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

Coronavirus live updates: India recorded 343,144 fresh Covid-19 infections on Friday, taking the caseload tally to 24,046,809, according to MoHFW. Deaths from the virus surged by 4,000 to hit 262,317 in total. The government on Thursday said the virus may emerge again and so preparations have to be made at the national level in collaboration with states. V K Paul, Member (Health), Niti Aayog, said over two billion doses of Covid-19 vaccines will be made available in the country in five months between August and December, enough to vaccinate the entire population. He added that the Russian Covid vaccine Sputnik V is also likely to be available by next week.

Maharashtra reported 42,582 new coronavirus disease (Covid-19) cases and 850 deaths, followed by Kerala (39,955), Karnataka (35,297), Tamil Nadu (30,621), Andhra Pradesh (22,399), West Bengal (20,839), Uttar Pradesh (17,775) and Delhi (10,489) in the past 24 hours.

The six most affected states by total cases are Maharashtra (5,269,292), Karnataka (2,088,488), Kerala (2,050,889), Uttar Pradesh (1,580,980), Tamil Nadu (1,499,485), Andhra Pradesh (1,366,785), and Delhi (1,372,475).

World coronavirus update: Coronavirus cases rise unabated across the globe with 161,818,233 infected by the deadly contagion. While 140,652,101 have recovered, 3,358,164 have died so far. The US remains the worst-hit country with 33,625,697, followed by India, Brazil, France and Turkey. However, in the past seven days, India has added the highest number of fresh cases at 2,631,980, followed by the Brazil (425,222) and US (264,741).

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