COVID-19 Highlights: The national COVID-19 recovery rate has fallen below 90 per cent.
Russia's Covid vaccine Sputnik-V has been cleared for emergency use approval in India by a committee of experts in the middle of a record spike in virus cases in the country. If approved by regulator DGCI, this will become the third vaccine to be used in India after Serum Institute of India's Covishield - developed by Oxford-AstraZeneca - and Bharat Biotech's Covaxin.
Sputnik-V, manufactured in India by Dr Reddy's, has the highest effectiveness - 91.6 per cent -- after the Moderna and Pfizer shots.
Meanwhile, state board exams for classes 10 and 12 have been postponed in Maharashtra amid the Covid surge. The class 12 exams will now be held by the end of May and the class 10 exams in June, state School Education Minister Varsha Gaikwad said. The exact dates will be announced based on the developing situation, which the administration is monitoring, she said.
"The present circumstances are not conducive for holding exams. Your health is our priority," Ms Gaikwad said in a video message posted on Twitter today.
Here are the Highlights on Coronavirus India Cases:
Congress Asks Election Commission To Urge People To Follow Covid Norms During Bengal Elections
West Bengal Congress chief Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury on Monday wrote to the Election Commission requesting it to instruct ''masses to take necessary precautions during polling, assembling, and processions'' during the ongoing elections in West Bengal.
"Coronavirus infection is a curse to mankind. It has taken more lives than any other pandemic. Though restrictions like partial lockdowns, night curfew are imposed in other parts of the country. To prevent the rapid spread of the disease, in poll-bound West Bengal no such precautions have been adopted," Mr Chowdhury wrote in his letter to the EC.
Week-Long "Corona Curfew" Imposed In Bhopal City
A week-long "corona curfew" was imposed in Bhopal city on Monday night to curb the rising cases of COVID-19 in the Madhya Pradesh capital, reported news agency PTI.
The curfew came into force at 9 pm and will remain effective till 6 am on April 19, an official order said.
A decision to impose the curbs on movement of people and operation of business and commercial establishments was taken at a meeting of the district crisis management committee here on a day when Bhopal recorded more than 800 COVID-19 infections.
As per the order, all business establishments would remain closed during the "corona curfew" and movement of people and vehicles will also be restricted.
No Plan To Impose Lockdown In Andamans: Information SecretaryThere is no plan as of now to impose lockdown in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands due to the surges in COVID-19 cases, a senior official of the union territory administration said on Monday, reported news agency PTI.
Information, Publicity and Tourism secretary of the union territory administration, SK Singh said COVID-19 protocols will be strictly followed in the archipelago.
"There are now plans as of now to impose lockdown, but COVID-19 protocols will be enforced strictly. Strict action will be taken against violators and penalty imposed. Test, Track and Treat is our focus," Mr Singh said in a press conference.
Madhya Pradesh Records Highest One-Day Spike Of 6,489 COVID-19 Cases
Madhya Pradesh on Monday reported 6,489 fresh coronavirus positive cases, the biggest spike in a single day, while 37 patients died of the infection, the state health department said, reported news agency PTI.
The state's case tally has reached 3,44,634 while the death count is at 4,221. Madhya Pradesh is now left with 38,651 active cases.
Since the beginning of April, Madhya Pradesh added 49,123 new COVID-19 cases while 235 people died, officials said.
A total of 3,117 people were discharged from hospitals in Madhya Pradesh in the last 24 hours, taking the overall count of recoveries to 3,01,762 on Monday, the department said.
Rajasthan Becomes Second State After Maharashtra To Cross 10 Million Vaccination MarkRajasthan has become the second state in the country to administer more than 10 million doses of the vaccine against coronavirus, Health Minister Raghu Sharma said today, reported news agency PTI.
Maharashtra was the first state in the country to cross the 10 million vaccination mark. The state had administered 1,00,38,421 doses till Sunday noon.
Mr Sharma congratulated the medical staff of the state and said the milestone was achieved on Monday afternoon.
Till Sunday, 99.83 lakh doses were administered and the figure has crossed the 10 million mark now, Mr Sharma said.
Beginning April 1, jabs have been administered to people above 45 years of age, Mr Sharma said, adding that the vaccination is being done at 3,380 government and 188 private sites in the state.
Andhra Reports 3,263 Covid Cases, 11 DeathsAndhra Pradesh reported 3,263 fresh cases of coronavirus, 1,091 recoveries and 11 deaths in 24 hours ending 9 am on Monday, reported news agency PTI.
Consequently, the total positives went up to 9,28,664, recoveries to 8,98,238 and toll to 7,311, a health department bulletin said.
The state now has 23,115 active COVID-19 cases, it added.
South Delhi Has Maximum Covid Containment Zones, East Delhi LeastAmid a resurgence in coronavirus cases, the number of containment zones in the national capital has risen to 5,705, with South Delhi accounting for the maximum 1,303 red zones, according to official data, reported news agency PTI.
Delhi had 2,183 containment zones on April 1. The number swelled to 5,705 -- an increase of over 160 per cent -- by Sunday as another wave of COVID-19 cases hit the city.
According to data from the city government's revenue department, South Delhi has the maximum number of 1,303 containment zones. Also, it is the only district with more than a thousand red zones.
East Delhi (164) has the lowest number of containment zones, followed by Central Delhi (254), Northeast Delhi (256) and Shahdara (309).
Goa Logs 476 Covid Cases, 2 Deaths, 231 RecoveriesGoa's coronavirus caseload went up by 476 and reached 62,780 on Monday, while two patients died and 231 recovered during the day, an official said, reported news agency PTI
The state's death count stands at 850, the recovery count at 57,365 and the active caseload is at 4,565, he added.
With 2,280 samples being examined on Monday, the number of tests in Goa went up to 5,74,617.
Sena's Sanjay Raut Blames Centre For Rising Cases Of Covid In Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, PunjabShiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut today blamed the Centre for the rise in coronavirus cases in Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh and Punjab, reported news agency PTI. Speaking to reporters, Mr Raut said Maharashtra had followed every instruction issued by the Centre, and the latter must act sensitively and cautiously and stop blaming states.
"If Maharashtra and the other two states (Punjab and Chhattisgarh) have failed, the first failure is that of the Centre since the country is fighting the war against the virus under prime minister Narendra Modi's leadership," he said, questioning why only non-BJP ruled states were being singled out as failures.
"Has the coronavirus disappeared in states which have a BJP chief minister? The Centre should provide vaccines and Remdesivir to Maharashtra. Everyone has seen how Remdesivir is available in BJP offices in Gujarat but it is not (made) available to Maharashtra," Sanjay Raut claimed.
Offices, Metro, Buses Operate At 50% Capacity In DelhiOffices, metro and bus services in Delhi operated with 50 per cent capacity today following the restrictions imposed by the AAP dispensation in view of the surge in COVID-19 cases in the national capital, reported news agency PTI.
The Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) had on Saturday night ordered the prohibition of all types of gatherings, a reduced number of people at weddings and funerals, running of public transport at half their seating capacity and a scaled down presence in government offices.
On the first working day after the restrictions were imposed, the crowds in buses and metro were restricted, which led to crowding at bus stands and metro stations.
Mehbooba Mufti's Daughter Tests Positive For COVID
Iltija Mufti, daughter of former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, has tested positive for COVID-19, reported news agency ANI.
Mehbooba Mufti confirmed the news on her official Twitter handle and said that her daughter is currently self-isolating on doctors' advice and is taking all other precautions.
"Want to confirm media reports that my younger daughter Iltija tested positive for COVID today. As advised by doctors she is now self-isolating and taking all the necessary precautions," the People's Democratic Party president said in her tweet.
Karnataka Asks Private Hospitals To Reserve 50% Beds For COVID Patients
In view of the surge in COVID-19 cases, Karnataka Health and Medical Education Minister Dr K Sudhakar today said that the private hospitals have been asked to reserve 50 per cent beds for COVID patients, reported news agency ANI.
Speaking to the media after attending a video conference with the Private Hospitals and Nursing Home Association (PHANA), Dr Sudhakar said, "Private hospitals have been asked to reserve 50 percent beds for COVID patients as it was done during the first wave."
"Private hospitals have agreed to reserve 50 percent beds for COVID patients within a week. Patients without symptoms and with mild symptoms will be isolated in hotels and COVID care centres. Only patients with severe conditions will be treated in hospitals", said the minister.
Lockdown Leads To Job Losses: Devendra Fadnavis As Maharashtra Hints At Shutdown
Stating that people lose jobs when a lockdown is imposed, senior BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis on Monday alleged the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government is not serious about providing any financial aid to the vulnerable sections, reported news agency PTI.
Taking a dig at the state government amid talks that an extended lockdown is imminent in Maharashtra in view of a steep rise in COVID-19 cases, Mr Fadnavis said there is a "lockshahi" in the state now instead of "lokshahi" (democracy).
30 Minute Interval Between "Shahi Snans" Of Two Akharas At Kumb Amid Covid: Police
As lakhs of devotees today took a holy dip in the Ganga at Haridwar's Har Ki Pauri on the second "Shahi Snan" (ritualistic bath) during the ongoing Kumbh Mela, Uttarakhand top cop Ashok Kumar said a gap of half an hour is being observed between the "snans" of two akharas to clean the ghats, reported news agency ANI.
He also informed that the footfall of devotees is 50 per cent less than expected due to the resurgence of the COVID-19 pandemic.
As many as 21,07,000 people have taken the ritualistic bath in and around the Kumbh Mela area till 12 noon, according to the Kumbh Mela police control room.
Hospitals, COVID Centers Allegedly Asking Families Of Patients To Arrange Remdesivir Injection From Outside
Crisis over the shortage of Remdesivir injection in Maharashtra continued today with relatives of some patients in Pune alleging that hospitals and COVID-19 care centers are asking them to arrange the drug from outside chemist shops, reported news agency ANI.
People, in large numbers, were seen staging a protest outside a chemist shop in the Shukrawar Peth area over the shortage of Remdesivir injection.
Maharashtra Minister Hails "Amravati Pattern" As Cases Surge In StateA decision to impose a "lockdown" under the garb of "
janata curfew" (voluntary shutdown) in the last week of February when coronavirus cases started to build up in most parts of Maharashtra helped Amravati tackle the onslaught better than others, the district's guardian minister Yashomati Thakur said on Monday.
The situation in Maharashtra, currently witnessing the most severe surge in the country, would have been different if the "Amravati pattern" was implemented statewide earlier, she said.
When the number of cases spiked from 1,000 to 1,200 quickly in February, a firm decision was taken to impose widespread restrictions, Ms Thakur, who is state Women and Child Development minister, told news agency PTI.
"We took a firm decision on February 26 to impose a lockdown, resisting criticism and opposition. We started with a weekend lockdown, calling it a janata curfew. Later, for 10 to 12 days, we went in for a complete lockdown, exempting the essential services, MIDC and vegetable markets," Ms Thakur claimed.
Covid-Rule Violations, Virulent Strains Could Be Behind Surge: AIIMS ChiefPeople not adhering to COVID-appropriate behaviour and the circulation of highly infectious strains of SARS-COV-2 could be the primary reasons behind the surge in coronavirus infections in India, AIIMS Director Dr Randeep Guleria said today, reported news agency PTI.
He also warned that if the situation is not reversed, then the galloping infection rate will eventually cause a huge strain on the country's healthcare system.
He sought stricter enforcement of COVID-appropriate behaviour on the ground level by the administration and authorities.
"Around February, when cases started to decrease, people became lax towards following COVID-appropriate behaviour as they thought the virus had become ineffective. People are taking the disease lightly now. If you go out, you see that marketplaces, restaurants and shopping malls are crowded and full of people and these all are super-spreader events," Dr Guleria said.
Russia's Sputnik 5 Vaccine Recommended For Use In India By Experts' Panel
Russia's Covid vaccine Sputnik-V has been cleared for emergency use approval in India by a committee of experts in the middle of a record spike in virus cases in the country. If approved by regulator DGCI, this will become the third vaccine to be used in India after Serum Institute of India's Covishield - developed by Oxford-AstraZeneca - and Bharat Biotech's Covaxin.
Read Here JUST IN: Russia's Sputnik 5 vaccine approved for emergency use in India
"Modi Ji, Stop This Eventbaazi. Vaccinate All Who Need It": Rahul Gandhi
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi today asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to "stop holding events" and, instead, take steps to vaccinate everyone in the wake of the ferocious second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic sweeping the country. He also sought financial help for the poor to tide over the prevailing economic conditions.
Read Here JUST IN | Maharashtra state board exams for classes 10,12 postponed amid Covid surge, the government says "Your health is our priority"
Madhya Pradesh Government Offers Space To Private Hospitals For COVID-19 Treatment
The Madhya Pradesh government has offered to provide space to private hospitals to set up their medical facilities in a bid to increase the number of beds for COVID-19 patients, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said on Monday. Talking to reporters here, Chouhan also said the supply of Remdevisir injections would be normalised within the next two or three days as the government has started procuring the key anti-viral drug.
Officers shall function in 2 shifts from 3-11 pm and 11 pm to 7 am both at Ward War Rooms and jumbo field hospitals: Mumbai Civic Body.
Coronavirus: Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Takes His Second Dose Of COVID-19
62 New COVID-19 Cases In Maharashtra Village After Bagad Festival
Sixty two new COVID-19 cases have been reported from a village here in Maharashtra after the annual
''Bagad Yatra'' festival held earlier this month, officials said on Monday. Hundreds of people gathered at Bavdhan village in Wai tehsil of Satara district on April 2 during the Bagad (chariot of God) festival, celebrated to seek blessings of a local deity, in violation of the COVID-19 guidelines. Later, the district administration had registered
Coronavirus India: As 1 Of Every 6 Daily Infections Is Now In India, Huge Kumbh Crowds
India reported a record daily tally of 168,912 COVID-19 infections on Monday, the world's highest, while worries grew over a further spike, as hundreds of thousands of devotees gathered for a ritual bath in the Ganges river. India now accounts for one in every six daily infections worldwide.
India Will Come Out Of Covid Crisis With Flying Colours: Deloitte CEO Punit Renjen
India will come out of the COVID-19 crisis that has impacted the entire world with flying colours, Deloitte CEO Punit Renjen has said, asserting that the 21st century is "India's century". Punit Renjen said the Indian government has performed well in addressing the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. "This is India's century and I'm convinced about it," the 60-year-old prominent Indian-American business leader told PTI in an interview. "I am certainly a little biased given my (Indian) heritage but I'm actually convinced that this is India's century because of just the raw talent that exists in India, the number of people that comprise India, the democratic tradition that has been around for 75 years," he said.
Coronavirus Cases: COVID-19 Vaccination Underway At BKC Centre In Mumbai
Coronavirus India: Union Minister Som Prakash Receives Second Dose Of COVID-19 Vaccine
We added 5,000 more beds last week and will add more. At present, there are 5,525 beds in Delhi. 190 beds are occupied which amounts to 2%. We have also requested central government to increase beds to their current tally of 190: Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain.
Coronavirus: Telangana Adds 2,251 New COVID-19 Cases
Telangana reported 2,251 fresh COVID-19 cases pushing the tally to over 3.29 lakh, while the count rose to 1,765 with six more fatalities, the state government said on Monday. The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) accounted for the most number of cases with 355, followed by Medchal Malkajgiri (258) and Nizamabad (244), it said in a bulletin, providing details as of 8 PM on April 11. The total number of cases stood at 3,29,529 while with 565 patients being cured, the total recoveries were at 3,05,900.
Coronavirus Cases: Jharkhand Reports 2,296 New COVID-19 Cases, 21 Fresh Fatalities
Jharkhand's COVID-19 tally rose to 1,39,384 on Monday as 2,296 more people tested positive for the infection, while 21 fresh fatalities pushed the state's coronavirus death toll to 1,213, a health official said. Ranchi reported the highest number of new cases at 1,076, followed by East Singhbhum (362) and Dumka (128), he said.
COVID-19 India: 15 New Cases Take COVID-19 Tally Of Andamans To 5,190
The COVID-19 tally of Andaman and Nicobar Islands rose to 5,190 on Monday as 15 more people tested positive for the infection, a health official said. All the fresh infections were detected during contact tracing, he said. Two more people were cured of the disease, the official said. The Union territory now has 88 active cases, while 5,040 people have been cured of the disease and 62 patients have succumbed to the infection so far, he said. The administration has tested 3.37 lakh samples for COVID-19, the official added.
Coronavirus: Sputnik 5 Vaccine For Use In India To Be Discussed At Key Meet Today
The use of Russia's Covid vaccine Sputnik V in India will be discussed by a committee of experts today. The vaccine, manufactured in India by Dr Reddy's, has an effectiveness of 91.6 per cent, highest after the Moderna and Pfizer shots. The Subject Expert Committee (SEC) of the Indian drug regulator will meet later today to consider granting emergency use approval to Sputnik V. In its last meeting on April 1, the committee had asked Dr Reddy's to submit data on all immunogenicity parametres of the shot.
Read Here Coronavirus India: JNU Makes Carrying Negative COVID-19 Report Mandatory For Anyone Coming From Maharashtra
The Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) on Sunday made it mandatory to carry a negative RT-PCR test report for anyone coming to the campus from Maharashtra. It said in a circular that the report "should not be older than 72 hours prior to undertaking the journey".
1.68 Lakh Covid Cases In India In New Daily High; Second Worst After US
India recorded 1,68,912 new Covid in the last 24 hours, the sixth record rise in seven days, pushing the country's caseload to over 1.35 crore. The resurgence of the virus led to 904 new deaths, taking the total death count to 1,70,179.
Read Here Coronavirus: China Considers Mixing COVID-19 Vaccines To Boost Protection Rate
China's top disease control official has said the country is formally considering mixing COVID-19 vaccines as a way of further boosting vaccine efficacy. Available data shows Chinese vaccines lag behind others including Pfizer and Moderna in terms of efficacy, but require less stringent temperature controls during storage.
Coronavirus Curfew: Arvind Kejriwal To Hold Meeting To Review COVID-19 Situation In Delhi
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal will review the COVID-19 situation in the national capital in a meeting on Monday noon, officials said. On Sunday, the daily coronavirus cases in Delhi crossed the 10,000-mark for the first time since the pandemic began. The chief minister termed the situation "very serious" and appealed to people not to step out of houses unless it was urgent. The officials said the review meeting to be held at 12 pm is likely to be attended by ministers and top officers of the Delhi government.
Curfew: Lockdown Needed, But Decision After Wednesday: Maharashtra Minister
An appropriate decision regarding imposing a lockdown in Maharashtra will be taken after April 14, state Health Minister Rajesh Tope said on Sunday. He was speaking to reporters after a virtual meeting of the COVID-19 task force chaired by Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray to discuss measures, including imposition of a lockdown in the state, to break the virus chain.
COVID-19: 1,68,912 Fresh Coronavirus Cases In India In Biggest-Ever One-Day Spike
India's total tally of COVID-19 cases surged to 1,35,27,717 with 1,68,912 new infections, while the recoveries have surged to 1,21,56,529, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Monday. The death count increased to 1,70,179 with 904 new fatalities, the data updated at 8 am showed.
Coronavirus Cases: 50% Supreme Court Staff Test Positive, Judges To Work From Home, Say Sources
India's spiraling Covid-19 crisis has hit the Supreme Court in a big way with up to 50 per cent of its staff testing positive for the disease. The hearings will now be held via video conferencing from home, sources have informed NDTV. The entire court premise, including courtrooms, is now being sanitised, they said. The various benches will now sit an hour later than their scheduled time.
Read Here Coronavirus: Covid Patient's Family Alleges Negligence, Vandalises Bihar Hospital
Angry over the death of a Covid patient allegedly due to medical negligence, his family vandalised state-run Darbhanga Medical College and Hospital (DMCH) on Sunday, forcing the hospital staff to run for safety, hospital sources told news agency Press Trust of India. The incident followed death of a man who was undergoing treatment for coronavirus at the hospital.
Coronavirus: Central Teams Find Faults In Covid Measures Of These 3 States
Three Central teams deputed to Maharashtra, Punjab and Chhattisgarh earlier this week after a review of the Covid situation by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, have pointed out multiple flaws in the handling of the situation by the three state governments. Overall, the teams had visited 50 districts - 30 in Maharashtra, 11 in Chhattisgarh and nine in Punjab.
Read Here JUST IN | 50% of Supreme Court staff test positive for Covid, judges to hold video hearings from home: sources
Coronavirus Cases: Entry For Hauz Khas Station Temporarily Closed, Amid Rising Cases
COVID-19: Night Curfew Imposed In UP's Mathura
In view of rising COVID-19 cases, the Mathura district administration has imposed a night curfew with immediate effect, an official said on Sunday. The curfew would be from 9 pm to 6 am every day, till further orders, District Magistrate (DM) Navneet Singh Chahal said. "The step was necessitated to contain the spread of COVID-19," he said. People associated with essential services, panchayat elections, large-scale construction work, essential commodities, petrol pumps, CNG stations, goods, and luggage carriers will be exempted from the curfew, Chahal said.
Second Wave Of Covid Worrying, People Need To Be Extra Cautious: Yogi Adityanath
The current COVID-19 wave is worrying and people need to take all precautions and follow protocols, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said on Sunday at an all-party meeting, which was not attended by Samajwadi Party, the main opposition in the state. The meeting was held at the Raj Bhawan here, and Governor Anandiben Patel said the situation was grim and vaccination against COVID-19 should be ramped up.
Locals attacked a team of government officials when they tried to enforce weekend lockdown in Naya Gaon, Chitrakoot yesterday.
Thousands Of Devotees Gather In Haridwar For Kumbh Amid Covid
Thousands of devotees, some of them without masks, gathered by the river Ganges in Uttarakhand's Haridwar on Sunday in densely packed crowds for prayers during the Kumbh Mela - one of the largest religious gatherings in the world.
Read Here COVID-19: Madhya Pradesh Residents Opt for Voluntary Lockdown Amid Rising Covid Cases
Coronavirus India: Covid Patients Get Oxygen In Chairs At Maharashtra Hospital Out Of Beds
Slouched in wheelchairs, barely able to keep their eyes open, COVID-19 patients at the district hospital in Maharashtra's Osmanabad get their oxygen fix while more are wheeled in. Even at barely a minute long, the video clip tells a horror story of what happens when the healthcare system of small-town India gets overwhelmed with more patients than it had ever prepared for.
Read Here Coronavirus Cases: 2 Cinema Halls Sealed In Paralakhemundi For Violating Guidelines
Coronavirus: Maharashtra Reports Over 63,000 Covid Cases In Biggest Single-Day Surge
Maharashtra on Sunday reported over 63,000 new coronavirus cases in its highest ever single-day surge along with 349 deaths. At 63,294, Sunday's infections were 14 per cent higher than a day ago and took the number of active cases in the state past 5.65 lakh.
Railway Employees Receive Covid Vaccine In Madhya Pradesh's Indore
Amid rise in COVID-19 cases in Madhya Pradesh's Indore, several railway employees in the district received the first dose of COVID-19 vaccine on Sunday.
Senior PRO of Western Railways Jitendra Kumar Jayant told news agency ANI that the Western Railway administration is planning to vaccinate 3,000 railway employees and their families.
"We have received 150 doses of the vaccine in the first phase of the drive started by the railway administration," Mr Jayant said.
"The Railways employees have been working as frontline workers since last year. Many of them were also tested positive for COVID-19," he added.