Maharashtra Covid lockdown news live: Stop random Remdesivir prescription, HC tells doctors

Concerned over shortage of essential medicines like Remdesvir, the Nagpur bench of Bombay high court asked doctors, particularly private practitioners, not to indiscriminately prescribe it to Covid-19 patients. “The World Health Organisation (WHO) guidelines state that this drug being not a remedy but only an investigation tool must not be injudiciously prescribed and indiscriminately used. We hope that the medical fraternity will give respect to the Maharashtra government’s standard operating procedure and WHO’s opinion,” a division bench comprising justices Sunil Shukre and Shreeram Modak said.

Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray on Saturday thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi after the Central government approved the supply of 4,35,000 vials of Remdesivir to the state. Office of the Chief Minister of Maharashtra in a tweet said, "The Central Government today has approved a supply of 4,35,000 vials of Remdesivir to Maharashtra till April 30th. CM Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray has thanked the Hon'ble PM Narendra Modi for accepting his request." (ANI)

The Pune Metropolitan Region (PMR) continued to add less than 10,000 Covid-19 cases for the third day on Saturday, while its death toll climbed to its highest (138) in the last 24 hours. Besides, as many as 8,853 patients recovered in the region, taking its total discharges above 6.68 lakh.

The district rural police have adopted a new strategy to prevent people from stepping out of their homes without valid reason — subjecting them to rapid antigen tests. The rural police on Friday made over 125 people undergo the test with the help of Baramati tehsil administration and found 12 people Covid positive.

Deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar on Saturday said the state government would float a global tender for Covid-19 vaccines and remdesivir injections.“A five member-committee, headed by chief secretary Sitaram Kunte and comprising key officials from the health, medical education and industry departments, would oversee the global tendering process,” Ajit Pawar told reporters after holding the weekly Covid review meeting with the district administration officials and elected representatives at the Council Hall in the city.

Daily Covid-19 cases in Mumbai have dropped below 6,000 for the first time this month. After registering a high of 11,206 cases on April 4, the daily case count in Mumbai dropped to 5,867. The drop could be the result of fewer daily tests conducted on Friday and Saturday — 39,584 compared to 45,000 on average. The state added 67,160 cases and 676 fatalities on Saturday. The total caseload of the state stood at 42.28 lakh and the death toll in the state touched 63,928.

Deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar said on Saturday that a five-member committee led by chief secretary Sitaram Kunte had been empowered by the cabinet to take decisions on gobal tendering for Covid-19 vaccines and remdesivir without seeking any clearance.

Despite as much as 16,000 cylinders refilled each day by gas manufacturing units in the city, and another gas for 3,000 cylinders coming from Bhilai in Chhattisgarh, there remains a significant shortage of medical oxygen, say hospital and industry sources. There are six oxygen manufacturing units in the city and two major refillers. There are two types of oxygen makers — bulk liquid plants and air separation units. The bulk liquid plant has a larger capacity as compared to a separation unit.