LIVE NOWauto-refresh
Coronavirus News LIVE Updates: Bihar Records 251k Excess Deaths, 48.6 Times More than Official Toll; Govt Ready with Meds Amid 3rd Wave Fears
Coronavirus Updates: The government has kickstarted an exercise to create a national stockpile of critical medicines for Covid-19 to tide over the challenges around affordability and accessibility.
Coronavirus News LIVE Updates: At least 251,000 excess deaths have been registered under the Civil Registration System (CRS) in Bihar since the start of the Covid-19 outbreak (from March 2020 to May 2021), which is 48.6 times the official number of confirmed coronavirus deaths (5,163) in the state in the same time period, HT reported.
As third-wave fear looms large, the government has kickstarted an exercise to create a national stockpile of critical medicines for Covid-19 to tide over the challenges around affordability and accessibility. To begin with, buffer stocks of 15-odd medicines, including anti-viral Remdesivir, key antibiotics Tocilizumab, and black fungus drug Amphotericin B will be maintained, after supplies are procured through the tendering process.
The latest Covid outbreak in Australia has once again resulted in state border closures, restrictions and cancelled plans. State and territory health authorities are monitoring the cases and the situation is changing every day. Sydneysiders are unable to travel to regional NSW. That remains the case until at least 28 August.
Guj Sees 17 Covid-19 Cases, Over 2.75 lakh People Vaccinated | Gujarat reported 17 COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, taking the tally to 8,25,272, while the toll remained unchanged at 10,078, an official said on Friday. With 14 people getting discharged, the recovery count reached 8,15,008, which is 98.76 per cent of the tally, leaving the state with 186 active cases, including six patients on ventilator support, he said. An official release said over 2.75 lakh COVID-19 vaccine doses were administered on Friday, taking the overall number of doses administered in the state to 4.22 crore.
Australia Heading for Record High of New Daily Covid-19 Cases | The Guardian’s data guru Nick Evershed says today’s daily case count – with 825 in New South Wales and 61 in Victoria – is likely the highest seen in Australia since the pandemic started. The next highest was 748 new cases declared on 19 August – that is, two days ago!
READ | Zydus Cadila's 3-dose Jab Approved; India Gets its First Vaccine for Children 12 Years and Above
Indian drug regulator DCGI on Friday approved Zydus Cadila's three-dose COVID-19 DNA vaccine for emergency use in adults and children aged 12 years and above, bringing in the sixth vaccine authorized…
Nagaland Logs 92 New COVID-19 Cases, 1 Fresh Fatality | Nagaland's COVID-19 tally rose to 29,482 as 92 more people tested positive for the infection, while one fresh fatality pushed the state's coronavirus death toll to 609, a health bulletin said. Dimapur recorded the highest number of new cases at 38, followed by Kohima(23), Mokokchung(9), and Tuensang (3). The fresh fatality was reported from Kohima.
India is fighting COVID-19 with full vigour. The approval for world’s first DNA based ‘ZyCov-D’ vaccine of @ZydusUniverse is a testimony to the innovative zeal of India’s scientists. A momentous feat indeed. https://t.co/kD3t7c3Waz
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) August 20, 2021
READ | What A Vaccine for Children in India Means Amid Looming Threat of Third Covid Wave
Indian drug regulator DCGI on Friday approved Zydus Cadila’s three-dose COVID-19 DNA vaccine for emergency use in adults and children aged 12 years and above.
Bengal Reports 758 New Covid-19 Cases, 9 More Fatalities | West Bengal reported nine more COVID-19 deaths, which took the toll to 18,346. The coronavirus caseload in the state mounted to 15,41,747 as 758 more people tested positive for the infection. At least 767 people were cured of the disease in the last 24 hours, taking the total number of recoveries to 15,13,766. The recovery rate among coronavirus patients in the state currently stands at 98.19 per cent.
West Bengal now has 9,635 active cases.
Must Adopt Multifold Strategies to Prevent Third Covid Wave: J&K LG | Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha emphasised on adopting multifold strategies to prevent a third Covid wave from occurring, an official spokesperson said. The LG chaired a weekly meeting with the Covid Task Force, SSPs, and reviewed the Covid response and containment measures of the districts' administrations. Emphasising on adopting multifold strategies to prevent a third wave, the Lt Governor passed specific directions for further enhancing the testing and tracing in the coming days, the spokesman said. Maximum vaccination, continuously analysing the situation, strict adherence to Covid protocols, and enforcement of containment measures should be the focus area of the administration at all levels to tackle future health challenges, the Lt Governor said.
Health workers and a relative carry the body of a man, who died due to COVID-19, from an ambulance to a crematorium in New Delhi. (Image: Reuters)
