Coronavirus LIVE: Tamil Nadu adds record 20,768 fresh Covid infections

Coronavirus live updates | Surge in infections has overwhelmed hospitals, morgues and crematoriums and left families scrambling for medicines and oxygen.

9:00 PM

Nitish govt recognises journalists as frontline workers for Covid vaccination

On instruction of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, the Bihar government on Sunday decided to give status of frontline workers to the journalists who will get COVID vaccination on a priority basis, according to PTI.

 

All the journalists accredited with the Information and Public Relations Department at the state level and also non- accredited scribes authenticated by the district public relation officers, from print,electronic and web media, will be considered as frontline workers for inoculation, an official statement said here.

8:15 PM

Tamil Nadu adds all-time high 20,768 new Covid-19 cases; 153 deaths

Tamil Nadu on Sunday reported a all-time high of 20,768 new COVID-19 cases pushing the caseload to 12,07,112 while the death toll rose to 14,346 with 153 fatalities, according PTI.

According to the Health department, recoveries mounted to 10,72,322 Sunday with 17,576 patients being discharged, leaving 1,20,444 active cases.

The number of samples tested stood at 1,43,083, pushing the cumulative number of specimens examined so far to 2,29,56,942.

8:07 PM

Noida's first 100 Covid deaths in 343 days, next 100 in just 13 days

Uttar Pradesh's Gautam Buddh Nagar district had recorded its first 100 COVID-19 deaths in a span of 343 days, while the next 100 came in just 13 days, according to official data, a report from PTI said.

The district, adjoining Delhi, in western UP is one of the worst-hit places in the state during the pandemic with 237 deaths and 8,261 active coronavirus patients now.

7:24 PM

Jammu and Kashmir reports 41 Covid deaths, 3,571 news cases

Jammu and Kashmir recorded 3,571 fresh COVID cases, taking the tally to 1,83,486 on Sunday, while 41 more fatalities pushed the death toll to 2,370, officials said, according to PTI.

Out of the fresh cases, 1,150 were from the Jammu division and 2,421 from the Kashmir division of the Union Territory, they said.

The officials said Srinagar district recorded the highest of 1,126 cases, followed by 486 in Jammu district and 268 in Baramulla district.

5:53 PM

Ensure medicines, equipment for COVID not sold above MRP: HC to Delhi govt

The Delhi High Court on Sunday directed the Delhi government to ensure that medicines and equipment like oxygen cylinders and concentrators needed for COVID-19 treatment not be sold above the maximum retail price (MRP), according to PTI.

 

A bench of Justices Vipin Sanghi and Rekha Palli directed the government to book those persons found hoarding or black-marketing medicines and equipment related to COVID-19 and be brought before the court for taking independent contempt action against them.

 

5:10 PM

Bhopal Covid-19 deaths: Govt says 104, crematoriums say 2,557

Crematoriums here claim that the last rites of as many as 2557 coronavirus victims from Bhopal district were performed in April, sharply contradicting the BJP-led state government's data which puts the COVID-19 deaths in the district last month at 104, according to PTI.

The mammoth mismatch has given credence to claims of massive under-reporting of COVID-19 fatalities in the city.

4:53 PM

Oxygen Express carrying 30.86 MT oxygen left for Delhi from Odisha

Railway Minister Piyush Goyal on Sunday informed that the Oxygen Express carrying 30.86 metric tonnes (MT) of liquid medical oxygen (LMO) for COVID-19 patients has departed for the national capital from Odisha, according to ANI.

 

In an effort of fulfilling the rising demand for oxygen across the country due to a rampant surge in COVID-19 cases, the Railways launched 'Oxygen Express' to deliver medical oxygen to various states.

3:13 PM

Complete lockdown to be imposed in Haryana for 7 days from 3rd May

3:03 PM

France delivers 28 tonnes of medical supplies to India

France on Sunday delivered to India 28 tonnes of ready-to-use medical supplies including eight large oxygen plants as part of the first phase of its solidarity mission to the country which has been grappling with record coronavirus cases, according to PTI.

 

The French embassy said each of the eight plants can continuously supply oxygen to a 250-bed hospital round-the-clock for a dozen years and that they produce medical oxygen from ambient air.

2:53 PM

PM Modi reviews oxygen and medicine availability, human resource situation

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday held a virtual meeting with experts to review oxygen and medicine availability. He also reviewed the human resource situation, in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic, and ways to augment it, according to ANI.
 

The Prime Minister reviewed the matter of augmenting human resources for effective management of COVID-19 in the country today, ANI reported citing sources.
 

During the meeting, several steps to incentivize students and pass-outs of medical and nursing courses to join Covid duty were taken.
 

The decisions which were taken in the meeting may include delaying the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) examination and incentivizing MBBS pass-outs studying for it to join Covid duty.
 

It might also include utilising services of final year MBBS and nursing students in Covid Duty.
 

Medical personnel doing Covid duty will be given preference in government recruitment as well as a financial incentive.

2:36 PM

Amid raging pandemic, UP Congress calls for white paper on state's COVID Care Fund

The Congress on Sunday demanded the Uttar Pradesh government government release a white paper on the state's COVID Care Fund amid a massive surge in coronavirus cases, according to PTI.

In a statement issued here, UP Congress chief Ajay Kumar Lallu said the COVID Care Fund was created in April 2020 through which people from different sections of society deposited money. The MLA funds were suspended for a year, and 30 per cent salary of the ministers and legislators cut, and deposited in the COVID Care Fund. It was said that the money would be used to fight the COVID-19 pandemic.

2:02 PM

Jaishankar says Congress party's help for Philippines embassy 'unsolicited'

India’s foreign ministry says it is in touch with foreign embassies and responding to their medical demands, reacting after the Congress party said it had sent oxygen cylinders to the Philippines embassy in Delhi. "MEA checked with the Philippines Embassy. This was an unsolicited supply as they had no Covid cases. Clearly for cheap publicity by you know who. Giving away cylinders like this when there are people in desperate need of oxygen is simply appalling," said external affairs Minister S Jaishankar, referring to his ministry.

12:54 PM

Israel bans travel to India, six other countries

Israel has barred its citizens from travelling to India and six other countries, citing Covid-19 infection rates. A press release issued on Friday said that Israelis will not be allowed to travel to Ukraine, Brazil, Ethiopia, South Africa, India, Mexico and Turkey. The ban starts May 3 and will remain in place until May 16, PTI reported.

12:22 PM

Congress wants Goa lockdown to be extended

Congress leader Digambar Kamat says Goa’s four-day lockdown to contain Covid-19 should be extended due to the "grim situation". The state announced a lockdown on Friday applicable till 6 am Monday. All essential services have been exempted from the curbs. "As the situation is grim, extending lockdown with strict enforcement is the only option left," said Kamat, the state’s Leader of Opposition.

10:58 AM

Odisha to lock down for 14 days from May 5

Odisha government announces a 14-day lockdown from May 5 to May 19, according to ANI. Odisha has a total of 454,607 Covid-19 cases and 2,054 deaths from the disease.

10:27 AM

217 new cases push Arunachal's Covid-19 tally at 18,636

Arunachal Pradesh''s COVID-19 tally mounted to 18,636 as the state reported its highest single-day spike of 217 new cases on Sunday, a health official said.

The death toll remained unchanged at 59 as no fresh fatality was reported, PTI reported quoting a civil servant.

9:59 AM

India reports a record 3,689 deaths in a day

A record 3,689 daily COVID-19 fatalities pushed India’s death toll to 2,15,542, while the infection count reached to 1,95,57,457 with 3,92,488 more people being confirmed positive for the disease, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Sunday. The active cases have crossed the 33-lakh mark, PTI reported.

 

8:54 AM

Modi too meet experts at 9.30am

Prime Minister Narendra Modi to meet experts at 9:30 am to review oxygen and medicine availability in the country, multiple news organisations say.

8:50 AM

AIIMS chief suggests nationwide lockdown

India's health infrastructure is "stretched to the limit" and "aggressive lockdowns" - like the one imposed in March last year - in areas with positivity rates over 10 per cent are needed to contain the second COVID-19 wave, AIIMS chief Dr Randeep Guleria has said. He was speaking to NDTV.

8:48 AM

Aadar Poonawalla tweets

Aadar Poonawalla, CEO of Serum Institute of India, says his company's production of Covishield vaccine is in full swing in Pune and he will review the operations once he is back in India. Poonawalla is in the UK now. "Had an excellent meeting with all our partners & stakeholders in the UK. Meanwhile, pleased to state that COVISHIELD''s production is in full swing in Pune. I look forward to reviewing operations upon my return in a few days," Poonawalla said on Twitter. 

8:55 PM

Coronavirus LIVE: Maharashtra record 63,282 cases in last 24 hours

8:36 PM

Coronavirus LIVE: EC moves SC challenging Madras HC order

Election Commission approaches Supreme Court challenging the Madras HC order where it lambasted on the poll panel for failure to maintain Covid protocol during poll campaigns & said poll panel “should be put up on murder charges" for being the "most irresponsible institution".

8:27 PM

Coronavirus LIVE: Mumbai reports 3,908 new cases

8:10 PM

Coronavirus LIVE: Karnataka records 40,990 new cases

Karnataka records 40,990 new cases and 271 fatalities in the last 24 hours; case tally at 15,64,132 and active cases at 405,068, according to the state health department

8:03 PM

Coronavirus LIVE: Entire world shaken by what they're seeing in India, says Rahul

As India logged a world record of over four lakh coronavirus infections on Saturday, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said the entire world is shaken by what is happening here and accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of "dropping the ball and throwing it to states" after prematurely taking credit for having "won against Covid-19" when the second wave was already underway.

 

"Rely on yourself is the motto. No one will come to help you. Definitely, not the prime minister," Gandhi said, while alleging that the Covid-19 situation has gone completely out of control for the Modi government, and wondered whether it was their way of making the states and the citizens truly 'Aatmanirbhar'.

 

In an exclusive interview to PTI, the former Congress chief alleged that the government completely failed to understand or to tackle the Covid-19 pandemic, right from the very beginning, despite repeated warnings including from scientists. Read here

7:55 PM

Coronavirus LIVE: Andhra Pradesh reports 19,412 new cases

Andhra Pradesh reports 19,412 new cases, 61 deaths in past 24 hours; active cases 130,752, according to the state health department

7:38 PM

Coronavirus LIVE: Himachal Pradesh reports 2,751 new cases

Himachal Pradesh reports 2,751 new cases, 1,220 recoveries and 28 deaths during the past 24 hours in the state, according to the state health department

7:25 PM

Sputnik V vaccine will add to India's arsenal to fight the pandemic, says MEA

Sputnik V vaccine will add to India's arsenal to fight the pandemic, says MEA

7:06 PM

Coronavirus LIVE: Goa reports 2,303 new cases

Goa reports 2,303 new cases, 54 deaths and 1,310 recoveries; active cases 23,884, according to the state health department

7:05 PM

Covid-19 has brought absolute devastation, says Rahul Gandhi

Covid-19 has brought absolute devastation; this is not a wave, it's a tsunami that has destroyed everything: Rahul Gandhi to PTI