Centre has said that participation of people is vital at the moment. (Photo source: PTI)Coronavirus Vaccine Tracker Live, Maharashtra, Delhi Night Curfew News: The intensity of the coronavirus pandemic has increased and it is spreading at a much faster rate than in 2020, the Centre has warned, stressing that the next four weeks are ‘very very critical.’ Meanwhile, the fear of new variants of COVID-19 is looming large. Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan has already said that 80 per cent of cases in Punjab are due to the UK variant. The Union Minister said that this has been confirmed by genome sequencing and the increase in the number of positive COVID-19 cases is event-driven.
Meanwhile, several states have announced stricter restrictions to curb the spread of COVID-19. Facing a constant increase in the number of cases, Delhi too joined a growing number of states to impose night curfew.
NITI Aayog Member (Health) Dr V K Paul has said that the pandemic situation has worsened and participation of people is vital at the moment. “The entire country has to come together and make efforts to fight the pandemic,” Dr Paul was quoted as saying by PTI.
Meanwhile, more than 8.40 crore vaccines have been administered in the country.
For all the latest, verified news updates on COVID-19, lockdowns, and other restrictions from different states and around the globe, keep following the live blog:
Highlights
Keeping in mind the Covid situation, Raipur district is being declared a containment zone from 6 pm on 9th April till 6 am on 19th April. All the borders of the district will remain sealed during this period, said Raipur district collector S Bharathi Dasan (ANI)
Prohibition on movement of individuals for all non-essential activities b/w 10:30 pm-5 am in Chandigarh. Order to come into effect from tonight till further orders. Hospitals, chemist shops & ATMs to remain open 24/7. No curbs on inter-state & intra-state of goods: Chandigarh DM (ANI)
Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain on Wednesday said night curfew was imposed in the national capital following reports that parties and social gatherings were being organised in various parts of the city at a time when COVID-19 cases have surged. Interacting with reporters, he also feared that if the positivity rate escalated and safety norms were not followed by people, the new cases could breach the last single-day spike record registered in November last year. (PTI)
Considering the rise in the number of COVID-19 cases, the Goa Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) on Wednesday decided to introduce some protocols at its facility. State Health Minister Vishwajit Rane chaired a meeting of heads of departments of the hospital to review the COVID-19 protocols and management of services amid the spike in infections. Talking to reporters, Rane said it was collectively decided to resume the telephone service for booking appointments for the outpatient department. (PTI)
Kumbh Mela officials have made all arrangements for the three key bathing dates on the banks of Ganga but said they do not expect any huge turnout of devotees due to anti-Covid restrictions imposed amid the rising cases of infection. "We always make arrangements for the Kumbh in accordance with the largest estimated turnouts. So, we are well prepared to tackle any situation," Mela IG Sanjay Gunjyal said. "But with the second wave of coronavirus infection getting stronger and the SOPs in force, we don't expect huge crowds on the ghats on the Shahi Snan days," he added.
Odisha on Wednesday reported 791 fresh COVID-19 cases, the highest count of 2021 so far, pushing the tally to 3,44,647, a health department official said. The death toll rose to 1,923 after one more patient from Puri succumbed to the disease, he said. Of the new cases, 459 were reported from quarantine centres and 332 detected during contact tracing. Sundargarh district reported the highest number of fresh cases at 147, followed by Khurda (118), Bargarh (48), Cuttack (46) and Sambalpur (45). Efforts are being made to trace contacts of the fresh patients, the official said. (PTI)
Maharashtra minister Yashomati Thakur on Wednesday informed Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray that Amravati district does not require another lockdown, as the COVID-19 cases are on the decline in the region. In a statement, Thakur who is the guardian minister of Amravati district, said the daily spike is cases in Amravati division and district is between 213 to 300 in the last two weeks. "Since the second lockdown, the number of cases is on decline. The decision to impose another lockdown can be taken if the infections increase. I met the chief minister and conveyed this to him," she said. (PTI)
The Madhya Pradesh government has decided to procure Remdesivir injections so that they could be provided free of cost for the treatment of critical COVID-19 patients from the economically weaker sections, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said on Wednesday. Remdesivir is considered a key anti-viral drug in the fight against COVID-19, especially in adult patients with severe complications. Chouhan said the state government has also decided to set up one COVID-19 care centre in each district of state so that the infected people (who are advised home quarantine) having smaller houses can stay there. (PTI)
In wake of #COVID19 situation in Bengaluru, restrictions under* Sec 144 CrPC to be imposed in city from today
"Prohibit operation of amenities like Swimming Pool, Gymnasium, Party Halls in apartment/residential complexes in Bengaluru City" reads the order. (ANI)
A 16-member Indian judo team has been forced to withdraw from the ongoing Asia-Oceania Olympic qualifiers in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan after a player tested positive for coronavirus just before the start of the tournament. The judoka's tested positive after landing in Kyrgyzstan. that "Yes, one player of the team tested positive upon landing in Bishkek just a before the official weighing on April 5, forcing the entire squad to withdraw as per the guidelines of International Judo Federation," a source in the Judo Federation of India (JFI) told PTI. "The team comprised 12 judokas and four coaches." The Asia-Oceania Championships in Bishkek started on Tuesday and will end on Saturday. (PTI)
Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Wednesday reiterated that the coastal state will not go for a lockdown, as the move will disrupt the economic activities. Sawant recalled that during the same time last year, the state had been under a coronavirus-induced lockdown, due to which the entire economy had come to a standstill. Economic activities are getting revived in the coastal state and another lockdown will disrupt them, he said. "There was drop in the collection of the GST, while industries such as tourism had suffered a jolt. We want to avoid the situation," the chief minister said. (PTI)
The UK on Wednesday began the rollout of the Moderna vaccine to protect against COVID-19, the third two-dose vaccine now being administered by the National Health Service (NHS) alongside the Pfizer/BioNTech and Oxford/AstraZeneca jabs. Patients in Carmarthenshire in Wales are the first cohort to begin receiving the new vaccine, which has been developed by the American biotech firm Moderna and was approved for use in the UK in January this year. The UK government said it has ordered 17 million doses of the vaccine, with the first doses being received this week and administered at Carmarthen's Glangwili Hospital in west Wales from Wednesday. (PTI)
A case has been registered against 150 people, including Azad Samaj Party leader Chandrashekhar Azad, for allegedly taking out a roadshow in this district, in violation of the prohibitory orders issued to curb the spread of COVID-19. Police said the roadshow was held in Charthawal police station area on Tuesday evening. Azad and his supporters were booked under relevant sections for violation of prohibitory orders and COVID-19 guidelines, they said. (PTI)
The Gujarat police have collected fines worth Rs 2.66 crore in four days from people failing to wear masks and those spitting in public places amid the COVID-19 pandemic, an official said on Wednesday. The fines were collected between April 2 and April 5, the official said, adding that a penalty of Rs 1,000 has been imposed on violators of the mask rule. According to a release issued by the state police, on an average, around 6,600 people were fined every day from April 2 to April 5 for COVID-19-related violations in Gujarat. "A penalty of Rs 2.66 crore was collected in four days from 26,761 people found moving out without mask or spitting in public," the official said. (PTI)
Eight bodies of COVID-19 victims were cremated on one pyre due to shortage of space at a makeshift crematorium in Maharashtra's Beed district, a civic official said on Wednesday. Since residents had opposed the cremation of bodies of COVID-19 patients at crematoriums in Ambajogai town, local authorities had to identify another place away from there to perform the victims' last rites and the space there was limited, he said. (PTI)
Actor Sonu Sood and filmmaker Anubhav Sinha on Wednesday said they have received the first dose of the coronavirus vaccine. Sood took to Twitter and shared an image from a vaccine centre in which he is getting a vaccine jab. The 47-year-old actor, who catapulted to the national spotlight for his work in helping migrants reach their homes during the coronavirus-triggered lockdown last year, said his aim now is to encourage more people to receive the vaccine. (PTI)
Punjab Government imposes night curfew from 9pm-5am across the entire State till April 30, also bans political gatherings in the State. (ANI)
India has surpassed the US to become the fastest COVID-19 vaccinating country in the world with an average daily rate of 30,93,861 vaccine doses, the Union Health Ministry said on Wednesday. The cumulative number of COVID-19 vaccine doses administered in the country has crossed 8.70 crore. Cumulatively, 8,70,77,474 vaccine doses have been administered through 13,32,130 sessions, as per the provisional report till 7 am. These include 89,63,724 health care workers (HCWs) who have taken the 1st dose and 53,94,913 HCWs who have taken the 2nd dose, 97,36,629 frontline workers (FLWs) who have received the 1st dose, 43,12,826 FLWs who have taken the 2nd dose. (PTI)
COVID19 situation appears to be very serious in Tamil Nadu but there is no lockdown yet, no masking and people appear to be taking chances, says Madras High Court Chief Justice Sanjib Banerjee. (PTI)
With the addition of 1,337 fresh cases of COVID-19, the tally of infections in Maharashtra's Aurangabad district has reached 91,266, an official said. Apart from the latest cases reported on Tuesday, the district also recorded 30 fatalities that have taken the toll to 1,844, the official said. As many as 74,305 patients have been discharged from hospitals in the district so far, he said, adding that the region is now left with 15,117 active cases. (PTI)
The price of COVID19 drug Remdesivir to be capped between Rs 1100-1400 per dose. We need a high number of Remdesivir doses as 50,000 doses are consumed daily in the State: Rajesh Tope (ANI)
Former Karnataka Minister Ramesh Jarkiholi, who was undergoing treatment for COVID-19 at a hospital near here, was discharged on Wednesday. Jarkiholi told reporters waiting outside the hospital that he requires rest as he was infected by the virus. Doctors, who attended to him said he would remain in isolation for at least two weeks at home. The BJP MLA, who is facing charges of sexual abuse, had failed to appear before the Special Investigation Team (SIT) officials on Friday, citing health issues. He was earlier subjected to questioning on March 29, during which he had sought four days time to answer their questions. (PTI)
Inaction towards COVID-19 guideline violation in poll rallies is worrying, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati said on Wednesday, urging people and governments to take the surge in the infections very seriously. "The central and the state governments as well as the public should take the increase in coronavirus cases in the country very seriously. But inaction towards violation of COVID protocol, especially in election rallies and road shows, is a matter of grave concern. It needs appropriate attention," Mayawati said in a tweet in Hindi. (PTI)
The Madhya Pradesh government on Wednesday suspended bus operations with Chhattisgarh till April 15 in the wake of a rise in COVID-19 cases in the neighbouring state. An order to this effect was issued by the Madhya Pradesh transport department. On Sunday, MP Chief Minister Shivraj Singh said the state government will restrict the movement of people from Chhattisgarh to curb the spread of COVID-19. As per the transport department's order issued on Wednesday, the movement of passenger buses between MP and Chhattisgarh will remain suspended from April 7 to 15. (PTI)
We suspect that there is a new strain that is affecting people in a shorter duration of time. Samples have been sent to National Centre for Disease Control to ascertain this: Maharashtra Health Minister Rajesh Tope on COVID19 situation (ANI)
12 metric tonnes of oxygen is produced & over 7 tonnes of oxygen is consumed daily. We've demanded that we should be supplied medical oxygen from nearby states. If needed, we'll close down industries that use oxygen but won't let supply of medical oxygen be affected: Rajesh Tope. (ANI)
We do not have enough vaccine doses at various vaccination centres, and people have to be sent back due to a shortage of doses. We have demanded from the Centre that people of age group 20-40 years must be vaccinated on priority: Maharashtra Health Minister Rajesh Tope. (ANI)
"I have been tested positive for Covid-19. I have isolated myself at home as per the advice of doctors. I request everyone to please follow all the covid appropriate behaviour and stay safe," Tripura CM Biplab Kumar Deb tweeted.
Cumulative Vaccination Coverage exceeds 8.7 Crores with more than 33 Lakh doses given in the last 24 hours. More than 33 lakh vaccination doses were administered in the last 24 hours: Ministry of Health
The head of the UN children's agency has called for simplifying Intellectual Property Rights for manufacturing COVID-19 vaccines, cautioning that at the current rate, there is "simply not enough" supply of doses to meet the surging demand. "In order to get ahead of the virus, and to shift gears, we must build on a strategy of vaccinating frontline workers but drive towards a strategy that truly enables equitable access for all," UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore said in a statement on Tuesday. (PTI)
Till Monday many soon-to-be-wed couples were excitedly giving final touches to the day they would take their marriage vows but hit by the latest COVID-19 woe, the re-imposition of night curfew in the capital, they found themselves discussing arrangements from scratch yet again -- wedding date, venue and the most important, 'timing'. The Delhi government's decision on Tuesday to impose night curfew from 10 pm to 5 am till April 30 to stem the spread of the virus has thrown the couples and the already bleeding wedding industry into a tizzy. So now couples are mulling a "day marriage", wedding planners are making a beeline for venues in the neighbouring Noida and Gurgaon, and many hotels-banquets, reading the fine print of the order, are busy answering queries from frantic customers. (PTI)
Two more people tested positive for COVID-19 in Arunachal Pradesh, raising the caseload to 16,853, a senior health department official said on Wednesday. The northeastern state now has 11 active cases, while 16,786 people have recovered from the virus, State Surveillance Officer Lobsang Jampa said. The death toll due to the contagion stood at 56. Altogether, 4,15,217 samples have been tested so far, including 259 on Tuesday, Jampa said. (PTI)
Royal Challengers Bangalore's Australian all-rounder Daniel Sams on Wednesday tested positive for COVID-19 ahead of the IPL starting on April 9 here, becoming the second player from his team to be infected by the dreaded virus. According to a statement issued by RCB on its twitter handle, the 28-year-old all-rounder arrived in India on April 3 and had a negative COVID-19 test report at that time. "His report from the 2nd test on 7th April came positive. Sams is currently asymptomatic and he is currently in isolation at a designated medical facility," the RCB said. "Royal Challengers Bangalore medical team is in constant touch with Daniel Sams and continue to monitor his health and abide by the BCCI protocols." Sams was traded to the RCB this season from Delhi Capitals. He became the second RCB player to test positive for the infection after left-handed opening batsman Devdutt Padikkal. (PTI)
The COVID-19 caseload in Andaman and Nicobar Islands rose to 5,123 as seven more people tested positive for the disease in the Union Territory, a health department official said on Wednesday. The fresh cases were detected during contact tracing, he said. The death toll remained at 62 as no new fatality due to the infection was reported in the last 24 hours. Nine people were cured of the disease during the period, taking the total number of recoveries in the archipelago to 5,010, the official said. (PTI)
At least eight more people, including two children, tested positive for novel coronavirus in Mizoram, pushing the tally to 4,508, an official said on Wednesday. The northeastern state now has 50 active cases, while 4,447 people have recovered from the disease. A total of 11 people have died due to the contagion so far, he said. The state has tested 2,56,181 samples for COVID-19, including 1,149 on Tuesday, the official said. (PTI)
Delhi High Court says mask is like 'suraksha kavach' during prevailing COVID-19 pandemic
Delhi High Court rules mask mandatory even if a person is driving alone. It states that a mask acts as a 'suraksha kavach' which would prevent the spread of COVID19. (ANI)
Telangana added 1914 fresh cases to it coronavirus tally, the highest single day spike this year, pushing the aggregate to over 3.16 lakh , while the toll rose to 1,734 with five more fatalities. Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) accounted for the most number of cases with 393, followed by Medchal Malkajgiri 205 and Nizamabad 179, a government bulletin said on Wednesday providing details as of 8 pm on April 6. The total number of cases stood at3,16,649 while with 285patients being cured, the total recoveries were at3,03,298. (PTI)
Thane has added5,957 new cases of coronavirus, taking the infection count in the Maharashtra district to 3,49,987, an official said on Wednesday. These new cases were reported on Tuesday, he said. The virus also claimed the lives of 18 more people, raising the death toll in the district rose to 6,599, the official said, adding that the COVID-19 mortality rate in Thane is 1.88 per cent. So far, 2,99,165 patients have recuperated from the infection in the district, which reflects a recovery rate of 85.48 per cent. (PTI)
The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 1,17,92,135, while the case fatality rate has further dropped to 1.30 per cent. (PTI)