Coronavirus News LIVE Updates: Our Vaccine Highly Effective on New Covid Variant, Pfizer Tells Govt; India's Active Cases Drop Further

Govt, Pfizer Working Together for Earliest Possible Import of Vaccine: VK Paul | As soon as Pfizer indicated vaccine availability, the central government and the company started working together for the earliest possible import of the vaccine, NITI Aayog member VK Paul said on Thursday. Paul, in a statement on 'Myth and Facts on India's Vaccination Process' pointed out that vaccines are in limited supply globally, and companies have their own priorities, gameplans and compulsions in allocating finite stocks.

COVID Second Wave Triggers Raft of Growth Forecast Revisions: RBI Annual Report | Reserve Bank of India on Thursday said that the second wave of COVID-19 pandemic has triggered revision of growth projections for the current financial year with consensus gravitating towards its earlier forecast of 10.5 per cent. The central bank, in its annual report for 2020-2021, further said that previous year has left a scar on the economy and "in the midst of the second wave, as 2021-22 commences, pervasive despair is being lifted by cautious optimism built up by vaccination drives."

With efforts of Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, Genetic Life Sciences, Wardha has manufactured Amphotericin B Emulsion injections for treating Mucormycosis. It was being produced by only one company so far. Distribution to begin from Monday at Rs 1200 each: Office of the Union Minister

No Vaccine, No Salary: Chhattisgarh Tribal Dept Officer Warns Staff | A tribal welfare department officer in a Chhattisgarh district has issued an order asking its staff members to get vaccinated against COVID-19, failing which their salaries for the next month will be withheld. A copy of the order, issued by the assistant commissioner K S Masram in Gaurela-Pendra-Marwahi district on May 21, went viral on social media where some people expressed displeasure over the 'diktat'.

B.1.617 COVID19 Variant, First Detected in India, Now Found in 53 Countries: WHO | The B.1.617 COVID-19 variant, first detected in India, has now been found in 53 countries, according to the WHO, which noted that India recorded a 23 per cent decrease in the number of new cases in the last seven days but they were still the highest in the world. The World Health Organisation's COVID-19 Weekly Epidemiological Update, published May 25, said that over the past week, the number of new cases and deaths continued to decrease globally, with over 4.1 million new cases and 84,000 new deaths reported, a 14 per cent and 2 per cent decrease respectively compared to the previous week.

Government of India is doing everything possible to increase availability of Liposomal Amphotericin B injections to deal with Mucormycosis. To augment production, Government of India has given licenses to 5 more companies that can make this drug, sources tell ANI. 

PM had instructed officials to get this drug from anywhere it is available in the world. Indian missions across the world have been involved in securing supplies of this drug. It has been achieved with help of Gilead Sciences in USA: GoI sources

Gilead Sciences is working on expediting the supply of AmBisome to India through Mylan. More than 121,000 vials have so far reached India. Another 85,000 vials are on the way. The company will supply 1 million doses of AmBisome to India through Mylan: GoI sources

Zydus Cadila says it has sought the approval of the Drugs Controller General of Inda (DCGI) to undertake clinical trials for monoclonal antibodies cocktail that can neutralise COVID-19 infection.

Marriages Held Secretly, Flouting Covid Lockdown, to be Declared Illegal in Madhya Pradesh | To curb cases of weddings being conducted discretely, flouting Covid-19 lockdown regulations, few district administrations in Madhya Pradesh have decided to declare these marriages null and void. The couples will also not be issued marriage certificates.

The Shivraj Singh Chouhan-led state government had banned weddings in May in the wake of rapid spread of Covid-19 cases, but marriages continued to take place. Read the full story here.

Today's Covid-19 Data Update:

India reports 2,11,298 new COVID-19 cases, 2,83,135 discharges and 3,847 deaths in last 24 hrs, as per Health Ministry.

Total cases: 2,73,69,093
Total discharges: 2,46,33,951
Death toll: 3,15,235    
Active cases: 24,19,907
Total vaccination: 20,26,95,874

Probe Ordered into Vaccine Mix-up in UP Village | After initially denying that about 20 residents of a village in Uttar Pradesh's Siddhartha Nagar district were administered a different vaccine brand for the second dose, Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Sandeep Chaudhary said that an inquiry has been ordered into the incident.

He said stern action would be taken against those responsible for the mix-up.

Health workers in the district had administered the Covaxin to 20 villagers who had been given Covishield in the first dose.

Karnataka Offers Sops to Set up Oxygen Production Plants | Reeling under shortage of medical oxygen due to growing demand amid the pandemic's second wave, Karnataka on Wednesday offered incentives to industry to set up the gas production plants in the state.

"We are offering incentives to industrialists for setting up production plants to make the state self-sufficient in medical oxygen," Industries Minister Jagadish Shettar said in a statement.

Volunteers Come Forward to Give Covid Victims Dignified Farewell in Rajasthan | Amid the Covid gloom in Rajasthan, volunteers have come forward to give a dignified farewell to Covid victims by performing their last rites, even as heart-wrenching scenes continue to pour in from different cremation grounds from across the desert state.

These are the victims whose relatives are either hospitalised, or have fallen prey to the dreaded infection.

Biden Asks Intel Community to Redouble Efforts to Trace Origins of COVID-19 | US President Joe Biden asked his intelligence agencies on Wednesday to redouble their efforts to find out the origins of the deadly COVID-19 pandemic that has had devastating consequences in countries across the globe. "I have now asked the Intelligence Community to redouble their efforts to collect and analyze information that could bring us closer to a definitive conclusion, and to report back to me in 90 days," Biden said in a statement.

As part of that report, the president said he has asked for areas of further inquiry that may be required, including specific questions for China. "I have also asked that this effort include work by our National Labs and other agencies of our government to augment the Intelligence Community's efforts. And I have asked the Intelligence Community to keep Congress fully apprised of its work," he said.

Assam Reports 5,699 Fresh COVID-19 Cases, 90 Deaths | Assam reported 90 COVID-19 fatalities and 5,699 fresh infections on Wednesday, raising the death toll and the caseload to 3,005 and 3,86,870, respectively, a health bulletin said. The northeastern state now has 52,884 active cases, while 3,29,634 people have so far recovered from the disease, including 6,266 since Tuesday, it said.

Bengal Reports Lower Fresh COVID-19 Cases at 16,225, Toll | West Bengal continued to record a decline in single-day spike of COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, logging 16,225 fresh infections, raising the tally to 13,18,203, a health department bulletin said. The death toll mounted to 14,827 after 153 more fatalities were reported from different parts of the state, it said.

West Bengal now has 1,23,377 active cases, while 11,79,999 patients have recovered from the disease, including 19,071 since Tuesday. A total of 1,21,21,940 samples have so far been tested for COVID-19, taking into account 63,976 clinical examinations in the last 24 hours, the bulletin said.

Octogenarian Covid Patient Who Received Monoclonal Antibody Therapy, Back Home: Hospital | An 84-year-old Covid positive man who was given monoclonal antibody therapy in Gurgaon, which is said to reduce the chance of hospitalisation by 70 per cent in patients with mild to moderate symptoms, is back to his home, hospital authorities said on Wednesday. Mohabbat Singh was administered a cocktail of Casirivimab and Imdevimab at the Medanta Hospital as part of the "single dose infusion-based treatment" on Tuesday and then kept under observation.

"After being kept under observation, he was sent home yesterday only," a spokesperson of the hospital said. An official of the hospital claimed it was Delhi-NCR's first case of monoclonal antibody therapy for a Covid patient. Suffering from COVID-19, Singh is the first patient to receive monoclonal antibody therapy at Medanta, Gurgaon, he said.

Part-vaccinated and Part-neglected World is Not Going to Be Safe: Jaishankar | A part-vaccinated and part-neglected world is not going to be safe and if large countries pursue their national interest, disregarding everything else, the world is going to have some "big problems", External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Wednesday, underling that "our sense of national security" has widened as a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic. With the COVID-19 pandemic bearing heavily on everyone's minds, he said there are questions about vaccine accessibility and affordability.

Pfizer Tells Centre Its COVID-19 Vaccine Suitable for All Aged 12 and Above | As India is facing an accute shortage of vaccine at home, Pfizer has informed the Centre, during a series of interactions, that its COVID-19 vaccine is suitable for all aged 12 and above, and can be storied at 2-8 degrees for over a months, said ANI sources. They also discussed indemnity protection against liabilities before they bring vaccines to India, the news agency reported. 

Delhi's Vaccine Stock Over for 45+ Age Group Left for 12 Days: Atishi | The Delhi government has exhausted its Covaxin stock for people over 45 years while that of Covishield will last only 12 days, AAP MLA Atishi said on Wednesday. So, this means that those awaiting their second dose of Covaxin in Delhi are in a situation wherein they may be wondering if their first dose will go to waste, she said.

Covaxin doses are administered at Centre-run hospitals like the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS). For the 45 and above group, about 2.92 lakh doses of Covishield are in stock and this can be used for just 12 days of vaccination. The Covaxin stock, which was available at a diminished scale till recently, is already exhausted, Atishi said.