Latest News Highlights: The second dose of vaccine is being administered from February 13.
India registered a single-day spike of over 16,000 COVID-19 cases for the third day in a row on Saturday, pushing the infection tally to 1,10,79,979, while the recoveries surged to 1,07,63,451, according to Union Health Ministry data.
A total of 16,488 novel coronavirus cases were reported in a day, while the death count rose to 1,56,938 with 113 new fatalities, showed the data updated at 8 am on Saturday.
The active case count has further increased to 1,59,590, which comprises 1.44 per cent of the total infections, the data stated.
The number of recoveries reached 1,07,63,451, which translates to a national COVID-19 recovery rate of 97.14 per cent and the case fatality rate stands at 1.42 per cent.
A total of 16,577 new COVID-19 cases were reported in India on Friday, while 16,738 fresh infections were registered in the country on Thursday.
Meanwhile, with 2,84,297 vaccine doses administered to healthcare workers (HCWs) and frontline workers (FLWs) on the 42nd day of nationwide COVID-19 vaccination, the total number of vaccination crossed 1.37 crores in the country, said the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) on Friday.
According to the Union Health Ministry, 1,37,56,940 vaccine doses were given through 2,89,320 sessions, as per the provisional report till 6 pm on Friday.
While the countrywide vaccination drive was rolled out on January 16, vaccination of the FLWs started from February 2, The second dose of vaccine is being administered from February 13.
Here are the Latest News Highlights:
US Authorises Johnson & Johnson Covid Vaccine For Emergency UseThe United States on Saturday authorized Johnson & Johnson's Covid vaccine for emergency use, giving the nation a third shot to battle the outbreak that has killed more than 500,000 Americans.
"The authorization of this vaccine expands the availability of vaccines, the best medical prevention method for Covid-19, to help us in the fight against this pandemic, which has claimed over half a million lives in the United States," said acting Food and Drug Administration director Janet Woodcock.
New Zealand's Auckland Starts Second Lockdown In MonthAuckland, New Zealand's biggest city, woke up on Sunday morning to a second lockdown in a month as health authorities try to rein in a coronavirus cluster of the more contagious UK variant.
The seven-day lockdown, announced late Saturday by Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, follows a three-day stay-at-home order in mid-February after a local emergence of the UK variant of the new coronavirus that causes COVID-19.
Genomic sequencing of a new case recorded on Saturday, which prompted the lockdown, was linked to the existing cluster, health authorities said on Sunday, bringing it to 13 cases.
"It's unlikely we wouldn't see more cases," COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins told the state-owned television network TVNZ on Sunday. "How many cases at this point we simply don't know."
The new case has been considered infectious for a week. The person, a 21-year-old student, visited a number of public spaces during that time.
People With These Comorbidities To Be Prioritised For Covid VaccinationPeople who have one of the 20 comorbidities, including diabetes and heart failure with hospital admission in the past one year, will be prioritised in the next phase of the COVID-19 vaccination drive, the government said on Saturday.
The simplified system of certifying people with these comorbidities within the 45-59 years age group was explained to the States Health Departments.
This comes as India is going to start the vaccination of people above 60 years and individuals above 45 years of age having comorbidities against coronavirus, from March 1.
"Deal Firmly With Violations": Centre To States Amid Surge In Covid CasesThe Centre on Saturday advised states and UTs reporting an increase in coronavirus cases to enforce COVID-appropriate behaviour by dealing firmly with violations and ensure effective surveillance in case of potential super spreading events so as not to squander last year's gains.
Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba chaired a high-level review meeting with chief secretaries of states and UTs of Maharashtra, Punjab, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, West Bengal, Telangana and Jammu and Kashmir.
These states and UTs have been reporting a high COVID-19 active caseload or an increasing trend in new cases in the last week.
May Have 3-4 Vaccines In Weeks, Option To Choose: AIIMS Chief To NDTVPeople may have a choice of three or four coronavirus vaccines in a few weeks, and pick which one to take with the government expanding the inoculation drive and allowing beneficiaries to choose their vaccination centres from Monday, chief of Delhi's premier All India Institutes of Medical Sciences has told NDTV.
"In a few weeks from now, we may have three or four vaccines. You can't have all of them available in one centre. One centre will be giving only one vaccine. But it is likely that in your area you may have more than one vaccine provided in different private hospitals and therefore it may indirectly give you some choice because you would know which vaccine is being given at which centre. But you can't go to a site and ask for one vaccine or the other," Dr Randeep Guleria told NDTV on Saturday.
Delhi Set For 2nd Phase Of Coronavirus Vaccination Drive: Report
After injecting shots against COVID-19 to over 3.6 lakh beneficiaries, authorities in Delhi are now set for the roll-out of the second phase of the inoculation drive on March 1.
In the second phase, people aged above 60 years and those over 45 with comorbidities will be vaccinated.
At Delhi government hospitals, doctors and other medical staff were upbeat about the second phase of the drive.
Over 13,000 beneficiaries had received anti-COVID-19 vaccine on Friday, a significant fall from the number of people who had got the shots a day before, according to data shared by officials.
Over 20 Residents Positive, Gurgaon Apartment Complex Containment Zone
An apartment complex in Gurgaon has been declared a COVID-19 containment zone after 20 residents were found positive, news agency ANI reported quoting a district health department official.
Samples were taken from the residents after three people were found positive. When the results came, 20 more were found positive, district health department officer J Prakash told ANI.
The apartment complex is in Gurgaon's Sector 67. "First, three cases were reported, after which a testing camp was set up. Some 20 people turned out positive, so we declared it as a containment zone. More tests are being conducted," Mr Prakash said, ANI reported.
COVID-19 cases have been rising in some states like Maharashtra and Punjab. The rise in cases comes amid a massive vaccination drive across the country.
COVID-19 Night Curfew Extended For Another 15 Days In 4 Gujarat Cities
In view of the recent spike in coronavirus cases, the Gujarat government has decided to extend the night curfew in four major cities of the state, including Ahmedabad, by another 15 days.
The ongoing night curfew in Ahmedabad, Surat, Vadodara and Rajkot, was to end on February 28.
An official statement issued on Friday night said, the government decided to extend the night curfew by another 15 days in view of the recent rise in coronavirus cases in four municipal corporations.
Maharashtra Reports 8,000 Covid Cases For 4 Days In A Row
Maharashtra reported 8,623 COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, with over 8,000 cases for four days in a row, according to the Union Health Ministry.
The state, which has been the epicentre of the recent surge in the coronavirus cases, recorded 51 deaths, the latest data showed.
Its capital, Mumbai, reported 987 new cases, while 4 people died due to the infection in the last 24 hours.
Maharashtra accounts for the highest number of coronavirus cases in the country, followed by Kerala. Four cities -- Mumbai, Pune, Nagpur and Amravati -- together account for 3,401 or 40 per cent the new cases.
Covid Vaccine Jab Capped At ₹ 250 At Private Hospitals: Government
Coronavirus vaccines will be capped at Rs 250 per shot at private hospitals and health centres, the Health Ministry said today.
The government on Friday had said it will let people choose their coronavirus vaccination centres when the campaign expands tomorrow.
The country has halted vaccinations this weekend to upgrade software used to coordinate its campaign, as it prepares to widen coverage beyond the 1.15 crore health and front-line workers immunised since January 16.
High Court Refuses To Hear Case As Lawyer Removes Mask In CourtroomThe Bombay High Court recently refused to hear a case after a lawyer representing the appellant removed his face mask inside a courtroom.
The order of the February 22 incident was made available on Saturday.
A single-judge bench of Justice Prithviraj Chavan was on February 22 hearing an appeal matter during which the appellant's advocate removed his mask in the courtroom contrary to guidelines.
Referring to the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) laid down by the high court at the time of resumption of physical hearing of cases, Justice Chavan said that wearing a face mask all the time is compulsory.
Justice Chavan refused to hear this particular case following which it will be listed once again in due course.
COVID-19 Night Curfew Extended For Another 15 Days In 4 Gujarat Cities
In view of the recent spike in coronavirus cases, the Gujarat government has decided to extend the night curfew in four major cities of the state, including Ahmedabad, by another 15 days.
The ongoing night curfew in Ahmedabad, Surat, Vadodara and Rajkot, was to end on February 28.
An official statement issued on Friday night said, the government decided to extend the night curfew by another 15 days in view of the recent rise in coronavirus cases in four municipal corporations.
This is the fifth extension of the night curfew, which first came into force in November last year after a spurt in COVID-19 cases in these cities post-Diwali.
"Truth Is We See Party Getting Weak": Congress 'Dissenters' In Jammu
The Congress is "getting weak" and needs to strengthened, senior party leader Kapil Sibal said at a public event in Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday, as members of the G-23 - a group of senior leaders who have openly questioned the Gandhis' leadership style - converged to send a sharp reminder to the party's central leadership ahead of five key elections in the next few weeks.
Apart from Mr Sibal, the group that took to the stage included former Rajya Sabha MP Ghulam Nabi Azad, former Union Minister Anand Sharma, Rajya Sabha MP Vivek Tankha, Lok Sabha MP Manish Tewari and former Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda.
"The truth is that we see the Congress getting weak. That is why we have gathered. We gathered earlier too and we have to strengthen the party together," Mr Sibal said.
"PM Travels To Kerala, Assam But...": P Chidambaram On Farmers' Protest
Criticising the Centre over its stand on the ongoing farmer protest, Congress leader P Chidambaram on Saturday said that the reward to the farm sector for growing at 3.9 per cent in a recession year is to treat the protesting farmers as if they are enemies of the state.
"The reward to the farm sector for growing at 3.9 per cent in a recession year is to treat the protesting farmers as if they were enemies of the state," P Chidambaram tweeted.
He alleged that the Prime Minister travels from Kerala to Assam but does not have time to travel 20 km to meet farmers.
"The PM travels from Kerala to Assam but does not have the time or inclination to travel 20 km to meet the farmers on the border of Delhi," he alleged.
WHO Team Probing COVID-19 Visits Wuhan Lab, Meets "Bat Woman"
A team of investigators led by the World Health Organization visited a virus research laboratory in China's central city of Wuhan and met with a prominent virologist there in its search for clues to the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Russia Registers 11,534 COVID-19 Cases In Past 24 Hours
Russia registered 11,534 new COVID-19 cases over the past 24 hours, up from 11,086 the day before, and the total count reached 4,234,720, the coronavirus response center said on Saturday. "Over the past day, 11,534 coronavirus cases were confirmed across 85 regions, including 1,332 cases (11.6 per cent) that were detected actively, with people showing no clinical symptoms," the center said, adding that the cumulative case count has now reached 4,234,720, with the rate of increase at 0.27 per cent.
COVID-19: 20 More Cases In Puducherry, Tally Rises To 39,717
Puducherry posted 20 new cases of coronavirus during last 24 hours ending 10 am on Saturday, pushing the overall infection count to 39,717. The union territory recorded one related fatality during the last 24 hours, raising the toll to 668, Director of Health and Family Welfare services S Mohan Kumar said.
India Committed To Sharing Resources: PM To WHO Chief On Covid Vaccine
India is committed to sharing resources, experiences and knowledge for global good, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Friday after WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus thanked him for supporting the COVAX scheme that distributes COVID-19 vaccines to developing countries. "Thanks India & Prime Minister @narendramodi for supporting Vaccine Equity. Your commitment to COVAX and sharing COVID-19 vaccine doses is helping 60+ countries start vaccinating their health workers and other priority groups. I hope other countries will follow your example," the World Health Organisation Director-General said in a tweet late Thursday.
Read Here Tamil Nadu: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi arrives in Thoothukudi.
US Expert Panel Recommends Authorizing Johnson & Johnson Covid Vaccine
A US panel of independent experts voted unanimously Friday in favor of recommending Johnson & Johnson's one-dose Covid-19 shot for emergency approval, clearing the way for a third vaccine to soon begin shipping in the world's hardest-hit country. The committee's 22 members were convened by the Food and Drug Administration and included leading scientists as well as consumer and industry representatives.
Night Curfew In 4 Gujarat Cities Gets Another 15-Day Extension
In view of the recent spike in coronavirus cases, the Gujarat government has decided to extend the night curfew in four major cities of the state, including Ahmedabad, by another 15 days. The ongoing night curfew in Ahmedabad, Surat, Vadodara and Rajkot, was to end on February 28.
No New Coronavirus Infection In Arunachal Pradesh In Over A Week
Arunachal Pradesh did not report any new coronavirus infection in over a week, while there are only three active COVID-19 cases in the state at present, an official said on Saturday. In all, 16,836 COVID-19 cases have been detected in the state so far, State Surveillance Officer Dr Lobsang Jampa said.
Andamans Reports One New COVID-19 Case
The coronavirus tally in Andaman and Nicobar Islands rose to 5,017 as one more person has tested positive for the disease in the union territory, a health department official said on Saturday. The new case was detected during contact tracing, he said. The archipelago now has three active COVID-19 cases and all the patients are in the South Andaman district. The other two districts of the union territory - North and Middle Andaman and Nicobar - are COVID-19 free as both don''t have any active coronavirus case at present.
Uttar Pradesh Registers 121 Fresh COVID-19 Cases, 2 Deaths
Uttar Pradesh on Friday reported 121 fresh cases of coronavirus and two fatalities due to COVID-19 pushing the infection tally to 6,03,350 and death toll to 8,725, a health bulletin stated. "In the past 24 hours, 121 fresh cases were reported in the state while 114 patients were discharged. The total number of active cases in the state is now 2,184 while 5,92,441 people have been treated and discharged," a health bulletin issued here said.
COVID-19 Tests At Airports, Railway Stations To Continue: Assam Government
The Assam government on Friday announced that its earlier order of suspending COVID-19 tests at airports and railway stations has been kept in "abeyance" and such clinical examinations at these places will continue. Earlier this month, the government had decided to discontinue mandatory COVID-19 testing at airports and railway stations from March 1, 2021, following a decline in new positive cases.
3 New COVID-19 Cases Push Mizoram's Tally To 4,422
Three more persons including an 88-year-old woman have tested positive for COVID-19 in Mizoram, taking the state's tally to 4,422, an official said on Saturday. Two of the cases were reported from Aizawl district and one from Mamit district, he said. Two patients have developed symptoms of COVID-19 while one was asymptomatic.
Thane District's COVID-19 Count Rises By 611
With 611 more persons testing positive for coronavirus, the infection count in Thane district of Maharashtra mounted to 2,63,625, an official said on Saturday. These new cases were reported on Friday, he said. As the virus claimed the life of seven persons during the day, the death toll in the district rose to 6,263. Its COVID-19 mortality rate stood at 2.38 per cent, he added.
Telangana Clocks 178 New Coronavirus Cases
Telangana saw 178 fresh COVID-19 cases, taking the total positives past 2.98 lakh while one more death pushed the aggregate to 1,633. Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) accounted for the most number of cases with 30, followed by Medchal Malkajgiri 20 and Rangareddy with 15, a government bulletin said on Saturday providing details as of 8 pm on February 26. The total number of cases stood at2,98,631 while with 148 patients being cured, the total recoveries were at 2,95,059.
247 New COVID-19 Cases In Aurangabad
Aurangabad district in Maharashtra has reported 247 new cases of coronavirus, which took its overall infection count to 49,813, officials said on Saturday. These new cases were detected on Friday, they said. The number of active cases in the district is 1,691 at present, an official said.
India Reports 16,488 New COVID-19 Cases, 113 Deaths In Last 24 Hours
With 16,488 fresh cases, India's COVID-19 tally has climbed to 1,10,79,979, while the number of recoveries has surged to 1,07,63,451, the Union health ministry said on Saturday. The death count due to the viral disease has gone up to 1,56,938 in the country with 113 more fatalities reported in a 24-hour period, the ministry's data updated at 8 am showed.
Restrictions On International Passenger Flights Extended Till March 31
The restrictions on international passenger flights have been extended till March 31, aviation watchdog Directorate General of Civil Aviation or DGCA said in a statement on Friday. "The competent authority has further extended the validity of circular issued on the subject cited above regarding Scheduled International commercial passenger services to/from India till 2359 hours IST of 31st March, 2021," the aviation body said.
Read Here Senior Citizens Can Now Register On-Site, Get COVID-19 Vaccine. Details Here
As India gears up to vaccinate people above 60 years of age and those over 45 years with comorbidities against COVID-19 from March 1, the Union Health Ministry on Friday said the facility of on-site registrations will be available so that eligible beneficiaries can walk into identified vaccination centres, get themselves registered and get inoculated.
Over 89% Of New Covid Cases In India In 24 Hours From 7 States: Centre
India's COVID-19 active cases were recorded at 1,51,708, the Union Health Ministry said on Thursday, highlighting that the surge was due to rise in daily new cases in some states like Maharashtra, Kerala, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat and Chhattisgarh.
Pfizer Covid Vaccine Reduces Transmission After One Dose: UK Study
A single dose of Pfizer and BioNtech's COVID-19 vaccine cuts the number of asymptomatic infections and could significantly reduce the risk of transmission of the virus, results of a UK study found on Friday. Researchers analysed results from thousands of COVID-19 tests carried out each week as part of hospital screenings of healthcare staff in Cambridge, eastern England.
PM Modi To Inaugurate India Toy Fair TodayPrime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the India Toy Fair 2021 on Saturday at 11 AM via video conferencing.
"Toys play a significant part in the development of a child's mind and also help improve psychomotor and cognitive skills in children. In his Mann ki Baat address in August 2020, the Prime Minister had said that toys not only augment activity, but also give flight to aspirations," a statement by his office read.
Over 13,000 Get Covid Vaccine In Delhi; Records Dip In BeneficiariesOver 13,000 beneficiaries received anti-COVID-19 vaccine on Friday in Delhi, a significant fall from the number of people who had got the shots a day before, according to data shared by officials.
Over 3.6 lakh beneficiaries have received the vaccine till date in Delhi since the start of the inoculation drive a month ago, with more than 18,900 people receiving jabs on Thursday.
Out of the total tally, more than 1.46 lakh are healthcare workers and over 2.2 lakh are frontline workers, as per the data.
Over 1.37 Crore COVID-19 Vaccines Doses Administered In India: CentreWith 2,84,297 vaccine doses administered to healthcare workers (HCWs) and frontline workers (FLWs) on the 42nd day of nationwide COVID-19 vaccination, the total number of vaccination crossed 1.37 crores in the country, said the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) on Friday.
According to the Union Health Ministry, 1,37,56,940 vaccine doses were given through 2,89,320 sessions, as per the provisional report till 6 pm Friday.