Covid-19 India Live Update, Coronavirus Cases and Deaths in India Highlights: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will review the Covid-19 situation in his constituency Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, and will speak to doctors, paramedical staff, and other frontline healthcare workers through video conferencing at 11 am today. He is expected to discuss efforts to tackle the second wave of Coronavirus. Yesterday he spoke to chief ministers, DMs, and field officials of 10 states regarding the prevailing Covid-19 situation and vaccination. He cautioned states not to waste vaccines, as it is the main weapon in the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic. He asked DMs to study the spread and severity of Coronavirus infections among children and youth. He said the virus is mutating, we need to change our strategies accordingly. We can’t lower guard.”
Till some days ago, India was reporting over 3 lakh Covid-19 cases per day. The number of Coronavirus infections has dropped massively. For the past 5 days, the country has been reporting below 3 lakh virus infections daily—which is a good a sign, considering at one point (mid-May), India was reporting over 4 lakh cases daily. Overall, the positivity rate has also gone down. As many as 303 districts have witnessed a drop in positivity rate, compared to 210 districts in the previous week – an indication that the severity of the second wave may be over. However, high deaths and rising cases of black fungus remain a pain point for the government. Due to a sudden spike in black fungus cases, the Centre yesterday made the disease ‘notifiable’.
Kerala government has decided to extend the lockdown in the state till May 30th. Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan was quoted by ANI as saying that the triple lockdown in Thiruvananthapuram, Ernakulam and Thrissur will be withdrawn from Saturday as the test positivity rate and active case load has come down in these areas. However, the triple lockdown in Malappuram will continue. Kerala reported 29,673 COVID19 cases, 41,032 recoveries and 142 deaths on Friday. Total recoveries stand at 19,79,919, and the death toll has reached 6,994. There are currently 3,06,346 active cases in the state. A total of 1,33,558 samples have been tested during the last 24 hours in the state, Kerala CM added.
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India reported 259,591 new Covid-19 cases in the last 24 hours, while deaths rose by 4,209, according to data from Union Health Ministry on Friday. The country’s Covid-19 tally stands at 26.03 million, with a death toll at 291,331. The active cases in the country further reduced to 30,27,925 comprising 11.63 per cent of the total infections. The Covid-19 recovery rate also improved to 87.25 per cent.
In a major positive development for India’s fight against Coronavirus, Bharat Biotech yesterday announced that the company will increase its Covid-19 vaccine (Covaxin) production capacity by 17 million doses per month. “The company plans to produce 200 million doses of Covaxin per annum in the GMP facilities that are already functional,” Bharat Biotech said in a statement. In another positive development, the government has approved the first home Covid-19 testing kit. The Indian Council of Medical Research has given its nod to MyLab Discovery Solutions-developed home-based self-use Covid test kit. It will give a major boost India’s testing capacity.
In the meanwhile, several states/UTs are under some kind of restrictions, be it lockdown or curfew, in order to limit the spread of Coronavirus infection. Many states have already extended lockdown/curbs till May end; some are contemplating increasing it further. Tamil Nadu is weighing for an extension of lockdown as cases continue to surge.
India will be in position to vaccinate at least all of its adult population by end of 2021: Health Minister Harsh Vardhan | Read More
American pharmaceutical company Pfizer and German company BioNTech pledged Friday to deliver 2 billion doses of their COVID-19 vaccine to middle- and low-income countries over the next 18 months, amid international calls for more vaccine solidarity. The companies, which together developed the first vaccine to be authorised for use in the United States and Europe, made the announcement at a global health summit in Rome co-hosted by the European Union’s executive arm and Italy. | Read More
For the first time in nearly two months, the number of people discharged from hospitals on a daily basis after recovering from COVID has outnumbered the number of those getting admitted, official data shows. The government data shows, that since May 14, hospital discharges have outnumbered the admissions. The decline in hospital admissions can be attributed to the decline in positive cases, according to officials. The hospital admissions have dropped below the 1,000-mark since May 16. The admissions on a single day had risen to 1,993 on April 29, it showed. This is for the first time in nearly two months that the number of patients who have recovered after COVID is more than those admitted. Between April 1 and April 5, when the daily cases were below 5,000, the admissions were more than the discharges on a daily basis, according to the data. On May 14, 1,256 new COVID patients were admitted as against 1,331 discharged, it showed. The next day, 1,052 patients came to hospitals while 1,379 were discharged. Between May 16 and May 20, the hospital admissions recorded were 952, 914, 806, 731 and 560 respectively while the discharges in the same period were 1,079, 895, 1,326, 1,090 and 978 respectively.
Between April 1 and April 5, the hospital admission figures stood at 294, 356, 353, 305 and 406 while the number of patients discharged were 139, 163, 166, 131 and 141 respectively. The hospital admissions on May 20 were the lowest since April 7 and 8, when there were 605 admissions on each day. On May 20, Delhi recorded 3,231 fresh coronavirus cases, lowest since April 5, when the national capital had logged 3,548 new infections. It was on April 11 that the daily cases crossed the 10,000 mark for the first time. It was on November 11 last year that the national capital had recorded 8,593 cases, the highest figure before that date. On April 11, there were 953 hospital admissions followed by 932 the next day. On April 13, the hospital admissions crossed the 1,000 mark with 1,218 patients, followed by 1,361, 1812, 1426, 1519 on April 14, 15, 16, 17 respectively. (PTI)
The COVID-19 death toll in Himachal Pradesh rose to 2,638 on Friday with 57 more fatalities, while 2,662 new cases pushed the infection tally to 1,75,384. Of the new fatalities, ten people were between the age group of 22 to 48 years, according to data updated by the state health department till 7 pm. The state has currently 31,519 active cases, it said. A total of 4,533 more people have recovered from the infection, pushing the overall recoveries to 1,41,198, a senior official said. (PTI)
Jammu district has seen a decline in overall COVID-19 positive cases below 7 percent from the 10 percent in the beginning of May, an official said on Friday. After new containment strategy and other measures being taken by the district administration, overall coronavirus positivity rate which was above 10 percent in the first week of May has dropped to below 7 percent in the last few days, Deputy Commissioner, Jammu, Anshul Garg told reporters here. He, however, said despite the decreasing trend in the positive cases, the district administration has not lowered its guard and it is taking all measures to combat the pandemic. “Equivalent emphasis has been given on testing in urban as well as rural areas. Around 7,000-8000 tests are being conducted on a daily basis,” Garg said. (PTI)
Telangana reports 3464 new COVID-19 cases, 4801 recoveries and 25 deaths in the last 24 hours.
Total cases 5,47,727
Total recoveries 5,00,247
Death toll 3085
Active cases 44,395 (ANI)
CM YS Jagan Mohan Reddy instructed the relevant officials to ensure that every single COVID-19 hospital in the state, with more than 50 beds, becomes self-sufficient in terms of oxygen within the next 4 months, during a Covid-19 review meeting on Friday. Every hospital should have dedicated oxygen generator. They should at least produce oxygen to extent of meeting their own requirement. In Govt hospitals, Govt will make sure facilities are installed. In pvt hospitals, Govt can offer incentives to encourage management: Andhra Pradesh CMO (ANI)
Vaccination to remain closed on 22 May at all centers in Pune Municipal corporation area due to shortage of vaccine stock: Pune Municipal Corporation (ANI)
Madhya Pradesh: Corona curfew in Bhopal extended till 31st May, the decision has been taken in a meeting of Bhopal Crisis Management Team. (ANI)
ICMR & WHO External Quality Assurance Program underlines reassuring standards of the COVID-19 testing laboratories in India. 95% of participating laboratories achieved passing scores in the proficiency-testing panel: Indian Council of Medical Research (ANI)
Jammu and Kashmir reports 3848 new COVID-19 cases, 4466 recoveries and 43 deaths in the last 24 hours.
Total cases 2,63,905
Total recoveries 2,10,547
Death toll 3465
Active cases 49,893 (ANI)
Tamil Nadu reports 36,184 new COVID-19 cases, 24,478 recoveries and 467 deaths in the last 24 hours.
Total cases 17,70,988
Total recoveries 14,76,761
Death toll 19,598
Active cases 2,74,629 (ANI)
Gujarat reports 4251 new COVID-19 cases, 8783 recoveries and 65 deaths in the last 24 hours.
Total cases 7,80,471
Total recoveries 6,86,581
Death toll 9469
Active cases 84,421 (ANI)
Manipur reports 656 new COVID-19 cases, 1247 recoveries and 15 deaths in the last 24 hours.
Total cases 42,565
Total recoveries 35,606
Death toll 661
Active cases 6298 (ANI)
Maharashtra reports 29,644 new COVID-19 cases, 44,493 recoveries and 555 deaths in the last 24 hours.
Total cases 55,27,092
Total recoveries 50,70,801
Death toll 86,618
Active cases 3,67,121 (ANI)
Uttarakhand reports 3626 new COVID-19 cases, 8731 recoveries and 70 deaths today.
Total cases 3,07,566
Total recoveries 2,33,266
Death toll 5600
Active cases 63,373 (ANI)
Same guidelines will continue. People are roaming after 10 am as well which is creating a lot of problems throughout the state. That’s why such movements must be stopped. I urge people to stop unnecessary movements: Karnataka CM BS Yediyurappa: Karnataka CM BS Yediyurappa (ANI)
We had a meeting with senior officials and ministers. We have taken a decision on lockdown. We had strict restrictions till 24th May. As per the opinion of experts, we are extending the strict restrictions till 7th June at 6 am: Karnataka CM BS Yediyurappa (ANI)
Kerala: Thrissur Municipal Corporation has started using drones to spray sanitiser in public places like markets, bus stands and hospital premises. (ANI)
Chandigarh administration announces weekend Corona curfew from 5 am on Saturday (22nd May) to 5 am on Monday (24th May). (ANI)
Jharkhand reports 2,056 new COVID-19 cases, 60 fatalities. Infection tally rises to 3,24,884, death toll 4,714. The state now has 26,511 active cases of the disease. (PTI)
Rajasthan reports 6225 new COVID-19 cases, 18,264 recoveries and 129 deaths in the last 24 hours.
Total cases 9,03,418
Total recoveries 7,64,137
Death toll 7475
Active cases 1,31,806 (ANI)
Goa registers 1,625 new COVID-19 cases, 30 fatalities, 3,075 recoveries. Infection tally rises to 1,43,192, death toll 2,302. There are 19,328 active cases of the disease in the state. (PTI)
Goa registers 1,625 new COVID-19 cases, 30 fatalities, 3,075 recoveries. Infection tally rises to 1,43,192, death toll 2,302. There are 19,328 active cases of the disease in the state. (PTI)
Goa registers 1,625 new COVID-19 cases, 30 fatalities, 3,075 recoveries. Infection tally rises to 1,43,192, death toll 2,302. There are 19,328 active cases of the disease in the state. (PTI)
Haryana | Panchkula Municipal Corporation staffer along with his team has cremated over 850 COVID-19 victims
Some families had refused to perform last rituals in those cases we had to perform the last rites. Yes, there is fear but I’m performing my “seva” by heart: Surinder Singh (ANI)
In a step to enhance preparedness against a future surge of COVID-19 cases in Mumbai, Sir HN Reliance Foundation Hospital has scaled up its operations towards management of adult and paediatric beds in the city and to support the efforts of Maharashtra Govt & BMC. RFH focused on augmenting paediatric coverage & specialised child-care facilities. It’s operating 650-bed dedicated COVID care facility at National Sports Club of India, Worli. Of these 100 beds earmarked for treatment of asymptomatic children & 20 for ICU care: Reliance Foundation (ANI)
Sikkim reports 317 fresh COVID-19 cases, 3 fatalities. Infection tally rises to 12,521, death toll 220. The state now has 3,175 active cases of the disease. (PTI)
Kerala reported 29,673 COVID19 cases, 41,032 recoveries and 142 deaths today. Total recoveries stand at 19,79,919, death toll 6994. Active cases in the state is 3,06,346. A total of 1,33,558 samples were tested during the last 24 hours: Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan (ANI)
Lockdown in the state will be extended till May 30th. The triple lockdown in Thiruvananthapuram, Ernakulam and Thrissur will be withdrawn from tomorrow as the test positivity rate and active case load have come down. Triple lockdown in Malappuram will continue: Kerala CM (ANI)
Uttar Pradesh reports 7,735 fresh COVID-19 cases, 172 fatalities. Infection tally rises to 16,59,212, death toll 18,760. The state now has 1,06,276 active cases of the disease. (PTI)
Black fungus has been declared an epidemic by five states across India. Many people who have recovered from the Covid-19 infection are now suffering from Mucormycosis. Some have lost their eyes. In some cases, the entire jaw had to be removed. This fungal infection has been seen as the most troubling trend of the second wave of the novel coronavirus in India. As of today, around 10,000 cases of fungal infection have been reported officially. Maharashtra is the worst-hit state in the black fungus tally with nearly 100 people losing their lives due to black fungus. | Read More
Amidst debate over the efficacy of the recently launched drug 2-deoxy-D-glucose (2-DG), Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) says that Dr Reddy’s Lab were joint development partners in the study on COVID patients. Responding to queries from the Financial Express Online, DRDO officials say, “Dr Reddy’s Lab was the development partner in this clinical study on COVID patients, as long-standing industry partners of DRDO for 2-DG clinical applications since 2004. Earlier they have successfully completed phase-3 clinical trials of 2-DG for radiotherapy of brain tumor patients.” | Read More
COVID19 | Goa reports 1,625 new cases, 30 deaths today; active cases rise to 19,328. Recovery rate at 84.89% (ANI)
COVID19 | 20,937 new cases, 104 deaths reported in Andhra Pradesh in the past 24 hours; Total number of cases in the state is 15,42,079 including 2,09,156 active cases. (ANI)
COVID19 | Puducherry reports 1,702 cases, 26 deaths today; active cases 17,036 (ANI)
Maharashtra: Residents of Raigadnagar village in Igatpuri hesitant to take COVID vaccines due to lack of awareness.
Villagers think they’ll will die after taking vaccine. They say that when there is no COVID here why should they get inoculated: Dr. Shristi Dave, health official (ANI)
Delay in giving second dose of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine by 12 weeks increases antibody response in older people by three-and-a-half times compared to those who receive it at a three-week interval, according to a study conducted in the UK. The finding comes days after the UK government reduced the gap between the two doses of COVID-19 vaccines to eight weeks, while India extended the interval between two doses of the Covishield preventive to 12-16 weeks, up from the previous maximum of eight weeks. The study conducted on 175 people aged over 80 is the first direct comparison of the immune response in any age group between those who are given the second Pfizer vaccine dose at a three-week interval and those at a 12-week interval. The Pfizer vaccine was originally authorised for a three-week interval between doses. | Read More
Under campaigns of ‘seva hi sangathan’ & ‘mera booth corona mukt’, BJP Kisan Morcha is taking responsibility for setting up COVID19 help desk in rural areas (in districts & CHCs): BJP president JP Nadda while inaugurating nationwide COVID19 help centres of BJP Kisan Morcha (ANI)
Amidst the increasing number of Coronavirus cases and resultant Oxygen supply deficit, Vuram which is a hyper automation company has launched a portal which can help people find suppliers of Oxygen in their locality. Large number of patients and their kins are finding it increasingly difficult to arrange life-saving Oxygen cylinders with many wasting crucial time in looking for Oxygen suppliers from friends and family. The platform initiated by Vuram called ‘Oxygen Hall’ will come to the aid of such people as people can enter their address and locality and directly contact verified Oxygen suppliers in their vicinity. | Read More