Coronavirus LIVE: Nearly 48,000 cases in Karnataka; positivity rate at 32%

Coronavirus live updates: Hospitals around India have been overwhelmed by a fresh wave of infections with oxygen supplies running short in medical facilities due to the sudden surge in demand.

9:02 PM

Chinese scientists discussed weaponising SARS coronaviruses in 2015: Report

A document written by Chinese scientists and health officials before the pandemic in 2015 states that SARS coronaviruses were a "new era of genetic weapons" that could be "artificially manipulated into an emerging human disease virus, then weaponised and unleashed, reported Weekend Australian.

 

The paper titled The Unnatural Origin of SARS and New Species of Man-Made Viruses as Genetic Bioweapons suggested that World War Three would be fought with biological weapons. The document revealed that Chinese military scientists were discussing the weaponisation of SARS coronaviruses five years before the Covid-19 pandemic. The report by Weekend Australian was published in news.com.au.

 

Peter Jennings, the executive director of the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI), told news.com.au that the document is as close to a "smoking gun" as we've got. Read here

8:58 PM

Coronavirus LIVE: West Bengal sees 19,441 new cases

West Bengal reports 19,441 new coronavirus cases, 124 deaths and 18,454 discharges in the last 24 hours; active cases at 1,26,027, according to the state health department

8:47 PM

Coronavirus LIVE: Maharashtra sees 48,401 new cases

8:36 PM

Coronavirus LIVE: Lalu Yadav reviews Covid situation with his party MLAs

8:32 PM

12 Covid-19 Care Centres to be opened in TN, says Minister

The Tamil Nadu government would set up 12 more Covid-19 Care Centres in the state to treat patients with mild symptoms using traditional Indian medicines, Minister for Medical and Family Welfare M Subramanian said here on Sunday.

 

After inaugurating a Siddha Covid-19 Care Centre equipped with 240 beds in Tondiarpet here on Sunday, Subramanian said currently 195 patients were under treatment at the facility.

 

".. Covid-19 patients with mild symptoms will be treated here. In order to reduce the crowd at other hospitals, we opened this centre," he told reporters. (PTI)

8:21 PM

Coronavirus LIVE: Telangana sees 4,976 new cases

4,976 new coronavirus cases in Telangana, 35 more deaths, as per the health bulletin of the state

8:13 PM

Coronavirus LIVE: Uttarakhand health dept forms flying squad in every district to inspect bed availability

7:59 PM

Coronavirus LIVE: Gujarat reports 11,084 new cases

Gujarat reports 11,084 new coronavirus cases, 14,770 discharges and 121 deaths in the last 24 hours, according to the state health department

7:51 PM

Coronavirus LIVE: Manipur reports 579 new cases

7:39 PM

Coronavirus LIVE: Andhra Pradesh sees 22,164 new cases

Andhra Pradesh records 22,164 new coronavirus cases, 18,832 recoveries and 92 fatalities in the past 24 hours, according to the state health department

7:33 PM

Coronavirus LIVE: Karnataka reports 47,930 new cases

Karnataka reports 47,930 new coronavirus cases, 490 fatalities and 31,796 discharges in the last 24 hours, according to the state health department

7:25 PM

Coronavirus LIVE: UP sees over 23,000 new cases

Uttar Pradesh registers 23,333 new coronavirus cases, 34,636 recoveries and 296 deaths in the past 24 hours, according to the state health department

7:20 PM

Coronavirus LIVE: Jammu and Kashmir reports 5,190 new cases

Jammu and Kashmir reports 5,190 new coronavirus cases, 2,423 recoveries and 54 deaths in the last 24 hours; active cases at 49,248, according to the state health department

7:13 PM

Coronavirus LIVE: Tamil Nadu reports 28,897 new cases

Tamil Nadu reports 28,897 new coronavirus cases, 236 fatalities and 23,515 discharges in the last 24 hours, according to the state health department

7:04 PM

Coronavirus LIVE: Rajasthan sees 17,921 new cases

17,921 new coronavirus cases, 159 deaths and 16,880 discharges were reported in Rajasthan, according to the state health department

7:02 PM

Coronavirus LIVE: Goa registers 2,633 new cases

Goa registers 2,633 new coronavirus cases, 67 fatalities and 3078 recoveries in the past 24 hours, according to the state health department

6:58 PM

Coronavirus LIVE: Uttarakhand records 180 new deaths

Uttarakhand records 180 new deaths, 5890 cases and 2731 recoveries in the last 24 hours, according to the state health department

6:52 PM

Coronavirus LIVE: Hero MotoCorp extends closure of manufacturing plants

In view of the prevailing Covid-19 situation across the country, Hero MotoCorp - the world’s largest manufacturer of motorcycles and scooters - has decided to extend the shutdown at its manufacturing facilities across India, its Global Parts Center (GPC) in Neemrana and its R&D facility – the Centre of Innovation and Technology (CIT) in Jaipur – by another week, till May 16, 2021. Read the exchange filing here

6:44 PM

25-bed Covid hospital set up in just 24 hours in Rajasthan's Barmer by modifying containers

Amid surging Covid-19 cases, a team of over 100 people set up a 25-bed makeshift hospital in just 24 hours in a nondescript village in Rajasthan's Barmer district by modifying eight bunkhouse containers.

 

Built entirely with the contribution of Bhamashahs (social workers), the facility at Sambhra village became operational Saturday after Revenue Minister Harish Chaudhary got it inaugurated by the workers who toiled hard to raise it in such a short span of time.

 

The makeshift hospital has been set up on 15-acre of land allotted free to the HPCL Rajasthan Refinery Limited by Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot. It has advanced oxygen-supported beds, stretchers, waiting room for staff and family members of patients as well as a small garden. (PTI)

 

6:36 PM

Coronavirus LIVE: Mumbai sees just 2,403 cases

6:31 PM

Coronavirus LIVE: Govt issues an update on Covid relief aid

Reflecting the solidarity and goodwill towards India, the global community has extended a helping hand in supporting efforts of India in this collective fight against Covid-19. Government of India has designed a streamlined and systematic mechanism for effective allocation, and prompt distribution and delivery of the support supplies received by India. This will help to supplement the medical infrastructure of the tertiary care institutions and recipient States/UTs, and strengthen their clinical management capacities for effective clinical management of the hospitalised Covid-19 patients. Read full govt release here 

6:17 PM

Covid-19: Hike quota of oxygen to 300 MT, Punjab CM urges PM Modi

Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Sunday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to increase the total quota of oxygen to 300 metric tonnes (MT), and ensure urgent supplies of vaccine for the state, which has been facing shortage on both counts.

 

The Chief Minister raised these issues when Modi called him up to discuss the state's Covid-19 situation and the measures being taken to tackle the crisis.

 

The Prime Minister assured of all possible help, the Chief Minister said later, adding he hoped the Centre would take immediate steps to supplement the oxygen supplies, and ensure that vaccine doses were sent to Punjab on priority to help the state effective manage the situation triggered by the second wave of the pandemic. Read here

6:13 PM

Coronavirus LIVE: Kerala sees 35,801 new cases

35,801 new coronavirus cases, 29,318 recoveries and 68 deaths were reported in Kerala in last 24 hours, according to the state health department

6:06 PM

Manish Sisodia attacks Centre for exporting coronavirus vaccines

Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia Sunday attacked the Centre over the export of coronavirus vaccines, saying a large number of lives could have been saved in India if the doses were given to people in the country first.

 

"It's a heinous crime committed by the Central government to sell vaccines to other countries only for its image management at a time when people were dying in our own country," he told an online briefing.

 

Citing a newspaper report, Sisodia said the Centre sold coronavirus vaccines to 93 countries of which 60 percent had COVID-19 under control, and also where there was no threat of loss of life due to the virus. Read here

5:53 PM

GST on vaccines in the 'interest of citizens', must to keep rates low: FM

Nirmala Sitharaman on Sunday said that the goods and services tax (GST) on coronavirus-related drugs and vaccines is necessary so that manufacturers offset their input taxes and keep the prices low.

 

"If full exemption from GST is given, vaccine manufacturers would not be able to offset their input taxes and would pass them on to the end consumer/citizen by increasing the price," Sitharaman said.

 

The Finance Minister was responding to a letter by Mamata Banerjee to the Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking GST exemption on various coronavirus-related drugs. Read here

5:33 PM

Jharkhand reports 141 more Covid-19 deaths, 6,112 fresh cases

Jharkhand on Sunday reported 141 Covid-19 fatalities, raising the toll to 3,756, while the coronavirus tally mounted to 2,82,174 with 6,112 fresh cases, a health department bulletin said.

 

The state now has 61,195 active cases, while 2,17,223 patients have so far recovered from the disease, it said.

 

Ranchi district recorded the maximum number of 42 fatalities, followed by East Singhbhum (25) and Dhanbad (11). (PTI)

5:22 PM

Coronavirus LIVE: Delhi seeks directions to Serum, Bharat Biotech to increase supplies in letter to Centre

5:20 PM

Coronavirus LIVE: GST exemption to vaccines would increase prices, says FM

5:19 PM

Coronavirus Latest: Emirates to fly medical aid to India for free

Emirates airline said on Sunday it will fly medical supplies from Dubai to nine cities in India free of charge from this week to help battle a devastating upsurge in the coronavirus.

 

International aid has poured in for India, where record infection rates have overwhelmed hospitals, depleting medicines, oxygen tanks and other supplies. read more

 

Earlier this month, Qatar Airways also airlifted 300 tonnes of aid free of charge from Doha to India. (Reuters)

5:08 PM

Coronavirus LIVE: Maharashtra CM interacts with around 700 private doctors of Mumbai