Omicron Variant Cases and Deaths in India Live, Covid-19 Booster Vaccine Registration Jan 18 Live Updates: The downward trend continues in fresh Coronavirus infections in the country. India reported 2,38,018 new Covid-19 cases in the last 24 hours, taking its overall tally of Coronavirus infections to 3,76,18,271, which includes 8,891 cases of the Omicron variant, according to data from the Union Health Ministry on Tuesday. The number of active Covid-19 cases in the country has increased to 17,36,628, the highest in 230 days, while the death toll has climbed to 4,86,761 with 310 fresh fatalities, the health ministry said.
After a sudden spike in Covid-19 cases, led by Omicron variant, India has started witnessing a fall in fresh Coronavirus infections. The worst-hit Delhi on Monday reported 12,527 fresh cases, more than 6,000 fewer cases than Sunday. Mumbai’s COVID-19 cases dropped below the 6,000-mark; it reported 5,956 new COVID-19 cases, down by 1,939 from a day ago. Maharashtra too recorded a sharp fall in new Covid-19 cases. The state reported 31,111 fresh Coronavirus infections on Monday, 10,216 cases less than the day before. Cases have been falling sharply across the country. The Reserve Bank of India study says Omicron may be a “flash flood than a wave”. However, the decline in daily cases has also been because of fewer tests on Sunday. According to the health bulletin, Delhi conducted only 44,762 tests on Monday, the lowest since November 29 when 43,499 tests were conducted. The positivity rate – or proportion of samples tested that returned positive – increased slightly to 27.99%. So, we cannot draw any conclusion from the recent drop in fresh Corona infections; it’s too early. The worst is not over yet.
Stay tuned as Financial Express Online brings you the latest coronavirus updates.
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Delhi logged 11,684 fresh COVID-19 cases and 38 more deaths due to the viral disease on Tuesday, while the positivity rate declined to 22.47 per cent, according to a bulletin issued by the city health department. The national capital had reported 12,527 fresh Covid cases and 24 deaths due to the disease on Monday, while the positivity rate stood at 27.99 per cent. A total of 52,002 tests were conducted to detect the infection on Monday, higher than the 44,762 tests carried out on Sunday. A total of 2,730 patients are admitted to hospitals, including 139 on ventilator. The case tally has climbed to 17,34,181 in Delhi while the death toll due to Covid has gone up to 25,425. The number of active cases in the city stands at 78,112, including 63,432 patients in home isolation. PTI
COVID-19 infections in Kerala on Tuesday witnessed a steep rise as the state reported 28,481 new positive cases taking the infection count to 54,07,312. Kerala had reported 22,946 cases on Monday. State Health Minister Veena George said the state had tested 80,740 samples in the last 24 hours and there are over 1.42 lakh active COVID-19 cases in the state. On Tuesday, Kerala reported 122 deaths taking the toll in the state to 51,026. Among today's fatalities, 39 were recorded over the last few days and 83 designated as COVID-19 deaths after receiving appeals based on the new guidelines of the Centre and the directions of the Supreme Court. – PTI
Telangana recorded 2,983 fresh COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, taking the tally to 7,14,639 while the death toll rose to 4,062 with two more fatalities. Telangana had recorded 2,447 new COVID-19 cases on Monday. The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) recorded the highest number of fresh cases with 1,206, followed by Medchal Malkajgiri (259) and Ranga Reddy (227) district, a state government bulletin said, providing details as of 5.30 PM today. As many as 2,706 people recovered from the infection on Tuesday. The cumulative number of recoveries till date was 6,88,105. The number of active cases stood at 22,472, the bulletin said. A total of 1,07,904 samples were tested today and the total number examined till date was 3,08,17,562. PTI
In the highest single-day spike so far this month, Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday recorded 4,651 fresh cases of COVID-19, taking the total number of infections to 3,66,851 while three deaths were reported in 24 hours, officials said. Of the fresh cases, 1,546 were from Jammu division and 3,105 from Kashmir, the officials said. They said Srinagar district recorded the highest number of 957 cases followed by 919 cases in Jammu district. There are 21,677 active cases in the union territory, while the number of recoveries so far was 3,40,599, the officials said. With three fresh deaths, the death toll in the union territory went up to 4,575, they said. Meanwhile, the officials said, there were 51 confirmed cases of Mucormycosis (black fungus) in the union territory. However, no such fresh case was reported since Monday evening. PTI
Amid concerns about COVID-19 vaccines not reaching all parts of the world, especially to poor countries, a top WHO official on Tuesday said vaccination must be central to any strategy to fight the pandemic and equitable distribution is a must. While some of the developed nations are talking about the fourth dose of the vaccine, a large number of people in Africa and some other regions are yet to get their first one. Speaking at a panel discussion on 'Meeting the challenges of vaccine equity' at the World Economic Forum's online Davos Agenda 2022 summit, leaders said the rapid development of COVID-19 vaccines is a scientific achievement for the ages. But the failure to ensure universal global distribution risks not only bad health outcomes but also economic upheaval and geopolitical tensions, they opined. – PTI
Active cases in Karnataka crossed 2.5 lakh on Tuesday as the State registered yet another spike logging 41,457 new cases of COVID-19, and 20 fatalities, taking the tally to 32,88,700 and the death toll to 38,465. The state, which has been witnessing a steady surge in cases since the last week of December, had recorded 27,156 fresh infections on Monday, while it was 34,047 on Sunday. Of the new cases today, 25,595 were from Bengaluru Urban that saw 4,514 people being discharged and 7 deaths. The total number of active cases across the state is now 2,50,381. There were 8,353 discharges, taking the total number of recoveries to 29,99,825, a health department bulletin said. – PTI
Nepal recorded 10,258 new coronavirus infections on Tuesday, government data showed, the highest number reported in a single day as the government projected the tally could double by the end of the month.Total infections topped 972,198 and COVID-19-related deaths stood at 11,624. The previous daily record was 9,483 cases in May last year.Authorities extended an earlier ban on large public gatherings in the hill-ringed Kathmandu valley, home to more than four million people, until Feb. 12 from Jan. 29 to try to control the spread of the virus.Nepal’s daily number of infections is likely to double by the end of January and hospitalisation cases could increase greatly to put further strain on the country's poor health infrastructure, officials said. – Reuters
Flagging a decline in the number of COVID-19 tests in many states and union territories, the Centre on Monday asked them to enhance testing so that an effective track of the spread of the pandemic can be kept and immediate citizen-centric action can be initiated. In a letter to states and UTs, Additional Secretary in the Union Health Ministry Arti Ahuja advised them to pay attention to this aspect immediately and increase the testing in a strategic manner keeping in view the trend of case positivity in specific areas. She highlighted that Omicron, which has been designated by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a variant of concern, is currently spreading across the country. Referring to the ministry's earlier letters and the Home Ministry advisory of December 27 last year laying out the broad framework of pandemic management in the context of Omicron, Ahuja said testing remains a key and crucial component. (PTI)
The Union health ministry has advised Covid patients to go for tests for tuberculosis and other conditions if cough persists for more than two-three weeks. The revised 'Clinical Guidance for Management of Adult COVID-19 Patients' issued by AIIMS, ICMR-COVID-19 National Task Force and Joint Monitoring Group (DGHS) under the health ministry on Monday underlined there is no evidence of injectable steroids benefitting Covid patients not requiring oxygen supplementation or in continuation after discharge. Anti-inflammatory or immunomodulatory therapy, such as steroids, can have the risk of secondary infection like invasive mucormycosis, when used too early, at higher dose or for longer than required, they highlighted. If cough persists for more than two-three weeks, one should opt for investigation for tuberculosis and other conditions, the revised guidelines stated. The revised guidelines continue to recommend emergency use authorization (EUA) or off-label use of remdesivir in patients with “moderate to severe” disease and those with no renal or hepatic dysfunction within 10 days of the onset of any symptom. (PTI)
Hong Kong authorities said Tuesday that they will cull some 2,000 hamsters after several of the rodents tested positive for the virus at a pet store where an infected employee was working. Officials said they would also stop the sale and import of the rodents in the city. The move came after the pet shop employee tested positive for the delta variant on Monday. Several of the hamsters tested positive for the coronavirus as well. Even though authorities acknowledged that there is “no evidence” that pets can transmit the coronavirus to humans, as a precautionary measure, customers who had purchased hamsters from the affected store after Jan. 7 will be traced and must be subject to mandatory quarantine. (AP)
The COVID-19 tally of Andaman and Nicobar Islands rose to 8,695 on Tuesday as 49 people tested positive for the infection, 16 less than the previous day, a health bulletin said. Thirty-two new patients have travel history, while 17 infections were detected during contact tracing, it said. The Union territory now has 449 active cases, while 8,117 people have recovered from the disease so far, including 66 in the last 24 hours. (PTI)
The Karnataka government has warned certain medical practitioners of action for allegedly spreading misinformation pertaining to the COVID-19. In a statement on Tuesday, the Commissionerate of Health and Family Services said some medical practitioners were allegedly giving incomplete, inaccurate and unsubstantiated information about COVID-19. “Such misinformation leads to confusion in public at large on the prevailing COVID scenario in the State and encourages them to deviate from well laid out guidelines issued by the health and revenue authorities,” the statement said. (PTI)
Romania reported 16,760 new cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday, more than double on the day and the biggest single-day rise since October, as the Omicron coronavirus variant takes hold. Romania is the European Union's second-least vaccinated state, with just under 41% of the population fully inoculated amid distrust of state institutions and poor vaccine education. (Reuters)
Stempeutics, a group company of Manipal Education and Medical Group (MEMG), on Tuesday said it has received DCGI clearance to conduct Phase 3 clinical trial on its product for treating COVID-19 patients suffering from acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). The company will be using its stem cell product, Stempeucel, for conducting the label extension Phase 3 clinical trial. The product is already approved for marketing for the treatment of critical limb ischemia by the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI). (PTI)
63 more Omicron confirmed in Kerala today, taking the case tally to 591. Of 591 cases, 401 persons arrived from 'low-risk' countries, 101 persons from 'high-risk' countries, 70 persons were contacts of patients and 19 reached from other States: Kerala Health Minister's Office (ANI)
Facing a nationwide surge in coronavirus cases fuelled by the spread of the highly transmissible omicron variant, Abu Dhabi is requiring people entering the city to show proof of booster shots. The government's health app said earlier this week that people entering the capital of the United Arab Emirates must show a “green pass,” confirming their vaccination status. The app says that visitors are no longer considered fully vaccinated unless they have received a booster at least six months after their second dose. Those wishing to enter Abu Dhabi also must have tested negative for the virus within the last two weeks to maintain their “green” status.(AP)
Japan’s government is preparing social restrictions in Tokyo and other regions as the omicron variant of the coronavirus infects more people. Japan has never had a lockdown during the pandemic but has focused instead on asking restaurants and bars to close early. Crowds are back in many parts of Japan, with people packing stores and events, while COVID-19 cases jump. The order will be finalised this week and is likely to take effect Friday for Tokyo and nine other regions, including Chiba, Kanagawa, Aichi and Kumamoto, the government spokesman said Tuesday. An order was issued earlier this month for Okinawa, Yamaguchi and Hiroshima prefectures. Other areas seeing surging infections, such as Osaka, may be added later. (AP)
Over 50 lakh healthcare & frontline workers & citizens aged 60 years or above have received Precaution Dose, since 10th January. I request all those who are eligible to get their Precaution Dose at the earliest: Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya (ANI)
COVID19 | Puducherry reports 2,093 new cases & 3 deaths today; Active cases rise to 10,393. Test positivity at 34.72% (ANI)
The Gujarat government has told the Supreme Court that it had so far sanctioned the compensation of Rs 50,000 each to 68,370 claims filed by the kin of patients who died due to coronavirus infection in the state. This information about processing such claims was given in the affidavit filed by the state government in the apex court on January 14, an official said on Tuesday. As per the state health department, the death toll due to COVID-19 in Gujarat stood at 10,164 as of Monday (January 17). (PTI)
Due to COVID19 restrictions, the number of visitors to be substantially curtailed this year. We are looking at a range of 5000 to 8000 people but we have not yet finalised that. Last year, 25,000 visitors had taken part in it: Senior Defence Ministry officials on Republic Day (ANI)
Israel will continue to offer a fourth COVID-19 vaccine shot despite preliminary findings that it is not enough to prevent Omicron infections, a senior health official said on Tuesday, predicting contagions stoked by the variant will wane in a week. The fastest country to roll out vaccinations a year ago, Israel last month started offering a fourth shot – also known as a second booster – to its most vulnerable and high-risk groups. A preliminary study published by an Israeli hospital on Monday found that the fourth shot increases antibodies to even higher levels than the third but “probably” not enough to fend off the highly transmissible Omicron. Health Ministry director-general Nachman Ash described those findings as “unsurprising, to a degree” as Omicron infections had been logged in some people after they received fourth doses. (Reuters)
There will be no foreign chief guest from Central Asian countries on Republic Day this year due to COVID19. The government had sent invitations to the Heads of State of five Central Asian countries but the plans have now been cancelled: Sources (ANI)
Blanket approaches such as complete restriction on the movement of people and travel bans can be counterproductive in containing Covid in a country like India, says WHO's India representative Roderico H Ofrin while advocating target, risk-based strategies to counter the pandemic. Stressing on the need to protect both lives and livelihoods, he said public health action in India and across the world must be continually guided by evidence from four key questions — how transmissible is the variant, severity of the disease it causes, how well vaccines and prior SARS-CoV-2 infection protect and how common people perceive risk and follow control measures. “WHO does not recommend a blanket travel ban, nor complete restriction of people's movement. In many ways, such blanket approaches can be counterproductive. India with its diversity in population distribution and geographic spread, the risk-based approach remains the wiser public health practice to counter a pandemic,” Ofrin told PTI in an email interview. (PTI)
Delhi's Social Welfare Minister Rajendra Pal Gautam on Tuesday said he has tested positive for COVID-19 and is in home isolation. He requested people who came in contact with him to get themselves tested. “I have been in home isolation due to mild fever and cough for the last four days. I underwent a Covid test on Monday, and the report came out positive,” he tweeted, adding he is feeling better now. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had tested positive for the viral disease on January 4. Kejriwal, who had mild symptoms, recovered from the infection on January 9. (PTI)
One in ten people may still be infectious for SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, after the 10 day quarantine period, according to a study. The research, published recently in the International Journal of Infectious Diseases, used a newly adapted test which can detect whether the virus was potentially still active. The test was applied to samples from 176 people in Exeter, UK, who had tested positive on standard PCR tests. The team led by researchers at the University of Exeter found that 13 per cent of people still exhibited clinically-relevant levels of virus after 10 days, meaning they could potentially still be infectious. Some people retained these levels for up to 68 days, the researchers found. They believe this new test should be applied in settings where people are vulnerable, to stop the spread of COVID-19. (PTI)
Chinese state media report parcels mailed from overseas may have spread the omicron variant of the coronavirus in Beijing and elsewhere. Globally, health experts have stressed the virus mainly spreads through respiratory droplets when infected people breathe, speak, cough and sneeze. However, China has repeatedly emphasised the danger of infection from packaging, despite only trace amounts of the virus being found on such items, and it has boosted testing of frozen food and regular items shipped from overseas. The Communist Party newspaper Global Times cited the Beijing Center for Disease Control and virologists as making the link between the latest infections and packages from abroad. The report Tuesday said investigators found people newly infected had picked up packages mailed from Canada and the US. (AP)
Puducherry witnessed an increase in the number of daily COVID-19 cases during the last twenty-four hours ending 10 a.m. on Tuesday as 2,093 fresh infections were added to its tally, which reached 1,40,710. The new cases were identified at the end of examination of 6,028 samples. Puducherry region alone accounted for 1,715 new cases out of the 2093 reported today while Karaikal had 279 cases, Mahe 45 and Yanam 54. Three more people, including a 32 year old woman, succumbed to the infection in the last twenty four hours raising the overall toll to 1893. (PTI)
Arunachal Pradesh on Tuesday reported the highest single-day spike of COVID-19 cases so far this month, as 404 more people tested positive for the virus, raising the tally to 57,037, a senior health department official said. The death toll remained at 282 as no fresh fatality was reported in the past 24 hours, he said. The new cases include five personnel of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), two National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) jawans as well as seven inmates of Jullang Jail near here, State Surveillance Officer Lobsang Jampa said. Arunachal Pradesh now has 1,476 active cases, while 55,279 patients have recovered from the disease thus far. (PTI)
The Czech Republic reported on Tuesday more than 20,000 new cases of COVID-19, the biggest single-day rise since Dec. 1, the Health Ministry said. The central European country of 10.7 million is bracing for a new wave of the pandemic as the Omicron variant of the coronavirus begins pushing up cases. The government has shortened quarantine and isolation times as part of new measures while also launching mandatory testing of employees at companies, which got underway this week. On Monday, the Health Ministry recorded 20,270 new coronavirus infections, up from 7,342 a week earlier. (Reuters)
The Bihar government has ordered an investigation after records showed that a Patna-based civil surgeon was administered five shots of the COVID-19 vaccine. The civil surgeon, Dr Vibha Kumari Singh, however, said she had taken the jab thrice as per rules. Singh also claimed that someone else managed to get vaccine shots using her PAN card details, and called for a probe. According to the CoWIN portal, she received the first dose on January 28, 2021 and was fully vaccinated by March last year. Government records showed Singh was also jabbed on February 6, 2021 using her PAN card information, and for the fourth time on June 17 that year. She then took a precautionary dose on January 13, 2022. (PTI)
Japan's government is preparing social restrictions in Tokyo and other regions as the omicron variant of the coronavirus infects more people. Japan has never had a lockdown during the pandemic but has focused instead on asking restaurants and bars to close early. Crowds are back in many parts of Japan, with people packing stores and events, while COVID-19 cases jump. The order will be finalised this week and is likely to take effect Friday for Tokyo and nine other regions, including Chiba, Kanagawa, Aichi and Kumamoto, the government spokesman said Tuesday. An order was issued earlier this month for Okinawa, Yamaguchi and Hiroshima prefectures. Other areas seeing surging infections, such as Osaka, may be added later. (PTI)
Odisha reported 11,086 new COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, 597 more than the previous day, while four more patients died, the Health Department said. The daily test positivity rate rose to 15.62 per cent from 14.96 as 70,990 samples were tested in the last 24 hours, a bulletin stated. Khurda district, where Bhubaneswar is located, reported nearly one-third of the new cases at 3,469, followed by 1,416 cases in Sundargarh and 766 in Cuttack, it said. (PTI)
Ladakh reported 152 fresh COVID-19 cases, taking the overall caseload in the Union Territory to 23,536 and active cases to 844, officials said on Tuesday. The highest 132 positive samples were received from Leh district while 20 cases surfaced in Kargil district, the officials said. According to the officials, the COVID-19 death toll remained unchanged at 222 with 164 fatalities in Leh and 58 in Kargil. (PTI)
Japan's western prefecture of Osaka will record about 6,000 new coronavirus infections on Tuesday, the Kyodo news agency said, far surpassing the previous all-time high of 3,760 set on the weekend. The numbers of new cases in the capital, Tokyo, are also nearing records, in a resurgence driven by the highly infectious Omicron variant that has pushed Japan's new cases to the vicinity of records, with more than 25,000 in recent days. The governors of Tokyo and surrounding prefectures agreed this week to ask the central government for infection-fighting measures, such as shorter opening hours for bars and restaurants. Ten prefectures have made such requests, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno told reporters on Tuesday. (Reuters)
Tickets for the Winter Olympics set to begin on Feb. 4 will be distributed to “targeted” groups of people and will not be sold to the general public, the organising committee said on Monday, in the latest setback to the Games inflicted by COVID-19. (Reuters)
Australia reported a record high of COVID-19 deaths Tuesday, and its second-largest state declared an emergency in hospitals to cope with surging patient admissions and a staffing shortage due to the coronavirus. The 74 deaths occurred in its three most populous states. New South Wales reported 36, Victoria reported 22 and Queensland 16. The previous daily record was 59 coronavirus-related deaths on Sept. 4, 2020. Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt said there were signs that New South Wales' infection rate was peaking and Victoria was near a plateau. (AP)
The Chinese municipality of Tianjin reported fewer COVID-19 cases on Tuesday as its outbreak showed early signs of easing, while the daily case count in the city of Anyang hit a record. Tianjin, a key port in the northern China, reported 18 domestically transmitted cases with confirmed symptoms for Monday, the National Health Commission (NHC) data showed on Tuesday. That marks the lowest daily number in a week. NHC official He Qinghua said on Saturday the risk of the Tianjin outbreak spreading to other areas was gradually declining, as new cases in the past three days were mainly in people who had been quarantined. Assembly plants for Volkswagen and Toyota in Tianjin remained closed due to the outbreak. The component factory of Volkswagen in the city has resumed some of the shifts since Thursday last week, according to a statement from Volkswagen Group China on Tuesday. Tianjin reported over 300 local symptomatic cases from the current cluster, which has also spread Omicron infections to two other cities. Tianjin's caseload remains smaller than many outbreaks overseas, but it has made it harder for locals to leave town, sealed up higher risk communities and launched multiple rounds of testing among its 14 million residents, under China's guideline to quickly curb any flare-up as soon as possible. (Reuters)
India’s cumulative COVID19 vaccination coverage exceeds 158.04 crores, as nearly 80 lakh vaccine doses were administered in the last 24 hours: Union Health Ministry (ANI)
India reports 2,38,018 COVID cases (20,071 less than yesterday), 310 deaths, and 1,57,421 recoveries in the last 24 hours.
Active case: 17,36,628
Daily positivity rate: 14.43%
8,891 total Omicron cases detected so far; an increase of 8.31% since yesterday (ANI)
COVID19 | No decision yet by the union health ministry on vaccination for children of age group 12-14 years: Official sources (ANI)
An Israeli hospital on Monday said preliminary research indicates a fourth dose of the coronavirus vaccine provides only limited defence against the omicron variant that is raging around the world. Sheba Hospital last month began administering a fourth vaccine to more than 270 medical workers, 154 who received a Pfizer-BioNtech vaccine and 120 others who received Moderna's. All had previously been vaccinated three times with the Pfizer-BioNtech vaccine. The clinical trial found that both groups showed increases in antibodies “slightly higher” than following the third vaccine last year. But it said the increased antibodies did not prevent the spread of omicron. “Despite increased antibody levels, the fourth vaccine only offers a partial defense against the virus,” said Dr Gili Regev-Yochay, director of the hospital's infection disease unit. (AP)
Hong Kong police arrested two former flight attendants for allegedly leaving their homes when they should have been in isolation for possible coronavirus infections, which were later confirmed. The two arrived from the U.S on Dec. 24 and 25. While in medical surveillance, they had “conducted unnecessary activities,” according to a government statement posted late Monday. While the statement did not name their employer, the arrests came after flagship carrier Cathay Pacific said it had fired two crew members for breaching coronavirus protocols. Both later tested positive for the omicron variant. The duo have been released on bail and will have their case heard in court on Feb. 9. If convicted of violating anti-epidemic regulations, they could face up to 6 months imprisonment and a fine of up to 5,000 Hong Kong dollars ($642).(AP)
With the addition of 4,583 fresh coronavirus positive cases, the tally of infections in Thane district of Maharashtra rose to 6,73,659, an official said on Tuesday. These new cases were reported on Monday, he said. As the virus claimed the life of six more persons, the death toll in the district has gone up to 11,664. The mortality rate is 1.73 per cent, he added. (PTI)
Italy reported 83,403 COVID-19 related cases on Monday, against 149,512 the day before, the health ministry said, while the number of deaths rose to 287 from 248. Italy has registered 141,391 deaths linked to COVID-19 since its outbreak emerged in February 2020, the second-highest toll in Europe after Britain and the ninth highest in the world. The country has reported 8.79 million cases to date. Patients in hospital with COVID-19 – not including those in intensive care – stood at 19,228 on Monday, up from 18,719 a day earlier. There were 122 new admissions to intensive care units, down from 128 on Sunday. The total number of intensive care patients increased to 1,717 from a previous 1,691. Some 541,298 tests for COVID-19 were carried out in the past day, compared with a previous 927,846, the health ministry said. (Reuters)
Union Minister Raosaheb Danve on Monday said the Maha Vikas Aghadi government was speaking about COVID-19 vaccine shortage but neither Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray nor state Health Minister Rajesh Tope had raised the issue during meetings with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He said the Centre was supplying doses in adequate numbers to all states and the Maharashtra government must provide details of its vaccination drive. Tope had said the state was facing a shortage of vaccine doses after the drive opened up for the 15-18 age group, and had demanded that the Centre supply 40 lakh Covaxin and 50 lakh Covishield doses. Danve also said Tope's demand for mandatory vaccination was not required currently as people were aware of the outbreak and were coming forward to get their jabs. (PTI)
Haryana on Monday reported 9,204 fresh COVID-19 cases that took its tally to 8,56,102, while 12 more fatalities pushed the death toll to 10,116. The number of active cases in the state stands at 54,814, up from 51,253 a day ago, according to the health department's daily bulletin. Gurgaon, which is the worst-hit district in the state, reported 3,448 fresh cases, followed by 1,435 in Faridabad, 799 in Sonipat, 649 in Panchkula, 401 in Ambala, among others. Of the latest fatalities, four were reported from Karnal, two each from Gurgaon and Yamunanagar and one each from Faridabad, Ambala, Kurukshetra and Fatehabad, the bulletin stated. So far, 7,91,149 people have recovered from COVID-19. The state has a recovery rate of 92.41 per cent, it said. Meanwhile, Chief Secretary Sanjeev Kaushal held a meeting with administrative officers in Gurgaon to review the Covid and the law and order situation in the district. According to an official statement, Kaushal directed the district administration to keep a constant watch on Covid cases and ensure that the arrangements regarding oxygen, medicines and other necessary requirements are made well in time so that people do not face any problems. Gurgaon has the highest number of Covid patients in Haryana. Gurgaon deputy commissioner Yash Garg told the chief secretary that most of the patients have mild symptoms and are recovering in home isolation within four to five days, the statement said. Garg said about 6,000 beds are available in various hospitals in Gurgaon for Covid patients. At present, only 152 patients are under treatment at various hospitals, he said. Learning from last time's experience, he said, the availability of oxygen has also been increased in Gurgaon. (PTI)
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