Coronavirus LIVE: Over 10,000 cases in Maharashtra for second straight day

Coronavirus live updates: Maharashtra, Kerala, Punjab, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu cumulatively account for 82% of the new cases reported in the past 24 hours. Stay tuned for corona-related news

Coronavirus live updates: With a daily increase of 18,327 in total cases, India’s tally of coronavirus cases has risen to 11,192,088. Death toll has reached 157,693, with 109 fatalities in a day. India's count of active cases has surged to 180,304. The country continues to be second-most-affected globally, and ranks 13th among worst-hit nations by active cases. Maharashtra, the most affected state overall, has reported 9,000 new cases. The state has added nearly 80,000 cases in the past 10 days.

The five most affected states by total cases are Maharashtra (2,198,399), Kerala (1,072,437), Karnataka (953,813), Andhra Pradesh (890,441), and Tamil Nadu (853,992).

World coronavirus update: Coronavirus cases rise unabated across the globe with 116,659,203 infected by the deadly contagion. While 92,272,972 have recovered, 2,591,291 have died so far. The US remains the worst-hit country with 29,593,161, followed by India, Brazil, Russia and the United Kingdom. However, it terms of the total number of active cases, US tops the charts, followed by France, UK, Brazil and Belgium.

11:59 PM

Ireland reaches half million vaccinations

Ireland has given out half a million coronavirus vaccinations about two months after the first inoculation.

 

Prime Minister Micheal Martin says the health department announced the figure on Saturday. It includes both first and second doses and comes 63 days after the first shot was given to a Dublin senior citizen.

 

Good news, Martin tweeted. The vaccines are having a significant impact on mortality and serious illness.

11:24 PM

Biden's $1.9 trillion coronavirus rescue plan clears crucial Senate hurdle

An exhausted Senate narrowly approved a $1.9 trillion Covid-19 relief bill Saturday as President Joe Biden and his Democratic allies notched a victory they called crucial for hoisting the country out of the pandemic and economic doldrums.

 

After laboring through the night on a mountain of amendments nearly all from Republicans and rejected bleary-eyed senators approved the sprawling package on a 50-49 party-line vote. That sets up final congressional approval by the House next week so lawmakers can send it to Biden for his signature.

 

We tell the American people, help is on the way," said Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. Citing the country's desire to resume normalcy, he added, Our job right now is to help our country get from this stormy present to that hopeful future.

11:11 PM

Nagaland reports 1 new Covid-19 case, tally rises to 12,211

Nagaland's Covid-19 tally rose to 12,211 on Saturday as one more person tested positive for the infection, a health official said.

 

The new case was reported in Kohima, Health Department Director Dr Denis Hangsing said.

 

One more person has been cured of the disease, taking the recovery rate among the coronavirus patients in the state to 97.88 per cent, he said.

10:42 PM

Over 33,000 people vaccinated in Delhi on Sat; highest daily count so far

Over 33,000 beneficiaries received shots of Covid-19 vaccine in the national capital on Saturday, the highest number of people vaccinated in a single day since the starting of the inoculation exercise on January 16, officials said.

 

In the age bracket of 60 and above, 17,288 people were vaccinated while in the 45-59 years age group, 2,824 beneficiaries received the jabs, a senior official said.

 

"Today, Delhi witnessed the highest number of vaccinations done so far since the start of the exercise on January 16," he said.

10:29 PM

Vaccination centre to be set up in Parliament House for inoculating MPs and family members

10:15 PM

Coronavirus LIVE: No vaccination sessions will be held tomorrow, says BMC

Coronavirus LIVE: No vaccination sessions will be held tomorrow, says BMC

10:14 PM

Sri Lanka to receive 264,000 doses of AstraZeneca vaccine under Covax facility

Sri Lanka says it will receive 264,000 doses of Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccines on Sunday as its first batch of Covid-19 vaccines under the Covax Facility.

 

The vaccines, which are being delivered through UNICEF, mark the first allocation of 1.44 million doses of vaccines from the Covax Facility the Indian Ocean island nation will receive, said the ministry of health. The doses will be procured in stages until May.

 

Sri Lanka has so far received 1 million doses of Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccines manufactured in neighbouring India, which donated half of the doses. Sri Lanka purchased the balance from India's Serum Institute.

10:12 PM

Maharashtra's Covid surge due to lack of fear, pandemic fatigue: Centre

The surge in Covid-19 cases in Maharashtra could be due to lack of fear of the disease among people and pandemic fatigue, the Centre said on Saturday while asking the state to not let its guard down.

 

The observations were shared by the central government after a team of experts comprising Joint Secretary of Health Ministry Nipun Vinayak, National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) Deputy Director Sanket Kulkarni and National Institute of TB and Respiratory Diseases Professor Ashish Ranjan visited the state on March 1 and 2.

9:41 PM

Nashik sees 645 new Covid-19 cases

Nashik district in Maharashtra on Saturday reported 645 new coronavirus positive cases, taking the count of infections to 1,25,332, Health officials said.

 

With six more persons succumbing to the viral infection, the total death toll in the district rose to 2,133, they said.

9:40 PM

104-year-old man born months before Spanish Flu outbreak gets first dose of Covid vaccine

A man born a few months before the outbreak of the Spanish Flu in 1918 received his first shot of Covid-19 vaccine at a private facility here, hospital authorities said on Saturday.

 

Tulsi Das Chawla, 104, was given a dose of Covieshield at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital on Friday and has not exhibited any adverse effects, they said.

 

Born on November 1917, the Patel Nagar resident, retired from the Indian Foreign Service in 1975, a hospital spokesperson said.

 

Wearing a full-sleeved V-neck red shirt, the centenarian flashed a V-sign and obliged some of the photographers.

 

"I urge everyone, who is eligible, to come forward and take the Covid vaccine. It is totally safe," Chawla was quoted as saying in the statement issued by the hospital.

9:16 PM

Night curfew imposed in four Punjab districts amid rising cases

A night curfew was imposed in Punjab's four districts from Saturday to tackle a recent surge in coronavirus cases.

 

The orders came after Punjab Chief Secretary Vini Mahajan and Director General of Police Dinkar Gupta held a meeting to review the coronavirus situation with all DCs, district police chiefs and civil surgeons through a video conferencing.

 

The districts where the night curfew has been imposed are Jalandhar, SBS Nagar, Hoshiarpur and Kapurthala.

 

The night curfew will remain in place in the districts from 11 pm to 5 am.

9:16 PM

People from four states need to produce negative Covid reports to enter Rajasthan

People from Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana and Punjab will need to produce negative RT-PCR test certificates to enter Rajasthan, according to the state home department

9:05 PM

Punjab: District police chiefs told to implement Covid norms strictly

Punjab Chief Secretary Vini Mahajan on Saturday directed all deputy commissioners and district police chiefs to implement coronavirus guidelines strictly in the wake of a recent surge in infections in the state.

 

Mahajan issued the directions during a meeting over the state's preparedness for the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic, according to an official statement.

 

The second wave of the disease has already started and all the DCs and police chiefs must ensure that large gatherings like marriages, religious events and social functions be restricted as per the guidelines of the government and Covid monitors should be deputed at marriage palaces and other places of gatherings, she said.

8:40 PM

TN reports 562 new Covid-19 cases, 4 deaths

Tamil Nadu logged 562 fresh Covid-19 cases and four more fatalities on Saturday, taking the total number of infections to 8,54,554 and the toll to 12,517.

 

Recoveries were marginally less than new cases with 560 people getting discharged, taking the cumulative to 8,38,085, leaving 3,952 active cases.

 

Chennai accounted for most number of cases at 243, taking the total in the city to 2,36,728.

8:24 PM

Maharashtra reports over 10,000 cases for second straight day