New Delhi: India today expanded the nationwide vaccination against the coronavirus, opening registerations for people above 60 years and those aged 45 in the second phase of the inoculation drive which began on January 16.
Citizens will be able to register and book an appointment for vaccination, anytime and anywhere, using the Co-WIN 2.0 portal or through other IT applications such as Arogya Setu.
With 15,510 fresh cases, India's COVID-19 tally has climbed to 1,11,12,241, while the number of recoveries has surged to 1,07,86,457, the Union health ministry said on Monday.
The death count due to the viral disease has gone up to 1,57,157 in the country with 106 more fatalities reported in a 24-hour period, the ministry's data updated at 8 am showed.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today tweeted to say that he took first dose of coronavirus vaccine at Delhi's premier All India Institutes of Medical Sciences.
"Remarkable how our doctors and scientists have worked in quick time to strengthen the global fight against COVID-19," PM Modi tweeted as he shared an image of himself taking first dose of the vaccine.
Here are the Latest News Highlights:
Mar 02, 2021 00:27 (IST)
Pfizer, Oxford Covid Vaccines "Highly Effective" In Elderly: UK Study
The Pfizer and Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccines have been "highly effective" in reducing coronavirus infections and severe illness among elderly people in Britain, with a more than 80 percent reduction in hospitalisation, official data showed Monday.
In the over 80s, a single dose of either vaccine is more than 80 percent effective at preventing hospitalisation around three to four weeks after the jab, according to a Public Health England real-world study that has gathered data since January.
The study comes as France and Germany consider reversing their refusal to authorise the AstraZeneca vaccine for people over 65 due to concerns of its efficacy.
British Health Secretary Matt Hancock hailed the new study as "extremely good news".
Mar 01, 2021 22:02 (IST)
"Nobody Should Relax Just Because Vaccine Is Here": Harsh Vardhan To NDTV
Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan on Monday night warned people against letting down their guard because of the rollout of coronavirus vaccines. He urged them to follow Covid-appropriate behaviour for "at least a few months" to stop the virus' chain of transmission.
"People should not be complacent thinking that the vaccine is there and that cases are reducing. We can't relax. We can't forget about it at least for a few months," Dr Vardhan told NDTV.
The cautionary note comes amid a spike in cases in a few states - most notably in Maharashtra, where over 6,300 infections were reported over the past 24 hour, and over 8,000 in each of the five previous days - and concerns over mutated strains of the virus spreading through India.
Mar 01, 2021 20:00 (IST)
Queen's Husband Prince Philip Moved, To Undergo Heart Tests: Palace
Queen Elizabeth II's 99-year-old husband Prince Philip on Monday left the private London hospital where he had spent nearly two weeks to have heart tests and treatment at another hospital, Buckingham Palace said.
Royal officials said the Duke of Edinburgh, as he is formally known, was taken from King Edward VII's hospital to the state-run St Bartholomew's Hospital in the City of London.
Doctors there "will continue to treat him for an infection, as well as undertake testing and observation for a pre-existing heart condition," they added.
Mar 01, 2021 19:19 (IST)
Amit Shah Gets Coronavirus Vaccine Shot
Union Home Minister Amit Shah today took the first dose of the COVID19 vaccine. He was vaccinated by Medanta Hospital doctors.
Mar 01, 2021 16:30 (IST)
CoWIN Registration For Vaccine Opens: What You Need To Know
A user manual for registration and appointment for COVID-19 vaccination has been shared by the government. The second phase of the vaccination campaign has started today. "The exemplary groundwork and precaution advisory by the government has helped in containing the spread of the virus in our country," the centre said in the introduction to the user manual.
The registration on the CoWIN 2.0 portal opened this morning. See cowin.gov.in for details. More than 10,000 private hospitals empanelled under Ayushman Bharat PMJAY, more than 600 hospitals under the CGHS and other private hospitals empanelled under state schemes can function as vaccination centres.
The latest announcement was on private hospitals - they can charge up to ₹ 250 per dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.
Mar 01, 2021 16:27 (IST)
Supreme Court Judges To Be Vaccinated From Tomorrow, Can Choose Vaccine
Judges of the Supreme Court will get COVID-19 vaccine shots from tomorrow. They can choose which vaccine they want - Bharat Biotech's Covaxin or Serum Institute of India's Covishield.
Those eligible for the vaccine in the drive starting tomorrow also includes the families of the judges and retired judges.
The Supreme Court registry has arranged a vaccination facility at the court complex.
The judges and their families have an option of getting the jabs at the Supreme Court complex or any hospital listed by the government.