COVID-19 Cases in India: The second wave of coronavirus has burdened the healthcare system (File)
Bihar will go into a lockdown till May 15, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said today amid the incessant rise of COVID-19 cases in the state. His government has formed a Crisis Management Group to finalise the details of the move and to guide it.
The Chief Minister made the announcement today through social media posts a day after a meeting of all ministers and top officials to take a call on the matter. It also comes on a day the state reported 11,407 fresh COVID-19 cases and 82 deaths, taking the state's overall case load to over 5.09 lakh and more than 2,800 fatalities.
Meanwhile, India registered a slight dip in COVID-19 cases as it registered 3,57,229 new coronavirus infections in the last 24 hours, informed the union health ministry on Tuesday morning. With this, the cumulative count of the cases has gone up to 2,02,82,833.
The daily spike had reached its peak of over four lakh cases on May 1 but came down to 3,68,147 cases yesterday.
As many as 3,449 people succumbed to the disease in the country in the last 24 hours, taking the cumulative death count to 2,22,408. Currently, there are 34,47,133 active cases of COVID-19 in the country, as per the government data.
The country also witnessed as many as 3,20,289 recoveries in the said period, taking the cumulative recoveries to 1,66,13,292.
Here are the updates on coronavirus (COVID-19) cases:
Covid Situation In Assam "Little Alarming": Himanta Biswa Sarma
The COVID-19 situation in Assam is "a little alarming" with nearly 5,000 positive cases and the biggest one-day spike in fatalities with 41 deaths reported on Tuesday, Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said, reported news agency PTI.
Mr Sarma said that with about 5,000 COVID-19 cases reported everyday the "situation in Assam is becoming a little alarming". However, "we are prepared and measures are on to scale up ICU and hospital beds", he said.
Over 400 Drive In, Get Vaccine Jabs In Mumbai On Day 1As many as 417 persons were administered COVID-19 vaccine at a drive-in inoculation center set up by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation on the first day, a civic official said on Tuesday evening, reported news agency PTI.
The civic body on Tuesday launched the city's first drive-in vaccination center where specially-abled people and senior citizens can get vaccine doses while sitting in a vehicle, without standing in a queue.
The facility has been set up in a parking lot at Kohinoor Tower in Dadar for inoculating those above the age of 45 years.
Nurse, 3 Others Arrested For Selling Remdesivir For Rs 70,000 Per Dose: Delhi Police
A special staff team of the Delhi Police's North-West district on Tuesday busted a gang of four persons, including a nurse, for their alleged involvement in black marketing of Remdesivir injections, reported news agency ANI
Seven Remdesivir injections have been recovered from their possession and a case has been registered.
The nurse procured doses of Remdesivir, an anti-viral drug used in the treatment of COVID-19, from the hospital she works at and gave them to the other members of the gang, the police said. They then sold it for around Rs 70,000 for one dose, they added.
The accused have been identified as Vipul Verma (29), Vishal Kashyap (22), Shubham (23) and Lalitesh (24).
3 "Oxygen Express" Trains Reached Delhi On Tuesday
Three "Oxygen Express" trains arrived in the Delhi division of Northern Railway on Tuesday as Covid-19 cases rise, reported news agency ANI.
"Oxygen Express trains arrive at Faridabad, Gurgaon and ICD, Okhla today," said an official press release on Tuesday.
The "Oxygen Express" carrying 85.23 tonnes of liquid oxygen in four tankers arrived at Gurgaon at 03:10 am. The second one from Rourkela Junction carrying 41.74 tonnes of oxygen in three tankers arrived at Faridabad at 7:47 am. The third train carrying 120 tonnes of the lifesaving gas in six tankers arrived at Okhla at 9:44 am.
PM Modi Dials Uttarakhand Chief Minister, Enquires About State's Covid Situation
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday called Uttarakhand Chief Minister Tirath Singh Rawat to enquire about the pandemic situation in the state and assured further help from the Centre, reported news agency ANI.
In a tweet, Mr Rawat said that PM Modi enquired about the steps taken by the state government to control the spread of the virus.
"Today, Prime Minister Narendra Modi Ji called and enquired about the status of COVID-19 in the hills and plains of Uttarakhand and the work being done to prevent it," Mr Rawat tweeted.
"The Prime Minister has assured to extend further help from the Centre for curbing COVID-19. I express my heartfelt gratitude to the Hon''ble Prime Minister," he added.
East Coast Railway Ferries 329 Tonnes Of Liquid Medical Oxygen TO Different States
To supply oxygen at the earliest amid a massive Covid upsurge, East Coast Railway has carried 329 tons of Liquid Medical Oxygen (LMO) from different Steel Plants in its jurisdiction to different states, including Maharashtra, Telengana, Haryana and Delhi, reported news agency ANI.
In a release, the East Coast Railways on Tuesday said that a total of 187 tonnes of LMO has already been transported from Tata Bhusan Siding in Angul along with 105 tonnes of LMO from Rashtriya ISpat Nigam Limited in Visakhapatnam and 31 tonnes of LMO from Jindal Steel in Angul.
Raebareli Becomes 14th UP District To Report 200 And More Covid-19 DeathsRaebareli on Tuesday became the 14th Uttar Pradesh district to report 200 and more deaths linked to Covid-19, according to official data, reported by news agency PTI.
The district adjoining the capital city of Lucknow logged three more fatalities Tuesday that pushed its death count to 201, stated the figures released by the UP Health Department for a 24-hour period.
Other UP districts with 200 or more case are Lucknow (1,905), Kanpur (1,274), Allahabad (723), Varanasi (719), Meerut (530), Gorakhpur (473), Jhansi (330), Moradabad (243), Agra (253), Ghaziabad (275), Gautam Buddh Nagar (261), Bareilly (216) and Etawah (206), according to the data.
Seven More Gujarat Towns Face Curbs, Restrictions Extended In 29 CitiesThe Gujarat government on Tuesday decided to impose a night curfew and other restrictions in seven more cities of the state and also extended till May 12 the existing lockdown-like restrictions in 29 cities to break the chain of the coronavirus infection, reported news agency PTI.
With this decision, night curfew (from 8 pm to 6 am) and other day-time restrictions will now be in force in 36 cities till May 12. The government on April 27 had announced restrictions and extended night curfew to 29 cities as part of measures to curb the rising COVID-19 cases.
The curbs on 29 cities were to end on May 5.
Haryana Unable To Lift Full Oxygen Quota From Odisha, More Tankers Being Arranged: Anil VijHaryana Health Minister Anil Vij Tuesday said the state was unable to lift its full quota of oxygen from Odisha due to a shortage of tankers, and that the state government was arranging more tankers to address the issue, reported news agency PTI.
Anil Vij, who also holds the Home portfolio, said as against the present daily requirement of 300 metric tonne (MT) of medical oxygen in the state, it was getting 252 MT from various plants including in Panipat, Hisar and Odisha.
"Out of this too, we are not able to lift our full quota from the plant in Odisha because we are not getting tankers. The ones we have, we are sending these by air too (to be refilled with oxygen). A day before we dispatched 10 of these by air, some others were being dispatched through (special) trains," Mr Vij told reporters after chairing the State level Covid Monitoring Committee meeting.
Apply online for lockdown e-pass: Noida officials
Residents of Noida and Greater Noida can apply online for e-pass for "essential" outdoor movement during the lockdown which has been imposed due to COVID-19, Gautam Buddh Nagar administration said. People can apply for the e-pass using the link rahat.up.nic.in or rahat.up.nic.in/epass and they will not be required to go to any government office, the administration said.
Jammu and Kashmir reports highest single-day rise with 4,650 Covid casesJammu and Kashmir recorded 4,650 Covid cases, out of which 1,311 were from Srinagar and 598 cases were from Jammu. The administration has extended the ongoing "corona curfew" in four districts of the union territory, including the twin capital cities of Srinagar and Jammu, till the morning of May 10.
The infection tally in the state rose to 1,91,869, while 37 more fatalities pushed the death count to 2,458.
Railway isolation coaches admitted 146 COVID-19 patients in second waveIsolation coaches of the Railways have admitted 146 COVID-19 patients since the outbreak of the second wave of the viral disease and 80 of them have been discharged, while 66 people are currently utilising the facility in the country, the Railways said.
The Railways has readied a fleet of nearly 4,000 isolation coaches with almost 64,000 beds to serve as isolation units, it said. While states like Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Delhi and Uttar Pradesh already have such facilities deployed, the latest to requisition them are Gujarat and Nagaland.
COVID-19 cases likely to rise further in Kerala, says Chief MinisterAs Kerala's per day COVID-19 surge crossed over 37,000, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said the virus would take some more days to peak in the second wave of the infection and cases could soar further. The state should expect an increased spread of the disease due to the high Test Positivity Rate (TPR), which was 26.08 per cent today, Mr Vijayan said.
"The TPR is still high, indicating that it will take some more time for the disease to reach its peak in Kerala. This needs to be reduced significantly," he said.
Kerala logged 37,190 fresh cases today. The total caseload has mounted to over 17 lakh, while recoveries reached 13.39 lakh and the active cases touched 3,56,872.
Tamil Nadu records over 21,000 new Covid cases
Tamil Nadu continued to witness a sharp rise in COVID-19 infections, with 21,228 new cases being added in the last 24 hours, pushing the caseload to 12,49,292. As many as 144 COVID related deaths were reported in the last 24 hours, taking the death count to 14,612, the health department said.
Spain extends ban on Brazil, South African arrivals amid Covid surgeSpain has extended a ban on arrivals from Brazil and South Africa until May 25 to curb the spread of new coronavirus strains. Only legal residents or nationals of Spain and the neighbouring micro-state of Andorra are currently allowed in on flights from these countries in a restriction first introduced on February 2.
The only exceptions are for passengers in transit who cannot leave the airport nor remain there longer than 24 hours. Other European nations have imposed similar curbs due to fears that new variants may spread more easily or contain mutations that allow the virus to evade the effects of vaccines.
Kerala records 37,190 new COVID-19 cases, 57 deaths
Kerala recorded 37,190 new COVID-19 cases, while 26,148 people were cured of the infection, taking the caseload to 17,01,979 and recoveries to 13.39 lakh, the state government said. The death count rose to 5,507 with 57 more deaths. With cases rising steeply, the government's earlier announcement of lockdown-like restrictions from today till May 9 have come into force.
Germany to ease virus curbs for vaccinated people, say officials
People who have been fully vaccinated against Covid-19 will no longer have to abide by curfews and contact restrictions in Germany under a draft law agreed by the cabinet. They will also be allowed access to shops and other facilities without first providing a negative test result as is currently required of the rest of the population, Justice Minister Christine Lambrecht said while announcing the measures, which may come into force as early as this weekend if approved by parliament.
Sikkim reports 230 new COVID-19 cases, one new death
Sikkim's COVID-19 caseload rose to 8,698 as 230 more people tested positive for the infection while one new fatality pushed the death toll to 151, a health department bulletin said. East Sikkim district registered 186 new COVID-19 cases followed by South Sikkim, 19, West Sikkim, 17, and North Sikkim district, eight.
Foreign aid allocated to states for Covid management: CentreThe Health Ministry said that aid received from other countries has been distributed in different states to help deal with the rising number of COVID-19 cases. Based on the criteria and principles laid out by the ministry, depending on each state's requirement, 24 different categories of items numbering nearly 40 lakhs were distributed to 86 institutions in different states, the ministry said in a statement.
Major categories of equipment include BiPAP machines; oxygen (concentrators, cylinders, PSA Oxygen plants and pulse oximeters); drugs (Favipiravir and Remdesivir); and PPE (coveralls, N-95 masks and gowns).
With a "corona pass", Denmark goes forward on Covid exitDenmark has announced new steps in its Covid strategy to reopen society, with the spread of the virus deemed under control and its use of a "corona pass" certificate. Cinemas and theatres had already been due to reopen on Thursday, and gyms and fitness centres have now been added to the list. Bars, cafes and restaurants, which have already reopened, will no longer require reservations.
However, like at restaurants and hairdressers, all patrons must present a "corona pass" certificate confirming they have either tested negative in the past 72 hours, been vaccinated, or recently recovered from Covid-19.
COVID-19 Vaccination For People Aged Above 45 Suspended In Ahmedabad
The COVID-19 vaccination for people above the age of 45 was suspended at the civic-run facilities in Ahmedabad on Tuesday due to the unavailability of vaccines, officials said. According to a release issued by the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC), the vaccination was also suspended for frontline and healthcare workers at the urban health centres, community health centres and civic-run hospitals and halls.
Delhi: BLK-Max Super Speciality Hospital launches vaccination centre at Radha Soami Satsang Beas, Pusa Road
In view of rising COVID-19 cases, we need to create additional bed capacity. I urge people to donate healthcare equipment. We have made it mandatory for hospitals with more than 50-bed capacity to have their own oxygen generation plant: Haryana Minister Anil Vij.
COVID-19 Crisis: Delhi Government To Provide Financial Aid To Auto, Taxi Drivers
Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal today announced that the Delhi government will provide free ration to 72 lakh ration card holders in the city for the next two months and financial assistance of ₹ 5,000 to auto-rickshaw and taxi drivers to help people tide over the COVID-19 crisis. However, he said, this does not mean that the lockdown imposed in the national capital to break the chain of transmission will last for two months.
A Gurugram based NGO is running 'Oxygen Sewa', providing oxygen for free to patients in Gurugram's Sector 42
COVID-19 Infection Spreading To Rural Areas, Problems Will Increase: Punjab Health Minister
Punjab Health Minister Balbir Singh Sidhu on Tuesday said that the coronavirus infection has started to spread to the rural areas because of which the positivity rate and the number of deaths are increasing in the state. Speaking to ANI, Sidhu said: "The situation of Punjab is similar to the country. The positivity rate and the number of deaths are increasing in the state. People from Delhi, Haryana, and other states are shifting to Punjab and this is the main reason for a surge in cases in the state."
COVID-19: Government's Move To Remove Key Bottleneck In Imports Of Covid Supplies
Amid an outpouring of international help for India as the country battles the savage second wave of Covid, the government today put out an online form to address the bottlenecks at airports and ports for imported Covid-related medicines and equipment. The move could help hospitals that are reeling under shortages of beds, drugs and oxygen.
Read Here Delhi: Queue outside vaccination center at Government Girls Senior Secondary School in Chhattarpur.
Coronavirus: Drive-in COVID-19 vaccination centre established at BMC's Kohinoor public parking
COVID Crisis: Delhi Government To Provide Financial Aid To Auto, Taxi Drivers; Free Ration
Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday announced that the Delhi government will provide free ration to 72 lakh ration card holders in the city for the next two months and financial assistance of Rs 5,000 to auto-rickshaw and taxi drivers to help people tide over the COVID-19 crisis.
COVID-19: Lockdown In Bihar Till May 15, Says Nitish Kumar As Covid Cases Rise
Bihar will go into a lockdown till May 15, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said today amid the incessant rise of COVID-19 cases in the state. His government has formed a Crisis Management Group to finalise the details of the move and to guide it.
Read Here 12,563 new COVID-19 positive cases, 11,730 patients discharged in the state today. The positivity rate in the state is coming down and the recovery rate is above 85%. 17,301 hospital beds are available. Vaccination for 18-44 age group to start on May 5: Madhya Pradesh Home Minister.
Telangana reported 6,876 new cases, 59 deaths and 7,432 recoveries on 3rd May; active cases 79,520
JUST IN | Bihar will go into a lockdown till May 15, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said today amid the incessant rise of COVID-19 cases in the state.
COVID-19 India: You May Have To Do This If You Violate Lockdown In This City
The police in Haryana's Ambala city had to resort to punishing people after they continued to step outside their homes without valid reasons. Those violating the week-long lockdown imposed by the Haryana government across the state to contain the spread of COVID-19 were made to do sit-ups on the street by the police department. A video of the incident was shared on social media by the news agency ANI. It shows nearly 20 violators doing sit-ups and saying,
"Hum log lockdown
ka paalan karenge (We will follow lockdown guidelines)."
Covid: India Covid Cases Cross 2-Crore Mark; 3.57 Lakh New Cases, 3,449 Deaths
India's total Covid cases crossed the 2-crore mark with over 3.57 lakh new infections. 3,449 more people died of the infection, pushing the total fatalities to 2,22,408. The deadly second Covid wave has caused havoc in India's healthcare system.
Read Here Coronavirus : Weavers In Varanasi Facing Huge Loss Due To COVID-19 Lockdown In UP
After the second extension of lockdown-like curfew in Uttar Pradesh on Monday amid rising COVD-19 cases and deaths in the state, weavers in Varanasi said they are facing financial loss due to the pandemic. Speaking to ANI, a weaver said, "Since last month there is no work, the power loom is closed, and handloom is also in the same condition, weavers are out of money."
Coronavirus: Odisha Logs 8,216 New COVID-19 Cases
Odisha's COVID-19 caseload mounted to 4,79,752 on Tuesday as 8,216 more people tested positive for the infection, while 15 fresh fatalities pushed the coronavirus death toll to 2,088, a health department official said.
COVID-19 Updates: Oxygen Cylinders, Medical Equipment, Ventilators Arrive From US, UAE, UK, Kuwait
Large shipments of Covid-related aid arrived today from various countries in India which is facing an acute resource crunch amid its ferocious battle against the pandemic. The consignments included oxygen concentrators, ventilators, and other medical equipment, the Ministry of External Affairs said today. The aid comes amid a ravaging second wave of COVID-19 in the country where the overall fatalities have crossed 2.22 lakh with over two crore cases till now. Yesterday alone, 3.57 lakh fresh infections were reported along with over 3,400 deaths.
Read Here Coronavirus News: India Records 3.57 Lakh New Infections, 3,449 Deaths In 24 Hours
India's total tally of COVID-19 cases surged to 2,02,82,833 with 3,57,229 new infections, while the recoveries have surged to 1,66,13,292, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Tuesday. The death count increased to 2,22,408 with 3,449 new fatalities, the data updated at 8 am showed.
Coronavirus: Adar Poonawalla's Serum Institute To Invest 240 Million Pounds In UK
Vaccine maker the Serum Institute of India is set to invest in facilities in the United Kingdom and could even manufacture inoculations in the UK in future, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Monday. Mr Johnson's Downing Street office said the 240 million Great British Pounds ($334 million) project would include a sales office, "clinical trials, research and development and possibly manufacturing of vaccines".
COVID-19: Bengaluru's Chamrajpet Crematorium Displays ''Housefull'' Board
The surge in COVID-19 deaths has left families scrambling to look for space to cremate their loved ones as bodies have piled up for cremation and several crematoriums are facing space shortages. In one such incident, a crematorium in Bengaluru''s Chamrajpet, which ran out of space, put up a ''Housefull'' board at the gate.
Coronavirus: Lockdown, Vaccination, Makeshift Hospitals: Dr Fauci's Advice To India Amid Covid
Expressing concern over the unprecedented surge in coronavirus cases in India, America's top public health expert and White House Chief Medical Adviser Dr Anthony Fauci on Monday recommended a nationwide lockdown, massive vaccination drive and the construction of a large number of makeshift hospitals. "It is quite obvious to everyone that the situation in India is extremely serious," Dr Fauci, who is considered one of the world's top infectious disease specialists, told news agency PTI in an interview.
COVID-19: Fifth Consignment Carrying 545 Oxygen Concentrators Arrives From US
The fifth in a series of consignments carrying 545 oxygen concentrators arrived from the United States on Tuesday, as part of COVID-19 assistance. "5th in a series of consignments carrying medical equipment arrives from the US. This one carrying 545 oxygen concentrators. Appreciate the support from the US," Arindam Bagchi, Spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a tweet.
Coronavirus: US Flights To India With Covid Supplies Delayed Till Tomorrow
US Air Force flights that were scheduled to leave for India with essential life-saving supplies have been delayed till Wednesday due to maintenance issues, the Pentagon said on Monday. "We just received word from USTRANSCOM that the flights for India are "delayed until at least Wednesday due to maintenance issues", a Pentagon spokesperson said.
COVID-19 News: Mumbai Reports Lowest Single-Day Covid Cases In Over 5 Weeks
Mumbai on Monday logged 2,624 new coronavirus cases in 24 hours, registering its lowest one-day spike in over 5 weeks. The number of Covid tests also saw a sharp dip - from a daily average of 50,000 to 38,000 on Sunday, according to official data. The city's death count stands at 13,372 with 78 new deaths being reported in 24 hours. Mumbai's total number of infections reached 6,58,621 on Monday.
Read Here Mizoram reports 198 new cases, taking the number of active cases in the state to 1,427.
Coronavirus News: Told India No Safety Concerns With Covid Vaccine, Says Pfizer
Pfizer said on Monday it told the Indian government that there was no concern over the safety of its COVID-19 vaccine, as India insists on small local trials for foreign shots despite a record surge in infections and shortage of doses. The government in mid-April made it easier for foreign vaccines approved in the West and Japan to sell in India, though companies would still have to initiate a local clinical trial within 30 days of receiving emergency use authorization. Previously, companies were required to do the trial prior to approval.
Coronavirus: Kerala Police Chief Directs Personnel To Strictly Enforce COVID-19 Restrictions
Amid the worrying rise of COVID-19 cases, Kerala Police chief Lokanath Behara on Monday directed all district police chiefs and station house officers to strictly enforce the COVID-19 restrictions imposed in the state. The state will observe stringent restrictions starting today in order to curb the spread of the coronavirus in the state.
Kerala Police Chief Directs Cops To Strictly Enforce Covid RestrictionsKerala Police chief Lokanath Behara on Monday directed all district police chiefs and station house officers to strictly enforce the COVID-19 restrictions in the state, reported news agency ANI. The state will observe stringent restrictions starting today in order to curb the spread of the coronavirus in the state.
"Restrictions similar to the weekend lockdown will be in place from tomorrow. Employees of exempt establishments can travel carrying their identity cards. Courier service and home delivery category are also exempted. Concessions have also been granted for activities related to e-commerce," Mr Behara said Monday.
A woman police officer will be posted in each ward of the panchayat to ensure that those in the quarantine do not leave. Station house officers will facilitate the passage of oxygen-carrying vehicles without any hindrance. The district police chief will appoint a nodal officer in each district to ensure that the movement of oxygen and medicines is not disrupted.
3 Doctors Arrested In Pune For Charging Rs 1 Lakh For Ventilator Bed
The Pune Police on Monday arrested three doctors for charging a family of a Covid patient Rs 1 lakh for a ventilator bed at a hospital in the city's Pimpri Chinchwad area, reported news agency ANI.
As per the police, a complaint has been lodged by the Municipal Corporation and a probe is underway.