A BMC health worker collects swab sample of a construction worker for the COVID-19 test at the Siddhivinayak Metro site in Mumbai. (PTI photo)Coronavirus LIVE Updates Covid19 February 26 Live Blog: The Union government has called an urgent meeting at 11 am today to brief states regarding phase 3 of the ongoing Covid-19 vaccination drive in the country. The meeting will be attended by state health secretaries and directors of the National Health Mission (NHM). The next phase of Covid-19 vaccination will start from March 1 for people aged above 60 and those over 45 years with comorbidities. Several states have raised concerns regarding the lack of clarity on how to start the vaccination drive. While the Covid-19 vaccine will be provided free of cost at government hospitals, those going to private hospitals will need to pay for vaccination. The government has roped private hospitals for this phase. While announcing the third phase of the vaccination drive, Union Minister Prakash Javadekar informed Covid jabs will be given at 10,000 government and over 20,000 private vaccination centres across the country. He further said that the government is in discussion with vaccine manufacturers and private hospitals regarding the pricing and it (price) will be decided within three-four days.
Highlights
No new Covid-19 case has been reported in Arunachal Pradesh for the past seven days. The total Covid-19 caseload in the state remained at 16,836 with the death toll at 56, according to data from state health department. While the state has only three active cases, 16,777 people have recovered from the disease, PTI reported quoting State Surveillance Officer Lobsang Jampa.
According to the latest update by the Union Health Ministry, the national recovery rate has improved significantly despite a fresh caseload. The latest govt data states that the all-India recovery rate stood at 97.17%.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday announced that the government has permitted the establishment of 11 new medical colleges Tamil Nadu. He said these will colleges will be set up in those districts which do not have a medical college and centre would give more than ₹2000 crore for the same.
From walk-ins and self-registration, read how the next phase of mass vaccination will be carried out in India.
Good news! Scientists in the US have developed a stamp-sized chip which will simplify COVID-19 testing, and deliver results on a smartphone in less than 55 minutes, reported PTI. The microfluidic chip developed by researchers from the Rice University measures the concentration of SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid (N) protein in blood serum from a standard finger prick. According to researchers, their process simplifies sample handling compared to swab-based PCR tests that are widely used to diagnose COVID-19 and need to be analysed in a laboratory.
The US Food and Drug Administration has approved storage and transportation of COVID-19 vaccine developed by Pfizer Inc and German partner BioNTech SE at standard freezer temperatures for up to two weeks instead of ultra-cold conditions, a Reuters report said.
Ahead of the next phase of the vaccination schedule to start from March 1, the Union Health Ministry set to hold a meeting state health secretaries and NHM directors. According to sources, the ministry is likely to explain the strategy, preparedness, and vaccine management with the states during the meet. In the next phase, the people over the age of 60 years and those over 45 with comorbidities will be given the Covid-19 vaccine. The government may discuss the price to be charged by private hospitals for vaccination.
US President Joe Biden has said that his administration plans to launch a campaign to educate Americans about coronavirus vaccines in anticipation of a period later this year where supply may outstrip demand because of vaccine hesitancy, a Reuters report said.
Amid rising cases being reported from Maharashtra and Kerala, Tamil Nadu has decided to revise its rules regarding interstate travellers. The latest rules state that anyone entering Tamil Nadu from Maharashtra and Kerala needs to undergo 7-day home quarantine. This rule will be applicable for all kinds of travellers, be it those reaching Tamil Nadu via road or air.
A researcher said he had seen evidence that a laboratory researching COVID-19 had been hacked, Oxford University has said. According to a Reuters report, the online attack took place sometime in the middle of February. The University has said that the research for the Covid vaccine has not been impacted.
During this speech at the convocation of Tamil Nadu Dr MGR Medical University, Prime Minister Narendra Modi further said, "This is the time when you'll transition from earning marks in exams to making a mark in society. In the time of COVID-19, India hasn't only made a new path but helped others too. Today, India is among the countries with the lowest death rate & high recovery rate."
For the March 1st vaccination drive, if you are 45 and above and you think you need the corona vaccine due to an existing ailment, you would need a medical practitioner's proper certificate that clearly states the condition. Unless that certificate is produced, the beneficiary won't be able to get the Covid shot, latest reports said.
The Indian health eco-system is being seen with new respect and new credibility, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Friday. "However, this also means that world will have greater expectations from you which is responsibility on your young & strong shoulders," PM Modi said at the convocation of Tamil Nadu Dr MGR Medical University.
New York Mayor Bill de Blasio’s chief medical adviser Dr Jay Varma has downplayed the results of two studies suggesting that a new coronavirus variant found in New York City in November will be more resistant to vaccines now being administered, a Reuters report said.
Brazil has signed an agreement with Indian pharmaceutical company Bharat Biotech for the purchase of 20 million doses of the Covaxin vaccine. However, the deal is yet to be approved by local regulators. Brazil, one of the worst affected countries in the world, has reported 250,000 deaths linked to COVID-19 so far. The country has vaccinated less than 4 per cent of its population of 210 million people as some cities has stopped immunization campaigns last week due to shortages, according to a PTI report.
For the second day in a row, India's financial capital has reported more than a thousand corona cases. On Friday, over 1,100 cases were reported from Mumbai, the latest health bulletin said. Marshalls have been deployed in various public spaces to ensure that people wear face masks properly.
Maharashtra Covid-19 update: As the number of coronavirus cases has started rising again in Maharashtra, the authorities in Palghar have banned weekly markets and mass marriages across the district in order to limit the spread of Covid-19 infections in the state, an official said on Friday. District collector Manik Gursal on Thursday issued an order in this regards. "The administration has started cracking down on marriage halls to check compliance of COVID-19 guidelines and action is being taken against the violators," an official said, as reported by PTI.
The next phase of the mass vaccination drive that will begin from March 1st will include 45+ individuals, who have comorbid conditions for getting the shot. However, it is still not clear as to what those comorbid conditions are. People are still waiting for the comprehensive list to see who all will be covered.
According to news agency ANI, Nagpur banquet hall owners say that fresh Covid norms will impact their business adversely. Many said that they witnessed several cancellations due to fresh guidelines issued by the Maharashtra government.
Karnataka capital Bengaluru is witnessing a fresh outbreak of cluster-level Covid cases. According to the Indian Express, new apartment located in Yelahanka has reported three fresh cases.
In the ongoing vaccination drive, over 1 crore 34 lakh beneficiaries (both frontline and healthcare workers) have received Covid-19 jabs so far in the country. According to Union Health Ministry data, a total of 8,01,480 doses of vaccines have been given to healthcare and frontline workers in the last 24 hours.
6 new COVID19 cases have been reported from Mizoram in the last 24 hours, as per the state government. The total number of cases in Mizoram stand at 4,419.
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of World Health Organisation, has thanked India and Prime Minister Narendra Modi for supporting "supporting vaccine equity"—its fight against Coronavirus, by providing Covid-19 vaccine. "India's commitment to COVAX and sharing of Covid-19 jabs with other countries, is helping over 60 countries worldwide," Ghebreyesus said.
Total number of samples tested up to Feb 25 is 21,46,61,465 including 8,31,807 samples tested yesterday, says ICMR
The state has reported 82 fresh Covid-19 cases in the last 24 hours. So far, 1,38,43,190 persons in the state have been tested positive for coronavirus infections. As many as 35,443 samples were tested during the last 24 hours.
Covid-19 in India update: The Union Health Ministry on Friday said the country has reported 16,577 new Covid-19 cases and 120 deaths linked to the coronavirus infections in the last 24 hours. As many as 12,179 people have cured/discharged from the hospitals. With the fresh cases, the total Covid-19 tally increased to 1,10,63,491 as on February 26. The country still has 1,55,986 active cases.
The government will provide Covid-19 vaccine to private hospitals, participating in the vaccination drive, for free. Those opting to receive Covid-19 vaccine at these hospitals, to be used as vaccination centres, will be charged.