Covid LIVE: 39,923 cases in Maharashtra; BMC halts vaccination for 2 days

Coronavirus live updates: India recorded 343,144 fresh Covid-19 infections today, taking the caseload tally to 24 million. Stay tuned for corona-related news

2:08 AM

Enact special law to protect dignity, rights of dead: NHRC to Centre, states

The NHRC on Friday issued an advisory to the Centre and all states and union territories in which it laid out a range of recommendations for protecting the dignity and the rights of the dead people in the wake of reports of alleged mishandling of bodies of Covid-19 victims.
 

In a statement, the National Human Rights Commission said the recommendations include enacting of a specific legislation to protect the rights of the dead, adding that "mass burial or cremation should not be allowed to take place as it is in violation of the right to dignity of the dead".
 

"The hospital administration should be explicitly prohibited from deliberately retaining any dead body on the count of pending bill payment; the unclaimed bodies must be stored under safe conditions," the recommendations read.
 

The advisory gathers significance in the context of the NHRC on Thursday, issuing notices to the Centre, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh governments on a complaint about bodies found floating in the river Ganga, it said.
 

"The NHRC, keeping in view the large number of deaths and reports in the media about the mismanagement/mishandling of Covid-19 affected dead bodies today issued an advisory to the Centre and states for protecting the dignity and the rights of the dead," the statement said.

2:07 AM

Delhi Cabinet nod for financial aid for drivers of autos, taxis hit by lockdown

The Delhi Cabinet on Friday approved Rs 5,000 financial assistance to all individuals holding public service badge (drivers) of para-transit vehicles and others in the wake of the lockdown here amid the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic, officials said.
 

The city transport department in a statement, also said, beneficiaries of the 2020 scheme need not reapply but will get the Rs 5,000 directly transferred to their Aadhaar-linked bank accounts subject to verification of deaths from local bodies.
 

"The Delhi Cabinet today approved Rs 5,000 financial assistance to all individuals holding public service badge (drivers) of para-transit vehicles and permit holders of para-transit vehicles in the wake of the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic, and further curfew announced by the Delhi government that has left the owners of these vehicles in financial hardships," it said.
 

On May 4, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had announced that a one-time financial assistance of Rs 5,000 will be provided to the PSV badge and permit holders of para transit vehicles - namely auto rickshaws, e-rickshaws, taxis, 'phatphat sewa', eco-friendly sewa, Gramin sewa and maxi cabs, the statement said.
 

In 2020, Rs 78 crore was given as financial assistance to more than 1.56 drivers of auto rickshaws and taxis, it added.
 

2:06 AM

Bengal logs highest one-day spike of 20,846 Covid-19 cases

West Bengal on Friday registered its highest single-day spike of 20,846 fresh Covid-19 cases, taking the tally to 10,94,802, the health department said in its bulletin.
 

The toll rose to 12,993 after 136 more people, including five eminent doctors, succumbed to the infection, the bulletin said.
 

Senior BJP leader Mukul Roy and his wife Krishna are among those who contracted the disease.
 

Roy, who is the saffron party's vice president, is currently undergoing home isolation, sources in the health department said.

Of the 136 deaths, 67 were due to the comorbidities where Covid-19 was incidental.
 

North 24 Parganas district accounted for 42 fatalities and Kolkata 34.
 

The five doctors who lost their lives are well-known pathologist Dr Subir Kumar Dutta (90), renowned physician from Barasat, Dr Utpal Sengupta (in his 70s), surgeon Dr Satish Ghata (late 70s), Dr Sandipan Mandal (37) of Murshidabad Medical College and Hospital, and gynaecologist Dr Dilip Chakraborty.
 

At least 19,131 recuperated from the disease since Thursday, taking the total number of recoveries to 9,50,017.
 

2:05 AM

Bengal: 'Depressed' corona positive man asks pedestrians to take son away

Apparently slipping into depression after having tested positive for Covid-19, a man on Friday came out of his residence in south Kolkata's Bhabanipur area with his infant son and asked pedestrians to take the baby away, police said.
 

As the man roamed aimlessly in the Elgin Road area and once tried to leave the baby on the footpath, local people informed councillor Asim Basu and the Bhabanipur police station.
 

"We questioned the man but he could only say that the baby is his son. He could not tell us his address. We decided to take him to SSKM Hospital where it was later found that he was corona positive," a police officer said.
 

Policemen as well as the councillor had a tough time identifying the infant till his mother approached the Bhowanipore Police Station.
 

"After scrutiny of the documents related to the baby's identity, we handed him over to the woman," the officer said.
 

The man had been very depressed after he tested positive for the infection earlier, he said.
 

10:03 PM

Vaccination suspended in Mumbai for two days due to cyclone warning

The Mumbai civic body on Friday decided to suspend its Covid-19 vaccination drive for the next two days in view of the warning about cyclone Tauktae.
 

There would be no inoculation on May 15 and 16, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation tweeted.
 

Additional Municipal Commissioner Suresh Kakani told PTI that it was a precautionary measure as cyclone Tauktae is forecast to pass close to the city.
 

The decision was taken to avoid troubles for senior citizens and also possible crowding as the city is expected to get rains due to the cyclone, he added.
 

Presently, Mumbai has 260 active inoculation centres and 28,41,349 persons have received vaccine jabs including 23,924 on Friday.
 

The India Meteorological Department has warned that cyclone Tauktae is likely to pass close to Mumbai via sea route, though it won't hit the city directly, but is likely to bring strong winds and heavy rain to the financial capital of the country.
 

9:46 PM

Will ask collectors to ask PM for vaccines in meet: Maharashtra Dy CM

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Friday said district collectors from the state would be asked to request for vaccine doses when they interact with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the next few days.
 

He said the PM is scheduled to meet collectors from across the country next week.
 

"No clear assurance has been received from the Centre over vaccine supply. The PM is going to have a meeting with district collectors across the country next week. If the PM happens to interact with some collectors from the state, I will ask them to request Modiji to send vaccines at the earliest," Pawar told reporters here.

He said the state government was also talking to vaccine manufacturers.
 

Replying to a query on pricing, he said the Supreme Court has directed the Centre to strive for uniformity in vaccine rates for states, UTs, private entities.
 

On Bombay High Court pulling up Pune Municipal Corporation on availability of beds for Covid-19 treatment after carrying out a test by calling the civic helpline, Pawar said he had spoken to the mayor and civic commissioner and had asked them to rectify shortcomings.
 

9:13 PM

Remdesivir black-marketing: 3 nurses, medical store staff held

Four people were arrested in Nashik in Maharashtra for alleged black-marketing of Remdesivir, a key medicine in Covid-19 treatment, police said on Friday.

Three of them are women working as nurses in a hospital and the fourth is a man employed in a medical store, an official said.
 

"Acting on a tip-off, a joint team of Food and Drug Administration and police arrested two women selling two Remdesivir vials for Rs 54,000 in front of KK Wagh Engineering College on Thursday. The vials have a printed price of Rs 3,000 each. They named their two associates who too were held soon after," he said.
 

An Adgaon police station official identified them Shruti Ubale, Jagruti Shardul, Snehal Pagare and Kamesh Bachhav, and said they were remanded in custody till May 17.
 

8:54 PM

Low-key Eid celebrations in Delhi amid Covid-19 restrictions

The vast expanse of Jama Masjid's courtyard wore a deserted look and families stayed home on Friday as Eid-ul-Fitr celebrations remained a low-key affair in the city amid the Covid-19 restrictions.

 

The celebrations, marking the end of the holy month of Ramzan, which would have been an opportunity to meet and greet relatives and friends in a different time and year, was limited to a timid affair due to the unrelenting scare of the coronavirus infection.

 

Shahi Imam of Jama Masjid Ahmed Bukhari said the celebrations were affected because of the pandemic. (PTI)

8:41 PM

Coronavirus LIVE: Tamil Nadu govt intensifies norms in lockdown

8:28 PM

Coronavirus LIVE: Maharashtra reports 39,923 new cases

Maharashtra reports 39,923 new coronavirus cases, 53,249 discharges and 695 deaths in the last 24 hours, according to the state health department

8:20 PM

Coronavirus LIVE: 10,608 new cases in Haryana

Haryana sees 10,608 new coronavirus cases, 14,577 recoveries and 164 deaths in the last 24 hours, according to the state health department

8:06 PM

Coronavirus LIVE: Gujarat sees 9,995 new cases

Gujarat reports 9,995 new coronavirus cases, 15,365 recoveries and 104 deaths in the last 24 hours, according to the state health department.

7:56 PM

Coronavirus LIVE: BMC halts vaccinations for two days

7:45 PM

Coronavirus LIVE: Madhya Pradesh sees 8,087 new cases

Madhya Pradesh reports 8,087 new coronavirus cases, 11,671 recoveries and 88 deaths in the last 24 hours, according to the state health department

7:34 PM

Coronavirus LIVE: Manipur reports 726 new cases

Manipur reports 726 new coronavirus cases, 381 recoveries and 16 deaths in the last 24 hours, according to the state health department

7:26 PM

China says price hike in anti-Covid medical supplies to India due to import of raw materials

China on Friday said the prices of some of the Covid-19 medical supplies like oxygen concentrators being procured by Indian companies from Chinese manufacturers have gone up as they had to import raw materials to meet the excess demand from India.

 

Responding to a question from the official media here on India's Consul General in Hong Kong Priyanka Chauhan's recent remarks calling on China to stop surging prices of medical supplies to India, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying told a media briefing that China has been encouraging its companies to meet India's procurement to meet the country's surge in coronavirus cases.

 

Soaring prices of medical supplies like oxygen concentrators and disruption of cargo flights to India are slowing arrivals of medical goods, Chauhan said this week. (PTI)

7:14 PM

Coronavirus LIVE: Karnataka reports 41,779 new cases

Karnataka reports 41,779 new coronavirus cases, 35,879 recoveries and 373 deaths in the last 24 hours, according to the state health department

7:02 PM

Coronavirus LIVE: Mumbai reports 1,657 new cases

Mumbai reports 1,657 new coronavirus cases, 2,572 recoveries and 62 deaths in the last 24 hours.

7:00 PM

Coronavirus LIVE: Karnataka govt says second dose of Covishield only after 12 weeks

Karnataka govt asks those who took Covishield not to come to vaccination centres if they haven't completed 12 weeks of first dose

6:41 PM

Coronavirus LIVE: Goa reports 2,455 new cases

Goa reports 2,455 new coronavirus cases, 2,960 recoveries and 61 deaths in the last 24 hours.

6:36 PM

Coronavirus LIVE: Kerala sees 34,694 new coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours, says CM

Coronavirus LIVE: Kerala sees 34,694 new coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours, says CM

6:35 PM

Coronavirus LIVE: Triple lockdown in Thiruvananthapuram, other cities, says CM

Triple lockdown will be imposed in Thiruvananthapuram, Ernakulam, Thrissur and Malappuram, where the test positivity rate is high, says Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan 

6:30 PM

Coronavirus LIVE: Kerala lockdown extended till May 23, says CM

Coronavirus LIVE: Kerala lockdown extended till May 23, says CM

6:14 PM

Odisha logs highest one-day spike of 12,390 cases, 22 more fatalities

Odisha on Friday registered its highest single-day spike of 12,390 new Covid-19 cases, which pushed the tally to 5,88,687, while a record number of 22 fatalities raised the toll to 2,273, a senior health department official said.

 

Accordingly, the number of active cases climbed to 1,04,016, the official said.

 

Of the 12,390 new cases, 6,938 were reported from various quarantine centres, and the rest detected during contact tracing, he stated. (PTI)

5:39 PM

Coronavirus LIVE: Andhra Pradesh reports 22,018 new cases

Andhra Pradesh reports 22,018 new coronavirus cases, 19,177 recoveries, and 96 deaths in last 24 hours, according to the state health department

5:27 PM

Coronavirus LIVE: Hope to launch Sputnik Light in India soon, says RDIF CEO

5:20 PM

DRDO developed 2-DG drug could be game-changer, says Minister

The 2-DG drug developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) could be a game-changer in the fight against Covid, Karnataka Health Minister Dr K Sudhakar said on Friday.

 

"The 2-DG drug developed by DRDO is a big breakthrough and could be a game-changer in the battle against pandemic as it helps in faster recovery of hospitalised patients and reduces oxygen dependence," Sudhakar was quoted as saying in a statement issued by his office.

 

The Minister had visited the DRDO campus in the city where scientists briefed him about the ongoing efforts at the premier research organisation to find solutions to tackle the pandemic. (PTI)

5:10 PM

NDMC launches medical helpline for Covid-infected employees, families

The Medical Services Department of the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) on Friday launched a program 'NETRA' in coordination with the Information Technology Department to provide guidance telephonically and through WhatsApp to COVID-infected employees in home isolation.

 

According to an official media release, a team of dedicated doctors and specialists has been prepared as part of the Medical Helpline Facility for guiding employees or their family members who contracted the disease. (PTI)

5:01 PM

Coronavirus LIVE: West Bengal CM writes to PM over PSA plants

4:52 PM

Himachal sees 38 more Covid deaths, 924 new cases

The death toll from Covid-19 rose to 2,156 in Himachal Pradesh on Friday with 38 more fatalities, while 924 fresh cases pushed the infection tally to 1,51,597, a senior official said.

 

The number of active cases in the state stands at 37,789, according to data updated till 2 pm.

 

The recovery count increased to 1,11,621 with 3,105 more people recovering from the infection, the official said. (PTI)