In order to tackle the situation, Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Friday warned of a possible lockdown in the state.Coronavirus second wave in India: The Covid-19 situation in India is getting worse day by day as several states have been reporting their highest ever single-day spike in the number of coronavirus infections for the past few weeks. The daily count of Covid-19 cases crossed the critical 90,000-mark on Sunday even as the vaccination drive picked up the pace with India vaccinating all above 45 years from April 1. There has been a clamour to open vaccines for all age groups in order to limit the spread of virus infection. However, health experts and senior officials are of the view that ‘people flouting Covid-19 rules — especially mask discipline and social distancing — is one of the major reasons for the surge of Covid-19 second wave in the country.
India reported 93,249 new cases on Sunday, taking the Covid-19 tally to 1,24,85,509. The country yesterday reported 89,129 new Covid-19 cases—the highest single-day spike in the world, US (70,024 cases) and (Brazil 69,662 cases); out of India’s 89,129 cases, Maharashtra, the worst-affected state in the country, alone accounted for 49,447 fresh infections— its highest since the Covid-19 pandemic has started last year. The state now has 4.01 lakh active cases, compared to 1.3 lakh cases on March 15—more than a threefold rise in just over two weeks.
In order to tackle the situation, Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Friday warned of a possible lockdown in the state, urging everyone to follow Covid-19 guidelines. Thackeray had said that he would consult experts and political leaders in a day or two before taking a decision on restrictions and lockdown. According to sources, the state government is likely to issue new Covid-19 guidelines today, as reported by The Indian Express. During a meeting with Marathi film industry representatives and multiplex owners, he said, “We need to move forward with ‘life first and then work’. For this, some steps have to be taken. We can’t ignore the situation and will have to make all efforts to break the chain of infection.”
Maharashtra not alone, several other states have been witnessing peaks in Covid-19 infection. The Union Health Ministry on Friday said that the Covid-19 situations in 11 states —Maharashtra, Punjab, Karnataka, Kerala, Chhattisgarh, Chandigarh, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Delhi, and Haryana — are of grave concern. As India stares at yet another health emergency with Coronavirus infections inching towards the all-time peak, here are the latest, verified news updates on lockdowns and other rules from the states and around the globe:
Highlights
Haryana reports 7 fresh COVID-19 fatalities taking toll to 3,191, while 1,904 new cases push tally to 2,98,133: Health dept (PTI)
In an indication that the healthcare system in Maharashtra might get overwhelmed in the coming days because of the huge rise in the COVID-19 cases, a civic-run hospital near Pune is forced to set up a ‘triage’ facility outside to provide oxygen support to patients as the available number of oxygenated beds remained occupied. Pune district reported a record 12,494 cases in the last 24 hours, taking the overall tally to 5,74,829, the third consecutive day when new case addition peaks were touched, according to an official. | Read More
IPL 2021: As the second wave of the coronavirus grips India, cricket fans are worried over its impact on the upcoming IPL 14 matches. While the IPL opener will be played between Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bangalore in Chennai on April 9 starting at 7:30 pm, the Covid scare is looming over the IPL matches scheduled in Mumbai. Trouble deepened after it was reported that several members of the groundstaff team at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai had tested positive for the Covid-19 infections. The latest tally shows that apart from the groudstaff, half a dozen event managers have also been infected with the coronavirus. Delhi Capitals’ Axar Patel has been quarantined after his RT-PCR report showed the viral infection. | Read More
Delhi recorded 4,033 coronavirus cases on Sunday, the highest daily count this year, as the positivity rate rose to 4.64 percent from 4.48 percent the previous day, according to the health department. Twenty-one more people died due to the disease, the highest since January 1, when an equal number of fatalities were reported. |Read More
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday reviewed the COVID-19 situation and vaccination exercise in the country amid an "alarming rate of growth" in infections and deaths, with 10 states contributing to more than 91 percent of them. Modi said the five-fold strategy of testing, tracing, treatment, COVID-appropriate behaviour and vaccination if implemented with utmost seriousness and commitment would be effective in curbing the pandemic's spread, according to an official statement. The meeting came on a day India recorded 93,249 new coronavirus infections, the highest single-day rise so far this year that took the total COVID-19 cases to 1,24,85,509, according to Union health ministry data. (PTI)
The Haryana government on Sunday issued fresh guidelines putting a ceiling on the number of people permitted to attend functions in open spaces and indoors, and at funerals in the wake of a surge in coronavirus cases in the state. While at most 200 people would be allowed at events indoor, the crowd capacity outdoors has been put at 500. At funerals, a maximum of 50 people would be allowed to attend, the new guidelines stated. | Read More
A day after Assam health minister Himanta Biswa Sarma claimed that there is no COVID in the state and hence no need to wear mask now,the health and family welfare department Sunday issued fresh notifications for mandatory testing of air and train passengers coming to the state from Mumbai and Bengaluru to check the spread of virus. Separate orders have been issued for air and train passengers and the rates for COVID testing by the department’s Principal Secretary Samir Sinha. | Read More
Delhi records 4,033 COVID-19 cases, highest in 4 months; 21 new deaths take toll to 11,081: Health bulletin (PTI)
Maharashtra records highest one-day spike of 57,074 COVID-19 cases; 222 die: state Health department (PTI)
Six students of Government Medical College (GMC) here tested positive for COVID-19 on Sunday, a spokesperson said. The students, including five girls staying in hostels, tested positive for the infection during a special rapid antigen test (RAT) drive here, he said. He said GMC, Jammu, conducted the tests for staff and students in view of the recent surge in COVID-19 cases in the Union Territory. "Isolation of all COVID positive students has been arranged at the Maternal Child Hospital (MCH) Gandhi Nagar, Jammu," the spokesperson said, adding the hostel premises have beem sanitized. He said the GMC management has decided that the RAT tests would be done periodically. - PTI
Mumbai reports 11,163 new COVID19 cases, 5263 recoveries and 25 deaths. - ANI
Kerala added 2,802 new COVID-19 cases and ten more deaths on Sunday, pushing the infection count to 11,35,233 and the toll to 4,668. A total of 2,173 people recuperated from the disease today, taking the total cured in the state to 11,02,359. There are 27,893 people under treatment and 1,42,854 under observation of which 4,403 are in isolation wards of various hospitals. The State health department said the government has tested 45,171 samples in the last 24 hours and the test positivity rate was 6.20 per cent. - PTI
Several restaurants, night clubs and hotels here have been fined and face cases for not maintaining social distancing and serving hookah, police officials said on Sunday following a two-day special drive to crackdown on those violating COVID-19 safety guidelines. The drive, in which people were also fined for not wearing face masks and spitting in public areas, was conducted in places with high footfall, including markets, on Friday and Saturday. Giving details about the drive in the New Delhi district area, a senior police officer said that FIRs were registered against the owners of Jain Chawal Wala at Connaught Place, Informal Restaurant at Janpath, Classic Chicken Restaurant at Shaheed Bhagat Singh Marg and Choice Chicken Corner Kalina at Gole Market for not observing COVID-appropriate behaviour. - PTI
The COVID-19 death toll in Uttar Pradesh rose to 8,881 on Sunday with 31 more fatalities in the state, while 4,164 fresh cases pushed the infection tally to 6,30,059. On Saturday, the COVID-19 tally in the state had reached 6,25,923. Of the 31 new deaths, eight were reported from Lucknow, four from Allahabad, three from Kanpur, two each from Varanasi, Rae Bareli and Ghazipur and one each from Gorakhpur, Agra, Barabanki, Lakhimpur-Khiri, Shahjahanpur, Deoria, Etawah, Sitapur, Farrukhabad and Bahraich, a statement said. As many as 1,129 fresh coronavirus cases were reported from Lucknow, 453 from Varanasi, 397 from Allahabad, 235 from Kanpur and 121 from Gorakhpur, among others. With 4,164 fresh infections, the total number of cases has now risen to 6,30,059. - PTI
BJP supports govt's decision to impose lockdown. People should abide by restrictions & follow COVID protocols. To ensure maximum vaccination, BJP workers would help people register and reach vaccination centers: Former Maharashtra CM & BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis - ANI
Jammu and Kashmir on Sunday recorded 573 fresh COVID-19 cases, including 105 travellers, taking the tally to 1,33,012, while three more deaths due to the virus raised the toll to 2,008, officials said. Of the fresh COVID-19 cases, 122 were from the Jammu division and 451 from the Kashmir division, they said. The officials said Srinagar district recorded a maximum of 208 cases, including 62 travellers, followed by 92 in Jammu and 84 in Baramulla districts. Two districts did not report any fresh cases, while seven other districts had cases in single digits. Budgam, Anantnag, Pulwama, Bandipora, Kupwara, Kulgam, Shopian and Kathua were the other districts to register cases in double digits. - PTI
The number of active coronavirus cases in Andhra Pradesh on Sunday jumped over the 10,000 mark once again as 1,730 more people were infected with the disease, the highest in a day since November 11 last year. On November 28, the state had 11,571 active cases but ever since the slide started and fell to as low as 575 on February 23. As the 'second wave' began in early March, the active cases started climbing again and reached 10,300 on Sunday. However, very few of the infected persons were hospitalised now and majority were placed in home isolation only, Health department officials said. PTI
Nagaland's COVID-19 tally surged to 12,363 on Sunday as one more person tested positive for the infection, Health Minister S Pangnyu Phom said. The state now has 134 active cases, while 11,980 people have recovered from the disease, 91 patients have succumbed to the infection and 158 have migrated to other states, he said. Kohima has the highest number of active cases at 123, followed by 10 in Dimapur and one in Tuensang. The state has so far tested over 1.37 lakh samples for COVID-19. - PTI
Nagpur district in Maharashtra on Sunday reported the highest 62 COVID-19 fatalities in a day, taking the toll to 5,327, an official release said. The district added 4,110 fresh infections, taking the tally to 2,41,606. With 3,497 patients getting discharged during the day, the count of recoveries in the district rose to 1,94,908, it said, adding the district is now left with 41,371 active cases. With 18,135 new tests, the overall count of samples tested so far in Nagpur district has gone up to 16,92,973. - PTI
Karnataka reports 4553 new COVID19 cases, 2060 discharges and 15 deaths today. - ANI
Maharashtra: Amid surge in COVID19 cases, migrant workers in Mumbai are returning to their native places. "We fear there'll be another lockdown. Last time we ran out of money, our families are worried. Our income has been affected too, that's why returning", says a migrant worker. - ANI
2802 new COVID19 cases reported in Kerala today; 2173 recoveries and 10 deaths. Number of active cases now at 27,893; so far 11,02,359 patients have recovered. - ANI
Night curfew will be put in place from 8 pm to 7 am. Only essential services will be permitted. Restaurants are permitted only for take away & parcel services. For offices, employees will have to work from home. The detailed SOP will be released soon: Maharashtra Minister Aslam Shaikh (ANI)
The Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) on Sunday asked the party workers to support the decisions that will be taken by the government to tackle the rising numbers of COVID-19 cases in the state. The statement from the party comes after Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray called up MNS president Raj Thackeray and sought his cooperation if the government was compelled to impose a lockdown to curb the spread of the virus. "Please cooperate with the government agencies and follow all the directives of the government," the party said in a tweet. It also mentioned that the chief Minister spoke to Raj Thackeray over phone. (PTI)
Chandigarh reports 341 new COVID19 positive cases, taking the total number of cases to 28,194. (ANI)
The main stadium in the French city of Lyon opened as a mass vaccination center during Easter weekend, and thousands of people spent the holiday lining up for injections elsewhere in France as the government tried to speed up shots amid a new rush of coronavirus cases. But as Europe faced its second Easter in a row under the cloud of the pandemic, some French cities pushed back against President Emmanuel Macron's insistence that there are no weekends or days off during vaccination. Authorities in Strasbourg, on the German border shut down their vaccination facilities from Good Friday through Easter Monday, a public holiday in France, to allow workers a little rest at last, according to a city official. To ensure that residents still had access to potentially life-saving vaccines, the city expanded vaccination hours and administered all of its weekly supply of doses between Monday and Thursday. The city of Sarcelles north of Paris was among those where officials kept vaccine sites open Sunday amid mushrooming infections and demand. (AP)
Weekend lockdown in Maharashtra following surge in coronavirus cases: NCP minister Nawab Malik. READ MORE
PM mentioned that the five-fold strategy of Testing, Tracing, Treatment, Covid-appropriate behaviour and Vaccination if implemented with utmost seriousness and commitment would be effective in curbing the spread of the Pandemic: PMO (ANI)
PM directed that for sustainable COVID-19 management, awareness of community&its involvement is paramount and there is a need to continue Jan Bhagidari and Jan Andolan for COVID-19 management: PMO (ANI)
Prime Minister especially highlighted the need to ensure effective implementation of containment measures, besides the involvement of community volunteers in active case search and management of containment zones: PMO (ANI)
A special campaign for Covid appropriate behaviour with emphasis on 100% mask usage, personal hygiene and sanitation at public places /workplaces and health facilities will be organised from 6th April to 14 April 2021: PMO (ANI)
PM directed that central teams consisting of public health specialists and clinicians be sent to Maharashtra in view of high case load and deaths, and likewise to Punjab&Chhattisgarh because of the disproportionate number of deaths being reported there: Prime Minister's Office (ANI)
As the second wave of the coronavirus grips India, cricket fans are worried over its impact on the upcoming IPL 14 matches. While the IPL opener will be played between Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bangalore in Chennai on April 9 starting at 7:30 pm, the Covid scare is looming over the IPL matches scheduled in Mumbai. Trouble deepened after it was reported that several members of the groundstaff team at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai had tested positive for the Covid-19 infections. The latest tally shows that apart from the groudstaff, half a dozen event managers have also been infected with the coronavirus. Delhi Capitals’ Axar Patel has been quarantined after his RT-PCR report showed the viral infection. READ FULL STORY HERE
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson is set to unveil a series of measures including so-called “Covid passports” to allow mass events such as sports matches and night clubs to resume safely as England’s lockdown is eased in phases. In announcements expected on Monday, Johnson is expected to lay out details of trial events in the coming months that will explore how ventilation and testing before and after events could help audiences back into arenas and auditoriums over a year after being shut down to control the spread of the deadly virus. READ MORE
Police have registered a case against 1,011 people for allegedly violating COVID-19 prevention rules by attending a religious gathering in Maharashtra's Buldhana district, an official said on Sunday. The incident took place on Friday when the people took out the annual 'Sandal yatra' to the shrine of Sailani Baba, despite such gatherings not being allowed due to a rise in COVID-19 cases, Sub-Divisional Officer of Police Ramesh Barkate said. The Maharashtra government recently prohibited religious, social and political gatherings in the state. (PTI)
The Bangladesh government announces that all public transport services including roads, waterways, railways, and domestic flights will remain suspended during the week-long lockdown in the country starting from Monday. (AIR News)
BCCI is mulling over the idea of vaccination and they will definitely get in touch with Health Ministry that players should be vaccinated: Rajeev Shukla, Vice President, BCCI (ANI)
Tripura: In view of the resurfacing numbers of COVID19 cases in state, a medical team headed by CMO West Tripura and Indian Medical Association, state branch jointly begins Covid-19 awareness programme in all bazars of Agartala. (AIR News)
Actor Govinda has tested positive for the novel coronavirus and is under home quarantine, his wife Sunita Ahuja said on Sunday. The 57-year-old actor has "mild symptoms" and is following necessary protocol. "He (Govinda) tested positive today morning. His symptoms are absolutely mild. There's nothing to worry about. He is quarantining at home and taking precautions," Sunita told PTI. Govinda was last seen on the big screen in the 2019 comedy "Rangeela Raja". (PTI)