A beneficiary receives a dose of Covid-19 vaccine in Mumbai. Coronavirus India Live Updates: As many as 48 coronavirus cases of Delta Plus variant have been detected from 45,000 samples sequenced so far in the country, with Maharashtra reporting the highest number of such cases at 20, the Centre said on Friday.
It said nine cases of Delta Plus variant were found in Tamil Nadu, seven cases in Madhya Pradesh, three in Kerala, two each in Punjab and Gujarat, and one case each in Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Rajasthan, Jammu and Karnataka.
Meanwhile, the Serum Institute of India (SII) Friday said that it has started production of the Covid-19 vaccine developed by Novavax. “A new milestone has been reached; this week we began our first batch of Covovax (a COVID-19 vaccine developed by @Novavax) at our facility, here in Pune,” the company said in a tweet.
Developed by the American biotechnology firm Novavax, Inc., the recombinant nanoparticle protein-based vaccine — NVX-CoV2373 — will be known by the name Covovax in India.
India recorded 51,667 new coronavirus cases and 1,329 deaths in the last 24 hours ending 9 am on Friday. With this, the country’s total caseload has risen to over 3,01,34,445, while the death toll nears the 4-lakh mark. Meanwhile, the active caseload has dropped to 6.12 lakh.
A beneficiary gets a dose of a Covid-19 vaccine in Mumbai. (Express Photo: Amit Chakravarty)
Maharashtra on Friday reported the first death from the 'Delta Plus' variant of Covid-19, with an octogenarian woman succumbing in Ratnagiri civil hospital. The woman hails from Sangameswar and was admitted to the hospital, over 330 kilometres from Mumbai, a few days ago, Sanjay Shinde, Additional Collector, Ratnagiri told PTI. He also said the woman's death was being audited to see if she suffered from comorbidities.
Israel, a world leader in vaccinations, is once again requiring people to wear masks in indoor public spaces amid a coronavirus outbreak driven by the arrival of a new variant.
Israel rolled out one of the most successful vaccination campaigns in the world, inoculating some 85% of its adult population. In recent months, nearly all restrictions were lifted as the number of active cases plummeted.
But there has been a spike in recent days after weeks in which the number of new daily cases was in the single or low double digits. Dr. Nachman Ash, who is leading the coronavirus response, said 227 new cases were confirmed on Thursday, according to Israeli media. More details here.
In an unprecedented observation, the Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) in Bengaluru reported a decline in passenger traffic by 66 per cent during the financial year 2020-21, especially due to the travel curbs and lockdown-related crises that arose since the Covid-19 pandemic set in.
The airport, which managed to record 32.3 million passengers in the previous financial year (2019-20), could welcome only 10.91 million passengers since domestic air travel resumed in India on May 25, 2020, following a two-month suspension.
As many as 48 coronavirus cases of Delta Plus variant have been detected from 45,000 samples sequenced so far in the country, with Maharashtra reporting the highest number of such cases at 20, the Centre said on Friday.
It said nine cases of Delta Plus variant were found in Tamil Nadu, seven cases in Madhya Pradesh, three in Kerala, two each in Punjab and Gujarat, and one case each in Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Rajasthan, Jammu and Karnataka.
The Serum Institute of India (SII) Friday said that it has started production of the Covid-19 vaccine developed by Novavax. "A new milestone has been reached; this week we began our first batch of Covovax (a COVID-19 vaccine developed by @Novavax) at our facility, here in Pune," the company said in a tweet.
Developed by the American biotechnology firm Novavax, Inc., the recombinant nanoparticle protein-based vaccine — NVX-CoV2373 — will be known by the name Covovax in India.
"In the week of 4th May, 531 districts of the country were reporting more than 100 cases. In the week of 2nd June, it fell down to 262 districts. Right now only 125 districts in the country are reporting more than 100 cases," Lav Agarwal, Joint Secretary, Health Ministry said in a press briefing.
As inoculation drive continues across the country for people above 18 years old, a shocking video of a nurse administering an empty dose of Covid -19 vaccine in haste is going viral. The clip shows the nurse in question busy talking to people in the vaccination hall and taking out the disposable syringe from the wrapper and pushing it on the man’s arm. She is never seen filling the syringe from a vial of Covid-19 vaccine. More details here.
More than 1.50 crore balance and unutilised vaccine doses are still available with the states and UTs and over 47 lakh doses are in the pipeline, the Union Health Ministry said on Friday.
Over 30.54 crore vaccine doses have been provided by the Centre to states and UTs so far through the Government of India (free of cost channel) and through the direct state procurement category.
Of this, the total consumption, including wastages is 29,04,04,264 doses, the ministry said in a statement.
Arunachal Pradesh's Covid-19 tally rose to 34,214 as 298 more people tested positive for the infection while two new fatalities pushed the death toll to 162, a senior health official said here on Friday. The two new Covid-19 deaths were reported from Lohit district, State Surveillance Officer (SSO) Dr Lobsang Jampa said.
The Capital Complex Region reported the highest number of fresh cases at 68, followed by West Kameng (29), Namsai (22), Upper Subansiri (20), Lohit and Lower Subansiri at 19 each, Papumpare (16), East Kameng (14), Changlang (13), East Siang (12) and Longding (11). New cases were also reported from Pakke Kessang, Leparada, Dibang Valley, Lower Dibang Valley, Tawang, West Siang, Anjaw, Kurung Kumey, Lower Siang, Tirap and Siang, Kra Daadi, Kamle, Shi-Yomi and Upper Siang district, the SSO said. (PTI)
West Bengal BJP on Friday demanded a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation into the fake vaccination drive case that has come to light in Kolkata. “Probe is underway but the matter requires CBI inquiry as it involves officials. We also want the Centre to look into it,” Sayantan Basu, West Bengal BJP General Secretary, said. (ANI)
In a bid to decongest Covid-19 vaccination centres, the Greater Chennai Corporation has launched a dedicated portal for residents to book slots. Municipal Administration Minister KN Nehru inaugurated the website on Thursday in the presence of civic body officials. Read More
The Goa government on Friday said it will ensure "stringent monitoring" along the borders of the state so that it continues to remain free from the Delta Plus variant of coronavirus. Goa Health Minister Vishwajit Rane said Chief Minister Pramod Sawant has directed the authorities to take the necessary measures.
Delta plus has already been declared a variant of concern by the Centre. On Monday, Rajesh Tope, who is the health minister of neighbouring Maharashtra, had said that 21 cases of the Delta Plus variant have been found in the state till then - nine in Ratnagiri, seven in Jalgaon, two in Mumbai, and one case each in Palghar, Thane and Sindhudurg districts. In a tweet, Rane said, "In view of the Delta Plus Variant cases found in the neighbouring states, we shall ensure that stringent monitoring is taking place at the borders. Hon'ble CM @DrPramodPSawant has already issued instructions on this matter." (PTI)
Jharkhand's Covid-19 tally rose to 3,45,028 on Friday as 114 more people tested positive for the infection, while two fresh fatalities pushed the state's coronavirus death toll to 5,106, a health bulletin said. Ranchi district reported the highest number of new cases at 15, followed by Simdega (10) and Deoghar (nine), it said.
The fresh fatalities were recorded in East Singhbhum and Dumka districts. The state now has 1,224 active cases, while 3,38,698 people have recovered from the disease so far, including 252 in the last 24 hours, the bulletin said. (PTI)
Odisha's Covid-19 tally rose to 8,93,508 on Friday as 2,912 more people tested positive for the infection, while 40 fresh fatalities pushed the state's coronavirus death toll to 3,801, a health official said. As many as 3,486 more people were cured of the disease, taking the total number of recoveries to 8,56,498.
The count of daily positive cases dipped below the 3,000-mark for the second time in four days. The previous low of 2,957 cases was registered on June 22. Odisha now has 33,156 active cases, while the daily test positivity rate (TPR) has dipped below five per cent, he said. As many as 1,675 new cases were reported in quarantine centres, while 1,237 fresh infections were detected during contact tracing. Khurda district, of which Bhubaneswar is a part, reported the highest number of new cases at 401, followed by Cuttack (382) and Jajpur (292). (PTI)
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday asked the government why "large-scale testing is not being done" to check and prevent the spread of the Delta plus variant of coronavirus and how effective are the vaccines against it. Many experts feel that the Delta plus variant, which has been declared as a 'variant of concern' by the Union health ministry, may trigger a third wave of COVID-19 infections in the country.
"Questions to the Modi government on Delta plus variant: Why is testing not being done on a large scale to check and prevent it? How effective are the vaccines against it and when will complete information be available? What is the plan to control it in the third wave of the virus," he posed in a tweet in Hindi. (PTI)
Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on Friday said no report has been authorized or signed by the oxygen audit committee stating that the national capital requisitioned four times the oxygen it required during the second wave.
Calling it a ploy by the BJP, Sisodia said, “The saffron party has drafted a document at their party headquarters and is trying to pass it off as a report by the Supreme Court panel. We have spoken to members of the panel and they have said that they haven’t signed or authorized any such report.” He added, “The matter is sub-judice and one should not play politics over issues that are before the Supreme Court.”
Uttarakhand Chief Secretary says that adequate number of oxygen beds, ICU and ventilators should be arranged in government hospitals of every district and medical colleges in view of a possible third wave of Covid-19. He added that oxygen storage tanks should be provided there as well. (ANI)
Puducherry reported 261 new coronavirus cases during the last 24 hours taking the overall tally to 1,16,186, a senior official of the Department of Health and Family Welfare Services said on Friday. While the Puducherry region alone accounted for 225 new cases, Karaikal reported 20 while Mahe and Yanam logged eight each, Director of Health and Family Welfare Services S Mohan Kumar said. The new cases were identified at the end of the examination of 8,185 samples.
Five more people-four from Puducherry and one from Karaikal- succumbed to the virus, he said, adding the death toll rose to 1,739. Three of the deceased had no comorbidities, he said. (PTI)
The Pimpri-Chinchwad civic health department has informed that the industrial town has not recorded any case of the Delta Plus variant yet. So far, about 40 cases of the Delta Plus variant have been detected in the country.
“We have been on alert over the situation…but so far, we have not detected any case of the Delta-plus variant,” PCMC additional medical officer Dr Laxman Gofane said. Read more
With the likelihood of a possible third wave of Covid-19, the Directorate of Indian Medicine and Homoeopathy here has formed an expert committee to guide the government in handling the crisis.
The five-member committee consists of Siddha experts who have a track record of treating infectious diseases, especially among the children. According to a source in the directorate, the panel comprises Dr P Sathiyarajeswaran, Director in-charge of Siddha Central Research Institute (SCRI), Chennai, Dr Meenakshi Sundaram, Professor, National Institute of Siddha (NIS), Tambaram, Dr. J Sriram, lecturer Grade II, Government Siddha Medical College, here, Dr S Joseph Maria Adaikalam, Assistant Professor, Department of Epidemiology, The Tamil Nadu Dr. MGR Medical University and Dr Parthiban, Autism specialist from Swabhimaan Trust, here. The committee was formed at a meeting convened on June 21 by the Directorate here to review the preparedness for the third wave of the contagion. (PTI)