India crossed the milestone of 100 crore doses in Covid-19 vaccination on Thursday. Prime Minister Narendra Modi called it "historic". (Photo: ANI)Coronavirus Variants and Vaccinations, Coronavirus Active Cases in India Today News, October 22 Live Updates: Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the nation at 10 AM today. During his address, Modi said India’s vaccination programme was science-born, science-driven and science-based. He also said there was no “VIP culture” in the drive and everyone is treated equally. “India’s vaccine campaign is a living example of ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas aur Sabka Prayas, he said.
His address comes a day after India crossed the milestone of 100 crore doses in Covid-19 vaccination. The country achieved the feat in just about nine months after the beginning of the nationwide vaccination drive in January. The country has so far vaccinated 75% of its adult population with the first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine and 30% with both doses (fully vaccinated). He described India’s Covid-19 vaccination drive as a journey from “anxiety to assurance” that has made the country emerge stronger, and credited its success to people’s trust in the vaccines despite “various efforts to create mistrust and panic”.
What Next? According to Union Health Ministry data, India has administered an average of 59.29 lakh doses of the Covid-19 vaccine daily in the month of August. It increased to 78.69 lakh doses in September. But, the pace of vaccination dropped in October. In the first 20 days of the month, the average daily vaccinations have fallen to 46.68 lakh doses.
Vaccines are the main weapon in the fight against the Covid-19. It provides significant protection against severe Covid-19 infections, hospitalisation, and death. But, even almost after nine months of the launch of the vaccination drive, approximately 20% of the population above 60 years is yet to receive the first dose, according to data. Nearly 10.62 crore persons in the 60-plus age group have been administered the first dose and 6.20 crore are fully vaccinated.
Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan on Monday held a review meeting on the progress of the nationwide vaccination drive and he asked states/UTs to increase the pace of vaccination. Early this week, the Union Health Ministry has urged all states/UTs to focus on administering the second dose of the Covid-19 vaccine as supply improves. India is aiming to finish vaccinating all its eligible population by the year-end.
Meanwhile, India reported 15,786 new Coronavirus infections in the last 24 hours, taking its overall Covid-19 tally to 3,41,43,236, while the active cases have declined to 1,75,745, the lowest in 232 days, according to data from the Union health ministry on Friday. With 231 fresh fatalities, the Covid-19 death toll has climbed to 4,53,042, the Health Ministry said. The daily rise in new coronavirus infections has been below 30,000 for 28 straight days and less than 50,000 daily new cases have been reported for 117 consecutive days now.
Here are the latest, verified news from India and across the world on the Coronavirus pandemic:
Highlights
More than 101.2 crore COVID-19 vaccine doses have been administered in the country, including over 62 lakh doses administered on Friday, the Union health ministry said.
The daily vaccination tally is expected to increase with the compilation of the final reports by late night, it added.
Cumulatively, 40,41,65,807 first doses and 12,24,71,539 second doses of the vaccine have been administered to individuals in the 18-44 age group since the start of the third phase of the vaccination drive, according to the ministry's data.
Cumulatively 71,21,01,258 first doses and 30,03,07,997 second doses of the vaccine have been administered across the states and Union territories.
India's COVID-19 vaccination coverage has crossed 101.2 crore (1,01,24,09,255) doses, the ministry said, adding that 62,58,092 vaccine doses were administered till 7 pm on Saturday.
The vaccination exercise as a tool to protect the most vulnerable population groups in the country from COVID-19 continues to be regularly reviewed and monitored at the highest level, it underlined. (PTI)
Goa on Friday reported 54 COVID-19 cases, taking the state's tally to 1,77,819, while the death toll remained unchanged during the day at 3,357, an official said.
The discharge of 72 people took the recovery count to 1,73,862, leaving the coastal state with an active caseload of 600, he said.
With 3,555 samples being examined in the last 24 hours, the number of tests in Goa went up to 14,43,383, he added.
Goa's COVID-19 figures: Positive cases 1,77,819, new cases 54, death toll 3357, discharged 173862, active cases 600, samples tested till date 14,43,383. (PTI)
Tamil Nadu reports 1152 new COVID-19 cases, 1392 recoveries and 19 deaths in the last 24 hours.
Total cases 26,92,949Total recoveries 26,43,431Death toll 35,987
Active cases 13,531 (ANI)
Mumbai reports 421 new COVID-19 cases, 490 recoveries and 5 deaths in the last 24 hours.
Total cases 7,52,807Total recoveries 7,29,621Death toll 16,202
Active cases 4461 (ANI)
Karnataka reports 378 new COVID-19 cases, 464 recoveries and 11 deaths in the last 24 hours.
Total cases 29,85,227Total recoveries 29,38,312Death toll 37,995
Active cases 8891 (ANI)
Two more people died of COVID-19 in Himachal Pradesh on Friday, taking the death toll to 3,717, while 176 fresh cases pushed the infection tally to 2,22,312, an official said.
One death each was reported from Kangra and Hamirpur districts.
Meanwhile, 141 more patients recovered from the infection, the health official said.
The number of active cases stood at 1,483, he added. The overall recoveries so far have reached 2,17,095, the official added. (PTI)
West Bengal reports 846 new COVID-19 cases, 792 recoveries and 12 deaths in the last 24 hours.
Total cases 15,84,492Total recoveries 15,57,882Death toll 19,033
Active cases 7,577 (ANI)
Andhra Pradesh on Friday recorded 478 fresh COVID-19 cases, taking the tally to 20,62,781, while the death toll climbed to 14,333 with six more deaths.
With 574 people being cured, the total recoveries are at 20,43,050, leaving 5,398 active cases.
East Godavari district accounted for the highest number of new cases with 119 followed by Chittoor with 96, a state government bulletin said, providing details during the last 24 hours ending 9 AM today.
Chittoor District topped the chart with 982 active cases followed by East Godavari-971.
Over 43,000 samples were examined today and cumulatively more than 2.91 crore samples have been tested. (PTI)
India Inc on Friday said the country’s “hugely successful” COVID-19 vaccination programme under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership can boost economic growth and help realise the vision of a New India.
Hailing crossing of the 100-crore vaccine doses milestone, Modi on Friday said India’s vaccination programme was science-born, science-driven and science-based.
In an address to the nation, the prime minister also urged people to keep following COVID protocol during the festival season and not drop their guard. | Read More
Since the beginning of the pandemic, new variants have been the cause for concern for authorities, because they usher in new waves of cases along with them. However, is it possible for new SARS-CoV-2 variants to keep emerging? Well, as long as the virus due to which the pandemic began continues to infect people, new variants will emerge, a report by news agency AP said.
However, emergence of new variants of coronavirus does not necessarily mean that these new variants would be more dangerous, or that they would come up regularly. | Read More
Poland has recognized Covishield as a vaccine equivalent to those recognized by the European Union, exempting from quarantine after entering the territory of the Republic of Poland: Embassy of Poland in New Delhi (ANI)
Kerala logged 9,361 new COVID-19 cases and 99 deaths on Friday, pushing the infection count to 48,88,678 and the death toll to 27,765.
According to a release, 9,401 people recuperated from the disease today, taking the total cured in the state to 47,88,629.
"Currently there are 80,892 active COVID-19 cases of which only 9.8 per cent are hospitalised," State Health Minister Veena George said in a release.
She said 80,393 samples were tested in the last 24 hours and there are 211 wards with a weekly infection population ratio above ten per cent.
Among the districts, Ernakulam reported the highest number of fresh positive cases today--1,552, followed by Thiruvananthapuram with 1,214 and Kollam- 1,214.
Of those found infected today, 39 reached the state from outside while 9,012 contracted the disease through their contact. The source of infection of 254 is yet to be traced and 56 health workers are also among the infected, the release said. (PTI)
The Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine showed 90.7% efficacy against the coronavirus in a clinical trial of children 5 to 11 years old, the U.S. drugmaker said on Friday.
Sixteen children in the trial who had received a placebo got COVID-19, compared with 3 who were vaccinated, Pfizer said in briefing documents submitted to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Because more than twice as many children in the 2,268-participant trial were given the vaccine than placebo, that equates to better than 90% efficacy.
Pfizer's clinical trial in those 5 to 11 years old was not primarily designed to measure efficacy against the virus. Instead, it compared the amount of neutralizing antibodies induced by the vaccine in the children to the response of older recipients in their adult trial.
Based on those results, Pfizer and BioNTech said last month that their COVID-19 vaccine induced a robust immune response in the children.
The 5 to 11 year olds were given two shots of a 10-microgram dose of the vaccine, a third of the dose size given to people 12 and older.
Outside advisors to the FDA are scheduled to meet on Tuesday to vote on whether to recommend that the agency authorize the vaccine for that age group. The FDA's staff is expected to publish their review of the evidence submitted by Pfizer later on Friday.
Pfizer also said on Friday that it had expanded its clinical trial to improve its safety data, more than doubling the number of children enrolled.
According to the briefing documents, the adverse event profile in the expanded group of kids did not suggest any new safety concerns from the vaccine. The company had said previously that the safety profile in the age group was generally comparable to 16 to 25 year olds.
The second cohort of children have been observed for a shorter time. All of them had received their second dose and more than 70% were more than two weeks post dose two.
Both the Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna Inc vaccines have been linked to rare cases of heart inflammation called myocarditis, especially in young men.
Pfizer suggested that the rate of myocarditis in the age group was likely to be lower than observed in vaccinated 12 to 15 year olds. It also estimated that the number of COVID-related hospitalizations prevented by vaccination was many times the number of potential cases of myocarditis. (Reuters)
Kerala reports 9361 new COVID-19 cases, 9401 recoveries and 99 deaths in the last 24 hours.
Total recoveries 47,88,629Death toll 27,765Active cases 80,892
80,393 samples tested in the last 24 hours. (ANI)
India is unlikely to see a Covid wave like the devastating second one unless there is a new immune escaping variant but the lower number of cases does not necessarily mean the pandemic is now endemic, several experts said on Friday.
Giving hope and also injecting a note of caution as the festive season peaks with Diwali just days ahead, they said a dipping Covid graph is only part of the picture and pointed to factors such as the mortality rate, the need for a larger vaccination cover and examples of countries such as UK where numbers are again rising. | Read More
It's a huge accomplishment for country & people & is a result of collective efforts. Now we've to vaccinate eligible population with both doses in upcoming months. We're hoping that soon children's vaccine will also be available: Dr Naresh Trehan, Chairman-MD, Medanta, The Medicity (ANI)
It's a huge accomplishment for country & people & is a result of collective efforts. Now we've to vaccinate eligible population with both doses in upcoming months. We're hoping that soon children's vaccine will also be available: Dr Naresh Trehan, Chairman-MD, Medanta, The Medicity (ANI)
Delhi Disaster Mgmt Authority (DDMA) meeting to be held on 27th Oct; permission for Chhath Puja celebration will be taken up.
CM Kejriwal had written to LG Baijal over Chhath celebration in Delhi stating that "In my view, we should permit Chhath Puja following all COVID protocol" (ANI)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday thanked a host of world leaders for their wishes to India on crossing the 100-crore vaccine doses milestone and underlined that the country remains a steadfast partner in global efforts towards fighting the Covid pandemic.
Wishes continued to pour in for India from various heads of state and government a day after the cumulative COVID-19 vaccine doses administered in the country surpassed the 100-crore milestone.
"Congratulations to my friend @narendramodi and his government for administering 1 billion doses of the COVID-19 vaccine. A huge achievement," Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Twitter.
India and Australia are working side by side in the Quad grouping to expand vaccine access across the Indo-Pacific, he said.
Responding to Morrison, Modi tweeted, "Thank you, my friend @ScottMorrisonMP for your wishes on India achieving #VaccineCentury. And, congratulations to you for achieving high vaccination target in Australia." Mauritian Premier Pravind Jugnauth also congratulated India and Prime Minister Modi on attaining the 1-billion vaccination mark, saying that his country commends India's leadership in pandemic response efforts.
"Thank you for choosing Mauritius as one of the first recipients under the Vaccine Maitri Programme," he said.
In response, Modi tweeted, "Thank you PM @JugnauthKumar for your kind words. Our two countries are making rapid strides in our respective vaccination programme and fight against COVID-19." Modi also expressed confidence that the close partnership between the two countries will continue to grow.
Maldivian Foreign Minister Abdulla Shahid said taking "281 days to get 1 billion vaccinated" is indeed spectacular."Congratulations to the people of India and Prime Minister @narendramodi for this outstanding achievement..This only gives hope that we can get the world vaccinated," he said.
"Thank You Mr. @abdulla_shahid for your warm words of encouragement. You can always count on India's support for your #PresidencyofHope in tackling this pandemic. India stands together with the UN in achieving vaccine equity and ensuring vaccine accessibility," Modi said.
Prime Minister of Saint Kitts and Nevis Timothy Harris congratulated India on the major achievement of administering 100 crore vaccination doses and said it is a "significant landmark".
"Thank you @pmharriskn for your kind words. We continue to remain committed in our fight against COVID-19," Modi said.
Dominican Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit congratulated Modi for leading India into a massive vaccination campaign and successfully administering over 1 billion doses of the COVID-19 vaccines.
"Together, we must work closely in our fight against the global pandemic," he said on Twitter.
Responding to Skerrit, Modi said, "Thank you @SkerritR for your kind words. Agree with you that we must work together in our collective fight against the pandemic." Mongolian President Ukhnaagiin Khürelsükh congratulated Prime Minister Modi and the Indian people for achieving the vaccination landmark, saying Mongolia is proud of its strategic partner India.
"Thank you President @UKhurelsukh for the thoughtful wishes on #VaccineCentury. We are committed to intensifying 'Strategic Partnership' with Mongolia," Modi said.
Co-founder of Microsoft Corp. Bill Gates also hailed India for the feat, saying it was a testament to the country's innovation, ability to manufacture at scale, and the efforts of millions of health workers backed by CoWIN.
In response, Modi tweeted, "Thank You @BillGates for your appreciation of the efforts of Indian scientists, health workers and innovators in achieving the 1 billion vaccine milestone." India remains a steadfast partner in global efforts towards fighting this pandemic, the prime minister said. (PTI)
Jammu and Kashmir government sets fresh guidelines to regulate pilgrims at Mata Vaishno Devi shrine to prevent the spread of COVID-19
'Valid & verifiable RT-PCR/Rapid Antigen Test of Yatri not older than 72 hours of arrival should be made mandatory,' reads the order. (ANI)
The Congress on Friday hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi accusing him of misleading the country on vaccinations when only 21 per cent of the country's population was fully vaccinated. The opposition party asked the prime minister to bring out a white paper on how his government intends to vaccinate all adults by year-end, a promise made by him earlier. Congress spokesperson Gourav Vallabh also alleged that the prime minister, in his address to the nation on Friday, did not talk about issues of inflation and terrorism confronting the country. He said that instead of offering condolences to the families of 4.53 lakh people who lost their lives due to the coronavirus, the prime minister is celebrating. - PTI
The Iranian capital Tehran has held its main public Friday prayer service for the first time in 20 months, after it was halted amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Organizers said beforehand that all health protocols would be followed to protect the expected hundreds of worshippers during the ceremony at Tehran University. Iran's National Coronavirus Taskforce, which had ordered a halt to the prayers, authorized its resumption. Public Friday prayers have been underway in other cities, especially in smaller towns across the country since the summer. Individual mosques have been free to hold normal services since early October. The move comes as Tehran hosts over 400 Muslim scholars and religious leaders for a meeting known as the International Islamic Unity Conference. Tehran's communal Friday prayer was halted for 20 months over the coronavirus pandemic, which has killed more than 124,700 people and left some 4,400 in critical conditions in hospitals since the February 2019. The statistics show Iran as having the worst COVID-19 fatality rate in the Middle East. AP
Thailand is accelerating plans to reopen the country to foreign tourists, slashing mandatory quarantines beginning Nov. 1 for fully-vaccinated visitors arriving by air from 46 countries and territories, officials announced Friday. The Center for COVID-19 Situation Administration also announced a loosening of local restrictions, including cancellation of a curfew in some areas where risks have lessened and tourists can move freely. Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha had announced earlier this month that Thailand no longer planned to require visitors from at least 10 low-risk nations to quarantine if they are fully vaccinated for COVID-19. He had said the list would be expanded on Dec. 1, and then made even more extensive on Jan. 1. Under the new rules, vaccinated travelers to Thailand from the approved 45 countries plus Hong Kong will be required to show negative results from RT-PCR tests before flying and upon their arrival. AP
Worried that the flu and COVID-19 could trigger a winter-time double-whammy of new infections and deaths, France is forging ahead with a nation-wide vaccination and booster-shot programme against both diseases, offering simultaneous jabs to millions of at-risk people. The annual flu vaccination campaign kicked off Friday, four days earlier than initially planned, dovetailing with France's COVID-19 vaccination program that as well as trying to reach those who remain unvaccinated is also providing booster shots to those in need. French health authorities, in instructions issued this week, urged doctors, nurses, pharmacists and midwives to ‘systematically promote both vaccinations’ to at-risk people eligible for COVID-19 booster and flu shots. The note said the jabs can be given the same day, one in each arm. It added that the onset of the winter flu season with the pandemic ongoing ‘’increases the risk of co-infection and the development of serious cases and deaths." AP
A key measure of coronavirus infections in Germany rose sharply over the past week, figures showed on Friday, raising the prospect of tougher restrictions as winter approaches. The seven-day incidence rate of cases - which has been used to decide COVID-19 curbs - jumped more than 26 points in a week, the Robert Koch Institute responsible for disease control said. The rise comes as the leaders of Germany's 16 states are discussing pandemic plans. A nationwide state of emergency is set to lapse on Nov. 25, meaning restrictions will automatically expire then unless extended by parliamentary vote.The number of new infections per 100,000 people over seven days stood at 95.1 compared with 68.7 reported a week ago, the institute said. A total of 19,572 new infections were reported on Friday, 8,054 more than the same time last Friday, it added. More than 1,500 COVID-19 patients are in intensive care, up from about 1,400 a week ago, figures from the DIVI association for intensive and emergency medicine showed on Thursday. "The fourth wave has started now and is still gaining speed," Christian Karagiannidis, the scientific head of DIVI, said on Twitter on Thursday. Germany's state premiers are unlikely to lift rules requiring social distancing, mask-wearing and proof of vaccination, recovery or a negative test result to enter most indoor public spaces. (Reuters)
India and Australia are working side by side in the Quad grouping to expand vaccine access across the Indo-Pacific, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Friday as he wished his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi and his government after India achieved the milestone of administering 100 crore COVID-19 vaccine doses. India scripted history on Thursday with the cumulative COVID-19 vaccine doses administered in the country surpassing the 100-crore milestone. "Congratulations to my friend @narendramodi and his government for administering 1 billion doses of the COVID-19 vaccine. A huge achievement. India and Australia are working side by side in the Quad to expand vaccine access across the Indo-Pacific," Morrison tweeted. Modi also thanked his "friend" Morrison for his wishes on India achieving the Vaccine Century and congratulated him "for achieving high vaccination target in Australia". Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne also congratulated India for administering one billion vaccine doses. "Australia and India are working more closely than ever to fight COVID-19 by providing safe, equitable vaccine access in the Indo-Pacific. Congratulations to our close friends in India for administering a remarkable 1 billion vaccine doses," she tweeted. (AP)
The COVID-19 pandemic has showed the importance of technology and how if used properly can be a game-changer in the country where there is a big issue of resources and manpower crunch as far as the health sector is concerned, AIIMS Director Dr Randeep Guleria said on Friday. Speaking at Public Affairs Forum of India's 8th National Forum 2021, he said the pandemic showed that if you do not have a healthy nation, you will have a fate on your economy, it could affect tourism, it will affect travel, and it will have a lot of other effects which are so-called collateral damage. "The COVID-19 pandemic showed the importance of technology and it really showed that technology used properly can be a game-changer in our country where there is this big issue of resources and manpower crunch, as far as the health sector is concerned. So we've adopted teleconsultation very quickly, which allowed us to consult with a large number of patients across the country without them having to come to hospital. It was cost-effective," he said. Guleria also said that there is a huge inequity as far as health is concerned, both in urban and rural India, and that has to be addressed. (PTI)
Odisha on Friday registered 467 new COVID-19 cases, 57 less than the previous day, taking the state's tally to 10,37,523 while three fresh fatalities pushed the death toll to 8,301, a health department official said. The state's daily new case detection figure has dropped to below 500 after three consecutive days. Odisha on Thursday reported 524 new cases, 559 on Wednesday, 556 on Tuesday and 340 on Monday. Of the 467 new positive cases detected in 23 of the state's 30 districts, 86 were children and adolescents in the age group of 0 to 18 years. The rate of infection among children now stands at 18.41 per cent against the previous day's 15.64 per cent, he said. While 272 cases were from quarantine centres, the remaining 195 were local contacts. Khurda district of which Bhubaneswar is a part, reported the highest of 243 new infections and accounted for almost 52 per cent of the daily count, followed by Cuttack (36). Seven districts - Deogarh, Gajapati, Kalahandi, Kandhamal, Koraput, Malkangiri and Nuapada, did not report any new cases during the last 24 hours. (PTI)
Selection process of Haj pilgrims will be done according to complete vaccination with both the doses, guidelines and criteria by Indian & Saudi Arabia Govts during Haj 2022. Official announcement of Haj 2022 will be made in the first week of November: Ministry of Minority Affairs
Russia has fully vaccinated 49.2 million people against COVID-19, the state coronavirus task force said on Friday. It said 53.5 million Russian residents have received at least one dose of a vaccine. (Reuters)
Millions more Americans can get a COVID-19 booster and choose a different company's vaccine for that next shot, federal health officials said Thursday. Certain people who received Pfizer vaccinations months ago already are eligible for a booster and now the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says specific Moderna and Johnson & Johnson recipients qualify, too. And in a bigger change, the agency is allowing the flexibility of "mixing and matching" that extra dose regardless of which type people received first. The Food and Drug Administration had already authorized such an expansion of the nation's booster campaign on Wednesday, and it was also endorsed Thursday by a CDC advisory panel. CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky had the final word on who gets the extra doses. "These past 20 months have taught us many things, but mostly to have humility," she told the panel. "We are constantly learning about this virus, growing the evidence base and accumulating more data." There still are restrictions on who qualifies and when for a booster. Starting six months past their last Pfizer or Moderna vaccination, people are urged to get a booster if they're 65 or older, nursing home residents, or at least 50 and at increased risk of severe disease because of health problems. (AP)
Mexico registered 322 more confirmed coronavirus deaths and 4,798 new cases, bringing the overall death toll to 285,669 and the total number of cases to 3,772,556, the Health Ministry said on Thursday. (Reuters)
Even as the country is ecstatic after achieving the milestone of 100 crore Coronavirus vaccine doses, it is vital to tone down the euphoria a bit and focus dedicatedly on the task ahead. The country needs to administer another 88 crore additional vaccine doses to fully vaccinate the adult population of the country, the Indian Express reported. It is utterly significant for the country to retain the momentum and continue to vaccinate the partially vaccinated adult population and left out people with double doses of Coronavirus vaccine. READ FULL REPORT HERE
Ukraine attained a second successive daily record of new coronavirus infections and deaths, the health ministry said on Friday, despite tighter curbs last month as infections have risen for weeks among the population of 41 million. Ministry data showed 23,785 new cases over the past 24 hours, up from 22,415 a day earlier, while 614 new deaths related to COVID-19 exceeded Thursday's figure of 546. Vaccinations have been made compulsory for government employees such as teachers and the unvaccinated face curbs on visits to restaurants, sporting and other public events. The western city of Lviv may beef up curbs again after doing so this month, while the mayor of Kyiv has said his city will enter the "red" danger zone this week, leading to restrictions. (Reuters)
Swiss voters look set to support the government's pandemic response plan in a binding referendum next month, a poll for broadcaster SRG showed on Friday. The gfs.bern survey found 61% backed a law passed in March that expanded financial aid to people hit by the COVID-19 crisis and laid the foundation for certificates the government requires to facilitate travel abroad and allow certain events to be held. The survey found 36% opposed and 3% were undecided before the Nov. 28 referendum under the Swiss system of direct democracy. The poll's margin of error was 2.8 percentage points. In two other votes that day, the Swiss would easily support a labour union-backed proposal to boost the nursing profession, the poll found. A vote on whether to select federal judges by lottery from a pool of candidates proposed by experts was still too close to call. The government opposes the idea, which aims to reduce political pressure on the judiciary. (Reuters)
In the backdrop of India crossing the 100 crore vaccination mark, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today addressed the nations virtually. During his address, PM Modi said that India’s vaccination programme was science-born, science-driven and science-based. PM Modi said that the 100 crore Covid vaccine dose landmark is not merely statistics but a new chapter in the history of the country. He also said that the CoWin platform has made life easier for health workers. The Prime Minister also reiterated his vocal for local vision. READ FULL REPORT HERE
We have re-opened theatres with 50% capacity from today. The theatre owners are demanding to reopen with 100% seating capacity but we have told them to wait till Diwali. After Diwali, if situation is under control, then we'll increase the capacity: Maharashtra Dy CM Ajit Pawar (ANI)
China's capital Beijing has begun offering booster shots against COVID-19, four months before the city and surrounding regions are to host the Winter Olympics. Anyone 18 or older who have received two-dose Chinese vaccines and belong to at-risk groups, including those participating, organising or working on games facilities, would be eligible for the additional shot, state media reported Friday. The booster has been rolling out in cities across the vast nation since late September, but Beijing authorities have been extra cautious in who receives the extra jab. The games are set to begin on Feb 4 with only residents of China allowed in the stands. Indoor events with sliding, skiing and jumping will be held in the suburb of Yanqing and the neighbouring city of Zhangjiakou. China has been largely successful in preventing local transmission through strict requirements on mask wearing, quarantining and contact tracing. Cases continue to pop up however, with 28 new ones reported Friday, including one in the Beijing suburb of Fengtai. (AP)
More than 104.5 crore COVID-19 vaccine doses have been provided to states and union territories so far, the Union health ministry said on Friday. Over 11.65 crore balance and unutilised vaccine doses still available with states/UTs, it said. The vaccination drive has been ramped up through availability of more vaccines, advance visibility of vaccine availability to states and UTs for enabling better planning by them, and streamlining the vaccine supply chain, the ministry said. A total of 1,04,58,46,415 vaccine doses have been provided to states and union territories so far through the government of India (free of cost channel) and through direct state procurement category, the ministry said. (PTI)
Puducherry registered 57 fresh cases of coronavirus, 56 recoveries and one related fatality in the last 24 hours ending 9 am on Friday. The cumulative positives rose to 1,27,621 with the addition of the new cases that were identified at the end of examination of 3126 samples. The new cases were spread over Puducherry 31, Karaikal 14 and Mahe 12. Yanam an enclave of Puducherry in Andhra Pradesh did not report any new case of infection. The total active cases were 454 of whom 93 patients were in hospitals and the remaining 361 patients were in home isolation. Director of Health G. Sriramulu said that while 56 patients recovered and were discharged from hospitals during last twenty-four hours the overall recoveries stood at 1,25,314. (PTI)