New Delhi: India today reported 18,327 fresh coronavirus cases and the tally has climbed to 1,11,92,088, while the number of recoveries has surged to 1,08,54,128, the Union health ministry said on Saturday.
The death count due to the viral disease has gone up to 1,57,656 in the country with 108 more fatalities reported in a 24-hour period, the ministry's data showed.
The cumulative number of COVID-19 vaccine doses administered in India has crossed 1.90 crore with 10,34,672 vaccine jabs being given till Friday evening, the Union Health Ministry said.
The countrywide vaccination drive was rolled out on January 16 with healthcare workers (HCWs) getting inoculated and vaccination of frontline workers (FLWs) starting from February 2.
Meanwhile, Maharashtra reported 10,216 new coronavirus cases on Friday, the highest number of single-day cases in nearly five months, which took its overall tally to 21,98,399, a health department official said.
This is the first time since October 17, 2020, the single-day case count in the state has gone above the 10,000- mark.
On October 17, the state had reported 10,259 cases. On Wednesday (March 3), there were 9,855 new cases, while Thursday's infection count was 8,998.
The state's death count rose to 52,393 with 53 fatalities reported on Friday, the official said.
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Mar 09, 2021 06:12 (IST)
"Will Reach Parliament On Lakhs Of Tractors If Needed": Rakesh Tikait
Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader Rakesh Singh Tikait on Monday said that lakhs of farmers in their tractors would reach Parliament to seek repeal of the three new farm laws if needed.
Mr Tikait, one of the prominent leaders of farmer unions which are protesting against the Centre's new laws on Delhi borders, addressed a huge rally in Madhya Pradesh's Sheopur.
"If needed, we, on lakhs of tractors will reach Parliament to press for the repeal of the three black laws. 3,500 tractors entered Delhi on Republic Day. These were not hired tractors," he said.
Without naming local BJP leader and Union agriculture minister Narendra Singh Tomar, Mr Tikait said he was powerless.
Mar 09, 2021 04:52 (IST)
India "Really Stands Out" In Terms Of Vaccine Policy: IMF's Gita Gopinath
India has been at the forefront in fighting the coronavirus pandemic and "really stands out" in terms of its vaccine policy, Chief Economist of the IMF Gita Gopinath said on Monday, as she hailed the country for playing a very important role during the crisis by manufacturing and shipping the COVID-19 vaccines to several nations.
Ms Gopinath made the comments in an interactive session during the Inaugural Dr. Hansa Mehta Lecture organised on occasion of International Women's Day.
"I also want to mention that India really stands out in terms of its vaccine policy. If you look at where exactly is one manufacturing hub for vaccines in the world - that will be India," Ms Gopinath said.
Mar 09, 2021 04:29 (IST)
Kamal Haasan's Party To Fight In 154 Seats In Tamil Nadu, Rest For 2 Allies
Actor-turned-politician Kamal Haasan's party Makkal Needhi Maiam (MKM) on Monday announced contesting on 154 out of 234 assembly seats in Tamil Nadu assembly elections. The party left the remaining 80 seats for its two alliance partners - All India Samathuva Makkal Katchi and Indhiya Jananayaga Katchi - that will contest on 40 seats each.
The MNM had secured around 4 per cent votes in 2019 Lok Sabha election, with its share going as high as 10 per cent in the urban pockets.
Dr R Mahendran, MNM vice-president and its candidate from Coimbatore, had clocked 1.45 lakh votes or 11.6% of the total vote share the constituency.
Mar 09, 2021 02:01 (IST)
Firemen, Cop Among 7 Dead In Kolkata Blaze, Mamata Banerjee Visits Spot
Seven people were killed in a huge fire that broke out in an office building in central Kolkata's Strand Road on Monday evening.
Among the dead are four firemen, a police officer, a Railways officer and a security person, officials said.
Two others are missing.
Five of the seven bodies were found in an elevator on the 12th floor. The victims appeared to have suffocated and burnt to death inside the lift.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee reached the spot at around 11 pm.
Mar 08, 2021 23:42 (IST)
Rs 480 Crore Needed To Vaccinate 3 Crore Health Workers, Frontline Workers: Centre
The expenditure to be incurred as operational cost for COVID-19 vaccination of estimated three crore healthcare and frontline workers is about Rs 480 crore and vaccines' cost is about Rs 1,392 crore, Minister of State for Health Ashwini Choubey told the Rajya Sabha on Monday, reported news agency PTI. In response to a question on whether the government plans to distribute the vaccine free of cost to any section of population in the country, the minister said, "Presently, the vaccine is being provided free of cost to healthcare workers and frontline workers."
Mar 08, 2021 22:40 (IST)
Record Vaccination Against Covid In Delhi As 35,000 Receive Shots
Over 35,700 beneficiaries received doses of the COVID-19 vaccine in Delhi on Monday, the highest number vaccinations in a single day since the start of the inoculation drive on January 16, as per official data, reported news agency PTI. In the age bracket of 60 and above, 20,123 people were vaccinated while in the 45-59 years age group, 2,710 beneficiaries received the jabs, a senior official said. On Monday, 35,738 people received shots, the highest number of vaccinations done so far since the start of the exercise on January 16, according to official data.
Mar 08, 2021 22:23 (IST)
Pink Vaccination Booth Launched In Karnataka To Celebrate Women Frontline Workers
Karnataka celebrated the participation of a large number of women in the fight against coronavirus by launching a Pink vaccination booth for them on Monday, coinciding with the International Women's Day. The state government has decided to set up one such vaccination booth, to be manned by women for women, in each district, the authorities said.
Mar 08, 2021 22:19 (IST)
Kerala Logs 1,412 New Covid Cases, Active Cases Touch 39,236
Kerala reported 1,412 fresh COVID-19 cases on Monday, while 3,030 people have recovered from the infection, with the active cases in the state touching 39,236, the government said, reported news agency PTI. While the total virus caseload soared to 10,79,088, as many as 10,34,895 people have been cured of the disease, Health minister KK Shailaja said in a press release.
Mar 07, 2021 06:29 (IST)
104-Year-Old Man, Born Before Spanish Flu Outbreak, Gets First Covid Jab
A man born a few months before the outbreak of the Spanish Flu in 1918 received his first shot of COVID-19 vaccine at a private facility here, hospital authorities said on Saturday.
Tulsi Das Chawla, 104, was given a dose of Covieshield at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital on Friday and has not exhibited any adverse effects, they said.
Born on November 1917, the Patel Nagar resident, retired from the Indian Foreign Service in 1975, a hospital spokesperson said.
Wearing a full-sleeved V-neck red shirt, the centenarian flashed a V-sign and obliged some of the photographers.
Mar 07, 2021 05:12 (IST)
100 Days Of BJP's Arrogance: Congress Slams Government Over Farmers' Protest
As the farmers' protest against the Centre's new farm laws completed 100 days, the Congress on Saturday said the period was a "black chapter" in India's democracy for the treatment meted out to the protesters and also marked 100 days of the ruling BJP's "arrogance".
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi hit out at the Centre over the farmers' protest and said nails were laid at Delhi's borders for those, whose sons risk their lives at the country's borders.
His attack came after the farmers' agitation completed 100 days with the protesting union leaders asserting that their movement is far from over and they are "going strong".
