Latest News Highlights: The active caseload breached the 4 lakh-mark again. (File)
India recorded 62,258 new coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours, the biggest single-day jump October 16, taking the total Covid caseload to over 1.19 crore. The number of fresh infections is 5.3 per cent higher than yesterday's. 291 deaths in the last 24 hours have pushed the total death count to 1,61,240. India, which reported its first case on January 30 last year, is the third worst-hit country in the world by the pandemic after the United States and Brazil.
Maharashtra will enforce a night curfew from Sunday, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray's office said, as the state struggles with its biggest surge in coronavirus infections since the beginning of the pandemic. Shopping malls will be closed from 8 pm to 7 am, the order said.
Mr Thackeray warned of stricter restrictions if the people did not follow COVID-19 safety rules. He said that district chiefs will decide when to order lockdowns but said that there will not be any sudden state-wide lockdown and the public will be given advance notice.
"I do not wish to impose lockdown. But there seems a possibility of healthcare facilities falling short given the rise in number of coronavirus patients," Mr Thackeray was quoted as saying in a statement released by his office.
He asked officials to ensure availability of adequate hospital beds and medicines, the statement said.
Maharashtra recorded 36,902 coronavirus infections on Friday, the highest one-day rise since the pandemic began, along with 112 deaths. The state has added over 1.3 lakh cases in five days. Mumbai also surpassed it's record of 5,504 cases from yesterday with 5,513 new infections and nine deaths.
Here are the Latest News Highlights:
6 States See Surge In COVID-19, Account For 79.5% Of Cases: CentreSix states - Maharashtra, Punjab, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh - continue to report a high surge in daily COVID-19 cases and account for 79.57 per cent of the new infections reported in a span of 24 hours, the Health Ministry said today.
India's total active cases have reached 4,52,647 and currently comprise 3.8 per cent of the country's total infections, it said.
The country saw 62,258 new cases being registered in the last 24 hours, the highest single day rise so far this year, according to the ministry.
Maharashtra has reported the highest daily new cases at 36,902 followed by Punjab (3,122) and Chhattisgarh (2,665), the ministry said.
"Lockdown Not A Solution, Learn To Live With Covid": Delhi Health MinisterA second Covid lockdown in Delhi is "not a solution", Health Minister Satyendar Jain said today, after the national capital on Friday night reported over 1,500 new cases for a second straight day.
He referred to medical experts who've suggested the coronavirus - or a variant of the virus - will continue to circulate for years to come, and said "we'll have to learn to live with it", echoing comments made by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in May last year.
"There is no possibility of a lockdown. Earlier there was a logic behind it. No one knew how the virus (would) spread. We were told if you close all activities for 21 days it will stop. So lockdown continued... but, despite this, the virus did not go away. I think lockdown is not a solution," he said.
India Gifts 1.2 Million Free Doses Of Covid Vaccine To BangladeshIndia gave 1.2 million free doses of the AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine to Bangladesh on Saturday. Dhaka also asked New Delhi to maintain a regular supply of shots to battle the pandemic. Prime Minister Narendra Modi made the offering at the end of a two-day tour of Bangladesh to celebrate its 50th independence anniversary. The visit also marked PM Modi's first foreign travel since the outbreak of the pandemic.
Bangladesh signed a deal in November with the Serum Institute of India, the world's biggest vaccine maker, for 30 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine.
Over 5.94 crore Covid vaccine doses administered in India till now: CentreOver 5.94 crore COVID-19 vaccine doses have been administered till now in the country, out of which 13.83 lakh jabs have been given on Saturday, the Union Health Ministry said. The ministry said of the total 5,94,92,824 doses, 81,26,776 healthcare workers were given the first dose and 51,62,679 HCWs were given the second dose.
The ministry, in a statement, said 88,27,124 frontline workers received the first dose and 35,83,060 FLWs were given the second dose. Besides, 2,73,18,810 beneficiaries aged over 60 and 64,74,375 beneficiaries aged 45 and above with specific comorbidities also got vaccinated.
Section 144 imposed in North, South Goa ahead of festivalsThe Goa administration has imposed section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) in both its districts, to prohibit public gatherings ahead of Holi, Shab-e-Barat, Easter and Eid-ul-Fitr festivals to control the spread of COVID-19. The district collectors of both North and South Goa issued the order banning gatherings under section 144 of the CrPC.
A fresh surge in COVID-19 cases is being witnessed in parts of the country and the situation might further escalate during the festivals of Holi, Shab-e-Barat, Easter and Eid-ul-Fitr with gatherings, congregations and public celebrations, the order states.
Lockdown imposed in Indore on Holi due to rising Covid casesAmid increasing number of COVID-19 cases in Madhya Pradesh's Indore, the state government has imposed a two-day lockdown in the city on Holi. The district administration of Indore has ordered a lockdown on March 28 and March 29 (Holi) after discussing the concerns with the Crisis Management department.
The order was opposed by the leaders of both BJP and Congress party but Collector Manish Singh asserted that the order should be kept as it is.
On Friday the state government imposed Sunday lockdowns in Vidisha, Ujjain, Gwalior, Narsinghpur and Saunsar. The cities of Indore, Bhopal, Jabalpur, Betul, Chhindwara, Ratlam and Khargone were already observing Sunday lockdown.
Rajasthan records 857 new COVID-19 casesWith 857 fresh coronavirus cases in Rajasthan, the infection tally in the state rose to 3,29,595. No new death due to COVID-19 was reported in the state, according to an official report.
A maximum of 114 fresh cases were reported from Kota, followed by Jodhpur, 105, Udaipur, 77 and Dungarpur, 66, among others. A total of 3,20,426 people have recovered from the infection so far, while there are 6,358 active cases in the state.
Britain nearing vaccine deal with European Union: ReportBritain is close to striking a vaccine deal with the European Union as soon as this weekend that will remove the threat of the bloc cutting off supplies, The Times reported. Under the agreement the EU will remove its threat to ban the export of Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines to Britain, it added.
In return, the British government will agree to forgo some long-term supplies of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine that had been due to be exported from a factory in Holland run by AstraZeneca's subcontractor Halix, the newspaper reported. However, the EU has never threatened a ban on the export of vaccines, but has only said it could block on a case-by-case basis specific vaccine shipments to countries with higher vaccination rates or that do not export vaccines to the EU.
Over 1,500 COVID-19 cases in Delhi, 10 deathsDelhi reported over 1,500 coronavirus cases for the third day, while 10 more people, highest in around two-and-a-half months, died due to the disease, the health department said. The national capital has registered 1,558 new infections which pushed the tally to 6,55,834, while over 6.38 lakh patients have recovered from the virus.
This is the highest number of cases since December 15 last year when 1,617 people tested positive for the virus, according to official data. The city had recorded 1,534 cases on Friday, 1,515 cases on Thursday, 1,254 cases on Wednesday and 1,101 cases on Tuesday -- the first time since December 24 that the number of cases crossed the 1,000-mark.
Ten people died from the coronavirus today, taking the number of fatalities to 10,987. It is the highest number of deaths since January 13 when 11 people died due to the disease.
Andhra reports more than 900 cases for second consecutive day
For the second consecutive day, Andhra Pradesh reported more than 900 new COVID-19 cases, taking the cumulative to 8,97,810. A health department bulletin said the state reported 947 fresh cases and 377 recoveries, but no deaths in 24 hours ending 9 am on Saturday. The state COVID-19 chart showed 8,85,892 total recoveries and 7,203 deaths, leaving 4,715 active cases.
Karnataka Health Minister cautions people as coronavirus cases riseKarnataka Health Minister K Sudhakar said coronavirus cases are on the rise in all states and it was an indication of beginning of the second wave, as he called on people to exercise caution. Noting that 8 to 10 states have more active cases and there are about 2.84 lakh cases in Maharashtra, 24,000 in Kerala, and about 19,000 in Karnataka, he said: "It is clear that the second wave has begun. So if we don't curb activities the danger is imminent."
The minister urged the people to compulsorily wear masks and follow social distancing. The state's positivity rate of 1.6 per cent is more than the national average which is not a good sign, he said.
Philippines orders 24 million in and around Manila into virus lockdownThe Philippines ordered more than 24 million people in and around Manila into a coronavirus lockdown Saturday, as hospitals in the capital struggle to cope with a surge in infections. "The virus is the enemy, not the government," presidential spokesman Harry Roque said, announcing the week-long measure which begins on Monday.
Hope to launch Covovax by September this year, says Adar PoonawallaPune-based Serum Institute of India CEO Adar Poonawalla has informed that the trials for Covovax, a vaccine developed by Novavax, have begun in India, and added that he is hoping the vaccine launch will take place by September this year.
"Covovax trials finally begin in India; the vaccine is made through a partnership with Novavax and Serum Institute of India. It has been tested against African and UK variants of COVID19 and has an overall efficacy of 89 per cent. Hope to launch by September 2021," Mr Poonawalla informed in a tweet.
Mall hospital fire: Cooling operations continue 36 hours onCooling operations are still underway nearly 36 hours after a major fire erupted at a mall
in Bhandup area, which claimed the lives of nine patients in a hospital located there, fire brigade officials said on Saturday.
The fire had broken out at the Dreams Mall building in Bhandup area around shortly after Thursday midnight. It had erupted in a shop and spread to the Sunrise Hospital, located on the top floor of the four-storeyed mall building.
Nine patients undergoing treatment at the hospital, a COVID-19 designated facility, died due to suffocation as a result of the fire, while two other patients at the hospital had already died due to coronavirus before the fire broke out, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) had said.
A fire brigade official said, "The cooling operations are still on. It was a ''level four'' fire (serious emergency call) when it broke out. It has been brought under control."
(PTI)
Assam elections: 45.20 per cent of 81.09 lakh electors exercise their franchise till 1 pm in 47 assembly seats where polling is underway for the first phase.
33 bookies arrested for betting on 2nd India-England ODI in Pune
Pimpri Chinchwad police have arrested 33 bookies for their involvement in betting on second ODI between India and England here at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium on Friday.
Police officials had received a tip-off that some accused, having binoculars, were watching the live match happening at MCA stadium in Pune between India and England and at the same time, they were also involved in a betting racket.
Accordingly, a trap was set up and three teams were formed based on inputs to raid three different locations where the accused were hiding. The accused were hiding at a height at three different locations around MCA stadium to watch the match live with the help of binocular and high-resolution cameras.
NCB seizes parcel carrying drugs in Mumbai courier agencyNarcotics Control Bureau (NCB) officials have seized a parcel from a courier agency in Mumbai and recovered 122 grams of Amphetamine, a psychotropic substance.
The destination of seized drug was New Zealand which was concealed in three covers of a hard disk, as per the police statement on Saturday.
"On Friday, a team of NCB Mumbai seized a parcel from a courier agency in Mumbai and recovered 122 grams of Amphetamine, a psychotropic substance. The drug was concealed in three covers of a hard disk. The destination of seized drug was New Zealand," the statement read.
Further investigation is underway.
Amphetamines are central nervous system (CNS) stimulants that can also use for recreational purposes.
(ANI)
Odisha reports 210 new COVID-19 cases
Odisha has reported 210 new COVID-19 cases and 73 recoveries in the last 24 hours, according to the State Health Department on Saturday.
With this, the total number of cases has gone up to 3,39,904. There are 1,449 active cases while 3,36,482 patients have recovered.
With one more fatality in the past 24 hours, the death count in the state has gone up to 1,920.
Two deaths, 495 new COVID-19 cases in TelanganaTelangana recorded 495 fresh coronavirus cases, taking the gross to 3.05 lakh, while the
count rose to 1,685 with two more fatalities.
The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) accounted for the most number of cases with 142, followed by Medchal Malkajgiri and Rangareddy districts with 45 and 35 cases respectively, a state government bulletin said on Saturday providing details as of 8 PM on March 26.
The bulletin said 247 patients recovered from the infection on March 26.
The cumulative recovered cases stood at 2,99,878, while 4,241 were under treatment.
It said 58,029 samples were tested on March 26.
PM Modi offers prayers at Orakandi Temple in Bangladesh's GopalganjPrime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday offered prayers at the Orakandi Temple located at Kashiani Upazila in the Gopalganj district of Bangladesh.
Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Modi had offered prayers at the Jeshoreshwari Kali Temple in Ishwaripur, Satkhira. Dedicated to Goddess Kali, Jeshoreshwari Kali Temple is a famous Hindu temple located in Ishwaripur -- a village in Shyam Nagar, Upazila of Satkhira. It is one of the 51 Shakti Peeths, scattered across India and neighbouring countries.
After that, he paid tribute to Bangladesh's ''Father of the Nation'' Sheikh Mujibur Rahman at Bangabandhu Mausoleum Complex, Tungipara. He signed the visitors'' book and also planted samples at the complex.
PM Modi was accompanied by his Bangladeshi counterpart Sheikh Hasina during his visit to the complex.
(ANI)
Weekend restrictions imposed in Maharashtra's Kalyan-Dombivli due to Covid
In wake of the rising cases of COVID-19, the Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation has imposed weekend restrictions from Saturday till further orders.
In a notice, the Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation said all establishments except essential services will remain closed and restaurants asked will offer takeaway services only during the period.
Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray has warned of stricter restrictions if people did not observe COVID-19 safety protocol during the curfew.
Maharashtra remains the worst affected state due to COVID-19 with 2,64,001 active coronavirus cases. The state, during the last 24 hours, reported 35952 new COVID-19 infections, as per the union health ministry update on Saturday morning.
Assam, Bengal Assembly Polls Update:
Polling booths across both states opened at 7 am and close at 6 pm; polling has been extended by an hour due to the Covid pandemic. In Assam, a voter turnout of 26.37 per cent was recorded till noon. In Bengal the turnout was 36.09 per cent.
Despite Achuthanandan's absence, CPI(M) party workers in Malampuzha remain upbeat
Communist Party of India (Marxist) CPI(M) veteran leader and former Kerala Chief Minister VS Achuthanandan, a nonagenarian who has remained a star campaigner and crowd puller for decades, is not campaigning for the upcoming state elections due to his deteriorating health.
Malampuzha is a strong fort of CPI (M) since the inception of the party in the state and Achuthanandan, who is not contesting the upcoming polls, is the current legislator here and has been serving as Malampuzha's public representative since 2001.
Achuthanandan won his fourth consecutive term from Malampuzha in 2016 with a margin of 27,000 votes.
PM Modi pays tribute to Sheikh Mujibur Rahman at Bangabandhu Mausoleum Complex
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday paid tribute to Bangladesh''s ''Father of the Nation'' Sheikh Mujibur Rahman at Bangabandhu Mausoleum Complex, Tungipara.
PM Modi was accompanied by his Bangladeshi counterpart Sheikh Hasina.
Mujibur Rahman was the first President of Bangladesh and later he also became the prime minister. He was assassinated on August 15, 1975. Mujibur Rahman is known as the "Father of the Nation" or simply "Mujib" in Bangladesh.
India will undertake construction of community hall at Jeshoreshwari Kali Temple, says PM Modi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday informed that the Indian government will undertake the construction work of a multi-purpose community hall at the Jeshoreshwari Kali Temple in Ishwari, Satkhira district in Bangladesh.
PM Modi, on his second day of Bangladesh visit, offered prayers at the Jeshoreshwari Kali Temple, one of the 51 Shakti Peeths, scattered across India and in neighbouring countries.
"Today, I got the opportunity to visit this Shakti Peeth to pay obeisance to Maa Kali. I prayed to her to free the human race from COVID-19," Prime Minister Modi told ANI after offering prayers at the Kali Temple.
He also coronated Maa Kali with a hand-made Mukut in the temple.
Nilam Sawhney to be new State Election Commissioner of Andhra Pradesh
Retired IAS officer Nilam Sawhney will be the new State Election Commissioner of Andhra Pradesh. Her first task is expected to conduct Mandal Parishad and Zilla Parishad polls in the state.
Governor of Andhra Pradesh Biswabhusan Harichandan has given his consent to the proposal of the state government and approved the name of Sawhney, for the post of State Election Commissioner, subject to her resigning from her existing post.
The tenure of present SEC Nimmagadda Ramesh Kumar will be completed by the end of this month. Kumar has been quite unconventional in his tenure from the last one year of his service.
His adjourning the process of local body elections on the pretext of the COVID-19 pandemic just few days before the announcement of nationwide lockdown had infuriated the ruling party YSRCP in the state.
Woman in UP's Mathura tests positive for South African strain of coronavirus
A 50-year-old woman in Uttar Pradesh's Mathura has been found infected with a South African strain of coronavirus.
According to an official statement on Friday, the woman, identified as Heera Devi belongs to Barsana town of the district and she had tested positive for COVID-19 on March 3 at the Deen Dayal Veterinary University. The sample was found infected with the South African strain.
The Chief Medical Officer (CMO) has ordered to conduct the tests in the entire village to which the woman belongs.
Meanwhile, Uttar Pradesh recorded over 661 fresh COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, taking the total tally of active cases to 5,049, while the death toll rose to 8,773 with four more fatalities, as per the union health ministry update on Saturday morning.
A total of 5,96,451 patients have recovered from the infection in the state so far.
Mumbai Police registers case in Bhandup fire incident
Mumbai Police registered an FIR in a fire incident at Sunrise Hospital in Bhandup West in which 11 people lost their lives.
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Friday requested the Deputy Municipal Commissioner (DMC) of Disaster Management Prabhat Rahangdale to conduct an inquiry into the fire incident.
In a letter to Rahangdale, BMC Commissioner Iqbal Chahal asked Rahangdale to conduct an inquiry within 15 days to find the cause of the fire in consultation with the Chief Fire Officer and fix up the responsibility of concerned officers regarding illegality in the structure if any.
A major fire broke out at a COVID-19 hospital on the third floor of a mall in Mumbai's Bhandup area, claiming the lives of at least 11 people.
Over 500 shops gutted in fire at Pune's Fashion Street market
Over 500 shops were gutted in a fire that broke out at the Fashion Street market in Pune.
No casualties have been reported as of now. However, hawkers and shop owners have suffered heavy losses.
As per the fire department, around 16 fire tenders and two water tankers were utilised to douse the fire which broke out on Friday night. The fire is now under control, informed the Chief Fire Officer of the Pune Municipal Corporation on Saturday.
Ban on charanamrit prasad to Ramlala devotees in Ayodhya
A Ram temple in Ayodhya has banned the offering of "charanamrit" to ramlala devotees amid the recent surge in COVID-19 cases.
Ayodhya Trust Member Dr Anil Mishra on Friday said that the arrangements are being made to make offerings in a packet and make it available to the devotees.
The ban on carrying offerings for Ram Lala will be continued, he added.
As the construction of the Ram Temple has started, the number of devotees of Ramlala has also been increased.
Assam Assembly Elections: Bihu Decorations, Children's Play Corner At Assam Model Poll Booths: PicsVoters in Assam turned out to cast their ballot at the polling booths, some of which had been decorated extensively. In Assam's Jorhat, a model polling station was built and decorated with the state's traditions. Bihu decorations were also incorporated at the booth. In Batadraba, the first voter was with a 'gamusa' and a sapling at the model polling station. Voting began in 47 seats of Assam this morning in the first phase of the staggered assembly elections in the state.
Assam polls: 8.84 pc voter turnout till 9 am, polling underway
Assam recorded 8.84 per cent turnout till 9 am across 47 assembly constituencies in the first phase of the state assembly polls, according to the Election Commission of India.
The first phase of polling for assembly elections in the states of West Bengal and Assam began at 7 am on Saturday and is currently underway.
Over 81.09 lakh voters, including 40,77,210 males and 40,32,481 females, are eligible to cast their votes at 1,1537 polling stations in this phase. The polling will continue till 6 pm.
A total of 264 candidates are in the fray for 47 seats -- 42 seats from 11 districts of Upper Assam and northern Assam region and five seats from central Assam''s Nagaon district.
Polling for the next two phases will be held on April 1 and April 6. The counting of votes will take place on May 2.
Fire breaks out in five-storeyed Mumbai buildingA fire broke out in a five-storeyed building in Mumbai's Prabhadevi area on Saturday
morning, a fire brigade official said.
The fire broke out in the basement of Gammon House, a commercial building on Veer Savarkar road around 6 am, the official said.
Eight fire engines and seven water tankers were rushed to the spot, he said, adding there are no reports of any casualty.
The cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained, the official said.
Compared To "Stalin's Slipper" By DMK Leader, Tamil Nadu's EPS Hits BackLess than two weeks before Tamil Nadu goes to vote, former Union Minister A Raja has provoked a major controversy by calling Chief Minister Edappadi Palaniswami, popularly known as EPS, "worth less than [DMK chief MK] Stalin's slipper".
West Bengal, Assam Election 2021: 30 Seats In Bengal, 47 In Assam Vote In Phase 1 Of Polls Today: 10 UpdatesThe first phases of the Bengal and Assam assembly elections have started, with 30 seats in Bengal and 47 in Assam voting. In Bengal, the ruling Trinamool and the opposition BJP - who have waged a high-stakes, sometimes shrill and often vicious campaign over the past few weeks - will both be eager to make a strong start. The Congress-Left alliance - widely expected to finish a distant third - is also in the mix. In Assam the BJP faces a challenge from the Congress-led 'mahajot', or 'grand alliance' to retain power. In the 2016 Bengal election the Trinamool won 26 of these 30 seats. In Assam, the BJP produced a similar performance to win 35 of 47 seats. Polling booths across both states opened at 7 am and closes at 6 pm; timings have been extended by an hour due to the Covid pandemic.
Will Widen Covid Vaccination Beyond Those Above 45: Health MinisterIndia will widen its coronavirus vaccination campaign in the "near future" to include more people, instead of restricting it to those above age 45, Health Minister Harsh Vardhan said on Friday. The central government has already announced everyone older than 45 will be eligible for vaccination from April 1.
Rishikesh Hotel Closed For 48 Hours After 16 Employees Test Covid+A leading hotel in Rishikesh has been closed for 48 hours as a precautionary measure after 16 of its employees tested positive for COVID-19 in a day, an official said on Friday.
Sixteen employees of Taj Rishikesh Resort and Spa tested positive for coronavirus on Thursday, senior district official Yukta Mishra said.
The hotel has been closed for 48 hours during which it will be fully sanitised and its entire staff will be tested for COVID-19, she said.
People who may have come in contact with the employees of the hotel are also being traced, she said.
May Take "Strict Action" By April 2: Ajit Pawar On Pune Covid SurgeThe Maharashtra government may have to take "strict action" in Pune by April 2 if the coronavirus situation remains unchanged, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar said today, hinting at reimposing lockdown.
"I want to tell the people that the situation is worsening. If the situation remains unchanged, we might have to take strict action by April 2. I urge everyone to please follow rules. Wear masks, maintain social distance," he said today, after meeting with officials and elected representatives in the district.
Mr Pawar said the government has decided to place restrictions on assemblies in the district. He said not more than 50 guests will be allowed in marriage functions; 20 people will be allowed to attend funerals.
Nearly 500 Charged For COVID-19 Fraud In USNearly 500 people have been charged in the United States for fraud schemes involving more than half a billion dollars in Covid-19 relief, the Justice Department said Friday.
"The Department of Justice has led an historic enforcement initiative to detect and disrupt Covid-19 related fraud schemes," Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a statement.
A total of 474 defendants have been charged in cases involving attempts to fraudulently obtain over $569 million dollars, the department said.