the nationwide tally of COVID-19 cases has increased to 1,22,21,665. (Photo source: IE)Coronavirus India Lockdown Highlights: The number of coronavirus cases continues to rise as India recorded the highest single-day rise in coronavirus cases in six months with 81,466 new infections in a span of 24 hours. With this, the nationwide tally of cases has increased to 1,23,03,131. Among the worst-hit states is Maharashtra which has reported the highest daily new cases at 47,827.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray said the state may face a shortage of healthcare infrastructure soon if the present “alarming situation” on coronavirus cases continued. Addressing people of the state on social media, Thackeray also said stricter curbs will be imposed in one or two days to check the surge in COVID-19 cases. “Till now, we have administered 65 lakh COVID-19 vaccine doses, including three lakh vaccine doses yesterday,” he said. Some people are getting infected even after vaccination because they stop wearing masks,” Thackeray said. “I cannot rule out imposing a lockdown if the current situation prevails,” he said. People have become complacent, he added.
Delhi recorded over 3500 COVID-19 cases for first time this year as 3,594 infections were reported on Friday. Health bulletin stated that Delhi’s positivity rate stands at 4.11% and 14 deaths were recorded. Meanwhile, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal held an ‘urgent’ meeting to prepare an action plan in the wake of rising COVID-19 cases in the national capital. Apart from the health minister, officials of concerned departments also took part in the meeting.
Covid-19 Vaccine registration: How people above 45 years can register on CoWin portal, Aarogya Setu app
India has already launched the third phase of COVID-19 vaccination, open for all aged 45 and above. In a bid to exponentially expand the inoculation drive, the Centre has announced that all vaccination centres, public and private both, will remain operational throughout April, including on gazetted holidays.
For all the recent news and updates on the coronavirus pandemic from India and across the world, keep following our LIVE BLOG.
Highlights
Gujarat registers 2,640 new COVID-19 cases, highest since outbreak of coronavirus pandemic, tally rises to 3,12,748; death toll reaches 4,539 with 11 more fatalities: Health Department (PTI)
Jharkhand reports 694 new COVID-19 cases, 137 recoveries and 1 death, today
Total cases: 125585Recovered cases: 120562Active cases: 3908Deaths: 1112 (ANI)
Punjab reports 2903 new COVID-19 cases, 2002 discharges and 57 deaths.
Total cases: 245768Total discharges: 213327Active cases: 25,458Deaths: 6983 (ANI)
Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) has reduced the price of RT-PCR test by 30 per cent to Rs 600, amid Maharashtra witnessing a sharp rise in the number of COVID-19 cases. The revised charges, which are in line with the latest directives from the Maharashtra government, are effective from April 1, CSMIA said in a statement on Friday. | Read More
India recorded the highest single-day rise in coronavirus cases in six months with 81,466 new infections in a span of 24 hours, taking the COVID-19 tally of cases to 1,23,03,131, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Friday. (PTI)
In a couple of days, strict restrictions will be issued to curb COVID19. If the number of cases keeps increasing, there could be a shortage of healthcare infrastructure in the next 15-20 days: Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray (ANI)
BJP leader Narayan Rane on Friday said Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray had failed to tackle the surge in COVID-19 cases and was "threatening" people with another lockdown. He said Maharashtra had seen 54,000 deaths due to the infection, the highest for any state in the country, but added that another lockdown was "unacceptable". Mocking the Uddhav Thackeray government's 'my family, my responsibility' anti COVID-19 campaign, Rane said the CM's own family had contracted the infection. The CM's wife Rashmi and minister son Aaditya were detected with the infection recently. "In one year, the CM and his government have failed to improve the state's health infrastructure and are now threatening the people with another lockdown in case they do not conduct themselves with self-discipline," Rane claimed. "You have to talk to citizens with respect rather than issue threats. Another lockdown is unacceptable," he added. The former chief minister also criticised the CM for imposing night curfew amid the surge in COVID-19 cases. (PTI)
Jammu and Kashmir records 517 new COVID-19 cases, infection count rises to 1,31,938; five more fatalities push death toll to 2,003: Officials (PTI)
In the coming days, we aim to conduct 2.5 lakh RT-PCR tests daily: Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray (ANI)
There may be shortage of healthcare infrastructure if coronavirus cases continue to rise at alarming rate: Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray. (PTI)
Maharashtra on Friday recorded 47827 new COVID-19 cases, the highest daily count since the coronavirus pandemic began. The new figure took the state tally of positive cases to 2904076, a Health Department statement said. As many as 202 coronavirus patients died in the state on Saturday, taking the death toll to 55379, it said. (PTI)
I cannot rule out imposing a lockdown if the current COVID19 situation prevails. People have become complacent: Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray (ANI)
Maharashtra records highest daily count of 47827 new Covid-19 cases: Health Department (PTI)
More than 7 crore COVID-19 vaccine doses administered, till now, says Ministry of Health (ANI)
Himachal Pradesh reports 408 new COVID-19 cases, 285 cured cases, and 4 deaths.
Total cases: 64,420Cured cases: 60,023Active cases: 3,338Deaths: 1,043 (ANI)
Mumbai reports 8832 new COVID-19 cases, 5352 discharges and 20 deaths.
Total cases: 4,32,192Total discharges: 3,61,043Active cases: 58,455Total deaths: 11,724 (ANI)
Eleven states and Union Territories, marked as “states of grave concern” because of their rising daily COVID-19 cases, have not shown a commensurate increase in enforcement of containment activities, the Centre said on Friday. Chairing a high-level review meeting with chief secretaries, Directors General of Police and health secretaries of all states and UTs, Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba asked these states to take strict action to contain the contagion. | Read More
Chhattisgarh Government has written to the PM and Union Health Minister to include journalists in COVID19 vaccination drive: Chhattisgarh Health Minister TS Singhdeo (ANI)
8 cases of N440K COVID19 strain found in Chhattisgarh, till now. Yesterday, the State reported 4,617 new cases, the highest till now. Around 3000 ICU & oxygen beds available at pvt&govt hospitals. We want to maintain target of vaccinating over 2lakh people daily: Chhattisgarh Health Minister (ANI)
The World University Games that were due to open in China in just over four months have been postponed until next year, the governing body the FISU said on Friday. The Switzerland-based FISU said COVID-19 and travel restrictions prompted the postponement, adding the decision was made jointly with officials in China. The multi-sport event, which features about 8,000 athletes, was to have opened in Chengdu in western China on August 18, just days after the closing of the Tokyo Olympics. A rescheduled date has not been announced. The country has two other large multi-sport events coming up. The Winter Olympics open on February 4, 2022 in Beijing, and the Asian Games, which feature more sports than the Olympics, are set for Hangzhou from September 10, 2022. China has become the go-to nation for many of these mega-events because it pays the costs, builds venues quickly, and does not need voter approval, which is common in many European countries. (AP)
Gujarat reports 2640 new COVID-19 cases, 2066 discharges, and 11 deaths, in the last 24 hours.
Total cases: 3,12,748Total discharges: 2,94,650Active cases: 13,559Deaths: 4,539 (ANI)
Andhra Pradesh records 1,288 fresh COVID-19 cases, infection tally rises to 9,04,548; five more fatalities push death toll to 7,225: Health bulletin (PTI)
Karnataka Govt issues new COVID-19 guidelines- Classes 6-9 to be suspended, gyms, swimming pools to remain closed, rallies, dharnas prohibited, maximum 50% seating capacity in cinema halls, no gatherings allowed at places of worship (ANI)
Chandigarh reports 287 new COVID-19 cases taking the total number of cases to 27,543
The number of active cases now at 3,098 and the death toll stands at 381: Health Department, Chandigarh (ANI)
364 fresh COVID19 cases, 194 recoveries and 2 deaths reported in Uttarakhand today
Total cases:1,01,275total active cases: 2,404total recoveries: 95,649death toll: 1,721 (ANI)
Delhi records over 3500 COVID-19 cases for first time this year as 3594 infections reported; positivity rate 4.11%; 14 new deaths: Bulletin (PTI)
Tamil Nadu reports 3,290 new COVID-19 cases, 1,715 recoveries and 12 deaths in the last 24 hours.
Total cases 8,92,780Total recoveries 8,61,424Death toll 12,750Active cases : 18,606 (ANI)
Kerala reported 2,508 fresh COVID-19 cases, including 10 health workers and 14 related deaths on Friday, pushing the caseload to 11.29 lakh and the toll to 4,646. As many as 2,287 people were cured of the disease, taking the total recoveries to 10,98,526. Active cases stood at 26,407. A total of 51,783 samples were examined on Friday, taking the overall number to 1,32,64,994, health Minister K K Shailaja said in a release. The test positivity rate stood at 4.84 per cent. Among the districts, Kozhikode accounted for the highest number of infections with 385, followed by Ernakulam 278, Kannur 272, Malappuram 224 and Thiruvananthapuram 212. Of the positive cases, 132 had come from outside the state and 2,168 were infected through local transmission. Ten health workers were among those infected, she said. Currently, 1,39,837 people are under observation, including 4,172 in hospitals. (PTI)
Jammu: Amid a spike in Covid-19 cases in different parts of Jammu and Kashmir, the Union Territory administration has asked district magistrates to take a call on the continuation of physical classes in schools in their areas, considering students' safety. The J&K administration issued the direction after dozens of students and teachers tested positive for coronavirus in different districts, mostly in Anantnag, Kulgam and Budgam over the past couple of days. "All district magistrates / District Disaster Management Authorities' chairmen in J&K shall take a call on the continuation of academic activities i.e. physical classes or online classes in their respective jurisdictions, keeping in view the safety of students and present trend of Covid-19 pandemic in different districts," a government order said on Friday. (PTI)
Delhi is encountering the fourth wave of COVID-19 infection but imposition of a lockdown is not being considered yet, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said on Friday and urged the Centre to allow states to undertake mass-level vaccination. If there is a need for a lockdown in the future, a decision will be taken after consultation, he said, adding the fourth wave is less serious than the previous ones as there are fewer number of deaths and hospitalisations this time. (PTI)
Coronavirus Lockdown India Live News: There is no plan for lockdown in Delhi, says CM Arvind Kejriwal. "In the last few days, COVID19 cases in Delhi have been rising. 3,583 new cases have been reported in Delhi in the last 24 hours. This rise in cases now is the fourth wave. We are taking all possible measures, there is no need to worry. We are focusing on the COVID19 vaccination, 71,000 vaccinations were done in Delhi yesterday," said Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal. (ANI)
Shiv Sena's Aurangabad unit will embark on a five-week long tour of coronavirus-affected villages in the district and its urban areas from Saturday to create awareness about the pandemic, its guidelines and vaccination. Sena MLC Ambadas Danve, who is the party's district unit president, told this to reporters on Friday. "This tour will begin from April 3 and continue till May 9. It is aimed at creating awareness among people in villages and urban parts," he said. As part of the exercise, 54 villages in the district, where COVID-19 patients were found in double digits, will be visited apart from the Covid Care Centres, he added. Eight wards of Aurangabad Cantonment Board and every ward of Aurangabad city will be covered under this programme, Danve said. (PTI)
TV actor Rupali Ganguly, known for featuring in shows such as "Sarabhai Vs Sarabhai", "Sanjivani" and "Bigg Boss", on Friday said she has tested positive for COVID-19 and is under quarantine. The 43-year-old actor, who had been shooting for her TV show "Anupamaa", shared the news in a post on Instagram. Ganguly revealed that after her diagnosis, the unit of the Star Plus show will also be tested for the virus. (PTI)
Lieutenant Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan on Friday inaugurated a special vaccination drive against COVID-19 for those above 45 years old by taking the shot here. Tamilisai, aged 60, took the vaccination at the Rajiv Gandhi Government Hospital for Women. She appealed to all those aged above 45 to get the vaccination as a preventive measure. The vaccination would be done from Monday to Saturday between 10 AM and 5 PM at the hospital. (PTI)
A public interest litigation has been filed in the Bombay High Court seeking a direction to the Centre, Maharashtra government and Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to provide door-to-door COVID-19 vaccination for people above the age of 75 and those who are physically challenged or bed-ridden. The petition filed by advocates Dhruti Kapadia and Kunal Tiwari on Friday stated that such persons may not be able to visit vaccination centres or may or may find it difficult to do so. (PTI)
Police here have registered an offence against two unidentified persons for allegedly spreading confusion over the COVID-19 vaccination drive on a social networking platform, an official said on Friday. The duo had uploaded a video on an Instagram account and created confusion over the benefits of the vaccine, the police official said. The duo was booked under IPC sections 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) on Thursday night based on a complaint lodged by Mahendra Pathak (51), a local journalist, Tukoganj police station inspector Kamlesh Sharma said. (PTI)
The European Union is struggling to show complete coronavirus vaccination solidarity among member nations, after a week of negotiations over the distribution of extra doses exposed fissures on Friday. Five EU nations that struggled most to get their vaccination drive going were given extra doses from an alliance of 19 other countries. Three nations weren't part of the deal, however, showing the difficulties of compromise politics when COVID-19 cases are surging again. At an EU summit last week, Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz criticized the allocation of shots in the 27-nation bloc, saying that some countries were receiving more than their fair share at the cost of others. EU leaders failed to agree on a correction mechanism, leaving it to their EU ambassadors. (AP)
The Uttar Pradesh government on Friday extended to April 11 the closure of all schools for students up to Class 8, amid a spike in coronavirus cases in the state, according to an official. Earlier, the government had shut schools for students up to Class 8 till March 31. Uttar Pradesh reported 2,600 new COVID-19 cases and nine fatalities on Thursday, pushing the state's infection tally to 6,19,783 and the death toll to 8,820, according to a health department bulletin. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath issued the fresh directions during a review meeting at his 5-Kalidas Marg residence. (PTI)
A senior police officer, who took his second coronavirus vaccine dose last month, and his wife have tested positive for COVID-19. Inspector General of Police (IG) Rajesh Pandey shared a Facebook post on Thursday, saying he, his wife and a policeman deployed for his security have tested positive for the disease. The officer also requested all those who came in contact with him recently to get tested. Pandey's son had tested positive for COVID-19 three days ago. (PTI)
Odisha's COVID-19 tally surged to 3,41,772 on Friday as 461 more people tested positive for the infection, a health official said. Of the new cases registered in 24 of the state's 30 districts, 272 were reported in quarantine centres, while the remaining infections were detected during contact tracing, he said. Nuapada district registered the highest number of new cases at 86, followed by Khurda (69), Sundergarh (62) and Kalahandi (36), the official said. (PTI)