Coronavirus LIVE: Mumbai sees below 1,000 daily cases after two months

Coronavirus LIVE updates: The six most-affected states by total cases are Maharashtra, Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu

2:31 AM

Tamil Nadu to commence vaccination of people in 18-44 age group on May 20: Minister

Tamil Nadu will commence vaccinating people in the 18-44 age group on May 20, Health Minister M Subramanian said on Tuesday.
 

"Initially, the government will vaccinate those people aged between 18 years and 44 years from whom the coronavirus can spread much faster like auto-rickshaw drivers and factory workers," he said.
 

"Chief Minister M K Stalin will formally inaugurate the programme day after tomorrow (May 20)," Subramanian told reporters after inaugurating the "oxygen on wheels" initiative launched by Inner Wheel Club of Adyar here.
 

He said the government has allotted Rs 46 crore to procure vaccines and so far nine lakh doses have arrived in the state.
 

To a query on whether the lockdown which came into force on May 10 would be extended in the state, he said it would be known only at a later date but the focus should be on breaking the chain of transmission of the virus.
 

2:30 AM

Microsoft provides 125 oxygen concentrators to Noida Authority

Tech giant Microsoft India on Tuesday provided 125 oxygen concentrators to Noida Authority to help tackle the Covid-19 pandemic here, officials said.
 

Noida Authority CEO Ritu Maheshwari said the support made by Microsoft as part of its corporate social responsibility will help in the fight against the pandemic.
 

"Noida Authority has been seeking support from private players in the fight against Covid and Microsoft India has provided 125 oxygen concentrators of 5 litre capacity each," according to an official statement.
 

These concentrators would be distributed to hospitals in Noida and in rural areas as required and in coordination with the district administration, it added.
 

Amid the deadly second wave of coronavirus, people in Gautam Buddh Nagar had been recently grappling with shortage of medical resources like hospital beds, oxygen and medicines. 

2:29 AM

Kanpur admin orders probe as cricketer Yadav takes Covid jab at 'guest house'

The district administration here ordered a probe into the allegation that cricketer Kuldeep Yadav was administered coronavirus vaccine at a place other than the hospital where he had booked a slot.
 

According to reports, Yadav was given a vaccine shot in the lawn of the Kanpur Nagar Nigam guest house, instead of Jageshwar Hospital in Govind Nagar for which he had taken an appointment, a senior official on condition of anonymity said.
 

Kanpur District Magistrate Alok Tiwari said ADM Atul Kumar has been asked to enquire the matter properly and submit the report at the earliest.
 

Kuldeep Yadav who got his first shot of Covid vaccine on Saturday had shared a photo on social media and urged people to get themselves vaccinated.

2:28 AM

UP minister Vijay Kashyap succumbs to coronavirus

Uttar Pradesh Minister of State for Revenue and Flood Control Vijay Kashyap died from coronavirus at a Gurgaon hospital on Tuesday.
 

Kashyap (56), who was an MLA from Muzaffarnagar's Charthawal Assembly seat, died at Gurgaon's Medanta Hospital.
 

He is the third UP minister who has succumbed to the virus.
 

Last year, Uttar Pradesh ministers Kamal Rani Varun and Chetan Chauhan had died from the infection.
 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi condoled the passing away of the BJP leader and said he was devoted to public interest works.
 

"The death of BJP leader and minister in the Uttar Pradesh government Vijay Kashyap ji is very saddening. He was a leader connected to the grassroots and was always devoted to public interest works. My condolences to his family and supporters in this moment of grief. Om Shanti!" PM Modi tweeted in Hindi.

Meanwhile, Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath and state BJP president Swatantra Dev Singh too expressed grief over his demise.
 

"Kashyap, an MLA from Charthawal, was a popular leader who discharged his duties diligently as a minister. In his death, people have lost their true well-wisher,” Adityanath said in a release.

2:28 AM

Ghaziabad: Administration launches special drive to help Covid victims' kin

The district administration has launched a special drive, 'Always With You', to help those families whose breadwinner have died from coronavirus.
 

The kin who are totally unaware about the business of the deceased head of the family would be able to get help from the district administration.
 

Officials will contact the family to assist them in their work like business, insurance claim, death certificate, successor certificate and transfer of names in bank accounts.

2:27 AM

Bahrain allows vaccination for ages 12 to 17

Bahrain will vaccinate adolescents aged 12-17 with two doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, state news agency BNA said, citing the country's National Medical Task Force for Combatting the Coronavirus (COVID-19) on Tuesday.
 

The decision by the health ministry's vaccination committee followed recommendations by the World Health Organization's Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization and the United States' Center for Disease Control, BNA added.
 

A guardian must grant approval and be present during the vaccination, BNA reported.
 

Bahrain had authorized six types of vaccines, by China's Sinopharm, Pfizer Inc and BioNTech SE, AstraZeneca Plc, Johnson & Johnson, and Russia's Sputnik and Sputnik-Light.

1:20 AM

Gehlot stresses on strengthening arrangements for Covid treatment

Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot told officials on Tuesday that the arrangements for Covid treatment should be strengthened on a war footing.

Gehlot said arrangements at the community and primary health centres (PHC) levels should be strengthened.
 

In a review meeting through video conference, the chief minister instructed officials to complete the work of setting up oxygen generation plants and infant intensive care units in the model CHC in a time-bound manner, according to a release.
 

Gehlot said that in the districts where the rate of infection is high, the system of micro containment zone should be strengthened further. Work of door-to-door survey and distribution of drug kits should be expedited.
 

Expressing concern on the cases of black fungus in Covid patients, the chief minister said special treatment facilities should be made available in hospitals for this.
 

He directed the officials to coordinate with officials of the central government to ensure adequate availability of the medicines.
 

Gehlot also discussed the status of Cyclone Tauktae and asked officials to coordinate with district collectors to ensure that everything is in order.
 

11:12 PM

Rajasthan Covid-19 update

10:19 PM

Assam Covid-19 update

10:18 PM

Uttarakhand releases SOP to issue anti-fungal drug used for Mucormycosis treatment

9:37 PM

Tripura govt imposes night curfew till May 26 to curb Covid-19 spread

Amid fresh wave of Covid-19, the Tripura government on Tuesday announced night curfew in the entire state starting May 19, a senior minister said.

It will be in force from 6 pm to 5 am till May 26.
 

The decision was announced at the state secretariat by state Law Minister and Cabinet spokesperson Ratan Lal Nath.
 

The state government had already announced a nine-day 'Corona Curfew from May 17 in Agartala Municipal Corporation (AMC) areas because of the surge in Covid-19 cases.
 

Nath said the restrictions imposed for the Corona Curfew in the AMC areas would be in force during night curfew in the entire state.
 

"We appeal to all people of the state to maintain strict Covid protocol and also request everyone to go for tests and take vaccines. We need to follow three steps to save ourselves awareness, testing, and vaccination," the minister said.
 

Inter-district movement would be stopped from May 20 till May 26 except for essential or emergency needs.
 

Further decisions would be announced in the coming days while paying attention to issues faced by the poor, the minister said. 
 

9:34 PM

Gujarat sees 6,447 Covid-19 cases, 67 deaths; 9,557 recover

Gujarat reported 6,447 Covid- 19 cases and 9,557 recoveries on Tuesday, while the day also saw 67 deaths from the infection, an official said.

The state's caseload stands at 7,66,201, including 9,269 deaths, he said.
 

The recovery count in the state has reached 6,60,489, leaving it with an active caseload of 96,443, of which 755 are on ventilator support, the official added.
 

"Ahmedabad reported 1,895 new cases, the highest for any district, followed by Vadodara with 639, Surat 466, Junagadh 341, Rajkot 290, and Jamnagar 244.
Ahmedabad saw 12 deaths during the day, followed by 11 in Surat, seven in Rajkot, four in Vadodara and three in Junagadh, among others," he said.
 

An official release said no vaccination drive was held on Tuesday due to cyclone Tauktae which made landfall in the state late Monday night.
 

Gujarat's Covid-19 figures are as follows: Positive cases 7,66,201, new cases 6,447, death toll 9,269, discharged 6,60,489, active cases 96,443, people tested so far - figures not released.
 

9:00 PM

7,774 new Covid cases, 14,897 recoveries and 124 deaths in Haryana in a day

8:59 PM

Covid-19 second wave extremely severe in Assam, CM seeks funds from people

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday said the impact of the second wave of COVID- 19 has been "extremely severe" in the northeastern state for which medical infrastructure needs to be strengthened.

 

Through his social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter, Sarma appealed to the public to contribute generously to the Chief Ministers Relief Fund or the Assam Arogya Nidhi account to support the governments efforts in handling the pandemic.

8:47 PM

31,337 new coronavirus cases, 45,926 recoveries and 97 deaths reported in Kerala today

31,337 new coronavirus cases, 45,926 recoveries and 97 deaths reported in Kerala today; active cases at 3,47,626

8:41 PM

Covid LIVE: Mumbai sees two-month low in daily cases; 28,438 in Maharashtra

At 953 Covid cases in last 24 hours, Mumbai recorded less than 1,000 Covid cases after nearly two months.

8:29 PM

Jammu and Kashmir govt forms committee to tackle possible third wave of Covid-19

The Jammu and Kashmir government on Tuesday formed a 10-member committee of eminent doctors to formulate an action plan for tackling a possible third wave of COVID-19 pandemic in the union territory, officials said.

 

The committee will be headed by former director of SKIMS Soura, Dr Mohammad Sultan Khuroo and co-chaired by Executive Director of AIIMS Jammu, Dr Shakti Gupta, an order issued by General Administration department said.

 

The other members include Dr Samia Rashid, Dr Yashpal Sharma, Dr A G Ahangar, Dr Mohammad Saleem Khan, Dr Muzaffar Jan, Dr Rahul Gupta, Dr Yasin Chaudhary and Dr Khalid.

8:25 PM

Maharashtra reports 28,438 new Covid cases, and 679 deaths in the last 24 hours

8:12 PM

Black fungus killed 16 people in Aurangabad in 40 days

Sixteen patients suffering from Mucormycosis, a rare but serious infection, have lost their lives during treatment in Maharashtra's Aurangabad city between April 1 and May 10, a senior municipal official said on Tuesday.

 

During this period, more than 200 Mucormycosis patients, hailing from various places, were admitted for treatment in health facilities in Aurangabad, the official said.

 

Among them, 16 patients died of which only four were from Aurangabad city, Municipal Health Officer Dr Neeta Padalkar told PTI.

7:51 PM

Uttar Pradesh reports 8,737 new Covid cases, and 255 deaths in the last 24 hours

Uttar Pradesh reports 8,737 new Covid cases, and 255 deaths in the last 24 hours

7:41 PM

Govt says Covid-19 pandemic shrinking, warns 98% of population still vulnerable

India's reproduction value (R) for COVID-19, which shows how fast the infection is spreading, is below one now which means that the pandemic is shrinking, the government said on Tuesday even as it cautioned that 98 per cent of the population is still vulnerable.

 

Addressing media, NITI Aayog member (Health) V K Paul said in many states the pandemic curve is stabilising.

 

"Comprehensive efforts at containment and testing are resulting in stabilisation. We still have a few states which continue to be cause of concern... there is a mixed picture but overall there is stabilisation and what we know from scientific analysis is the reproduction number is below 1 now which means the pandemic is shrinking," Paul said.

7:36 PM

Cyclone Tauktae effect: Covid-19 vaccination drive suspended, will resume on May 20: Gujarat CMO

7:19 PM

Karnataka reports 30,309 new Covid cases, 58,395 recoveries and 525 deaths in the last 24 hours

Karnataka reports 30,309 new Covid cases, 58,395 recoveries and 525 deaths in the last 24 hours

 

7:14 PM

1.8% of India's population hit by Covid so far, 98% still vulnerable: Govt

Less than 2 per cent of the total population in India has been affected by COVID-19 so far and 98 per cent of the population is still susceptible or vulnerable to the infection, the government said on Tuesday.

 

"Despite the high number of cases reported so far, we have been able to contain the spread to under 2 pc of population," said Health Ministry Joint Secretary Lav Agarwal.

 

The government said that of the total population in India, 1.8 per cent has been affected by COVID-19 so far and 98 per cent of the population is still susceptible or vulnerable to the infection. READ MORE...

7:11 PM

Tamil Nadu, Punjab, Assam may see peak in Covid cases in next two weeks: Report

States like Tamil Nadu, Assam and Punjab may see the peak of second wave of coronavirus cases in the next two weeks, the SUTRA model that charts the trajectory of COVID-19 suggests.

 

However, the relief is that Delhi and states like Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh have well passed their peak, the model further suggests.

 

It also says that the country reached its peak by May 4 and then the daily cases have seen downward trend. However, on May 7, the country recorded 4,14,188 cases, the single highest in any day.

6:56 PM

Covid LIVE: Never exported vaccines at cost of people in India, says Serum

6:54 PM

Kerala records 31,337 new Covid-19 cases, 97 deaths, 45,926 recoveries

Kerala on Tuesday reported 31,337 fresh COVID-19 cases, pushing the caseload to 21,70,651, while the toll mounted to 6,612 with 97 more deaths, the state government said. As many as 45,926 persons have been cured, taking the recoveries to 18,46,105 and the active cases to 3,47,626. In the last 24 hour, 1,34,553 samples were tested and the Test Positivity Rate (TPR) was 23.29 per cent.

 

So far, 1,81,49,395 samples have been tested. Those who tested positive today included 109 health workers. Of the positive cases, 150 people had come from outside the state and 28,921 were infected through contact. Malappuram reported 4,320 cases today, the highest.

6:40 PM

Booster effect even at 6 months, don't worry: Experts on Covishield gap

Four to six weeks, six to eight or eight to 12? The increasing gap between two Covishield doses in India while the UK reduces its window has laypersons confused, but several experts say there is little reason to worry and second jabs anytime before six months can still be effective boosters.

 

The government last week extended the gap between two doses of the Covishield COVID-19 vaccine to 12-16 weeks, up from the previous maximum of eight weeks, on the recommendation of the National Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (NTAGI). A day later, UK cut the gap from 12 weeks to eight weeks in view of the spread of the B.1.617 variant that originated in India. READ ON...

6:21 PM

Over 11,030 MT of oxygen delivered to 13 States so far: Govt

6:21 PM

Centre has sent over 60,000 Covaxin doses for 45-plus age group, we have two days' stock of vaccine: AAP MLA

Centre has sent over 60,000 Covaxin doses for 45-plus age group, now we have two days' stock of this vaccine: Delhi MLA Atishi