The Government of Andhra Pradesh has taken the initiative to set up 32 child care institutions (CCI) designated for children whose parents or guardians have either contracted the coronavirus and need medical assistance or have lost their lives to Covid-19.

Andhra Pradesh is the first state to set up institutions of this nature, even though the number of children facing this plight in the state currently is significantly low. However, assessing that this issue might come up in the future, as a lot of parents are testing positive for Covid-19, the state government has decided to take proactive steps to ensure that no child is abandoned in the future and receives proper care and attention.

The CCIs will provide food, shelter and education to the children. For assistance, two helpline numbers, 181 and 1098, have been set up.

Krithika Batra, Director of Women Development, Child Welfare and Zonal Development, stated, “Any child or guardian in need of this assistance can contact these helpline numbers, post which the district-level teams will be sent to the residence of the child and transport the child to the nearest child care institution. Based on the preference of the child, they will be handed over to the kinship care of a suitable guardian, or the child will be moved to the adoption framework. 32 child care institutions with all facilities and a dedicated team are ready to ensure that these children in need of care and protection are given support by the government.”

Recently, three siblings were rescued by a district team, after their parents tested positive for Covid-19. While their father is receiving treatment at a government hospital in Anantapur, their mother is currently taking medication for her symptoms. Their mother had hoped to send her children to their relatives in Hindupur, but had failed as the relatives were reluctant to take them. The district team placed the three children at a CCI, where they were checked upon by the DCPO, Childline District Coordinator, personally.

TDP national general secretary and MLC Nara Lokesh has written a letter to Chief Minister Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy, urging his government to cancel the class 10 examinations altogether, considering the continuing rise in Covid-19 cases.

Lokesh has told the CM that the class 10 examinations were fast approaching and they were scheduled to start all over the state in just three weeks from now. On the other hand, the deadly infections were rising unabated due to the second Covid-19 wave. The students and their parents were now under extreme stress because of the threat of coronavirus, on the one hand, and the examinations, on the other.

Nara Lokesh urged the AP government to follow their example and give pass certificates to all class 10 students without conducting the examinations. Over 12 states, including neighbouring Telangana, have cancelled the class 10 examinations at the beginning of the second wave of infections itself. Students and parents have brought to the notice of the TDP in online meetings about the pressing need for cancellation of the examinations.

Lokesh pointed out that there was still uncertainty when exactly these raging epidemic infections would come down to give some relief to the people. This kind of a protracted calamity was not known to the people of the country since the days of independence. Lokesh said. Future generations might have to see very peculiar situations, he said. The class 10 examinations were cancelled when there were just 5,000 Covid active cases in the state last year. Now, the active cases have risen to 2 lakh, but the government was not taking this into consideration.

Union Minister D.V. Sadananda Gowda on Thursday asked whether people in the government should hang themselves if the production of Covid-19 vaccines is insufficient.

Replying to queries regarding the Covid vaccination drive, Gowda said, “We started the vaccination drive with good intentions. If courts order mass vaccination and we have not manufactured enough vaccines, should we hang ourselves?”

Gowda further accepted that there was a delay in vaccine manufacture due to the non-availability of the raw material of the vaccine. “Earlier, the Karnataka High court had asked the government for mass vaccination but vaccine production is not happening at an expected level. Yes there is a delay in production,” he added.

Amid the ongoing Covid-19 crisis in the country, Delhi continues to witness a dip in the coronavirus cases with 10,489 new infections recorded in the last 24 hours, which is the lowest since 11 April, according to the health bulletin by the Delhi government released on Thursday.

The cumulative caseload in Delhi has mounted to 13,72,475, while there are still 77,717 active cases. The positivity rate has come down to 14.24 per cent, which is the lowest since 13 April.

As many as 308 people succumbed to Covid-19 in the last 24 hours. The death toll in the national capital now stands at 20,618. The cumulative fatality rate is at 1.50 per cent.

A total of 73,675 tests including 58,709 RT-PCR/CBNAAT/True Nat test and 14,966 Rapid antigen tests were conducted in the national capital in the last 24 hours. The cumulative number of tests conducted in Delhi stands at 1,81,01,281.

According to the health bulletin, 74,654 beneficiaries were vaccinated in the last 24 hours. Out of these, 74,654 received their first dose and 74,654 took their second jab. The cumulative number of beneficiaries vaccinated in the national capital so far is 42,22,308.

Delhi’s Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, earlier in the day, informed that the positivity rate of the city went up to 36 per cent during the last three weeks and started witnessing a dip from last week.

Delhi has been under a lockdown since 19 April in view of surging Covid-19 infections, which has been extended till 17 May.

Meanwhile, Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on Thursday informed that the national capital now has a surplus of oxygen.

While addressing a press conference, Sisodia said that after assessing the Covid-19 situation, Delhi now requires about 582 metric tonnes of oxygen a day and the surplus will be given to other states that need it. “Today, after an assessment of the Covid-19 situation, Delhi’s oxygen need is 582 MT per day. As a responsible government, we will give the surplus oxygen to the States who need it,” he said. He further informed that Delhi has reported just about 10,400 new Covid-19 cases in the last 24 hours, with a positivity rate of approximately 14 per cent.

Severe oxygen shortages had been raised several times in the Delhi High Court in the last few weeks, with the Delhi government arguing despite being allocated about 976 tonnes of oxygen, only a little over half was reaching hospitals in the national capital.

WITH ANI INPUTS

The Maharashtra government on Thursday extended the lockdown-like restrictions in the state till 1 June to break the chain of Covid-19. In an order, Chief secretary Sitaram Kunte said the curbs will remain in force till 7am on 1 June.

As per the order, additional restrictions include mandatory negative RT-PCR test report for any person entering the state by any mode of transport. The test report will have to be issued within 48 hours before the time of entry into the state. All restrictions enforced as per earlier orders for people arriving from places of “sensitive origin” will be applicable to anyone arriving from any part of the country into the state, the order said.

This rule was earlier applicable only to travellers coming in from the states marked as “sensitive origin”; now the rule has been extended for people coming into the state from any part of the country.

“Milk collection, transport and processing may be allowed without restrictions, though its retail sale be allowed subject to restrictions imposed on shops dealing with essential items or through home delivery,” the government order said. 

Looking at the positive effect of the lockdown-like curbs in reining in the raging pandemic, all ministers unanimously said the restrictions must be extended. It was pointed out that active cases had reached close to 7 lakh in the state, but are now down to 4.8 lakh, said Rajesh Tope after the meeting.

Meanwhile, traders’ associations strongly opposed the move, saying retail traders have lost business worth Rs 5,000 crore in the last 40 days. Viren Shah, president of the Federation of Retail Traders Welfare Association (FRTWA), said they are staring at more losses now if they do not get any government package. Shah also claimed that e-tailers are violating the rule against delivering non-essentials and they will have to move court if the government doesn’t restrain these platforms.

However, the situation is still not in control, as the state is facing shortage of vaccine. Extension of lockdown is already facing criticism from political leaders and many unions. For now, the state government has given priority to people awaiting their second dose of vaccine.

Amid Covid-19 vaccine shortage being reported from several states, top government advisor and NITI Aayog member Dr V.K. Paul said on Thursday that the Central government and Bharat Biotech—which manufactures Covid-19 vaccine Covaxin—are willing to invite other companies which want to produce it. He, however, also stressed that Covaxin can only be produced in the Biosafety level 3 (BSL3) labs.

“People say that Covaxin should be given to other companies for manufacturing. I am happy to say that Covaxin manufacturing company (Bharat Biotech) has welcomed this when we discussed it with them. Under this vaccine, a live virus is inactivated and this is done only in BSL3 labs. Not every company has this. We give an open invitation to companies who want to do this. Companies that want to manufacture Covaxin should do it together. The Centre will assist so that capacity is increased,” Dr Paul said.

The Centre’s decision to invite other players to produce Covaxin comes at a time when several states in the country have said that there is a shortage of Covid-19 vaccine which has caused them to stop ongoing inoculation drive. Worst-affected Maharashtra and Delhi are among these states. BJP-ruled Karnataka too announced on Thursday that it has stopped the vaccination drive.

Talking about the vaccination coverage in his presentation, Dr Paul emphasised that one-third of the population aged 45 years and above are now covered. “We are happy to report that one-third of 45 and above are protected. The age group of 45 and above contribute to 88 per cent of deaths. So you can imagine, how many dents it would have made to reduce the risk of death of this population,” he added.

Highlighting the latest feat achieved by the country, Dr Paul disclosed that nearly 18 crore doses of Covid-19 vaccine have been administered in India, whereas, in the US, the number stands around 26 crores which state that India stands in the third position in the overall vaccination tally in the world.

Meanwhile, the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) on Thursday approved Phase 2 and 3 clinical trial of Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin vaccine in the age group of 2 to 18 years, informed the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

“The National Regulator of the country, the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI), after careful examination, has accepted the recommendation of Subject Expert Committee (SEC) and accorded permission to conduct the Phase II/III clinical trial of Covaxin (Covid vaccine) in the age group 2 to 18 years, to its manufacturer Bharat Biotech Ltd on May 12, 2021,” the ministry said.

Bharat Biotech will conduct trials in 525 healthy volunteers.

“In the trial, the vaccine will be given by intramuscular route in two doses at day 0 and day 28,” it said.

As a rapid regulatory response, the proposal was deliberated in the Subject Expert Committee (SEC) (Covid-19) on 11 May 2021. The Committee after detailed deliberation recommended for grant of permission to conduct the proposed Phase 2 and 3 clinical trials to certain conditions.

Covaxin is one of the two vaccines being manufactured in India at present and has been developed by Bharat Biotech in association with the Indian Council of Medical Research and the National Institute of Virology. The firm on Tuesday informed that it has been supplying its Covid-19 vaccine directly to 18 states since 1 May.