Coronavirus April 27 Highlights: Prime Minister Narendra Modi interacted with state chief ministers today to review the Covid-19 situation at the ground level. The interaction was held via video conferencing. Several chief ministers, including West Bengal’s Mamata Banerjee, Chhattisgarh’s Bhupesh Baghel and Punjab’s Bhagwant Mann, participated in the interaction, reported PTI.
Meanwhile, the country recorded 2,927 fresh cases and 2,252 recoveries, in the last 24 hours, according to the official data shared by the Health Ministry on Wednesday morning. India’s active cases stand at 16,279.
On a global level, World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has once again urged governments all across the world to maintain survelliance of Covid-19 infections. In a worrying new trend, Tedros informed that WHO has been receiving less and less information about transmission and sequencing. He stressed that this is because of reduced testing rate which is making WHO increasingly blind to patterns of transimission and evolution of the virus.
“This virus won’t go away just because countries stop looking for it. It’s still spreading. It’s still changing, and it’s still killing. The threat of a dangerous new variant remains very real and although deaths are declining, we still don’t understand the long-term consequences of infection in those who survive. When it comes to a deadly virus, ignorance is not bliss. WHO continues to call on all countries to maintain survellaince,” Tedros said.
Financial Express Online brings you live updates on Covid situation in India and from around the world.
Coronavirus India Live News: Covid-19 Cases and Deaths in India, Covid New Guidelines and Restrictions Live Updates
Based on genome-sequencing analysis, the Indian SARS-COV-2 Genomics Consortia (INSACOG) has said very few recombinant variants of the coronavirus have been found in the country and none of those has shown either increased transmission, locally or otherwise, nor were they associated with severe disease or hospitalisation.
INSACOG, in its weekly bulletin of April 11 that was released on Wednesday, said the incidences of suspected recombinants and the possible public health relevance are being closely monitored. | READ MORE
If we have to avoid reimposing Covid19 restrictions, then, self-discipline, the wearing of mask and vaccination are important. We will urge the Centre to make vaccination compulsory: Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray in a meeting with all districts in the state (ANI)
We have made the wearing of masks compulsory in four districts neighbouring Delhi as Covid cases rise. We are fully prepared to fight Covid19: Haryana minister Anil Vij (ANI)
Delhi reported 1,367 fresh COVID-19 cases and one fatality, while the positivity rate stood at 4.50 per cent, according to data shared by the health department here on Wednesday.
It was the sixth consecutive day that the capital recorded over 1,000 new cases in a day. | READ MORE
Kerala govt brings back face mask mandate in wake of surge in COVID-19 cases in other parts of country: Official (PTI)
Delhi reports 1367 new COVID-19 cases, 1042 recoveries and one death in the last 24 hours.
Active cases 4832 (ANI)
Worried about the rising COVID cases in the national capital, traders’ associations across Delhi have resumed regular sanitisation, put up posters of dos and don’ts, and are ensuring proper masking in the markets.
The national capital has been witnessing an uptick in coronavirus infections over the past few days. The number of active cases has now increased to 4,168 from 601 on April 11, according to health department data. | READ MORE
Govt likely to soon reduce gap between second dose of COVID-19 vaccine and precaution dose from current 9 months to 6 months, say official sources (PTI)
PM Modi stresses on 'test, track and treat' with same efficacy to tackle COVID surge (ANI)
As COVID-19 cases rise, experts say though symptoms are mild, maintain caution (ANI)
West Bengal on Wednesday launched a sentinel surveillance in all its 23 districts to find the current trend of COVID-19 pandemic in the state, a senior official said. At least 12,000 samples will be collected during the survey which will continue till April 29, he said. “Going by the sudden rise in the number of coronavirus cases in other parts of the country, we have decided to carry out sentinel surveillance to find out the trend here. We are cautious,” the official told PTI when contacted.
Odisha has reported no COVID-19 deaths in the last one week, as per the state health department. The state registered 10 new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, it said on Wednesday. There are 80 active cases in the state at present, it added. Seventeen districts of the state have no COVID-19 patients. The new cases were detected after testing 20,274 samples. So far, 9,124 people have died in the state and 12,88,017 cases have been reported. Ten more patients recovered in the last 24 hours, the health department said. (PTI)
The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) on Wednesday said the time limit for filing claims for compensation for deaths that occurred prior to March 20 due to COVID-19 will be two months, while for future deaths, it will be three months. The NDMA announced this in the wake of a Supreme Court order issued on March 24 to this effect. Sixty days will be the outer time limit to file claims for compensation if the death occurred due to the viral disease prior to March 20, 2022.
For future deaths, 90 days' time shall be provided from the date of death to file the claim for compensation, the NDMA said in a public notice. (PTI)
The Kerala government on Wednesday brought back the face masks mandate in the state, in the wake of surge in COVID-19 cases reported in many other parts of the country. It also announced that any violation would be punishable under the provisions of the Disaster Management Act and other relevant laws. Chief Secretary V P Joy in his latest order said the government had rescinded all the restrictions imposed under the Disaster Management Act-2005, in connection with the COVID-19 containment activities in the state. However, after analysing the present coronavirus scenario wearing of masks in all public places, gatherings, work places is made compulsory in the state now, it said. (PTI)
Speaking to Chief Ministers, PM Modi said that administering vaccine to every eligible child at the earliest is our priority, while stressing the need to ensure Covid-appropriate behaviour in public places.
— ANI (@ANI) April 27, 2022
Malaysia will ease more COVID-19 curbs from the start of next month, including lifting restrictions on those who are not vaccinated against the coronavirus and scrapping the need to wear masks outdoors, its health minister said. The Southeast Asian nation has seen some of the worst COVID-19 outbreaks in the region, but infection surges have since subsided amid a ramped up vaccination programme. Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said on Wednesday people will now be able to enter public premises regardless of their vaccination status, except those who have tested positive for COVID-19 or unvaccinated travellers undergoing quarantine. Malaysia will also remove pre-flight and on-arrival testing requirements for fully vaccinated travellers and those who have just recovered from COVID-19, Khairy said. (Reuters)
Millions of people in Beijing took their second COVID-19 tests of the week on Wednesday as the Chinese capital tried to keep an outbreak numbering in the dozens from spiralling into a crisis like the one the locked-down city of Shanghai is enduring. Evidence that Shanghai's month-long isolation has become almost unbearable for many of the city's 25 million people is emerging on an almost daily basis on the country's heavily censored internet. In Beijing, supermarkets have kept supplies well-stocked under orders from authorities. Beijing was testing the more than 3.5 million residents of its Chaoyang district on Wednesday, all of whom were screened on Monday. On Tuesday, 16 million from other districts were tested and are due for another round on Thursday. (Reuters)
Covid vaccination of all eligible children at the earliest is a priority for the government and specialised programmes will need to be conducted for it in schools, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Wednesday. Speaking at an interaction with chief ministers on the emerging COVID-19 situation in the country, Modi asserted that it is clear that the threat of coronavirus is not fully gone yet. Citing rise in COVID-19 cases in some states in the last two weeks, he said there was a need to remain alert. (PTI)
Interacting with the chief ministers of several states, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today warned that the Covid challenge has not yet been surpassed. “Despite managing the Covid crisis well as compared to other countries, we can see an uptick in cases in states now. We have to stay alert,” Modi said.
Countries that attempted to control COVID-19 transmission with stricter public restrictions had worse mental health outcomes than those which tried to suppress or eliminate COVID-19 transmission, according to a study published in The Lancet Public Health journal. The team led by researchers at Simon Fraser University in Canada used data from two surveys of 15 countries between April 2020 and June 2021. Countries were grouped into two categories: those that sought to eliminate COVID-19 transmission and those that aimed to mitigate or reduce the spread of the virus within the country. Eliminator countries include Australia, Japan, Singapore, and South Korea. Mitigator countries include Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, and the U.K. (PTI)
Shanghai city authorities said Wednesday they will start rounds of COVID-19 testing over the next few days to determine which neighbourhoods can safely be allowed a limited amount of freedom of movement, as residents in Beijing watch carefully on word for whether the capital city will lock down. On Wednesday, China reported 14,222 new cases, the vast majority of which were asymptomatic. The country is battling its largest outbreak since the pandemic was first reported in Wuhan in late December 2019. (AP)
Amid fresh Covid-19 concerns in different parts of the country and apprehensions of a possible fourth wave of the pandemic, Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Tuesday indicated that precautionary and surveillance measures may be reintroduced at airports and border districts of the state, depending on the Centre’s advisory. He appealed to people to follow precautionary measures like wearing masks and maintaining social distance to control the spread of virus, reported Indian Express.
The Distrtict Magistrate of Dehradun, Uttarakhand has directed authorities to fine Rs 500 to those who come without face masks in the city. The decision was taken in view of the increasing rate of Covid-19 infection in the capital as well as the district, reported ANI.
Mexico will let all children aged over 12 be registered for Covid-19 vaccination from Thursday. (Reuters)
U.S. President Joe Biden's administration is aiming to expand access to COVID-19 oral antiviral treatments like Pfizer Inc's Paxlovid by doubling the number of locations at which they are available, the White House said on Tuesday. Pharmacies participating in the federal pharmacy program for distributing antiviral treatments will be able to order the free treatments directly from the U.S. government starting this week. (Reuters)
Thane has added eight new cases of coronavirus, raising the infection tally in the Maharashtra district to 7,08,987, an official said on Wednesday. These new cases were reported on Tuesday, he said. The death toll remained unchanged at 11,889 and the COVID-19 mortality rate in the district stood at 1.67 per cent, he added. In neighbouring Palghar district, the COVID-19 case count has gone up to 1,63,610, while the death toll stands at 3,407, another official said. (PTI)
India reported 2,927 new coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours as of 8 am Wednesday, according to the data shared by the Union Health Ministry.
PM Modi will be interacting with state CMs to review COVID-19 situation in the country through video conference at 12 noon today (ANI)
U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris tested positive for COVID-19 on Tuesday but is not exhibiting symptoms, a spokesperson said, at a time when there has been an increase in cases among White House staffers. Harris has not been in close contact with President Joe Biden or first lady Jill Biden due to their travel schedules, her press secretary Kirsten Allen said. Harris will isolate and return to the White House when she tests negative, Allen said. (Reuters)
