Coronavirus March 23 Latest News: Union Health Minister today announced that more than 50 lakh youngsters in the age group 12-14 have been administered with the first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine. In another major announcement, the Centre has said that all containment zone measures that were in force across India for the past two years will come to an end on March 31st. This means that the Disaster Management Act (2005) guidelines that were imposed across the country on March 24, 2020, after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s national address will finally end. The decision, the ministry says, has been taken due to the consistent decline in the Covid-19 cases in the country.
Here are the top Covid developments that you should know today:
The World Health Organization on Wednesday said the number of new coronavirus cases globally increased by 7% in the last week, due to rising infections in the Western Pacific, even as reported deaths from COVID-19 fell. As per the WHO report issued late Tuesday, there were more than 12 million new weekly cases and just under 33,000 deaths, a 23% drop in mortality. Confirmed cases of the virus had been falling steadily worldwide since January but rose again last week, due to the more infectious omicron variant and the suspension of COVID-19 protocols in numerous countries in Europe, North America and elsewhere. Health officials have said repeatedly that omicron causes milder disease than previous versions of the coronavirus and that vaccination, including a booster, appears highly protective.
Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla, in his communication to the states, said that in the last two years, all states have developed a proper ecosystem of tracing and testing the novel coronavirus as well as treatment infrastructure. He also cited the low positivity rate in India as the reason for the Home Ministry’s decision.
On Wednesday, India saw a marginal increase in the daily Covid cases. The government data says that the country’s detected 1,778 coronavirus infections in the last 24 hours. However, there was a sharp increase in the Covid death figures. After two consecutive days of around 30 deaths daily, March 23 record showed 62 fatalities related to coronavirus infection.
On the inoculation front, India has now another vaccine for children. The Drugs Controller General of India has given its approval for COVID-19 vaccine manufacture by Novavax Inc. The vaccine has got the emergency-use nod. This vaccine will be administered to children between the age of 12 and 17.
The MHA order has ended all the Covid curbs from March 31st. However, the face mask mandate and the social distancing discipline must be followed, the official added. Following this, the Maharashtra government on Wednesday said that it would be holding a meeting to review the existing Covid-related restrictions in keeping with the latest directives from the Centre over ending all COVID-19 containment measures from March 31, reported PTI.
Kerala on Wednesday registered 702 new Covid-19 cases, taking its overall tally of Coronavirus infections to 65,29,093. The State recorded 61 deaths which raised the toll of fatalities to 67,476. Of the deaths, two were reported in the last 24 hours, six in the last few days but were not recorded due to late receipt of documents and 53 were designated as COVID-19 deaths after receiving appeals based on the new guidelines of the Centre and the directions of the Supreme Court.
While India is finally coming out of the shadow of the pandemic, nations such as South Korea and China are struggling with new surge. A Reuters report says that South Korea’s total Covid-19 infections have topped 10 million, the latest data suggests. This is almost 20 per cent of South Korea’s population. The new wave of infections has overwhelmed the crematories and funeral homes across the country.
Moderna announced Wednesday that its COVID-19 vaccine works in babies, toddlers and preschoolers — and if regulators agree it could mean a chance to finally start vaccinating the littlest kids by summer. Moderna will ask regulators in the US and Europe to authorise two small-dose shots for youngsters under 6 the coming weeks. The company also is seeking to have larger-dose shots cleared for older children and teens in the US, reported Reuters. Early results from the study found that tots developed high levels of virus-fighting antibodies from shots containing a quarter of the dose given to adults — although it was less effective against the super-contagious omicron mutant than prior variants.
Meanwhile, local administration in China’s Shanghai has firmly rejected the buzz around stringent lockdown in the commercial hub. While the latest surge in Shanghai is much lower than international figures, the record rise in cases for sixth consecutive day has fueled lockdown rumours.