Yashwant Sinha joined his new party at the Trinamool Bhawan in Kolkata.
Yashwant Sinha, former Union Finance Minister under Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, today joined the Trinamool Congress weeks ahead of the West Bengal Assembly election. The 83-year-old had quit his earlier party, the BJP, in 2018. His joining Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's side is likely to be viewed as a prize catch for an outfit that has seen a steady outflow of both leaders and cadres in the past few months.
Mr Sinha joined his new party a little after 12 noon at the Trinamool Bhawan in Kolkata in the presence of Derek O Brien, Sudip Bandopadhyay, and Subrata Mukherjee.
Meanwhile, India on Saturday recorded 24,882 fresh COVID-19 infections, the highest so far this year, which took the caseload to 1,13,33,728, according to Union health ministry data.
This is also the highest daily rise in the last 83 days. As many as 26,624 new infections were recorded on December 20.
The death count climbed to 1,58,446 with 140 new fatalities, the data updated at 8 am showed.
The country's active caseload increased to 2,02,022, which constitutes 1.74 per cent of the total infections. The recovery rate dropped to 96.82 per cent.
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Dehradun official orders lockdown in areas of Mussoorie amid rising Covid casesAmid rising COVID-19 cases, Dehradun district magistrate has ordered complete lockdown in Galway Cottage and St. George's School, Barlow Ganj areas in Mussoorie. In the official notification, the official said all shops and offices will remain shut in the areas, sale of essential items to be arranged by district administration.
The order said that people in these areas will need to stay indoors during the lockdown and that only one person from a family will be allowed to step out for purchasing essential items from government mobile shop in the locality.
Ethiopia launches vaccinations
Ethiopia gives its first coronavirus vaccine doses as the health ministry warns of an "alarming" increase in cases. Africa's second most populous country is targeting health workers during the first phase of its vaccine drive, having received 2.2 million doses of the AstraZeneca jab last week.
Jordan health minister sacked after oxygen outage kills seven COVID-19 patientsJordan's health minister was dismissed on Saturday after seven people died following an oxygen outage in a hospital treating coronavirus patients, and police were deployed to hold back hundreds of angry relatives, state media and witnesses said
The oxygen failure on Saturday hit intensive care, maternity and coronavirus wards in the new Salt government hospital west of the capital Amman.Prime Minister Bisher al Khaswaneh said he had fired Health Minister Nathir Obeidat.
Norway probes blood clot cases after vaccine suspensionNorwegian health officials reported three more cases of blood clots or brain haemorrhages in younger people who received the AstraZeneca Covid-19 jab, but said they could not yet say they were vaccine-related. The Norwegian Medicines Agency said similar incidents had been reported in other European countries. While there was no proof of a link to the vaccine, anyone under 50 who felt unwell and developed large blue patches after vaccination should seek medical attention.
The World Health Organization said no causal link had been established between the vaccine and blood clotting after Denmark, Norway and Iceland on Thursday temporarily suspended the use of the vaccine over concerns about patients developing post-jab blood clots.
Odisha reports 65 new COVID-19 cases, tally rises to 3,38,121Odisha's COVID-19 caseload mounted to 3,38,121 on Saturday as 65 more people tested positive for the infection, a health department official said. The state during the day registered recovery of 70 more patients taking the number of cured persons to 3,35,569, which is 99.24 per cent of the caseload. Odisha's case fatality ratio (CFR) stands at 0.56 per cent while the state's positivity rate is 3.93 per cent, he said.
"Don't Force To Impose Lockdown": Uddhav Thackeray Warns Hotels, Restaurants
Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Saturday ordered hotels and restaurants in the state to ensure strict adherence to COVID-19 protocols in their premises and not force the state to enforce drastic measures like lockdown.
Speaking at a virtual meeting attended by representatives of hotel and restaurant associations, shopping centre groups, the Chief Minister said a "lackadaisical" attitude towards outbreak norms had crept in lately.
"Do not force us to impose a strict lockdown. Consider this as the last warning. Follow all the rules. Everyone has to realise there is a difference between self-discipline and restrictions," Mr Thackeray said.
The Chief Minister pointed out that crowds had increased in most places since activities resumed in a phased manner from October, and safety rules were not being followed and this had resulted in a steep surge in cases.
Incidentally, Maharashtra on Saturday recorded 15,602 COVID-19 cases and 88 deaths, taking the tally to 22,97,793 and the count to 52,811.
Over 15,000 Covid Cases In Maharashtra For Two Days In A Row
Maharashtra on Saturday recorded 15,602 fresh COVID-19 cases and 88 deaths, taking the tally to 22,97,793 and the count to 52,811, the state Health department said.
Of these 88 fatalities, 40 occurred in the last 48 hours and 21 in the last week. Rest 27 deaths had occurred in the period preceding the last week, it said.
With 7,461 patients getting discharged from hospitals during the day, the count of recoveries in Maharashtra rose to 21,25,211. Maharashtra is now left with 1,18,525 active cases, it said.
At 1,828, Nagpur city recorded the highest number of fresh COVID-19 cases in the state, followed by 1,709 in Mumbai and 1,667 in Pune city.
Schools in Punjab Closed, Night Curfew Imposed In 8 Districts Amid Surge In COVID-19 Cases
The Punjab government imposed a night curfew in four more districts on Friday and closed all schools amid a rise in coronavirus cases in the state, officials said. In total, the night curfew is imposed from 11 pm to 5 am in eight districts -- Ludhiana, Patiala, Mohali, Fatehgarh Sahib, Jalandhar, Nawanshahr, Kapurthala and Hoshiarpur.
The Department of School Education has declared "preparatory leaves" for all classes in government and private schools, state Education Minister Vijay Inder Singla said. However, the teachers will continue to remain present in the schools.
The students who want to take any guidance from their teachers regarding exam preparation can come to school, the minister said.
Farmer Leader Rakesh Tikait To Hold Mahapanchayat In Bengal's Nandigram
Amid an intense Trinamool vs BJP fight over Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee getting injured last week, farmers' leader Rakesh Tikait is visiting Bengal's Nandigram today, where he will hold a mahapanchayat (public meeting). Ms Banerjee has filed her poll nomination from the assembly seat and will take on BJP's Suvendu Adhikari, whose exit from the Trinamool last year triggered an exodus of leaders from the party.
Mr Tikait, who has been leading a massive farmers' protest against the three central agriculture laws at the Delhi-UP border, was welcomed in Kolkata by Trinamool MP Dola Sen today.
Before leaving for Nandigram, Mr Tikait - a critic of the BJP-led central government over farm issues - met party leaders at Kolkata's Mayo Road.
Calling the alleged attack on Ms Banerjee unfortunate, he said he will travel across Bengal to campaign against the BJP if needed.
Night Curfew Likely In Bhopal, Indore, Says Chief Minister Shivraj Chouhan
Night Curfew Likely In Bhopal, Indore, Says Chief Minister Shivraj Chouhan
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has said that night curfew might be imposed in Bhopal and Indore from Sunday or Monday in view of spurt in coronavirus cases in these two districts.
He said this during a meeting held on Friday evening to review the coronavirus situation in the state.
"Look at the rise in infection cases...Tough measures will be taken to flatten the curve. Night curfew might be clamped in Bhopal and Indore from Sunday or Monday," Mr Chouhan was quoted as saying in an official statement.
The chief minister said that people coming to the state by air, trains or roads from neighbouring Maharashtra, where there is a spike in cases, should be thermally scanned.
During the meeting, ways to restrict the influx of people from Maharashtra were also discussed, the statement said.
Bitcoin Passes $60,000 For First Time
Bitcoin briefly rose above $60,000 for the first time on Saturday, as the world's most popular virtual currency continued its record-breaking run.
"Effortless And Painless": Ratan Tata Gets First Shot Of COVID-19 Vaccine
Tata Group's Chairman Emeritus Ratan Tata on Saturday took his first dose of COVID-19 vaccination.
He said the vaccine shot was painless and expressed his hope that everyone would get immunised against coronavirus in the near future.
"Very thankful to have gotten my first vaccination shot today. It was effortless and painless. I truly hope everyone can be immunised and protected soon," he tweeted.
Looking At All Adverse Events: India On Concern Over AstraZeneca Shots
India is looking at all "serious" post-vaccination side effects as it carries out the world's largest coronavirus immunisation drive, a top medical expert said today amid suspension of AstraZeneca shots in several countries over risk of blood clots. Panels are constantly monitoring "adverse events" for both Covishield and Covaxin, the expert added.
Covishield has been developed by the Pune-based Serum Institute of India, world's largest vaccine maker, in partnership with the Oxford University and Swedish-British firm Astrazeneca. Covaxin has been developed by Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech. Both the vaccines were cleared in January by India's drug regulator DCGI (Drugs Controller General of India) for emergency use.
"We are not looking at any particular vaccine at the moment. When the analysis is available, it will be reported, according to the vaccine, if there is any cause for concern," said Dr NK Arora, a member of the National Task Force set up by top medical body - ICMR (Indian Council of Medical Research). The ICMR is the nodal agency for the drive against coronavirus.
Over 6 COVID-19 Vaccines To Come Up In India, Says Health Minister
Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan on Saturday announced that more than six coronavirus vaccines will come up in India.
He also said that 1.84 crore COVID-19 vaccine doses have been administered to people so far, while 23 crore tests have been conducted.
"India has developed two vaccines, which have been given to 71 countries. Many more nations are seeking the vaccines, and these are not little-known nations...Canada, Brazil and other developed countries are using Indian vaccines with a great zeal," he said.
"More than half a dozen vaccines are going to come up," he said.
"Till Saturday morning, 1.84 crore vaccine shots have been given in the country and 20 lakh people were inoculated yesterday," the minister added.
He was speaking while inaugurating the new green campus of the National Institute of Research in Environmental Health near Bhopal.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi wants to create a new India to turn it into a ''vishwa guru'' (world leader), he added.
Looking At All Adverse Events: India On Concern Over AstraZeneca Shots
India is looking at all "serious" post-vaccination side effects as it carries out the world's largest coronavirus immunisation drive, a top medical expert said today amid suspension of AstraZeneca shots in several countries over risk of blood clots. Panels are constantly monitoring "adverse events" for both Covishield and Covaxin, the expert added.
Read Here 2 Deaths, 216 New COVID-19 Cases In Telangana
Telangana saw a slight rise in coronavirus cases with 216 new infections added in the last 24 hours, taking the tally to 3 lakh, while the toll rose to 1,652 with two more fatalities. The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) accounted for the most number of cases with 52, followed by Rangareddy and Medchal Malkajgiri districts with 19 and 18 cases respectively, a state government bulletin said on Saturday providing details as of 8 PM on March 12.
With Over 20 Lakh Doses, India Records Highest Single-Day COVID-19 Vaccinations
With over 20 lakh COVID-19 vaccine doses, India on Friday recorded the highest number of vaccinations administered in a single day, the Union Health Ministry informed on Saturday. As many as 20,53,537 vaccine doses were administered on Day 56 of the vaccination drive ( March 12) through 30,561 sessions. A total of 16,39,663 beneficiaries that included Health Care Workers (HCW) and Front Line Workers (FLW) were vaccinated the first dose and 4,13,874 HCWs and FLWs received the second dose of the vaccine.
Yashwant Sinha, Ex-BJP Leader, Joins Trinamool Congress Ahead Of Bengal Polls
Yashwant Sinha, former Union Finance Minister under Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, today joined the Trinamool Congress weeks ahead of the West Bengal Assembly election. The 83-year-old had quit his earlier party, the BJP, in 2018. His joining Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's side is likely to be viewed as a prize catch for an outfit that has seen a steady outflow of both leaders and cadres in the past few months.
Read Here Passengers will be de-boarded if they don't wear masks properly inside aircraft or don't follow COVID-19 appropriate behaviour. If a passenger violates protocol despite repeated warnings then the passenger will be treated as an 'unruly passenger': Directorate General of Civil Aviation.
Ratan Tata Gets First Shot Of COVID-19 Vaccine
Tata Group's Chairman Emeritus Ratan Tata on Saturday took his first dose of COVID-19 vaccination. He said the vaccine shot was painless and expressed his hope that everyone would get immunised against coronavirus in the near future. "Very thankful to have gotten my first vaccination shot today. It was effortless and painless. I truly hope everyone can be immunised and protected soon," he tweeted.
31 New COVID 19 Cases In Pondy, Tally Reaches 40,015
Puducherry posted 31 fresh cases of coronavirus in the last 24 hours ending 10 am on Saturday, raising the gross to 40,015. However, there was no fresh death reported in any of the four regions of Puducherry, Karaikal, Mahe and Yanam and the count remained 670.
Eyeing Long-Haul, Protesting Farmers Build Homes By Highway Near Delhi
Eyeing long haul, farmers protesting against three contentious agricultural laws since late November have now started constructing brick houses near Delhi's border. After braving winter chills, facing internet curbs and other restrictions to confine their movement - such as barbed wires - over the last three months, demonstrators are prepared to intensify their agitation and continue the sit-in amid a deadlock with the government.
Read Here COVID-19 Vaccine-Induced Antibodies Less Effective Against Some Coronavirus Variants: Study
Antibodies raised by some COVID-19 vaccines are less effective at neutralising new, circulating variants of the novel coronavirus such as the ones first reported in the UK, South Africa, and Brazil, according to a new study. The research, published in the journal Cell, noted that the neutralising antibodies induced by the Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines were less effective against the coronavirus variants first described in Brazil and South Africa.
Thane District's COVID-19 Count Rises By 1,153
With the addition of 1,153 coronavirus cases, the infection count in the Thane district of Maharashtra mounted to 2,74,283, an official said on Saturday. These new cases were reported on Friday, he said. As the virus claimed five more lives, the death count in the district rose to 6,326.
No New COVID-19 Case In Arunachal Pradesh
Arunachal Pradesh did not report any new COVID-19 case in the last two days, a senior health official said on Saturday. The state's caseload stood at 16,840, of which four are active cases, while 16,780 people have recovered from the disease and 56 patients have succumbed to the infection so far, State Surveillance Officer Dr Lobsang Jampa said.
COVID-19: Night Curfew Likely In Bhopal, Indore, Says Shivraj Singh Chouhan
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has said that night curfew might be imposed in Bhopal and Indore from Sunday or Monday in view of spurt in coronavirus cases in these two districts. He said this during a meeting held on Friday evening to review the coronavirus situation in the state. "Look at the rise in infection cases...Tough measures will be taken to flatten the curve. Night curfew might be clamped in Bhopal and Indore from Sunday or Monday," Chouhan was quoted as saying in an official statement.
Maharashtra: Complete lockdown imposed in Aurangabad on weekends, due to a rise in COVID-19 cases.
Telangana reported 216 new COVID-19 cases, 168 recoveries, and 2 deaths on March 12.
24,882 Fresh COVID-19 Cases In India, Highest This Year
India added 24,882 fresh COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours - the highest jump this year - taking its tally to 1.13 crore cases, the Health Ministry data this morning showed. The number of fresh infections is nearly seven per cent higher than Friday, when the country registered 23,285 cases. Overall, India has now recorded 1,13,33,728 cases since the outbreak a year ago, according to the government data updated today.
Read Here Coronavirus News: Brazil Ranks 2nd In Terms Of COVID-19 Cases
Brazil comes now second in terms of the number of the confirmed coronavirus cases while the death count from COVID-19 in the country has surpassed 275,000 people, the national Ministry of Health said. Over the past 24 hours, the Latin American country has registered 85,663 new COVID-19 cases, with the total number has reached 11,363,389. India, which previously came second, has recorded 11,308,846 coronavirus cases. The United States is the worst-hit nation with more than 29.32 million COVID-19 patients.
1 New COVID-19 Case In Andamans; Tally At 5,029
The COVID-19 caseload in Andaman and Nicobar Islands rose to 5,029 as one more person has tested positive for the disease in the Union Territory, a health department official said on Saturday. The fresh case was detected during contact tracing, he said.
Ahead Of Lockdown, Hundreds Flout Social Distancing Norms In Nagpur Market
Amid a spike in COVID-19 cases in the state, social distancing norms were flouted in Maharashtra's Nagpur as people gathered outside a liquor store on Friday night ahead of a week-long lockdown starting on Monday. Similarly, hundreds of people were seen flouting social distancing norms at a cotton market in the city.
India Records 24,882 New Infections, 140 Deaths In 24 HoursIndia's total tally of COVID-19 cases surged to 1,13,33,728 with 24,882 new infections, while the recoveries have surged to 1,09,73,260, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Saturday. The death count increased to 1,58,446 with 140 new fatalities, the data updated at 8 am showed.
Schools in Punjab Closed, Night Curfew Imposed In 8 Districts Amid Surge In COVID-19 Cases
The Punjab government imposed a night curfew in four more districts on Friday and closed all schools amid a rise in coronavirus cases in the state, officials said. In total, the night curfew is imposed from 11 pm to 5 am in eight districts -- Ludhiana, Patiala, Mohali, Fatehgarh Sahib, Jalandhar, Nawanshahr, Kapurthala and Hoshiarpur.
Should Use AstraZeneca Vaccine: WHO As Many Nations Suspend Rollout
The World Health Organization said Friday there was no reason to stop using AstraZeneca's Covid-19 vaccine after several countries suspended the rollout over blood clot fears and as the EU added severe allergies to the list of possible side effects.
Patients at a COVID-19 care centre in Shegaon of Maharashtra's Buldhana district on Friday staged a protest allegedly for the delay in getting their lunch. According to Additional District Collector Dinesh Gite, the delay took place due to an issue with the contractor's gas cylinder.
Social distancing goes for a toss as hundreds of people flock to Cotton Market in Nagpur, Maharashtra ahead of a week-long lockdown starting March 15.
Uttarakhand Government To Withdraw All Cases Related To COVID-19 Violation Guidelines
The newly sworn-in Chief Minister of Uttarakhand Tirath Singh Rawat decided to withdraw all cases registered in connection with COVID-19 violations. Tirath Singh Rawat made the decision during his first cabinet meeting on Friday. The 56-year-old BJP's Lok Sabha MP from Garhwal, on Wednesday, took oath as the new Chief Minister of Uttarakhand, replacing Trivendra Singh Rawat who had stepped down from the post on Tuesday.
Maharashtra Reports 15,817 Fresh Coronavirus Cases, Highest This Year
Maharashtra, which is battling a massive coronavirus surge, reported 15,817 fresh cases on Friday. This is the state's highest single-day tally this year. 56 people died of the illness in the previous 24 hours, the state government said in a statement.
Read Here "No Evidence" Of Higher Risk Of Blood Clots From Vaccine: AstraZeneca
UK-based pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca insisted on Friday its coronavirus vaccine was safe, after some countries suspended its use in response to concerns about a potential link to blood clots. "An analysis of our safety data of more than 10 million records has shown no evidence of an increased risk of pulmonary embolism or deep vein thrombosis in any defined age group, gender, batch or in any particular country" from the jab, a company spokesperson said.
WHO approves J&J's COVID-19 vaccine for emergency listing
The World Health Organization on Friday approved the emergency listing of Johnson & Johnson's COVID-19 vaccine, giving its seal of approval to expedite use especially in countries with weaker regulatory agencies. It is the third COVID-19 vaccine after the two-shot regimens of Pfizer/BioNTech and AstraZeneca to receive backing from the WHO, and the first requiring just a single injection.
The listing covers use in all countries, for roll-out of the vaccine facility COVAX and follows the European Medicines Agency (EMA) authorisation announcement on Thursday. "Every new, safe and effective tool against COVID-19 is another step closer to controlling the pandemic," WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a statement.
US administers 100 million Covid shots: Official data
Health workers in the United States have administered more than 100 million Covid-19 vaccine doses, an official tracker showed Friday, around 30 percent of the world's total of shots in arms so far. A total of 101,128,005 shots have been administered, according to the latest tally posted Friday afternoon by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
US President Joe Biden's administration had initially targeted achieving this milestone by his hundredth day in office, that is, April 30. But the goal was quickly revised up to 150 million shots in the first 100 days, and this week Biden said there will be enough vaccine to cover the whole adult population of 258 million by the end of May.
In terms of the breakdown, 65.9 million people have received at least one dose while 35 million are now fully vaccinated, or 10.5 percent of the total population of 331 million.