This Article is From Apr 11, 2021

Coronavirus India Highlights: With 1,45,384 Fresh Covid Cases, India Sees Highest-Ever Single-Day Surge

Coronavirus (COVID-19) Latest News: Weekend lockdown imposed in Maharashtra from 8 pm on Friday to 7 am on Monday

Coronavirus India Highlights: With 1,45,384 Fresh Covid Cases, India Sees Highest-Ever Single-Day Surge

COVID-19 Live Updates: In the last 24 hours, 794 people died.

New Delhi:

With a record 1,45,384 fresh cases, India's COVID-19 tally has climbed to 1,32,05,926, the health ministry said on Saturday.

The number of active cases has breached the 10-lakh mark again after around six-and-a-half months, while the death count due to the viral disease has gone up to 1,68,436 with 794 more fatalities, the highest since October 18 last year, the ministry's data updated at 8 am showed.

Registering a steady increase for the 31st day in a row, the number of active coronavirus cases in the country has gone up to 10,46,631, accounting for 7.93 per cent of its total caseload, while the recovery rate has further dropped to 90.80 per cent, PTI reported. 

Meanwhile, a weekend lockdown was imposed from 8 pm on Friday to 7 am on Monday in Maharashtra amid an unprecedented surge in coronavirus cases.  

Essential services such as medical, groceries and vegetable shops will be allowed to remain open. Home deliveries of food and essential supplies, including those via mobile applications like Zomato and Swiggy, will also be allowed, the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai had said in a statement.

The municipal body also said that during the weekend lockdown, students who have to take exams can show their exam tickets for free movement.

Here are the Highlights on Coronavirus India Cases:

Apr 11, 2021 05:41 (IST)
MBBS Students, Interns To Be Roped In For Covid Hospitals In Delhi

In order to meet the increased demand for manpower during the ongoing Covid pandemic, all Delhi Government hospitals are directed to engage 4th and 5th-year MBBS students, interns and BDS doctors to assist in the treatment of Covid-affected patients.

"In view of the surge of COVID pandemic and to meet the demand of increased manpower, the Medical Directors/Medical Superintendents/Directors of all COVID Hospitals of Government of NCT of Delhi are authorized to engage 4th and 5th-year MBBS students, Interns and BDS pass Doctors as per the provisions of order No. 52/DGHS/PH-IV/COVID-19/2020/ss4hfw/1144 dated 18.11.2020 issued by this Department", read the order by the Delhi government.
Apr 11, 2021 05:14 (IST)
Disrespecting Doctors Treating Covid Patients Shameful: Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister

Taking cognisance of the incident where a senior doctor of a Hospital submitted his resignation over the mistreatment of the hospital staff, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Saturday termed it a shameful incident, adding the COVID-19 pandemic cannot be tackled without the cooperation of people and doctors.

"It is very shameful that some people treated the doctors and hospital staff rudely, thereby creating a ruckus at Bhopal's JP Hospital. No person has any right to mistreat our doctors." the Chief Minister said.
Apr 11, 2021 01:22 (IST)
Sharp Rise In COVID-19 Cases In Assam As 405 Persons Test Positive

Assam reported two more COVID-19 deaths on Saturday, while the number of cases increased sharply with 405 persons testing positive, the National Health Mission (NHM) said.

The state reported 281 cases on Friday. The death count rose to 1,117 with the latest fatalities, the National Health Mission said.

The state has so far tested 74,48,662 samples, it said.

In all, 2,19,958 cases have been detected in Assam.
Apr 10, 2021 21:46 (IST)
'Tika Utsav' from Sunday; aim to vaccinate maximum eligible people
A ''Tika Utsav'' or vaccine festival will be marked in the country from April 11-14 at the behest of Prime Minister Narendra Modi with an aim to inoculate maximum number of eligible people against the coronavirus amid a surge in cases.

Several states such as Uttar Pradesh and Bihar are gearing up with appeals being made to eligible people to get themselves vaccinated during the duration of the ''Tika Utsav''.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has also issued an appeal to people to get vaccinated in large numbers during the ''Tika Utsav''.

In his interaction with chief ministers to discuss the COVID-19 situation and the ongoing vaccination drive on Thursday, Prime Minister Modi had urged them to focus on vaccinating all those who are above 45 years in age in high caseload districts.

"Sometimes, it helps in changing the atmosphere. The birth anniversary of Jyotiba Phule is on April 11 and on April 14, there is the birth anniversary of Baba Saheb. Can we organise a ''Tika Utsav: or vaccine festival and create an atmosphere of ''Tika Utsav''?" he had said.

"We should vaccinate as many eligible people through a special campaign and decide on zero wastage. If there is zero wastage in four days during ''Tika Utsav'', it will also increase our vaccination capacity," PM Modi had asserted.

He has also called for making optimum utilisation of vaccination capacity.
Apr 10, 2021 21:37 (IST)
Record spike of 4,986 COVID-19 cases in Madhya Pradesh, tally over 3.32 lakhs
Madhya Pradesh reported 4,986 COVID-19 cases on Saturday, the state's biggest single-day
spike, which pushed its infection count to 3,32,206, said an official.

The count rose to 4,160 with 24 deaths being recorded in the last 24 hours, the official said, adding that MP has, in April so far, added 36,695 cases and 174 deaths.

He said 2,126 patients were discharged from hospitals in the last 24 hours, taking the count of recoveries in Madhya Pradesh to 2,87,869, the department said.

"With 912 new cases, Indore's caseload went up to 77,592 and Bhopal's rose to 57,334 with the addition of 736 cases. Indore reported five deaths during the day, taking its toll to 994. Bhopal's toll rose by one to touch 645. Indore and Bhopal have 7,425 and 5,088 active cases respectively," he said.
Apr 10, 2021 21:31 (IST)
Mumbai Records Over 9,300 New Covid Cases, Infections Doubling In 34 Days
Mumbai reported 9,327 coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours, slightly up from yesterday's 9,200, as the gripping pandemic forces Maharashtra to implement stricter rules to contain the surge.
Apr 10, 2021 21:15 (IST)
COVID-19: Gandhinagar municipal corporation polls postponed
The Gujarat State Election Commission (SEC) on Saturday decided to postpone the elections
to the Gandhinagar Municipal Corporation, scheduled to be held on April 18, due to the rise in COVID-19 cases, an official statement said.

The elections are postponed for an indefinite period following a request made by the main political parties including the BJP, the Congress and the AAP, and many social groups.

"Taking in view the grave situation caused by the pandemic, to maintain public health and to ensure that voting is done in a free and fair environment, the State Election Commission (SEC) has decided to postpone this election till further orders," the SEC said.
Apr 10, 2021 21:04 (IST)
12 new cases take Nagaland's COVID-19 tally to 12,400
Nagaland's COVID-19 caseload surged to 12,400 on Saturday as 12 more persons tested
positive for the infection, a health official said.

The state now has 157 active cases, while 11,990 people have recovered from the disease, 91 patients have died due to the infection and 162 have migrated to other states, he said.

12 +ve cases of COVID-19 reported today. Dimapur- 7, Kohima- 4, Mokokchung- 1. And, 2 +ve patients of COVID-19 have recovered at Kohima, Health Minister S Pangnyu Phom tweeted.

The recovery rate has come down to 96.67 per cent from Fridays 96.77 per cent, the Director of Health Department, Dr Denis Hangsing, said in the daily COVID-19 bulletin.

The recovery rate had gone up to 97.98 per cent on March 19.

The state has so far tested over 1.38 lakh samples for COVID-19.
Apr 10, 2021 21:03 (IST)
Karnataka logs 6,955 infections, 36 deaths
Karnataka on Saturday saw 6,955 fresh COVID-19 cases - a dip in the number of new COVID-19
cases by a thousand compared to the previous day's 7,955, according to the health department.

Even the number of deaths declined, by 10 cases. It was 36 today as against 46 on Friday.

So far, the total number of cases were 10,55,040 and deaths 12,849, the department said.

According to the bulletin, 9,80,519 people have so far got discharged. This comprised 3,350 on Saturday.

There were 61,653 active cases and they included 405 in the ICU, the department said.
Apr 10, 2021 20:20 (IST)
Coronavirus: In Mumbai, BMC receives 99,000 doses of Covishield
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Saturday said it received 99,000 doses of the Covishield vaccine.

As per the BMC, the doses will be distributed to civic and government-run vaccine centres.

Vaccine shortage in Mumbai led to the temporary halting of vaccination across 75 vaccination centres in the city on Friday.

This comes amid allegations by Chief Ministers across the country that there are only enough vaccines in the state for the next few days.

Mumbai is currently under a weekend lockdown till 7 am on Monday in an effort to curb the spread of the COVID-19 infection. The city reported 9,200 COVID19 cases and 35 deaths on Friday. There are currently 90,333 active cases in the city.
Apr 10, 2021 19:45 (IST)
Kerala records 6,194 COVID-19 cases, death count crosses 4,700 with 17 more fatalities
Kerala continued to witness a steep surge in COVID-19 cases with 6,194 cases being reported on Saturday as the active cases crossed 39,000 and the death count mounted to 4,767 with 17 more deaths.

As many as 2,584 people have been cured of the infection, taking the total recoveries to 11,115,342.

The total caseload has soared to 11,60,204 and 39,778 are undergoing treatment for the infection,according to a government release.

As many as 1,64,894 people are under observation in various districts, including 5,906 in hospitals.

In the last 24 hours ending 2 pm, 61,957 samples were tested and the test positivity rate rose to 10 per cent, the release said.
Apr 10, 2021 19:34 (IST)
With 1,005 fresh COVID-19 cases, J&K records highest single-day spike this year
Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday saw its highest single-day spike this year as 1,005 new COVID-19 positive cases were recorded, taking the tally to 1,37,475, even as six fresh deaths due to the virus in the past 24 hours took the count to 2,029, officials said.

Out of the fresh cases, 299 were from Jammu division and 706 from Kashmir division of the Union territory, they said. As many as 154 travellers were among the fresh cases in the UT.

The officials said Srinagar district recorded the highest with 492 cases, including 62 travellers, followed by 183 in Jammu and 93 in Baramulla district.

The number of active cases has now reached 6,755 in the UT, while 1,28,691 patients have recovered so far, the officials said.
Apr 10, 2021 19:33 (IST)
Kerala Assembly Speaker tests positive for COVID-19
Kerala Assembly Speaker P Sreeramakrishnan on Saturday tested positive for COVID-19.

In a Facebook post, Sreeramakrishnan said he has tested positive for the infection and was under observation at his official residence.

He also requested all those who had come in contact with him in recent days to quarantine themselves.

Customs officials had recorded the statement of the speaker in the dollar smuggling case on Friday.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and senior Congress leader Oommen Chandy have also tested positive for the virus and have been hospitalised.

(PTI)
Apr 10, 2021 19:32 (IST)
COVID-19: Nagpur sees 5,131 cases, 65 deaths; 2,837 recover
Nagpur district on Saturday reported 5,131 COVID-19 cases and 65 deaths from the infection, taking the tally to 2,71,355 and the count to 5,706, an official said.

The number of people who were discharged during the day was 2,837, taking the recovery count in the district to 2,14,073, he added.

The active caseload in Nagpur is 51,576, the official said.

With 20,666 samples being examined on Saturday, the number of tests in Nagpur went up to 18,01,237.
Apr 10, 2021 19:14 (IST)
Goa sees 540 COVID-19 cases, 1 death, 167 recoveries
Goa's coronavirus caseload went up by 540 and reached 61,779 on Saturday, while the death count rose by one and the recovery count by 167, an official said.

The state's count stands at 846 and the number of people discharged so far is 56,964, leaving it with 3,969 active cases, he added.

With 2,960 samples being examined on Saturday, the number of tests in Goa went up to 5,69,832, the official added.
Apr 10, 2021 18:47 (IST)
Maharashtra got 1.10 crore vaccine doses, says Prakash Javadekar; state to get 1,121 ventilators
Maharashtra has received 1.10 crore doses of anti-COVID 19 vaccines so far, Union minister Prakash Javadekar said on Saturday amid reports that the state is facing an acute shortage of the doses which is hampering its vaccination drive.

Speaking to reporters, Mr Javadekar said apart from Maharashtra, Gujarat and Rajasthan are the two other states that have received more than 1 crore doses.

He also said over 1,100 ventilators will be made available for Maharashtra, which is worst-affected by COVID-19 pandemic, in the next three days.

He said that oxygen supply has also been routed from the industrial production units.
Apr 10, 2021 18:45 (IST)
COVID-19: Maharashtra BJP leader Sambhaji Nilangekar tests positive
Maharashtra BJP leader and MLA from Nilanga in Latur Sambhaji Patil Nilangekar on Saturday
said he had tested positive for coronavirus.

Providing information on social media, the former state minister said he was in home isolation and that his condition was stable.

"Citizens who have come in contact with me in the last few days should test and take care of the family," he tweeted.
Apr 10, 2021 18:39 (IST)
Streets, markets empty as Madhya Pradesh weekend lockdown kicks in
Streets and markets in most cities of Madhya Pradesh wore a deserted look on Saturday, uncharacteristic for the weekend, as a 60-hour lockdown started showing effect.

The lockdown came into force at 6 pm on Friday.

Among these places, Ratlam, Betul, Katni, Khargone and Chhindwara districts, all bordering Maharashtra, have been seeing record spikes in infections over the past few days.

Ratlam and Betul will be under lockdown for nine days, while it will be from Friday till the morning of April 16 in Chhindwara, close to Nagpur, the biggest city in Maharashtra's Vidarbha region.

The lockdown will be in force for a period of seven days, which started on Friday night, in Khargone and Katni, officials said.

However, thanks to an Assembly bypoll scheduled on Apil 17, Damoh remained "open" for campaigning, officials pointed out.
Apr 10, 2021 18:35 (IST)
106-year-old woman gets her first dose of COVID-19 vaccine in Madhya Pradesh
A woman, whose age according to her Aadhaar card is 106 years, received her first dose of
COVID-19 vaccine in Bhopal district of Madhya Pradesh on Saturday.

The woman was administered the dose at an inoculation facility in Berasia area, a state public relations department official said.

After getting the jab, Kamli Bai, a resident of Bilkho village, said that the vaccine may help tide over the pandemic.

According to Kamli Bai's Aadhaar card, she was born on January 1, 1915.

(PTI)
Apr 10, 2021 18:30 (IST)
Vivek Oberoi receives first COVID-19 vaccine jab in Mumbai
Bollywood actor Vivek Oberoi on Saturday became the latest Indian celebrity to take a jab of the Covid-19 vaccine.

The 44-year-old actor took to his Instagram handle and shared a video of himself getting vaccinated at the Cooper Hospital in Mumbai.

Along with the video, he wrote, "First dose of Covid-19 vaccine. A big thank you and my warmest appreciation to all the frontline workers, our #Warriors for taking up this entire process seamlessly with utmost care. I would request everyone to not delay their safety and please get vaccinated (according to the age segregation) Let''s defeat the virus together!"
Apr 10, 2021 18:24 (IST)
Odisha reports record 1,374 new COVID-19 cases, two more fatalities
Odisha's COVID-19 tally mounted to 3,48,182 as the state registered this year's highest single-day spike of 1,374 new cases on Saturday, a health official said.

Two fresh fatalities pushed the state's coronavirus death count to 1,926, he said.

Of the new cases, 812 were reported in quarantine centres, while 562 detected during contact tracing.

Sundergarh district recorded the highest number of fresh cases at 355, followed by Khurda (193), Nuapada (135), Sambalpur (77), Bargarh (59), Jharsuguda (52), Cuttack (51), Rayagada (47) and Kalahandi (45).

The state had reported 1,282 COVID-19 cases on Friday.
Apr 10, 2021 17:51 (IST)
With 12,787 New Covid Cases, Highest Single-Day Spike In Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh reported the highest number of coronavirus cases at 12,787 on Saturday, up from 9,695 a day before, along with 48 deaths.
Apr 10, 2021 17:11 (IST)
COVID attacks the poorest, disadvantaged the hardest: Rahul Gandhi
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi On Saturday expressed deep concerns over the second wave of COVID-19 in the country and urged the government to look at new mutations, which are the source of the second wave. He also reiterated his demand for basic income support to the needy by the Centre.

This comes as Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi held a meeting today via video conference with chief ministers and ministers of the Congress-ruled states to review the COVID-19 situation.

The meeting was attended by chief ministers of the Congress-ruled states, as well as senior party leaders, including Rahul Gandhi.

Apr 10, 2021 16:58 (IST)
Maharashtra streets, markets deserted as 1st weekend lockdown comes into force
The weekend lockdown imposed across Maharashtra to bring under control the COVID-19 surge,
has elicited a positive reponse from people so far with the streets and markets in most parts of the state, including Mumbai, Pune, Aurangabad and Nagpur, wearing a deserted look, officials said on Saturday.

However, at some locations in the state, including some market areas in Mumbai, people were seen flouting social distancing and other norms by gathering at one place in large numbers.

The first weekend lockdown in the state began at 8 pm on Friday and it will continue till 7 am on Monday.

The announcement about the weekend lockdown had been made on Sunday, when the state government also declared some other restrictions, like night curfew during the week days and
prohibitory orders during the day time as part of its ''Break the Chain'' COVID-19 action plan.

The weekend lockdown and other curbs will continue till April 30.
Apr 10, 2021 16:49 (IST)
Congress Candidate Ajit Mangaraj For Odisha's Pipili Bypoll Tests Positive For COVID-19
Congress candidate for by-election to Odisha's Pipili assembly segment, Ajit Mangaraj, said on Saturday that he has tested positive for COVID-19.
Apr 10, 2021 16:34 (IST)
Coronavirus News: Madhya Pradesh Tourism Minister Usha Thakur Performs 'Puja' To Ward Off COVID-19
The worrying surge in coronavirus cases seems to have forced politicians to seek divine intervention to ward off the threat posed by the deadly disease.
Apr 10, 2021 16:16 (IST)
Mizoram to close schools for students of class 8 and below following spike in Covid cases
Mizoram will close down schools for students of class eight and below following a spike in
COVID-19 cases due to the second wave of the virus in the state, a new guideline issued by the state government which came into effect on Saturday said.

Schools for students of classes five to eight were reopened on March 1 and for classes three and four on April 1.

Public interview for ministers has been suspended, for the time being, the guideline issued on Friday night said.

The state government has also banned night church services and extended the duration of the existing night curfew in the state capital town of Aizawl and the district headquarters in view of the second COVID-19 wave, it said.

According to the new guideline, only online classes will be conducted for students of class eight and below as normal classes have been suspended with immediate effect.
Apr 10, 2021 15:53 (IST)
COVID-19: No lockdown in Delhi, new restrictions to be implemented soon, says Arvind Kejriwal
Amid a spike in COVID-19 cases in the national capital, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal ruled out the possibilities of a lockdown stating that new restrictions will be implemented soon.

He further said that Delhi currently has seven to 10 ten days of COVID vaccine stock.

Read more here

Apr 10, 2021 15:30 (IST)
Madhya Pradesh's active COVID-19 case count may reach 1 lakh by April end: Shivraj Chouhan
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Saturday said the number of active
COVID-19 cases in the state might reach one lakh by the end of this month given the spike in infection count.

He made the statement while speaking to reporters.

"The way there is a spike in coronavirus infection cases, the number of active cases in Madhya Pradesh may reach one lakh by the end of this month. We will try to stop this in the middle as we have started adopting some measures, including lockdown," he said.

Till Friday night, the number of active cases in Madhya Pradesh was 30,486, while its caseload reached 3,27,220.
Apr 10, 2021 15:21 (IST)
Five states account for over 72% of India's total active COVID-19 cases: Centre
Five states -- Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, and Kerala -- cumulatively account for 72.23 per cent of the country''s total active COVID-19 cases which have breached the 10-lakh mark again after around six-and-half-months, the Union health ministry said on Saturday.

Ten districts including Pune, Mumbai, Thane, Nagpur, Bengaluru Urban, Nashik, Delhi, Raipur, Durg and Aurangabad account for 45.65 per cent of the total active cases which have climbed to 10,46,631 and now comprise 7.93 per cent of the total infections, it said.

A net increase of 67,023 cases have been recorded in the total active cases in a span of 24 hours.
Maharashtra alone accounts for 51.23 per cent of the total active cases in the country, the ministry said.

Ten states -- Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Rajasthan -- have shown a steep rise in the daily COVID-19 cases accounting for 82.82 per cent of the new infections, it said.

(PTI)
Apr 10, 2021 14:52 (IST)
Formulate COVID-19 vaccine allotment criteria: Maharashtra Health Minister to Centre
Maharashtra Health Minister Rajesh Tope has urged the Centre to formulate criteria for allotment of COVID-19 vaccines by taking into consideration factors like population and number of active coronavirus cases of a particular state.

He alleged that many states, which are smaller than Maharashtra in terms of population and the number of patients, have received more doses.

Talking to reporters, Tope said that out of thelatest dispatch of 3.5 crore doses by the Centre, Maharashtra received 7 lakh and the Centre added another 10 lakh "after much persuasion".

"The criteria should be decided in terms of the size of the population and the number of active cases," he said, adding that many smaller states with less population and number of active cases had got more doses than Maharashtra.

He said that Maharashtra, with a population of over 12 crore, accounts for 60 per cent of the total number of active cases in the country.

(PTI)
Apr 10, 2021 14:38 (IST)
India's COVID-19 vaccination coverage exceeds 9.80 crore
The cumulative number of COVID-19 vaccine doses administered in the country on Friday exceeded 9.80 crores, the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said on Saturday.

According to the health ministry, cumulatively 9,80,75,160 vaccine doses have been administered through 14,75,410 sessions, as per the provisional report till 7 am today. Nearly 34 lakh vaccination doses were administered in the last 24 hours.

"Eight states account for 60.62 per cent of the total doses given so far in the country," the ministry said.

As of day-84 of the vaccination drive on April 9, 34,15,055 vaccine doses were given. Out of which, 30,06,037 beneficiaries were vaccinated across 46,207 sessions for 1st dose and 4,09,018 beneficiaries received 2nd dose of the vaccine.

(ANI)
Apr 10, 2021 14:20 (IST)
School shut after teacher dies of COVID-19 in UP's Muzaffarnagar
A private school has been closed here for three days after a teacher died of COVID-19, officials said.

School principal Chanchal Saxena said the management has asked its staff members and students to get themselves tested for COVID-19 after the teacher died due to the virus in Muzaffarnagar Medical College on Friday.

Meanwhile, authorities decided to impose night curfew from April 10 to april 18 in the district in view of the rising COVID-19 cases. The curfew timings will be from 9 pm to 5 am.

(PTI)
Apr 10, 2021 13:58 (IST)
Jharkhand reports 1,925 new COVID-19 cases, 17 fresh fatalities
Jharkhand's COVID-19 tally soared to 1,34,715 on Saturday as 1,925 more people tested positive
for the infection, while 17 fresh fatalities pushed the state's coronavirus death toll to 1,175, a health bulletin said.

Ranchi district reported the highest number of new cases at 754, followed by East Singhbhum (256) and Dhanbad (94), it said.

Ranchi reported the highest number of coronavirus fatalities at eight, followed by three in East Singhbhum, two in Dhanbad and one each in Gumla, Chatra, Palamu and Sahibganj districts.

The state now has 10,604 active cases, while 1,22,936 people have recovered from the disease to date, it said.
Apr 10, 2021 13:32 (IST)
Punjab left with just 5 days of COVID-19 vaccine stock: Amarinder Singh
Punjab's COVID-19 vaccine stock will last another five days, Chief Minister Amarinder Singh said on Saturday as he urged the Centre to share the schedule of supply of the vaccines.

The state has been inoculating 85,000-90,000 beneficiaries in a day, and at this rate, Punjab's current stock of 5.7 lakh vaccine doses will run out in five days, he said.

Pinning hopes on fresh batches of vaccines from the Centre, Mr Singh stressed that if Punjab was able to meet its target of administering two lakh shots a day, then its current supplies will last only three days.

In an official statement, he said he wrote to the prime minister and the Union health minister to give confirmed supply schedules for the next quarter.

Despite being a slow-starter in vaccination, Punjab has inoculated more than 16 lakh people, at an average of around 85,000-90,000 per day, the Punjab chief minister said at a meeting convened by Congress president Sonia Gandhi to discuss the COVID-19 situation in the party-ruled states.

(PTI)
Apr 10, 2021 13:27 (IST)
Sonia Gandhi Says 'Modi Government Mismanaged Covid, Exported Vaccine, Allowed Shortage'
Congress's interim chief Sonia Gandhi held a virtual meeting today with Chief Ministers of Congress-ruled states to take stock of the COVID-19 situation and preparedness as the country witnessed a surge in coronavirus cases.
Apr 10, 2021 13:11 (IST)

Centre exported COVID-19 vaccines and allowed shortage in India: Sonia Gandhi at meeting of Congress-ruled states to review virus situation. 
Apr 10, 2021 12:24 (IST)
Coronavirus: Uddhav Thackeray calls all-party meet to review COVID-19 situation in Maharashtra
Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Saturday called an all-party meeting via video conference to review the current COVID-19 situation in the state.

This comes a day after Maharashtra recorded 58,993 new COVID-19 cases, 45,391 recoveries, and 301 deaths, ANI reported. 
Apr 10, 2021 12:08 (IST)
Coronavirus: Adopting COVID-19 appropriate behaviour best way to stop transmission of virus, its variants, says WHO

Adoption of COVID-19 appropriate behaviour is the best way to stop transmission of the virus and its variants, Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh, Regional Director, WHO South-East Asia Region, said as she underlined that efforts to test, trace, isolate, and treat need to be scaled up.

In an interview to PTI on the recent surge in coronavirus cases, Singh also spoke about the importance of communities practising cough etiquette, hand hygiene and social distancing in the fight against the disease.
Apr 10, 2021 12:07 (IST)
Coronavirus update: Sonia Gandhi holds meeting with CMs of Cong-ruled states to review COVID-19 situation

Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi on Saturday held a meeting via video conference with chief ministers and ministers of the party-ruled states to review the COVID-19 situation, ANI reported. 

During the meeting, she discussed the efforts to fight COVID-19 including the availability of vaccines, access to medicines and ventilators.
Apr 10, 2021 11:26 (IST)
Coronavirus update: Virus lockdowns around the world as vaccine efforts stumble

Fresh lockdowns and curfews were imposed on tens of millions of people from India to Argentina on Saturday, as Covid-19 infections surged again and vaccine roll-outs were hampered by shortages and scares over side effects.

In India, the worst-hit state of Maharashtra was running out of vaccines as the health system buckled under the weight of the contagion, which has killed 2.9 million people worldwide, AFP reported. 


Apr 10, 2021 11:00 (IST)
Coronavirus update: Restaurants owners in Bengaluru urge government to reconsider timings of night curfew

Owners of different restaurants in Bengaluru on Saturday urged the state government to reconsider the timing of the night curfew that will come into effect from April 10, ANI reported. 

"For the last few months, it is only in the evening that we find some people coming in. For the 10 pm curfew, we will have to shut down our restaurants by 9:30 pm. We will make a representation to the CM to request him to reconsider the timing," Mukesh Tolani, a restaurant owner said.
Apr 10, 2021 10:44 (IST)
Coronavirus update: Devotees seen flouting COVID-19 guidelines at temple in Mathura

Despite the surge in COVID-19 cases in Uttar Pradesh, a massive crowd of devotees were seen flouting COVID-related guidelines at Shri Bankey Bihari Ji Temple in Vrindavan on Friday.

Devotees were seen flouting COVID-related guidelines despite priests were urging them to wear face masks and maintain social distancing, ANI reported. 
Apr 10, 2021 10:21 (IST)
Coronavirus update: Expect to receive more COVID-19 vaccine doses within 2 days, says Odisha vaccination In-charge

Amid a surge in coronavirus cases, Odisha COVID-19 vaccination In-Charge Bijay Panigrahi on Friday said the state is left with only two days of vaccine stock and expects to receive more vaccine doses from Centre within two days, PTI reported. 

Speaking to reporters about the situation of vaccine stock, Panigrahi said, "We have 3.2 lakh doses of Covishield and 1 lakh doses of Covaxin in Odisha. With this stock, we can continue vaccination for two days. We expect to receive more vaccine doses from the Government of India within two days."
Apr 10, 2021 09:56 (IST)
Coronavirus update: In Houston, a race to vaccinate its student population

On the campus of Houston University, students meet in small groups, sit alone at computers and attend virtual meetings, AFP reported. 

It appears they are taking precautions against the coronavirus, but the Texas metropolis is still rushing to get its population of about 300,000 university and college students vaccinated as quickly as possible.

Apr 10, 2021 08:56 (IST)
Coronavirus update: Brazil reports another 93,317 COVID-19 cases, 3,693 deaths

Brazil reported another 93,317 infections and 3,693 deaths from COVID-19 in the last 24 hours, raising the national tallies to 348,718 and 13,373,174, respectively, the Ministry of Health said Friday.

Hospitals in 19 states and the capital Brasilia are collapsing under the weight of rising infections, as more than 90 per cent of intensive care beds have been occupied.

The country's average daily number of deaths in the last seven days has increased to 2,930, the highest in the world, ANI reported. 
Apr 10, 2021 08:51 (IST)
Coronavirus update: 12 new cases take COVID-19 tally of Andamans to 5,161

The COVID-19 tally of Andaman and Nicobar Islands rose to 5,161 on Saturday as 12 more
people tested positive for the infection, a health official said.

Two new patients have travel history, while 10 fresh infections were detected during contact tracing, he said. One more person has been cured of the disease, PTI reported. 
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