Covid LIVE: Tamil Nadu sees record 36,184 new cases; 29,644 in Maharashtra

Coronavirus live updates: The country vaccinated 1,482,754 people in Thursday to take the total to 191,879,503.

3:28 PM

Presently, there are over 300 cases of black fungus in Pune: Maharashtra Deputy CM

3:23 PM

Covid-19: DRDO develops an antibody detection-based kit DIPCOVAN

3:10 PM

MHA asks states, UTs to strengthen facilities for vulnerable groups, kids orphaned due to Covid-19

The Union home ministry has asked states and union territories to strengthen facilities for vulnerable groups, especially children, who have been orphaned in the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in order to check human trafficking, a government statement said on Friday.

 

The Centre said it is giving high priority to prevent and combat crime against women, children, senior citizens and scheduled castes/ scheduled tribes, and is putting in place institutional mechanisms for preventing and countering human trafficking.

 

"Taking into account the impact of the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly on vulnerable groups, the MHA has again reiterated to states/union territories to focus on vulnerable sections, especially children, who may have been orphaned due to loss of parents due to COVID-19," it said.

3:10 PM

MHA asks states, UTs to strengthen facilities for vulnerable groups, kids orphaned due to COVID-19

The Union home ministry has asked states and union territories to strengthen facilities for vulnerable groups, especially children, who have been orphaned in the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in order to check human trafficking, a government statement said on Friday.

 

The Centre said it is giving high priority to prevent and combat crime against women, children, senior citizens and scheduled castes/ scheduled tribes, and is putting in place institutional mechanisms for preventing and countering human trafficking.

 

"Taking into account the impact of the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly on vulnerable groups, the MHA has again reiterated to states/union territories to focus on vulnerable sections, especially children, who may have been orphaned due to loss of parents due to COVID-19," it said.

3:10 PM

Covid LIVE: Delhi sees 3,009 cases in a day; positivity rate falls below 5%

2:50 PM

In coming months, there'll be a significant increase in vaccine production capacity: Dr Harsh Vardhan

2:38 PM

One in seven coronavirus patients hospitalised in India

On average, 1 in 7 Covid (14 per cent) patients were hospitalised in India, during the second wave, higher than the western world where cumulatively 5 to 10 per cent of Covid positive patients have been hospitalised.
 

According to a research by Goldman Sachs on the state of the pandemic in India it's difficult to ascertain currently if the delta is arising due to higher hospitalisation requirements driven by the double mutant variant or these are more precautionary in nature.

 

US Epidemiology data presented by FDA, from early December-2020, also did show that weekly hospitalisation rates reached 15 per cent in the US in the second wave.

2:18 PM

Govt ramps up supply and availability of Amphotericin-B anti-fungal drug for treatment of Black Fungus

Government of India has been supporting States and UTs in procuring drugs and diagnostics for COVID19 management through a “Whole of Government” approach. The States and UTs are proactively supported by the Union Government for ensuring adequate availability of various medicines, medical equipments, PPE kits, masks etc., since April 2020.

 

In the recent days, several States and UTs have reported an increasing number of patients suffering from COVID complications in the form of Mucormycosis, popularly known as Black Fungus. There is also a reported shortage of Amphotericin-B, an anti-fungal drug used for treatment of the Black Fungus disease.

 

Union Ministry of Health along with Dept. of Pharmaceuticals and Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) are making proactive efforts for significantly ramping up domestic production of Amphotericin-B drug. The Union Government has also made effective efforts in supplementing the domestic availability through securing supply from global manufacturers.

2:03 PM

India’s total Active Caseload decreased to 30,27,925 today: Health Ministry

2:00 PM

Gum disease could lead to a severe Covid-19 infection

As per a new report, studies show that maintaining good oral hygiene can help you overcome COVID-19, implying that there is a direct connection between oral hygiene and the deadly infection.

 

This report was published in the US's leading organisation of periodontists, the American Academy of Periodontology (AAP).

 

Dr James G. Wilson, President of the AAP, mentioned in the report, "It is well-established that systemic inflammation is not only linked with periodontal disease but to several other respiratory diseases as well. Therefore, maintaining healthy teeth and gums in an effort to avoid developing or worsening periodontal disease is absolutely crucial in the midst of a global pandemic like COVID-19, which is also known to trigger an inflammatory response."

1:52 PM

Ladakh reports 107 fresh Covid-19 cases, one death

Ladakh reported 107 new COVID-19 cases and one fatality on Friday, pushing the union territory's infection tally to 17,025 and its death toll to 172. Leh has so far registered 124 deaths due to the disease and Kargil 48. Officials said 82 of the new infections were reported from Leh and 25 from Kargil.

 

The number of active cases in Ladakh stands at 1,554, they said. A total of 106 more patients have recuperated from the disease in the union territory, taking the count of recoveries so far to 15,264, which accounts for 90 per cent of the total cases, the officials added.

1:43 PM

Coronavirus LIVE: Goa govt announces extension of curfew up to May 31

1:32 PM

Uttarakhand CM mourns Sunderlal Bahuguna's death

Sunderlal Bahuguna, an environmentalist and leader of the Chipko movement, died at a government hospital in Rishikesh after battling Covid-19 for several days, PTI reported. He was 94. Bahuguna was hospitalised on May 8 after testing positive for Covid. "It was he who made the Chipko movement a movement of the masses," said Chief Minister Tirath Singh Rawat.

 

1:04 PM

Modi speaks to docs, frontline workers in Varanasi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi thanks doctors and frontline workers in Varanasi, his Lok Sabha constituency. He had a video conference with them

12:59 PM

Environmentalist Sunderlal Bahuguna dies

Environmentalist Sunderlal Bahuguna, famous for Chipko movement, dies of Covid-19 at AIIMS Rishikesh, PTI reports.