PM Narendra Modi chaired a review meeting with chief ministers in view of the spike in Covid-19 cases. (File)Coronavirus News Live Updates Today: Interacting with the chief ministers of several states, Prime Minister Narendra Modi Wednesday warned that the “Covid challenge” has not yet been surpassed. “Despite managing the Covid crisis well as compared to other countries, we can see an uptick in cases in states now. We have to stay alert,” Modi said. He added that administering vaccine to every eligible child at the earliest is our priority, while stressing the need to ensure Covid-appropriate behaviour in public places.
The review meeting was attended by several chief ministers including West Bengal’s Mamata Banerjee, Chhattisgarh’s Bhupesh Baghel and Punjab’s Bhagwant Mann.
India reported 2,927 new coronavirus cases — up from the previous day’s 2,483 — as of 8 am Wednesday, according to the Union Health Ministry. The active cases in India climbed to 16,279 from 15,636. The country also reported 32 deaths in the last 24 hours.
Healthcare workers conduct Covid-19 test at the Girls College after two cases were reported, in Lucknow, Monday, April 25, 2022. (PTI Photo)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday (April 27) held a review meeting with chief ministers amid rising cases of the coronavirus infection in the country. Here are the five things the PM told the states during the meeting chaired by him.
‘Children are returning to school, need to vaccinate all of them on priority’
During the interaction, Prime Narendra Modi emphasised that priority in the new phase of pandemic should be to vaccinate all the eligible children population — directing the states to run special vaccination campaigns needs to be implemented, especially in the backdrop of children returning to the schools after a long break. Read full Explainer here
Dr. Anthony Fauci has given an upbeat assessment of the current state of the coronavirus in the United States, saying the country is “out of the pandemic phase” when it comes to new infections, hospitalizations and deaths, but that it appears to be making a transition to COVID-19 becoming an endemic disease — occurring regularly in certain areas.
Fauci, the nation's top infectious disease expert, said on the PBS “NewsHour” on Tuesday that the coronavirus remains a pandemic for much of the world, but the threat is not over for the United States, adding that he was speaking about the worst phase of the pandemic.
"Namely, we don't have 900,000 new infections a day and tens and tens and tens of thousands of hospitalizations and thousands of deaths. We are at a low level right now,” he said. (AP)
Telangana on Wednesday recorded 49 new COVID-19 cases taking the total number of cases in the state to 7,91,906, a health department bulletin said.
No fresh fatalities due to the virus was reported on Wednesday and the death toll stood unchanged at 4,111, it said. Hyderabad accounted for the highest number of 29 cases in the state.
A total of 11 people recovered from the infection on Wednesday taking the cumulative number of recoveries till date to 7,87,519. The active cases stood at 276, the bulletin said. (PTI)
After lifting all COVID-19-related restrictions less than a month ago, Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Wednesday appealed to people to use face masks when outdoors and take necessary precautions to restrict a possible fourth wave of the pandemic at the doorstep and prevent it from entering the state.
The CM's appeal came in the backdrop of an uptick in coronavirus cases in the state, especially in Mumbai where more than 100 new cases were reported for the second straight day on Wednesday.
Thackeray's call came after he held a review meeting with divisional commissioners, municipal commissioners, Zilla Parishad CEOs and top police officials in view of the rise in coronavirus cases. (PTI)
Chhattisgarh on Wednesday reported five fresh COVID-19 cases, taking the overall tally to 11,52,253, while no new death linked to the infection was reported in the state, an official said. The death toll remained unchanged at 14,034.
The positivity rate, or cases detected per 100 tests, stood at 0.11 per cent, he said. The recovery count in Chhattisgarh rose at 11,38,191 after four people completed their home isolation period during the day, leaving the state with 28 active cases, he said.
"Raipur and Durg recorded two cases each followed by one in Rajnandgaon district. No new coronavirus cases were reported in 25 districts. As on Wednesday, no active cases existed in 14 districts in the state," the official said. (PTI)
Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Wednesday said a high number of cases in the state are mainly from Gurugram and Faridabad bordering Delhi.
Khattar said Haryana is fully prepared to tackle any surge in Covid cases and added that enhanced health infrastructure has been set up in the state. Along with enhanced health facilities, the state government has also started the recruitment process of new medical staff, he said.
Khattar was speaking during the virtual meeting of chief ministers convened by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the emerging COVID-19 situation in the country Deputy Chief Minister Dushyant Chautala and Health Minister Anil Vij were also present, an official statement said here. (PTI)
Tamil Nadu on Wednesday recorded 77 new COVID-19 infections, which includes a returnee from Meghalaya, pushing the total caseload to 34,53,756. Among those tested positive include 52 men and 25 women.
The death toll remained unchanged at 38,025 with nil fatalities being recorded in the last 24 hours, the health department said. The recoveries reached 34,15,284 with 34 more people getting discharged in the last 24 hours, leaving 447 active infections, a medical bulletin said.
Chennai accounted for the majority of new coronavirus infections with 59, Chengalpet seven, Tiruvallur three, Coimbatore two, while Dindigul, Kancheepuram, Tuticorin, Vellore and Virudhunagar recorded one case each. (PTI)
DMRC Managing Director Vikas Kumar on Wednesday travelled by metro in the Blue Line to take stock of overall compliance of Covid-appropriate behaviour by passengers, officials said.
He travelled from Barakhamba to R K Ashram and got down at all stations, including the busy Rajiv Chowk, and then travelled back on it, a senior official said. Blue Line connects Dwarka Sector 21 in Delhi and Electronic City in Noida.
"Shri Vikas Kumar, MD/DMRC today travelled on the Blue Line to take stock of the overall compliance to Covid appropriate behaviour by passengers while travelling. He also inspected stations including Rajiv Chowk interchange. Covid protocols were being followed by the passengers," the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation tweeted. (PTI)
Members of the All India Central Council of Trade Unions (AICCTU) staged a protest over the alleged illegal termination of 'Covid Warriors', the healthcare workers, at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi, Wednesday.
(PTI photos)
Based on genome-sequencing analysis, the Indian SARS-COV-2 Genomics Consortia (INSACOG) has said very few recombinant variants of the coronavirus have been found in the country and none of those has shown either increased transmission, locally or otherwise, nor were they associated with severe disease or hospitalisation.
INSACOG, in its weekly bulletin of April 11 that was released on Wednesday, said the incidences of suspected recombinants and the possible public health relevance are being closely monitored. It said a total of 2,40,570 samples have been sequenced till now.
"Based on genome sequencing analysis, very few recombinant variants have been discovered in India. So far, none showed either increased transmission (locally or otherwise) or was associated with severe disease or hospitalisation," it said. (PTI)
Jammu and Kashmir reported eight new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, taking the infection tally to 4,54,021, officials said. Of the new cases, three were from Jammu district and two each from Srinagar and Budgam, they said.
There are 58 active cases of COVID-19 in the Union Territory, while the number of recoveries has reached 4,49,212, officials said.
The COVID-19 death toll stands at 4,751 as no fresh fatality was reported in the last 24 hours. There are 51 confirmed cases of mucormycosis (black fungus) in Jammu and Kashmir, they said. (PTI)
Mumbai reported over 100 new COVID-19 cases for the second consecutive day on Wednesday, but no fresh death linked to the infection was recorded in the financial capital, the city civic body said.
The metropolis registered 112 new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, the highest daily count since February 25, taking the overall tally to 10,59,545, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) said in a bulletin.
On February 25, the city had witnessed 128 COVID-19 cases. Thereafter only twice before March 2, the financial capital had seen 100 or more COVID-19 cases. (PTI)
Delhi reported 1,367 fresh COVID-19 cases and one fatality, while the positivity rate stood at 4.50 per cent, according to data shared by the health department here on Wednesday.
It was the sixth consecutive day that the capital recorded over 1,000 new cases in a day. The infection tally in the national capital stands at 18,78,458 and the death toll has reached 26,170, the bulletin stated.
A total of 30,346 COVID-19 tests were conducted in the city on Tuesday, it said. Delhi had reported 1,204 fresh COVID-19 cases and one fatality on Tuesday, while the positivity rate stood at 4.64 per cent. A day before, it saw 1,011 cases with a positivity rate of 6.42 percent and one death. (PTI)
Mizoram on Wednesday reported 164 fresh COVID-19 cases, 62 more than the previous day, taking the tally to 2,27,152, a health official said. The coronavirus death toll rose to 696 as a 36-year-old man from Aizawl succumbed to the infection.
The single-day positivity increased to 18 per cent from 13.72 per cent on the previous day as the fresh cases were detected from the clinical examination of 907 samples.
Mizoram now has 645 active cases, while 2,25,811 people have recovered from the infection thus far. The COVID-19 recovery rate now is 99.41 per cent and the death rate is 0.30 per cent, the health official said. (PTI)
Andhra Pradesh recorded four fresh COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, taking the total caseload to 23,19,670. Visakhapatnam and adjoining Anakapalli districts reported two fresh coronavirus cases each, a health bulletin said.
With no new deaths reported, the overall fatality toll remained at 14,730. According to the latest bulletin, eight infected persons got cured in the state in the last 24 hours ending 9 am on Wednesday.
The total recoveries increased to 23,04,926 and the state now has 14 active coronavirus cases. (PTI)
Maharashtra on Wednesday recorded 186 new coronavirus infections including 112 in state capital Mumbai and zero pandemic-related deaths, the state health department said.
The day before, the state had recorded 153 new cases including 102 in Mumbai, and four fatalities. On Wednesday, the state's COVID-19 caseload rose to 78,77,264 and death toll remained unchanged at 1,47,838.
Mumbai recorded 112 fresh cases. Maharashtra now has 955 active cases. (PTI)
Amid apprehensions regarding a possible COVID-19 fourth wave, Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Wednesday said the situation in the state is under control and his government has decided to focus on enhancing vaccination drive, increase testing, and enforce appropriate behaviour at public places.
He said this while briefing reporters on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's interaction with Chief Ministers of various states, on the emerging COVID-19 situation in the country, via video conferencing.
"We will be holding a large-scale vaccination drive for those between the age group of 6-12 years, those up to 18 years, and those above 60 years of age (precautionary dose). Patients at the hospitals including ILI and SARI cases will be tested and if anyone reports positive their samples will be sent for genomic sequencing," Bommai said. (PTI)
Amid rising coronavirus cases in the country, wearing of masks in crowded places could be made mandatory again in Maharashtra, state Health Minister Rajesh Tope said on Wednesday.
Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray is expected to hold a meeting with the district collectors in the state to discuss the issue with them, he said. "I feel this decision (about making wearing of masks compulsory in public places) could be taken after the meeting," Tope told reporters.
He said Delhi has made masks mandatory and is even imposing a fine of Rs 500. Even masks restrictions are back in district of Uttar Pradesh adjoining Delhi, he said. (PTI)
Odisha has reported no Covid deaths in the last one week, as per the state health department. The state registered 10 new Covid cases in the last 24 hours, it said on Wednesday.
There are 80 active cases in the state at present, it added. Seventeen districts of the state have no Covid patients. The new cases were detected after testing 20,274 samples.
So far, 9,124 people have died in the state and 12,88,017 cases have been reported. Ten more patients recovered in the last 24 hours, the health department said. (PTI)
The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) on Wednesday said the time limit for filing claims for compensation for deaths that occurred prior to March 20 due to Covid will be two months, while for future deaths, it will be three months.
The NDMA announced this in the wake of a Supreme Court order issued on March 24 to this effect. Sixty days will be the outer time limit to file claims for compensation if the death occurred due to the viral disease prior to March 20, 2022.
For future deaths, 90 days' time shall be provided from the date of death to file the claim for compensation, the NDMA said in a public notice. The earlier order to process the claims and make the actual payment of compensation within a period of 30 days from the date of receipt of the claim shall continue to be enforced. (PTI)