Page 49 - Coronavirus

Covid-19 pandemic under complete control in Andhra: Health Minister

Coronavirus pandemic is completely under control in Andhra Pradesh with only 267 people exhibiting symptoms out of the total 15,096 people screened, state Health Minister Vidadala Rajini said. The Minister said there was no reason to worry, reflecting on these tests conducted in the past two weeks. "Currently, all these patients are undergoing treatment at their homes. Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy always alerts the health department on Covid tests," said Rajini in a statement on Friday. Amid rising Covid cases across the country, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya held a video conference with state health ministers to learn about their efforts. During this meeting, Rajini requested the Centre to allot 20 lakh more Covid booster vaccines doses to the southern state, including requesting the Centre to make the National Health Mission to bear the cost of running oxygen plants, primary health centres and others. Also, health ministers from other states had also apprised

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6,155 fresh Covid infections in India, active cases climb to 31,194

India on Saturday recorded 6,155 fresh COVID-19 infections, while the number of active cases increased to 31,194, according to Union health ministry data. India's COVID-19 tally now stands at 4.47 crore (4,47,51,259). The death toll climbed to 5,30,954 with 11 deaths, including two reconciled by Kerala, the data updated at 8 am stated. At 31,194, the active cases comprise 0.07 per cent of the total infections. The national COVID-19 recovery rate stands at 98.74 per cent, according to the health ministry website. The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 4,41,89,111, while the case fatality rate was recorded at 1.19 per cent. According to the ministry's website, 220.66 crore doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been administered so far under the nationwide vaccination drive.

Centre tells states to conduct Covid mock drills in hospitals as cases rise

Union minister advises states to do mock drills at all health facilities on April 10 and 11

Delhi records 733 fresh Covid-19 cases, positivity rate at 19.93%

Delhi on Friday logged 733 fresh Covid cases, the highest in more than seven months, with a positivity rate of 19.93 per cent, according to data shared by the city government's health department. The health bulletin said two more Covid-positive people died in the city. However, "Covid finding was incidental", it added. The national capital had recorded 620 cases on August 26. On Thursday, 606 cases were recorded with a positivity rate of 16.98 per cent, and one fatality. On Wednesday, the city logged a positivity rate of 26.54 per cent, the highest in nearly 15 months, with 509 people testing positive in a single day. In January last year, the positivity rate had touched the 30-per cent mark. Delhi saw 521 cases on Tuesday and one fatality. The positivity rate stood at 15.64 per cent. At present, the city's COVID-19 death toll stands at 26,536, according to the bulletin. With the fresh cases, Delhi's infection tally has risen to 20,13,403. The data showed that 3,678 Covid tests

Rising Covid cases: Experts say cold-like symptoms indicate endemicity

The rise in Covid cases is indicative of the SARS-CoV-2 virus moving into an endemic state in India and behaving like other coronaviruses that cause common cold-like symptoms and can keep reinfecting, say scientists. Giving the reassurance that a monster spike on the lines of the Delta wave in the spring of 2021 is unlikely due to the endemic nature of the virus, they also cautioned that the spread could be halted by following established protocols. COVID-19 is effectively endemic in the country, and virtually all of us will have sustained an infection by now, whether we knew it or not. The virus is behaving like coronaviruses that cause common-cold-like symptoms and can keep reinfecting us, said Gautam I. Menon, dean (research) and professor, Departments of Physics and Biology at Haryana's Ashoka University. Immunologist Satyajit Rath added that the actual magnitude of the infection is unknown. Questioning the reliability of reported Covid case numbers, he told PTI, "We are likely

Covid-19 pandemic origin: China scientists publish long-awaited data

The Huanan seafood and wildlife market has been a focal point in the search for the origin of the coronavirus

Covid-19 surge: Maha reports 926 cases, three deaths; Mumbai sees 27% rise

Maharashtra on Friday recorded 926 COVID-19 cases, a sizable rise from 803 cases added to the tally a day earlier, while the death toll increased by three, a health official said. The state's tally stands at 81,48,599 and the fatality count was 1,48,457, he added. Mumbai led with 276 new cases, a rise of 27 per cent from the previous day, while the three deaths were reported in Gondia, Kolhapur and Raigad districts, the official informed. The recovery count increased by 423 in the last 24 hours and touched 79,95,655, leaving the state with an active caseload of 4,487, he said. As per state health department data, the recovery rate was 98.12 per cent and the fatality rate was 1.82 per cent. So far, 8,66,87,653 coronavirus tests have been conducted in the state, including 11,881 in the last 24 hours, as per official data. At a COVID-19 review meeting chaired by Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Friday, it was observed that Maharashtra was among the three states with 10 or

Convicts, undertrials released during Covid return to jail after SC order

The inmates who were granted emergency bail or parole during the COVID-19 pandemic queued outside Tihar prison here on Friday to surrender before the authorities following the apex court's direction. Bajrang Saini, who came to drop off his two brothers who were arrested in a murder case in Delhi's Kirti Nagar, said, My brothers were arrested in a murder case around five-year-ago. They came out of the jail in 2021 and since then they have been doing private jobs. "We are hoping that the case will end in the near future, and they will be able to start their life afresh. We know that they are not criminals. They committed the crime in anger," Saini said. The Supreme Court on March 24 directed that all convicts and UTP, who were released during the COVID-19 pandemic in a move to decongest jails, to surrender within 15 days. The Delhi prisons department said that a total of 128 undertrial prisoners (UTP) and convicts returned to jail in the last 10 days, from March 27 to April 5. Among

Maha govt must take Covid-19 seriously, apprise citizens, says Ajit Pawar

Maharashtra Leader of Opposition Ajit Pawar on Friday said the state government should look into the COVID-19 situation immediately, as cases have been on the rise and apprise citizens. As per the state health department, Maharashtra had on Thursday recorded 803 fresh coronavirus cases and three fatalities that raised the tally of infections to 81,47,673, which includes 1,48,454 deaths. "During the recently concluded Assembly sessions, we had asked the state government about measures it was taking and the line of action it had decided to enable people's representatives to go back to their constituencies and work on dealing with the COVID-19 situation by taking officials into confidence," Pawar told reporters in Pune. During the Maha Vikas Aghadi rule, the Uddhav Thackeray-led government had been united in its fight against coronavirus. Expressing concern, Pawar said that while the number of infections was increasing by the day, no one seemed to be taking the situation seriously. "

Lack of Wuhan data disclosure by China is simply inexcusable: WHO

The World Health Organisation has slammed China once again, saying the country should have shared viral samples from Wuhan which was the epicentre of the pandemic, immediately, and not 3 years later

Goa begins in-patient Covid testing at govt hospitals amid spike in cases

In light of the rise in the number of COVID-19 cases, the Goa government on Friday resumed in-patient testing at state-run hospitals using antigen testing kits, a minister said. Goa had on Thursday recorded 162 new cases of coronavirus infection, which raised the active tally in the state to 872. Taking to Twitter, state Health Minister Vishwajit Rane said, "I have directed the team at @GoaGmc to activate the genome sequencing machine on the premises, and the secretary for health has been notified on the same. We have also begun in-patient testing at government hospitals using antigen testing to keep the situation under control." Rane further said that RT-PCR tests are being conducted if necessary and genome sequencing is performed in accordance with protocols and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). An emergency vaccination requirement is also provided, in case anyone needs a booster dose or for travel purposes, he said. Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya held a review ...

Over 3,000 Covid cases logged in Delhi last week, active tally jumps 121%

More than 3,000 cases of Covid have been recorded in Delhi in the past one week, while the tally of active cases has increased by over 121 per cent in the same period, according to official data. The national capital logged 606 cases on Thursday, the highest in over seven months, with a positivity rate of 16.98 per cent. The city had recorded 620 cases on August 26. According to data shared by the Delhi government's health department, the active cases tally on Thursday stood at 2,060, a jump of over 121 per cent since March 30 when the corresponding figure was 932. In the March 30-April 6 period, six fatalities have been recorded, including two deaths on April 3. According to health department bulletins shared over these days, "Covid finding was incidental" in all the cases. The positivity rate too has seen a rise in the past one week. On April 5, the city logged a positivity rate of 26.54 per cent, the highest in nearly 15 months, with 509 people testing positive in a single day.

India received 6.19 mn foreign tourists in 2022 compared to 1.52 mn in 2021

India received 6.19 million foreign tourist arrivals (FTAs) during 2022 as compared to 1.52 million during the same period of 2021

Bihar CM Nitish urges Centre to provide fresh Covid-19 vaccine stocks

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Friday urged the Centre to provide fresh stocks of COVID vaccine vials so that administering of jabs, which is currently on hold, could be resumed. Talking to reporters here on the sidelines of a function, he also asserted that his government was "alert" in view of rising incidence of COVID cases in some parts of the country, though Bihar was not one of them. "Our testing rate is much higher than the national average, which is six lakh tests per one million people. We are conducting eight lakh tests. Bihar accounts for about one fourth of the total number of tests conducted across the country", claimed Kumar. He underscored that the current spike was noticed in those parts of the country which were the worst affected when the coronavirus had caused a global pandemic. "In Bihar cases are very few but we are alert, nonetheless. In places like hospitals wearing of masks is being reinforced. We were also carrying out vaccination till our supply drie

India provided Covid medicines, vaccines to over 180 countries: Mandaviya

Mandaviya arrived at Delhi's Vijay Chowk to take part in the walkathon on the occasion of the World Health Day

More people adopting preventive healthcare post-Covid, say experts

With rising prevalence of lifestyle conditions, chronic and non-communicable diseases pertaining to lifestyle and changing environmental conditions, more people are adopting the preventive healthcare

XBB.1.16 accounts for 38.2% of Covid infection in India: INSACOG bulletin

The newly emerged recombinant coronavirus variant XBB.1.16 has been observed in different parts of the country, accounting for 38.2 per cent of the infection till date, according to the latest INSACOG bulletin. The bulletin of March 27, which was released on Thursday, said among the samples collected till the third week of March 2023, XBB continued to be the most commonly circulating Omicron sublineages. Noting that Omicron and its sublineages continue to be the dominant variants in India, the bulletin said an increase in infection rate has been observed, especially in western, southern and northern parts of India. A newly emerged recombinant variant XBB.1.16 has been observed in different parts of India, accounting for 38.2 per cent of the infection till date, the bulletin said. The bulletin further said a few BA.2.10 and BA.2.75 sublineage was detected in some part of the country whereas XBB was the most prevalent sublineage of the Omicron variant. The INSACOG said globally, nea

Few vaccination centres running amid steady surge in Covid-19 cases

230 of the 296 sites are private; people can now opt for mix-and-match doses of Corbevax and iNCOVACC

Covid-19 is still deadlier for patients than influenza, finds study

Covid has frequently drawn comparisons with influenza, another viral respiratory disease, including by former US president Donald Trump