Coronavirus Cases and Deaths in India Today, Covid-19 Vaccine Highlights: India has beaten the US in terms of the number of people getting at least a single jab of the Covid vaccine, claims the Union Health Ministry. This comes at a time when the nation is struggling to inoculate its 133 crore-strong population.
Vaccine wastage is a huge concern. This was also something that Prime Minister Narendra Modi also spoke about during his review meeting. Though there is a lot of buzz and the vaccination drive continues at a languid pace in the urban areas, the situation is not so promising in the villages of the country. There is also a sense of complacency that has crept in as soon as the daily Covid numbers started to come down. We need to remind the people that the virus has not gone anywhere. Adding to this, the variants of concern detected in Varanasi show that the mutation of the novel coronavirus is and will remain the real challenge.
As the nation tries to put up a plan to fight yet another wave of Covid infections, here are the latest updates from India and around the world:
COVID19 | 723 new cases, 59 deaths and 1,744 recoveries reported in Haryana today; active cases at 9,974 (ANI)
Punjab reports 1,907 COVID cases, 3,619 patient discharges, and 79 deaths in the past 24 hours
Active cases: 2,44,54
Total discharges: 5,38,534
Death toll: 15,009 (ANI)
An international pharma company has given an expression of interest to provide up to 60mn does of Sputnik V vaccine. Per dose cost will be nearly Rs 1,120. The firm has given a timeline of 30 days to supply 1st batch of 5L doses followed by 1 mn doses every 20 days. Although the offer has come after the due date of tender is over but still, it is being carefully examined to see if it meets the criteria of the tender document and to ensure optimal vaccine availability for the state: Additional Chief Secretary, Health, Haryana Govt (ANI)
Tamil Nadu government cancels 12th class state board examination: CM (PTI)
Kerala reports 17,328 COVID-19 cases, 209 fatalities and 24,003 recoveries. Infection tally rises to 25,88,385, death toll 9,719. Number of people under treatment for the disease in the state stands at 1,67,638. (PTI)
Two people arrested in Uttarakhand’s Rishikesh for issuing fake negative RT-PCR test reports to tourists. (PTI)
COVID19 | Tamil Nadu reports 21,410 fresh cases, 443 deaths and 32,472 recoveries today; active cases at 2,57,463 (ANI)
Gujarat | Ahmedabad Municipal Transport Service (AMTS) and the Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS) to resume services from June 7. Buses to operate between 6 am & 8 pm with 50% capacity. (ANI)
Goa extends state-level curfew till 7am of 14 June, says CM Pramod Sawant (ANI)
COVID19 | Maharashtra records 13,659 new cases, 300 deaths and 21,776 discharges today; the recovery rate in the State is 95.01% (ANI)
866 fresh cases, 28 deaths and 1,045 recoveries reported in Mumbai today; recovery rate at 95% (ANI)
With 1,092 fresh COVID-19 cases and 120 deaths reported in Uttar Pradesh, the death toll in the state climbed to 21,151, while the infection tally touched 16,97,352, officials said on Saturday.
Of the 120 latest fatalities, 12 have been reported from Gorakhpur, 11 from Ayodhya, nine from Saharanpur, eight from Bareilly, seven from Lucknow and Shahjahanpur, among others, according to a health department bulletin. | Read More
COVID19 | Rajasthan reports 942 cases, 32 deaths and 3,364 recoveries today; active cases at 21,550 (ANI)
Telangana reports 2,070 new COVID-19 cases, 3,762 recoveries and 18 fatalities. Infection tally rises to 5,89,734, death toll 3,364. There are 29,208 active cases of the disease in the state. (PTI)
Delhi markets to open from 7 June on odd-even basis
“Sanitisation work has started at the market. We might introduce a token system to limit the maximum number of people present at the market at the same time,” Ashok Randhawa, Pres, Sarojini Nagar Mini Market Traders Association (ANI)
Himachal Pradesh Board Class 12 examinations cancelled due to prevailing COVID-19 situation (ANI)
‘Corona curfew’ extended till 6am of 14th June in Himachal Pradesh (ANI)
Manipur reports 717 new cases, 9 deaths and 740 recoveries; active cases at 9,016. The recovery rate in the State is 81.82% (ANI)
Kolkata Municipal Corporation launches ‘Vaccination on wheels’ drive to administer COVID-19 vaccine shots to people working at marketplaces. (ANI)
613 new cases, 12 deaths and 1,312 recoveries reported in Puducherry today; the number of active cases is 8,783 (ANI)
Karnataka has reported a total of 1,784 black fungus cases. While 62 people have recovered, 111 died: Health Minister K Sudhakar (PTI)
10,373 new cases, 80 deaths and 15,958 recoveries reported in Andhra Pradesh in the past 24 hours; the number of active cases in the State is 1,28,108 (ANI)
COVID-19 | Goa has reported 567 new COVID-19 positive cases, 17 deaths, and 1,433 recoveries today
Active cases: 8,216
Total positive cases: 1,58,990 (ANI)
Pune-based Serum Institute of India (SII), which has been the largest producer of vaccines in India, making the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine Covishield – hopes to begin manufacture of two more vaccines – Corovax (made with US-based firm Novavax) and the Russian vaccine Sputnik V. For these, it intends to keep expanding manufacturing capacities and in stages reach up to about 250 million doses a month across these three vaccines. Financial Express Online learns reliably that by July 2021, it hopes to produce 100 million doses a month of Covishield. After September, it will start making 100 million doses a month of Corovax, which is currently in phase three clinical studies and the balance about 50 million doses a month of Sputnik V vaccine by October or November. | Read More
10,373 new cases, 80 deaths and 15,958 recoveries reported in Andhra Pradesh in the past 24 hours; the number of active cases in the State is 1,28,108. (ANI)
613 new cases, 12 deaths and 1,312 recoveries reported in Puducherry today; the number of active cases is 8,783. (ANI)
BJP leader Pravin Darekar on Saturday said the new set of `unlock’ guidelines issued by the Maharashtra government would lead to a fiasco. The government on late Friday night announced a five- level plan to relax coronavirus-induced restrictions. “The notification issued at midnight is full of discrepancies,” said Darekar, Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Council. (PTI)
Tamil Nadu Chief Secretary Ve Irai Anbu on Saturday directed various department officials and the district Collectors to work towards making the State a COVID-free one. Irai Anbu, along with Health Secretary J Radhakrishnan, held a review meeting here on the steps taken to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in the districts of Coimbatore and Tirupur. (PTI)
646 doctors died due to COVID-19 in second wave, maximum fatalities in Delhi: IMA. (ANI)
As Indian companies get ready to manufacture Russian-made Sputnik V anti-COVID vaccine to meet the staggering demand in the country, Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday said Russia is the only country in the world which is ready to transfer technology and to expand production abroad, and noted that the vaccine was being sold in 66 countries. The remarks by the Russian president came a day after the officials in New Delhi said that Serum Institute of India has received a preliminary approval from the country’s drug regulator for manufacturing of Sputnik V. Already Indian pharma company, Dr Reddy’s Laboratories, in April, 2021 received the Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for the Russian vaccine. Also Panacea Biotec in collaboration with Russian sovereign wealth fund RDIF has begun the production of Sputnik V vaccine in India. (PTI)
The BJP on Saturday sought a probe into alleged profiteering by the Congress government in Punjab by selling COVID vaccines to private hospitals, and said that “heads should roll”. The party fielded Union minister Hardeep Singh Puri to target the Amarinder Singh government, with the BJP leader asserting that the state dispensation’s decision to withdraw the controversial order shows that there was something “fishy” in the matter. (PTI)
The UK government on Saturday said it is considering ‘options’ around a planned end to lockdown on June 21 after the country recorded the highest number of daily COVID-19 cases in just over two months. The UK recorded a further 6,238 coronavirus cases on Friday as England’s R number, or the rate of infection, continues to rise and the latest government numbers also show another 11 COVID-19 related deaths. (PTI)
Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa on Saturday said the disbursement of cash assistance under the COVID-19 relief package has begun and a portal launched to register the beneficiaries. Yediyurappa was referring to the Rs 1,750 crore relief package announced in two instalments to benefit various sections of the society to overcome the financial hardship during the restrictions to contain COVID-19 pandemic, which is in effect since April 27 and is likely to end on June 14. (PTI)
Delhi reports 414 fresh cases, 60 deaths and 1,683 recoveries in the last 24 hours; positivity rate drops to 0.53%. Active cases at 6,731. (ANI)
More than 1.65 crore COVID-19 vaccine doses are still available with states and union territories, the Union health ministry said on Saturday. So far, over 24 crore doses have been provided to the states and UTs, it said in a statement. The total consumption, including wastage, stands at 22,65,08,508 doses, according to data available at 8 am on Saturday, the ministry said. “More than 1.65 crore (1,65,00,572) COVID vaccine doses are still available with the states/UTs to be administered,” it said. (PTI)
The West Bengal government is issuing certificates of COVID-19 vaccination to the people in the age group of 18-44 sponsored by the state with the photogrtaph of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. An official said Saturday this is being done since the state government has been procuring vaccines directly from the manufacturers from its own resources. (PTI)
Parole granted to around 4,500 inmates of Madhya Pradesh jails in view of the coronavirus pandemic has been extended by 30 days, which will take the total period to 90 days, a state minister said on Saturday. “About 4,500 prisoners are currently out of jails in the state on parole for 60 days. But the government has decided to extend the parole of such prisoners by another 30 days in view of COVID-19 cases,” Madhya Pradesh Minister for Home and Jails Narottam Mishra told reporters. (PTI)
In view of the emergent requirement of ICU and oxygen supported beds for COVID-19 patients, Nagaland will soon have a 200-bed acute care hospital at Dimapur. The 200-bed acute care hospital is being set up at Christian Institute of Health Sciences and Research (CIHSR) Dimapur by the state government at a cost of Rs 30 crore. (PTI)
Through songs and spiritual prayers, patients at a Covid centre in Delhi are being administered ‘happiness therapy’ to help them recover and cope up with the ailment. Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain on Saturday shared a video on Twitter about such activities being conducted at the Covid Care Centre on the premises of Rakabganj Gurudwara. “When the mind is healthy only then the body is healthy. This is how patients are treated at a (centre) run by the Delhi government at Rakabganj Gurudwara,” he tweeted in Hindi. (PTI)
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday announced the setting up of a paediatric task force and two genome sequencing labs as well as a plan to ramp up oxygen capacity to prepare for a possible third Covid wave that could peak at 37,000 cases a day. The government will also create a buffer stock of important medicines, Kejriwal said at an online briefing. The two genome sequencing labs to identify variants of the virus attacking the city will come up at the Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Hospital and the Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences (ILBS), the chief minister said. (PTI)