More than 2.82 crore vaccine doses have been administered in India till now. (File)
India reported the year's biggest daily increase in COVID-19 cases on Sunday, with 25,320 new infections. India's COVID-19 deaths rose by 161 to 158,607 over the last 24 hours, Sunday's data show, compared to an average of about 100 since early February.
India is the third-most affected country globally with 11.36 million cases, behind the United States and Brazil.
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.
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 2.82 crore (2,82,18,457) vaccine doses have been administered through 4,86,314 sessions in India till now.
Meanwhile, 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.
With a total of 1.13 crore infections, India has logged the second-highest number of Covid infections after the United States in the world.
Here are the Highlights:
Congress holds protest rally against BJP govt over inflation, fuel prices in Uttarakhand
To protest the "rising" inflation, fuel prices, unemployment, and anarchy in Uttarakhand, the Congress on Sunday took out a protest march and held a public meeting in Pauri district against the BJP government in the state.
Senior Congress leader and leader of opposition in the state assembly Indira Hridayesh fainted during the protest due to low blood pressure and was taken to a hospital in nearby Devprayag where she recovered after an hour, vice president of the party's state unit Suryakant Dhasmana said.
Addressing the people who had gathered at the Ramlila Maidan and Gola Bazaar as part of the ''Jan Akrosh'' rally, Uttarakhand Congress chief Pritam Singh alleged that the BJP regime has "failed to control" rising inflation and unemployment in the state.
"Whether it is a case of appointment of Lokayukta or investigation of scams, the BJP government has always been evasive," he claimed.
West Bengal polls: Abbas Siddique's ISF announces candidates for 20 seats
Abbas Siddiqui-led Indian Secular Front (ISF), an alliance partner of the Left Front and the Congress in the state, on Sunday announced the names of candidates for 20 constituencies in the upcoming assembly elections in West Bengal.
ISF president Simul Soren will contest from Haripal in Hooghly district, while Mohammed Iqbal and Nuruzzaman will be the party's candidates from Entally and Metiabruz, respectively, it said in a statement.
ISF is yet to announce the names of candidates from Canning Purba, Jangipara, Bhangar, Madhyamgram, Haroa and Mayureshwar -- the seats it has identified to fight from as a part of the alliance.
The party said that it announced the names of 20 candidates from among the 26 seats for which it has an alliance with the Left Front. While the Left Front has given 30 seats to the ISF from its kitty, the Congress, from which the Siddique-led party demanded 15 seats, has agreed to give it only eight from its share.
Odisha logs 71 new COVID-19 cases; Patnaik sets ''zero infection'' target
Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Sunday set a target of "zero infection" even as the COVID-19 tally in the state mounted to 3,38,192 with 71 fresh cases.
In a video message, Mr Patnaik appealed to the people to follow health safety protocols so that the state can achieve the goal and requested them not to be complacent with the daily number of new coronavirus cases remaining below 100.
"With your support, the COVID situation is currently under control in Odisha. The World Health Organization (WHO) has praised our initiatives to fight against the coronavirus pandemic. Although the single-day spike in coronavirus cases is below 100, zero infection is our target," he said.
Sukhbir Badal to contest Assembly polls from Jalalabad
Seeking to galvanise support for his party ahead of the next year's Assembly polls in Punjab, Shiromani Akali Dal chief Sukhbir Singh Badal on Sunday said he will contest the elections from Jalalabad.
The Jalalabad Assembly segment in Fazilka was earlier represented by Sukhbir Badal but after his election to the Lok Sabha from Ferozepur in 2019, he quit the seat which was wrested by the ruling Congress in the bypolls later that year.
Addressing a rally, "Punjab Mangda Jawab" (Punjab seeks answers), in Jalalabad, Mr Badal hit out at the Congress, alleging that it "looted" the state and reminded people the development works that were undertaken in the state when Parkash Singh Badal was the chief minister.
"People of Jalalabad, whom do you want to contest from here, raise your hands and tell," he asked the gathering.
On being told that they wanted him to contest the next year's assembly polls from the seat, Sukhbir said, "I am announcing the name of the first candidate of SAD--from Jalalabad, it will be Sukhbir Singh Badal."
Haryana to hold massive vaccination drive today
To ensure substantial reach of the COVID-19 vaccine, the health department of Haryana has decided to hold a massive vaccination drive on Monday.
As per the state government''s statement, the health department has coordinated with the ASHA workers and Aanganwadi workers, other than officers of the department of Social Justice and Empowerment, Urban Local Bodies (ULB) and Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) for the drive so as to motivate the beneficiaries above 60 years and those with co-morbidities falling within the age group of 45 years to 60 years.
" The main objective of the Department is to ensure maximum reach of the Covi-19 vaccine as it will contain the further spread of the highly contagious COVID-19 virus," said Rajeev Arora, Additional Chief Secretary Health, Haryana.
Bengal polls: Abbas Siddique's ISF announces candidates for 20 seatsAbbas Siddiqui-led Indian Secular Front (ISF), an alliance partner of the Left Front and the Congress in the state, on Sunday announced the names of candidates for 20 constituencies in the upcoming assembly elections in West Bengal.
ISF president Simul Soren will contest from Haripal in Hooghly district, while Mohammed Iqbal and Nuruzzaman will be the party's candidates from Entally and Metiabruz, respectively, it said in a statement.
ISF is yet to announce the names of candidates from Canning Purba, Jangipara, Bhangar, Madhyamgram, Haroa and Mayureshwar -- the seats it has identified to fight from as a part of the alliance.
934 new COVID-19 cases, 3 deaths in KarnatakaKarnataka continued to report an increase in number of COVID-19 cases on Sunday with 934 infections, taking the tally to 9.60 lakh while three related deaths pushed the tally to 12,390.
The day also saw 609 patients getting discharged after recovery. Bengaluru Urban remained on top of the list of positive cases with 628 infections being reported.
The daily COVID-19 case count in Karnataka crossed the 900 mark on Saturday for the first time since January 22.
The state reported 921 cases, with 630 of them from Bengaluru Urban district alone.
Cumulatively 9,60,272 COVID-19 positive cases have been confirmed in the state, which includes 12,390 deaths and 9,39,499 discharges, the Health department said in a bulletin.
3 new COVID-19 cases in Noida, tally 25,667Uttar Pradesh's Gautam Buddh Nagar recorded three new cases of COVID-19 on Sunday that pushed the district''s infection tally to 25,667, official data showed.
The active cases in the district remained at 84, same as the previous day, according to the data released by the state''s health department for a 24-hour period.
Another three patients got discharged during the period with the overall recoveries reaching 25,492, the fifth highest in the state, it showed.
7 States Account For 87.73% Of New COVID-19 Cases Reported In A Day
States like Maharashtra, Kerala, Punjab, Karnataka, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu and Madhya Pradesh are showing a steep rise in the daily new COVID-19 cases and have accounted for 87.73 per cent of the new instances of the disease reported in a day, the Union Health Ministry said on Sunday.
Maharashtra registered the highest daily new cases at 15,602, followed by Kerala with 2,035 and Punjab 1,510 new cases.
India's total COVID-19 active caseload has reached 2.10 lakh, the ministry said adding Maharashtra, Kerala and Punjab account for 76.93 per cent of India's total active cases.
Ireland suspends AstraZeneca jab over blood clot fears
Ireland suspended the use of the AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine on Sunday, following reports of blood clots in adults who received the shot in Norway.
"The administration of COVID-19 Vaccine AstraZeneca is temporarily deferred from this morning, Sunday 14th March," a health ministry spokesman told AFP.
The move came after Ireland's National Immunisation Advisory Committee (NIAC) recommended suspending the AstraZeneca rollout "on the precautionary principal" after "a report from the Norwegian Medicines Agency of four new reports of serious blood clotting events in adults after vaccination".
"It has not been concluded that there is any link" between the AstraZeneca vaccine and the blood clot cases and action has been taken "pending receipt of further information", Ireland's deputy chief medical officer Ronan Glynn said in a statement.
MK Stalin To Begin Campaign Trail From Tomorrow
Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) President MK Stalin will start his election campaign from former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi's birth place Thiruvaarur from tomorrow for the Assembly polls, reported news agency ANI.
Stalin will campaign in Thiruvaarur, Mannargudi, and Nannilam Assembly constituencies on March 15. He is seeking another term from Kolathur constituency.
The DMK will contest 173 seats out of the total 234, while 187 will contest under the DMK symbol.
Mamata Banerjee Addresses Rally In Kolkata - First Time Since Nandigram "Attack"
Mamta Banerjee's made the first public appearance in Kolkata after she was allegedly attacked by some people in Nandigram earlier this week.
Maharashtra Government Should Suspend Cop Arrested In Antilia-Suv Case: BJP
Leader of Opposition in Maharashtra Legislative Council and BJP leader Pravin Darekar today said the state government should suspend police officer Sachin Waze, who was arrested by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in connection with the Antilia bomb scare case, reported news agency ANI.
"After the arrest of Sachin Waze, at least now the government should suspend him and show that the government does not support him or save him. But will the government do this?" Mr Darekar said.
Earlier in the day, Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh had said that appropriate action will be taken based on the findings of the investigation agency in the case.
Rakesh Tikait Will Lose Security Deposit If He Contests Polls: BJP MP
BJP Rajya Sabha MP and former National President of Rashtriya Kisan Morcha, Vijaypal Singh Tomar today slammed Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader Rakesh Tikait saying that Mr Tikait will lose his security deposit a third time if he contests elections, reported news agency ANI.
"Rakesh Tikait is playing in the hands of the opposition parties, he will come to know the reality if he contests the election. The same Rakesh Tikait has forfeited deposit in the elections twice before and if he contests the election, it will be forfeited again," Vijaypal Singh Tomar told news agency ANI.
Ahead Of Rally, Mamata Banerjee Calls On Bengal To "Never Bow Down To Cowardice"
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee today said that despite being in pain she will continue to fight boldly and called on people to "never bow down to cowardice", reported news agency ANI.
"We will continue to fight boldly! I'm still in a lot of pain, but I feel the pain of my people even more. In this fight to protect our revered land, we have suffered a lot and will suffer more but we will NEVER bow down to COWARDICE!," tweeted Mamata Banerjee.
Ms Banerjee is conducting a roadshow, days after sustaining injuries during election campaigning, on a wheelchair from Gandhi Murti to Hazra in Kolkata today. She is scheduled to address a public rally at Hazra at the end of the rally.
Special Stage, Ramps Set Up For Mamata Banerjee Ahead Of Her Kolkata Roadshow
A special stage has been set up for West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee in Kolkata from where she will conduct a roadshow on a wheelchair to Hazra, reported news agency ANI.
Along with the stage, ramps have also been installed at the location.
It will be her first public appearance after she was allegedly attacked by some in Nandigram earlier this week. On March 10, the chief minister, who was on a two-day visit to Nandigram from where she filed her nomination, alleged that she was pushed by a few unidentified people during her election campaigning.
Nearly 3 Crore Covid Vaccine Doses Administered In India: Health Ministry
As the world's largest COVID-19 vaccination drive is underway in India, the country has nearly administered three crore cumulative vaccination doses with a total of 2,97,38,409 through 5,10,400 sessions, as per the provisional report till 7 am today, reported news agency ANI.
According to the health ministry, a total of 2,91,92,547 vaccine doses have been administered as per the provisional report till 7 pm today.
Tamil Nadu Assembly Polls: DMK MLA P Saravanan Joins BJP
Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) MLA P Saravanan has joined the BJP in Chennai ahead of the Tamil Nadu Assembly polls.
Speaking to news agency ANI, P Saravanan said: "I was a member of BJp about six years ago. Today, I have joined this party because it has able leadership led by prime minister Narendra Modi. My discussion for joining BJP was underway for the past 2-3 months and today I have joined."
Kerala Assembly Polls: Former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy To Contest From One Seat
Congress leader and former Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy today dismissed any possibilities of him contesting from two constituencies for upcoming Kerala Assembly polls, reported news agency ANI.
"As I have already made clear yesterday, I will contest only from one seat," he said.
When asked who will be contesting from the Nemom constituency, he said, "Wait to know till the candidate list is released."
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Celebrates Harvest Festival Phool Dei
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Tirath Singh Rawat celebrated the traditional harvest festival - Phool Dei - with children at his residence in Dehradun today, reported news agency ANI.
Sharing some pictures on his Twitter handle, Mr Rawat wrote: "May this festival of spring brings happiness, prosperity, and well-being in everyone's life."
Tirath Singh Rawat has replaced Trivendra Singh Rawat as the new chief minister of Uttarakhand.
East Delhi Water Supply Hit Due To Repair Work, To Resume By Evening: OfficialsThe Delhi Jal Board (DJB) today said that water supply in several areas of east Delhi was hit due to repair work to fix leakage in the city's Vikas Kunj area, adding that the supply is likely to be restored by evening, reported news agency ANI.
"Several residents of Vikas Kunj reported major leakages in the GK Main leading to water entering the basement of their homes, causing a threat to the buildings. Taking immediate cognisance of the situation, DJB started the repair work," the board tweeted.
AP Municipal Election Results 2021: YSR Congress Sweeps PollsEarly trends in the counting of votes today showed the YS Jagan Mohan Reddy-led YSR Congress set for a landslide victory in the Andhra Pradesh local body polls held on Wednesday. The ruling party was leading in eight municipal corporations and was ahead in 54 of the municipalities and nagar panchayats where the results were beginning to be declared. The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) came a distant second with three leads in the second category.
DMDK's Exit From Alliance Won't Affect Our Winning Chances: Tamil Nadu BJP Chief
BJP Tamil Nadu president L Murugan has said that DMDK's exit from the AIADMK-led coalition for the state Assembly elections will not affect the winning chances of the alliance, reported news agency ANI.
Addressing a press conference after the BJP central election committee (CEC) meeting on Saturday he said, "We have informed our interests to the CEC. The list of BJP's candidates will be announced soon."
Trinamool Cancels Manifesto Release Scheduled For Today
Trinamool Congress Party today cancelled the election manifesto's release which was scheduled for today. The next date will be announced later, reported news agency ANI.
Earlier, the party was scheduled to release its manifesto on March 11. However, the release was cancelled following an alleged attack on party chief and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
Ms Banerjee will today conduct a roadshow, days after sustaining injuries during election campaigning, on a wheelchair. She will address a public rally at Hazra this afternoon. This will be her first public appearance since the "attack" on her in Nandigram.
Andhra Pradesh Local Body Elections: Jagan Mohan Reddy's YSRCP Leads In 54 Of 75 Seats
Jagan Mohan Reddy's YSRCP assumes lead in 54 of the 75 seats in Andhra Pradesh local body polls. N Chandrababu Naidu's Telugu Desam Party leading in three.
Antilia-SUV Case: Mumbai Cop Brought To National Investigation Agency's Office
Mumbai police officer Sachin Vaze has been brought to the office of National Investigation Agency (NIA) ahead of being produced before a city court by the police seeking his custody. The police officer was arrested late last night in connection with the NIA's probe into the recovery of explosives from a car parked near Mukesh Ambani's residence in Mumbai.
Mumbai Cop Arrested In Ambani Security Scare Case To Be Produced Before Court Today
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) will present Mumbai police officer Sachin Vaze before a city court today, to demand his custody. The police officer was arrested late last night in connection with the NIA's probe into the recovery of explosives from a car parked near Mukesh Ambani's residence in Mumbai.
Andhra Pradesh Local Body Elections: Jagan Mohan Reddy's YSRCP Leads In 52 Of 75 Seats
Jagan Mohan Reddy's YSRCP assumes lead in 52 of the 75 seats in Andhra Pradesh local body polls. N Chandrababu Naidu's Telugu Desam Party leading in three.
Covid Negative Certificate Not Mandatory At Haridwar Kumbh: Uttarakhand Chief Minister
It is no longer mandatory for devotees to show Covid-negative certificate at the Haridwar Kumbh, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Tirath Singh Rawat
Mamata Banerjee To Make First Public Appearance After Nandigram "Attack"
Mamata Banerjee will make her first public appearance today afternoon after sustaining injuries to her leg during a rally in Bengal's Nandigram, the Trinamool Congress said. She will lead a rally on wheelchair and address the crowd at the end in Hazra. The party said that it will not release its election manifesto today.
BJP To Announce Names Of Nearly 80 Bengal Candidates Today: Party Leader Rajib Banerjee
BJP has finalised the names of almost 80 more candidates for the third and fourth phase of the upcoming West Bengal Assembly elections and will announce them today, said party leader Rajib Banerjee.
"We mainly spoke about the third and fourth phase, and I think almost 80 seats have been finalised. The announcement will be made tomorrow," said Mr Banerjee.
He added that he wants to contest from his previous seat - Domjur - and that he has made his intentions clear to the party.
British Airways calls for vaccinated people to travel without restrictionsBritish Airways's new boss said vaccinated people should be allowed to travel without restriction and non-vaccinated people with a negative COVID-19 test, as he set out his ideas for a travel restart a month before the UK government finalises its plans. Holidays will not be allowed until May 17 at the earliest, the government has said, but before that, on April 12, Britain will announce how and when non-essential travel into and out of the country can resume.
Sean Doyle, appointed BA's chief executive last October, called on Britain to work with other governments to allow vaccines and health apps to open up travel, after a year when minimal flying has left many airlines on life support.
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.
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.