Bengaluru: Commuters during a traffic jam amid COVID-induced lockdown in Bengaluru (PTI)Coronavirus India Live Updates: The Health Ministry on Monday said a record 69 lakh doses of Covid vaccines were administered on Day one of implementation of ‘Revised Guidelines for Covid Vaccination’. While vaccines were so far free for people above 45 years of age, under the revised guidelines that came into play from Monday, the facility has been extended to everyone above 18 years.
The national capital Monday recorded 89 fresh Covid-19 cases — the lowest so far this year and 11 deaths. The positivity rate dropped to 0.16 per cent, according to data shared by the health department here.
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.
The NCP's Pune city unit chief and five others were arrested on Monday for alleged COVID-19 norm violations during a party office inauguration event here on Saturday, police said. Prashant Jagtap, NCP Pune city chief, and five functionaries were arrested under IPC, Disaster Management Act and other provisions and then let out on bail, said a Shivajinagar police station official. During Saturday's inauguration of an NCP office, which was attended by Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, nearly 500 people turned despite organisers seeking police permission claiming the attendance limit would be 100 to 150, the official said. Moreover, most of those who took part in the event did not wear masks nor did they maintain social distancing, he added. --PTI
Amarnath Yatra for this year cancelled due to Covid pandemic, said Lt Governor Manoj Sinha
The Health Ministry on Monday said more than 47 lakh doses of Covid vaccine were administered on Day one of implementation of ‘Revised Guidelines for Covid Vaccination’. While vaccines were so far free for people above 45 years of age, under the revised guidelines that came into play from Monday, the facility has been extended to everyone above 18 years.
Delhi records 89 fresh Covid-19 cases, 11 deaths. Positivity rate dips to 0.16 per cent: Health bulletin. (PTI)
Mumbai will continue to remain in 'level 3' of the coronvirus-induced restrictions till June 27 even though the city's COVID-19 positivity rate and oxygen bed occupancy have come down and it is eligible to be upgraded to 'level 1', the local civic body has said. The state government earlier this month announced a five-level plan to ease restrictions as per weekly COVID-19 positivity rate and oxygen bed occupancy. As per the government order, cities and districts which have a positivity rate of five per cent and the oxygen bed occupancy of less than 25 per cent come under level-1, where curbs can be lifted completely. The level-3 category is applicable for places where the positivity rate is five per cent to 10 per cent and the oxygen bed occupancy is more than 40 per cent. In Mumbai, the positivity rate has come down to 3.79 per cent and the oxygen bed occupancy is 23.56 per cent, the BMC said. --PTI
India will have 257 crore Covid vaccine doses by December to take up double dose vaccination of people in full swing, BJP national president JP Nadda said on Monday. He said this while visiting a vaccination centre at the RML hospital in the national capital. Nadda said 130 crore people of the country have come forward to take vaccines on the call of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, despite the opposition trying to mislead them and create obstructions. "Some leaders opposed vaccines saying they were not guinea pigs or mice. Those who doubted vaccines are now getting them. I want to ask such leaders if it was due to change in their mind, heart or soul," the BJP national president said. He lauded BJP workers for helping people during the pandemic, saying that while other parties went into quarantine or the ICU, party workers risked their lives to provide relief to the people on the ground. --PTI
Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on Monday said the central government will be supplying only 15 lakh Covid vaccine doses for use in the national capital in July, and it will take around 16 more months to inoculate the city's entire population at this rate. On June 7, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced that all citizens aged 18 years and above will be vaccinated free of cost from June 21 with the central government distributing doses to states. "I got to know that no free vaccine has been supplied for use beyond June 2," Sisodia said at a digital press conference. The central government will be supplying only 15 lakh doses in July, he said. "Going by this rate, it will take 15-16 more months to vaccinate entire Delhi," Sisodia said. "You have been saying India has been conducting the largest vaccination drive globally, but it has turned out to be the most mismanaged, derailed and messed up exercise in the world," he alleged. --PTI
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday said the central government has decided to increase the pace of vaccination against Covid-19 in July and August.
Talking to reporters after visiting a vaccination centre here, Shah said with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s decision to provide free vaccine against Covid-19 to people aged 18 and above, “we will fast achieve the goal of inoculating almost everyone”.
“The central government has decided to increase the pace of vaccination in July and August,” he added.
The Supreme Court Monday reserved verdict on the pleas seeking directions that ex-gratia compensation of Rs 4 lakh be paid to the families of those who have died of COVID-19. A special vacation bench comprising Justices Ashok Bhushan and M R Shah heard Solicitor General Tushar Mehta and senior advocate S B Upadhyay and other lawyers for almost two hours.
The top court asked the parties to file written submissions in three days and specifically directed the Centre to simplify the process of grant of death certificates to the dependents of those who have died of COVID-19. The Centre had earlier told the apex court that the ex-gratia compensation of Rs 4 lakh cannot be paid to the families of those who have died of COVID-19 as the finances of state governments and the Centre are under severe strain.
Covid-19 active cases in India comprised 2.35 per cent of the total infections on Monday, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate has improved to 96.36 per cent, the data updated at 8 am showed. A net decline of 26,356 cases has been recorded in the COVID-19 caseload in a span of 24 hours.
Recoveries continue to outnumber daily new cases for the 39th consecutive day.The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 2,88,44,199, while the case fatality rate has increased to 1.30 per cent, the data stated.
As the second Covid wave is tapering off and the economy is opening up, TV Narendran, CII president and Tata Steel MD, told Sandeep Singh that we should be prudent about opening up and if you open up too fast, there is a risk to it. He added vaccination is key to economic revival and growth and, if we don’t do it quickly, we run the risk of derailing the recovery. Edited excerpts:
As the economy and markets are opening up, what are the key aspects to focus on?
First and foremost is vaccination and that’s the starting point. If we don’t do that quickly, we run the risk of derailing the recovery. If we do that well, then growth will get supported. So, in the short to medium term, the focus should be on vaccination and getting growth back because if we grow at 9-9.5 per cent, which we should, then you are on track for $5 trillion economy by 2025.
Does India’s progress on vaccination give you the desired comfort?
The first thing we have to see is to get the supply going because if that is not there, then whatever you do, it doesn’t really matter. I think the producers are ramping up. The second is to get vaccinations up. India was doing around 3 million and then came down to 1.5 million, and we are now back to 3 million a day. At CII, we are saying that it needs to go to about 7 million, if we have to reach where we want to get. Third is, people should get atleast one dose as that itself reduces the chance and, ideally yes, have to get two doses. (Read the full interview here)
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.