As many as 10.34 crore people in the country have not taken the second dose of the Covid-19 vaccine after the prescribed interval between two doses. (Picture: Reuters)Coronavirus Variants and Vaccinations, Coronavirus Active Cases in India Today News, October 28 Live Updates: As the Covid-19 situation keeps improving, the Delhi government has allowed schools in the city to reopen for all classes, including the primary levels, from November 1, nearly after 19 months of Covid-induced shutdown. Several other states/UTs have already opened schools for offline classes with Covid under control in the country. In another positive development, the latest serosurvey showed nearly 90% of Delhiites have Covid-19 antibodies. The latest survey was conducted in the last week of September, and a total of 28,000 blood samples were collected from all the 280 civic wards. The previous survey conducted in January showed the presence of antibodies in 56% of people. Over the past three months, Delhi has seen quite an improvement in the Covid-19 situation. The number of fresh Coronavirus infections remained below 100 since August with the average positivity rate below 0.1%.
Meanwhile, India reported 16,156 fresh Coronavirus infections in the last 24 hours, taking its overall Covid-19 tally to 3,42,31,809, while the active cases declined to 1,60,989, the lowest in 243 days, according to data from the Union Health Ministry on Thursday. The Covid-19 death toll climbed to 4,56,386 with 733 fresh fatalities, the Health Ministry said. The active cases now account for 0.47% of the total infections, the lowest since March 2020, while the national Covid-19 recovery rate improved to 98.20%, the highest since March 2020, the health ministry said.
Overall the Covid-19 scenario in India is far better than what it was 4-5 months earlier. The number of fresh Coronavirus infections (daily cases) in the country has been under 30,000 for the past 3t days. Active cases have been falling steadily with vaccination picking up pace. However, nearly 10.34 crore people across the country have not taken the second dose after the prescribed interval between two Covid-19 vaccine doses, which is a concern. In fact, it has been noticed, the number of vaccination (per day) has started falling in the past few days despite the availability of vaccines with states/UTs, with people delaying their second doses as the situation improves in the country.
Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya raised the issue at a review meeting with state health ministers on Wednesday and asked them to accelerate the pace of second dose coverage. Sources present at the meeting said the Centre said that among the 10.34 crore, 85% had taken Covishield while the remaining had taken Covaxin.
Here are the latest updates on Coronavirus from India and around the globe:
Highlights
Singapore is looking into an "unusual surge" of 5,324 new infections of COVID-19, the city-state's health ministry said, its highest such figure since the beginning of the pandemic, as beds in intensive care units fill up. Ten new deaths on Wednesday carried the toll to 349, after 3,277 infections the previous day, while the ICU utilisation rate is nearing 80%, despite a population that is 84% fully vaccinated, with 14% receiving booster doses. "The infection numbers are unusually high today, mostly due to many COVID-positive cases detected by the testing laboratories within a few hours in the afternoon," the health ministry said in a statement. "The Ministry of Health is looking into this unusual surge in cases within a relatively short window, and closely monitoring the trends for the next few days," it added in Wednesday's statement. While nearly 98.7% of the past month's 90,203 cases had no symptoms, or only mild ones, about 0.2% of those had died, and 0.1% each were being monitored closely in intensive care units (ICU) or were critically ill and intubated there. (Reuters)
We administered to most people eligible for 3rd vaccination,hoping it'll help as we were 1st in world to start very heavy vaccinations.We saw the effectiveness going down at least in Pfizer that we used,after about 6 months. So we went for 3rd even before FDI approval: Naor Gilon (ANI)
I want to congratulate the Indian people for the great success in one billion #COVID19 vaccinations. In Israel, we did quite a good vaccination campaign: Israel's Ambassador to India, Naor Gilon, in Delhi (ANI)
Singapore's health ministry said it is looking into an "unusual surge" in infections after the city-state reported 5,324 new cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday, the most since the beginning of the pandemic. Singapore also recorded 10 new deaths from the disease on Wednesday, taking the toll to 349. "The infection numbers are unusually high today, mostly due to many COVID-positive cases detected by the testing laboratories within a few hours in the afternoon," the ministry of health (MOH) said in a statement on Wednesday night. "MOH is looking into this unusual surge in cases within a relatively short window, and closely monitoring the trends for the next few days."Singapore extended some of its social curbs last week to contain the spread of COVID-19 for around a month in order to ease the pressure on the healthcare system. (Reuters)
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The morning after a Brazilian Senate committee recommended criminal indictments for President Jair Bolsonaro over his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, Bruna Chaves, who lost her mother to the disease, was venting her pain in an emotional grief support group session. "It wasn't my mom's time to go," she told the others Wednesday inside an ecumenical chapel in Rio de Janeiro. "Somebody needs to be blamed." A government body laying blame at the president's feet in the form of a nearly 1,300-page report is already helping bring solace and validation to the mournful nation with the world's second highest death toll from the virus and eighth highest per capita. Chaves, a 25-year-old chemistry student, has been watching in recent weeks the nationally televised sessions on the committee's six-month probe, which culminated Tuesday with the recommendation that President Jair Bolsonaro face charges along with dozens of other officials and allies. (AP)
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COVID19 | India reports 16,156 new cases, 733 deaths in the last 24 hours; Active caseload stands at 1,60,989: Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (ANI)
The union territory of Andaman and Nicobar Islands reported two new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, pushing the tally to 7,650, a health department official said on Thursday. The archipelago had recorded zero COVID-19 cases on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday. The union territory now has five active COVID-19 cases and all the patients are in the South Andaman district while the other two districts - North and Middle Andaman and Nicobar - are coronavirus free, the official said. One more person recuperated from COVID-19, taking the total number of recoveries to 7,516, he said. The COVID-19 death toll remained at 129 as no fresh fatality was reported in the last 24 hours. The administration has far tested 5,92,748 samples for COVID-19 and the cumulative test positivity rate is 1.29 per cent. (PTI)
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The recent surge in COVID-19 cases in Singapore is being looked into, the country's health ministry has said after it registered a record single-day spike of 5,324 new infections on Wednesday. The figure includes 661 residents from dormitories of migrant workers and 12 cases who arrived from abroad, it said, adding that 10 more fatalities due to the disease have been reported as well. The ministry said it was looking into the "unusual surge in cases within a relatively short window", and that it will closely monitor the trend for the next few days. Singapore's death toll from the coronavirus now stands at 349. As of Wednesday noon, there were 1,777 COVID-19 patients in hospitals in the island, according to the Ministry of Health (MOH). Singapore's COVID-19 infection tally has reached 184,419, it showed The major obstacle to opening up economic activities quicker is the threat to the healthcare system, cautioned professor Dale Fisher, senior consultant, Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, National University Hospital. (PTI)
Thane has reported 188 new cases of coronavirus, raising the infection count in the Maharashtra district to 5,65,118, while five more deaths have pushed the toll to 11,491, an official said on Thursday. These new cases and fatalities were recorded on Wednesday, he said. The COVID-19 mortality rate in the district is 2.03 per cent, he added. In neighbouring Palghar district, the COVID-19 case count has gone up to 1,37,902, while the death toll stands at 3,282, another official said. (PTI)
Chhattisgarh's COVID-19 infection count reached 10,05,926 on Wednesday with addition of 28 cases, while the death toll reached 13,575 with two new fatalities, a health department official said. The recovery count reached 9,92,088, after five people were discharged from hospitals and seven completed home isolation during the day, leaving the state with 263 active cases, he said. Durg district recorded 6 new cases while Bastar recorded 5 cases and four districts including Raipur saw 3 cases each. Also, three districts including Korba reported 1 case each. No fresh cases were reported in 18 districts whereas seven districts have no active cases now. With 22,605 samples being examined during the day, the number of coronavirus tests in the state went up to 1,36,04,595. (PTI)
New Zealand officials said Thursday they will gradually loosen their border quarantine requirements, which have been among the toughest in the world throughout the pandemic. But while the changes will make it easier for New Zealanders stranded abroad to return home, officials gave no date for when tourists might be welcomed back. That change is likely still months away. COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins said that from next month, most people arriving in New Zealand would need to spend seven days in a quarantine hotel run by the military, half the previous requirement. He said some new arrivals from low-risk Pacific island countries could skip quarantine altogether and isolate at home. He said the new rules were an interim step ahead of broader reopening measures that would be gradually introduced once more than 90% of New Zealanders aged 12 and over were fully vaccinated. So far, 72% of eligible people have had both shots. The change follows a growing outcry from New Zealanders who have been trying to return home but have been unable to secure spots in the quarantine system. Some have resorted to legal action. (AP)