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Coronavirus LATEST Updates: This is the highest one-day rise since the outbreak of the pandemic last year, said a health official. The previous highest one-day figure was 25,833, reported on Thursday. At least two other state ministers – Bacchu Kadu and Chhagan Bhujbal – had tested positive last month This order came in addition to a previous announcement where the city’s municipal body announced random and mandatory testing at all crowded places in the city such as malls, bus stations and markets Over 40 lakh people have received the COVID-19 vaccine jab in Maharashtra since the immunization drive commenced on 16 January, an official said on Saturday. As per the data released by the state health department, 1,89,130 people received vaccine shots on Friday, raising the tally to 40,96,898. Health experts have attributed this sudden rise to people turning complacent and not following COVID-19 appropriate behaviour In wake of increasing COVID-19 cases, complete lockdown had been imposed in Nagpur City from 15 to 21 March, barring essential shops and movement of frontline workers Khan, who was vaccinated on Thursday, has “a slight fever and cough”, his spokesperson Dr Shehbaz Gill confirmed A rising trajectory of daily new cases is visible in eight states and UTs, including Delhi and Maharashtra, while Kerala is showing a declining trend, the Health Ministry said on Saturday. The ministry said Maharashtra, Kerala and Punjab cumulatively account for 76.22 percent of India’s total active caseload, with Maharashtra contributing to 62 percent of such cases, while Kerala and Punjab account for 8.83 percent and 5.36 percent of active cases respectively. The top five districts in Maharashtra recording the highest number of cases are Pune (37,384), Nagpur (25,861), Mumbai (18,850), Thane (16,735) and Nashik (11,867). The Tamil Nadu government on Saturday ordered the closure of schools for classes 9, 10 and 11 with effect from 22 March “until further orders”. Hostels for the students of these classes will also be closed. However online/digital mode of education shall continue for these classes, the government said. The COVID-19 vaccine should be able to give good protection from the infection for eight to ten months, AIIMS director Randeep Guleria said on Saturday. He also said that no major side-effect of the vaccine has been recorded. The COVID-19 vaccine should be able to give good protection from the infection for eight to ten months and maybe, even more, Guleria said at an event organised by the IPS (Central) Association. He said the biggest reason for the surge in cases is that people feel the pandemic is over and they are not following COVID-appropriate behaviour. “There are multiple reasons for the surge, but the main reason is that there is change in people’s attitude and they feel coronavirus is over. People should still restrict non-essential travel for some more time,” the official asserted. NITI Aayog member (Health) V K Paul said the chain of transmission has to be stopped and for that vaccine is one tool but another is containment and surveillance strategy. “Not following COVID-19 behaviour and laxity is major reason for the surge,” he said. Responding to a question on vaccinating more people, Paul said the issue is vaccines are limited and that is why, prioritisation has been done. “If we had unlimited supply, we would open the vaccination for everyone. That is the reason, not everyone, is getting vaccinated. Most countries in the world are not able to go beyond priority group because of this reason,” he said. The NITI Aayog member also said that the highest mortality was seen among people with co-morbidities and older age groups. “These people must not delay taking the vaccine. So the message is that they need it more than others. That is the reason they have been prioritised for getting the COVID-19 vaccine,” he said. Talking about the effectiveness of the available COVID-19 vaccines, Covaxin and Covishield, Guleria said, “If we look at the two vaccines, they produce equal antibodies and are very robust. We should take the vaccine available to us because both are equally effective in terms of efficacy and long-term protection. Over four crore people in the country have been vaccinated against the disease till now. Under the current phase of the inoculation drive, people above 60 years of age and those in the 45-59 years age bracket with co-morbidities, are being vaccinated.
Coronavirus Updates: Maharashtra reports 27,126 new Covid-19 cases, 92 deaths in 24 hrs
Coronavirus LATEST Updates:Coronavirus LIVE Updates: Maharashtra reports 27,126 new Covid-19 cases, 92 deaths in 24 hrs
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Coronavirus LATEST Updates
Maharashtra reports 27,126 new Covid-19 cases, 92 deaths in 24 hrs
Maharashtra on Saturday reported 27,126 new COVID-19 cases, the highest one-day rise since the outbreak of the pandemic last year, said a health official. The previous highest one-day figure was 25,833, reported on Thursday. With this, the state’s case tally increased to 24,49,147, while 92 deaths took the fatality count to 53,300, the official said.
Coronavirus LATEST Updates
Kerala records 2,078 fresh COVID-19 cases, 15 deaths
Kerala logged 2,078 new COVID-19 cases on Saturday and 15 deaths, taking the infection count to 11,02,702 and the toll to 4,482. A total of 2,211 people recuperated from the disease today, taking the total cured in the state to 10,72,554. Currently, there are 25,009 people under treatment. State Health Minister K K Shailaja said the state tested 58,777 samples in the last 24 hours and the test positivity rate was 3.54 percent.
Coronavirus LATEST Updates
Aaditya Thackeray tests positive for coronavirus
The Maharashtra minister also appealed to people to shirk complacency and observe COVID-appropriate behaviour to ensure their and others’ safety. At least two other state ministers — Bacchu Kadu and Chhagan Bhujbal — had tested positive last month
Coronavirus LATEST Updates
BMC to conduct mandatory testing at all crowded places
Coronavirus LATEST Updates
Tamil Nadu schools to be shut from 22 March
With Tamil Nadu witnessing a sudden surge in coronavirus cases over the last few days, the state government on Saturday ordered closure of schools for classes 9, 10 and 11 from March 22 until further orders. However, they would continue to function for the 12th standard students for they have to take the board examination.
However, online/digital mode of education shall continue for classes 9, 10 and 11, he said.
With regard to 12th standard, the director said the students may be permitted to attend school as their numbers would be lesser and they have to sit for the board examination with strictly adherence to preventive measures such as wearing of masks and maintaining social distancing.
Coronavirus LATEST Updates
Migrant workers from MP seek to return home from Nagpur
Migrant workers from Madhya Pradesh on Saturday gathered at bus stands in Maharashtra’s Nagpur as the state government extended lockdown restrictions in the district to curb the surge in COVID-19 cases.
Coronavirus LATEST Updates
Restaurants in Nagpur to shut at 7 pm, says Nitin Raut
Maharashtra minister Nitin Raut, who is also the guardian minister of the Nagpur district, on Saturday said that restaurants will not remain open past 7 pm. The state government’s orders come in a bid to curb the rising surge of COVID-19 cases across the state.
He added that online food delivery will be allowed until 11 pm.
Coronavirus LATEST Updates
Over 40 lakh vaccinated against COVID-19 in Maharashtra since Jan 16
Over 40 lakh people have received the COVID-19 vaccine jab in Maharashtra since the immunization drive commenced on January 16, an official said on Saturday.
As per the data released by the state health department, 1,89,130 persons received vaccine shots on Friday, raising the tally to 40,96,898.
Coronavirus LATEST Updates
Maha board exams for Classes 10, 12 to be held in offline mode
The written examinations of HSC (Class 12) and SSC (Class 10) of the Maharashtra education board that commence next month, will be held through offline
mode only, state School Education Minister Varsha Gaikwad announced on Saturday. She made the announcement amid speculations that these
exams could be held online considering the rise in coronavirus cases of late.
Coronavirus LATEST Updates
Over 800 COVID cases in Delhi for first time this year
Delhi reported over 800 COVID-19 cases for the first time this year on Saturday as the positivity rate breached the 1 per cent-mark after over two months, while two more fatalities pushed the death toll to 10,955, as per data shared by the health department.
The number of active cases rose to 3,409 from 3,165 a day ago, according to the latest health bulletin. The new 813 cases pushed the infection tally to 6,47,161, of whom over 6.32 lakh people have recovered till date. On Friday, the city had recorded 716 cases while the count on Thursday was 607 and 536 on Wednesday. The two new fatalities took the toll to 10,955, while the positivity rate rose to 1.07 per cent from 0.93 per cent on Friday, the bulletin said.
Coronavirus LATEST Updates
Nagpur extends lockdown till 31 March
In wake of increasing COVID-19 cases, complete lockdown had been imposed in Nagpur City from 15 to 21 March, barring essential shops and movement of frontline workers
Coronavirus LATEST Updates
Pakistan PM Imran Khan tests positive for COVID-19: Top health official
Pakistan Prime minister Imran Khan on Saturday tested positive for the COVID-19 and is self-isolating at home, his top aide on health Dr Faisal Sultan said, two days after he got the first shot of vaccination. Khan’s spokesman Dr Shehbaz Gill said that the prime minister has just a slight fever and cough.
Coronavirus LATEST Updates
Devendra Fadnavis demands probe into rising COVID-19 cases in Maharashtra
Senior BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis on Saturday said a team of experts should be formed to probe the reason for the surge in COVID-19 cases in Maharashtra compared to the other states in the country. The former chief minister was speaking to the media after attending a meeting with Nagpur Guardian Minister Nitin Raut and district officials at the divisional commissionerate.
“I feel a team of experts should be constituted to study the surge in COVID-19 cases in the state. Maharashtra is no different from other states, but then why is it witnessing such a surge in infections?” Fadnavis said.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates
Eight states showing rising trajectory in COVID-19 cases, says Centre
A rising trajectory of daily new cases is visible in eight states and UTs, including Delhi and Maharashtra, while Kerala is showing a declining trend, the Health Ministry said on Saturday. The ministry said Maharashtra, Kerala and Punjab cumulatively account for 76.22 percent of India’s total active caseload, with Maharashtra contributing to 62 percent of such cases, while Kerala and Punjab account for 8.83 percent and 5.36 percent of active cases respectively.
The top five districts in Maharashtra recording the highest number of cases are Pune (37,384), Nagpur (25,861), Mumbai (18,850), Thane (16,735) and Nashik (11,867).
Coronavirus LIVE Updates
Parents protest outside Arvind Kejriwal’s residence, demand for schools to be opened
A group of parents staged a protest near Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal’s residence on Saturday, demanding that students of classes 1 to 8 be allowed back into schools.
The protesting parents, led by the Delhi State Public Schools’ Management Association, said that since anganwadis, courts, and classes from 9th till 12th standards have resumed functioning, the students of primary section should also be allowed back into schools.
Chairman of the Delhi State Public Schools’ Management Association RC Jain said the government should give the parents an option of sending their children to school along with continuing online teaching. “The government should issue an SOP that those who can and want their children to attend offline classes should follow some guidelines, and the rest can continue through online medium,” Jain told PTI.
Coronavirus LATEST Updates
Ahmedabad authorities begin screening of COVID-19 ‘super-spreaders’
In a bid to contain the spread of coronavirus in Ahmedabad, one of the worst-hit cities in Gujarat, the civic body on Satuday said it has decided to once again launch its drive to screen the virus “super-spreaders”.
“Super-spreaders” are those people, who are likely to spread the infection to a large number of people. People such as vegetable vendors, medicine store owners, grocers, auto-rickshaw drivers, saloon owners, and masons will have to obtain identity cards after getting themselves tested for the virus across 18 urban health centres in the city, the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) said.
Coronavirus LATEST Updates
Tamil Nadu govt orders schools to shut from 22 March
The Tamil Nadu government on Saturday ordered the closure of schools for classes 9, 10 and 11 with effect from 22 March “until further orders”.
Hostels for the students of these classes will also be closed. However online/digital mode of education shall continue for these classes, the government said.