Union Health Minister Harsh VardhanCoronavirus India News Highlights: Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan on Friday said a digital platform used in the Universal Immunisation Programme was being repurposed to digitally track movement of stocks of COVID-19 vaccines, once available, and also trace those who will receive the shots thus ensuring last-mile vaccine delivery.
Interacting with the Confederation of Indian Industries (CII) via a video link, Vardhan mentioned that under Mission Indradhanush, the government has already ramped up its immunisation capability with an elaborate cold storage chain for inoculating children from 12 diseases.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi also held a review meeting today to discuss India’s vaccination strategy. Several issues related to the progress of vaccine development, regulatory approvals and procurement were discussed.
India’s COVID-19 caseload surpassed the 90-lakh mark on Friday with 45,882 new cases, while the recoveries surged to 84.28 lakh pushing the national recovery rate to 93.6 per cent, according to the Union Health Ministry data. The total coronavirus cases mounted to 90,04,365 and the death toll climbed to 1,32,162 with the novel coronavirus virus claiming 584 lives in a span of 24 hours in the country, the data updated at 8 am showed. The COVID-19 case fatality rate has further declined to 1.46 per cent. There are 4,43,794 active cases of coronavirus infection in the country which comprises 4.92 per cent of the total caseload, the data stated.
A woman passenger, wearing a protective suit, waits for train at New Delhi Railway Station (Express Photo: Amit Mehra)
Even as Gujarat reported 1,420 fresh Covid-19 cases on Friday – nearing the September 19 peak when the state reported the highest single-day spike of 1,432, Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel said sufficient beds are available across the state. Patel also directed the government-bonded MBBS doctors to join duty or face action under the Epidemic Diseases Act. Read More
In the last 24 hours, Haryana has reported another 3,104 new cases of infections — one of the highest single day spike till date — and 25 deaths. Read More
World Health Organisation (WHO) chief scientist Dr Soumya Swaminathan on Friday said that antiviral drug Remdesivir, often used in the treatment of coronavirus infection, has been dropped from the prequalification list – an official list of medicines – because of negative recommendations. Read More
To combat fresh surge of coronavirus infections in the state, Haryana has decided to ramp up Covid-19 testing across the state, especially in the seven worst-affected districts. Read More
Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan on Friday said a digital platform used in the Universal Immunisation Programme was being repurposed to digitally track movement of stocks of COVID-19 vaccines, once available, and also trace those who will receive the shots thus ensuring last-mile vaccine delivery.
Interacting with the Confederation of Indian Industries (CII) via a video link, Vardhan mentioned that under Mission Indradhanush, the government has already ramped up its immunisation capability with an elaborate cold storage chain for inoculating children from 12 diseases.
"The entire eVIN platform is being repurposed as COVIN Network. All movement of stock can be digitally tracked and those receiving vaccines can also be traced after two to three weeks if the vaccine requires two shots. This will ensure last-mile vaccine delivery," Vardhan was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.
All except one of the 42 residents of Thorang village in Himachal’s Lahaul-Spiti district have tested positive for COVID-19 with 2.83 per cent population of the sparsely-populated tribal district itself having been infected.
While 41 people have tested positive in the Thorang village, a total of 890 people of Lahaul-Spiti district, accounting for about 2.83 per cent of its population of around 31,500, have been found infected with coronavirus so far, an HP Health Department data showed on Friday. Read the full report here.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday held a review meeting to discuss India’s vaccination strategy. Important issues related to progress of vaccine development, regulatory approvals and procurement were discussed.
"Reviewed various issues like prioritisation of population groups, reaching out to HCWs, cold-chain Infrastructure augmentation, adding vaccinators and tech platform for vaccine roll-out," Prime Minister Modi said in a tweet.
The Delhi government on Friday launched the Jeevan Seva app to aid city's Covid-19 patients and their families for safe commute to hospitals and health care facilities in the city. The app, launched in collaboration with EVERA will use Electric Vehicles as an ambulance to transfer non-critical cases to health care facility within Delhi free of cost.
'We are launching the Jeevan Seva app today to facilitate Delhi citizens in home isolation in case of need. From health checkups, ambulance requirements to admission in hospitals, health amenities are now just a click away. With this app, you will get access to an e-vehicle which will provide for free pick up and drop services. The vehicles will be properly sanitized after every ride,” Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain said at the launch.
Till hours before the first announcement of a weekend curfew by Additional Chief Secretary Rajiv Kumar Gupta through a tweet late Thursday night, the Gujarat government, as well as the Ahmedabad administration, were refuting as “rumours” messages doing the rounds about an impending lockdown following the reopening of businesses post Diwali on Labh Pancham day. Late Thursday night, within hours of announcing a 9 pm to 6 am night curfew in Ahmedabad city till the Covid situation improves, Gupta announced a ‘complete curfew’ from Friday 9 pm till Monday 6 am, allowing only milk and medicine shops to stay open. So, why Ahmedabad administration had to hurriedly impose a weekend curfew? Read our Explainer to know.
Following a spike in Covid-19 cases, the Madhya Pradesh government has decided to impose night curfew – from 10 PM to 6 AM– in five cities including Bhopal, Indore, Ratlam, Vidisha and Gwalior.
To stem the Covid-19 spread in the state, the Gujarat government Friday announced that night curfew– from 9 PM to 7 AM- will be imposed in Rajkot, Vadodara and Surat everyday. The decision comes a day after the government had announced a "complete curfew" in Ahmedabad city from Friday night till Monday morning with only allowing the opening of milk and medicines shops.
The first animal study in India on coronavirus, which is a collaborative effort between the Ministry of AYUSH and Department of Bio-Technology (DBT), has moved to its final stage.
This concerns pre-clinical studies on four oral interventions which have already been taken up for clinical studies, the AYUSH ministry said.
In a statement, it describes the study as one of the most sophisticated research projects in the country in the COVID-19 context.
The clinical studies are being pursued through another collaboration of the Ministry of AYUSH, the partner in this one being the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR). (PTI)
Amid a surge in COVID-19 cases, the number of containment zones has gone up to over 4,550 in the national capital, with the maximum 743 in southwest district and the lowest 148 in northeast district, news agency PTI reported. According to official data, six districts out of the total 11 have more than 400 COVID-19 containment zones - 743 (southwest), 705 (south), 587 (west), 543 (southeast), 490 (central Delhi) and 445 (northwest).
Amid rising Covid-19 cases in students, Haryana government Friday again ordered that all private and government schools across the state shall remain shut till November 30.
Till Thursday evening, over 300 school students were found to be infected with Covid-19 across various districts of Haryana. According to the state health department’s officials, majority of the students who were found positive were asymptomatic. Only a few had mild symptoms of cold, cough and low-grade fever.
Haryana health minister Anil Vij, who was Friday administered a trial dose of Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin, attended office two hours after he was vaccinated.
After the vaccination, Vij told mediapersons: “It is a matter of pride for every Indian that Bharat Biotech is coming up with an indigenous vaccine for Covid-19. I volunteered to become one of the participants for the third phase trial so that people shed their fears and come forward to volunteer. That will expedite the entire process of developing the vaccine. “
Vij is 67-year-old and a diabetic. He is the first volunteer in the state for the third phase trial of the potential coronavirus vaccine. Read the full report here.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal Friday urged AAP leaders and volunteers to distribute free masks to the public. The Delhi government had recently increased the penalty for not wearing masks in public from Rs 500 to Rs 2,000.
President Ram Nath Kovind on Friday expressed optimism that the international community was very close to finding a solution to the coronavirus pandemic and will emerge stronger and more resilient from the crisis.
According to an official statement, President Kovind, while addressing an event, remarked that the COVID-19 pandemic necessitates enhanced global cooperation to ensure collective health and economic well-being of humankind.
"He further expressed his optimism that the international community was very close to finding a solution to the pandemic and will emerge stronger and more resilient from the crisis," the statement issued by the Rashtrapati Bhavan said. (PTI)
Haryana Health Minister Anil Vij was on Friday administered a trial dose of potential coronavirus vaccine Covaxin in Ambala, becoming the first volunteer in the state for the third phase trial of the vaccine.
The gradual reduction in the number of new COVID-19 cases and the positivity rate is a "clear indicator" that the spread of the virus is decreasing in the national capital, Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain said on Friday. The minister announced that government rates would apply to the normal, non-ICU beds reserved in private hospitals by the Delhi government for COVID-19 patients.
"The positivity rate was 15 per cent on November 7. It is less than 11 per cent now. The maximum number of cases (8,593) were reported on November 10," Jain said.
"The positivity rate has come down and the number of cases is also reducing gradually. It is a clear indicator that the spread of the virus is decreasing in Delhi," he told reporters.
There is no harm in wearing a face mask inside a car, the minister said, appealing to the people of the city to ensure that they don't step outside without wearing one. The national capital reported 7,456 coronavirus cases on Thursday and the city's positivity rate was 12.09 per cent.
The AAP government had on Thursday announced sweeping measures, including a steep Rs 2,000 fine for not wearing masks, reservation of 80 per cent ICU beds in private hospitals, doubling testing centres in every district and postponement of non-critical surgeries at health facilities.
"All schools in BMC jurisdiction to remain closed till 31st December. The decision has been taken in the wake of rise in COVID19 cases in Mumbai. Schools will not re-open on November 23rd," said Mumbai Mayor Kishori Pednekar.