Covid LIVE: India resumes vaccine exports as domestic stocks build up

Live news updates: India allows domestic flights to fly at full capacity; IMF maintains growth projection for country.

Live news updates: Tata Motors will invest over $2 billion in its electric vehicle (EV) business over the next five years, a company executive said on Tuesday, after the automaker announced it had raised funds from private equity firm TPG. Tata Motors said TPG's Rise Climate Fund and Abu Dhabi state holding company ADQ had agreed to invest about $1 billion to expand the company's EV business for which it would form a separate unit.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will on Wednesday launch the GatiShakti National Master Plan, a programme to improve planning and coordination among government agencies for infrastructure projects.

Domestic flights in India will fly at full capacity from October 18, India's civil aviation ministry said on Tuesday, as it lifted one of the major restrictions on the industry since the onset of the pandemic 18 months ago.

The government asked thermal power generators to import coal for at least 10 per cent blending, reversing from its policy of using domestic fuel as it manages a supply crunch in the state.

12:16 AM

Nine crore people in Maharashtra got at least one dose of Covid vaccine so far: Govt

As many as nine crore people in Maharashtra have received at least the first dose of anti-coronavirus vaccines so far, which is the highest in the country, the state government said on Wednesday.

 

"Till Wednesday evening, Maharashtra has been able to vaccinate nine crore people. The number of those, who have received both the doses is as high as 2.76 crore. These figures are the highest as compared to other states in the country," state Health Minister Rajesh Tope said.

 

The state government is trying hard to vaccinate more number of people at the earliest, he added.

11:25 PM

Isolated populations in India vulnerable to Covid-19, says study

Isolated populations in India are vulnerable to Covid-19, says a joint study by researchers from the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB), the Banaras Hindu University and some other universities.

 

The researchers called for high priority protection and utmost care for the isolated populations in the light of this study.

 

Dr Kumarasamy Thangaraj from the CSIR-CCMB, who is presently director of the CDFD, Hyderabad, and Prof Gyaneshwer Chaubey of the BHU, jointly led the genomic analysis of several Indian populations.

 

Coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 has impacted various ethnic groups all over the world. Recent studies suggest that the indigenous groups in Brazil have been massively affected by Covid-19.

10:45 PM

Covid curfew further relaxed in Andhra Pradesh

The Andhra Pradesh government on Wednesday extended the COVID-19 curfew till October 31, but limited it to only five hours from 12 midnight. Accordingly, the curfew will now be in force from 12 midnight to 5 AM only. So far the curfew hours were 11 PM to 6 AM.

 

The government also eased restrictions on public gatherings, including marriages, permitting a maximum of 250 persons. Previously only 100 persons were permitted in such gatherings.

 

Cinema halls too can now run to full capacity as the government has dispensed with the alternate seating arrangements, according to an order issued by Principal Secretary (Health) Anil Kumar Singhal.

9:33 PM

Mumbai adds 481 COVID-19 cases, three deaths

Mumbai reported 481 new coronavirus infection cases and three fatalities on Wednesday, taking the caseload to 7,49,074 and toll to 16,167, a civic official said. This is for the fourth day in a row the metropolis has recorded less than 500 daily cases. On October 6, the city had logged 629 cases, the highest after July 14 when it had witnessed 635 cases.

 

The metropolis reported a marginal rise in COVID-19 cases and deaths as compared to Tuesday, when it had logged 425 cases and two fatalities.

 

With 31,638 tests being conducted in the last 24-hours, the cumulative test count climbed to 1,08,20,708, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) official said.

9:26 PM

Over 1 lakh people vaccinated in Jharkhand capital through mobile vans

More than one lakh people were vaccinated against Covid-19 through mobile vans in Jharkhand's capital Ranchi creating a record in the state, an official said on Wednesday.

 

Ranchi also tops among all 24 districts in the state so far as the inoculation coverage is concerned.

 

"Ranchi has done one lakh Covid-19 vaccinations through mobile vans. Kudos to the district health team for working tirelessly even during holidays," Ranchi Deputy Commissioner Chhavi Ranjan said.

 

Vaccination through mobile vans started in Ranchi on May 28 with two vans. The district authorities now have 11 such vehicles at present.

9:15 PM

Over 96 crore Covid vaccines administered in India: Govt

The cumulative COVID-19 vaccine doses administered in the country crossed 96 crore with more than 32 lakh jabs administered on Wednesday, the health ministry said. This is according to the 7 pm provisional report. The daily vaccination tally is expected to increase with the compilation of the final reports for the day by late night, the ministry said.

 

Cumulatively, 38,99,42,616 first doses have been administered to individuals in the 18-44 age group across states and union territories and 10,69,40,919 second doses have been given in the same age group since the start of phase-3 of the vaccination drive, according to health ministry data.

 

The ministry further said that cumulatively 69,09,35,778 first doses have been administered while 27,68,72,767 second doses have been administered.

 

On Wednesday, 32,36,997 doses were administered as the vaccination coverage reached 96,78,08,545, the ministry said.

 

The vaccination exercise as a tool to protect the most vulnerable population groups in the country from COVID-19 continues to be regularly reviewed and monitored at the highest level, the ministry underlined.

8:44 PM

India resumes Covid vaccine exports as domestic stocks build up: Officials

India has resumed a small amount of exports of Covid-19 vaccines and will increase exports significantly in the next few months as domestic stocks build up and most of its own large population is inoculated, officials said on Wednesday.

One million shots of Covaxin produced by Indian company Bharat Biotech were shipped to Iran last week, the Indian embassy in Tehran said.

 

Vaccines have also been sent to Nepal, a government source said, adding that the effort is focused on neighbouring nations.

7:25 PM

Former Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh admitted to AIIMS, Delhi

7:00 PM

Coal availability to power plants likely to improve gradually in Oct: ICRA

Domestic rating agency Icra on Wednesday said it expects the availability of coal to power plants to improve gradually during the current month with expected augmentation in both coal production and dispatch levels.

While energy demand grew sharply with at 12.7 per cent Y-o-Y in the first half of FY'22, coal supply position was constrained due to monsoon impact on coal production and dispatch activity in August/September 2021, fuel supply regulation by Coal India to few state generating utilities post payment delays as well as lower off-take of costlier imported coal.

6:14 PM

Lakhimpur case: Ashish Mishra denied bail, one more sent to police custody

Ashish Mishra, son of Union Minister of State for Home Ajay Mishra, was denied bail by a court here on Wednesday in the Lakhimpur Kheri violence case.

Ashish Mishra, who was arrested on October 9 by the special investigation team after 12 hours of questioning, had been sent to three days in police custody from Tuesday.

 

The court also remanded Shekhar Bharti, arrested on Tuesday, in police custody for three days.

5:35 PM

President Ram Nath Kovind to visit Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh on Oct 14 & 15

5:14 PM

Met supply target given by Power Ministry today, says Coal Minister

4:27 PM

China objects to Vice President Venkaiah Naidu’s visit to Arunachal Pradesh

3:59 PM

Top JeM terrorist commander killed in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pulwama

3:01 PM

Govt removes curbs on UK citizens