Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to hold a high-level meeting today (Saturday) on the Covid-related situation and vaccination in the country,Coronavirus Daily Cases and Deaths in India, Covid Vaccine India Live Updates: The Covid-19 crisis in India is far from over with the second wave of coronavirus continues its surge even though the number of daily cases is showing a declining trend. The country is still reporting more than 3 lakh Covid-19 cases daily for several weeks since the resurgence of the second Covid-19 wave. India saw 3,26,098 new coronavirus infections in the last 24 hours, taking the Covid-19 tally to 2,43,72,907, according to the data from the Union Health Ministry.
As India struggle with the raging virus, vaccination is the only way out of the coronavirus pandemic, say experts. India so far has vaccinated fully only 3 per cent of its population of 133 crore, which is worrying. In addition, there is this confusing policy by the Narendra Modi government. States/UTs are crying for vaccine supply; several vaccine centres have closed due to a shortage of vaccines. As the struggle for a vaccine continues, most of the states/UTs have imposed complete lockdown and the rest have announced strict Covid-19 restrictions in order to limit the spread of Covid-19 infections.
As the world’s second-most populous nation tries to find a way out of the second wave of coronavirus infections, here are the latest, confirmed updates on Covid-19 from India and around the globe:
Highlights
The first repatriation flight carrying Australians stranded in India landed in Darwin on Saturday following the end of the federal government's controversial ban on them from returning home. The repatriation flights facilitated by the Australian government for its stranded citizens in India resumed from Friday following a two weeks ban due to the COVID-19 health crisis in India. The Qantas jet touched down at the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) base shortly before 9:00 am local time. It was scheduled to carry up to 150 passengers but in the end, only carried 80 people back to Australia. "Many passengers on the first flight on Friday were grounded due to COVID-19 positive test results," Australian High Commissioner to India Barry O'Farrell was quoted as saying by ABC News. A total of 70 people were barred from boarding. 46 of those tested positive to COVID-19, while 24 others were identified as close contacts. The arrivals will be taken to the Howard Springs centre. (PTI)
Delhi on Friday recorded 8,506 COVID-19 cases, the daily count dipping to below the 10,000-mark again after a month, with medical experts believing the lockdown to be the main factor behind the dip amid the second wave of the pandemic. The national capital had registered 7,897 coronavirus cases on April 10 with 39 deaths, as per official data. The fatality count stood at 289 on Friday, with experts cautioning that even over 8,500 daily cases was "still a huge figure" and "severity of cases were still the same as before". Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had said the city's COVID-19 cases count in the last 24 hours, just over 8,500, was much lower than the figures reported on April 20, when it had crossed the 28,000-mark. Doctors at leading government and private hospitals in Delhi said there is a relative fall in the number of cases and "still a long way to go" before the daily count falls below the 2,000-mark, as it was a few months earlier. "Lockdown, I would say is the biggest factor in arriving at a situation where we are now, when daily cases from 28,000 have come down to about 8,500. However, it is still a huge figure, and there should be no room for complacency, on any front," Medical Director of Rajiv Gandhi Super Speciality Hospital (RGSSH), B L Sherwal, said. (PTI)
Putting technology to use for better COVID management and quick transfer of patients to the Dedicated COVID Hospitals (DCH) and COVID Care Centres (CCC), the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) has started GPS tracking of ambulances. While the city authorities have a fleet of 64 ambulances under the COVID management programme, 40 has already become GPS enabled and the rest will be fitted with the tracking devices very soon, a senior official said. Bhubaneswar Smart City Ltd (BSCL) is looking after the technological up-gradation part of the ambulances engaged on COVID duty, the official said. READ MORE
At least 123 people, including four policemen who have returned to the state after election duty in West Bengal, have tested positive for novel coronavirus, pushing Mizoram's COVID-19 tally to 8,499, an official said on Saturday. Of the 123 fresh cases, 101 were reported from Aizawl district, Kolasib (8), Serchhip (6), Kolasib (4), Lunglei (2) and one case each was reported from Champhai and Hnahthial districts. Two healthcare workers and 29 children, including a month-old baby, were among the newly infected people, the official said. Seven patients have travel history, he said, adding that 56 patients have developed symptoms of COVID-19 and the rest 67 are asymptomatic. (PTI)
Jill Biden says finally going mask-free feels like "we're moving forward." A Republican senator says going unmasked "certainly helps the flow of conversation. But the conversation on the House floor on Friday approached sniping as lawmakers objected to being required to keep masking up until all 435 of them get their COVID-19 shots. Across Washington, the government is adjusting to new federal guidance easing up on when masks should be worn. "So much for following the science," Rep. Greg Murphy, R-NC, a urologist, said after complaining that he'd have to put his mask back on after his House floor speech despite being fully vaccinated. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Thursday that fully vaccinated people " those who are two weeks past their last required dose of a COVID-19 vaccine" can stop wearing masks outdoors in crowds and in most indoor settings. Partially vaccinated or unvaccinated people should keep wearing masks, the guidance says. But on Capitol Hill, lawmakers have to keep wearing masks on the House floor, according to a memo from the Office of the Attending Physician, Dr Brian Monahan. "The present mask requirement and other guidelines remain unchanged until all Members and Floor staff are fully vaccinated," House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said in a memo to her Democratic colleagues. "Returning the Capitol to the welcoming and safe venue that it has been requires us to not only secure it physically but to make it safe from the virus." Recent surveys suggest that about 1 in 4 House lawmakers are not fully vaccinated. Lawmakers can remove their masks while on the House floor to make speeches, but must mask up after they finish. They are, however, free to resume "pre-pandemic activities" elsewhere in the House complex of office buildings and public spaces. (AP)
One patient with black fungus confirmed at Max Hospital in Dehradun, three at Doon Hospital & Max Hospital showing symptoms of the disease. Asked technical committee for recommendations for the prevention of black fungus: Health secretary in-charge Pankaj Pandey (ANI)
Union Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank will meet virtually with all state education secretaries on May 17th to review the COVID19 situation, online education and implementation of National Education Policy. (ANI)
At 3 PM today, I’ll be holding a video conferencing with Health Ministers of UP, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh & Gujarat to review current #COVID19 situation & progress of COVID-19 Vaccination drive in their respective States: Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan (ANI)
India in a day recorded 3,26,098 COVID-19 cases that took the tally to 2,43,72,907, while 3,890 new fatalities pushed the death toll to 2,66,207, according to Union health ministry data updated on Saturday. The active cases have reduced to 36,73,802 and comprise 15.07 per cent of the total infections, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate has improved to 83.83 per cent, it stated. The number of people who have recovered from the disease has increased to 2,04,32,898, while the case fatality rate stands at 1.09 per cent, the data updated at 8 am showed. India's COVID-19 tally had crossed the 20-lakh mark on August 7 last year, 30 lakh on August 23, 40 lakh on September 5 and 50 lakh on September 16. It went past 60 lakh on September 28, 70 lakh on October 11, crossed 80 lakh on October 29, 90 lakh on November 20 and surpassed the one-crore mark on December 19 last year. The country's case tally crossed the two-crore mark on May 4. According to the Indian Council of Medical Research, 31,30,17,193 samples have been tested up to May 14 with 6,93,093 samples being tested on Friday. The 3,890 new fatalities include 695 from Maharashtra, 373 from Karnataka, 311 from Uttar Pradesh, 289 from Delhi, 288 from Tamil Nadu, 181 from Uttarakhand, 180 from Punjab, 172 from Chhattisgarh, 164 from Haryana, 155 from Rajasthan, 136 from West Bengal and 104 from Gujarat. (PTI)