India Coronavirus Dispatch: Maharashtra now accounts for half the cases

Mumbai colleges back to online mode as cases rise, autos and bike taxis recover faster than cabs, Opposition to Modi's photo on vaccine certificate-news relevant to India's fight against Covid-19

IN NUMBERS: Nearly 15,000 fresh cases reported

India reported 14,989 fresh coronavirus infections on Wednesday, taking the cumulative caseload to 11,139,516, according to a report in the Scroll. The country saw 98 deaths due to the pandemic, taking the toll to 157,346, according to central health ministry data. The active caseload is at 170,126, while the total recoveries have surged to 10,812,044. As many as 15,620,749 people have been inoculated since the nationwide inoculation programme kicked off on January 16. Of these, 768,730 received their shots on Tuesday. Read more here

Maharashtra now accounts for half the cases but is a laggard in testing

Maharashtra is now contributing more than half of fresh coronavirus infections in India, fanning fears of a second wave in the state, a report in ThePrint said. It is worth noting that the state has always accounted for the bulk of cases in the country. Maharashtra, however, continues to trail the national average in terms of Covid testing. Experts say inadequate testing could be a major reason behind the surge in cases. The nationwide average is 162,697 tests for every million people. For Maharashtra, this figure stands at 133,313. Read more here

Autos, bike taxis stage a faster recovery than cabs amid Covid

Data available on transportation in the time of Covid shows that people prefer bike taxis and autos over cabs on ride-hailing apps, a reversal of preferences that existed pre-Covid, a report in The Indian Express said. The data also shows that while the use of public transport continues to recover to pre-Covid levels, bike taxis and autos have bounced back faster than cabs. The perception that bike taxis and autos run a lower risk of coronavirus infection than cabs is a key factor, stakeholders say. Read more here

Opposition to Modi's photo on Covid-19 vaccine certificate

The use of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's photo on Covid-19 vaccination certificates has courted controversy, a report in ThePrint said. Several Opposition parties are upset that the digital certificates, issued after an individual receives a shot of Covid vaccine, carry an image of Modi at the bottom. The certificate is issued on Co-Win, the government's digital platform to manage and track the vaccination programme. The photo is accompanied by a quote by Modi which says, “Together, India will defeat COVID-19”, and a line in Hindi which says, “Dawai bhi, aur kadai bhi”, which translates to “vaccination, as well as caution”. Read more here

Mumbai colleges return to online classes amid rise in cases

Just weeks after colleges started to take small steps towards reopening campuses, the recent surge in Covid-19 cases has compelled the institutes to put off such plans, a report in the Hindustan Times said. While there were no clear instructions from the government, some institutes had opted to restart physical practical sessions for students in their final year. Some had also scheduled a mix of online and offline preliminary examination for their final year students. Such plans have now been put on hold and only online lectures are being held. Read more here