India
India Coronavirus Updates: Lockdown In Bihar Till May 15 As Coronavirus Cases Rise, Says Nitish Kumar
COVID-19 Cases in India: The second wave of coronavirus has burdened the healthcare system (File)
New Delhi:
Bihar will go into a lockdown till May 15, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said today amid the incessant rise of COVID-19 cases in the state. His government has formed a Crisis Management Group to finalise the details of the move and to guide it.
The Chief Minister made the announcement today through social media posts a day after a meeting of all ministers and top officials to take a call on the matter. It also comes on a day the state reported 11,407 fresh COVID-19 cases and 82 deaths, taking the state’s overall case load to over 5.09 lakh and more than 2,800 fatalities.
Meanwhile, India registered a slight dip in COVID-19 cases as it registered 3,57,229 new coronavirus infections in the last 24 hours, informed the union health ministry on Tuesday morning. With this, the cumulative count of the cases has gone up to 2,02,82,833.
The daily spike had reached its peak of over four lakh cases on May 1 but came down to 3,68,147 cases yesterday.
As many as 3,449 people succumbed to the disease in the country in the last 24 hours, taking the cumulative death count to 2,22,408. Currently, there are 34,47,133 active cases of COVID-19 in the country, as per the government data.
The country also witnessed as many as 3,20,289 recoveries in the said period, taking the cumulative recoveries to 1,66,13,292.
Here are the updates on coronavirus (COVID-19) cases:
Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday announced that the Delhi government will provide free ration to 72 lakh ration card holders in the city for the next two months and financial assistance of Rs 5,000 to auto-rickshaw and taxi drivers to help people tide over the COVID-19 crisis.
Bihar will go into a lockdown till May 15, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said today amid the incessant rise of COVID-19 cases in the state. His government has formed a Crisis Management Group to finalise the details of the move and to guide it. Read Here
JUST IN | Bihar will go into a lockdown till May 15, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said today amid the incessant rise of COVID-19 cases in the state.
The police in Haryana’s Ambala city had to resort to punishing people after they continued to step outside their homes without valid reasons. Those violating the week-long lockdown imposed by the Haryana government across the state to contain the spread of COVID-19 were made to do sit-ups on the street by the police department. A video of the incident was shared on social media by the news agency ANI. It shows nearly 20 violators doing sit-ups and saying, “Hum log lockdown ka paalan karenge (We will follow lockdown guidelines).”
India’s total Covid cases crossed the 2-crore mark with over 3.57 lakh new infections. 3,449 more people died of the infection, pushing the total fatalities to 2,22,408. The deadly second Covid wave has caused havoc in India’s healthcare system. Read Here
After the second extension of lockdown-like curfew in Uttar Pradesh on Monday amid rising COVD-19 cases and deaths in the state, weavers in Varanasi said they are facing financial loss due to the pandemic. Speaking to ANI, a weaver said, “Since last month there is no work, the power loom is closed, and handloom is also in the same condition, weavers are out of money.”
Odisha’s COVID-19 caseload mounted to 4,79,752 on Tuesday as 8,216 more people tested positive for the infection, while 15 fresh fatalities pushed the coronavirus death toll to 2,088, a health department official said.
Large shipments of Covid-related aid arrived today from various countries in India which is facing an acute resource crunch amid its ferocious battle against the pandemic. The consignments included oxygen concentrators, ventilators, and other medical equipment, the Ministry of External Affairs said today. The aid comes amid a ravaging second wave of COVID-19 in the country where the overall fatalities have crossed 2.22 lakh with over two crore cases till now. Yesterday alone, 3.57 lakh fresh infections were reported along with over 3,400 deaths. Read Here
India’s total tally of COVID-19 cases surged to 2,02,82,833 with 3,57,229 new infections, while the recoveries have surged to 1,66,13,292, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Tuesday. The death count increased to 2,22,408 with 3,449 new fatalities, the data updated at 8 am showed.
Vaccine maker the Serum Institute of India is set to invest in facilities in the United Kingdom and could even manufacture inoculations in the UK in future, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Monday. Mr Johnson’s Downing Street office said the 240 million Great British Pounds ($334 million) project would include a sales office, “clinical trials, research and development and possibly manufacturing of vaccines”.
The surge in COVID-19 deaths has left families scrambling to look for space to cremate their loved ones as bodies have piled up for cremation and several crematoriums are facing space shortages. In one such incident, a crematorium in Bengaluru”s Chamrajpet, which ran out of space, put up a ”Housefull” board at the gate.
Expressing concern over the unprecedented surge in coronavirus cases in India, America’s top public health expert and White House Chief Medical Adviser Dr Anthony Fauci on Monday recommended a nationwide lockdown, massive vaccination drive and the construction of a large number of makeshift hospitals. “It is quite obvious to everyone that the situation in India is extremely serious,” Dr Fauci, who is considered one of the world’s top infectious disease specialists, told news agency PTI in an interview.
The fifth in a series of consignments carrying 545 oxygen concentrators arrived from the United States on Tuesday, as part of COVID-19 assistance. “5th in a series of consignments carrying medical equipment arrives from the US. This one carrying 545 oxygen concentrators. Appreciate the support from the US,” Arindam Bagchi, Spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a tweet.
US Air Force flights that were scheduled to leave for India with essential life-saving supplies have been delayed till Wednesday due to maintenance issues, the Pentagon said on Monday. “We just received word from USTRANSCOM that the flights for India are “delayed until at least Wednesday due to maintenance issues”, a Pentagon spokesperson said.
Mumbai on Monday logged 2,624 new coronavirus cases in 24 hours, registering its lowest one-day spike in over 5 weeks. The number of Covid tests also saw a sharp dip – from a daily average of 50,000 to 38,000 on Sunday, according to official data. The city’s death count stands at 13,372 with 78 new deaths being reported in 24 hours. Mumbai’s total number of infections reached 6,58,621 on Monday. Read Here
Pfizer said on Monday it told the Indian government that there was no concern over the safety of its COVID-19 vaccine, as India insists on small local trials for foreign shots despite a record surge in infections and shortage of doses. The government in mid-April made it easier for foreign vaccines approved in the West and Japan to sell in India, though companies would still have to initiate a local clinical trial within 30 days of receiving emergency use authorization. Previously, companies were required to do the trial prior to approval.
Amid the worrying rise of COVID-19 cases, Kerala Police chief Lokanath Behara on Monday directed all district police chiefs and station house officers to strictly enforce the COVID-19 restrictions imposed in the state. The state will observe stringent restrictions starting today in order to curb the spread of the coronavirus in the state.
Kerala Police chief Lokanath Behara on Monday directed all district police chiefs and station house officers to strictly enforce the COVID-19 restrictions in the state, reported news agency ANI. The state will observe stringent restrictions starting today in order to curb the spread of the coronavirus in the state.
“Restrictions similar to the weekend lockdown will be in place from tomorrow. Employees of exempt establishments can travel carrying their identity cards. Courier service and home delivery category are also exempted. Concessions have also been granted for activities related to e-commerce,” Mr Behara said Monday.
A woman police officer will be posted in each ward of the panchayat to ensure that those in the quarantine do not leave. Station house officers will facilitate the passage of oxygen-carrying vehicles without any hindrance. The district police chief will appoint a nodal officer in each district to ensure that the movement of oxygen and medicines is not disrupted.
The Pune Police on Monday arrested three doctors for charging a family of a Covid patient Rs 1 lakh for a ventilator bed at a hospital in the city’s Pimpri Chinchwad area, reported news agency ANI.
As per the police, a complaint has been lodged by the Municipal Corporation and a probe is underway.
