Coronavirus Updates: The death count increased to 1,78,769 with 1,619 new fatalities.
Vaccinations will be widened to everyone above 18 in the next stage beginning May 1, the government announced today after Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a series of meetings today.
All adults will be vaccinated in "a liberalised and accelerated Phase 3 strategy of COVID-19 vaccination", the government said in a statement on a day India reported a new record high of 2.73 lakh cases in a day.
Delhi will be under complete curfew from tonight to next Monday morning amid a record rise in coronavirus cases that has severely strained the city's resources and health infrastructure.
All private offices will Work From Home and only government offices and essential services will be open, sources say.
A weekend curfew was on in the capital to "break the chain of transmission" but continuing violations in parts of the city signaled that harsher steps were needed.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is holding a meeting to discuss the coronavirus crisis in the country as India battles an unprecedented surge in cases that saw a new record daily high today with over 2.73 lakh fresh infections.
India's total tally of COVID-19 cases crossed 1.50 crore with a record single-day rise of 2,73,810 new coronavirus infections, while the active cases surpassed the 19-lakh mark, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Monday.
The total tally of COVID-19 cases mounted to 1,50,61,919 and the death count increased to 1,78,769 with a record 1,619 daily new fatalities, the data updated at 8 am showed.
Registering a steady increase for the 40th day in a row, the active cases have increased to 19,29,329 comprising 12.81 per cent of the total infections, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate has dropped to 86 per cent.
The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 1,29,53,821, while the case fatality rate has further dropped to 1.19 per cent, the data stated.
Meanwhile, amid a crippling shortage of life-saving medical oxygen in many Covid-hit parts of the country, Union Minister Piyush Goyal has advised states to keep the "demand under control" by containing the rapid second coronavirus wave that has triggered an unprecedented spurt in cases.
Here are the highlights on Coronavirus India Cases:
Covid-19: First ''Oxygen Express'' rakes leave from Mumbai region to Vizag
The first ''Oxygen Express'' departed from Central Railway's Kalamboli yard on Monday evening to ferry liquid oxygen for Maharashtra from Vishakhapatnam steel plant in Andhra Pradesh amid the worsening COVID-19 situation.
In a statement, the ministry of railways informed that the Mumbai Division built a ramp overnight within 24 hours at Kalamboli goods yard to facilitate loading/unloading of tankers in/from flat wagons.
"The Ro-Ro (roll-on, roll-off) service with seven empty tankers departed from Kalamboli goods yard for Visakhapatnam steel plant siding at 8.05 pm on Monday."
This train will move via Vasai Road, Jalgaon, Nagpur, Raipur Junction to Visakhapatnam steel plant siding in ECoR zone where it will be loaded with Liquid Medical Oxygen.
On Sunday, Railway Minister Piyush Goyal, in an interview to ANI, had informed that the central government was creating a green corridor for fast movement of ''Oxygen Express'' trains to facilities for the smooth transport of oxygen to states.
Working tirelessly and non-stop, we have to win fight against COVID: Bhupesh Baghel
Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel has allowed the Collectors to purchase Remdesivir and other essential life-saving medicines as per immediate requirement amid the increasing number of COVID-19 cases in the state.
He has also approved the establishment of an RT-PCR testing lab in Balod and Mungeli, as per a statement from the Chhattisgarh CMO.
The Chief Minister gave these approvals in a virtual meeting held at his residence office here on Monday during a review of the current status of COVID-19 infections and measures to control them in 11 districts of the state.
The situation in districts is constantly being reviewed by the Chief Minister in view of the present condition of coronavirus pandemic. In this series, he reviewed Mahasamund, Gariaband, Dhamtari, Balod, Kabirdham, Mungeli, Gaurela-Pendra-Marwahi, Surguja, Surajpur, Korea and Balrampur districts.
Maharashtra government issues SOP on micro containment zone
Any cooperative housing society (CHS) having more than five COVID-19 cases, who are present in the society/building, will be declared as a micro containment zone (MCZ), the Maharashtra government has said.
The state government declared the standard operating procedure (SOP) for MCZs in an order issued on Sunday under the break the chain initiative, launched to stem the rise of COVID-19 cases, which have seen a spurt in the recent weeks.
The government said a MCZ means any delineated area so declared by local disaster management authority (DMA).
The government said if the DMA is of the view that there is a willful default on part of residents leading to their housing society being declared a MCZ, it may levy a fine
on them that may collectively go up to Rs 10,000.
Canada allots $80.93 billion budget toward pandemic recovery plan
The Canadian government has allotted USD 80.93 billion (C$101.4 billion) over the next three years towards recovery from the economic devastation inflicted upon the country the coronavirus pandemic, the country's 2021 federal budget revealed.
On Monday, Canada's Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister, Chrystia Freeland, delivered the country's first budget since March 19, 2019.
"Budget 2021 includes C$101.4 billion over three years in proposed investments as part of the government of Canada's growth plan that will create good jobs and support a resilient and inclusive recovery," Canada's Department of Finance said in a press release.
Allahabad High Court closed till April 24, Rajasthan High Court to function virtually till May 3 amid COVID-19 surge
The Allahabad High Court and its offices will remain closed till April 24, while the Rajasthan High Court will function only virtually till May 3 amid a surge in coronavirus infections.
According to a notification issued by the Allahabad High Court, "Only urgent cases will be taken up by the courts only through virtual modes with effect from April 26, 2021."
A committee set up by the high court for the purpose of taking preventive and remedial measures and for combating the impending threat of COVID-19 decided that there shall be no physical filing/e-filing in the Lucknow and Allahabad benches between April 20 and April 24.
The committee further directed that the District Magistrates and the Chief Medical Officers of Prayagraj and Lucknow will ensure arrangement of COVID-19 medicines and oxygen cylinders in adequate numbers at hospitals.
The Rajasthan High Court administration has decided to shift back to hearing through video conferencing only between April 19 and May 3, the period when the state government has imposed various restrictions in view of a rapid surge in COVID-19 cases.
COVID- 19 positive woman delivers twins in Jammu
A coronavirus-positive woman delivered healthy twins at a government hospital here on Monday, officials said.
"Both the babies are COVID-19 negative and have been kept separate from the mother," said Dr. Arun Sharma, the medical superintendent of Maternal and Child Health Hospital in Gandhinagar here. The mother and babies are fine and healthy, he said.
The baby girls were born by caesarean section.
According to a hospital spokesperson, it was first such surgery conducted here since it was turned into a COVID-19 facility in June last year.
Night curfew in Kerala from Tuesday amid surge in COVID-19 cases
Night curfew for two weeks will be imposed in Kerala amid the recent surge in COVID-19 cases across the state.
The decision was taken by a core committee of COVID-19 management headed, by the Kerala Chief Secretary, on Monday.
"Restriction on non-essential activities and movement at night between 9pm and 5 am shall come into force from 9 pm of April 20. No gatherings of any kind shall be permitted between 9 pm and 5 am. Essential services (medical stores, hospitals, fuel stations, night shift employees, milk, newspaper, media etc), goods transportation and public transportation are exempted from the night restriction," said the government order issued by the Chief Secretary.
The order said that tuition centers shall only function through online medium and should not hold physical classes while all malls and cinema theatres have been asked to reschedule their timings to close by 7.30 pm.
Sikkim reports just 9 new COVID-19 cases as testing dips
Sikkim reported just nine new COVID-19 cases on Monday with the number of samples tested witnessing a steep decline, as per official data. In the last 24 hours, the state tested 48 samples for COVID-19 as against 435 samples on the previous day, data showed.
Sikkim had reported 105 new cases on Sunday.
Eight of the fresh cases reported on Monday were from East Sikkim, while one case was from the West district, a senior health official said. The Himalayan state has 404 active cases at present.
Appoint ''corona vigilance officer'' to check COVID-19 spread: Noida administration to RWAs
The Gautam Buddh Nagar administration on Monday asked residential societies and sectors to appoint a "corona vigilance officer" who would report COVID-19 cases to their respective Resident Welfare Associations (RWAs) in a bid to check the spread of infection.
The administration issued a list of standard operating procedures (SOPs) for RWAs amid a worsening COVID-19 situation in Noida and Greater Noida.
Surveillance activities are allowed in containment areas to trace suspected patients, such as people suffering from influenza-like illnesses, those having symptoms of severe acute respiratory illness (SARI) and people having co-morbid condition, it stated.
"Every RWA and society will appoint a corona vigilance officer for each building/tower. The vigilance officers will report the positive cases with lab reports and any violation made by COVID-19 positive people to the President or Secretary of societies or RWA," the SOP stated.
COVID-19: Chennai Police to install 200 checkpoints to monitor movement during lockdown
Chennai Police will be installing 200 checkpoints across the city to monitor vehicles and the movement of people during the COVID-19 induced lockdown.
"Chennai Police will install 200 checkpoints to monitor vehicles and movement of people during the lockdown," said senior police official Mahesh Kumar Aggarwal on Monday.
The Tamil Nadu government has imposed a night curfew between 10 pm to 4 am in the state which will begin from Tuesday and a complete lockdown will be imposed on Sundays.
The state reported 10,941 fresh COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours. A total of 6,172 people recovered from the disease in the said period and 44 died, taking the death toll to 13,157.
The state has an active caseload of 75,116 and a total of 9,14,119 people have recovered so far.
West Bengal's active COVID cases breach 50,000-mark, testing dips
West Bengal reported the highest single-day spike of 8,426 new COVID-19 cases on Monday, while 38 people died of the infection in the state, as per the Health Department.
The fresh cases took the tally to over 6.68 lakh, it said. So far, 10,606 people have died of the disease in the state, it added. Twelve of the latest deaths happened in Kolkata, which reported record 2,211 new cases.
In the last 24 hours, 4,608 recoveries were registered across the state. The recovery rate further slipped to 90.42 per cent as the number of active cases breached the 50,000-mark.
At present West Bengal has 53,418 active cases, which is also a grim record, as per the Health Department. The state tested 42,118 samples for COVID-19 in the last 24 hours, which is lesser than 46,074 samples tested on the previous day.
Congress leader Anand Sharma tests positive for COVID-19, hospitalised
Senior Congress leader Anand Sharma has tested positive for COVID-19 and has been admitted to Apollo Hospital in the national capital.
This comes after former prime minister and senior Congress leader Dr Manmohan Singh was also diagnosed with COVID-19 and was on Monday admitted to All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Trauma Centre.
On Sunday, Dr Singh had urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to "resist the temptation to look at the absolute number of vaccinations and focus on the percentage of the population vaccinated".
Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and several other leaders have wished the former Prime Minister a speedy recovery.
Mexico's coronavirus deaths rises to 2,12,466
Mexico's health ministry on Monday reported 1,308 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the country and 127 more fatalities, bringing its total to 2,306,910 infections and 212,466 deaths.
The government has said the real number of cases is likely significantly higher, and separate data published recently suggested the actual deaths is at least 60% above the confirmed figure
Schools in Andhra Pradesh shut for Classes 1 to 9
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on Monday ordered the closure of all schools from Classes 1 to 9 including the hostels and coaching centers from April 20 across the state in view of the spike in COVID-19 cases.
However, the examinations for Class 10 and intermediate students will be held as scheduled strictly following the COVID-19 protocol.
During a high-level review meeting with officials regarding the Covid situation in the state, the Chief Minister emphasised that wearing masks should be made mandatory and a fine of Rs 100 must be levied on all those violating the norms.
Further, he stressed on maintaining physical distance in cinema halls, function halls, convention centers, and hotels, where a seat must be left vacant between every two seats in theaters similarly leaving a six- feet distance between two chairs in function halls and hotels.
Maharashtra: 5,900 vials of Remdesivir distributed in Pune district
A total of 5,900 vials of Remdesivir injection were received and distributed among more than 500 hospitals in Pune district on Monday, FDA officials said.
In view of the shortage of the anti-viral drug, which is in great demand for the treatment of COVID-19 patients, a control room has been set up for its distribution in Pune district.
"A total of 18 flying squads for rural as well as urban areas have been formed to prevent black marketing of the drug. Today, we received 5,900 vials of the drug and distributed them among 511 hospitals through stockists," a senior Food and Drug Administration (FDA) official said.
No Place In Burning Ghats, No Beds In Hospitals: Akhilesh Yadav Slams UP Government
Attacking the UP government over the coronavirus crisis, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav Monday alleged the government has lost control over administration which is why the pandemic is spreading fast in the state, reported news agency PTI.
He also slammed the chief minister for campaigning in elections in West Bengal and other states in an official statement.
"The news that are coming are very horrifying. In Bareilly, there is no place left in crematorium. In Agra, Ghaziabad and Kanpur too, there is similar situation," he alleged.
"Is this the manner in which the BJP made the state happy? There is no place in "shmashana" (burning ghats) and no beds in hospitals. The government has become deaf and dumb. There are the arrangements which the prime minister and the chief minister used to advertise about. It will be better if the BJP leaves the government and stops playing with the lives of people," Yadav said.
Thankful To PM For Opening Vaccination For Everyone Above 18: Uddhav ThackerayMaharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Monday hoped the state will receive COVID-19 vaccines on time on a day the Centre announced that everyone above 18 years of age will be eligible to get vaccinated from May 1 even as he thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for considering his demand to expand the vaccination drive, reported news agency PTI.
"I had some days ago requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi to decide on vaccinating all those aged above 25. The Central government today took a positive step on it declaring to administer the vaccine to all aged above 18 and thought about my demand. I thank the prime minister and (Union) health minister for the same," the chief minister is quoted a saying in an official statement.
Threat To Shut Labs Over Delayed Covid Report Not Advisable: Delhi High CourtThe Delhi High Court Monday said there is an "unending flood" of people outside diagnostic laboratories for getting COVID-19 tests and Delhi government's threat to shut down their premises in case reports are delivered later than 24 hours is not advisable at this time of the pandemic, reported news agency PTI.
A bench of Justices Vipin Sanghi and Rekha Palli said if such a direction is issued by the AAP government, it shall not be implemented.
"Is such a threat advisable at this point of time. There is an unending flood of people outside labs. Labs are saying they test 700 people daily. To test them and upload reports, it's driving everyone crazy. To put such a condition of giving report in 24 hours or else the lab will be shut down is unreasonable," the bench said.
Vaccine For All Above 18 Starting May 1Vaccinations will be widened to everyone above 18 in the next stage beginning May 1, the government announced today after Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a series of meetings today.
Former PM Dr Manmohan Singh tests positive, hospitalised: News agency ANIFormer prime minister Dr Manmohan Singh has tested positive for coronavirus today, reported news agency ANI. The veteran Congress leader was admitted to the AIIMS Trauma Centre around 5 pm. Dr Singh on Sunday wrote to PM Modi suggesting five measures to battle the Covid crisis including ramping up vaccination and boosting the supply of medicines.
Ahmedaba To Convert 500 Existing Beds To Oxygen Beds In Next 2 Days: Official
500 existing beds will be converted into oxygen beds in the next two days in Ahmedabad to tackle the massive Covid spike, said senior IAS officer Rajiv Kumar Gupta, who is overseeing the AMC's coronavirus-related operations, reported news agency PTI.
With the support of the Gujarat Pollution Control Board (GPCB), the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) has managed to divert around 1,500 oxygen cylinders, meant for industrial use, for medical purposes in the city, the civic body's release said.
Due to this, vendors will now have more oxygen cylinders to supply to private hospitals, it said.
Ahmedabad Procures 1,000 Oxygen Cylinders To Add More Beds For COVID-19 Patients
The Ahmedabad civic body has procured 1,000 oxygen cylinders from Kutch district in Gujarat to add more oxygen beds in the city in view of the spike in COVID-19 cases, officials said on Monday, reported news agency PTI.
To cope up with the shortage of medical oxygen in hospitals in Ahmedabad, the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) has sought the support of the Gujarat Pollution Control Board (GPCB) to divert industrial oxygen for medical use, they said.
Apart from providing these oxygen cylinders to AMC-run hospitals, the civic body has also planned to provide them to private hospitals designated to treat coronavirus patients, the AMC said in a release.
"We have procured 1,000 oxygen cylinders from Kutch overnight. We will use these cylinders to convert the existing isolation beds in the civic-run hospitals into beds with oxygen supply," said senior IAS officer Rajiv Kumar Gupta, who is overseeing the AMC's coronavirus-related operations.
Complete Lockdown In Punjab's Mohali On Ram Navami Amid Spike
Mohali will remain under complete lockdown on Wednesday, on the occasion of Ram Navami, to avoid gatherings amid a surge in coronavirus cases in the region, the Punjab Government said, reported news agency ANI.
Monumental Tragedy Of Epic Proportions: Congress MP Urges President To Call Emergency Parliament SessionAmid a massive spike in coronavirus cases in the country, Congress leader Manish Tewari today urged President Ram Nath Kovind to convene a two-day emergency session of the Parliament to evolve a national policy to deal with the grave situation, reported news agency PTI.
A monumental tragedy is unfolding in the country, and the President must exercise his special powers to convene an emergency session, the Congress MP said.
He also alleged the ongoing vaccination drive was not being carried out properly, and there was a shortage of beds, medical oxygen, life-saving medicines and vaccines everywhere.
"Call a two-day emergency session of Parliament now. Situation in nation is turning grave," Mr Tewari said in his appeal to the President. "A Monumental Tragedy of epic proportions is unfolding across India. No Hospital beds, no Oxygen, No Vaccination. While Nero's of BJP are busy politicking in West Bengal, the nation burns. President of India must summon emergency two day session of Parliament," Mr Tewari said on Twitter.
Punjab Bans Gathering Of Over 20 At Weddings, FuneralsPunjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh reviewed coronavirus situation in the state and ordered extension of night curfew timings (8 pm to 5 am), closure of all bars, cinema halls, gyms, spas, coaching centres, sports complexes from tomorrow till April 30, reported news agency ANI. A ban on gatherings of over over 20, including at weddings and funerals has been imposed, Amarinder Singh's office said.
The state has also reduced the rates of RT-PCR and Rapid Antigen Testing (RAT) tests being done by private labs.
Sena's Sanjay Raut demands special Parliament session to discuss Covid crisisIn order to discuss the grim COVID-19 situation across the country, Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut on Monday demanded a special session of Parliament.
He said that there should be an open discussion on the situation of all states.
"I've demanded a special session of Parliament because I've been speaking to political leaders of the country. They say the situation is grim in their states too. So, if the government calls a special session, there''ll be an open discussion on the situation of all states," said Shiv Sena MP.
Earlier in the day, he has said that it is an unprecedented and almost a war-like situation in the country.
"It's an unprecedented and almost a war-like situation. Utmost confusion and tension everywhere! No beds, no oxygen and no vaccination as well! It''s nothing but TOTAL CHAOS! A Special session of the Parliament for atleast 2 days should be called to discuss the situation!" he tweeted.
(ANI)
Night curfew in Manipur from 7 pm to 5 amThe Manipur government has decided to impose night curfew in the state from 7 pm to 5 am
in view of the rise of COVID-19 cases, an official said.
The order issued by chief secretary Rajesh Kumar said the consultative committee of COVID-19 chaired by Chief Minister N Biren Singh on Sunday decided that night curfew will be imposed in the state from 7 pm to 5 am in view of the rapid rise in COVID-19 cases in the country.
The order did not specify for how many days the night curfew will be in force.
It said media persons and those engaged in telecom services and essential services will be exempted from the curfew.
The meeting also decided to ban all gatherings with immediate effect except unavoidable gatherings like funerals, marriages. Such gatherings will be strictly limited to 20 persons, with COVID appropriate behaviour like wearing of face mask to be ensured by the host.
(PTI)
Maharashtra administers 1,27,079 COVID-19 vaccine in last 24 hoursMaharashtra vaccinated 1,27,079 people in the last 24 hours against the COVID-19 in 1,515 sessions, informed the Maharashtra Health Department on Monday.
With this, the total number of people vaccinated in the state touched 1,22,83,050.
As per state government data, these include 10,67,486 HCWs who have taken the 1st dose and 5,42,627 HCWs who have taken the 2nd dose, 11,13,691 FLWs (1st dose), 3,67,965 FLWs (2nd dose), 87,86,940 first dose beneficiaries and 4,04,341 second dose beneficiaries of more than 45 years old.
To prevent the COVID-19 surge in the state, Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Tuesday imposed Section 144 starting from April 14.
(ANI)
BS Yediyurappa to attend all-party meeting over COVID-19 situation in Karnataka
Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa will virtually participate in an all-party meeting over the prevailing COVID-19 situation in the state, which is set to begin at 3:30 pm in Vidhana Soudha.
The meeting will be chaired by Karnataka Revenue Minister R Ashok, as Mr Yediyurappa is currently admitted in a hospital after testing positive for the novel coronavirus on Friday. The meeting will see the participation of all MPs and MLAs, along with ministers of different fields.
The all-party meeting was scheduled to be held earlier, however, it was postponed after Mr Yediyurappa's COVID-19 diagnosis.
This is the second time that the 78-year-old BJP leader has tested positive for coronavirus.
Mizoram reports 45 new COVID-19 cases, tally rises to 4,904Mizoram on Monday reported 45 new COVID-19 cases, taking the state's tally to 4,904, an
official said.
Of the 45 fresh cases, 33 were reported from Aizawl district, 11 from Lawngtlai and one from Kolasib district.
Only five new patients have symptoms of COVID-19, the official said.
Mizoram now has 383 active COVID-19 cases, while 4,509 people have already recovered from the virus, he said.
The COVID-19 death count in the state is 12.
The state has so far conducted 2,75,600 sample tests for COVID-19, including 607 on Sunday.
Former Samajwadi MLA, who tested COVID positive, diesFormer Samajwadi Party MLA Gopal Krishna Saxena, who had tested positive for COVID-19, died at a hospital in Bareilly on Monday, his son said.
He was 70.
"When he could not get proper treatment in Lucknow, he was admitted to a hospital in Bareilly on Saturday. On Monday, around 5 am, he breathed his last," Rajat Saxena said.
He said his father was having difficulty in breathing for the past few days, and had tested positive for COVID-19.
Gopal Krishna Saxena represented Puranpur in the state assembly.
Covid update: As Delhi announces 6-day lockdown, queues outside liquor shops
Covid updates: India's Double Mutant Jumps To 10 Countries. All You Need To KnowWith India's daily tally of Covid-19 infections surging by records, public health experts worry that a new -- possibly more virulent -- coronavirus variant could be racing through the crowded nation of more than 1.3 billion people.
The new variant, which has a so-called double mutation, is thought to be fueling India's deadlier new wave of cases that has made it the world's second worst-hit country, surpassing Brazil again, and has already begun to overwhelm its hospitals and crematoriums. India has reported more than 14.5 million Covid cases so far and more than 175,600 fatalities.
"This is a variant of interest we are following," Maria Van Kerkhove, the World Health Organization's technical lead officer on Covid, told reporters Friday. "Having two of these mutations, which have been seen in other variants around the world, are concerning," she said, adding that there was a similarity with mutations that increase transmission as well as reduce neutralization, possibly stunting the ability of vaccines to curb them.
The new strain underscores the insidious nature of viruses and threatens to thwart containment efforts in India, despite measures such as the world's largest lockdown last year. An exploding outbreak in India risks undoing a hard-won victory over the pathogen for others, too, especially as this strain has now jumped to at least 10 other countries.
Delhi's 6-Day Lockdown: See What's AllowedDelhi will be under a six-day lockdown from 10 pm tonight to 5 am on Monday, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal announced today as the second and more deadly wave of coronavirus showed little signs of slowing down.
Migrants returning home as fears of another lockdown creep in
Coronavirus updates: Arvind Kejriwal holds presser on Covid surge in Delhi- We did not reduce tests, like other states. Today, we are doing over 1 lakh cases. We have not hid number of deaths. We have been open about the situation - be it number of beds or oxygen.
- Together we will again defeat the crisis.
- In the past 2-3 days, cases have risen to over 25,000 cases putting stress on hospitals.
- There are less than 100 ICU beds, oxygen also in shortage. We have written to Centre.
- We were told a hospital had to struggle at night to arrange hospital. The situation is very serious.
- This is the fourth wave. Many international cities collapsed when they witnessed around 6,000 cases. But we have managed.
- Our health system is under lot of stress. Every system has their limitations. We need to take very difficult steps.
- Today I met Lt Governor and discussed all steps. We need to impose lockdown to put the situation under control. From today 10 pm, we have decided to impose lockdown.
- Only 50 people will be allowed at weddings. A detailed order will be released soon.
- To migrants - I appeal to all that this is a small lockdown of 6 days. Please don't leave Delhi. I assure you that the government will look after you.
- I have always been against lockdown. The lockdown will not finish the virus, but reduce the transmission rate.
- Centre is providing full support. I am sure that we will fight the virus together and defeat it.
Covid Updates: Mamata Banerjee directs Bengal officials to make arrangements to deal with Covid surgeWest Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has directed all the top officials to make elaborate arrangements and step up their efforts at every level to deal with the deteriorating COVID-19 situation in the state.
Taking to Twitter, Ms Banerjee said that the Chief Secretary along with key officials will be doing a press conference at 2 pm to discuss the details of the plan to deal with the COVID-19 situation.
"With the massive surge in #COVID19 cases across India, GoWB is taking all necessary steps to protect its people. I''ve reached out the PM to help us with additional medicines and vaccines required," she tweeted.
"I have also directed all the top officials to make elaborate arrangements and step up their efforts at every level to deal with #COVID19 situation in WB. The Chief Secretary along with key officials will be doing a Press conference at 2PM to discuss the details of the plan," the Chief Minister said in another tweet.
The poll-bound West Bengal reported 8,419 fresh COVID-19 cases and 28 deaths yesterday, the state health department informed on Sunday.
(ANI)
Coronavirus updates: Delhi appoints drug inspectors to monitor Covid situationThrough a separate order, the Delhi government also deputed 28 drug inspectors to monitor the movement of Remdesivir injections in the national capital on a daily basis.
"The drug inspectors shall oversee the whole procurement process of Remdesivir injection starting from placement of order and its receipt by distributor or dealer from company," it stated.
The team will ensure that all supplies received by distributors and dealers are entered in their relevant records and all inventories are properly accounted, the order said.
(PTI)
Coronavirus Updates - Delhi deploys officers to monitor procurement, supply of oxygen and Remdesivir drugThe Delhi government on Monday deployed two teams of officers to monitor procurement and supply of oxygen and the Remdesivir drug amid a shortage of both following an exponential rise in COVID-19 cases.
The national capital on Sunday recorded the biggest jump in its daily COVID-19 tally with 25,462 fresh cases, while the positivity rate shot up to 29.74 per cent -- meaning almost every third sample being tested in the city is turning out to be positive.
According to an official order issued by the health department, a team of nine officers will be deputed at oxygen filling plants, and oversee operations of medical oxygen suppliers.
"The officers will oversee the entire procurement process of medical oxygen by the filler agency and ensure that the quantity of oxygen procured is properly entered in the dedicated register," it said.
"The team will oversee distribution of medical oxygen to various hospitals and nursing homes in Delhi. Each officer shall submit a report on a daily basis to the Officer on Special Duty," the order said.
Coronavirus Updates - Remdesivir row: Sena alleges bid to disturb law and health orderThe Shiv Sena on Monday slammed BJP leaders Devendra Fadnavis and Pravin Darekar for objecting to Mumbai police's grilling of a pharma firm's top executive over alleged stocking of Remdesivir vials, and wondered if there was a conspiracy to disturb the law and health order.
An editorial in the Sena mouthpiece ''Saamana'' accused the BJP of having a clear agenda that the Maharashtra government should fail in handling the COVID-19 situation, and charged it with making persistent efforts in that direction with the help of the Centre.
It said the Maharashtra government and the opposition should be unanimous at least on the issue of saving lives of people and no one should seek political mileage out of pyres of people dying for want of the drug, which is in high demand for treating COVID-19 patients.
Mumbai police questioned a pharma company director on Saturday following information that thousands of vials of Remdesivir were to be flown out of the country, despite a ban on its export.
On learning that the company director was being questioned, former chief minister Fadnavis and another state BJP leader Darekar had rushed to the police station.
They said the BJP was reaching out to pharma companies due to the shortage of Remdesivir in the state.
Telangana reports 4,009 fresh COVID-19 infections, 14 deathsTelangana reported 4,009 fresh COVID-19 cases pushing the tally to over 3.55 lakh, while the
toll rose to 1,838 with 14 more fatalities, the state government said on Monday.
The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) accounted for the most number of cases with 705, followed by Medchal Malkajgiri (363) and Nizamabad (360), it said in a bulletin, providing details as of 8 PM on April 18.
The total number of cumulative cases stood at 3,55,433 while with 1,878 patients being cured, the total recoveries were at 3,14,441.
The state has 39,154 active cases and over 83 lakh samples were tested on Sunday.
Cumulatively, over 1.18 crore samples have been tested.
The samples tested per million population was over 3.17 lakh, the bulletin said.
Odisha reports 4,445 new COVID-19 cases, 4 deaths in last 24 hoursOdisha reported 4,445 new COVID-19 cases, 1,309 recoveries and four deaths in the last 24 hours, informed the state health department on Monday.
According to the state health minister, the total number of cases now stands at 3,72,703. There are 24,568 active cases, 3,46,134 patients have been cured or recovered and 1, 948 deaths so far.
Of the new cases, 2,574 were reported from quarantine centres and 1,871 detected during contact tracing.
The state has so far conducted 96,36,052 sample tests for COVID-19.
(ANI)
2.73 Lakh Fresh Covid Cases, 1,619 Deaths In New Record High For India
Hit by the second Covid wave, India recorded 2,73,810 fresh infections and 1,619 deaths in new record high, taking the caseload to 1.5 crore. Over 1.78 lakh people have died so far. This is the fifth straight day that over 2 lakh cases were reported.
Read Here Maharashtra: 5,013 New COVID-19 Cases In Thane, 42 More Deaths
With the addition of 5,013 new cases of coronavirus, the infection count in Maharashtra's Thane district has gone up to 4,16,381, an official said on Monday. Besides these new cases reported on Sunday, the virus also claimed the lives of 42 people, pushing the death count in the district to 6,942, he said.
COVID 19: 2,73,810 Fresh Coronavirus Cases In India In Biggest-Ever One-Day SpikeIndia's total tally of COVID-19 cases surged to 1,50,61,919 with 2,73,810 new infections, while the recoveries have surged to 1,29,53,821, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Monday. The death count increased to 1,78,769 with 1,619 new fatalities, the data updated at 8 am showed.
Coronavirus: Team Of Senior Officials Deployed In Lucknow To Oversee COVID-19 Situation
Amid the worsening COVID-19 scenario in Lucknow, a team of senior officials were deployed on Sunday to bring the situation under control. According to an order, Dr GS Bajpayee, an additional director has been tasked to oversee the COVID-19 preparations in Lucknow with immediate effect till May 31. The Chief Medical Officer, Additional CMO, and other officials in COVID-19 duty will report to him.
COVID-19: Maharashtra Declares 6 States As Places Of "Sensitive Origin"
Struggling to contain the huge COVID-19 surge, Maharashtra on Sunday declared six states, including the national capital and the NCR region, as the places of "sensitive origin" in a bid to stop the "influx of other variants of coronavirus" from other locations. An order signed by Maharashtra chief secretary Sitaram Kunte has declared states of Kerala, Goa, Gujarat, Delhi and NCR region, Rajasthan and Uttarakhand as the places of "sensitive origin".
Rajasthan Government Orders Closure Of Offices, Markets Till May 3
In a bid to contain the spread of coronavirus, the Rajasthan government ordered the closure of offices and markets from Monday to May 3, according to a release. Called the
"Jan Anushasan Pakhwada'' (public discipline fortnight), only shops and offices providing essential services will open during the 15-day period, the release issued by Home Secretary Abhay Kumar said. The sale of fruits and vegetables will be allowed till 7 pm. Those entering Rajasthan will have to show a negative RT-PCR report issued 72 hours prior to the travel.
Jharkhand Seeks Centre's Permission To Import Remdesivir From Bangladesh
The Jharkhand government has reached out to some pharma companies in Bangladesh for importing the antiviral drug Remdesivir, which is used in the treatment of serious Covid patients, Chief Minister Hemant Soren tweeted on Sunday. He said the state government has sought the centre's permission for buying the drug from abroad.
Read Here Maharashtra: State Government's statewide restrictions till May 1 in the wake of the COVID-19 situation.
Maharashtra: State Government's statewide restrictions till May 1 in the wake of the COVID-19 situation.
Oxygen For Industrial Use To Be Diverted For Covid Patients Amid Spike
The supply of oxygen meant for industries will now be diverted for medical use in the country as it battles a record surge in the COVID-19 cases in the deadly second wave of the pandemic, said a letter from the government to the chief secretaries of all the states.
Read Here Maharashtra: With a surge in coronavirus cases, Pune-based hospital runs short of oxygen.
Amid Soaring Covid Cases, Arvind Kejriwal's Shocking Claim On Oxygen
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday alleged that the Centre has reduced Delhi's quota of medical oxygen and diverted it to other states. He also wrote to Union minister Piyush Goyal, alleging that 140 Metric Tonnes of Oxygen meant for Delhi was diverted to other states and should be restored. The national capital, he said, is facing an acute shortage of oxygen, and declared the issue has become "an emergency".
Read Here People coming to Chhattisgarh to undergo mandatory COVID-19 test, says Chief Minister
The Chhattisgarh government has mandated a COVID-19 test for all passengers at airports, railway stations, bus stands and inter-state borders coming to the state amid the increasing number of coronavirus infections.
Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel on Sunday reviewed the current status of coronavirus infection in 10 districts of the state, preventive measures and arrangements made for the treatment of patients in a virtual meeting held at his residence office.
"Amid increasing COVID-19 caseload, passengers coming from outside to be tested at airports, railway stations, bus stands and inter-state borders. Testing to be done in rural areas as well," said Mr Baghel.
Kerala universities postpone exams amid COVID-19 surge
Following the intervention of Kerala Governor Arif Mohammad Khan, all exams being scheduled by the universities from Monday have been postponed in the wake of the COVID-19 surge in the state.
Among those universities that postponed various exams include APJ Abdul Kalam Technical University, Kerala University, Calicut University, Mahatma Gandhi University, Kochi, Cochin University of Science and Technology (CUSAT), Kerala University of Health Sciences, Malayalam University and Kerala Veterinary and Animal Sciences University.
"Vice-Chancellors have been requested by the Governor to postpone all offline exams. The Governor has suggested that fresh dates be given based on the prevailing conditions," said the Kerala Governor''s office.
"In view of the directions from the Chancellor and considering the representations from student organisations, Vice-Chancellor has directed to postpone all scheduled examinations of APJ Abdul Kalam Technological University," said a release issued by Controller of Examinations of the University.