COVID-19 news: Centre revamps vaccine advisory, says jabs for all by year-end; India sees 4,529 deaths in 24 hrs

On a day when India saw record 4,529 fatalities due to coronavirus in a single day, Union health minister Harsh Vardhan said India will have procured 267 crore COVID-19 vaccine doses by the end of this year and will be in a position to inoculate all of its adult population.

The minister said that 51 crore COVID-19 vaccine doses will be made available by July and 216 crore more between August and December. He urged states to ensure that the healthcare and frontline workers are fully vaccinated, as they form the vulnerable categories.

The Centre’s statement gives hope at a time when West Bengal and the eight states of the North-eastern region are depicting a higher growth rate in the number of daily cases, high mortality and increasing positivity rate.

The Centre also changed the vaccination advisory today according to which, those suffering from COVID-19 as well as those who have contracted it after taking the first vaccine dose should go for the jabs three months after fully recovering from the disease.

Also, COVID-19 vaccination is recommended for all lactating women and an individual can donate blood after 14 days of either receiving anti-coronavirus shot or testing RT-PCR negative if suffering from the disease.

Regarding vaccination of pregnant women, the matter is under discussion and further deliberation by the National Technical Advisory Group on Immunization (NTAGI), it said.

According to the ministry, it is advisable to receive both doses irrespective of past history of COVID infection as this will help in developing a strong immune response against the disease.

These decisions were taken by the ministry based on the fresh recommendations by The National Expert Group on Vaccine Administration for COVID-19 (NEGVAC) and have also been communicated to the states and union territories, an official statement said.

These recommendations have been based on the evolving situation of the COVID-19 pandemic and emerging global scientific evidence and experience, the ministry said.

In the past 24 hours, 2,67,334 fresh infections were recorded taking the total tally of cases to 2,54,96,330. India’s COVID-19 fatalities have now reached 2,83,248, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Wednesday.

The active cases have further reduced to 32,26,719 comprising 12.66 percent of the total infections, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate has improved to 86.23 per cent, the data updated at 8 am showed.

India’s COVID-19 tally had crossed the 20-lakh mark on 7 August, 30 lakh on 23 August, 40 lakh on 5  September and 50 lakh on 16 September. It went past 60 lakh on 28 September, 70 lakh on 11 October, crossed 80 lakh on 29 October, 90 lakh on 20 November and surpassed the one-crore mark on 19 December. India crossed the grim milestone of 2 crore on 4 May.

India’s fresh infections still highest in world, says WHO

India registered a 13 percent decrease in new COVID-19 cases in the past week but the number of fresh infections was still the highest around the world, the WHO has said.

The number of new cases and deaths continued to decrease with just over 4.8 million new cases and just under 86,000 new deaths reported globally in the past week, a 12 percent and 5 percent decrease respectively compared to the previous week, according to the COVID-19 Weekly Epidemiological Update Data received by the World Health Organization from national authorities as of 16 May.

It said that the highest number of new cases were reported from India (2,387,663 new cases), despite a 13 percent decrease over the previous week.

This was followed by Brazil (437,076 new cases; 3 percent increase), the United States of America (235,638 new cases; 21 percent decrease), Argentina (151,332 new cases; 8 percent increase), and Colombia (115,834 new cases; 6 percent increase).

The highest numbers of new deaths were reported from India (27,922 new deaths; 2.0 new deaths per 100 000; a 4 percent increase), Nepal (1,224 new deaths; 4.2 new deaths per 100 000; a 266 percent increase) and Indonesia (1,125 new deaths; 0.4 new deaths per 100,000; a 5 percent decrease).

According to data received by the WHO from national authorities as of 9 May, India had recorded the highest numbers of new cases at 2,738,957, a 5 percent increase over the previous week.

As per the WHO estimates, cumulative cases in India currently stand at about 24.68 million and total deaths are at about 270,284

West Bengal, NE states project worrying trends

Union health minister Harsh Vardhan took stock of the situation in some of the worst-hit states in the eastern and northeastern region. Highlighting the critical challenges faced by the NE states and West Bengal, Vardhan said in Mizoram, all districts are showing a rise in new cases.

Nagaland has shown a sharp increase in daily cases (15-20 per day to 300 per day) and weekly positivity rate (1 per cent to 34 per cent); there is a need to strengthen testing facilities in peri-urban and rural areas, he said.

In Assam, Kamrup (Metropolitan) is contributing almost 45 percent of the daily new cases; while in Meghalaya, East Khasi Hills and Righboi are reporting sharp increases in daily cases. Manipur’s recovery rate of 78 percent and case fatality rate (CFR) of more than 1 percent was also a matter of concern, a statement from the ministry said.

Sikkim was advised to strengthen community surveillance and ensure strict monitoring of home quarantine to address its high CFR, the statement said.

In Arunachal Pradesh, ICU occupancy is almost 22.5 percent while capital complex and Changlang districts are reporting maximum cases. All districts of West Bengal are showing a steep increase in positivity rate.

Kolkata, North 24 Parganas, South 24 Parganas, Howrah and Nadia were flagged as districts of concern.

In Tripura, there has been a steep rise in positivity from 1.3 percent in April to around 8.7 percent now. West Tripura, Unakoti, South Tripura were flagged as districts of concern, according to the statement.

Dr Sujeet K Singh, Director, NCDC, presented an overview of the COVID trajectory in these states and suggested ramping up of RAT testing and vaccination in rural areas.

Vikash Sheel, Additional Secretary (Health) presented on the optimal and judicious use of vaccine doses. All the states, barring Tripura, has had a lower coverage of HCW/FLW workers than the National average (90 percent and 82 percent respectively), the statement said.

In the 45 plus category, Meghalaya (28 percent), Manipur (26 percent), West Bengal (25 percent), Assam (23 percent), Nagaland (22 percent) had lower coverage than the national average (32 percent), the statement stated.

State administrators were advised to reduce vaccine wastage. Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya and Nagaland had clocked substantial wastage and were advised to retrain their staff to achieve minimum wastage, the statement said.

Black fungus cases on rise in Maharashtra, Rajasthan

As many as 90 people have died of mucormycosis, a rare but fatal fungal infection, in Maharashtra so far, state public health minister Rajesh Tope said on Wednesday.

The cases of mucormycosis, also called Black Fungus, have been rising since the outbreak of coronavirus last year, though the minister did not mention any timeframe. He also warned against the indiscriminate use of steroids to treat COVID-19 patients.

The cases of mucormycosis, also called Black Fungus, have been on the rise since the outbreak of coronavirus last year, though the minister did not mention any timeframe. He also warned against the indiscriminate use of steroids to treat COVID-19 patients.

In Haryana too, five people died due to black fungus in Sirsa district.

Meanwhile, the state of Rajasthan, which has about 100 cases so far, has declared the disease an epidemic and a notifiable disease under the Rajasthan Epidemic Act 2020.

According to doctors, Mucormycosis is mostly found among COVID-19 patients who have diabetes. Its symptoms include headache, fever, pain under the eyes, nasal or sinus congestion and partial loss of vision.

Compared to the first wave of coronavirus pandemic, there have been more cases of Black Fungus in the second wave, doctors have noted.

Kejriwal’s new virus strain claim triggers political storm

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal’s claim that a more serious third wave, resulting from a ‘Singapore strain’ of the virus could be dangerous for children, has kicked up  a political storm as well as some diplomatic repercussions.

The BJP accused Kejriwal of serious violation of constitutional propriety with his remarks on COVID strain in Singapore after the city nation called the Indian envoy and conveyed to him its strong objections to the “unfounded assertions” by Kejriwal.

The AAP on the other hand alleged that the BJP and its government were more concerned about their image abroad than the children in India after the saffron party

In his controversial tweet, Kejriwal had on Tuesday called for cancelling all air services with Singapore with immediate effect, saying “a new strain” of coronavirus found there could reach Delhi and was “very dangerous” for children.

“The new form of coronavirus in Singapore is said to be very dangerous for children. It could reach Delhi in the form of a third wave. My appeal to the Central government: 1. Cancel all air services with Singapore with immediate effect 2. Work on vaccine alternatives for children on a priority basis,” the Delhi Chief Minister said in a tweet in Hindi on Tuesday.

Responding to Kejriwal’s tweet, Singapore’s health ministry on Tuesday night said: There is no truth whatsoever in the assertions found within the reports.

There is no Singapore variant. The strain that is prevalent in many of the COVID-19 cases in recent weeks is the B.1.617.2 variant, which originated in India. Phylogenetic testing has shown this B.1.617.2 variant to be associated with several clusters in Singapore, it said in a statement.

Kejriwal’s tweet caused much anger among netizens in this country who took to social media to attack the Delhi chief minister, whose health minister Satyendar Jain on Wednesday again claimed that there was a “different strain” of the coronavirus spreading in Singapore.

Prominent Singapore blogger mrbrown wrote: Hey, Delhi chief minister! The B1617 strain came from your country.

A Twitter user with the handle ‘Antaraaneja’ said that Singapore schools are closed because of the B.1.617.2 strain, Perhaps fact-checking and an apology are in order for spreading misinformation. Some internet users even went on to mark his post as the one with “misinformation”.

Karnataka govt announces Rs 1,250 cr package, Oppn calls it unscientific

Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa on Wednesday announced a over Rs 1,250 crore financial package, to provide relief for those whose livelihood has been affected by COVID-19 induced lockdown. He also said a decision will be taken on extending the current lockdown, a day ahead of it coming to an end on 24 May.

However, Opposition parties Congress and JD(S) have termed it unscientific and meagre.

Leader of Opposition and Congress leader Siddaramaiah urged the government to provide poor families with 10 kgs of rice each and announce a package by giving Rs 10,000 each to the working class, and implement a 100 per cent lockdown. The Chief Minister should have learnt lessons from neighbouring States before announcing the package, the Congress leader said in a statement.

The Chief Minister has said it is Rs 1,250 crore package, but the figures show Rs 1,111.82 crore, and in that Rs 494 crore is announced for the construction workers, which is not given by the government, but from the workers’ welfare fund created from their own contribution, Siddaramaiah said. The government has also  projected the extension in the date for repayment of instalments of loans availed of by farmers, self-help groups from cooperative banks as a relief, he said.

“If you omit the construction labourer relief and extension in the date of repayment of instalments of loans, the remaining is only Rs 483.44 crore. This is a package which is completely unscientific and is no use to the people,” the former Chief Minister added.

Meanwhile, JD(S) leader and former Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy too termed the package as disappointing, inadequate and unscientific, for a big State like Karnataka.

Noting that the neighbouring Kerala has announced Rs 20,000-crore package, he said in a series of tweets that Kerala is a small State in all aspects compared to Karnataka and asked whether Rs 1,250 crore was enough.

Can you take up door-to-door vaccination for select group? Bombay HC asks BMC 

The Bombay High Court on Wednesday asked the Mumbai civic body if it was possible for it to introduce a door-to-door COVID-19 vaccination programme for senior citizens and disabled persons who are unable to visit inoculation centres.

A division bench of Chief Justice Dipankar Datta and  Justice G S Kulkarni said if the BMC (Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation) was willing to start a door-to-door vaccination programme for these groups, the HC would grant it permission even though the Union government has not given nod for such a drive.

The bench noted that it seems the Union government was not keen on starting a door-to-door vaccination programme. If the BMC says it can start a door-to-door vaccination, we will give it permission. No need to wait for the Central governments nod.

“Will you come to the help of elderly citizens? Even though the Centre is not giving green signal (for door-to-door vaccination) we are willing to give you (BMC) green signal, Chief Justice Datta said.

The court said it will hear the matter further on Thursday, noting each day is precious in such times, referring to the raging COVID-19 pandemic. The court was hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by two advocates, Dhruti Kapadia and Kunal Tiwari.

The PIL sought a direction to the Central government to initiate a door-to-door vaccination drive for senior citizens above the age of 75, persons with physical disabilities and those who are bed-ridden or wheelchair-bound.

With inputs from PTI