Experts have warned that recurring waves of coronavirus infections are inevitable if existing practices such as expanding India's vaccination drive and following COVID protocol are not adhered to.
Unlike in January and February when the limited vaccine rollout was yet to accelerate, there is currently a shortage in vaccine supply, with less than 2 million doses being administered a day, and supplies of both Covishield and Covaxin unlikely to significantly pick up before July.
You can track coronavirus cases, deaths and testing rates at the national and State levels here. A list of State Helpline numbers is available as well.
Here are the latest updates:
More than a crore vaccines still available with States: Health Ministry
More than one crore COVID vaccine doses (1,04,30,063) are still available with the States/UTs to be administered, said the Union Health Ministry in a release issued on Monday.
It added that States with negative balance are showing more consumption (including wastage) than vaccine supplied as they have not reconciled the vaccine they have supplied to Armed Forces.
The Ministry said that more than 9 lakh (9,24,910) vaccine doses will be received in addition by the States/UTs within the next 3 days.
Central government has said that it has so far provided nearly 18 crore vaccine doses (17,93,57,860) to States/UTs free of cost. “Of this, the total consumption including wastages is 16,89,27,797doses (as per data available at 8 am today),” noted the Ministry. - Bindu Shajan Perappadan
Stricter COVID curfew in Uttarakhand from May 11-18
In a bid to check the coronavirus spread, the Uttarakhand government imposed a stricter curfew from May 11 to 18, reducing opening hours for shops dealing in essential services and restricting the number of people at social gatherings to 20.
Shops selling essential items like milk, vegetables, fruits and meat will be allowed to open from 7 am to 10 am daily. Till now, these shops opened from 7 am to 12 am daily.
Grocery shops will be permitted to open on May 13 only. Mediapersons will have the permission to move around during the curfew if they have their IDs with them.
People coming from outside the state will have to bring a negative RT-PCR report, not older than 72 hours.
Departments providing essential services will open with attendance of only 50 per cent of their staff during the period.
People have been advised to defer marriages if they can. Not more than 20 persons will be allowed to gather for marriages or funerals during the period.
India records 3,66,161 fresh cases, 3,754 more fatalities
After recording over four lakh fresh cases for four consecutive days, India witnessed a single-day rise of 3,66,161 COVID-19 cases on Monday, which pushed its tally to 2,26,62,575, according to the health ministry.
The death toll due to the viral disease climbed to 2,46,116 with 3,754 more people succumbing to it, the ministry's data updated at 8 am showed.
The number of active cases of the coronavirus infection in the country has gone up to 37,45,237, accounting for 16.53 per cent of its total caseload, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate was recorded at 82.39 per cent.
The number of people who have recuperated from the disease has climbed to 1,86,71,222, while the case fatality rate was recorded at 1.09 per cent, according to the data.
Air bridge between Dubai, nine Indian cities to transport urgent relief items ready
India humanitarian air bridge is in place between Dubai and nine major cities in the country to transport urgent COVID-19 medical and relief items.
Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Chennai, Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram are the designated cities for the initiative taken by Emirates’ to support India in its fight to control the second wave of the pandemic.
First oxygen express train to Karnataka leaves Jamshedpur
The first oxygen express train to Karnataka has left from Jamshedpur in Jharkhand on Monday. The train carrying 120 tonnes of liquid oxygen will reach the Container Corporation India, Whitefield in the city, on Tuesday, May 11, 2021.
Chief PRO of South Western Railway (SWR) Mr Aneesh Hegde told The Hindu that the first express train is carrying six cryogenic containers (each loaded with 20 tonnes of liquid oxygen) left at 3.30 a.m from Jamshedpur. — Suchith Kidiyoor
35 flyovers closed in Chennai
With the total lockdown coming into force on Monday, May 10, 2021, the Chennai City traffic police have closed more than 35 flyovers in the city prohibiting the vehicle traffic movement. More than 10,000 police personnel will be deployed in the city and over 200 check points set up to enforce the complete lockdown in the city. People travelling for weddings of close relatives, funerals, job interviews and hospitals would be allowed on production of relevant documents.
Army to recruit 400 retired medical officers
The Defence Ministry has issued an order to the Directorate General Armed Forces Medical Services (DGAFMS) for the recruitment of 400 retired medical officers of the Army Medical Corps (AMC) and the Short Service Commission (SSC), amid the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Medical officer released between 2017 and 2021 are expected to be recruited on a contract basis for a maximum period of 11 months, a Ministry statement said.
Police crack down on inessential travel
The Kerala police actively dissuaded inessential travel on the second day of the COVID-19 lockdown on Sunday.
Officers flagged down vehicles and challenged passengers to state their reason for travel. The clampdown will continue till May 16. The police allowed people with appointments at hospitals and COVID-19 vaccination centres.
BJP MP Tejasvi Surya launches ‘Oxy Bank’
Tejasvi Surya, MP for Bengaluru South, has launched a bank of oxygen concentrators to aid in the treatment of COVID-19 patients in the city. Presently, the bank, MP Oxy Bank, has 250 oxygen concentrator units and will be soon expanded to 650 units, Mr. Surya said.
Age no bar in Latur couple’s triumph over COVID-19
The third week of March proved to be Suresh Chavan’s summer of disquiet: five members of his family including his wife and two children had tested positive for COVID-19. But he was especially disconcerted when his centenarian father Dhenu Chavan and his nonagenarian mother, Motabai contracted the virus and were suffering from high fever.
As the lethal second wave of the pandemic began engulfing rural Maharashtra, many in the village of Katgaon Krishna Tanda (around 18 km from Latur city) feared the end was near for their beloved and venerated residents — 105-year-old Dhenu and 95-year-old Motabai.
(With inputs from our Correspondents and agencies)