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This Article is From Mar 18, 2021

Highlights: 28,903 New Cases, Total Crosses 1.14 Crore

"If we don't stop this pandemic right now, then there could be a nationwide outbreak. We have to immediately stop the emerging second peak and take big and decisive steps," PM Modi told the Chief Ministers.

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India News Posted by Aditi Ghosh

Updated : March 18, 2021 6:15 am IST

As on March 4, a total 242 samples have tested positive for different variants in India: Ashwini Choubey

New Delhi:

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said it was critical to stop what he called the "emerging second peak" of Covid with decisive steps including micro-containment zones, increased testing and enforcement of restrictions like masks, at a meeting with Chief Ministers amid a worrying spike in Covid cases in some states.

"If we don't stop this pandemic right now, then there could be a nationwide outbreak. We have to immediately stop the emerging second peak and take big and decisive steps," PM Modi told the Chief Ministers.

"The self-confidence that we gained in our corona fight should not turn into overconfidence. Our success should not be the reason for carelessness," he warned.

He stressed that initiatives needed to be taken without creating a state of panic among people.

Here are the highlights:

Mar 18, 2021 05:20 (IST)

West Bengal: BJP will soon announce candidates for remaining phases, says Babul Supriyo

Union Minister Babul Supriyo on Wednesday said the names of candidates for the remaining phases of West Bengal elections will be announced in a day or two.

He was speaking to reporters after the BJP's Central Election Committee meeting concluded at the party headquarters.

"The name of candidates (for remaining phases of West Bengal elections) will be announced in a day or two," Supriyo said.

BJP has fielded Supriyo from Tollygunge Assembly seat.

Mar 18, 2021 04:24 (IST)

France virus cases surge as new restrictions loom

France recorded its highest daily number of coronavirus cases in nearly four months on Wednesday, with the hard-hit Paris region bracing for a possible weekend lockdown to stem the rising tide of cases.

In the past 24 hours, 38,501 new infections were registered, up from 29,975 the day before, and the highest number since November, the public health authority said.

The "positivity" rate -- the proportion of positive results compared to the number of tests carried out overall -- remained stable at 7.5 percent, but the number of people in intensive care declined slightly to 4,219, the data showed.

The number of deaths from Covid-19 over the past 24 hours in France as a whole stood at 246, bringing the country's overall total to 91,427.

Mar 18, 2021 03:50 (IST)

Mar 18, 2021 03:42 (IST)

COVID-19 vaccination camps set up at Kundli border for protesting farmers: Haryana Chief Minister

While showing concern over the health of the agitating farmers who are camping on Haryana-New Delhi borders in Sonipat, Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Wednesday announced that COVID-19 vaccination camps have been set up at Kundli border for virus containment.

However, the vaccination at these camps has begun from today and is being done in coordination with Red Cross society Coordinator Saroj Bala.

The vaccination doses are being administered at Rasoi Dhaba situated at the Kundli border.

Mar 18, 2021 03:32 (IST)

Karnataka State Board of Auqaf clarifies amid row over morning-azan circular

The Karnataka State Board of Auqaf clarified on Wednesday that its previous circular regarding ban on loudspeakers in mosques and mausoleums from 10 pm to 6 am was not about restricting the morning azan or call for prayer.

On March 9, the board had issued a circular to all the mosques and ''dargahs'' in the state not to use loudspeakers between 10 pm and 6 am, saying the ambient noise level around many mosques and mausoleums have "deleterious effects on human health and the psychological well-being of the people".

Stating that the contents of its previous circular was misrepresented, Auqaf Board CEO YM Mohammed Yousuff issued a fresh circular on Wednesday.

"The prohibition of usage of loudspeaker was misrepresented as prohibition for morning azan, which is not correct," the CEO said.

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Mar 18, 2021 03:21 (IST)

Brazil's new health minister vows science-based Covid policies

Brazil's incoming health minister vowed Wednesday to implement science-based policies against Covid-19 and said he may make "adjustments" to far-right President Jair Bolsonaro's widely criticized management of the pandemic.

Bolsonaro, who has defied expert advice on handling the new coronavirus, is facing pressure to contain an explosion of cases that is pushing Brazil's hospitals to the brink and threatening his own chances at re-election next year.

In a change of course, the president named respected cardiologist Marcelo Queiroga as his new health minister Monday, replacing Eduardo Pazuello, an army general with no prior medical experience.

Queiroga, who will be Bolsonaro's fourth health minister of the crisis, hinted at a policy rethink in the administration.

Mar 18, 2021 01:48 (IST)

Bengal polls: BJP names candidates for 4 seats for 3rd phase

The BJP on Wednesday released the names of four candidates for the third phase of West Bengal assembly elections, with actor Paapia Adhikari finding a place in the list.

The central election committee of the BJP named former Congress leader Anupam Ghosh, who joined the saffron party a couple of years ago, as its candidate for the Jagatballavpur constituency in Howrah.

While Adhikari will contest from the Uluberia Dakshin seat in Howrah district, Chandan Mandal and Bidhan Parui are the saffron party''s choice for Baruipur Purba and Falta respectively in South 24 Parganas district, the BJP said.

Barring these four seats, the party has declared candidates in other constituencies going to polls in the third phase.

Mar 18, 2021 01:39 (IST)

Poland declares partial lockdown as virus cases spike

Poland will go into a three-week partial lockdown from Saturday, with people encouraged to stay home and many shops and facilities closed to stem a rising tide of coronavirus cases.

"We ask employers to allow working from home as much as possible," Health Minister Adam Niedzielski told reporters in Warsaw.

Shopping malls, hotels, pools, gyms and schools will be closed until at least April 9.

"We had to react," Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki told reporters after returning from a visit to France, saying he hoped the new restrictions would "calm the current wave of coronavirus".

"I am confident that this fight, which we are supporting through the vaccination programme, will ultimately prove successful," he said.

Mar 18, 2021 01:24 (IST)

Grant given to cow shelters for June quarter of 2020-21: Rajasthan minister

Gaupalan Minister Pramod Bhaya said on Wednesday that the cow shelters of all the districts, except Jaisalmer, had been fully paid of the grant amount for the first quarter of the current financial year.

Mr Bhaya said funds had also been transferred to Jaisalmer district, but the disbursement work was pending due to some formalities. He said Rs 274.25 crore had been given as cow shelter grant in 2020-21.

The minister was responding to the supplementary questions asked in this regard by the MLAs during the question hour. Mr Bhaya said that the government was working for the conservation and promotion of cows. He said instead of doing politics over cows, the state government was working for protection of their progeny.

Mar 18, 2021 01:12 (IST)

Night curfew in Sikkim from Wednesday to check COVID-19

Sikkim Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang on Wednesday announced that night curfew will be imposed in the state from tonight in the wake of a spurt in COVID-19 cases.

In addition to the night curfew to be imposed after 10 pm, it has been decided to close restaurants, bars, discos, pubs and gyms at 10 pm throughout the state, Mr Tamang said in a social media post.

Vehicles too will be barred from plying in the state after 10.30 pm, Mr Tamang said.

The chief minister also appealed to the people of Sikkim to regularly ear masks and continue to follow social distancing norms as per COVID-19 protocol. He issued the instructions in the social media soon after attending the video conference Of Prime Minister Narendra Modi with the chief ministers to review the situation arising out of the recent increase in COVID-19 cases across the country.

Mar 18, 2021 00:55 (IST)

Resident doctors of Hindu Rao hospital to be on mass casual leave on Thursday: RDA

Resident doctors at the civic-run Hindu Rao Hospital have decided to go on a mass casual leave on Thursday to press for release of their pending salaries, their association said.

In a statement issued late night on Wednesday, the RDA threatened that its members will go on a complete indefinite strike, if the demands are not met. Their demands include release of all pending salaries from December 2020, along with previous year's arrears, immediately, the RDA said in a letter dated March 17, written to the North Delhi Municipal Corporation's commissioner.

Mar 18, 2021 00:43 (IST)

Maharashtra's Thane city sees 493 cases, civic chief warns violators

Amid a rise in COVID-19 cases, Thane civic commissioner Vipin Sharma on Wednesday warned that people and establishments flouting outbreak norms would be dealt with strictly. The city saw 493 COVID-19 cases and two deaths on Wednesday, taking the tally to 66,711 and toll to 1,416, an official said.

Mar 18, 2021 00:33 (IST)

7 new COVID-19 cases in Noida, tally 25,693

Uttar Pradesh's Gautam Buddh Nagar recorded seven new cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday that pushed the district's tally to 25,693, official data showed.

The active cases in the district reached 76 from 78 the previous day, according to the data released by the Uttar Pradesh Health Department for a 24-hour period.

Another nine patients got discharged during the period with the overall recoveries reaching 25,526, the fifth highest in the state, it showed.

Gautam Buddh Nagar has a death toll of 91 with a mortality rate of 0.35 per cent. The recovery rate of patients reached at 99.35 per cent, the statistics showed.

Mar 17, 2021 23:39 (IST)

Section 144 Imposed In Ghaziabad Till May 10 Amid Covid

Ghaziabad District Magistrate Ajay Shankar Pandey has issued orders under section 144 criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) to prevent gatherings amid the COVID-19 pandemic and in view of the festivals ahead this month.

The orders were issued also keeping in view various "protests, andolans" and various examinations ahead, and keeping in mind the protection of people from coronavirus and control over the pandemic, as per the order.

Section 144 of the CrPC will be imposed in Ghaziabad till May 10, as per the order.

Mar 17, 2021 22:49 (IST)

India Doing Its Best To Provide Covid Vaccines, Say Ambassadors Of Paraguay, Costa Rica

Ambassadors of Paraguay and Costa Rica have praised India's initiative to supply vaccines to other countries as part of efforts to fight the COVID-19 crisis and said they were looking forward to getting India-made vaccines.

They said India's efforts show its solidarity with the world in the fight against coronavirus.

The ambassadors also expressed their keenness on getting supply of Covaxin, the indigenous COVID-19 vaccine developed by Bharat Biotech in collaboration with ICMR.

Mar 17, 2021 21:41 (IST)

Congress Announces 2 More Candidates For Bengal Polls

The All India Congress Committee (AICC) announced the names of two more candidates on Wednesday for the upcoming West Bengal Assembly polls.

Congress leaders Abdur Rezzak Mollah and Avjit Narjinary will contest from Falta and Kalchini assembly seats respectively.

On Sunday, the Congress Party released a list of 34 candidates for the forthcoming West Bengal assembly elections.

Among the key names mentioned in the list include Abdul Mannan, Shiladitya Haldar, Amitabha Chakraborty and Alok Ranjan Banerjee.

Mar 17, 2021 20:39 (IST)

2 Lok Sabha MPs Demand Free Covid Vaccines For Poor

Two Lok Sabha members said on Wednesday that the coronavirus vaccine should be given free of cost to the poor and working-class people on demand.

The demands were raised by MPs from the DMK and the NCP during a discussion on the demands for grants of the Health Ministry.

DMK's DNV Senthilkumar S said for a country like India where many people are poor and below the poverty line, the vaccination should be made free for all citizens.

At least, it should be given free to the poor, Mr Senthilkumar added.

He urged the government to consider budgetary allocation for research on AYUSH drugs.

According to the DMK MP, all evidences about AYUSH drugs should be documented and there should be proper clinical trials also.

Mar 17, 2021 19:56 (IST)

Mar 17, 2021 19:35 (IST)

Nagpur Sees Single-Day Spike Of 3,370 New Covid Cases

With a single-day spike of 3,370 coronavirus cases, the count of infections in Maharashtra's Nagpur district reached 1,78,756 on Wednesday, a district official said.

At least 16 patients died, while 1,216 were discharged from hospitals during the day, the official said.

Of the 4,505 casualties reported so far, 2,894 were from Nagpur city and 1,611 were from rural areas and outside the district, he said.

The total number of recoveries in the district has reached 1,53,133, the official said, adding that the region is now left with 21,118 active cases.

Mar 17, 2021 19:19 (IST)

WHO recommends AstraZeneca Covid vaccinations continue 'at this time'

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