For the first time in over a month, India has administered close to 3 million doses everyday on consecutive days — something not seen since mid-April, suggests figures from CoWIN, the vaccine management portal. A rise in the number of daily vaccinations has been apparent since May 24 and is led by an increase in those turning up for the first dose of vaccine, who now make up over 93% of the daily doses administered.
There is however no guarantee this trend will continue as there is considerable lag between vaccine production and its actually supply.
You can track coronavirus cases, deaths and testing rates at the national and State levels here. A list of State Helpline numbers is available as well.
Here are the latest updates:
Odisha extends lockdown by 16 more days
The Odisha government on Sunday announced extension of the lockdown by 16 more days till June 17 to further stem the spread of coronavirus.
The second phase of the lockdown was to end at 5 am on June 1.
"The lockdown is primarily aimed at restricting movement of people and not goods. All restrictions and exemptions of the previous lockdowns will be implemented in the third phase, too," Chief Secretary S C Mohapatra said.
The weekend shutdown will also continue, he said.
Telangana extends lockdown for another 10 days
The Telangana Cabinet on Sunday extended the ongoing lockdown to contain the spread of COVID-19 by another 10 days with relaxations from 6 AM to 1 PM every day.
The present lockdown would end today.
Before the Cabinet met, AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi, in a tweet, urged KCR not to extend the lockdown by terming it as not a strategy to combat COVID-19 and said the only long-term solution to the pandemic is universal vaccination.
"Strongly urge @TelanganaCMO to not extend lockdown. If goal is to reduce crowding, then we may consider evening curfews (6 PM onwards) or mini-lockdowns for COVID clusters.
But expecting 3.5 cr people to live for weeks with just a 4- hour lockdown relaxation is not fair at all, Mr Owaisi said in a series of tweets.
The Hyderabad MP said as such, the COVID-19 cases were declining in Telangana even before the lockdown was announced from May 12.
- PTI
Odisha extends lockdown
Odisha has extended the lockdown period by 16 days keeping the COVID-19 pandemic in mind. The second lockdown was coming to an end on June 1. The proposed lockdown restrictions will remain in force till morning of June 17.
- Satyasundar Barik
Serum Institute promises 9-10 crore Covishield doses in June
Serum Institute of India (SII) has informed the government that it will be able to manufacture and supply nine to 10 crore doses of Covishield in June, official sources said on Sunday amid complaint by States about the shortage of anti-coronavirus vaccine jabs.
In a recent letter to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, SII said its employees have been working round the clock in spite of various challenges because of the pandemic.
Railways so far delivered over 21,392 tonnes of liquid medical oxygen to 15 states
The Railways has delivered over 21,392 tonnes of liquid medical oxygen in more than 1,274 tankers to 15 states, the national transporter said Sunday amid the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.
So far, 313 Oxygen Express trains have completed their journey while five loaded trains are on the run with more than 406 tonnes of liquid medical oxygen in 23 tankers.
Liquid Medical Oxygen delivery to Haryana and Karnataka has crossed 2,000 tonnes each while Tamil Nadu and Telangana each have received over 1,800 tonnes of the life-saving gas.
Oxygen Express trains started their deliveries on April 24 with Maharashtra receiving a load of 126 tonnes. These freight trains have reached out to 15 states -- Uttarakhand, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Haryana, Telangana, Punjab, Kerala, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand and Assam.
So far, 614 tonnes of oxygen has been offloaded in Maharashtra, nearly 3,797 tonnes in Uttar Pradesh, 656 tonnes in Madhya Pradesh, 5,476 tonnes in Delhi, 2,023 tonnes in Haryana, 98 tonnes in Rajasthan, 2,115 tonnes in Karnataka, 320 tonnes in Uttarakhand, 1,808 tonnes in Tamil Nadu, 1,738 tonnes in Andhra Pradesh, 225 tonnes in Punjab, 380 tonnes in Kerala, 1,858 tonnes in Telangana, 38 tonnes in Jharkhand and 240 tonnes in Assam. - PTI
UP govt relaxes Covid lockdown, weekend restrictions to continue
The Uttar Pradesh government on Sunday announced relaxation of lockdown in the state with certain activities allowed from June 1.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Secretary R.K. Tiwari said shops and markets outside containment zones will be allowed to open from June 1 onwards from 7 am to 7 pm for five days (Monday to Friday).
Night curfew will remain in place from 7 pm to 7 am, he said. - PTI
SC to resume its marathon hearings on COVID-19 management from Monday
A Special Bench of the Supreme Court is scheduled to resume its marathon hearings on COVID-19 management from Monday, following a nearly month-long hiatus after the lead judge, Justice D.Y. Chandrachud, caught the virus amidst a devastating second wave.
The hearings were interrupted abruptly and immediately after the Bench, also comprising Justices L. Nageswara Rao and S. Ravindra Bhat, constituted a National Task Force to scientifically study and recommend a fool-proof mechanism for allocation of oxygen to States. The Supreme Court had constituted the 12-member Task Force to streamline and ensure the “effective and transparent” allocation of liquid medical oxygen on a “scientific, rational and equitable basis” to States and Union Territories fighting COVID-19. The apex court had expressed its dissatisfaction at the Centre’s earlier “oxygen-for-bed” formula. This “rough-and-ready” arrangement, as the court had put it, was based on calculating the allotment of oxygen based on the number of ICU/non-ICU beds. - Krishnadas Rajagopal
COVID patient’s body thrown into river in Uttar Pradesh, family booked
The family of a person who died of COVID were booked in Uttar Pradesh’s Balrampur district after they were caught in a video dumping his body into a river in broad daylight.
The video, shot by someone driving on the bridge from where the body was dumped, was widely shared on social media. - Omar Rashid
Aim at inoculating 30% of Assam's population by Aug 15 if vaccines available: CM
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday said that his government is aiming at inoculating 30 % of the 3.2-crore population of the state by August 15 if vaccines are available.
The state has only 20,000-25,000 vaccine doses for people in the 18-44 years age group at present, he said.
Mr. Sarma, while visiting the Gauhati Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), said he has spoken to authorities of two vaccine-producing companies, which have promised to supply seven lakh doses in June for the 18-44 years age group. - PTI
Lockdown extended in Haryana till June 7
The Haryana government on Sunday extended the lockdown for the fourth straight week in the State till June 7. The shops in the market places are now allowed to open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Amid a sharp decline in number of active cases and the positivity rate in the State over the past one month, the Haryana government extended the lockdown, or “Mahamari Alert-Surakshit Haryana”, for another week till 5 a.m. on June 7. The shops in the market places are now allowed to open for six hours from 9 a., according to odd-even formula. - Ashok Kumar
India records lowest single-day spike in 46 days, says govt. data
India recorded a single-day rise of 1,65,553 new COVID-19 cases, the lowest in 46 days, taking the country's infection tally to 2,78,94,800, according to Union Health Ministry data updated on Sunday.
The daily positivity declined to 8.02%, remaining below the 10%-mark for the sixth consecutive day, while the weekly positivity rate dropped to 9.36%, it said.
The death toll due to the disease climbed to 3,25,972 in the country with 3,460 fatalities being recorded in a span of 24 hours, the data updated at 8 a.m. showed. - PTI
COVID-19 patient load easing at Telangana government hospitals
Early signs of decreasing load of COVID-19 patients on Telangana government hospitals are on the horizon. The major government hospitals in Hyderabad where COVID patients are treated have started to report availability of hundreds of oxygen beds from the past two to three days.
Until then, people had to wait for several hours to get an oxygen bed. The images of patients waiting inordinately in ambulances at government hospitals are still fresh in the minds of families, volunteers, doctors, and hospitals administrators. Corporate hospitals in the city, however, are still packed to the brim.
Doctors at the government hospitals said patients in need of oxygen beds are not having to wait like they did in the past weeks.
How are private hospitals getting vaccines, Sisodia asks Centre
Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on Saturday questioned the Central government on how private healthcare facilities were getting COVID-19 vaccines, when the Delhi government is allegedly not getting them.
“I want to ask the Central government, if the Delhi government wants to vaccinate its youth, what is your problem? When the Delhi government says we want to vaccinate the youth, then you say that companies don’t have any vaccines. But the Central government arranges vaccines from these companies for private hospitals and they vaccinate people at high rates,” Mr. Sisodia said in a video statement.
“If the Central government doesn’t have vaccines for youth to give to State governments, then where are vaccines coming from to give to private hospitals?” he said.
Delhi has been facing a shortage of vaccines and vaccination of 18-44 age group has not been happening in government schools for the past five days.
Kerala, Goa, Puducherry join several other States in extending lockdown
Many states like Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra and Goa have extended the COVID-induced lockdown or other restrictions for a week to a fortnight from Monday, while some of them like Delhi, Madhya Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh have announced certain relaxation in the curbs.
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Saturday announced the extension of the shutdown till June 9, while Puducherry government also decided to continue the lockdown till June 7. Tamil Nadu has already extended the lockdown till June 7. - PTI