Bengaluru: Commuters during a traffic jam amid COVID-induced lockdown in Bengaluru (PTI)Coronavirus India Live Updates: India recorded 53,256 new covid-19 cases in the 24 hours ending 8 am Monday, taking the country’s total infections to nearly 3 crore. This is the lowest spike of daily cases in 88 days. Out of these, active cases further declines to 7.02 lakh, while over 2.88 crore people have recovered after testing positive. With 1,422 new fatalities, the country recorded the lowest daily deaths since April 16. The total death toll is now over 3.88 lakh. Kerala, with 11,654 cases on Sunday, has now overtaken Karnataka to become the state with second highest number of total cases.
From today, the government will provide free vaccines to all above the age of 18. Earlier this month, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that the government would revert to a system of centralised procurement of Covid-19 vaccines and make jabs free for all adults. In this, the Centre will procure 75 per cent of total vaccines and distribute it among states. Private sector hospitals will be able to purchase the rest 25 per cent and charge a maximum of Rs 150 per dose.
With the peak of the second wave behind us, almost 90 per cent of over 650 districts for which data is available, are now in a phase of steady decline. West Bengal is the only major state where active cases have increased in the last one week. The other two states — Manipur and Mizoram — have seen a rise in active cases, but in both these states, the number is well within 1,000.
After a ravaging second wave, from hotels, tourism, transport and aviation to trade and small manufacturing units, sectors of the economy are beginning to report a disproportionate impact of the distress — in the form of declining incomes and rising loan repayment defaults.
Meanwhile, according to data released by the Reserve Bank of India, 159 districts in 25 states across the country saw a decline in fixed deposits from January to March. This data indicates rising cash holdings with people owing to the financial impact of covid-19.
An experimental monoclonal antibody cocktail, REGEN-COV2, has been found to be a life-saving treatment for some of the most severely affected Covid-19 patients, results of a clinical trial in the UK have shown. How important are the findings for management of Covid-19, including in India?
What are monoclonal antibodies?
To fight a viral infection, our bodies create proteins known as antibodies. Monoclonal antibodies are artificial antibodies that mimic the activity of our immune systems. They are produced through a process that involves extracting specific antibodies from human blood and then cloning them.
These monoclonal antibodies are designed to target a virus or a specific part of one — for instance, REGEN-COV2 is a cocktail of two monoclonal antibodies developed to target the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein. The monoclonal antibodies bind to specific parts of the spike protein, blocking its ability to infect healthy cells. (Read Prabha Raghavan's full explainer here)
With the Tamil Nadu government having extended the lockdown in the state till June 28, with further relaxations, Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL) resumed services in Chennai from Monday.
According to a release, trains will operate from 6.30 am to 9 pm with 50 per cent occupancy along the Green (between St. Thomas Mount and Puratchi Thalaivar Dr. M G Ramachandran Central Metro stations) and Blue (between Airport and Wimco Nagar metro stations) Lines.
Trains operated along the Green Line will have a gap of 5 minutes during peak hour operations from 6.30 am to 9 am and 5 pm to 7 pm, while a gap of 10 minutes will be given during non-peak hours.
From today, the government will provide free vaccines to all above the age of 18. Earlier this month, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that the government would revert to a system of centralised procurement of Covid-19 vaccines and make jabs free for all adults.
💉In this, the Centre will procure 75 per cent of total vaccines and distribute it among states. The state governments will not have to spend anything on vaccines.
💉 Private sector hospitals will be able to purchase the rest 25 per cent and charge a maximum of Rs 150 per dose.
💉The central and state governments will together make necessary preparations according to the new guidelines.
💉Vaccine supply would be increased significantly in the country in coming days.
💉The task of monitoring the drive at private hospitals will remain with the state governments.
THE SECOND wave of Covid has thwarted the recovery process underway across sectors, with the lockdowns in states and the spread of disease overwhelmingly impacting the MSME and service sectors, according to fresh data coming in on loan slippages with banks and micro-lenders.
From hotels, tourism, transport and aviation to trade and small manufacturing units, specific pockets of the economy are beginning to report a disproportionate impact of the distress, both in the form of decline in incomes and rise in loan repayment defaults.
The impact of this going forward could be two-fold: any improvement in the overall consumption trajectory is heavily contingent on a recovery in services sectors such as trade, hotels, transport, communication & services related to broadcasting, which supports over 20 crore households; and corporates in the listed space, which have reported better growth numbers, could end up feeling the distress in the unorganised segment. ( With Sunny Verma , George Mathew)
India recorded 53,256 new covid-19 cases in the 24 hours ending 8 am Monday, taking the country's total infections to nearly 3 crore. This is the lowest spike of daily cases in 88 days. Out of these, active cases further declines to 7.02 lakh, while over 2.88 crore people have recovered after testing positive. With 1,422 new fatalities, the country recorded the lowest daily deaths since April 16. The total death toll is now over 3.88 lakh.