A health worker collects swab samples of a passenger arriving from Maharashtra at a COVID-19 testing counter at Patna railway station. (PTI photo)Coronavirus Cases in Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Delhi, Telangana Highlights: As the second wave of the Covid-19 infections shows a steady decline over the past 10 days, India is now focusing on the mucormycosis epidemic. Hospitals have shown a steep rise in the demand for anti-fungal injection. However, there is a shortage in the market as more and more people are posting amphotericin B injection SOSs on social media. The decentralisation of the vaccine policy is not helping India either. With stock dwindling and many vaccination centres on verge of closure now states are complaining about global pharma giants refusing to sell the vaccine to them. First, it was Punjab that revealed how Moderna denied vaccine sale. Now Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal also says that Pfizer and Moderna have told his government that they won’t deal directly with the state. This brings a very important question up for debate – Is the global tender route for procuring vaccines a flop show? Well, if we look at Punjab and Delhi, it is a grim reality. The Centre on its part says that the availability of the vaccine will see an uptick in August. So, what happens till then? Amid all this, rural India is getting off the national radar.
On Monday, India reached another grim milestone with over 4,000 deaths pushing the national fatality record over 3 lakhs. India is the only third country in the world after the US and Brazil register over 3 lakh Covid deaths. Of course this an official data. Health experts as well as various reports have pointed out the marked mismatch between crematorium ground records and official data. Tamil Nadu is topping the national tally of the fresh Covid infections. Bengaluru is struggling to provide hospital beds. After black fungus, there were some reports about white fungus. Now UP’s Ghaziabad is reporting about yellow fungus!
India is reporting a fewer number of Covid cases with experts saying that the deadly second wave of the coronavirus will recede sometime in late June or early July. States across India are however playing safe and have extended lockdowns/ corona curfew. The curbs have helped in reducing the daily caseload. But it is the very little stock of vaccine that is causing huge tension to both state and health official. Vaccination centres in cities such as Delhi and Mumbai have stopped working due to a lack of stock. People are struggling with the CoWIn portal to get the slot and if they are lucky enough to get the booking, many are returning home without getting the Covid jab. The buzz of states’ global vaccine tenders is also fizzling out. Punjab has been told by Moderna that it only deals with the national government and not the state authorities. In such a scenario, how will India get ready for the third wave? As states struggle to find a working solution, here are the latest corona updates from India and around the globe:
Highlights
Union Home Minister Amit Shah reviewed preparations including evacuation of people in vulnerable coastal areas and safe return of all ships and vessels as well as safety of COVID-19 facilities such as oxygen plants, mostly located in eastern India. At a video conference held with the chief ministers of Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and West Bengal and the Lieutenant Governor of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, besides officials of concerned ministries, the minister said a 24x7 control room is functioning in the MHA, which can be contacted by them any time for assistance. Shah specifically conveyed to the states likely to be impacted to make adequate power backup arrangements in all COVID-19 hospitals, laboratories, vaccine cold chains and other medical facilities, a home ministry statement said. (PTI)
Cumulative number of COVID19 vaccine doses administered in the country exceeded 19.84 crores (19,84,43,550) as per the 8 pm provisional report today: Union Health Ministry (ANI)
Delhi will get its first drive-through vaccination centre at the Aakash Healthcare Super Specialty Hospital in Dwarka on May 26, officials said on Monday. | Read More
Keeping in view the impending very severe cyclonic storm 'Yaas', the Odisha government on Monday decided to suspend the COVID-19 testing, vaccination and door-to-door survey work in the three cyclone prone districts. The three districts are-Balasore, Bhadrak and Mayurbhanj. They fall in the red zones having more than 1000 active coronavirus cases. 'The ongoing activities of COVID-19 testing, vaccination and door-to-door COVID-19 survey shall remain suspended in Balasore, Bhadrak and Mayurbhanj districts between May 25 and 27,' a notification issued by the Health and Family Welfare Department said. (PTI)
Telangana reports 3,043 new COVID-19 cases, 4,693 recoveries, and 21 deaths in the past 24 hours
Active cases: 39,206 Total recoveries: 5,13,968 Death toll: 3,146 (ANI)
Maharashtra: Mumbai reports 1,057 new COVID cases and 48 death today, taking active cases to 28,086, as per Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (ANI)
Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Monday urged people residing in the coastal belts, especially the ones living in low-lying areas, to cooperate with the administration and shift to shelter homes, while adhering to all COVID-19 protocols, as cyclone 'Yaas' approaches the state. The cyclonic storm, which lay 540 km south-southeast of Paradip, is very likely to cross Odisha-Bengal coast on Wednesday, and the Met department has anticipated that it will make a landfall somewhere in Balasore district. (PTI)
Karnataka records 25,311 fresh COVID-19 cases (positivity rate - 23.28%), 57,333 patient discharges, and 529 deaths in the last 24 hours
Active cases: 4,40,435Total discharges: 19,83,948Death toll: 25,811 (ANI)
Gujarat reports 3,187 fresh COVID-19 cases, 9,305 discharges, and 45 deaths in the last 24 hours
Total cases: 7,91,657Total discharges: 7,13,065Active cases: 68,971Death toll: 9,621 (ANI)
Himachal Pradesh government extends 'Corona Curfew' till 6 am of May 31 (ANI)
Rajasthan reports 4414 fresh COVID cases, 16654 recoveries, and 103 deaths in the last 24 hours Active cases: 99875 Total recoveries: 812775 Death toll: 7806 (ANI)
After Moderna, Pfizer too has refused to supply coronavirus vaccines directly to the Punjab government, saying it only deals with the Centre. On Sunday, state officials had said US-based vaccine manufacturer Moderna had refused to send vaccines directly to Punjab, citing the company policy that it deals with the Government of India, not with any private party and state. Punjab's nodal officer for vaccination and senior IAS officer Vikas Garg on Monday said Pfizer in its communication to the state said, "Pfizer is working with federal governments across the world to supply its COVID-19 vaccine for use in national immunisation programmes. (PTI)
Delhi has received 1.5 lakh doses of Covishield for the 45 plus age group, while there is no stock of Covaxin available for this category, AAP MLA Atishi said on Monday. Issuing the vaccination bulletin, she said the stock of Covishield can now last up to 14 days. "However, there are no Covaxin stocks available. It is worrying since there are many people who have received the first dose and are due for their second. "If they don't receive the second dose within the stipulated time period, even the first dose would be considered wasted," she said. (PTI)
The COVID-19 tally in Goa reached 1,47,861 on Monday with the addition of 1,401 cases, while the day also saw 38 people succumbing to the infection and 2,362 recovering, said an official. The state's death toll stands at 2,421 and the number of people discharged so far is 1,29,162, leaving it with an active caseload of 16,278, the official said. With 3,963 samples being examined in the last 24 hours, the number of tests in Goa went up to 7,91,940, he said. (PTI)
IT firms HCL and Tech Mahindra have expanded their efforts towards COVID-19 relief efforts for employees, including supporting dependents of deceased staff members. HCL said its COVID Care Support initiatives involve providing assistance to meet immediate needs for employees and family members who test COVID positive. This includes access to COVID helplines and isolation facilities. The Noida-based company has partnered with hospitals in Delhi, Noida, Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Pune, Lucknow, Nagpur, Madurai, and Kolkata to provide employees easy access to treatment and isolation facilities, it said in a statement. (PTI)
Bahujan Samaj Party president Mayawati on Monday said India has made global headlines as COVID-19 spread to villages, as she likened the governments' announcements regarding providing relief to the people from the pandemic to electoral promises. "India has made global headlines due to the extensive spread of coronavirus in rural areas which lack basic amenities, but governments are making announcements regarding proper preparedness and providing relief to the people from the pandemic in the same way promises are made during election," Mayawati said in a tweet in Hindi. (PTI)
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday said his government has imported 6,000 oxygen cylinders from China which will be stored at three depots and used in case of a third wave of coronavirus. Kejriwal also said the second wave is waning gradually and the city government has started preparations for a possible third wave. "Around 6,000 oxygen cylinders have been airlifted from China, of which we have received 4,400. The remaining 1,600 will arrive within two to three days," he told reporters. READ MORE
Three researchers from the Wuhan Institute of Virology sought hospital care in November 2019, weeks before Beijing disclosed the COVID-19 pandemic, a US media report said, citing a previously undisclosed American intelligence document that could add weight to growing calls for a full scale probe of whether the coronavirus may have escaped from China's top bio lab. The details of the reporting go beyond a State Department fact sheet, issued during the final days of the Trump administration, which said that several researchers at the Wuhan lab, a center for the study of coronaviruses and other pathogens, became sick in autumn 2019 "with symptoms consistent with both Covid-19 and common seasonal illness," the Wall Street Journal reported. (PTI)
It has been said that children will be infected the most in the third wave but Pediatrics Association has said that this is not based on facts. It might not impact children so people should not fear: Dr Randeep Guleria, Director, AIIMS (ANI)
A steady decline in daily new COVID-19 cases has been observed since the last 17 days in India, the Union health ministry said on Monday. It said there has been 2.6 times increase in the number of Covid tests done in the past 15 weeks in the country along with a steady dip in the weekly positivity rate reported in the last two weeks. Talking about the effect of the pandemic on children and young people, AIIMS, Delhi director Randeep Guleria noted, "Children suffered collateral damage due to mental stress, smartphone addiction and education challenges amid the ongoing pandemic." (PTI)
Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday said there are around 500 cases of black fungus or mucormycosis in Delhi and the city has been grappling with a shortage of Amphotericin-B injection used in its treatment. "We have set up dedicated centres for the treatment of black fungus at Lok Nayak Hospital, GTB Hospital and Rajiv Gandhi Super Specialty Hospital but we do not have drugs.... We did not get the injections on Sunday," he told reporters. Four to five injections per patient per day are used in the treatment of the fungal infection. There are around 500 cases of black fungus in Delhi at present, he said, adding Delhi has been receiving around 400 to 500 injections per day. (PTI)
The colour of fungus can be seen differently if it develops in different areas. Fungal infection is not a communicable disease: Dr. Randeep Guleria, Director, Delhi AIIMS
COVID-19 patients in Goa who have not collected their monthly quota from fair price shops will get foodgrains delivered at their doorstep, state Civil Supplies Minister Govind Gaude said on Monday. "While 90 per cent of people have lifted their monthly quota from the fair price shops, some ten per cent people have not availed it. If these 10 per cent people include COVID-19 patients or senior citizens, staff of our department will ensure that their allotted quota of food grains get delivered at their doorstep," the minister said. Gaude said the department had arranged for home delivery of monthly ration quota to houses of people during the "first wave" of the pandemic and during the lockdown. (PTI)
The Uttarakhand government on Monday extended the COVID-19 related curfew period across the state till June 1. The period of the ongoing curfew in the state was scheduled to come to an end at 6 am on Tuesday morning. Giving the information here, Cabinet Minister and the state government's spokesman Subodh Uniyal said shops dealing in essential commodities like milk, meat, fish, fruits and vegetables will open daily for three hours from 8 am to 11 am during the period.
A group of people allegedly attacked a team of health workers when they tried to persuade residents of a village to get vaccinated against COVID-19 in Madhya Pradesh's Ujjain district on Monday, police said. Two persons were later arrested in this connection, Additional Superintendent of Police Akash Bhuria told reporters. A video of the incident was also shared on social media wherein the medical team members were seen fleeing after the ruckus created by some people at Malikhedi village under Unhel tehsil. (PTI)
Delhi reports 1550 new COVID19 cases, 4375 recoveries and 207 deaths in the last 24 hours.
Total cases 14,18,418Total recoveries 13,70,431Death toll 23,409
Active cases 24,578. (ANI)
Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) and Panacea Biotec launch the production of Sputnik V in India. India's Panacea Biotec now to produce 100 million doses of Sputnik V per year: Sputnik V. (ANI)
People who are infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID-19 have a distinct odour that can be detected by trained dogs with a high degree of accuracy, according to new research in the UK. In what has been described as the most complete study of its kind to date, combining dog trial, odour analysis and modelling, the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) led collaborative research with the charity Medical Detection Dogs and Durham University to find that specially trained dogs can rapidly and non-invasively detect the disease with up to 94.3 per cent sensitivity and up to 92 per cent specificity. (PTI)
India's COVID-19 daily recoveries have outnumbered new cases for the 11th consecutive day, while the cumulative positivity rate stands at 8.09 per cent, the Union Health Ministry said on Monday. The weekly positivity rate has also declined to 12.66 per cent. India's COVID-19 active caseload has decreased since its last peak on May 10. The active cases have declined to 27,20,716 with a net decline of 84,683 cases being witnessed in a span of 24 hours. It now comprises 10.17 per cent of the country's total infections. (PTI)
Jharkhand facing severe shortages of COVID vaccines, only three days' vaccine left for 18-44 group: CM Hemant Soren (PTI)
Thailand placed barbed wire and checkpoints in several southern villages along the Malaysian border Monday after identifying a cluster of infections with a coronavirus variant that's believed to spread faster. The lockdown came as Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha sought to assure people that his government could manage a recent surge as it is set to start a national vaccination campaign next month. (AP)
On-site registration and appointment has now been enabled for the 18-44 years age group on the CoWin platform for COVID-19 vaccination, the Union Health Ministry said on Monday. However, this feature is being enabled only for government COVID Vaccination Centers (CVCs) at present, it said. This feature will not be available for private CVCs and they will have to publish their vaccination schedules exclusively with slots for online appointments. This feature will be used only upon decision of respective states and UT governments. (PTI)
We’ve received a letter of refusal. Central govt should take an initiative & support state government in procuring vaccines: Punjab Health Minister Balbir Singh Sidhu on vaccine manufacturer Moderna refusing to send vaccine directly to Punjab govt
On-site registration & appointment is now being enabled for the 18-44 years age group on CoWIN. However, this feature is being enabled only for Government COVID Vaccination Centers (CVCs), at the present moment in time: Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
COVID19 curfew in the state extended till June 1. Shops selling essential commodities to remain open from 8am-11am. On May 28, the public will be free to travel b/w 8am & noon for purchase of essential commodities: Uttarakhand government's spox & cabinet minister, Subodh Uniyal - ANI
Delhi | Two arrested for black marketing of Amphotericin-B (Black fungus Injection) by a team of Saket Police Station. 20 injections were recovered from their possession. A case has been registered under relevant sections of IPC: Delhi Police - ANI
We've spoken to Pfizer, Moderna for vaccines, and both the companies have refused to sell vaccines directly to us. They have said that they will deal with the Government of India alone. Appeal to the Centre to import vaccines and distribute to the States: Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal - ANI
Three researchers from China's Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV) sought hospital care in November 2019, months before China disclosed the COVID-19 pandemic, the Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday, citing a previously undisclosed U.S. intelligence report.The newspaper said the report - which provides fresh details on the number of researchers affected, the timing of their illnesses, and their hospital visits - may add weight to calls for a broader probe of whether the COVID-19 virus could have escaped from the laboratory.The report came on the eve of a meeting of the World Health Organization's decision-making body, which is expected to discuss the next phase of an investigation into the origins of COVID-19. - Reuters
New support initiatives will be piloted in nine areas of England with higher COVID rates, including from variants, as part of government efforts to boost testing and self-isolation, the health ministry said on Monday.The incidence of infections in Britain is still low but clusters of the Indian variant, believed to be more transmissible than the dominant Kent variant, are growing, and could derail plans to further ease lockdown measures.A total of 12 million pounds ($17 million) will be provided by government for accommodation for those in overcrowded households, social care support and communications assistance for those who don't have English as their first language, among other steps. - Reuters