US pharmaceutical giants Pfizer and Moderna have made it clear they won't sell vaccines directly to Delhi, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said today, stressing that vaccine manufacturers have underlined "they will deal with the central government". Vaccine rollout for the 18-44 age group was paused on Saturday in Delhi due to the shortage of doses.
"We've spoken to Pfizer and Moderna for vaccines, and both the manufacturers have refused to sell vaccines directly to us. They have said they will deal with the central government. We appeal to the centre to import vaccines and distribute to the states," Mr Kejriwal told reporters this afternoon.
His statement comes a day after Punjab said Moderna has refused to sell vaccines to the state directly. The Amarinder Singh government had reached out to all such manufacturers, according to officials, looking for direct purchases.
Meanwhile, fresh COVID-19 infections in India dipped to 2,22,315, the lowest in around 38 days, pushing the total tally of coronavirus cases to 2,67,52,447, while the deaths crossed the 3-lakh mark, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Monday.
The death count climbed to 3,03,720 with 4,454 daily deaths, the data updated at 8 am showed.
India had registered 2,17,353 new infections on April 16.
The active cases have further reduced to 27,20,716 comprising 10.17 per cent of the total infections, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate has improved to 88.69 per cent. The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 2,37,28,011, while the case fatality rate has increased to 1.14 per cent, the data stated.
Here are the highlights on India Coronavirus (Covid-19 Cases) Cases:
Punjab Health Minister Balbir Singh Sidhu on Monday informed that a total of 111 cases of black fungus have so far been reported from several parts of the state and an expert group has finalised the treatment protocols for the disease.
According to a press release, 25 of these cases were reported from government health facilities, while the remaining 86 from various private hospitals.
Assam reported 6,221 fresh COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, taking the total numbers of infections to 3,75,404 in the state, according to the state health bulletin published on Monday evening.
The state also recorded 84 fatalities due to COVID-19 on Monday, taking the death count to 2,823.
The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Monday informed that the nationwide cumulative COVID-19 vaccination coverage has exceeded 19.84 crores.
The cumulative number of COVID-19 vaccine doses administered in the country stands at 19,84,43,550 as per the 8 pm provisional report.
A separate COVID-19 Care Centre will be made for children in Madhya Pradesh's Indore, informed Bharatiya Janata Party MP Shankar Lalwani on Monday.
The COVID-19 Centre will have 100 beds, he further said, adding that arrangements will be made for the entertainment of the children keeping in mind their mental health.
After a Central directive, the Mumbai civic body on Monday allowed lactating mothers and pregnant women to get themselves vaccinated against COVID-19 at approved centres without prior registration, officials said on Monday, news agency PTI reported.
Lactating mothers and pregnant women can walk-in at the centres run by the Maharashtra government and the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) between Monday and Wednesday as they are now included in the list of the categories eligible for vaccination on the three days a BMC release said.
Rajasthan recorded 4,414 fresh COVID-19 cases on Monday that took its tally to 9,20,456 while 103 more fatalities pushed the death toll to 7,806, according to an official report.
Jaipur reported the highest number of fresh cases at 804, followed by 377 in Alwar and 340 in Jodhpur, the report stated.
White House: Can't Confirm Report On Covid Origins, Need More InformationWhite House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said on Monday the United States could not confirm a Wall Street Journal report on the origins of COVID-19 and needed more information.
China Denies Claim Of Illness At Wuhan Lab Before Covid Outbreak In 2019China on Monday dismissed as "totally untrue" reports that three researchers in Wuhan went to hospital with an illness shortly before the coronavirus emerged in the city and spread around the globe.
Pfizer Says Talks Underway With Centre On Bringing Covid-19 Vaccine To IndiaTo bring Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for use in India, discussions are underway between the central government and Pfizer Inc.
"No State Can Compare" To Assam In COVID-19 Fight: Chief Minister Himanta Biswa SarmaAssam's fight against COVID-19 is unparalleled with any other state, state chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma claimed today.
Hitting out at the Centre, Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren said that the state was facing a severe shortage of Covid vaccines and has barely two-three days of shots left in its stock. Chairing a cabinet meeting, Mr Soren said the Centre failed to alert states and take necessary measures even as it had prior knowledge of the second wave of the pandemic. "Government of India knew about the (second wave of the) infection but there was much delay in directions to the states and ultimately the entire country was impacted by it," he said.
Pfizer will supply #COVID19 vaccine only to central Govts & supra-national orgs for deployment in national immunization programs. Allocation of doses & implementation plan within a country is a decision for local governments based on relevant health authority guidance: Pfizer pic.twitter.com/hlMK0RBe8e
- ANI (@ANI) May 24, 2021
"Compromised immunity leads to Black Fungus infection. Candida infection can also be observed in patients. Labelling the same fungal infection with different colours can lead to confusion," says Dr Randeep Guleria, Director of AIIMS.
"Black Fungus infection has rarely been seen in those who do not have diabetes and have not been put on steroids": Dr Randeep Guleria, Director, AIIMS#BlackFungus pic.twitter.com/AsrYgKJ2BO
- NDTV (@ndtv) May 24, 2021
Delhi reports 1550 new #COVID19 cases, 4375 recoveries and 207 deaths in the last 24 hours.
- ANI (@ANI) May 24, 2021
Total cases 14,18,418
Total recoveries 13,70,431
Death toll 23,409
Active cases 24,578 pic.twitter.com/Csq2pCrU6z
Uttarakhand | Black fungus has been declared a notified disease. In terms of its treatment-- a factory in Rudrapur will start production of a medicine. It will reduce the shortage of the injection: Tripti Bahuguna, DG Health pic.twitter.com/zjs2E3SPFe
- ANI (@ANI) May 24, 2021
Jharkhand: Chief Minister Hemant Soren chairs a meeting with state ministers over the COVID situation in the state, through video conference. pic.twitter.com/PKEhK5bB9Y
- ANI (@ANI) May 24, 2021
MP: In a viral video, Shahajpur ADM was seen slapping a footwear shopkeeper, during the sealing of shops as a part of following #COVID19 lockdown guidelines
- ANI (@ANI) May 24, 2021
Shopkeeper says, "The shutter was down, still Policemen pulled it up. ADM slapped me & Policeman even hit me with stick." pic.twitter.com/r1twTEn4nt
We received 550 vials (of Amphotericin B) a day before y'day from Centre. Earlier, we procured 600 vials by ourselves. We'll get more injections today. Positivity rate is around 9%, until it reaches close to 5% we can't lift restrictions: Haryana Health Minister Anil Vij#COVID19 pic.twitter.com/wEogjM09YW
- ANI (@ANI) May 24, 2021
Karnataka: Coconut sellers in Bengaluru suffer losses as their business takes a hit due to #COVID19 lockdown.
- ANI (@ANI) May 24, 2021
Two sellers, Govindraju &. Narayanswamy, say, "There's only 5-10% business now, there's no wedding or business in hotels. Coconuts rot away. We somehow pay our workers." pic.twitter.com/634f84vHgK
Delhi | SDMC sets up COVID Center for children at MCD school in Malviya Nagar
- ANI (@ANI) May 24, 2021
Centre is based on school atmosphere with recreational activities & a psychological boosting environment. Management of center will be looked after by our hospital: MS, Aakash Hospital Malviya Nagar pic.twitter.com/zT6wHq70py
We've to break the chain of the virus. We're using services of 200 students for online medical consultation. Doctors will supervise them... We only got 1200-1400 injections of Black Fungus & we had 400 patients 2 days back. Demand for injections are varying daily: Haryana CM
- ANI (@ANI) May 24, 2021
Bihar | Govt health center in Sukki village in Madhubani's Khajauli being used as cow shelter even as COVID pandemic continues to rage
- ANI (@ANI) May 24, 2021
"Not a doctor or a nurse has visited this health center in the last year. People go to Primary Health Centre in Khajauli, says a villager pic.twitter.com/NGs1MMrjTI
I performed last rites of 500 bodies in 2.5 years & over 300 Covid bodies last year in Bhubaneswar. Being a woman, I was criticised for doing so but I continued working under a trust run by my husband: Madhusmita Prusty, who quit nursing job to cremate unclaimed bodies in Odisha pic.twitter.com/oips5OYsAD
- ANI (@ANI) May 23, 2021
