Coronavirus Live News Updates: Maharashtra adds 20,295 new COVID-19 cases, 443 deaths; recovery rate at 93.4%

Coronavirus Latest Updates

COVID-19 recovery rate in Maharashtra increases to 93.4%

With the recuperation of 31,964 more COVID-19 patients in a day, the total number of discharges neared 54 lakh. This takes the recovery rate in the state to 93.4 percent, said the Maharashtra health department on Saturday.

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Maharashtra’s COVID-19 tally increases by 20,295; reports 443 deaths in 24 hours

Maharashtra registered 20,295 fresh coronavirus infections in a span of 24 hours, taking the overall count over 57.13 lakh, the state health department said on Saturday.

After 443 more patients succumbed to the novel coronavirus, the fatality rate in the state has reached 1.65 percent. Of the total infections, there are 2.76 lakh active cases.

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Delhi extends lockdown till 7 June

The Delhi government on Saturday extended the curfew “on the movement of individuals except for essential activities till 5 am on 7 June (Monday), or further orders whichever is earlier”.

However, the National Capital has allowed the operations of manufacturing/production units within closed premises in approved industrial areas. Besides, construction activities have also been allowed outside the containment zones during the curfew period, said Delhi Disaster Management Authority.

DDMA extended the curfew on the movement of individuals except for essential activities in Delhi till 5 am on June 7 (Monday) or further orders whichever is earlier. pic.twitter.com/JnctdM4BT2

— ANI (@ANI) May 29, 2021

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Tamil Nadu announces relief measures for children orphaned during pandemic

Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin has announced that children orphaned or those who lost either of their parents to coronavirus will be provided an assistance of Rs five lakh. Further, the state government will bear all expenses towards their education till graduation.

A special task force under district collector has already been set up to identify the children whose parents succumbed to the disease and provide them the much needed assistance, an official release here said.

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Single-day COVID-19 tally in metro cities: 

India saw a decline in daily COVID-19 cases once again on Saturday with 1,73,790 people testing positive, pushing the cumulative tally over 2.77 crore. This is the lowest number of cases recorded since 12 April.

Of the fresh infections, Bengaluru reported 4,889 cases, Chennai added 2,705 more to its tally, 1,735 new cases in Kolkata, 1,048 in Mumbai, whereas, Delhi witnessed the lowest single-day spike in over two months with 956 cases.

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Vietnam identifies hybrid of COVID-19 variants detected in India and UK

Vietnam has discovered a new coronavirus variant that’s a hybrid of strains first found in India and the United Kingdom, the Vietnamese health minister said Saturday.

Nguyen Thanh Long said scientists examined the genetic makeup of the virus that had infected some recent patients, and found the new version of the virus. He said lab tests suggested it might spread more easily than other versions of the virus.

Viruses often develop small genetic changes as they reproduce, and new variants of the coronavirus have been seen almost since it was first detected in China in late 2019.

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UP board cancels Class 10 exams; Class 12 exams in July second week

Uttar Pradesh Deputy chief minister Dr Dinesh Sharma, on Saturday announced that the state board class 10 exams have been cancelled keeping in view the second wave of the COVID-19 situation. He further stated that all the students of Class 10 will be promoted to Class 11 without sitting for the board exam.

Whereas, the Class 12 examination is proposed in the second week of July, if the situation is conducive to hold the exams. Duration for Class 12 exams has been reduced to 90 minutes from the usual 3.15 hours. 

The criteria for promoting the students will be clarified by UPMSP in due course of time.

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Delhi receives 48,000 Covaxin doses for people above 45 yrs

Delhi received over 48,000 doses of Covaxin for the 45 plus age group on Saturday, and it will mostly be used for administering second doses since the quantity is less, AAP MLA Atishi said.

Delhi also received over 83,000 doses of Covishield on Friday, she said.

Till 28 May, there were no Covaxin doses available for any age group in Delhi. Issuing the vaccination bulletin, she said,“We received over 48,000 doses of Covaxin on Friday from the Centre for the 45 plus people, healthcare and frontline workers.

“Since the quantity is less, they will mostly be used to inoculate those who have received the first dose of the vaccine,” she said.

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Centre forms GoM to decide on tax cuts/exemptions on COVID-19 essentials

An eight-member ministerial panel under Meghalaya chief minister Conrad Sangma will examine the need for exempting GST or cutting rate on COVID-19 essentials like vaccines, drugs, hand sanitisers, masks, PPE kits and oxygen related equipment.

The GST Council in its meeting on 28 May had decided to set up a Group of Ministers (GoM), which will submit its report by 8 June.

As per its terms of reference (ToR), the GoM would examine whether a GST rate cut or exemption would be required for COVID relief materials – medical grade oxygen, pulse oximeters, hand sanitisers, oxygen therapy equipment like concentrators, ventilators, PPE kits, N-95 and surgical masks and temperature checking equipment, the finance ministry said.

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Andhra Pradesh records 13,756 new cases, 104 deaths

Andhra Pradesh reported 13,756  fresh cases of coronavirus from 79,564 tests in 24 hours ending 9 am on Saturday at a positivity rate of 17 percent. The state also reported 20,392 recoveries and 104 COVID-19 fatalities in a day, a health department bulletin said. The gross positives increased to 16,71,742, recoveries to 14,87,382 and deaths 10,738, it said.The number of active cases dropped to 1,73,622.

PTI

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All govt employees above 18 should get vaccinated at earliest: Jitendra Singh

 Union Minister Jitendra Singh on Saturday advised all government employees above the age of 18 years to get themselves vaccinated against coronavirus at the earliest.  He also said that in light of the increase in the number of COVID positive cases, the secretaries/HoDs were delegated the powers to regulate the attendance of employees at all levels, keeping in view the functional requirements and the number of positive cases in their respective departments.

“Department of Personnel & Training (DoPT) is advising all the government employees above the age of 18 years to get vaccinated at the earliest,” said Singh, the Minister of State for Personnel.

PTI

Kerala lockdown extended till 9 June, curbs eased

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan announces extension of statewide lockdown till 9 June, but with easing of some curbs reports NDTV. Certain shops can open on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday till 5 pm and industries can operate with a minimum number of workers,according to the report. Triple lockdown in Malappuram has also been withdrawn, reports said.

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Children orphaned by COVID to get free health insurance of Rs 5 lakh till18 yrs of age, says PMO

Children who have lost parents to COVID-19 will be assisted for higher education loan; interest to be paid from PM CARES Fund, news agency PTI quotes the PMO as saying. Such  children will get free health insurance of Rs 5 lakh till 18 years,premium will be paid by PM CARES Fund, it further states.

Centre to ensure free education for children who lost their parents to COVID-19, says PMO

The Centre will ensure free education for children who lost their parents to COVID-19, news agency PTI quotes the Prime Minister’s Office as saying. For this the PMO announced different provisions for children under 10 years of age, those aged 11-18 and for higher education, according to The Leaflet.

Additionally, PM CARES will contribute through a specially designed scheme to create a corpus of Rs 10 lakh for each child when he or she reaches 18 years of age, The Leaflet quotes the PMO as saying. This corpus will be used to give a monthly financial support/ stipend from 18 years of age, for the next five years to take care of his or her personal requirements during the period of higher education and on reaching the age of 23 years, he or she will get the corpus amount as one lump-sum for personal and professional use

PM CARES will contribute through a specially designed scheme to create a corpus of Rs 10 lakh for each child when he or she reaches 18 years of age: PMO

— The Leaflet (@TheLeaflet_in) May 29, 2021

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GoM constituted on GST exemption to COVID relief material, says Finance Ministry

As a follow up of the decision of the GST Council at its 43rd meeting, a Group of Ministers (GoM) has been constituted to examine the issue of GST concession/exemption to COVID relief material.
✅GoM to submit its report by June 08, 2021.#IndiaFightsCorona #Unite2FightCorona pic.twitter.com/Qn1N2IEvIw

— Ministry of Finance (@FinMinIndia) May 29, 2021

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UP cancels Class 10 board exams; Class 12 board examination likely in second week of July

Uttar Pradesh deputy chief minister Dr Dinesh Sharma on Saturday announced that the Class 10 board exams have been cancelled and the students will be promoted to Class 11." Class 12 board exam may be conducted in the second week of July. The exam time will be reduced to one and a half hours. They have to do only three questions out of 10," ANI News UP quotes him as saying. According to the Times of India, students of Class 6,7,8, 9 and 11 will promoted without holding exams.

Class 10 examination has been cancelled. They will be promoted to class 11. 12th board exam may be conducted in the second week of July. The exam time will be reduced to 1:30 hours. They have to do only 3 questions out of 10: Dr Dinesh Sharma, Deputy Chief Minister pic.twitter.com/V4Pb3X0kki

— ANI UP/Uttarakhand (@ANINewsUP) May 29, 2021

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NCPCR asks states/UTs to upload data of children who lost one or both parents to COVID-19

The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) has asked all states and union territories (UTs) to upload data of children who have lost either one or both parents to COVID-19 on its portal. Women and Child Development Minister Smriti Irani had on Tuesday said as many as 577 children across the country were orphaned after their parents succumbed to COVID-19, citing reports of states and union territories from 1 April till 25 March.

The announcement by the apex child rights body comes a day after the Supreme Court directed all district officers across the states/UTs to fill data related to children who have lost either one of both parents to Covid within 24 hours on the Bal Swaraj portal under the ‘Covid Care’ link. Bal Swaraj is an online tracking portal of the NCPCR for children in need of care and protection.

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Arvind Kejriwal urges Centre to provide vaccines to states

Amid an acute shortage of vaccines, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday asked the Centre to buy vaccines and distribute them to the state governments, and said this is not the time for blame game and petty politics. Noting that the National Capital recorded around 900 new coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours, the chief minister stressed that if new infections continue to decline, more activities will be allowed to open up in the city. Kejriwal said the AAP government “just wants vaccines” for Delhi and sought to know where is the politicisation in that.

PTI

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Unless 70% of global population is vaccinated pandemic won’t end, says WHO

The WHO’s European director warned on Friday that the COVID-19 pandemic won’t end until at least 70 percent of people are vaccinated, and criticised Europe’s vaccine rollout as “too slow”. The World Health Organization’s regional director for Europe Hans Kluge said countries and their populations must not become complacent about the pandemic.

“Don’t think the COVID-19 pandemic is over,” Kluge told new agency AFP in an interview, while adding that vaccination rates needed to increase. “The pandemic will be over once we reach 70 percent minimum coverage in vaccination,” the regional director said.

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J&K admin to provide special pension, scholarship to families of COVID-19 victims under Saksham scheme

The Jammu and Kashmir Administrative Council headed by Lt Governor Manoj Sinha on Saturday approved the grant of financial relief through the Special Assistance Scheme for Covid mortalities (SASCM/Saksham) to the families of victims, an official spokesman said.  The scheme aims to ensure sustenance of families who have lost their sole breadwinner due to coronavirus.

At a meeting chaired by Sinha , the Administrative Council also approved the creation of a special cell in the Social Welfare Department for hand-holding the families of coronavirus victims and facilitating the extension of benefits under different government schemes, including financial assistance for self-employment.

Under the new scheme Saksham, the surviving spouse and one eldest surviving member of affected families would receive a special monthly pension of Rs 1,000 through Direct bank transfer (DBT), provided that they are not otherwise receiving any pension under other schemes, the spokesman said.

Additionally, he said the scheme would also provide special scholarships to children who lost their earning parent(s)/ sibling(s)/ guardian(s) to COVID-19. 

The special scholarship would be paid annually at the rate of Rs 20,000 and Rs 40,000 through DBT to children studying up to class 12 and higher education, respectively, the spokesman said.

PTI

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First case of B.1.617 COVID-19 variant found in Pakistan

The first-ever case of the highly infectious B.1.617 variant of coronavirus, first identified in India, has been detected in Pakistan despite a ban on travellers from the neighbouring country since April, the country’s top health institute has said.  The National Institute of Health (NIH) on Friday shared the results of whole-genome sequencing of SARS CoV-2 samples collected during the first three weeks of May 2021, The Express Tribune reported on Friday. The sequencing results confirmed the detection of seven cases of B.1.351 [South African variant] and one case of B.1.617.2 [first identified in India]. This is the first in-country detection of the latter strain, the NIH said in a statement.

PTI

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18,040 oxygen concentrators, 7.7 lakh remdesivir vials received as foreign aid sent to states: Centre

In total, 18,040 oxygen concentrators, 19,085 oxygen cylinders and nearly 7.7 lakh remdesivir vials received as aid from abroad have been delivered or dispatched to states and Union Territories from 27 April to 28 May amid the second wave of COVID-19 infection, the Union Health Ministry said on Saturday. Cumulatively, 18,040 oxygen concentrators, 19,085 oxygen cylinders, 19 oxygen generation plants, 15,256 ventilators and BiPAP, around 7.7 lakh remdesivir vials and nearly 12 lakh favipiravir tablets have been delivered and dispatched through road and air from April 27 to May 28.

Major consignments received on 26 and 28 May from Turkey, Indian Business Association (Taiwan), Roche (Switzerland) and Eli Lily include 20 oxygen concentrators, five oxygen concentrator plants, 680 oxygen cylinders, 50,000 tocilizumab, 20,000 Baricitinib, 50 ventilators, Bi-PAP and CPAP. The ministry said this also includes 680 oxygen cylinders received from Turkey, which have some compliance issues, hence they have been withheld at a warehouse.

PTI

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Delhi court grants bail to Navneet Kalra in oxygen concentrator hoarding case

A Delhi Court on Saturday granted bail to businessman Navneet Kalra in a case related to hoarding of oxygen concentrators, said reports.The order was pronounced by Judge Arun Kumar Garg, Chief Metropolitan Magistrate, Saket Courts after hearing counsel for Kalra and the prosecution, reports Bar&Bench. According to LiveLaw, the court granted bail to Kalra, subject to him furnishing personal bond of two sureties each of Rs.One lakh.

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Tamil Nadu govt to provide Rs 5 lakh aid to children orphaned by COVID-19

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK  Stalin has announced that children orphaned or those who lost either of their parents to coronavirus will be provided an assistance of Rs 5 lakhs.  Further, the state government will bear all expenses towards their education till graduation. A special task force under district collector has already been set up to identify the children whose parents succumbed to the disease and provide them the much needed assistance, an official release said.

PTI

Coronavirus Latest Updates

Ghaziabad COVID-19 patient with yellow, black and white fungus dies, says doctor

A 59-year-old COVID-19 patient, who was also detected with black, white and yellow fungus, has passed away here, the doctor treating him said on Saturday. “Kunwar Singh was under treatment but passed away due to toxemia (blood poisoning by toxins) at 7.30 pm on Friday,” Dr BP Tyagi, an ENT (Ear, Nose, Throat) specialist at Harsh Hospital in the city’s Raj Nagar area, told news agency PTI.  The doctor said Singh, a lawyer from Sanjay Nagar in the city, had approached him recently with Covid conditions. “The yellow fungus, besides white and black fungus, was detected during endoscopy on 24 May,” Tyagi added. 

Meanwhile, he said his hospital is treating another 59-year-old man from Muradnagar who has also been detected with yellow fungus infections. 

PTI

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Delhi records 956 fresh COVID-19 cases, lowest in over two months

Delhi on Saturday recorded 956 fresh COVID-19 cases, the lowest in over two months, and 122 more fatalities while the positivity rate slipped to 1.19 per cent, according to health department data.  This is the first time since 22 March, when 888 infections were recorded, that daily cases in Delhi have fallen below 1,000.

The 122 fresh fatalities pushed the death toll in Delhi to 24,073, the health department bulletin stated. On Thursday, 1,072 COVID-19 cases and 117 deaths were recorded while the positivity rate was 1.53 percent. On Friday, 1,141 cases and 139 fatalities were recorded while the positivity rate stood at 1.59 percent.

PTI

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Andhra Pradesh forms paediatric task force to gear up for COVID third wave

 With the prediction of a third wave of coronavirus, and that it could possibly affect children largely, the Andhra Pradesh government has started preparing ahead to tackle any eventuality.  In that direction, it has constituted the AP Paediatric Covid-19 Task Force of experts to advise the government on all technical and medical issues related to children and prepare various protocols and conduct extensive training for medical, nursing and paramedical personnel.  The Task Force will look into the logistics like hospital facilities, oxygen masks for children, medicines and other issues and make necessary recommendations.

The Task Force will be headed by B Chandrasekhar Reddy, a neurosurgeon and chairman of AP Medical Services and Infrastructure Development Corporation and have seven other experts.

PTI

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Govt’s lack of planning, incompetence responsible for oxygen crisis, alleges Priyanka Gandhi Vadra

Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra Saturday blamed the government’s alleged incompetence and lack of planning for the medical oxygen crisis during the second wave of coronavirus in the country, and said it must answer the public for the lives lost to COVID-19. Taking forward her “Zimmedaar Kaun (who is responsible)” campaign, under which she has been asking questions of the government over its handling of the pandemic, she said it’s time for the ruling dispensation to answer for its actions. 

She alleged that India increased its oxygen exports by “700 percent during 2020 and did not make any efforts to import oxygen” when the demand in the country skyrocketed during the second Covid wave. “It is clear that the Modi government’s lack of planning and incompetence are responsible for the shortage of oxygen that devastated lives in the second wave. Now, it’s time for them to answer to the public,” she said in a Facebook post.

PTI

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No talks of extending lockdown in Karnataka currently: BS Yediyurappa

Karnataka chief minister BS Yediyurappa on Satruday said that the government is currently not mulling extending the complete lockdown in the state.

“There are no talks on lockdown extension. We will think about it on 5 June,” he said.

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Goa extends curfew till 7 June

The Pramod Sawant government in Goa on Saturday announced its decision to extend the curfew restrictions till 7 am on 7 June 2021.

Government of Goa has decided to extend the curfew till 7 am of 7th June 2021. The orders regarding the same shall be issued by respective District Collectors.

— CMO Goa (@goacm) May 29, 2021

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Odisha logs 7,188 new COVID-19 cases, 35 more deaths

At least 7,188 more people tested positive for COVID-19 in Odisha, pushing the tally in the coastal state to 7,47,143, a health department official said on Saturday. The toll rose to 2,686 as 35 more patients, including a four-year-old boy, succumbed to the disease, he said.

Of the fresh cases, 4,026 were reported from quarantine centres and the remaining 3,162 detected during contact tracing. Khurda district, which comprises the state capital Bhubaneswar, recorded the highest number of new cases at 1,134, followed by Cuttack (690) and Angul (515).

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Centre to discontinue allocation of remdesivir to state

Union Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Saturday tweeted that the Centre will discontinue the allocation of remdesvir to the state governments. He added that the production of the anti-viral drug had been ramped up.

“I am delighted and satisfied to inform you all that the Production of Remdesivir is ramped up ten times from just ~33,000 vials/day on 11th April 2021 to ~3,50,000 vials/day today,” he said.

“So we have decided to DISCONTINUE the Central Allocation of Remdesivir to States,” he added.

But I have also directed @nppa_india & @CDSCO_INDIA_INF to continuously monitor the availability of Remdesivir in the country.
Government of India has also decided to procure 50 lakh vials of #Remdesivir to maintain it as a strategic stock for the emergency requirement. (3/3)

— Dr Mansukh Mandaviya (@mansukhmandviya) May 29, 2021

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Akhilesh Yadav urges UP govt to waive off interest on house, water tax fines

Samajwadi Party President Akhilesh Yadav on Saturday requested the BJP government to waive off interest on fine and arrears in house and water tax bills to give relief to the urban population hit by the COVID-19 pandemic.

In a tweet in Hindi, Yadav said, Considering how the economic condition of people living in cities has been hit because of coronavirus, the BJP government is urged to waive off interest on any kind of fines and arrears in the bills of house tax and water tax. This will give a lot of relief to the lower and middle class in this period of crisis, he added.

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Delhi to get 5.5 lakh COVID-19 vaccine doses for 18-44 age group in June: Sisodia

Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on Saturday said the city government will receive 5.5 lakh COVID-19 jabs for beneficiaries in the 18-44 age group from the Centre in June. Addressing a press conference here, Sisodia accused the central government of “sitting over” the vaccine distribution system.

The deputy chief minister also alleged “mismanagement” by the central government and sought to know how private hospitals were getting vaccines while states were being told that there are no stocks.

As against a requirement of 1.84 crore doses to vaccinate 92 lakh people in the 18-44 age group in Delhi, Centre provided 4.5 lakh doses in April and 3.67 lakh doses in May, he said. “Now the Centre has informed us that a limited stock of 5.5 lakh doses will be provided, that too after June 10,” Sisodia said.

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Newly-elected Assam MLA succumbs to COVID-19

Another newly-elected Assam MLA, Leho Ram Boro, on Saturday succumbed to COVID-19, The Hindu reported. The UPPL legislator represented the Tamulpur Assembly constituency.

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West Bengals receives 50,000 Covaxin doses today

West Bengal on Saturday received 50,000 more Covaxin doses, in addition to the shipment of 2 lakh Covishield doses and 50,000 Covaxin doses sent by the Centre on Friday, The Times of India reported.

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Five lakh COVID-19 vaccine doses administered in Goa so far

A total of five lakh anti-coronavirus vaccine doses have been administered to the people in Goa so far, with the state government saying that the ‘Tika Utsav’ has helped it in reaching out to the beneficiaries, especially in the rural parts. Goa, which has a population of 16 lakh, has witnessed a spike in COVID-19 cases over the last one month.

As per the government records, five lakh vaccine doses (including the second jabs) have been administered in the state till 28 May. The detailed statistics as on 26 May revealed that 95,886 people were “fully vaccinated”, while 3,00,923 others have received the first dose only. The beneficiaries included people in the age group of 18-44 and 45-plus.

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S Jaishankar says sustained engagement from Centre on vaccine production

External Affairs Minister, on a visit to the US, was questioned about the vaccine production process in India.

“In the literal way that’s something that only the producer can answer. But we in India, myself personally and MoS Pharmaceuticals and many of our senior officials, we fairly do video conferences with industry,” Jaishankar said when asked if vaccine production is jammed in India.

“We have had sustained engagement between government to government, HQ to HQ, Embassy to the depts here and Embassy to the suppliers here and my feedback I had in the industry meeting, there was a very clear sense that the supply chain was working more smoothly,” he said.

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Delhi reports 900 COVID-19 cases on Saturday

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal said that around 900 COVID-19 cases have been reported in the National Capital in the last 24 hours.

“This is for the first time (during second wave) that we have reported cases below 1,000,” he added.