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Rahul Gandhi, in a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, calls for vaccination for "everyone who needs it" and an immediate halt on vaccine exports. The Congress leader also urges the government to fast-track other vaccines.
The efforts of the scientific community and vaccine makers had been undermined by the "centre's poor implementation and oversight".
The Congress MP has written to the PM against the backdrop of a record surge in Covid cases and a fierce row between the Centre and some states over vaccine supply.
India has set another record of daily Covid cases with 1,31,968 infections in the last 24 hours, pushing the total case count to over 1.3 crore. The surge, much steeper than last year's first wave, has forced many states have imposed tight curbs.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday discussed the alarming growth in coronavirus infections across the country with Chief Ministers, listing measures that he said needed to be taken on "war footing".
He stressed on the need for creating micro-containment zones and extensive testing as a means to combat the second wave of coronavirus. The state governments, he said, should not cut corners when it comes to this.
Here are the Latest News Live Updates:
3 Dead In Fire At Covid Hospital In Nagpur: ReportThree people were killed after a fire broke out at a COVID-19 hospital in Maharashtra's Nagpur on Friday night, news agency ANI reported.
Arvind Kejriwal Meets Chairman Of Sir Ganga Ram Hospital After 37 Doctors Test Covid Positive
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday met the head of the Sir Ganga Ram Hospital after 37 of its doctors tested positive for coronavirus since the recent surge in coronavirus cases, officials said, reported news agency PTI.
Rajendra Nagar MLA Raghav Chaddha was also present at the meeting.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday met the head of the Sir Ganga Ram Hospital after 37 of its doctors tested positive for coronavirus since the recent surge in coronavirus cases, officials said, reported news agency PTI.
Mr Kejriwal met Dr DS Rana, the chairman of the board of management of Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, at his residence and enquired about the health of the infected doctors.
Mumbai Private Vaccination Centres Shut Till Monday, Government Ones OpenPrivate vaccination centres in Mumbai will remain shut till Monday "due to insufficient supply of COVID-19 vaccine", the city's civic body BMC said in a statement. Vaccinations will continue as scheduled at all government, municipal hospitals.
Chhattisgarh Issues Fresh Covid Guidelines For Passengers Travelling By Air
Chhattisgarh has issued fresh Covid guidelines for passengers coming to the state by air.
Chhattisgarh has issued fresh Covid guidelines for passengers coming to the state by air.
- Fliers must carry a negative RT-PCR test report conducted with within 72 hours of reaching the airport
- Those without a Covid report will be tested at the airport
- If they test positive, they will be kept in institutional quarantine, or at a Covid care center, or a hospital according to the Standard Operating Procedure issued by the health department.
- If they do not consent for a Covid test, they will have to quarantine for 7 days at their own expense.
- Permission will be sought from parents and guardians before children are tested
- Fliers with a Covid negative report will be advised to stay in home isolation for seven days and follow the rules of home quarantine rule. The Collectors of the respective districts will also ensure necessary arrangements for following up on such passengers.
- Instructions have been given to take action according to the SOP prescribed for contact tracing of a Covid positive passenger in flight
Dehradun Imposes Night Curfew As Covid Cases Spike
Night curfew will be imposed in Dehradun from 10 pm to 5 am as Covid cases continue to rise. Schools in the plane lands will also remain shut for classes 1 to 12.
Night curfew will be imposed in Dehradun from 10 pm to 5 am as Covid cases continue to rise. Schools in the plane lands will also remain shut for classes 1 to 12.
Maharashtra Reports 58,993 New COVID-19 Cases
Maharashtra reported 58,993 new COVID-19 cases in 24 hours, taking the tally to 32,88,540. The death count went up by 301 to 57,329, the Health department said, reported news agency PTI.
Maharashtra reported 58,993 new COVID-19 cases in 24 hours, taking the tally to 32,88,540. The death count went up by 301 to 57,329, the Health department said, reported news agency PTI.
Delhi Reports Over 8,500 Covid Cases In Biggest 1-Day Spike This YearDelhi reported over 8,500 cases of COVID-19 today in the year's biggest one-day spike. Today's jump in cases is second only to the highest-ever reported on November 11 last year with 8,593 cases.
Mumbai Tax Inspector Drops Rs 5 Lakh Bribe, Triggers Dramatic ChaseA Bollywood-style foot-chase for over a kilometre on the streets of Mumbai by a CBI official led to the arrest of bribery-accused Income Tax Inspector Ashish Kumar who had abandoned Rs five lakh cash on the road before his unsuccessful dash.
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Tirath Singh Rawat To Remove 51 Temples From State ControlUttarakhand Chief Minister Tirath Singh Rawat on Friday reversed his predecessor's decision and decided to remove the management of 51 temples from the control of the Char Dham Devasthanam Board and reconsider its formation.
US Authorities Probing Death Of Indian Techie, Pregnant Wife In New JerseyUS authorities are investigating the tragic death of an Indian couple, who was found dead in their New Jersey home due to an apparent stabbing.
Jammu And Kashmir Integral Part Of India, No Country Should Interfere: Venkaiah NaiduJammu and Kashmir is an integral part of India, and the country is capable of solving its own problems, Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu said today, asking other nations to "confine themselves to their domestic problems" rather than giving unsolicited advice to India.
Bengaluru Restaurant, Pub Owners Expect Business Loss Due To Night CurfewThe Karnataka government's announcement of a 10-day night curfew in Bengaluru starting Saturday has triggered concerns in the local restaurant and pub industry, which is expecting losses because of it.
Mumbai Hotels, Restaurants Permitted Home Delivery Under New COVID-19 CurbsThe Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Friday clarified that hotels and restaurants in the city can undertake home delivery of food items under the curbs imposed to prevent COVID-19 spread.
3 UP Women Given Anti-Rabies Shots Instead Of Covid Jabs, Probe ConfirmsThree elderly women who went to a hospital for Covid vaccine on Thursday were given anti-rabies shots instead, in a bizarre incident reported from Shamli district in Uttar Pradesh. The state government has acknowledged the blunder after a probe.
2-Day Stock Left: Rajasthan Seeks 30 Lakh Covid Vaccine Doses From CentreRajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying the stock of coronavirus vaccine in the state will finish in next two days and urged him to immediately provide at least 30 lakh doses.
Delhi Schools Shut Until Further Notice Amid Spike In Covid CasesAll schools and colleges will be closed in Delhi given the huge rise in coronavirus cases in the capital, along with other parts of the country, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal announced on Friday.
Mamata Banerjee On New Election Commission Notice: Don't CareThe Election Commission has issued a notice to Mamata Banerjee for her "completely false, provocative and intemperate statements" against central forces performing election duty in West Bengal.
Food Corporation Not Procuring Crops At MSP In Delhi, Claims Gopal RaiSpeaking to the media after the visit, Mr Rai said no counter has been set up at the mandi and no procurement is happening, as claimed by the FCI.
Fodder Scam: Lalu Prasad Yadav's Bail Plea Hearing Postponed By A WeekThe Jharkhand High Court on Friday deferred by a week the hearing in bail petition of jailed former Bihar Chief Minister Lalu Prasad in a fodder scam case.
Amit Shah Campaigns In Mamata Banerjee's Backyard Bhabanipur For Actor Rudranil GhoshUnion Home Minister Amit Shah today went on a door-to-door electioneering drive around Kolkata's Bhabanipur Assembly constituency - considered to be West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's backyard.
Bengal Assembly Polls: Trinamool, BJP Fight For North Bengal Amid Changing Political Equations
North Bengal, with its 54 seats spread across seven districts, has the capability to become a game-changer this election as the BJP strives hard to hold onto its fort in the region and the Trinamool Congress (TMC) seeks to recover its lost ground amid changing political equations.
Once considered a bastion of the Congress and the Left Front, north Bengal districts - mostly dominated by tribal and minority communities -- have largely remained out of bounds for the TMC, barring a brief period of time.
The ruling camp had managed to fare well in the 2016 state polls, when it won 25 seats in the region. But the subsequent general election in 2019 changed the course of the wind in favour of the BJP, which won seven of the eight Lok Sabha seats and stayed ahead in 35 assembly segments.
Read here.
Assam Poll Officials Caught On Camera With Postal Ballots; Probe OrderedTwo men with election commission cards are seen carrying what appears to be postal ballot papers, in a shocking video that has emerged from Assam. An inquiry has been ordered after locals in Silchar reported the matter to the authorities.
Omar Abdullah Tests Positive For Coronavirus, Under Home IsolationNational Conference leader Omar Abdullah has tested positive for the coronavirus. In a tweet, he said he was asymptomatic and was under home isolation. Mr Abdullah's father Farooq Abdullah had tested positive last month and has been undergoing treatment at a hospital in Jammu and Kashmir's Srinagar.
Government Panel Probing Vaccine-Linked Clotting Amid AstraZeneca FearsA government committee of experts is investigating if there were any cases of blood clotting, even mild ones, in recipients of any of the two Covid vaccines being administered in India.
32 Including Doctors From Delhi's AIIMS Test Positive Within A Week
AIIMS is the second major hospital in the city where over 30 staff members have contracted the deadly disease. On Thursday, 37 doctors at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital tested positive for coronavirus.
As many as 32 healthcare workers, including doctors, have tested positive for coronavirus in a week in Delhi's AIIMS hospital amid a huge surge in COVID-19 cases in the country. Some of the staff members who contracted the virus have not taken the vaccine, sources working in the premier hospital told NDTV.
Many of those who have been infected at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital are young and most of them had taken the vaccine. A majority of them have mild symptoms, hospital authorities said.
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Shopian, Pulwama: 7 Terrorists Killed In Two Encounters In Jammu And Kashmir, 4 Soldiers InjuredSeven terrorists have been killed in two separate operations by the security forces in Jammu and Kashmir, police said today. Four army soldiers have been injured in the encounters, police said, adding that their condition is now stable.
71 Vaccination Centres In Mumbai Shut Due To Shortage, ProtestsMore than 70 vaccination centres have shut down in Mumbai after running out of Covid vaccine doses.
Rahul Gandhi Writes To PM: 'Vaccine For Those Who Need It, Halt Export'
Rahul Gandhi, in a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, calls for vaccination for "everyone who needs it" and an immediate halt on vaccine exports. The Congress leader also urges the government to fast-track other vaccines.
The efforts of the scientific community and vaccine makers had been undermined by the "centre's poor implementation and oversight".
The Congress MP has written to the PM against the backdrop of a record surge in Covid cases and a fierce row between the Centre and some states over vaccine supply.
Telangana reports 2,478 new COVID-19 cases
Telangana reported 2,478 fresh COVID-19 cases, the highest single day spike this year,
pushing the tally to over 3.21 lakh, while the death count rose to 1,746 with five more fatalities, the state government said on Friday.
Telangana reported 2,478 fresh COVID-19 cases, the highest single day spike this year,
pushing the tally to over 3.21 lakh, while the death count rose to 1,746 with five more fatalities, the state government said on Friday.
US Navy Holds Op Inside India's Exclusive Economic Zone "Without Consent"
In a statement being looked at closely by the Indian government, the US Navy's 7th Fleet has said it conducted Freedom of Navigation Operations within India's exclusive economic zone off the Lakshadweep Islands without India's permission. This is in dissonance with India's maritime security policy of such exercises requiring its authorisation.
"On April 7, 2021 (local time), the USS John Paul Jones asserted navigational rights and freedoms approximately 130 nautical miles west of the Lakshadweep Islands, inside India's exclusive economic zone, without requesting India's prior consent, consistent with international law. India requires prior consent for military exercises or manoeuvres in its exclusive economic zone or continental shelf, a claim inconsistent with international law," said a statement by the US 7th Fleet Public Affairs.
The statement would be jarring for New Delhi since the US is among India's closest strategic partners with both sides having repeatedly opposed China's maritime expansionism, particularly in the South China Sea. India and the US hold Naval exercises throughout the year.
"We conduct routine and regular Freedom of Navigation Operations (FONOPs), as we have done in the past and will continue to in the future. FONOPs are not about one country, nor are they about making political statements," the statement said.
In the Quad group meeting held in February this year, the first since a new US administration took over, the partners pledged "to strengthen cooperation on advancing a free and open Indo-Pacific region, including support for freedom of navigation and territorial integrity".
The Quad grouping consists of the US, India, Japan, and Australia, and is viewed as a buffer against an increasingly assertive Beijing.
In a statement being looked at closely by the Indian government, the US Navy's 7th Fleet has said it conducted Freedom of Navigation Operations within India's exclusive economic zone off the Lakshadweep Islands without India's permission. This is in dissonance with India's maritime security policy of such exercises requiring its authorisation.
"On April 7, 2021 (local time), the USS John Paul Jones asserted navigational rights and freedoms approximately 130 nautical miles west of the Lakshadweep Islands, inside India's exclusive economic zone, without requesting India's prior consent, consistent with international law. India requires prior consent for military exercises or manoeuvres in its exclusive economic zone or continental shelf, a claim inconsistent with international law," said a statement by the US 7th Fleet Public Affairs.
The statement would be jarring for New Delhi since the US is among India's closest strategic partners with both sides having repeatedly opposed China's maritime expansionism, particularly in the South China Sea. India and the US hold Naval exercises throughout the year.
"We conduct routine and regular Freedom of Navigation Operations (FONOPs), as we have done in the past and will continue to in the future. FONOPs are not about one country, nor are they about making political statements," the statement said.
In the Quad group meeting held in February this year, the first since a new US administration took over, the partners pledged "to strengthen cooperation on advancing a free and open Indo-Pacific region, including support for freedom of navigation and territorial integrity".
The Quad grouping consists of the US, India, Japan, and Australia, and is viewed as a buffer against an increasingly assertive Beijing.
'Don't Increase Workload': Yamraj In Uttar Pradesh Urges People To Wear Masks Amid Covid-19A local artist in Uttar Pradesh's Moradabad has put his art to best use by spreading awareness about the deadly coronavirus. Dressed as the Hindu God of Death, Yamraj, the man went around many localites on Friday urging everyone to wear a face mask.
'Irresponsible Of CBSE To Hold Exams Amid Covid Spike': Priyanka GandhiCongress leader Priyanka Gandhi today held educational administrative bodies like the Central Board Of Secondary Education (CBSE) "downright irresponsible" for holding exams under the prevailing circumstances.
Vaccine Shortage A Serious Issue, Not "Utsav": Rahul Gandhi Slams PM's Call
The shortage of vaccine doses against coronavirus is a serious issue and not an "utsav", Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said today, slamming Prime Minister Narendra Modi's call to observe a "tika utsav", or ''vaccine festival'', between April 11 and 14 to inoculate the maximum number of eligible beneficiaries across states.
Read more here
Australia's most populous state suspends AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine
Australia's most populous state said on Friday it has temporarily suspended the use of AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine following updated advice from the federal government.
New South Wales said inoculations using the AstraZeneca vaccine will be paused for a few hours while it updates its advice to patients allowing them to give informed consent
Madhya Pradesh Coronavirus News: On Camera, Health Worker Transporting Covid Patient Stops At Juice ShopA video of a healthcare worker, dressed in a PPE kit, at a roadside shop while transporting a coronavirus patient has come up from Madhya Pradesh, highlighting a major disregard among people for safety protocols amid a second wave in the country.
Coronavirus: 1.31 Lakh COVID-19 Cases In India In New Daily High: 10 PointsIndia has set another record of daily Covid cases with 1,31,968 infections in the last 24 hours, pushing the total case count to over 1.3 crore. The surge, much steeper than last year's first wave, has forced many states have imposed tight curbs.
West Bengal Assembly Polls: For 2nd Day In Row, Mamata Banerjee Frets About Horse-Trading After PollsFor the second time in two days, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has voiced concerns about the BJP resorting to horse-trading after the elections in case the difference in numbers of seats between the two parties is slim.
Australia to purchase 20 million more doses of Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine
Australia will purchase another 20 million doses of Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Friday.Australia on Thursday said it now recommended people under 50 are inoculated with the Pfizer vaccine in favour of that produced by AstraZeneca citing rare blood clots. Australia last year purchased 20 million doses of the Pfizer vaccine.
Australia will purchase another 20 million doses of Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Friday.Australia on Thursday said it now recommended people under 50 are inoculated with the Pfizer vaccine in favour of that produced by AstraZeneca citing rare blood clots. Australia last year purchased 20 million doses of the Pfizer vaccine.
New Jersey: Indian Techie, Pregnant Wife Found Dead In US, Daughter, 4, Was Crying AloneAn Indian couple was found dead at their home in the US after neighbours saw their four-year-old daughter crying alone in the balcony of their house, family sources said on Friday.
Australian PM holds national cabinet meeting amid vaccine upheaval
Australia is holding a national cabinet meeting on Friday to devise a new COVID-19 vaccination programme after abruptly changing policy and recommending people under 50 take the Pfizer vaccine not AstraZeneca due to the risks of blood clots.
The move sees Australia joining countries around the world which have put restrictions on one of the most widely accessible vaccines against the coronavirus over concern about links to very rare blood clots.
Australia will now seek tens of millions more doses of Pfizer's product.Plans to vaccinate Australia's 25 million population by the end of October would be pushed back, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Thursday in announcing the change.
"Today we need to work through what the implications are for that changed circumstance," Chief Medical Officer Paul Kelly told cable television station Sky News.
BJP Chief JP Nadda To Hold 3 Roadshows In West Bengal Today
The first roadshow will take place from Baghupati VIP to Satgachi Jessore Road from 11:30 AM.
The second roadshow will take place from Chakdaha Chowrasta to Chakdaha Rathtala, the statue of Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay at 1 PM.
The third roadshow will take place from Vijay Ram to Baje Pratappur at 3 PM.
The fourth phase of assembly elections will be held in 44 assembly seats on April 10.
Bharatiya Janata Party national chief Jagat Prakash Nadda will hold three roadshows in poll-bound West Bengal today.
The first roadshow will take place from Baghupati VIP to Satgachi Jessore Road from 11:30 AM.
The second roadshow will take place from Chakdaha Chowrasta to Chakdaha Rathtala, the statue of Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay at 1 PM.
The third roadshow will take place from Vijay Ram to Baje Pratappur at 3 PM.
The fourth phase of assembly elections will be held in 44 assembly seats on April 10.
700 vaccination centres could not work for two days due to vaccine shortage. With the stock we've, we can continue vaccination for two days (till April 9) & we expect to get vaccines within two days: Bijay Panigrahi, COVID-19 Vaccination In-Charge in Odisha (08.04) pic.twitter.com/97j8lkclEu
- ANI (@ANI) April 8, 2021
