The ZyCov-D vaccine against COVID-19, which was granted emergency use authorisation (EUA) by the drug regulator, will hit the market soon as the drug firm has started its production, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said on the last day of his "Jan Ashirwa Yatra" in Gujarat.
The cumulative number of COVID-19 vaccine doses administered in the country has gone past 58 crore, the Union health ministry said on Saturday, August 21. More than 43 lakh vaccine doses were administered on Saturday, according to a provisional report compiled at 7 pm.
You can track coronavirus cases, deaths and testing rates at the national and State levels here. A list of State Helpline numbers is available as well.
Here are the latest updates:
Pinarayi Vijayan likely to hold online review meeting on Monday as COVID-19 cases rise
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan might chair an online meeting on Monday to weigh whether to reintroduce certain restrictions lifted for Onam, including the weekend lockdown, given the continuous increase in COVID-19 infections in the State.
Meanwhile, Kerala continued to report one of the highest infection rates in the country, with the average test positivity rate (TPR) touching 17.73% on Saturday.
24-hour vaccination centres in govt. medical college hospitals
All government medical college hospitals in the State will have round-the-clock COVID-19 vaccination centres from Monday.
The first such centre was opened at the Directorate of Public Health and Preventive Medicine on the premises of Directorate of Medical Services in Chennai on Saturday.
Inaugurating the centre, Health Minister Ma. Subramanian said similar centres would start functioning in all government medical college hospitals, and district government hospitals in districts that did not have government medical colleges such as Mayiladuthurai and Perambalur from Monday.
Vinay Kulkarni, supporters booked for violating COVID-19 protocol
The Belagavi police have filed two cases against Congress leader and former Minister Vinay Kulkarni and his supporters for alleged violation of COVID-19 protocol and weekend curfew rules in the border district of Belagavi on Saturday.
There was crowding as he came out of Hindalga jail, after obtaining bail in a murder case, and was welcomed by hundreds of supporters.
The case about violation of weekend curfew was filed after the police took suo motu cognisance of the offence at the open ground outside the jail. Another one, about protocol violation, was registered following a complaint by the Panchayat Development Officer of the Hindalaga Gram Panchayat. The two cases were registered in the rural police station.
U.K. to begin offering COVID antibody testing to general public for first time
The United Kingdom will begin offering COVID-19 antibody testing to the general public in the coming week for the first time, British media reported on Sunday.
The government's new programme is intended to produce data on antibody protections for people following infection by different coronavirus variants, according to details of the programme published by multiple media outlets, including Sky News and BBC.
From Tuesday, anyone aged 18 or over in England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland, will be able to opt in to the programme when receiving a PCR test, Sky News reported. -REUTERS
Active cases lowest in 152 days
India logged 30,948 new coronavirus infections, while the active cases declined to 3,53,398 comprising 1.09% of the total infections, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Sunday.
The total tally of COVID-19 cases has increased to 3,24,24,234. The death toll has climbed to 4,34,367 with 403 fresh fatalities, according to the data updated at 8 am.
The active cases have declined to 3,53,398, the lowest in 152 days, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate has increased to 97.57%, the highest since March 2020, the health ministry said.
A reduction of 7,942 cases has been recorded in the active COVID-19 caseload in a span of 24 hours. -PTI
M.P. to have over 200 MT oxygen generation capacity by Sept end: CM
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Saturday said at least 190 oxygen generation plants, with a capacity to produce 221 metric tonnes of the life-saving gas, will be functional in the state by the end of September.
Mr. Chouhan made the statement while virtually inaugurating some of the oxygen plants in 10 hospitals, which can generate 5,500 litres of the life-saving gas per minute. -PTI
Radio host who regretted vaccine skepticism dies of COVID-19
A conservative talk radio host from Tennessee who had been a vaccine skeptic until he was hospitalized from COVID-19 has died. He was 61.
Nashville radio station SuperTalk 99.7 WTN confirmed Phil Valentine's death in a tweet Saturday.
Valentine had been a skeptic of coronavirus vaccines. But after he tested positive for COVID-19, and prior to his hospitalization, he told his listeners to consider, “If I get this COVID thing, do I have a chance of dying from it?” If so, he advised them to get vaccinated. He said he chose not to get vaccinated because he thought he probably wouldn't die.