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Coronavirus Live News Updates: Maharashtra on Tuesday recorded 14,123 new COVID-19 cases, the lowest since March 10, and 477 fresh deaths and also added 377 previously unreported fatalities, the state health department said. The Jharkhand government on Tuesday extended the lockdown-like restrictions till June 10 with some relaxations, an official said. This is the fourth time that the restrictions, first imposed on April 22 for a week, were extended. The ongoing measures were scheduled to end on June 3 CISCE’s decision comes hours after the Centre, citing ‘uncertain conditions due to COVID-19 and feedback obtained from various stakeholders’, cancelled this year’s CBSE Board examination for Class 12 The National Commission of Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) told the Supreme Court on Tuesday that there are 9,346 children, who have been abandoned, orphaned or lost a parent to the COVID-19 pandemic as per the data submitted to it by different states till May 29. The government on Tuesday decided to cancel the CBSE Class XII board exams amid the continuing COVID-19 pandemic across the country with Prime Minister Narendra Modi asserting that the decision has been taken in the interest of students and the anxiety among the students, parents and teachers must be put to an end Apparently unable to find suitable bidders for its global tenders to procure COVID-19 vaccines from leading manufacturers in the world, the Odisha government on Tuesday sought the Centre’s statutory clearance for the purpose as demanded by the companies. The Centre on Tuesday said that mixing vaccines is not a protocol till further update and there is no change in the schedule of the two-dose Covishield and Covaxin vaccines. The Delhi High Court told the AAP government that the vaccination drive for the 18 to 44 year age group was mismanaged. “We are on our way out now, we saw how the second wave affected the youth more. Yet the vaccine policy didn’t prioritize them. Your 80-year olds aren’t going to carry this country forward. They’ve lived their lives,” the court said. Indian Council of Medical Research Director-General Dr Balaram Bhargava says that there is no vaccine shortage in the country. He says that there will be enough vaccine doses to vaccinate 1 crore people by mid-July or August. Lav Agarwal, Joint Secretary, Union Health Ministry, on Tuesday said, “Active cases are down by 50%, there is a 1.3 lakh decrease in active cases in a day. In 30 states/UTs, cases have been consistently declining for one week. This is a positive trend.” Eli Lilly and Company India on Tuesday said it has received permission for emergency use of its antibody drugs combination used for treatment of mild to moderate COVID-19, in the country. The government on Tuesday imposed curbs on export of Amphotericin-B injections that are used for treatment of mucormycosis or black fungus infections. According to a notification issued by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), export of the injections have been put in the restricted category. This means that an exporter would need permission or licence from the directorate for its outbound shipments. “The export of Amphotericin-B injections… is restricted, with immediate effect,” it said. London’s busy Heathrow Airport opened a dedicated new terminal on Tuesday for arrivals from countries designated as “red list”, such as India, for a higher risk of COVID-19 transmission. Travellers on direct flights from such destinations will now go through Terminal 3 and then move directly to a government-approved quarantine facility booked at the passengers’ own expense. It comes after the London airport’s staff had raised fears for their safety because of overcrowding, amid concerns that travellers arriving from red list countries from where travel is effectively banned except for British and Irish nationals or limited exceptions were mixing with those from green and amber. “Red list routes will likely be a feature of UK travel for the foreseeable future as countries vaccinate their populations at different rates, a Heathrow Airport spokesperson said. The Supreme Court Tuesday stayed a Delhi High Court order holding as “unconstitutional the imposition of Integrated Goods and Services Tax (IGST) by the Centre on import of oxygen concentrators by individuals for personal use. A special bench of Justices DY Chandrachud and MR Shah issued notice on the plea and sought response from the petitioner, who filed a PIL before the high court. “We are staying the operation of the Delhi High Court order till further orders,” the bench said. The top court was hearing an appeal field by Ministry of Finance (Department of Revenue) against the 21 May high court order. Attorney General KK Venugopal said the GST council will meet on 8 June and deliberate on granting exemption to essential items related to COVID-19, including oxygen concentrators. Upset over yoga guru Ramdev’s remarks on allopathy, resident doctors at several Delhi hospitals launched a protest as part of a nationwide stir on Tuesday and sought an unconditional public apology or action under the Epidemic Diseases Act. Banded under the Federation of Resident Doctors Associations (FORDA), which had called for the protest on May 29 and stressed that healthcare services would not be hampered, the doctors wore black armbands, ribbons and held up placards. “Our protest began on Tuesday morning against the remarks made by Ramdev, who is not qualified to even speak on the discipline of allopathy. It had affected the morale of doctors, who are fighting day in and day out in the (COVID-19) pandemic. We demand an unconditional public apology from him or action against him under the Epidemic Diseases Act,” a senior FORDA official said. Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank has been admitted to AIIMS due to post-COVID complications. He had contracted the coronavirus in April, but resumed office after recovery. The Delhi High Court sought response of the city government and police on a plea seeking to restrain beggars and vagabonds from begging at traffic junctions and markets to prevent spread of COVID-19 as many of them do not wear masks or maintain social distancing. Maharashtra reported 500 fatalities, its lowest in 42 days, while Tamil Nadu and Karnataka recorded 478 and 411 deaths respectively. The COVID-19 recovery rate continues to increase, at 92.09 percent today, while the daily positivity rate dipped to 6.62 percent, and has been less than 10 percent for seven consecutive days. Bihar, Uttarakhand and Chhattisgarh on Monday extended COVID-induced lockdown or curfew though there will be some relaxation in curbs. Andhra Pradesh has decided to continue with curfew till 10 June, while the complete shutdown in Lakshadweep will remain till 7 June. Almost all states and Union Territories have extended the curbs which they first started imposing in mid-April as the second COVID wave hit the country. “In view of the corona outbreak, a decision has been taken to extend the lockdown by a week, till June 08. However, some extra concessions will be made for business activities,” Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar tweeted in Hindi. As per the revised guidelines, which would come into effect from 2 June, shops dealing in essential items like grocery, vegetables, dairy products, meat and fish, will be allowed to do business from 6 am to 2 pm. Similar relaxations have also been announced by other states. Shopping malls, cinema halls, gyms, stadiums, clubs and swimming pools will, however, remain closed. Restrictions also remain on the number of people who could attend weddings and funerals. The Chhattisgarh government said that the lockdown, which was scheduled to end on Monday, will continue with some relaxation in restrictions in those districts where the COVID-19 case positivity rate is less than five percent. The Rajasthan government also issued guidelines on Monday to start the “unlock” process by easing certain restrictions from 2 June. According to the guidelines for the modified lockdown, exemption for various activities will be given only in areas where the positivity rate is less than 10 percent or the use of oxygen, ICU and ventilator beds is less than 60 percent. Uttarakhand Chief Secretary Om Prakash said the COVID curfew has been extended in the state till 8 June. The period of the ongoing curfew in the state was scheduled to come to an end at 6 am on Tuesday morning. The Lakshadweep administration announced the extension of the complete shutdown for seven more days, beginning 31 May. The complete shutdown was first announced on May 24 for a week. The Andhra Pradesh government decided to extend the COVID curfew till June 10, with the same set of restrictions. The curfew, which was first clamped from May 5 as the coronavirus cases were on a steep upward spiral, was supposed to end on May 31. Meanwhile, the Uttar Pradesh government extended the relaxations announced in the coronavirus curfew to six more districts from June 1, allowing shops and markets outside the containment zones to open for five days a week. The relaxations will apply to a total of 61 districts from Tuesday, while 14 districts with an active COVID-19 caseload of over 600 have been kept outside the purview of the order for the time being. The 14 districts where there would be no relaxation in curbs are Meerut, Lucknow, Saharanpur, Varanasi, Ghaziabad, Gorakhpur, Muzaffarnagar, Bareilly, Gautam Buddh Nagar, Bulandshahr, Jhansi, Lakhimpur-Khiri, Jaunpur and Ghazipur, the spokesperson said.
Coronavirus News Updates: Maharashtra reports 14,123 new cases, lowest since 10 March; caseload now at 57.6 lakh
Coronavirus News Updates: The state also reported 477 deaths, including previously unreported fatalities. Out of the 477 deaths, 340 occurred in the last 48 hours and 137 in the last week. The state’s toll now stands at 96,198
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Coronavirus News Updates
COVID-19 kills 59 more in Bihar; recovery rate crosses 97%
COVID-19 surge continued with its downward trend on Tuesday in Bihar where the recovery rate crossed 97 percent even as 59 fresh fatalities were reported and 1,174 more people tested positive.
According to the state health department, the coronavirus death toll has now reached 5,222, and the number of people infected so far is 7.07 lakh.
However, 6.88 lakh people have recovered and the active caseload has also fallen to 14,250. The recovery rate stood at 97.25 percent, an improvement of close to 20 percent in less than a month.
Coronavirus News Updates
Tamil Nadu logs 26,513 new COVID-19 cases, 490 deaths
Tamil Nadu on Tuesday reported 26,513 fresh coronavirus cases and 490 related fatalities pushing the toll to 24,722. Coimbatore logged 3,332 new cases while the state capital added 2,467 infections, a Health department bulletin said.
With the 26,513 fresh cases, the overall caseload in the state went up to 21,23,029 and the number of active cases, including those in isolation, as of Tuesday stood at 2,96,131. The number of active cases as of Monday was 3,01,781.
As many as 31,673 patients were discharged after treatment on Tuesday, pushing the total recoveries to 18,02,176, according to the bulletin.
Coronavirus News Updates
ICMR invites researchers to contribute to scientific knowledge related to COVID-19
The ICMR has invited independent researchers from across India to contribute to the scientific knowledge related to COVID-19 by submitting their innovative research ideas in identified priority areas, stating that there is scanty knowledge available related to the functional aspects of the virus, its transmission dynamics, immunological response to natural infection and vaccines.
In its call for invites, the apex research body said the coronavirus pandemic has led to major loss of lives and livelihood.
Despite intense efforts of the global scientific community, there is scanty knowledge related to the functional aspects of the virus, its transmission dynamics, immunological response to natural infection and vaccines, it said.
Coronavirus News Updates
Mumbai reports 831 COVID-19 cases, 23 deaths
Mumbai reported 831 new COVID-19 cases and 23 fresh fatalities on Tuesday, taking the infection tally to 7,07,082 and the death toll to 14,907, the city civic body said. The financial capital of the county reported 155 more new cases, but six lesser deaths as compared to May 31, when the city had witnessed 676 infections and 29 fatalities.
According to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC)’s updated data, the city reported 831 new cases after 23,503 COVID-19 tests were conducted in the last 24 hours. The cumulative number of coronavirus tests conducted so far has jumped to 62,95,246, the civic body said.
In the last 24 hours, 5,868 patients were discharged from hospitals, far outnumbering the new cases, the BMC said.
Coronavirus News Updates
New cases fall below 10,000 in West Bengal after 40 days
After a gap of 40 days, fresh COVID-19 cases plummeted below the 10,000-mark in West Bengal on Tuesday with 9,424 new infections reported in 24 hours. The state was registering over 10,000 cases daily since April 21.
In the last 24 hours, 137 more patients succumbed to the disease pushing the death toll to 15,678, the health department said. The overall caseload is now 13,85,801. As many as 17,722 patients recovered from the disease since Monday improving the discharge rate to 93.20 percent.
The number of people who have recuperated from the infection so far has gone up to 12,91,510.
Coronavirus News Updates
WHO validates Sinovac COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use
The World Health Organisation (WHO) on Tuesday validated the Sinovac-CoronaVac Covid-19 vaccine for emergency use, giving countries, procuring agencies and communities the assurance that it meets international standards for safety, efficacy and manufacturing. The vaccine is produced by Beijing-based pharmaceutical company Sinovac.
“The world desperately needs multiple Covid-19 vaccines to address the huge access inequity across the globe,” WHO Assistant Director General for Access to Health Products, Mariangela Simao, said in a statement.
“We urge manufacturers to participate in the Covax Facility, share their knowhow and data and contribute to bringing the pandemic under control,” Simao added.
Coronavirus News Updates
Jharkhand extends lockdown-like restrictions till 10 June with some relaxations
The Jharkhand government on Tuesday extended the lockdown-like restrictions till June 10 with some relaxations, an official said. This is the fourth time that the restrictions, first imposed on April 22 for a week, were extended. The ongoing measures were scheduled to end on June 3.
“The Health Safety Week now stands extended till June 10. Some relaxations have been given, including the opening of shops in 15 districts from 6 am to 2 pm with certain conditions,” the official said.
In the remaining nine districts, including state capital Ranchi, Jamshedpur, Hazaribag and Dhanbad, which are witnessing a high number of deaths, shops other than clothes, jewellery, and shoes have been allowed, the official added.
Norms for traveling have also been relaxed and e- passes would not be required for inter-district movement, the official said.
Coronavirus News Updates
Madhya Pradesh sees 1,078 new COVID-19 cases, 45 deaths
Madhya Pradesh on Tuesday reported 1,078 fresh coronavirus positive cases and 45 fatalities, taking the tally to 7,81,108 and the toll to 8,112, the state health department said.
A total of 4,120 patients were discharged from hospitals in the last 24 hours, raising the count of recoveries in Madhya Pradesh to 7,52,693 so far, it said. Madhya Pradesh is now left with 20,303 active cases. With 362 new cases, Indore’s caseload went up to 1,50,178 while Bhopal’s tally rose by 221 to 1,21,093.
Coronavirus News Updates
Himachal Pradesh records 921 new COVID-19 cases, 38 deaths
Himachal Pradesh’s COVID-19 caseload surged to 1,91,251 on Tuesday with 921 fresh infections while the death toll climbed to 3,165 as 38 more people succumbed to the disease, according to the health department. There are 12,407 active COVID-19 cases in the state, the department said.
As many as 2,097 coronavirus patients recovered from the infection in a day, taking the total number of recoveries in Himachal Pradesh to 1,75,657, it said.
Coronavirus News Updates
After CBSE, CISCE cancels Class 12 exams too
Following the cancellation of the CBSE Board examination on Tuesday, the Council For The Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE) too followed suit and scrapped its ISC examination for this year.
Gerry Arathoon, chief executive, CISCE, told The Indian Express that the Class 12 students will now be evaluated through an alternative scheme. “The details of that will be worked out soon and will be available to you,” he said.
Coronavirus News Updates
Maharashtra reports 14,123 cases, lowest since 10 March
Maharashtra on Tuesday recorded 14,123 new COVID-19 cases, the lowest since March 10, and 477 fresh deaths and also added 377 previously unreported fatalities, the state health department said.
With the addition of 14,123 infections, the state’s caseload rose to 57,61,015, while the fatality count increased to 96,198, the department said.
The state on March 10 had reported 13,659 cases of the COVID-19 infection, which has been witnessing a declining trend over the last few weeks. A day ago, Maharashtra reported 15,077 COVID-19 cases. Recoveries far exceeded new infections.
Coronavirus News Updates
COVID-19 treatment rates to be reduced in Maharashtra
The Maharashtra government on Tuesday announced rationalisation of the rates of COVID-19 treatment at private hospitals which is expected to give relief to patients outside big cities. The earlier rates, prescribed by the government during the first wave of the pandemic, were based on the rates prevalent in Mumbai, said health minister Rajesh Tope.
“We have now decided to rationalise them further, so the charges will be reduced in tehsil- and district-level hospitals,” he said. Tope was speaking to reporters after attending a meeting with cabinet colleagues and officials.
The government has also identified the private hospitals where the coronavirus infection treatment would be covered under the Mahatma Jyotiba Phule Jan Arogya Yojana (MJPJAY), the state’s health insurance scheme, he said.
Coronavirus News Updates
Less than three lakh active COVID-19 cases in Karnataka
The total number of active COVID-19 cases in Karnataka fell below the three lakh mark,as the state on Tuesday reported a further decline in fresh infections at 14,304 and 464 fatalities. While the total number of cases stood at 26,18,735, the toll was 29,554. The day also saw 29,271 discharges, continuing to outnumber the fresh cases.
Out of the 14,304 new cases reported on Tuesday, 3,418 were from Bengaluru Urban, as the city saw 5,483 discharges and 276 deaths. Cumulatively 26,18,735 COVID-19 cases have been confirmed in the state, which includes 29,554 deaths and 22,90,861 discharges, the Health department said in a bulletin.
The total number of active cases is 2,98,299.
Coronavirus News Updates
Over 22,900 tonnes of LMO delivered to various states, says railways
Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Telangana have received over 2,000 tonnes of liquid medical oxygen (LMO) each through Oxygen Express’ trains, since the service began last month, the railways said on Tuesday.
So far, the national transporters has delivered more than 22,916 tonnes of LMO in more than 1,357 tankers to various states. The service was started in the wake of a severe second Covid wave in the country.
While 334 Oxygen Express’ trains have completed their journey and brought relief to 39 cities in 15 states, six loaded trains are currently on way to their destinations with more than 500 tonnes of LMO in 32 tankers.
Among southern states, delivery of liquid medical oxygen (LMO) to Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Telangana crossed 2,000 tonnes each, the railways said. Assam received its fourth Oxygen Express’ with 80 tonnes of LMO in four tankers.
Coronavirus News Updates
9,346 children orphaned, abandoned or lost a parent to COVID, NCPCR tells SC
The National Commission of Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) told the Supreme Court on Tuesday that there are 9,346 children, who have been abandoned, orphaned or lost a parent to the COVID-19 pandemic as per the data submitted to it by different states till May 29.
The Maharashtra government which filed a separate note before a bench of Justices L N Rao and Aniruddha Bose said that 4,451 children have lost one of their parent due to the pandemic and 141 children have lost both parents as per the data received from different areas till May 30.
The NCPCR, in its affidavit filed through advocate Swarupama Chaturvedi, said states leading the chart like Uttar Pradesh has 2,110 such children, Bihar (1,327), Kerala (952) and Madhya Pradesh (712).
The top court asked state government authorities to continue uploading the data on NCPCR’s website Bal Swaraj’ till June 7 and furnish the details of the children affected by COVID-19.
Coronavirus News Updates
Moderna seeks full FDA approval for its vaccine
American pharmaceutical company Moderna says it has begun the process to win full US regulatory approval for the use of its COVID-19 vaccine in adults. Moderna announced Tuesday it has begun a rolling submission to the Food and Drug Administration of data from its studies of the two-dose vaccine, reports AP.
Moderna’s vaccine already has been cleared for emergency use by the FDA and regulators in numerous other countries. So far, more than 124 million doses have been administered in the United States.
Large-scale studies of the shots continued after Moderna’s emergency authorisation. The FDA will scrutinise the information to see if the vaccine meets stringent criteria for full licensure.
Moderna is the second COVID-19 vaccine maker to seek full approval, following Pfizer and German partner BioNTech.
Coronavirus News Updates
Kerala reports 19,760 COVID-19 cases, 194 deaths
Kerala logged 19,760 new COVID-19 cases and 194 deaths on Tuesday, taking the total caseload to 25,16,314 and the toll to 9,009. Recoveries outnumbered those affected, with 24,117 testing negative for the virus, taking the total number of those discharged to 23,34,502.
Malappuram reported the highest number of 2,874 cases, followed by Thiruvananthapuram with 2,345 and Palakkad 2,178, health minister Veena George said. “Out of those who were found infected today, 104 reached the state from outside while 18,393 contracted the disease through their contacts.
Coronavirus News Updates
CBSE Class 12 board exams cancelled
As per multiple reports, in view of the COVID-19 situation in India and the feedback obtained from various stakeholders, the Centre has decided that Class XII Board Exams would not be held this year. It was also decided that CBSE will take steps to compile the results of class XII students as per well-defined objective criteria in a time-bound manner.
According to PTI, prime minister Narendra Modi said that the health, safety of students of utmost importance and there would be no compromise on that aspect.
This comes after a crucial meeting was held virtually on class 12 board exams is being attended by prime minister Narendra Modi, key union ministers as well as cabinet secretary, secretary of higher education, secretary of school education and other key stakeholders.
Coronavirus News Updates
Meghalaya registers 467 new COVID-19 cases, 14 deaths
Meghalaya on Tuesday recorded 14 COVID-19 related deaths, which raised the toll to 592, while 467 new cases raised the tally to 36,065, a senior official said. Accordingly, the number of active cases rose to 6,606, Health Services Director Aman War said.
Of the 14 fatalities, 12 were reported from East Khasi Hills, and one each from South West Khasi Hills and West Jaintia Hills, War explained. At least 769 more people recuperated from the infection, taking the total number of recoveries to 28,867, he said.
Over 5.98 lakh tests have been conducted thus far, and 4.59 lakh people inoculated, he added.
Coronavirus News Updates
DRDO issues directions on usage of anti-COVID drug 2-DG
The DRDO on Tuesday issued directions on the usage of its 2-DG drug on COVID-19 patients, stating that caution should be exercised while prescribing this medicine to people who have comorbidites such as uncontrolled diabetes, severe cardiac problem and acute respiratory distress syndrome.
The Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) approved the 2-deoxy-D-glucose (2-DG) drug for emergency use as an adjunct therapy in moderate to severe coronavirus patients in early May.
The first batch of this oral drug, developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), was released on May 17 by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Health Minister Harsh Vardhan.
On Tuesday, the DRDO on Twitter issued “directions for usage of this drug for COVID-19 patients as per DCGI approval”.
Coronavirus News Updates
In Pictures: PM chairs meeting on Class 12th board exams
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday chaired an important meeting regarding Class 12 Board Examinations. ANI has shared photos of the meeting, however, no announcements have been made so far.
Coronavirus News Updates
Appeal to Centre to cancel Class 12 board exams, says Delhi CM
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday appealed to the Centre to cancel Class 12 board exams in view of the Covid situation and suggested students be evaluated on basis of past performance.
“Students and parents are really worried about Class 12 board exams. They want that the exams should not to be conducted without vaccination. I appeal to the Centre that the exams are cancelled and the evaluation be done on basis of the past performance,” Kejriwal tweeted in Hindi.
The appeal by the chief minister comes ahead of a crucial meeting on board exams this evening which will be chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The CBSE had on April 14 announced the cancellation of class 10 exams and postponement of class 12 exams in view of the surge in coronavirus cases.
Coronavirus News Updates
Nearly half of Haryana’s total COVID-19 deaths recorded in May
Nearly half of the number of Covid-linked fatalities in Haryana were recorded in May as the state also registered a sharp spike in the cases last month, state health department data showed. On April 30, 2021, Haryana had a total 4,216 COVID-19 deaths, which climbed to 8,303, as on May 31.
During the same period, the virus count rose from 4,87,978 to 7,56,635. Gurugram, Faridabad and Hisar remained the districts hardest hit by the pandemic.
Between April 30 and May 31, coronavirus-related fatalities in Gurugram increased from 476 to 813, while the number of cases in the district, which falls in the National Capital Region, rose from 1,22,948 to 1,79,960.
Coronavirus News Updates
Delhi HC directs Centre to form policy on distribution of drug to treat black fungus
The Delhi High Court directs Centre to form policy on distribution of Liposomal Amphotericin B to treat black fungus, spill out priority of patients. As per PTI, the court said, “Those with better chance of survival, younger age group be given priority over older ones who have lived their lives.”
The bench said “we follow the practice of ‘Vasudev Kutumbakam’ which means the world is one family but if there are two patients in a family who need the medicine and you have one dose, you have to chose one member'.
The bench asked them not to leave the decision to the doctors and form a clear policy in this regard and told the counsel for the Centre and Delhi government to come back with instructions on Tuesday. Citing an example, it said that if there are two patients — one is 80-year-old and other is 35-year-old — and there is only one dose of medicine then it should be given to whom.
“That’s a bullet you have to take it” and “you have to take this cruel decision” which is not at all an easy task, said a bench of Justices Vipin Sanghi and Jasmeet Singh, making it clear that it was not at all saying life of any person is less important than another.
Coronavirus News Updates
‘80-year olds won’t carry country forward’: Delhi HC pulls up AAP govt over vaccination drive
The Delhi High Court on Tuesday pulled up the AAP government over Black Fungus management in Delhi and vaccine strategy. The court told the government that the vaccination drive for the 18 to 44 year age group was mismanaged. “We are on our way out now, we saw how the second wave affected the youth more. Yet the vaccine policy didn’t prioritize them. Your 80-year olds aren’t going to carry this country forward. They’ve lived their lives,” the court said.
Coronavirus News Updates
SC stays Delhi HC order on levy of IGST on imported oxygen concentrators for personal use
The Supreme Court Tuesday stayed a Delhi High Court order holding as “unconstitutional the imposition of Integrated Goods and Services Tax (IGST) by the Centre on import of oxygen concentrators by individuals for personal use.
A special bench of Justices D Y Chandrachud and M R Shah issued notice on the plea and sought response from the petitioner, who filed a PIL before the high court. “We are staying the operation of the Delhi High Court order till further orders,” the bench said.
The top court was hearing an appeal field by Ministry of Finance (Department of Revenue) against the May 21, high court order.
Coronavirus News Updates
Mixing vaccine not protocol, stick to SOP: Centre
VK Paul on Tuesday said that mixing vaccines is not the protocol yet and asks medical workers to stick to the standard operating procedure.
Coronavirus News Updates
Seeking clarity, guidance from Centre for vaccine import: Cipla
Pharma major Cipla on Tuesday said it is seeking clarity and guidance from the government on the possible roadmap to import vaccine, while stressing that it has been at the forefront of COVID-19 care.
The statement came after a report by PTI on Monday said the company is seeking fast-track approvals to expeditiously bring Moderna’s single-dose COVID-19 booster vaccine into India.
The report quoting sources said Cipla has requested the government for indemnification and exemptions from price capping, bridging trials and basic customs duty, while stating that the firm is close to committing over USD 1 billion as advance to the US major.
In a regulatory filing, the pharma firm said, “Cipla has been at the forefront of COVID care. We are in the process of seeking clarity and guidance from the Government of India for exploring the possible roadmap for vaccine importation to India”.
Coronavirus News Updates
No data or trial conducted to determine if kids can be vaccinated, says Centre
NITI Aayog member VK Paul says that there is no data or trial conducted to ascertain if children can be given Covid-19 vaccines. As soon as there is data that vaccines boost the immunity against the infection in children, the government will take a decision, he adds.
On COVID-19 infections among children, VK Paul says the paediatric population is generally asymptomatic. He adds that they get infections but their symptoms are minimal or nil.
Coronavirus News Updates
No change in schedule of Covishield doses, says Centre
Union Health Ministry on Tuesday clarified, “There is absolutely no change in the schedule of Covishield doses; it will be two doses only. After the first Covishield dose is administered, the second dose will be given after 12 weeks. Also, the schedule applicable for another covid-19 vaccine which is the Covaxin developed by Bharat Biotech will remain the same which is a 4-6 weeks gap between the first and the second dose," said Dr. VK Paul, of NITI Aayog during a media briefing.
This comes after several media reports said that the Centre was thinking of tweaking its vaccine strategy, mulling over a single shot of Covishield, mixing doses.
Coronavirus News Updates
By July, India will have capacity to vaccine 1 crore people per day, says ICMR chief
In the weekly COVID-19 briefing, Balram Bhargava, head, ICMR, says testing and containment strategies have worked in the second waves. As many as 239 districts have more than 10% positivity, he says.
“There is no shortage of vaccines. By mid-July or August, we will have enough doses to vaccinate 1 crore people per day. We are confident of vaccinating the whole population by December,” he said.
Unlocking will be done guided by vaccination done for the vulnerable population, he added, as per The Hindu
Coronavirus News Updates
Active cases down by 50% in India: Union Health Ministry
Lav Agarwal, Joint Secretary, Union Health Ministry, on Tuesday said, “Active cases are down by 50%, there is a 1.3 lakh decrease in active cases in a day. In 30 states/UTs, cases have been consistently declining for one week. This is a positive trend.”
He adds, “1,27,000 cases have been reported in the last 24 hours. Since May 28, the country is reporting less than 2 lakh cases. There is a decline of infection in the country.”
Coronavirus News Updates
India has been reporting less than 2 lakh cases since 28 May, says Centre
Lav Agrawal, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Tuesday, while giving a press conference on the COVID-19 situation in India, said, “India is seeing a very positive trend of reducing Covid numbers. It is less than 2 lakh daily cases since 28 May. Almost 69% decline in cases since the highest reported peak on 7 May.”
Coronavirus News Updates
Delhi records 623 new COVID cases, 62 deaths
Delhi on Tuesday reported 623 fresh COVID-19 cases, the lowest in two and a half months, and 62 more deaths, while the positivity rate fell below one percent for the second consecutive day. This is the third day that the daily deaths in the city remained below 100. On April 12, the figure was 72.
Delhi on Monday had reported 648 fresh COVID-19 cases and 86 more deaths, while the positivity rate fell was 0.99 percent. On Sunday, Delhi had recorded 946 COVID-19 cases and 78 deaths and the positivity rate stood at 1.25 percent, according to a health department bulletin.
The fresh cases recorded on Tuesday are the lowest since March 18, when 607 people were diagnosed with the disease. The positivity rate is now 0.88 percent, it said.
Coronavirus News Updates
Senior BJP leader Laxmikant Sharma dies of COVID-19
Senior BJP leader and former Madhya Pradesh minister Laxmikant Sharma died of coronavirus at a private hospital, family sources said on Tuesday. Sharma, 60, succumbed to the deadly infection at Chirayu Hospital and Medical College on Monday night, the hospital’s director Dr Ajay Goenka said.
The senior BJP leader is survived by his wife and three daughters, the family sources stated. Sharma’s last rites were performed at Sironj, his ancestral town, in Vidisha district with full state honours on Tuesday, they said. Sharma was elected as an MLA from Sironj Assembly seat for four terms in 1993, 1998, 2003 and 2008.
The senior BJP leader had served as a minister in the cabinet of former chief ministers Uma Bharti and Babulal Gaur and also under the present Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, the party sources said.
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PM to chair important meeting on 12th board exams today, say reports
As per reports, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is all set to chair an important meeting on 12th board exams Tuesday evening. Moneycontrol , citing unnamed sources has reported that the prime minister would be briefed on all possible options post extensive discussions with all states and other stakeholders, added the sources.
The following update arrived days after a petition has been filed in the Supreme Court by advocate Mamata Sharma, asking stakeholders to call off the CBSE Class XII board exams this year. She has requested the apex court to advise the board to declare the results based on past assessments.
As per India Today , Union Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal is also expected to inform the public about the final decision on the CBSE Board exam 2021 mode and dates today.
Nishank, who is now admitted to Delhi AIIMS due to post-COVID-related complications, last month said that an “informed, collaborative” decision on conducting the class 12 board exams will be taken by 1 June.
However, there has been no official announcement on this yet.
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Eli Lilly India gets nod for emergency use of antibody drugs combination
Eli Lilly and Company India on Tuesday said it has received permission for emergency use of its antibody drugs combination used for treatment of mild to moderate COVID-19, in the country.
The company has received permission for restricted emergency use of its monoclonal antibody drugs, bamlanivimab 700 mg and etesevimab 1400 mg, used together for the treatment of patients with mild to moderate COVID-19, Eli Lilly said in a statement.
Lilly is engaging in active dialogue with the Indian government and regulatory authorities to donate bamlanivimab and etesevimab in order to speed up access and provide treatment options for patients with COVID-19,” it added.
Bamlanivimab and etesevimab combination has been authorised under Emergency Use Authorisation in the US and select EU countries for the treatment of the disease, the statement said.
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Odisha floats global tenders for COVID vaccines
Odisha Government on Tuesday asked the Centre to manage the process at the country-level rather than by individual States. Odisha Health Minister Naba Kisore Das, in a letter to Union Health Minister Dr.Harsh Vardhan, mentioned how the vaccine supply constraint has forced the State Government to vaccinate only 60,000 -70,000 people per day even though it has the capacity to vaccinate at 3 lakh people per day.
Odisha had also placed an order of 220 lakh doses of Covishield with Serum Institute of India (SII) and 10.34 lakh doses of Covaxin with Bharat Biotech. However, so far they have only supplied 5,78,480 doses of Covishield and 1,65,490 doses of Covaxin respectively.
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Petrol, diesel sales drop 17% in May due to COVID-19 lockdown
India’s petrol and diesel sales fell by about 17 per cent in May from a month ago as restrictions clamped to curb the world’s worst outbreak of coronavirus infections stifled demand.
Sales of petrol — used in cars and motorcycles — fell to 1.79 million tonne in May, the lowest in a year, according to the preliminary data of state-owned fuel retailers. While the consumption was almost 13 percent higher than demand in May 2020, it was 28 percent lower than pre-COVID levels of 2.49 million tonne.
India was under one of the world’s strictest lockdowns in May last year, which brought all mobility and economic activity to a grinding halt. This year, though the infection rate is much severe, restrictions are localised. Personal mobility is not as hampered as last year and more factories have remained open while cargo movement between states too hasn’t been as badly affected.
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Centre imposes restrictions on export of Amphotericin-B injections
The government on Tuesday imposed curbs on export of Amphotericin-B injections that are used for treatment of mucormycosis or black fungus infections.
According to a notification issued by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), export of the injections have been put in the restricted category. This means that an exporter would need permission or licence from the directorate for its outbound shipments.
“The export of Amphotericin-B injections… is restricted, with immediate effect,” it said.