Earlier at present, asserting the subsequent part of India’s vaccination drive, Union Minister Prakash Javadekar mentioned that folks above the age of 60 and people above 45 years with co-morbidities might be vaccinated from 1 March
The Maharashtra authorities on Wednesday instructed all district collectors and municipal commissioners to extend testing after the state witnessed a major rise in coronavirus circumstances with greater than 8,000 new infections coming to mild in a single day after a spot of over 4 months.
The state reported 8,807 circumstances on Wednesday, taking its whole an infection rely to 21,21,119. It had reported 8,142 circumstances on 21 October, after which the numbers had declined. With 80 deaths reported on Wednesday, the state’s fatality rely rose to 51,937, the federal government mentioned.
Meanwhile, the West Bengal authorities has made it obligatory for passengers flying in from Maharashtra, Telangana, Kerala and Karnataka to provide a destructive COVID-19
report.
This, after the Delhi authorities earlier on Wednesday made the identical obligatory for passengers flying in from Maharashtra, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab and Chhattisgarh in view of the sudden spike in circumstances in these states.
Earlier at present, asserting the subsequent part of India’s vaccination drive, Union Minister Prakash Javadekar mentioned that folks above the age of 60 and people above 45 years with co-morbidities might be vaccinated from 1 March at 10,000 authorities and over 20,000 non-public vaccination centres. The vaccine might be given freed from price at authorities centres, he mentioned.
Serum Institute of India (SII) mentioned it has initiated provides of COVID-19 vaccine Covishield to COVAX, the worldwide initiative to make sure speedy and equitable entry to the vaccine for all international locations.
Thanks to the mixed efforts of @gavi @GaviSeth @WHO @UNICEF @gatesfoundation @BillGates, the primary batch of vaccines had been delivered to #COVAX by @SerumInstIndia, @UniofOxford & @AstraZeneca. Thank you @vonderleyen in your help. This is certainly a historic second! https://t.co/QYpYzwL9KY
— Adar Poonawalla (@adarpoonawalla) February 24, 2021
SII will proceed to be on the forefront of preventing the pandemic with reasonably priced and immunogenic vaccines, he added.
Meanwhile, the value of COVID-19 vaccines that might be made out there to senior residents and people with comorbidities might be mounted in a fashion that ensures that neither the vaccines are misused nor does it burden non-public gamers, mentioned AIIMS Director Dr Randeep Guleria.
“Charges (of the COVID-19
vaccine) would be to just cover overhead expenses which private sectors would need. Some of which may include the cost of syringes and human resource like it was done for testing where charges were fixed to ensure that those aren’t misused and private sector also doesn’t suffer loss,” Dr Guleria was quoted as saying by information company ANI.
India on Wednesday dispatched the primary batch of six lakh coronavirus vaccine doses to the African nation of Ghana beneath the COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access (COVAX) in collaboration with the UNICEF, which goals to cowl 92 international locations beneath the initiative
India reported 13,742 new COVID-19 circumstances and 104 deaths within the final 24 hours, in keeping with information launched by the Union Health Ministry. With this, the nation’s whole caseload has risen to 1,10,30,176, whereas the demise toll has surged to 1,56,567. The whole variety of energetic circumstances is now at 1,46,907, whereas the quantity of people that have recuperated from the illness is now over 1,07,26,702, the ministry mentioned.
8,000 new COVID-19 circumstances recorded in Maharashtra
Of the 80 deaths, 27 had been reported throughout the previous 48 hours in Maharashtra, whereas 22 had been from the final week. The remaining 31 deaths had been from the interval earlier than the final week.
Since February 10, the graph of latest circumstances started to climb once more. The state had recorded 6,112 infections on February 19, 6,281 on February 20 and 6,971 on February 21. On22 and 23 February, the state had reported 5,210 and 6,218 circumstances.
The Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) recorded the very best 2,018 new circumstances amongst divisional circles within the state on Wednesday.
Nashik, Pune, Akola and Nagpur divisional circles reported over 1,000 new circumstances every throughout the day.
Mumbai metropolis continued to report the very best single-day circumstances within the state with a spike of 1,167 on Wednesday. Nagpur district (barring Nagpur metropolis) and Amravati metropolis in Vidarbha noticed a each day leap of 818 and 627 circumstances. Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad cities in Western Maharashtra reported an increase of 755 and 408 circumstances respectively.
Seven hostile occasions associated to COVID-19 vaccine reported, says ministry
The cumulative variety of COVID-19 vaccine doses administered to healthcare and frontline staff has crossed 1.23 crore within the nation, the well being ministry mentioned on Wednesday.
A complete of 1,23,66,633 vaccine doses have been administered by 2,63,224 periods until 6 pm on Wednesday, in keeping with a provisional report.
These embody 65,24,726 healthcare staff (HCWs) who’ve taken the primary dose, 14,81,754 HCWs who’ve taken the second dose and 43,60,153 frontline staff (FLWs) who’ve taken the primary dose.
While the countrywide vaccination drive was rolled out on 16 January, the inoculation of FLWs began on 2 February.
“Total 2,01,035 vaccine doses were given till 6 pm on Wednesday, the 40th day of nationwide COVID-19 vaccination.
“Out of which, 1,17,681 beneficiaries were vaccinated for 1st dose and 83,354 HCWs received 2nd dose of vaccine as per the provisional report,” the ministry mentioned, including that the ultimate report for the day can be compiled by late evening.
It mentioned 8,868 periods had been held until 6 pm on Wednesday.
Seven hostile occasions following immunisation (AEFIs) associated to the primary dose of the vaccine and three circumstances of AEFI associated to the second dose had been reported until 6 pm on the 40th day of the vaccination drive, the ministry mentioned.
Negative COVID-19 studies made obligatory
Amid a spike in coronavirus infections in Maharashtra, Kerala, Karnataka and Telangana, the West Bengal authorities on Wednesday made it obligatory for passengers travelling in flights from these states to provide destructive COVID-19 studies.
According to a notification issued by the well being division, passengers ought to endure RT-PCR assessments inside 72 hours of the flight departure.
“In view of the increasing trend of COVID cases in the states of Maharashtra, Kerala, Karnataka and Telangana and in continuation of earlier order issued last August, this is to inform you that the state government has decided that from February 27, all passengers coming to the state from the four states shall mandatorily carry a COVID negative RT-PCR report,” it mentioned.
Necessary directions to all of the airways can be issued on this connection, it added.
Travellers from 5 states, together with Maharashtra, Kerala and Punjab, must present destructive COVID-19 take a look at report earlier than getting into the National Capital, Delhi officers mentioned on Wednesday amid a spike in coronavirus infections in some states.
They mentioned an official order might be issued later within the day and it will likely be efficient until 15 March. The situation had additionally been mentioned in a gathering of the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) on Monday.
The requirement of the destructive COVID-19 take a look at report is prone to be carried out from 27 February, officers mentioned.
Centre publicizes 2nd part of vaccination drive
The Centre on Wednesday introduced that folks over 60 years and people above 45 with comorbidities can get COVID-19 vaccine from 1 March even because it cautioned states and union territories that any laxity in implementing stringent curbs, particularly in view of latest virus pressure noticed in sure international locations, may “compound the situation”.
As new coronavirus circumstances crossed the 13,000 marks for the third time in six days on Wednesday, the Centre rushed multi-disciplinary groups to 9 states and the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir most of whom are witnessing a surge to help them in successfully tackling the pandemic.
The 9 states are Maharashtra, Kerala, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Punjab, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal. COVID-19 circumstances rose sharply in Maharashtra with the state reporting 8,807 new infections, taking its whole rely to 21,21,119, the state well being division mentioned. The western state had reported 6,218 new COVID-19 circumstances on Tuesday.
A choice on the subsequent part of COVID-19 vaccination was taken at a gathering of the Union Cabinet beneath the chairmanship of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The vaccine might be supplied free at authorities services and for a cost at many non-public hospitals, it was acknowledged.
Dharavi studies double-digit COVID-19 case rely after 37 days
After a spot of greater than a month, Mumbai’s slum colony of Dharavi reported a double-digit rely of COVID-19 circumstances at 10 on Wednesday, the town civic physique mentioned.
A senior Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) official mentioned the slum-dominated space, unfold over 2.5 sq km, recorded 10 new circumstances within the final 24 hours, taking the tally to 4,041.
Mumbai recorded 1,167 new COVID-19 circumstances, the very best each day spike in about 4 months, on Wednesday, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) mentioned. The tally of circumstances within the nation’s monetary capital thus rose to three,21,698, whereas the toll reached 11,453 with 4 new fatalities.
On 17 January, ten new COVID-19 circumstances had been present in Dharavi and since then each day an infection counts have been in single digits and even zero.
In the primary week of February, single-day COVID-19 circumstances in Dharavi had been within the vary of zero to 5.
On 2 February, the congested slum pocket, as soon as a COVID-19 hotspot, didn’t report any new case. However, from the second week of this month, circumstances are step by step rising.
No demise as a result of COVID-19 in 19 states, UTs in a day: Health Ministry
Nineteen states and union territories haven’t reported any demise as a result of COVID-19 in a span of 24 hours, whereas India’s energetic circumstances stood at 1,46,907 accounting for 1.33 per cent of the entire variety of infections, the Union Health Ministry mentioned on Wednesday.
A complete of 13,742 new circumstances have been reported in a span of 24 hours, whereas 14,037 recoveries had been registered throughout the identical interval. It has led to a web decline of 399 circumstances within the whole energetic caseload, the ministry mentioned.
Maharashtra reported most optimistic modifications with an addition of 298 circumstances whereas Kerala has recorded most destructive change with a subtraction of 803 circumstances, the ministry acknowledged.
In the previous week, 12 states have reported greater than 100 common each day new circumstances. These are Maharashtra, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Punjab, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, West Bengal, Telangana, Delhi and Haryana.
Kerala and Maharashtra reported greater than 4,000 common each day new circumstances prior to now week, the ministry mentioned.
Nineteen states and UTs which haven’t reported any COVID-19 demise in a span of 24 hours are Gujarat, Haryana, Rajasthan, Odisha, Jharkhand, Chandigarh, Assam, Lakshadweep, Himachal Pradesh, Ladakh, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura, Meghalaya, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Sikkim, Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh, and Daman and Diu and Dadra and Nagar Haveli.
‘Johnson & Johnson’s single-shot vaccine extremely efficient’
The single-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine is very efficient in stopping extreme COVID-19 , together with the South African and Brazil variants, new paperwork launched by the US Food and Drug Administration confirmed Wednesday.
In giant scientific trials, the vaccine efficacy towards the extreme illness was 85.9 % within the United States, 81.7 % in South Africa, and 87.6 % in Brazil.
An impartial panel of the Food and Drug Administration will meet to debate its deserves on Friday and an emergency use authorisation is prone to observe quickly after.
That would deliver the third vaccine into the battle towards the outbreak within the United States, the world’s hardest-hit nation the place greater than 500,000 individuals have misplaced their lives.
Experts see the J&J vaccine as a significant software, regardless that its efficacy towards average COVID-19 is decrease than that demonstrated by the Pfizer and Moderna photographs which have already obtained authorisation.
With inputs from PTI
