India reported 259,591 new Covid-19 cases in the last 24 hours, while deaths rose by 4,209, according to data from Union Health Ministry on Friday.Covid-19 India Live Update, Coronavirus Cases and Deaths in India Live Coverage: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will review the Covid-19 situation in his constituency Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, and will speak to doctors, paramedical staff, and other frontline healthcare workers through video conferencing at 11 am today. He is expected to discuss efforts to tackle the second wave of Coronavirus. Yesterday he spoke to chief ministers, DMs, and field officials of 10 states regarding the prevailing Covid-19 situation and vaccination. He cautioned states not to waste vaccines, as it is the main weapon in the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic. He asked DMs to study the spread and severity of Coronavirus infections among children and youth. He said the virus is mutating, we need to change our strategies accordingly. We can’t lower guard.”
Till some days ago, India was reporting over 3 lakh Covid-19 cases per day. The number of Coronavirus infections has dropped massively. For the past 5 days, the country has been reporting below 3 lakh virus infections daily—which is a good a sign, considering at one point (mid-May), India was reporting over 4 lakh cases daily. Overall, the positivity rate has also gone down. As many as 303 districts have witnessed a drop in positivity rate, compared to 210 districts in the previous week – an indication that the severity of the second wave may be over. However, high deaths and rising cases of black fungus remain a pain point for the government. Due to a sudden spike in black fungus cases, the Centre yesterday made the disease ‘notifiable’.
India reported 259,591 new Covid-19 cases in the last 24 hours, while deaths rose by 4,209, according to data from Union Health Ministry on Friday. The country’s Covid-19 tally stands at 26.03 million, with a death toll at 291,331. The active cases in the country further reduced to 30,27,925 comprising 11.63 per cent of the total infections. The Covid-19 recovery rate also improved to 87.25 per cent.
In a major positive development for India’s fight against Coronavirus, Bharat Biotech yesterday announced that the company will increase its Covid-19 vaccine (Covaxin) production capacity by 17 million doses per month. “The company plans to produce 200 million doses of Covaxin per annum in the GMP facilities that are already functional,” Bharat Biotech said in a statement. In another positive development, the government has approved the first home Covid-19 testing kit. The Indian Council of Medical Research has given its nod to MyLab Discovery Solutions-developed home-based self-use Covid test kit. It will give a major boost India’s testing capacity.
In the meanwhile, several states/UTs are under some kind of restrictions, be it lockdown or curfew, in order to limit the spread of Coronavirus infection. Many states have already extended lockdown/curbs till May end; some are contemplating increasing it further. Tamil Nadu is weighing for an extension of lockdown as cases continue to surge.
Highlights
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies says Asia faces a COVID-19 vaccine supply crisis amid grim record daily death tolls. It said in a statement Friday that Nepal and Bangladesh have run out of vaccines while a majority of countries in the region are struggling with shortages. It says hospitals in India, Nepal, Malaysia and the Philippines are full to the brim with COVID-19 patients. The organisation said many richer countries have purchased enough vaccines to immunize every person several times over while most parts of Asia have only a fraction of that. The group's Asia Pacific director, Alexander Matheou, said sharing vaccine doses between countries and through the United Nations' COVAX facility is now the only option to address the shortage and prevent a further catastrophe. (AP)
I'd like to emphasise that we need to step up COVID vaccination. Whichever vaccines are available to us, we have to give them as fast as possible. In the coming months, there'll be a significant increase in production capacity in the country: Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan (ANI)
Ladakh reported 107 new COVID-19 cases and one fatality on Friday, pushing the union territory's infection tally to 17,025 and its death toll to 172. Leh has so far registered 124 deaths due to the disease and Kargil 48. Officials said 82 of the new infections were reported from Leh and 25 from Kargil. The number of active cases in Ladakh stands at 1,554, they said. (PTI)
Ladakh reported 107 new COVID-19 cases and one fatality on Friday, pushing the union territory's infection tally to 17,025 and its death toll to 172. Leh has so far registered 124 deaths due to the disease and Kargil 48. Officials said 82 of the new infections were reported from Leh and 25 from Kargil. The number of active cases in Ladakh stands at 1,554, they said. (PTI)
Amid all indications that the Karnataka government will be extending the lockdown as the state battles second wave of COVID-19, Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa on Friday said he is holding discussions in this regard and will take a decision soon. The state is currently under complete lockdown till May 24. "We will sit and discuss tomorrow, tonight also I'm meeting Ministers, we will take a decision," Yediyurappa told reporters to a question on extending the lockdown. Responding to a similar question from reporters, Health Minister K Sudhakar said, "several Ministers are of the same opinion, the Chief Minister is also of the same mindset, and a final decision will be taken by May 22 or 23." There is also intense speculation whether the lockdown will be extended for seven or 14 days. The Karnataka government had initially announced 14 days "close down" from April 27, but subsequently imposed a complete lockdown from May 10 to May 24, as the COVID cases continued to spike. (PTI)
In Goa, there are 22,000 active cases. There are almost 1200 new cases each day. The fatality rate is 1.59% in Goa. 4 cases of Mucormycosis are admitted in Goa Medical College; In Himachal Pradesh, there are 35,000 active cases, sample positivity is 9.57%. In past week, Kangra, Mandi, Solan, Shimla and Hamirpur have shown a surge in cases. We have underlined causes like complacency, marriages, religious gatherings and local elections: Dr Harsh Vardhan
The novel coronavirus responsible for COVID-19 could cause no more than common cold-like coughs and sniffles within the next decade, according to a study. The research, published in the journal Viruses, makes this likely prediction based on mathematical models that incorporate lessons learned from the current pandemic on how our body's immunity changes over time. "This shows a possible future that has not yet been fully addressed," said Fred Adler, a professor of mathematics and biological sciences at the University of Utah in the US. "Over the next decade, the severity of COVID-19 may decrease as populations collectively develop immunity," Adler said. The study suggests that changes in the disease could be driven by adaptations of our immune response rather than by changes in the virus itself. Although the SARS-CoV-2 virus is the best-known member of the family, other seasonal coronaviruses circulate in the human population, and they are less dangerous. The researchers noted that some evidence indicates that one of these cold-causing relatives might have once been severe, giving rise to the "Russian flu" pandemic in the late 19th century. The parallels led the scientists to wonder whether the severity of SARS-CoV-2 could similarly lessen over time. (PTI)
#COVID19 | Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant has announced the extension of curfew up to May 31 (ANI)
Mylab Discovery Solutions, which has developed a do-it-yourself COVID-19 testing kit for symptomatic patients, is building a stock of one crore units of the recently-approved home test kits before a national rollout on June 1, a top official said on Friday. The Pune-based company, which is also credited with making the first indigeneous RT-PCR kit last year, is developing an integrated molecular testing product which focused on automation, as its next big project, the official said. The home test kit christened 'COVISELF', which produces a result in 15 minutes for symptomatic patients, was cleared by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) late on Wednesday evening. The product priced at Rs 250 per unit is aimed at quick turnarounds in testing and will also ensure that a patient starts quarantining quickly and desists from spreading the virus further. "We are manufacturing 10 lakh units a day at our facility in Lonavala. Over the next 10 days, we will be stocking up 1 crore units and then launch nationally by June 1. The purpose is to have a threshold and ensure that the product is available," Shrikant Patole, its co-founder and director, said. (PTI)
Mylab Discovery Solutions, which has developed a do-it-yourself COVID-19 testing kit for symptomatic patients, is building a stock of one crore units of the recently-approved home test kits before a national rollout on June 1, a top official said on Friday. The Pune-based company, which is also credited with making the first indigeneous RT-PCR kit last year, is developing an integrated molecular testing product which focused on automation, as its next big project, the official said. The home test kit christened 'COVISELF', which produces a result in 15 minutes for symptomatic patients, was cleared by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) late on Wednesday evening. The product priced at Rs 250 per unit is aimed at quick turnarounds in testing and will also ensure that a patient starts quarantining quickly and desists from spreading the virus further. "We are manufacturing 10 lakh units a day at our facility in Lonavala. Over the next 10 days, we will be stocking up 1 crore units and then launch nationally by June 1. The purpose is to have a threshold and ensure that the product is available," Shrikant Patole, its co-founder and director, said. (PTI)
Central Board of Secondary Education along with Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, YuWaah-UNICEF are activating the 'Young Warrior' movement to engage 5 million young people to lead action against COVID19 & impact 50 million people (ANI)
The UK government says it has bolstered its COVID-19 vaccine drive as part of a series of enhanced measures to tackle 'clusters' of the B1.617.2 variant of concern (VOC) first identified in India, as the latest data confirmed its numbers had risen by 2,111 over the past week to hit 3,424 cases across the country. Public Health England (PHE) said in its latest weekly variant cases data released on Thursday that cases of the variant categorised as VOC-21APR-02 are still predominantly affecting the north-west of England, particularly Bolton, and London, but "we are seeing clusters of cases across the country". "There is evidence that VOC-21APR-02 is growing rapidly and may be more transmissible than VOC-20DEC-01, the 'Kent variant' that is currently dominant in the UK. Experts at PHE are monitoring the situation closely," PHE said. Health authorities said that a targeted approach is being used throughout London to focus on the city's many 'small dispersed clusters'. (PTI)
There has been an increasing trend in the fungal infection being seen in COVID patients. This was also reported to some extent during SARS outbreak. Uncontrolled diabetes with COVID can also predispose to the development of Mucormycosis: AIIMS Director Dr Guleria on Black fungus (ANI)
Chipko movement leader Sundarlal Bahuguna died of COVID19 at AIIMS, Rishikesh today, says AIIMS Rishikesh Administration (ANI)
EAM will hold discussions with US Secy of State. He'll also be meeting Cabinet member& Senior Officials of the Administration dealing with bilateral relationship. He will have two interactions with business forums on economic & COVID-related cooperation between India & US: MEA (ANI)
In our ongoing fight against COVID19, a new challenge of Black fungus has surfaced. We must focus on taking precaution and preparation to deal with it: PM Modi (ANI)
COVID-19 second wave has put health system under pressure; have to fight on many fronts: PM Modi to frontline workers of Varanasi. (PTI)
Andhra Pradesh | People in very large numbers gather at Krishnapatnam village in Nellore district where an Ayurvedic practitioner is distributing medicines for COVID19; social distancing norms flouted (ANI)
We don't have Covisheild vaccines for the 18-44 age group & the available stock of COVAXIN vaccine for the same age group will be consumed soon. Many vaccination centers will be closing today: Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain (ANI)
In Delhi, there are 197 cases of Black fungus in govt & private hospitals: Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain (ANI)
A dedicated community support helpline has been operationalised by the ministry to provide AYUSH-based approaches & solutions for challenges raised by Covid. The toll-free no. is 14443. The helpline is operational pan-India from 6 am to 12 midnight on all days: Ministry of Ayush (ANI)
Puducherry reported 1,702 fresh coronavirus cases and 26 related fatalities during the last 24 hours, a senior Health department official said on Friday. The 1,702 new infections took the overall tally in the union territory to 93,167, Director of Health and Family Welfare Services S Mohan Kumar said. He said as many as 2,017 patients were discharged from healthcare facilities during the last 24 hours ending 10 AM Friday, taking the cumulative recoveries to 73,936. The number of active cases stood at 17,936 with 15,830 in home isolation and 2,106 in hospitals, he added. The 26 deaths took the toll to 1,295, he said adding 18 of the deceased had no comorbidities. (PTI)
Mizoram on Friday registered its highest single-day spike of 296 COVID-19 cases, which pushed the tally to 9,740, a health department official said. The death toll remained unchanged at 30, he said. Three BSF jawans, one Assam Rifles personnel and at least 50 children are among the new patients. Of the 296 fresh cases, 105 were detected at Zoram Medical College's RT-PCR laboratory, five at the state's TrueNat facilities and the rest via Rapid Antigen Test. Twelve new patients have travel history, while the remaining 274 were found to have locally contracted the virus. (PTI)
Two doses of the Oxford/AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine are around 85 per cent to 90 per cent effective against symptomatic disease, Public Health England (PHE) has said, citing a new analysis of real-world data from the rollout of the shot in the UK. In its latest weekly COVID-19 vaccine surveillance report on Thursday, the PHE also estimated that 13,000 deaths have now been prevented in people aged 60 years or older in England up to May 9, 2021 (11,100 deaths in individuals aged 80 years and older, 1,600 in individuals aged 70 to 79 and 300 in individuals aged 60 to 69 years). New analysis for the first time estimates that 2 doses of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine provide around 85 to 90 per cent protection against symptomatic disease, PHE said in a press release. That compares to 90 per cent estimated effectiveness against symptomatic disease for the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine, according to reports. (PTI)
Odisha on Friday reported the highest single-day spike of 12,523 new COVID-19 cases and a record 27 more deaths, a Health Department official said. The new cases were recorded after testing 61,665 samples on Thursday, taking the positivity rate to 20.30 per cent. The state has so far reported 6,68,422 cases of COVID-19 and 2,430 deaths. Of the new infections, 7,012 were detected at different quarantine centres and the remaining 5,511 were local contact cases. Khurda district, of which the state capital Bhubaneswar is a part, reported the highest 1,842 new cases, followed by Cuttack (1084), Angul (930), Sundargarh (715), Puri (568) and Mayurbhanj (546). Only two districts -- Gajapati (53) and Malkangiri (73) -- reported less than 100 new cases, the health official said. (PTI)
Arunachal Pradesh on Friday reported 360 new COVID-19 cases, taking the tally to 23,159, a Health Department official said. The toll in the state remained at 89 as no new fatality was reported in the last 24 hours, State Surveillance Officer (SSO) Dr Lobsang Jampa said. The Capital Complex region recorded the maximum number of fresh cases at 89, followed by Changlang (60), Tawang (40), Lower Subansiri (31) and Lower Dibang Valley (19), the official said. Of the new cases, 309 were detected through rapid antigen tests, 27 through RT-PCR and 24 through the TrueNat method, Jampa said. In all, 177 of the new patients have symptoms. Arunachal Pradesh now has 2,731 active cases. Total 214 people were cured of the disease on Thursday, taking the total number of recoveries in the state to 20,339. (PTI)
South Korea on Friday approved Moderna Inc’s COVID-19 vaccine, as the country attempts to speed up its inoculation efforts, drug safety minister Kim Gang-lip told a news conference. The green light comes after two of three expert panels recommended approval be granted for the two-dose vaccine based on safety and efficacy in late-stage trials in the United States. Moderna is the fourth COVID-19 vaccine to be approved in South Korea, following doses developed by AstraZeneca Plc , Pfizer Inc and Johnson & Johnson, said Kim. READ MORE
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Karnataka will receive 2 lakh doses of Covishield today. So far we've received 1,24,20,510 doses incl 1,13,26340 (1,01,60,060 Covisheid&11,66,280 covaxin) from GoI & 10,94,170 (9,50,000 covishield&1,44,170 covaxin) from state procurement: Karnataka Health Minister (ANI)
Jammu & Kashmir: One case of Black fungus reported in Government Medical College and Hospital in Jammu, says Dr Shashi Sudan, Principal GMC Jammu (PTI)
Union Health Min Dr Harsh Vardhan to chair a meeting on COVID19 situation & vaccination progress with Health Ministers of Chhattisgarh, Goa, Himachal Pradesh, Puducherry &LG's/Administrator of A&N Islands, Chandigarh, Dadra Nagar Haveli, Daman & Diu, J&K, Ladakh & Lakshadweep (ANI)
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Singapore has reported 41 new cases of the coronavirus, taking the total number of infections in the nation to 61,730, a media report said on Friday. Singapore also reported the death of a 70-year-old person in the last 24 hours due to coronavirus, The Strait Times reported. "A 70-year-old Singaporean man has died from complications due to COVID-19 infection on Thursday, while 41 new infection cases were reported, including 27 infections in the community (local)," the report said, citing a statement issued by the Ministry of Health (MoH) released on Thursday. The MOH said the deceased was linked to the Tan Tock Seng Hospital (TTSH) cluster, one of the centres of emerging coronavirus cases. "This is the second COVID-19 death reported in May. As of Thursday, Singapore's COVID-19 death toll stands at 32, with the total number of cases at 61,730," the report said. (PTI)
The Karnataka government will resume the COVID-19 vaccination drive for people in the 18-44 years age group from Saturday. The frontline warriors will be the first to receive the jabs followed by other eligible groups in the list, the state government said in an order on Thursday. The decision came eight days after the government ordered the suspension of the vaccination drive for this group in the absence of adequate supply of vaccines. "Vaccination for 18-44 years age group is being resumed from May 22 and state procured vaccines will be utilised to vaccinate the eligible beneficiaries," the order stated. The state has identified corona frontline warriors who will be receiving the vaccines initially, it said. (PTI)
The coronavirus tally in Thane district of Maharashtra rose by 1,137 to reach 5,05,837, an official said on Friday. These new cases were reported on Thursday, he said. With COVIDthe virus claiming the lives of 59 persons during the day, the death toll in the district rose to 8,707. Thane's COVID-19 mortality rate is 1.72 per cent, he added. In neighboring Palghar district, the infection count has gone up to 1,05,611, while the death toll has reached 1,936, another official said. (PTI)
The cumulative number of COVID-19 vaccine doses administered in the country has surpassed 19 crore, the Union Health Ministry said on Thursday. On the day-125 of the vaccination drive on Thursday, a total of 14,56,088 vaccine doses — 12,73,785 first dose and 1,82,303 second dose — were given according to provisional report till 8 PM, the ministry data showed. READ MORE
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