New cases of coronavirus infection in India were recorded above 22,000 taking the total tally of COVID-19 cases to 1,12,85,561, according to the Union Health Ministry data.
The COVID-19 active caseload is 1,89,226 which now comprises 1.68 per cent of the total infections.
The recovery rate has increased to 96.92 per cent, the data stated.
A total of 22,854 new infections were registered in a day, while the death count increased to 1,58,189 with 126 daily new fatalities, the data updated at 8 am showed.
Meanwhile, More than 2.43 crore (2,43,67,906) COVID-19 vaccine doses have been administered through 3,39,145 sessions across the States and Union Territories so far, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHWF) informed on Wednesday.
As per health ministry data, more than 13.5 lakh vaccine doses were given in the last 24 hours, out of which 10,60,944 beneficiaries were vaccinated across 52,351 sessions for the first dose (HCWs and FLWs) and 2,98,229 HCWs and FLWs received a second dose of vaccine.
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US President Joe Biden signed into law a "historic" $1.9 trillion economic stimulus package on Thursday, saying it would help ordinary Americans recover from the coronavirus crisis.
The Centre is "very worried" about the upsurge in coronavirus cases in Maharashtra, NITI Aayog member Dr VK Paul said on Thursday, adding the virus cannot be taken for granted if the country has to remain Covid-free. The remark comes on a day when the Maharashtra government announced a week-long lockdown - from March 15 to March 21 - in Nagpur, which reported over 1800 cases in 24 hours.
"As we were reaching here for this press conference, we learned that a strict lockdown is being imposed in Nagpur. So, we are reaching a situation where those approaches are being brought back," Dr Paul said.
Coronavirus figures rising in Maharashtra, the epicentre of the disease, the health authorities have issued a warning for Delhi and its surrounding areas. Already, the figures in Delhi are showing a distinct upward movement. This morning, Delhi logged 409 new cases of COVID-19 -- the highest single-day rise in two months. The last time Delhi recorded more than 400 cases was on January 8- the figure was 444.
The 24-hour spike has taken the total cases in the national capital so far to 6,42,439. The death count has touched 10,934 with 3 more fatalities.
Health experts and doctors have attributed the sudden rise in numbers to people turning complacent, not following COVID-19 appropriate behaviour.
The European Union authorised the use of US pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson's one-shot coronavirus vaccine on Thursday after the bloc's medical regulator gave its approval.
"More safe and effective vaccines are coming to the market," EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in a tweet.
"We have just authorised the use of Johnson & Johnson's vaccine in the EU.... With the number of doses we ordered, we could vaccinate up to 200 million people in the EU" with the J&J jab this year, she said.
Covaxin - Bharat Biotech's homegrown vaccine against the coronavirus - has been taken off the clinical trial mode, which means beneficiaries will not have to sign consent forms before taking the drug. This comes a day after a subject expert committee that has been monitoring the development of the drug made a recommendation in this regard to the country's drug regulator, DCGI.
"...after detailed deliberation the committee recommended for omission of the condition of the use of the vaccine in clinical trial mode. However, the vaccine should be continued to be used under restricted use in emergency situation condition," the drug regulator said in a letter to the Hyderabad-based company.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Thursday received his first dose of COVID-19 vaccine and also appealed to the citizens to get themselves vaccinated without any hesitation and fear.
"There is no need for anyone to have any fear or confusion about the COVID vaccine. I have just been vaccinated & I am standing right in front of you. So, it is my humble appeal to all my citizens who are eligible for vaccination to go get it without any doubt in their minds," Mr Thackeray said in a tweet.
Denmark, Norway and Iceland on Thursday temporarily suspended the use of AstraZeneca's Covid-19 vaccine over concerns about patients developing post-jab blood clots, as the manufacturer and Europe's medicines watchdog insisted the vaccine was safe.
Denmark was first to announce its suspension, "following reports of serious cases of blood clots" among people who had received the vaccine, the country's Health Authority said in a statement.
It stressed the move was precautionary, and that "it has not been determined, at the time being, that there is a link between the vaccine and the blood clots".
As of March 9, 22 cases of blood clots had been reported among more than three million people vaccinated in the European Economic Area, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted that her mother has taken the first dose of the coronavirus vaccine today. In his tweet, he also urged everyone to help and motivate eligible people to get inoculated.
"Happy to share that my mother has taken the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine today. I urge everyone to help and motivate people around you who are eligible to take the vaccine," PM Modi tweeted.
The Prime Minister did not elaborate details on which vaccine 99-year-old Heera Ben had been administered. India has been administering two vaccines - Bharat Biotech's Covaxin and Oxford-AstraZeneca's Covishield, developed by the Serum Institute of India.
Delhi on Thursday recorded 409 new COVID-19 cases, the highest single-day rise in nearly two months, while the positivity rate rose to 0.59 per cent, according to health department data.
The death count climbed to 10,934 with three more fatalities, the latest bulletin issued by the Delhi Health Department stated.
Delhi had recorded 370 new cases on Wednesday and 320 on Tuesday. The city reported three deaths due to the disease on Wednesday and four on Tuesday.
On Sunday and Monday, 286 and 239 cases, respectively, were recorded in the national capital. The city had registered 321 coronavirus cases and one death last Saturday, and 312 cases and a fatality on Friday.
Nagpur in Maharashtra will go under lockdown for a week, from March 15 to March 21, due to the rising cases of coronavirus in the city. Essential services such as vegetable and fruit shops and milk booths will stay open. More parts of the state could go into lockdown, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray indicated as COVID-19 cases have been on the rise in Maharashtra for nearly a month. Nagpur reported over 1,800 cases in the last 24 hours.
"Some areas of Maharashtra will witness strict lockdown measures to curb the spread of the coronavirus infection. The government is going to hold a special meeting with officials before coming out with the lockdown measures," Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray said after taking his first shot of the anti-Covid vaccine.
The lockdown has been imposed in all the areas that come under the Nagpur Police Commissionerate.
The US Congress on Wednesday finally passed Joe Biden's enormous economic relief package, delivering a resounding victory for the US president and giving what he called a "fighting chance" to millions of families and businesses suffering during the coronavirus pandemic.
The first case of the South African COVID-19 strain has been found in Karnataka, the state health department said in its bulletin.