Coronavirus India Cases Today, New Strain of Coronavirus, Covid-19 Lockdown Highlights: The horrifying scenes from India’s hospitals, cremation/burial grounds that stunned the world and showed the gruesome impact of the second wave of coronavirus in the second most populous nation on the Earth have not improved despite some states reporting a significantly lower number of new Covid-19 infections. What has changed is the testing pattern and with the new guidelines issued by the ICMR last night, India may register a further dip in daily caseload. However, experts say that this may result in actual infections not getting detected and that may result in other super-spreader events. So, what changes now? The ICMR says that states should go for rapid antigen rather than the RT-PCR, which is considered the best possible test for diagnosing Covid-19 infection. The new norms come into effect at a time when the diagnostic centres across the country face huge backlogs due to a massive surge in cases and testing. Another key element of the new rules says that now those travelling across states need not undergo the RT-PCR test.
Meanwhile, despite help pouring in from across the world, many states have said that they have not received any relief material. The Centre maintains that it has streamlined the process and sending the Oxygen devices and other things via proper channels. With the High Courts berating the Centre and state governments, one can only hope that situation improves without artificial gimmicks of antigen results and lower testing. As India continues its war against Covid here are the latest verified news and other developments from across the country and around the world:
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal Wednesday said the city is not getting enough vaccines, and reiterated if doses are made available in time his government could vaccinate everyone here within three months. He also said the Delhi government will decide about extending the ongoing lockdown in the city depending on the number of Covid-19 cases. | Read More
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal Wednesday said the city is not getting enough vaccines, and reiterated if doses are made available in time his government could vaccinate everyone here within three months. He also said the Delhi government will decide about extending the ongoing lockdown in the city depending on the number of Covid-19 cases. | Read More
Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Wednesday said people should not be complacent just because there is a downward trend in coronavirus cases in the state. “We are preparing for the third wave of the virus,” Thackeray said addressing the state on social media. Thackeray said the Supreme Court has appreciated Mumbai municipal corporation’s work to contain coronavirus spread. | Read More
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella on Wednesday said the US technology giant is committed to use its resources to support the pandemic relief efforts in India and it is mobilising to address the country’s most urgent needs. India is struggling with a second wave of the pandemic with more than 3,00,000 daily new coronavirus cases being reported in the past few days, and hospitals are reeling under a shortage of medical oxygen and beds. | Read More
Punjab records 8015 new COVID-19 cases, 6701 discharges and 182 deaths in the last 24 hours; case tally at 4,07,509 and active cases at 63,007 (ANI)
Haryana reports 15,416 new COVID19 positive cases, 10,640 discharges and 181 deaths
Active cases: 1,13,425
Total deaths: 4,960 (ANI)
Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan along with Member (Health) NITI Aayog Dr VK Paul chaired high-level meeting today with eastern states of Assam, West Bengal, Odisha, Bihar & Jharkhand to assess arrangements regarding containment & management of COVID19 pandemic. Evidence suggests that pandemic is moving eastward & rise has been observed in daily cases & mortality here. 5 critical areas of action were discussed for addressing needs & challenges of recent phase of COVID19. States were advised to ensure that performance linked payments of Community Health Officers (CHOs) at Ayushman Bharat Health & Wellness Centres (HWCs) & incentives to ANMs & health workers are paid timely. NHM funds to the states may be utilized for this purpose. Every month 50% of Central Drugs Laboratory (CDL) cleared vaccine doses of manufacturers would be available for direct procurement by state govts & pvt hospitals. States advised to clear payment of manufactures so that consignments could be delivered in timely manner. Government of India would continue to procure its share of 50% of monthly CDL cleared vaccines & would continue to make it available to state govts free of cost as was done earlier: Union Health Ministry (ANI)
Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan along with Member (Health) NITI Aayog Dr VK Paul chaired high-level meeting today with eastern states of Assam, West Bengal, Odisha, Bihar & Jharkhand to assess arrangements regarding containment & management of COVID19 pandemic. Evidence suggests that pandemic is moving eastward & rise has been observed in daily cases & mortality here. 5 critical areas of action were discussed for addressing needs & challenges of recent phase of COVID19. States were advised to ensure that performance linked payments of Community Health Officers (CHOs) at Ayushman Bharat Health & Wellness Centres (HWCs) & incentives to ANMs & health workers are paid timely. NHM funds to the states may be utilized for this purpose. Every month 50% of Central Drugs Laboratory (CDL) cleared vaccine doses of manufacturers would be available for direct procurement by state govts & pvt hospitals. States advised to clear payment of manufactures so that consignments could be delivered in timely manner. Government of India would continue to procure its share of 50% of monthly CDL cleared vaccines & would continue to make it available to state govts free of cost as was done earlier: Union Health Ministry (ANI)
Highest single-day spike of 18,102 new cases takes COVID-19 tally in West Bengal to 9,16,635; death toll rises to 11,847 with 103 more fatalities: Health Dept (PTI)
COVID19 supplies received from global community have effectively been allocated to States/UTs incl 1764 Oxygen Concentrators, 1760 Oxygen Cylinders, 7 Oxygen Generation Plants, 450 ventilators, over 1.35 lakh Remdesivir vials & 1.20 lakh Favipiravir strips. A dedicated Coordination Cell has been created in Union Health Ministry to coordinate receipt & allocation of foreign COVID relief material as grants, aid & donations & allocate them in a timely manner to 38 tertiary care institutions & 31 States, so far in 1st tranche. This is done considering criteria like no. of active cases, case fatality rate, positivity rate, need & will help to supplement medical infrastructure of these institutions & 31 States/UTs & strengthen clinical management capacities to assist hospitalised COVID19 patients: Union Health Ministry (ANI)
An oxygen generator plant has been received from Ireland today and will be installed at Base Hospital, Delhi Cantt. The oxygen generator is capable of producing 500 litres of oxygen per minute and can support 50 b eds at 10 litres/minute: Indian Army (ANI)
Rajasthan Health Minister Raghu Sharma on Wednesday said the ongoing COVID-19 vaccination drive in the state for people aged 18 years and above is restricted to a few districts due to non-availability of adequate doses. The government had started vaccinating people in the 18-44 age group from May 1. | Read More
Central Govt’s scientific body has warned about 3rd wave of COVID. We’re preparing for that since last month. Several districts are seeing a decline in COVID cases while some districts are seeing an increase in cases.We’re keeping a close tab on it: Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray (ANI)
The Delhi High Court on Wednesday asked the Centre and the Delhi government to work together to create the oxygen buffer and streamline the distribution process for which help of the armed forces can be sought as “there is grave urgency”. “You should start working together on it (creation of buffer). In a war when there is a common enemy, you unite against it,” the court said while also making an observation that it appeared that the Delhi government has not taken steps for creation of a buffer of liquid medical oxygen (LMO) and for streamlining its distribution in the national capital. | Read More
Himachal Pradesh reports 3,842 new positive cases, 1,480 recoveries and 32 deaths in the last 24 hours.
Total active cases: 25,902
Total cases: 1,14,787 (ANI)
Maharashtra reports 57,640 fresh COVID19 positive cases, 57,006 discharges, and 920 deaths
Total cases: 48,80,542
Total active cases: 6,41,596
Total recoveries: 41,64,098
Death toll: 72,662 (ANI)
India on Wednesday asked multilateral lending institutions like the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to extend support to developing countries to prevent the COVID-induced health crisis from turning into a full-blown economic catastrophe. Addressing the 54th annual meeting of the board of governors of the ADB, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman also underlined the need for a “coordinated and inclusive” global strategy to avoid the long-term debilitating impact of the pandemic on the developing economies. | Read More
Investment in health, education and social protection alongside deeper regional cooperation can help countries in Asia Pacific region in achieving equitable recovery from the pandemic, Asian Development Bank (ADB) said on Wednesday. Speaking at the board of governors meeting, ADB President Masatsugu Asakawa said the region can emerge from the Covid-19 pandemic even stronger than before by addressing climate, inequality, infrastructure, regional cooperation and resource mobilisation related challenges. | Read More
Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Wednesday announced phased opening of shops after a few of his cabinet colleagues raised the issue of resentment among shopkeepers over selective closure of shops amid the COVID-19 outbreak. Chairing a virtual cabinet meeting, Singh ruled out a complete lockdown while stating that the restrictions currently in place in Punjab were more stringent than the lockdown conditions in many other states. | Read More
At a time when Coronavirus cases in India are at an all-time high, with many states facing a shortage of ventilators and oxygen, Hyderabad-based Apollo Computing Laboratories has come up with a portable non-invasive ventilator — SwasthVayu. The indigenous ventilator can be easily used in medical wards, dispensaries, home healthcare operators, and make-shift hospitals. It is to note that in many cases of Covid-19 treatment, there is a requirement of ventilator support. Ventilators can also be used for non-Covid problems like sleep apnoea, lung diseases, and other respiratory illnesses. Apollo Computing Laboratories had collaborated with CSIR – National Aerospace Laboratories in order to develop SwasthVayu. The company claimed that the device will help in mitigating severe hardship that Covid-19 patients are witnessing. The safety, as well as the performance of ventilator, has been certified by NABL accredited Labs after stringent biomedical tests and beta clinical trials at NAL Health Centre and many hospitals, the company said in a statement. The Director-General of Health Services (DGHS) has also certified SwasthVayu. | Read More
With India continuing to reel under the second wave of COVID-19 infections, multinational financiers pitched in with relief efforts on Wednesday, led by a Rs 200 crore commitment by Citibank.The relief efforts of the financial sector multinationals — a majority of whom depend on Indian personnel to handle back-office work for their global operations — were focused on providing immediate medical relief to ease the pressure on oxygen availability and healthcare infrastructure. | Read More
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday raised questions of “transparency” in foreign aid received by India in its fight against the coronavirus pandemic, and demanded answers from the government. “Questions about Covid foreign aid: What all supplies has India received? Where are they? Who is benefitting from them? How are they allocated to states? Why no transparency? Any answers, GOI,” he asked in a tweet. | Read More
Uttarakhand | Curfew to continue till May 10 in the district. Essentials’ shops will open till 12 noon. Medical stores, petrol pumps and gas supplies to remain opened: Dhiraj Singh Garbiyal, Nainital DM (ANI)
COVID-19 Karnataka reports 50,112 new positive cases, 26,841 recoveries and 346 deaths in the last 24 hours.
Total cases: 17,41,046
Total active cases: 4,87,288
(ANI)
Manipur reports 397 fresh COVID-19 cases with 121 new recoveries and 10 deaths; total active cases at 2,657 now. (ANI)
Rajasthan reports 16,815 new COVID19 cases, 17,022 discharges and 155 deaths
Total active cases:1,96,683
Death toll: 5,021 (ANI)
More than 2,000 people have been inoculated against COVID-19 in the last three days at a vaccination camp of the Guwahati airport, said the Civil Aviation Ministry on Wednesday. The vaccination camp is for employees of the Airports Authority of India (AAI) and their dependent family members, airline employees, and other stakeholders associated with Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International (LGBI) Airport in Guwahati, the ministry’s statement noted. The vaccination camp started on Monday and over 2,000 people have already been vaccinated, it said, adding that more people are likely to get vaccinated on Thursday. The LGBI Airport is owned and managed by the AAI which works under the Civil Aviation Ministry. India has been badly hit by the second wave of the coronavirus infection as hospitals in several states are reeling under a severe shortage of oxygen, drugs, equipment and beds. A record 3,780 fresh COVID-19 fatalities were registered in a single day in India taking the death toll to 2,26,188, while 3,82,315 new coronavirus infections were recorded, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Wednesday. With the fresh cases, the total tally of COVID-19 cases in the country climbed to 2,06,65,148. (PTI)
22,204 new COVID19 cases, 85 deaths and 11,128 discharges reported in Andhra Pradesh in last 24 hours
Total cases: 12,06,232
Active cases: 1,70,588
Total recoveries: 10,27,270
Death toll: 8,374 (ANI)
Assam Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma today inspected train coaches that have been converted into COVID19 care center at Guwahati Railway Station. He says,”At least 1600 people can be admitted in 150 coaches.However,these coaches will be used once we fall short of beds in hospitals” (ANI)
Record daily rise of 41,953 coronavirus cases in Kerala; 58 more deaths: govt (PTI)
Drug firm Roche India on Wednesday said it has received Emergency Use Authorisation (EUA) from the Central Drugs Standards Control Organisation (CDSCO) for Roche’s investigational antibody cocktail used in the treatment of COVID-19. The approval of antibody cocktail of Casirivimab and Imdevimab in India was based on the data filed for the EUA in the US, and the scientific opinion of the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) in the European Union, Roche India said in a statement. “This Emergency Use Authorisation will now enable Roche to import the globally manufactured product batches to India and will be marketed as well as distributed in India through a strategic partnership with Cipla Limited,” it added. The antibody cocktail is to be administered for the treatment of mild to moderate coronavirus disease in adults and pediatric patients (12 years of age or older, weighing at least 40 kg) who are confirmed to be infected with SARS-COV2 and who are at high risk of developing severe COVID-19 disease, the statement said. It could significantly help these high-risk patients before their condition worsens, it added. “With the increasing number of COVID-19 infections in India, Roche is committed to doing everything we can to minimise hospitalisations and ease pressure on healthcare systems,” Roche Pharma India MD V Simpson Emmanuel said. (PTI)
Goa reports 3,496 new COVID19 cases, 71 deaths and 2,192 recoveries in the last 24 hours; active cases at 27,964 (ANI)
Direct selling major Amway on Wednesday said it is donating USD 1 million (around Rs 7.5 crore) to support the COVID-19 relief efforts in India during the second wave of the pandemic. The sum will be used to facilitate COVID-19 resources, including ventilators and oxygen concentrators, to accelerate the COVID 19 relief work, the company said in a statement. In a message, Amway Global Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Milind Pant said, “India is in the hearts and minds of Amway’s global family. To our colleagues and friends across India, know that we are committed to supporting you during these tough times.” He further said, “With the support of the founding families, as well as executive leadership, Amway Corporation contributed USD750,000 to the US Chamber’s foundation to provide aid to the country.” (PTI)
Setting a new trend in the time of coronavirus a single screen in the city, which had suspended film shows since April last week following escalation of pandemic cases, will throw open its facilities for a vaccination camp from this month. The theatre will collaborate with a leading private healthcare group for the initiative in which those waiting to be vaccinated will be shown content-rich films for free, director of the popular single screen Arijit Dutta told PTI on Wednesday. “We will start the camp as soon as vaccines are available from the state government, hopefully this month itself. Medical personnel from the private healthcare group will carry out the vaccination and other health related activities. We will provide the logistics and try to ensure that the wait for vaccines is not tiring for the people who can watch films in air conditioned comfort while strictly following the stipulations of the health experts,” he said. (PTI)
COVID19 | Uttarakhand reports 7,783 new cases and 127 deaths today; active cases is at 59,526 (ANI)
In the highest single-day spike, Kerala on Wednesday reported 41,953 new COVID-19 cases, while 23,106 people were cured of the infection, pushing the caseload to 17,43,932 and recoveries to 13.62 lakh, the state government said. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said in view of the rise in the cases, more stringent measures will have to be taken to curb the surge in the state where severe lockdown-like restrictions were already in force. The toll mounted to 5,565 with 58 more deaths. Active cases now stood at 3,75,658, while the test positivity rate (TPR) was 25.69. (PTI)
Varanasi: DRDO is setting up a 750-bedded makeshift COVID hospital at Banaras Hindu University premises; 90% of work has been done, rest of the work will be completed in a day or 2. In the first phase, 250 ICUs will start functioning: Deepak Agrawal, Varanasi Commissioner (ANI)
Another PIL in the Delhi High Court on Wednesday claimed that there is a lack of adequate cremation or burial sites in the national capital to deal with the daily rise in fatalities due to COVID-19. A bench of Chief Justice D N Patel and Justice Jasmeet Singh issued notice to the Delhi government and sought its response to the plea which seeks allocation of additional permanent or temporary places for cremation of dead bodies. The court listed the matter for hearing on May 17 along with a similar plea which was taken up on Tuesday (May 4), by the bench. The fresh plea by Delhi resident Jaswinder Singh Jolly also seeks a direction to the government to frame guidelines for the cremation of those deceased who loved ones cannot perform the last rites due to COVID-19. In his plea, filed through advocates Naginder Benipal and Harithi Kambiri, the petitioner has claimed that family members of the deceased “are being made to run from one cremation facility to another due to lack of space as well as wood”. (PTI)
A small-scale study on 113 healthcare workers who had received at least one vaccine dose at a private hospital in Delhi found that 18 tested positive for Covid but all except one had mild symptoms. The study, published in the peer-reviewed journal Diabetes and Metabolic Syndrome: Clinical Research and Reviews on May 3, was conducted on employees of the Fortis Centre of Excellence for Diabetes, Metabolic Diseases and Endocrinology in Delhi. READ MORE
Data on the availability of hospital beds will be uploaded daily on our website. A special 24X7 oxygen helpline has been set up as well: Health Department, Chandigarh (ANI)