Prime Minister Narendra Modi stressed on the need for creating micro-containment zones and extensive testing as a means to combat the second wave of Coronavirus, which pushed up the daily surge figures to 1.26 lakh in 24 hours. The state governments, he said, should not cut corners when it comes to this, he said.
"Our emphasis should be on micro-containment zone, we have to keep the maximum focus on it," he said at a meeting of Chief Ministers called this evening to review the Covid situation in the country. This morning, the country logged its highest ever 24-hour surge figure of 1.26 lakh.
"The world has also accepted the night curfew. Curfew makes people remember that they are living in the age of Corona. It is good that we promote Night Curfew as 'Corona Curfew'. This will not affect work too much," the Prime Minister said.
Setting a target of 70 per cent RT-PCR tests for the states, PM Modi said this is the only way to identify and fight the virus.
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In an official order by the corporation on Thursday, it read, "COVID-19 vaccination to remain suspended in Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) on April 9 as there is no stock of vaccines is available with the corporation. The process to get the vaccine stock is underway and vaccination shall resume as soon as vaccines are received."
Meanwhile, with 1,26,789 new cases in the last 24 hours, India''s active caseload reached 9,10,319 on Thursday.
The Centre has sanctioned over Rs 250 crore to the northeastern states for an effective management of the COVID-19 pandemic, Union minister Jitendra Singh said on Thursday.
Chairing a meeting of the Parliamentary Consultative Committee for the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER), Mr Singh said the fund has greatly helped in developing infrastructure for the management of COVID-19 and other infectious diseases.
A total amount of over Rs 250 crore was sanctioned by the Ministry of DoNER for augmenting healthcare facilities in the eight northeastern states for an effective management of COVID-19, an official statement quoted the minister as saying.
India and the Maldives on Thursday strongly condemned terrorism in all its forms, including cross-border terrorism, and emphasised the need for strengthening international cooperation to combat the menace in a comprehensive and sustained manner.
The two countries also underlined the urgent need for all countries to take immediate, sustained, verifiable and irreversible action to ensure that no territory under their control is used for terrorist attacks on others, and to expeditiously bring to justice the perpetrators of such attacks.
The assertion was made by the two countries at their first meeting here of the Joint Working Group on Counter Terrorism, Countering Violent Extremism and De-Radicalisation.
The CPI(M)'s West Bengal secretary Surya Kanta Mishra on Thursday questioned the Election Commission's impartiality and claimed that the Trinamool Congress and the BJP may join hands if both the parties fall short of requisite numbers to form the government.
Mr Mishra alleged at a press conference that despite the Sanjukta Morcha of the Left parties, Congress and the Indian Secular Front (ISF) lodging several complaints of electoral malpractices with the EC, none of them was addressed as the poll panel is only interested in "pleasing the TMC and the BJP".
Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Thursday took the first shot of COVID-19 vaccine at Gauhati Medical College and Hospital (GMCH).
After receiving his first jab, the chief minister told waiting journalists, all the eligible people in the state should get themselves vaccinated as it will help defeat the pandemic.
Assam's Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Thursday ruled out the possibility of night curfew or a lockdown in the state and urged people to stay alert as there is a surge in COVID-19 cases in the country.
"There is no possibility of lockdown or night curfew in Assam. I request everyone to get themselves tested if they have symptoms. There is no need to panic but we should remain alert," the Bharatiya Janata Party leader said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi stressed on the need for creating micro-containment zones and extensive testing as a means to combat the second wave of Coronavirus, which pushed up the daily surge figures to 1.26 lakh in 24 hours. The state governments, he said, should not cut corners when it comes to this, he said.
"Our emphasis should be on micro-containment zone, we have to keep the maximum focus on it," he said at a meeting of Chief Ministers called this evening to review the Covid situation in the country. This morning, the country logged its highest ever 24-hour surge figure of 1.26 lakh.
"The world has also accepted the night curfew. Curfew makes people remember that they are living in the age of Corona. It is good that we promote Night Curfew as 'Corona Curfew'. This will not affect work too much," the Prime Minister said.
Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan will chair the 24th meeting of the High-level Group of Ministers (GoM) to discuss the current national and international scenario of coronavirus pandemic and strategies that are to be adopted for availability and distribution of vaccines in the coming days.
The meeting will take place at 10:30 am at Nirman Bhawan. The matters to be discussed are important in view of the recent developments in the country.
After Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb, his deputy, Jishnu Debbarma has also tested positive in Tripura this afternoon.
The deputy Chief Minister was in home isolation.
Jishnu Debbarma wrote in his Facebook post, "Today I have tested positive for Covid-19 and have taken home quarantine. Let's all keep safe and be safe."
Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb had on Wednesday morning informed through social media platforms that he had tested positive for the virus.
Karnataka has so far given over 50 lakh Covid vaccinations - including both first and second doses, as per the data shared by state Health Minister K Sudhakar. The state is the 6th highest when it comes to vaccination numbers. With the second wave having well and truly hit the state, the state knows it needs to get those eligible to take the jab - and the government insists there is enough vaccine to go around.
At the private Santhosh Hospital in Bengaluru, Sharif, a businessman had taken time out to get his vaccination against Covid-19.
He told NDTV, "I think each and every person should take this medicine and have good health."
An independent probe is warranted in the matter of former Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh's corruption allegations against former Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh since both occupied such high positions in the government, the Supreme Court today said. It refused to interfere with a Bombay High Court order directing a CBI investigation into the charges, observing that the two persons involved were working closely until they fall apart.
Uttar Pradesh's Noida, neighbouring Delhi, announced a night curfew on Thursday, from 10 pm to 5 am till April 17, joining a slew of states and major cities that have announced new curbs to control an alarming surge in coronavirus cases.
Uttar Pradesh's Gautam Buddh Nagar, the district that includes Noida, recorded 125 new coronavirus cases on Wednesday, taking its tally to 26,697, according to official data. The curfew comes two days after Delhi, reporting thousands of new infections each day, ordered the same curbs till the end of the month.
India reported a record 1,26,789 COVID-19 cases on Thursday as several states struggle to contain a second wave of infections, complaining of vaccine shortages and demanding inoculations be expanded to younger people.
The family of a Covid patient on ventilator at a hospital in Nashik was asked to move her to another hospital as there is only enough oxygen supply for a few more hours. This is the latest example of a massive crisis in Maharashtra, the virus epicenter of India, where cases have been climbing over the past few weeks.
Archana Vyavhare said her mother had been in hospital for 17 days and had been moved to a non-Covid ward yesterday. But her health worsened and this morning, the family received a frightening call.
"They said they were running out of oxygen and they only had enough left till evening, so we had to shift my mother to any other hospital at the earliest," Archana told NDTV.
But multiple hospitals refused to take in a new patient, telling the family that they wanted to preserve their oxygen supplies for those already admitted. Read
Vaccination was stopped in Maharashtra's Satara - late Wednesday night - after district authorities ran out of doses, according to Vinay Gouda, the Chief Executive Officer of the Satara Zilla Parishad.
This comes hours after state Health Minister Rajesh Tope flagged the issue of fast-depleting stocks across the state - he said this would happen within three days - and asked the centre for help.
Mumbai has logged 10,428 coronavirus cases and 23 deaths in a day amid a massive Covid surge in Maharashtra. The city had reported 10,030 cases and 31 deaths yesterday.
6,007 people were discharged in the last 24 hours, Mumbai's municipal body said in a statement.
51,263 people were tested for the virus in a day.
As of now, the city's recovery rate stands at 80 per cent and its doubling rate is 35 days.
The city has reported over 10,000 daily cases on several days this month. Its highest single day spike was recorded on Sunday with 11,163 cases.
Odisha's COVID-19 tally rose to 3,44,647 on Wednesday as it reported 791 new cases, the highest spike this year, even as the state government halted inoculation drive in 700 centres due to shortage of vaccines and moved the Centre seeking immediate supply of 25 lakh Covishield doses.
The COVID-19 death count climbed to 1,923 as one more person succumbed to the disease in Puri district, an official said.
"Due to shortage of vaccine, we have to close nearly 700 vaccination centres in the state (out of over 1400 functional sites). Only 755 could be made active today," Odisha's Health and Family Welfare Minister N K Das said in a letter to Union Health and Family Welfare Minister Harsh Vardhan.