Nursing staff attend to patients at a Mucormycosis ward in Civil hospital, Asarwa. (Express Photo by Nirmal Harindran)
Coronavirus India Live Updates: The US’ Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Friday rejected emergency use authorisation for Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin vaccine, instead recommending that the vaccine manufacturer’s US partner apply for biologics licence application (BLA), PTI reported. BLA is a “full approval” mechanism by the FDA for drugs and vaccines.
India reported 91,702 new coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours, with which the country’s caseload rose to over 2.9 crore. The death toll surged to more than 3.7 lakh after 3,403 Covid-related deaths were recorded on Thursday. Tamil Nadu remains the highest contributor with 16,813 cases. Active cases have dropped further to 11.21 lakh.
A significant percentage of the vaccinations carried out in major cities across the country were administered on employees of large corporates — mostly in the service sector but some from manufacturing as well — and their families, official data analysed by The Indian Express show. Between April 7, when the government allowed corporates to vaccinate at workplaces, and Wednesday, a total 69,170 shots had been administered at the campuses of software major Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) at several cities across India.
Meanwhile, US President Joe Biden said that his country had contributed “more than any nation” to the global vaccine-sharing effort ‘COVAX’. “We’ve supported (vaccine) manufacturing efforts abroad through our partnerships with Japan, India and Australia, together known as the Quad,” he said in a recent press briefing.
Beneficiaries wait to get Covid-19 vaccine at ESIS Hospital vaccination centre during heavy rain, in Navi Mumbai. (PTI)
Pune district authorities have been able to vaccinate 32.59 lakh beneficiaries till June 9. Of these, the maximum doses have been administered to people belonging in the above 45 age group, with 17.95 lakh people getting the first dose and 4.2 lakh receiving their second shot.
Across the state, a total of 2.5 crore beneficiaries have been vaccinated.
In Pune district among the 18-44 age group, a total of 4.71 lakh beneficiaries have been administered the first dose while 13,974 have got their second shot. Read the full report here.
In the last 24 hours, India reported 91,702 new coronavirus cases, with which the overall caseload rose to over 2.9 crore. The death toll surged to more than 3.7 lakh after 3,403 Covid-related deaths were recorded on Thursday. Tamil Nadu remains the highest contributor with 16,813 cases. Active cases have dropped further to 11.21 lakh
The West Bengal government on Thursday directed officials to follow vaccination guidelines issued by the Central government with regards to students going abroad for study and sportspersons participating in the Tokyo Summer Olympics.
The Central government had on June 7 decided to reduce the second Covishield dose gap for students, sportspersons and professionals travelling abroad to four weeks from eight weeks.
The state issued a notification a day after the Association of Health Service Doctors wrote to the principal secretary of the Health and Family Welfare Department to implement the Central government’s standard operating procedure (SoP). Read the full report here.
Outside Sarvodaya Kanya Vidyalaya No. 2 in Delhi’s post East of Kailash, among those waiting in a line on Thursday is Pooja, a student of the school. The 16-year-old has been here for one-and-a-half hours, having arrived at 7.30 am with her pink school backpack — this time to carry home rations promised by the Delhi government.
“Both my parents restarted work just a few days ago, so I am here. I came yesterday also but the rations finished after 15 people had received them. I reached early today, hoping to get a token. I called my class teacher too to ask if she knew when the supply would come, but she said she didn’t know,” Pooja said.
Under the drive that started June 5, the Delhi government is giving 4 kg wheat and 1 kg rice to people not covered by the PDS as a one-time benefit, with schools set up as distribution centres. The government estimated two lakh people would avail of the scheme initially, with the numbers going up to 20 lakh “as per demand and need assessment”. Read the full report here.