 restrictions to contain spread; nearly 50,000 patients on critical support; PM dials CMs to take stock of situation. Follow this space for the latest on India's second Covid-19 wave.
No long queues or mad scramble for registrations, the first day of phase 3 Covid jabs for construction workers in the age group of 18-44 got off to a slow start in Punjab on Monday, with only 852 workers opting to get inoculated. Nearly 2.19 lakh construction workers in the age group of 18-44 years are registered with the state's labour department.
"We have recommended to the civic administration certain steps to ensure early treatment...," said Dr Pravin Soni, head of Department of Medicine at YCM Hospital and a key member of the committee.
AN ALARMING rise in mucormycosis, a fungal infection, as a post-Covid-19 complication or as a co-infection, in Gujarat has emerged as a new challenge for patients already struggling to get access to medicines and doctors.
More than 400 patients are currently undergoing treatment at major government hospitals in Ahmedabad, Rajkot, Vadodara, Surat and Jamnagar even as experts are yet to understand why Gujarat was reporting higher mucormycosis cases as compared to other states.
Maharashtra has received six lakh Covishield vaccine doses and 36,000 Covaxindoses, state Additional Chief Secretary Dr Pradeep Vyas told The Indian Express on Monday morning. Of the six lakh Covishield vaccine doses, a total of 2.5 lakh doses are for the 45+ age group while 3.5 lakh doses will be allocated for the 18-44 age group.
Till May 9, a total of 1.8 crore beneficiaries have been administered Covid-19vaccine doses across the state. Of this, 4.36 lakh beneficiaries are among the 18-44 age group who have been administered the vaccine since the drive began on May 1. Read the full report here.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has classified the B.1.617 coronavirus variant spreading across India as being "of concern", AFP reported. There is available information to suggest "increased transmissibility," and also possibly some increased resistance to vaccine protections, Maria Van Kerkove, WHO's lead on Covid-19, said in a press conference.
"As such, we are classifying this as a variant of concern at the global level," she told reporters.
Maharashtra's overall caseload now stands at 51,38,973 while 549 fatalities pushed the toll 76,398, the state health department said. Maharashtra had reported 39,544 cases on March 31. The state had reported 54,022 cases on May 7, 53,605 on May 8 and 48,401 on May 9.
POLICE HAVE arrested three persons, including a chemist, for the alleged illegal sale of remdesivir at higher prices. Police said they have seized 21 injections from the accused.
The three accused were identified as Krushna Ramrav Patil (22), who works as a nursing staff at a hospital in Thergaon; Nikhil Keshav Neharkar (19), a resident of Bijli Nagar, Chinchwad; and Shashikant Raghunath Panchal (34), who runs Ayushri medical shop in Thergaon.
A press release issued by deputy commissioner of police Anand Bhoite on Monday stated that during a surprise nakabandi operation, a team from Wakad police station, comprising sub-inspector Avdhut Shingare, policemen Dattaprasad Chaudhary, Jitendra Ugale, Atish Jadhav, and home guards Nikhil Sapkal and Rohan Gund, intercepted Patil and Neharkar while they were riding on separate two-wheelers at Kalewadi Phata on Sunday. Read the full report here.
Addressing the shortage of coronavirus vaccines in the state, Shiv Sena leader Aaditya Thackeray said that after consulting with his father and Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, he has urged the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to look into the possibility of procuring Covid vaccines from foreign countries.
Days after the Supreme Court set up a national task force for Covid response and oxygen allocation, the Shiv Sena on Monday said it had certified the Centre’s failure in tackling Covid. The BJP hit back, saying that the Centre itself had suggested setting up a task force.
An editorial in Saamana said that the Supreme Court set up a national committee after the Union government failed to tackle the Corona crisis. “The SC has certified the Centre’s failure by setting up the task force. Now, what does the BJP’s Goebbels system have to say on it?” asked the editorial.
The cyber police Imphal on Monday registered an FIR against a fake notification circulated in the social media claiming that examination for Class 11 and 12 have been cancelled owing to Covid-19 pandemic.
The FIR was registered following a complaint lodged by Ch. Biren, secretary Council of Higher Secondary Education Manipur (COHSEM) to arrest the culprits involved in the forgery.
In his complaint, Ch. Biren stated that the notification is a forged and fabricated document including the signature of the secretary.
“A serious crime has been committed hurting the sentiments of all the students involved including their parents as well as the public at large. At the same time, the reputation and image of the council has also been seriously harmed and tarnished”, stated Biren.
The COHSEM secretary clarified that the examinations are being postponed for the time being in view of Covid-19 pandemic. The decision for cancellation of the examinations or otherwise is yet to be taken, he added.
According to the fake notification, it cited that the reason behind the cancellation of the examinations due to the “influenced of the Government, parents, and students” in the wake of Covid-19 pandemic. Moreover, it stated that all the students who are to appear in the examinations have been promoted. Jimmy Leivon reports.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Monday expressed concern over the rising cases of COVID-19 in rural Kerala. Addressing a press conference, he said there are 72 panchayats in the state with a test positivity rate of over 50 per cent with 19 of them being in Ernakulam district, and in 300 panchayats, it's above 30 per cent.
Jharkhand is set to launch free vaccinations for people between the ages of 18 and 44 from May 14 onwards, Chief Minister Hemant Soren announced on Monday.
Facing an acute shortage of COVID-19 vaccines, the Odisha government on Monday decided to float a global tender for procuring the vaccine to inoculate the states entire population, Chief Secretary S C Mohapatra said. The decision was made at the Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, PTI reported.
With 3,50,370 new Covid-19 cases, Bengaluru’s 10 wards are reporting more than 4,000 new infections daily for the last 10 days. Most of these wards are on the outskirts of the city and are on the watchlist of Bruhath Bengaluru Mahnagara Palkie (BBMP) officials.
In the past 10 days, out of 198 BBMP wards, these 10 wards have reported a total of 27,449 Covid-19 cases. Read the full report here.
#Karnataka Health Dept links 596 more deaths in the last few days to #Covid19, 381 from #Bengaluru (Urban & Rural).
'Railways is not different from any other state or territory and we are also getting COVID cases. We are in the business of transport and have to move freight and people. Around 1,000 (COVID) cases are reported daily,' Railway Board Chairman Suneet Sharma said.
AAP leader Atishi Monday said the Delhi government will have to close vaccination centres where Covaxin is being administered to beneficiaries in the 18-44 age group after Tuesday evening if its stocks are not replenished. Delhi's Covaxin stock for this category would last till Tuesday evening, she said, adding Covishield doses for this age group can last up to four days.
Strict lockdown-like restrictions will be clamped in Nashik district of Maharashtra for 12 days beginning May 12 given the surge in COVID-19 cases, guardian minister Chhagan Bhujbal said on Monday.
Perhaps, the Ministry of External Affairs thought a little differently. For, neither requirement nor want appeared to define the Centre’s Vaccine Maitri initiative launched January 20.
Under the programme, effectively suspended end of March, more than 6.6 crore doses of Covid vaccines — almost all Covishield — were sent to 93 countries. This stockpile is enough to support about 30 days of vaccination nationwide at last week’s inoculation rate — and at two doses, could cover the adult population of Delhi and Mumbai.
A Covid care centre has been set up within a “gaushala” at Tetoda village of Banaskantha district of North Gujarat where Covid-19 patients are being treated using Ayurvedic medicines made from cow milk and urine as well as allopathy.
Called the “Vedalakshana Panchgavya Ayurved Covid isolation centre”, it is currently treating seven Covid-19 patients from the village in Deesa taluka. “We had started this centre on May 5. Here