the State Covid Task Force comprising senior doctors, in which various modalities of ramping up the state’s healthcare system to cater to the rising Covid-19 cases were discussed.

Amid complaints of shortage and unavailability of remdesivir in the district, the Pune District Collectorate and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has set up a ‘Remdesivir Control Room’ with helplines that will remain active throughout the day to resolve issues being faced in this regard.

Citizens, pharmacies and hospitals facing issues regarding procurement of remdesivir can call on 020-26123371 or 1077.

A Subject Expert Committee (SEC)  is scheduled to meet on Monday to take up the application for Emergency Use Authorisation of Sputnik V in India, sources said.

Union minister Sanjeev Balyan said he has tested positive for coronavirus following which he has isolated himself.

In a tweet on Sunday night, he said, "I got tested for COVID-19 after showing some symptoms while campaigning for West Bengal elections. The report is positive and I have isolated myself."

Balyan requested those who came in contact with him in the last few days to get themselves tested for the virus. (PTI)

Sadhus of Niranjani Akhara participated in second 'shahi snan' of Maha Kumbh at Har ki Pauri ghat in Uttarakhand's Haridwar on Monday. Watch the video here:

#WATCH | Sadhus of Niranjani Akhara participate in second 'shahi snan' of #MahaKumbh at Har ki Pauri ghat in Uttarakhand's Haridwar pic.twitter.com/eluxwFv8gG

— ANI (@ANI) April 12, 2021

In view of the rising coronavirus cases in the national capital, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal will hold a meeting at 12 pm on Monday, news agency ANI reported.

Delhi reported 10,774 new cases and 48 deaths in the last 24 hours, with the total case tally reaching 7,25,197 cases.

People took a holy dip in Ganga river at Har Ki Pauri in Haridwar on Monday. Kumbh Mela IG Sanjay Gunjyal said, 'General public will be allowed here till 7 am. After that, this area will be reserved for akharas'.

Sensex falls over 900 points or 1.9% due to constant increase in Covid-19 numbers. 

As Covid numbers continue to rise over the weekend, the Sensex falls over 900 points or 1.9% @48662 @IndianExpress

— Sandeep Singh (@Tweetsandeep) April 12, 2021

Supreme Court sources Monday said judges wil conduct hearing from their respective residences since many of them are believed to have been affected by Covid-19, news agency ANI reported.

"All the benches which are scheduled to sit at 10:30 am will sit at 11:30 am and those scheduled to sit at 11 am will sit at 12 noon in Supreme Court, today," DEU Additional Registrar said.

All the benches which are scheduled to sit at 10:30 am will sit at 11:30 am and those scheduled to sit at 11 am will sit at 12 noon in Supreme Court, today: Additional Registrar, DEU pic.twitter.com/rfRHH49xAC

— ANI (@ANI) April 12, 2021

Supreme Court sources Monday said judges wil conduct hearing from their respective residences since many of them are believed to have been affected by Covid-19, news agency ANI reported.

Maharashtra recorded 63,294 new coronavirus cases on Sunday, its highest single-day rise since the pandemic broke out, which pushed the caseload to 34,07,245, the health department said. The death of 349 patients due to the infection took the state's toll to 57,987, it said. A total of 34,008 patients were discharged during the day. With this, its recovery count increased to 27,82,161, a statement from the department said. --PTI

An appropriate decision regarding imposing a lockdown in Maharashtra will be taken after April 14, state Health Minister Rajesh Tope said on Sunday. He was speaking to reporters after a virtual meeting of the COVID-19 task force chaired by Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray to discuss measures, including imposition of a lockdown in the state, to break the virus chain. "Duration of the lockdown and how to handle its economic fallout was discussed during today's meeting. The task force is of the view that the prevailing coronavirus situation in the state is such that a lockdown is required," the minister said. --PTI

In today's meeting between Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray and the state's COVID-19 task force, everyone was of the view to impose lockdown in the state; SOPs and guidelines for it to be discussed, said Maharashtra Minister Aslam Sheikh. "Some of the people in today's meeting were of the view that a lockdown should be imposed for 2 weeks, some were in favour of a 3-week lockdown. A meeting will be held again tomorrow," Sheikh said.