COVID-19: The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 1,90,27,304.
The single-day rise in new coronavirus infections in India fell to 3.29 lakh after 14 days taking the total tally of COVID-19 cases to 2,29,92,517, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Tuesday.
A total of 3,29,942 infections were reported in a span of 24 hours, while the death count climbed to 2,49,992 with 3,876 fresh fatalities, the data updated at 8 am showed.
After registering a steady rise for two months, the active cases have reduced to 37,15,221 comprising 16.16 per cent of the total infections, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate was recorded at 82.75 per cent.
The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 1,90,27,304, while the case fatality rate was recorded at 1.09 per cent, the data stated.
Meanwhile, eleven Covid patients who were in the ICU died at a government hospital in Andhra Pradesh's Tirupati on Monday evening after the supply of medical oxygen was disrupted. The deaths have been reported at a time when India is fighting a deadly second Covid wave and shortage of medical oxygen has emerged as a key challenge.
Disturbing visuals captured the chaos inside the wards at SVR Ruia Hospital as medical staff tried to save lives.
Even as families of patients alleged that the oxygen supply was disrupted for about 25-45 minutes, Chittoor District Collector M Hari Narayanan said "there was a five-minute lag in reloading the oxygen cylinder that caused the pressure to drop," which led to the deaths.
Here are the Live Updates on India Coronavirus (Covid-19 Cases) Cases:
Coronavirus - Maharashtra May Have Over 2,000 Cases Of Black Fungus: Minister Rajesh Tope
The Maharashtra government has decided to use hospitals attached to medical colleges as treatment centres for Mucormycosis, a serious but rare fungal infection now affecting coronavirus patients, said Health Minister Rajesh Tope on Tuesday.
Symptoms of Mucormycosis, also known as black fungus, include headache, fever, pain under the eyes, nasal or sinus congestion and partial loss of vision.
He said, "There could be over 2,000 Mucormycosis patients in the state as of now and with more and more COVID-19 cases coming up, their number would increase for sure."
COVID-19: Centre On Initiatives To Ramp Up Oxygen Supply Across Country
The Centre has taken multiple initiatives to ramp up the oxygen supply across the country, including the airlifting of empty-tankers to reduce the turnaround time and training 500 drivers, a senior Home Ministry official said on Tuesday.
Piyush Goyal, Additional Secretary, Union Home Ministry, also told a press conference In Delhi that 5,805 MT of liquid medical oxygen is being imported from abroad considering the future needs of the country.
Slovakia says suspending AstraZeneca first-dose Covid jabsSlovakia on Tuesday suspended first doses of the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine, the health ministry said, after earlier signalling it was investigating the case of a vaccinated patient who died from a blood clot. "Only people waiting for their second dose of this vaccine are currently being vaccinated with AstraZeneca," the health ministry said in a statement. "Using this company's vaccine for first-time doses has been suspended."
Health Minister Vladimir Lengvarsky announced last week that Slovakia would review its vaccination strategy following a fatal blood clot in a patient who received an AstraZeneca jab.
Keep Eid celebrations low-key in view of COVID-19: Maharashtra government
Ahead of Eid-ul-Fitr, the Maharashtra government issued guidelines, urging people to celebrate the festival in a simple manner and advised against taking out processions and congregating in view of COVID-19 and the curbs enforced in the state. Ramzan, the holy month of Muslims, began on April 13. Eid-ul-Fitr, which marks the culmination of the fasting month, will be celebrated either on May 13 or May 14 depending upon sighting of moon.
Strict Covid restrictions imposed in Ladakh's KargilAhead of Eid-ul-Fitr festival, authorities in Kargil district of Ladakh announced imposition of restriction on all kinds of movement and activities to prevent the spread of COVID-19 pandemic, officials said. The restrictions ordered by Deputy Commissioner and Chief Executive Officer, LAHDC-Kargil Santosh Sukhadeve would come into effect from 9 pm Tuesday till 7 am on May 17, the officials said.
However, the order said certain categories including those dealing with essential services and government employees would be allowed to commute to and from after production of valid identity cards.
Delhi Out Of Covaxin Shots For 18-44 Age Group, 125 Centres To Be Shut: AAP LeaderDelhi has run out of its Covaxin stock for people in the 18-44 age group and as many as 125 vaccination centres will have to be shut from Wednesday if fresh supply is not received, Aam Aadmi Party MLA Atishi said. The senior Aam Aadmi Party leader, while presenting the national capital's "Vaccination Bulletin", said they have been informed that 2,67,690 doses of Covishield will be supplied to Delhi by the Centre by Tuesday evening.
Flagging shortage of vaccine, she said the national capital will have to halt the vaccination drive if the jabs are not made readily available. On May 10, a total of 1,39,261 doses were administered, the highest daily figure till date in Delhi, she said.
India's focus must be how to come out of current Covid crisis: Canadian Envoy
High Commissioner of Canada to India, Nadir Patel, said that the focus should not be on the rise in coronavirus cases in India due to the B1617 virus variant rather on how to assist to address this situation so that the crisis is mitigated. "It would be easy to see how significant rise in this particular variant in terms of cases. We are moving forward to address this and getting on other side of this," said Mr Patel on the variant of coronavirus B.1.617, which WHO has classified as a variant of concern.
Andhra sees record 108 coronavirus deaths, count touches 8,899Andhra Pradesh reported a record number of 108 Covid-19 deaths in 24 hours ending 9 am on Tuesday, taking the overall count to 8,899. The previous high was 97 deaths in a day on August 14 and 22 last year.
The latest bulletin said 86,878 sample tests turned out 20,345 coronavirus positives in the state in 24 hours. The state also saw 14,502 recoveries, the bulletin added.
France to allocate more than 5% of its Covid vaccines to WHO-backed COVAX programmeFrance will allocate more than 5 per cent of its COVID-19 vaccine doses to the COVAX programme backed by the World Health Organisation, by the end of this year, said a French health ministry official.
"Not The Time For Criticism": Rajnath Singh On Covid Surge In UPDefence Minister Rajnath Singh today said the Centre and the state governments are doing everything possible to tackle the COVID-19 crisis, while asserting that only those who perform commit mistakes. The Lok Sabha MP from Lucknow visited a 255-bed COVID hospital built by the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) at the Haj House in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh.
Mr Singh said, "The speed displayed by the Uttar Pradesh government in tackling the COVID cases should be praised. Mistakes can be committed by anyone. Only a person who performs will commit mistakes. But this is not the time for criticism, if anyone spots any loophole and offers suggestions, the state government will welcome it."
Coronavirus News: 10-Day Telangana Lockdown From Tomorrow
Telangana, joining the list of growing states, has enforced a 10-day lockdown from tomorrow amid a surge in coronavirus cases. From tomorrow, apart from Andhra - where there is a partial curfew - all other southern states would be in lockdown. There is lockdown in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka till May 24. In Kerala, the shutdown period is till May 16.
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Coronavirus: J&K Announces Welfare Measures For Families Hit By Pandemic
The Jammu and Kashmir administration on Tuesday announced several welfare measures for families severely hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. "The J&K government has taken several measures to help those who unfortunately lost their loved ones to COVID-19. Senior citizens who have lost only earning members of the family will be provided a special pension for life. Children who have lost their parents to the COVID-19 pandemic will be provided with special scholarship by the government," the office of Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha announced on Twitter.
Coronavirus: 7-Day Total Lockdown In Nagaland From May 14
The Nagaland government on Tuesday decided to clamp total lockdown in the state for seven days from May 14 amid the surge in COVID-19 cases. State government spokesperson on COVID-19 and Minister Neiba Kronu said that the High Powered Committee (HPC) on COVID-19 decided to impose a state-wide total lockdown for one week starting from 6 pm on May 14 till May 21. The decision was taken during the HPC meeting held under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio on Tuesday, he said.
States To Receive 7 Lakh Additional COVID-19 Vaccine Doses Within Next 3 Days: Centre
More than 90 lakh COVID-19 vaccine doses are still available with states and UTs which will receive over 7 lakh additional doses in the next three days, the Union Health Ministry said on Tuesday. The Centre has so far provided more than 18 crore vaccine doses (18,00,03,160) to states and UTs free of cost. Of this, the total consumption including wastages is 17,09,71,429 doses.
Coronavirus: 29 New COVID-19 Cases At IIT Jodhpur
As many as 29, including 25 students, were tested positive for COVID-19 at IIT Jodhpur, taking the total number of coronavirus cases reported at the campus to 225, authorities said. The report for the new 29 cases at the institute came out on Monday after a massive campaign was put in place to test every campus resident, said Amardeep Sharma, Spokesperson and Deputy Registrar of the institute. "These 29 students and staff members have been reported positive after the fresh sample tests conducted on May 7," he added. He said the last semester of the trimester ended on May 7 and the activities were now taking place online as the courses have been completed.
People form queues at a vaccination centre in the Vasanth Nagar area of Bengaluru.
There is a dearth of vaccines hence we're considering holding off vaccination drive temporarily for the 18-44 age group. 2.75 lakh vaccine doses left for this group, which will be used for 45 years and above. Administering second dose is a priority: Maharashtra Health Minister Rajesh Tope.
COVID-19 News: Doctors Warn Against Cow Dung As Covid Cure, Point To "Health Risks"
Doctors in India are warning against the practice of using cow dung in the belief it will ward off COVID-19, saying there is no scientific evidence for its effectiveness and that it risks spreading other diseases. The coronavirus pandemic has wrought devastation on India, with 22.66 million cases and 246,116 deaths reported so far. Experts say actual numbers could be five to 10 times higher, and citizens across the country are struggling to find hospital beds, oxygen, or medicines, leaving many to die for lack of treatment.
Coronavirus: Ola Says Will Deliver Oxygen Concentrator At Your Doorstep For Free
As coronavirus cases continue to rise unabated in various parts of the country, the healthcare system is buckling under the increasing caseload. Resources such as oxygen cylinders and concentrators, hospital beds as well as medicines continue to be scarce in many parts of India. In this scenario, Ola has announced that it will help people gain access to oxygen concentrators.
Read Here COVID-19: Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation Launches 3 More Drive-In Vaccination Centres
Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) Tuesday launched three more drive-in vaccination centres for people above 45 years of age who are yet to receive the second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. Prem Chandra Chaudhary, Commissioner, Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation said that now 45 plus age group citizens who have taken their first dose at government or private facility of Bhubaneswar can take the vaccine at four drive-in vaccination centres along with regular centres.
"Share Vaccine Formula," Arvind Kejriwal Suggests To Centre Amid Shortage
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday urged the centre to share COVID-19 vaccine formulas and allow more companies to manufacture doses - of which there is an acute shortage as the Serum Institute and Bharat Biotech scramble to match demand from India and abroad.
Read Here Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa inspected a COVID-19 war room at Magadi Road in Bengaluru.
Delhi Ordered 1.34 Crore Vaccines In May, Centre Cleared Only 3.5 Lakh: Manish Sisodia
Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on Monday said the Delhi Government had ordered 1.34 crore doses of COVID-19 vaccines in May but the Centre cleared only 3.5 lakh doses against it. Briefing the media persons, the Deputy Chief Minister said, "Today BJP alleged that Delhi Government ordered only 5.50 lakh doses of vaccine. The Government of India had decided in April that the two companies can sell vaccines to states directly, states were also intimated the same. We ordered 1.34 crore doses for Delhi for people above 18 years."
Right now, we're administering 1.25 lakh doses every day. We'll soon begin vaccinating over 3 lakh people every day. We aim to vaccinate all residents of Delhi within the next 3 months. But we're facing a vaccine shortage. We're left with stock that will last only a few days: Arvind Kejriwal.
Corona cases are going down in Delhi, so is the second wave. With your cooperation lockdown was successful. We've increased the number of Oxygen beds in the past few days. Yesterday we started 500 new ICU beds near GTB Hospital. Now there's no shortage of ICU and Oxygen beds in Delhi: Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal
Coronavirus: WHO Warns Against Use Of Ivermectin For COVID-19 Treatment
The World Health Organization on Tuesday recommended against the general use of 'ivermectin' - an orally-administered drug used to treat parasitic infections - for treatment of COVID-19 patients. "Safety and efficacy are important when using any drug for a new indication. WHO recommends against use of 'ivermectin' for COVID-19 except within clinical trials," Dr Soumya Swaminathan, the global health body's chief scientist, tweeted.
Read Here Coronavirus: 200 bed Covid Isolation Centre Inaugurated In Hyderabad
In a joint initiative by the International Association of Human Values (IAHV) and Art of living, a 200 bed Covid isolation centre was inaugurated on Monday at the National Academy of Construction (NAC) at Hitecx in Hyderabad. The inauguration program was attended by TRS MLC K Kavitha along with MLA Arekapudi Gandhi and VC Sajjanar, the Commissioner of Police, Cyberabad.
Coronavirus: Odisha Sees 9,793 Fresh COVID-19 Infections, 18 Deaths In Last 24 Hours
As many as 9,793 new COVID-19 cases, 9,706 recoveries, and 18 deaths were reported in Odisha in the last 24 hours, the state health department informed on Tuesday. The total cases now stand at 5,54,666, including 4,57,569 recoveries and 2,215 deaths. At present, there are 94,829 active cases in the state.
Coronavirus: Manipur Police Collects Over Rs 1 Lakh Fine From People For Violating Covid Guidelines
Manipur Police has collected a sum of more than Rs one lakh as a fine from people for violating the COVID-19 guidelines and curfew, a senior officer said. Police detained 282 people on Monday for violating curfew, not wearing face masks in public places and spitting, Inspector-General of Police (IGP) and Nodal Officer for COVID-19 for Manipur Police, Elangbam Prioyokumar Singh said.
Coronavirus: Arunachal Pradesh Reports 205 New COVID-19 Cases
Arunachal Pradesh reported 205 fresh COVID-19 cases, pushing the coronavirus tally in the northeastern state to 20,370, a health department official said on Tuesday. The COVID-19 death toll rose to 64 as four more persons succumbed to the infection on Monday, State Surveillance Officer (SSO) Dr Lobsang Jampa said. A 44-year-old teacher died at the Dedicated Covid Hospital (DCH) at Chimpu here, while a 60-year-old man from Roing in Lower Dibang Valley district, died at Assam Medical College and Hospital (AMCH) at Dibrugarh in Assam, the official said.
COVID-19: 'No Water For Husband... My Dupatta Yanked': Woman's 'Hospital Ordeal'
A woman trying to get her husband treated for COVID-19 at a private hospital in Bihar's Bhagalpur has accused a staff member of sexual harassment and doctors at the city's Glocal Hospital and two others - in Mayaganj and Patna - of negligence leading to his death.
Read Here Coronavirus Latest News: India Records 3,29,942 New Infections, 3,876 Deaths In 24 Hours
India's total tally of COVID-19 cases surged to 2,26,62,575 with 3,29,942 new infections, while the recoveries have surged to 1,90,27,304, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Tuesday. The death count increased to 2,49,992 with 3,876 new fatalities, the data updated at 8 am showed.
COVID-19: Odisha Reports 9793 New Coronavirus Cases
Odisha reported 9,793 new COVID-19 cases, 9,706 recoveries and 18 deaths in the last 24 hours.
Maharashtra: People arrive at BKC Jumbo COVID-19 vaccination centre in Mumbai.
Coronavirus: Thane District Sees 1,495 New COVID-19 Cases, 55 Deaths
With the addition of 1,495 fresh coronavirus positive cases, the infection count in Thane district of Maharashtra mounted to 4,90,274, an official said on Tuesday. These new cases were reported on Monday, he said. With 55 more patients succumbing to the viral infection, the death toll in the Thane district rose to 8,108, he said, adding the case mortality rate now stands at 1.65 per cent.
Kerala: Police personnel check IDs of people commuting amid the statewide lockdown till May 16.
COVID-19: WHO Labels Coronavirus Strain In India As "Variant Of Concern"
A Covid-19 variant spreading in India, which is facing an explosive outbreak, appears to be more contagious and has been classified as being "of concern", the World Health Organization said Monday. The UN health agency said the B.1.617 variant of Covid-19 first found in India last October seemed to be transmitting more easily.
30,56,00,187 samples tested up to 10th May 2021, for COVID-19. Of these, 18,50,110 samples were tested yesterday: Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).
Oxygen war room and oxygen storage centre set up at Government College for Women in Thiruvananthapuram, to cater to the demands of hospitals amid COVID-19 pandemic.
Coronavirus: Twitter Donates $15 Million For COVID-19 Relief In India
Microblogging giant Twitter has donated USD 15 million to help address the COVID-19 crisis in India which is battling the unprecedented second wave of the deadly pandemic. Twitter CEO Jack Patrick Dorsey on Monday tweeted that the amount has been donated to three non-governmental organisations - Care, Aid India and Sewa International USA.
Coronavirus Updates: How To Book Vaccination Slots On CoWIN, Aarogya Setu: Tips And Tricks
Days after the centre opened the anti-Covid vaccination drive for all adults, getting inoculated against the deadly virus amid the demand-supply gap is still turning out to be very difficult. Appointments for both free and paid vaccinations on the dedicated CoWIN portal and the Aarogya Setu application are hard to secure. However, some tools and tricks have emerged to help people reserve the vaccinations slots.
Read Here Mizoram reports 173 new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, taking the total cases in the state to 7796.
11 Covid Patients Die In Andhra Hospital Due To Lag In Oxygen Supply
At least 11 Covid-19 patients died due to a problem in oxygen supply inside the ICU in Ruia Hospital in Andhra Pradesh's Tirupati late on Monday night, Chittoor District Collector M Hari Narayanan said. There was a five-minute lag in reloading the oxygen cylinder that caused the pressure to drop, resulting in the deaths, he said.
Coronavirus: US Authorises Pfizer Vaccine For 12-15 Year Olds
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Monday authorized the use of the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine for children aged 12 to 15 years old. "This is a promising development in our fight against the virus," said President Joe Biden.
Coronavirus: J&K Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha Appeals To People To Follow Covid Curfew In J&K
Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Monday appealed to the people to follow the COVID curfew imposed in the Union Territory. "To contain the spread of COVID-19, people's cooperation is necessary. The Covid curfew imposed in the Union Territory has shown good signs so far. A weeklong lockdown has been imposed across the Union Territory," the Lieutenant Governor said in a video address.
Coronavirus News: Covid Rules Tossed Aside At UP Cleric's Funeral, Thousands Attend
The funeral of a Muslim cleric in Uttar Pradesh's Badaun, attended by tens of thousands on Sunday, has raised fears of a super-spreader as the state battles a Covid spiral. The UP police launched investigations into the event after filing a First Information Report (FIR) on Monday.
Read Here US Authorises Pfizer Vaccine For 12-15 Year Olds
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Monday authorized the use of the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine for children aged 12 to 15 years old.
"This is a promising development in our fight against the virus," said President Joe Biden.
"If you are a parent who wants to protect your child, or a teenager who is interested in getting vaccinated, today's decision is a step closer to that goal."
Deadly 'Black Fungus' In Covid Patients In India: 10 FactsThe government has told doctors to look out for signs of mucormycosis or "black fungus" in COVID-19 patients as hospitals report a rise in cases of the rare but potentially fatal infection.
The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) said at the weekend that doctors treating COVID-19 patients, diabetics and those with compromised immune systems should watch for early symptoms including sinus pain or nasal blockage on one side of the face, one-sided headache, swelling or numbness, toothache and loosening of teeth.
Want To Import Vaccine, Can Inoculate Mumbai In 3 Weeks: Aaditya ThackerayMaharashtra - the state where COVID-19 took the maximum toll - is considering looking at the possibility of importing vaccines directly for the use of citizens in Mumbai, state minister Aaditya Thackeray told NDTV today.
If that happens, they have a "roadmap" to vaccinate the country's financial capital in around three weeks. The cost, he said, is "not a factor" and the state government is looking at "procurement at the earliest".