Coronavirus April 27 Live Updates: Prime Minister Narendra Modi interacted with state chief ministers today to review the Covid-19 situation at the ground level. The interaction was held via video conferencing. Several chief ministers, including West Bengal’s Mamata Banerjee, Chhattisgarh’s Bhupesh Baghel and Punjab’s Bhagwant Mann, participated in the interaction, reported PTI.
Meanwhile, the country recorded 2,927 fresh cases and 2,252 recoveries, in the last 24 hours, according to the official data shared by the Health Ministry on Wednesday morning. India’s active cases stand at 16,279.
#AmritMahotsav#Unite2FightCorona#LargestVaccineDrive
???????????????????? ????????????????????https://t.co/Wztebh7arK pic.twitter.com/RBxfYky7QB— Ministry of Health (@MoHFW_INDIA) April 27, 2022
On a global level, World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has once again urged governments all across the world to maintain survelliance of Covid-19 infections. In a worrying new trend, Tedros informed that WHO has been receiving less and less information about transmission and sequencing. He stressed that this is because of reduced testing rate which is making WHO increasingly blind to patterns of transimission and evolution of the virus.
“This virus won’t go away just because countries stop looking for it. It’s still spreading. It’s still changing, and it’s still killing. The threat of a dangerous new variant remains very real and although deaths are declining, we still don’t understand the long-term consequences of infection in those who survive. When it comes to a deadly virus, ignorance is not bliss. WHO continues to call on all countries to maintain survellaince,” Tedros said.
Financial Express Online brings you live updates on Covid situation in India and from around the world.
Coronavirus India Live News: Covid-19 Cases and Deaths in India, Covid New Guidelines and Restrictions Live Updates
Covid vaccination of all eligible children at the earliest is a priority for the government and specialised programmes will need to be conducted for it in schools, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Wednesday. Speaking at an interaction with chief ministers on the emerging COVID-19 situation in the country, Modi asserted that it is clear that the threat of coronavirus is not fully gone yet. Citing rise in COVID-19 cases in some states in the last two weeks, he said there was a need to remain alert. (PTI)
Interacting with the chief ministers of several states, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today 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.
Countries that attempted to control COVID-19 transmission with stricter public restrictions had worse mental health outcomes than those which tried to suppress or eliminate COVID-19 transmission, according to a study published in The Lancet Public Health journal. The team led by researchers at Simon Fraser University in Canada used data from two surveys of 15 countries between April 2020 and June 2021. Countries were grouped into two categories: those that sought to eliminate COVID-19 transmission and those that aimed to mitigate or reduce the spread of the virus within the country. Eliminator countries include Australia, Japan, Singapore, and South Korea. Mitigator countries include Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, and the U.K. (PTI)
Shanghai city authorities said Wednesday they will start rounds of COVID-19 testing over the next few days to determine which neighbourhoods can safely be allowed a limited amount of freedom of movement, as residents in Beijing watch carefully on word for whether the capital city will lock down. On Wednesday, China reported 14,222 new cases, the vast majority of which were asymptomatic. The country is battling its largest outbreak since the pandemic was first reported in Wuhan in late December 2019. (AP)
Amid fresh Covid-19 concerns in different parts of the country and apprehensions of a possible fourth wave of the pandemic, Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Tuesday indicated that precautionary and surveillance measures may be reintroduced at airports and border districts of the state, depending on the Centre’s advisory. He appealed to people to follow precautionary measures like wearing masks and maintaining social distance to control the spread of virus, reported Indian Express.
The Distrtict Magistrate of Dehradun, Uttarakhand has directed authorities to fine Rs 500 to those who come without face masks in the city. The decision was taken in view of the increasing rate of Covid-19 infection in the capital as well as the district, reported ANI.
Mexico will let all children aged over 12 be registered for Covid-19 vaccination from Thursday. (Reuters)
U.S. President Joe Biden's administration is aiming to expand access to COVID-19 oral antiviral treatments like Pfizer Inc's Paxlovid by doubling the number of locations at which they are available, the White House said on Tuesday. Pharmacies participating in the federal pharmacy program for distributing antiviral treatments will be able to order the free treatments directly from the U.S. government starting this week. (Reuters)
Thane has added eight new cases of coronavirus, raising the infection tally in the Maharashtra district to 7,08,987, an official said on Wednesday. These new cases were reported on Tuesday, he said. The death toll remained unchanged at 11,889 and the COVID-19 mortality rate in the district stood at 1.67 per cent, he added. In neighbouring Palghar district, the COVID-19 case count has gone up to 1,63,610, while the death toll stands at 3,407, another official said. (PTI)
India reported 2,927 new coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours as of 8 am Wednesday, according to the data shared by the Union Health Ministry.
PM Modi will be interacting with state CMs to review COVID-19 situation in the country through video conference at 12 noon today (ANI)
U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris tested positive for COVID-19 on Tuesday but is not exhibiting symptoms, a spokesperson said, at a time when there has been an increase in cases among White House staffers. Harris has not been in close contact with President Joe Biden or first lady Jill Biden due to their travel schedules, her press secretary Kirsten Allen said. Harris will isolate and return to the White House when she tests negative, Allen said. (Reuters)
China's financial hub of Shanghai reported 48 new deaths among its COVID-19 patients on April 26, down from 52 the day before, the city government said on Wednesday. The city also recorded 11,956 new local asymptomatic coronavirus cases, down from 15,319 a day earlier. The number of confirmed symptomatic infections stood at 1,606, down from 1,661 the previous day. Shanghai is battling China's biggest-ever COVID-19 outbreak. (Reuters)
White House: US Vice President Harris tests positive for COVID-19, not experiencing symptoms, Biden not 'close contact', reports AP
People who haven't been exposed to virus are getting infected. Currently, rise in Covid cases seems like a mini-surge. Children have a typical cold-like symptoms & hospitalisations are very less: Dr Dhiren Gupta, Sr Paediatrics Pulmonologist, SGRH (ANI)
Mumbai on Tuesday reported 102 fresh COVID-19 cases, the highest one-day rise after February 27 this year, taking the tally of infections to 10,59,433, the city civic body said.
The COVID-19 death toll remained unchanged at 19,562 with no fresh fatality reported. | READ MORE
Amid rise in coronavirus cases, Delhi govt to intensify drives to ensure compliance of Covid-appropriate behaviour, including wearing masks at pubic places, say officials (PTI)
Delhi reports 1204 new COVID-19 cases, 863 recoveries and 1 death in the last 24 hours.
Active cases 4508 (ANI)
Observational studies from the United States, Scotland and Denmark have revealed reduced hospitalizations due to the Omicron COVID-19 variant as compared to Delta variant. It also revealed reduced emergency department (ED) visits due to Omicron. However, studies also observed that Omicron evaded third-dose vaccine effectiveness over a period of time. Two-thirds reduction in hospitalizations was observed in Scotland due to Omicron, according to a study led by University of Edinburgh researchers based on a test-negative case-control study of national COVID-19 infections among residents from November 1 to December 19, 2021. | READ MORE
Zydus Lifesciences said on Tuesday said a two-dose regimen of ZyCoV-D will help in administering the vaccine against coronavirus infections to a larger population in a shorter time.
The company’s vaccine ZyCoV-D has received emergency use authorisation from the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) for the two-dose regimen. | READ MORE
Seventy per cent of the people who received a booster dose of the Covid vaccine did not contract the disease during the third wave, according to a new study that covered around 6,000 people in India.
The study led by Dr Rajeev Jayadevan, co-chairman of the Indian Medical Association’s national task force on coronavirus, said that 45 per cent of the vaccinated people who did not take a precautionary dose reported Covid in the third wave. | READ MORE
DCGI Approved Corbevax Vaccine for 5 to 12 Years Age Group, Covaxin Vaccine for 6-12 Age Groups: The Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) has granted restricted emergency use authorisation (EUA) to Covaxin for use in 6 to 12 years old children. The national drug regulator has asked Covaxin manufacturer Bharat Biotech to submit safety data. It has also asked for the data on adverse events with due analysis, every 15 days for the first two months and monthly thereafter up to five months. Bharat Biotech had applied for approval of Covaxin for use in 6 to 12 year old age groups. Corbevax has also been approved for those between five to 12 years of age. | READ MORE
Odisha on Tuesday recorded nine new COVID-19 cases, which took the tally 12,88,007, a health department bulletin said. The death toll remained at 9,124 as no fresh fatality due to the infection was reported for the sixth straight day, it said. Fifty-three other coronavirus patients have died due to comorbidities so far. (PTI)
xperts have predicted that the COVID-19 fourth wave may peak after June and have its effects till October, Karnataka Health Minister K Sudhakar said on Tuesday as he stressed on learning to live with the virus by taking precautionary measures like vaccination and wearing masks. He said the prevalent variants of the virus is said to be Omicron's sublineages and an official report in this regard is likely in a couple of days. (PTI)
With an uptick in COVID-19 cases and expansion of the vaccination process, the Delhi government has decided to continue the services of all additional doctors and staff hired for vaccination, testing, surveillance and management of the infection in Covid hospitals and district health centres till June 30. Ajay Bisht, deputy secretary, Health and Family Welfare Department, issued an order in this regard in compliance with the directions of the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA). (PTI)
Seventy per cent of the people who received a booster dose of the Covid vaccine did not contract the disease during the third wave, according to a new study that covered around 6,000 people in India. The study led by Dr Rajeev Jayadevan, co-chairman of the Indian Medical Association’s national task force on coronavirus, said that 45 per cent of the vaccinated people who did not take a precautionary dose reported Covid in the third wave. The survey covered 5,971 vaccinated people, of which 24 per cent were aged below 40 and 50 per cent belonged to the 40-59 age group. Women accounted for 45 per cent of the people surveyed, while 53 per cent were healthcare workers. (PTI)
President Joe Biden's administration is taking steps to expand availability of the life-saving COVID-19 antiviral treatment Paxlovid, as it seeks to reassure doctors that there is ample supply for people at high risk of severe illness or death from the virus. Paxlovid, produced by Pfizer, was first approved in December. Supply of the regimen was initially very limited, but as COVID-19 cases across the country have fallen and manufacturing has increased it is now far more abundant. (AP)
With COVID-19 cases registering a spike in NCR, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Tuesday stressed for taking preventive measures and significantly increasing testing to combat the threat in the state. Minimum 1.5 lakh tests should be performed every day and all necessary arrangements should be made for the treatment of infected persons, he said. He said infected persons who are being isolated in their homes should be given complete information about the Covid protocol they have to follow, an official spokesman said. (PTI)
A drug used to treat asthma and allergies can reduce replication of SARS-COV-2 in human immune cells by blocking a crucial protein produced by the virus, according to a study by researchers at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) – Bengaluru. The drug, called montelukast, is approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and has been around for more than 20 years, the researchers said. Montelukast is usually prescribed to reduce inflammation caused by conditions like asthma, hay fever and hives, they said. (PTI)
With only 4.64 lakh people taking their third Covid jab since April 10, Indians could be grappling with vaccine fatigue, a reluctance to take a booster shot that experts attribute to a combination of fear, confusion and misinformation. As India's Covid graph inches upwards, not enough people are getting their booster shots. Among the reasons for the apparent lethargy are the fear of adverse effects, the view that Covid is now a mild infection and doubts over whether a precaution dose is indeed useful, said scientists, public health experts and industry insiders. According to virologist Dr T Jacob John, vaccine fatigue has set in, also because the “cacophony of new experts” has been confusing. (PTI)
The Tamil Nadu Health Department has informed that IIT Madras has reported 31 more positive cases of Coronavirus, taking the tally to 111, news agency ANI reported.
Three fresh cases of coronavirus were confirmed by the Puducherry government at the end of examination of 264 samples on Tuesday, pushing up the overall active cases to seven. While Puducherry logged two new cases the remaining one was traced in Karaikal region. The cumulative case load rose to 1,65,784 while the recoveries stood at 1,63,815. The toll remained 1,962 as no fresh fatalities were reported in the last 24 hours. (PTI)
Three-quarters of Beijing's 22 million people began lining up for COVID-19 tests on Tuesday as authorities in the Chinese capital raced to stamp out an outbreak and avert the kind of city-wide lockdown that has shrouded Shanghai for a month. Beijing residents also began stocking up on food and supplies on worries of any sudden localised lockdowns, as frustration with tough curbs continues to mount in Shanghai, the Chinese financial and commercial hub that is home to 25 million people. (Reuters)
Mizoram on Tuesday reported 102 new COVID-19 cases, five less than the previous day, pushing the tally to 2,26,988, a health department official said. Of the 102 fresh cases, Saitual district reported the highest at 45, followed by Khawzawl district (28) and Serchhip district (26), the official said. The single-day positivity rate dipped to 13.72 per cent from 35.79 per cent on the previous day, he said. Mizoram now has 697 active COVID-19 cases, while 2,25,596 people have recovered from the infection so far, including 105 on Monday, the official said. (PTI)
➡️ Over 83.54 Cr COVID Tests conducted so far.➡️ Weekly Positivity Rate currently at 0.58%.➡️ Daily Positivity Rate stands at 0.55%. pic.twitter.com/KnPZkYHJOS— Ministry of Health (@MoHFW_INDIA) April 26, 2022
➡️ India’s Cumulative #covid19 Vaccination Coverage exceeds 187.95 Cr (1,87,95,76,423).➡️ Over 2.70 Cr 1st dose vaccines administered for age group 12-14 years.https://t.co/owvDFRPUQe pic.twitter.com/hQ3ncPXXYX— Ministry of Health (@MoHFW_INDIA) April 26, 2022
The eastern metropolis of Shanghai has reported 52 more deaths, taking the toll during the current outbreak to 190, officials said. Shanghai also reported 15,319 locally transmitted asymptomatic infections of the novel coronavirus Monday, among a total of 15,816 local asymptomatic carriers newly identified on the mainland. (PTI)
Beijing on Tuesday ordered mass testing for its 21 million people after Monday's nucleic acid tests of 3.5 million residents revealed 32 positive cases. Beijing has reported 32 new local COVID-19 cases and one asymptomatic case after testing 3.5 million in the high-profile Chaoyang district on Monday, taking the total number of cases to 135 so far. Beijing's local government has ordered Chaoyang district, home to some 3.5 million residents, to have three rounds of mass nucleic acid testing starting from Monday after the district registered the most COVID-19 cases in the capital's latest epidemic surge, official media reported. (PTI)
For much of the past two years, America has been first in line for COVID-19 vaccines and treatments. Now, as drugmakers develop the next generation of therapies, the White House is warning that if Congress doesn't act urgently the U.S. will have to take a number. Already the congressional stalemate over virus funding has forced the federal government to curtail free treatment for the uninsured and to ration monoclonal antibody supplies. And Biden administration officials are expressing increasing alarm that the U.S. is also losing out on critical opportunities to secure booster doses and new antiviral pills that could help the country maintain its reemerging sense of normalcy, even in the face of potential new variants and case spikes. (AP)
With the addition of six new cases of coronavirus, the infection count in Maharashtra's Thane district has risen to 7,08,979, an official said on Tuesday. These new cases were reported on Monday, he said. The death toll remained unchanged at 11,889, he said, adding that the COVID-19 mortality rate in Thane stood at 1.67 per cent. In neighbouring Palghar district, the COVID-19 case count has gone up to 1,63,610, while the death toll stands at 3,407, another official said. (PTI)
