Covid LIVE: Kerala govt issues guidelines ahead of lockdown starting May 8

Coronavirus live updates: Among states with a rapid surge in infections, Maharashtra reported 57640 cases, Karnataka 50112 cases, Kerala 41953 cases, UP 31165 cases. Stay tuned for corona-related news

2:54 PM

Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal writes to Modi, thanks him for adequate oxygen supply

2:51 PM

Coronavirus LIVE: Delhi sees over 19,000 new cases

2:35 PM

No pendency of Oxygen Concentrators with Indian Customs, says govt

The government on Thursday said that reports in some sections of the media that oxygen concentrators are pending at the Customs warehouse for getting clearance from the authorities are totally incorrect, not based on facts and without any basis. It said that the Indian Customs is swiftly clearing all consignments and no such figures of pendency exist across any port of import. Read full govt release here

2:33 PM

Chhattisgarh govt suspends Covid vaccination for 18-44 age group

The Chhattisgarh government has suspended the third phase of Covid-19 vaccination drive for people aged 18 to 44, after the high court's order to modify the plan that prioritised inoculation of the economically weaker sections of society, an official said on Thursday.

 

The state government has constituted a committee headed by the state's chief secretary to finalise a fresh plan to distribute vaccines in the third phase in an equitable manner, the public relations department official said.

 

The state government in an order on April 30 said vaccines will be first given to the Antyodaya group (poorest among poor), followed by those in the below poverty line (BPL) category and then to people in the above poverty line (APL) group, in the third phase of the drive that began on May 1. (PTI)

2:21 PM

Vaccines work against variants, says govt's principal scientific advisor

1:55 PM

Aviation ministry has issued guidelines to facilitate vaccination program in a fast manner

1:51 PM

Cricket Australia says their IPL contingent has been safely transported from India

1:21 PM

Covid-19: British Airways sends vital oxygen supplies to India

British Airways has flown a specially chartered aircraft loaded with emergency aid to Delhi to support India's battle against COVID-19.

 

The aircraft carried more than a thousand items from the High Commission of India and charities including Khalsa Aid International and the largest Hindu temple outside of India, BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, in Neasden, London, according to an official release.

 

The load includes hundreds of urgent life-saving oxygen cylinders and shipments of oxygen concentrators, respirators and blood oxygen saturation monitors. British Airways is also donating care packages for families in need.

1:07 PM

Delhi HC says information on Tocilizumab medicine should be made available on the portal with transparency

Delhi HC says information on Tocilizumab medicine should be made available on the portal with transparency

12:59 PM

The third wave is around the corner and it's time we start preparing for it: SC tells Centre

It also rapped the Centre over the handling of the oxygen crisis and said, "It's not just about allocating oxygen to states, we also need a plan for logistics." The third wave is around the corner and that it's time we start preparing for it, it added.

 

The government's top scientific adviser on Wednesday, said a third wave of the coronavirus is "inevitable", warning that vaccines will need to be "updated" to deal with the new strains that have overwhelmed hospitals and left thousands dead.

12:43 PM

Pfizer/BioNTech jab confirmed to protect 95% in largest study yet

The largest real-world study yet of the Pfizer/BioNTec vaccine on Thursday confirmed that the jab provided more than 95 percent protection against Covid-19, but found that the level dropped significantly when people received just one of the two prescribed doses. The authors of the research from Israel's national vaccination campaign said it showed real-world proof that the pandemic could be ended by rapid, global vaccination programmes.

 

12:42 PM

Kerala coronavirus update: The state added 41,953 infections to its tally

Kerala had reported the highest ever single day spurt in positive cases on Wednesday adding 41,953 infections.

 

12:37 PM

Covid second wave has hit India 'like a tsunami' says Kiran Mazumdar Shaw

The second wave of Covid-19 has hit India "like a tsunami", Biocon founder Kiran Mazumdar Shaw has said, attributing the unprecedented spike in coronavirus cases to the recent state elections and religious festivals in the country.

 

India is struggling with a second wave of the pandemic with more than 300,000 daily new coronavirus cases being reported in the past few days, and hospitals are reeling under a shortage of medical oxygen and beds.

 

This time around the second wave has hit like a tsunami. And the unfortunate part is it has not spared any part of our country, Mazumdar said during a virtual panel discussion on global vaccine equity organised by One Share World. Read on...

12:32 PM

WHO chief Tedros hails 'historic' US support for vaccine patent waiver

World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Wednesday hailed the United States' support for a global waiver on patent protections for Covid-19 vaccines, describing it as a "historic decision".The WHO chief wrote on Twitter that the move was a step towards vaccine equity, "prioritizing the well-being of all people everywhere at a critical time"."Now let's all move together swiftly, in solidarity, building on the ingenuity and commitment of scientists who produced life-saving Covid-19 vaccines," he added.Tedros has for months pleaded for such a patent waiver -- an idea backed by India and South Africa -- arguing this would help to ramp up production and make Covid-19 vaccines much more accessible for poorer nations.

12:31 PM

Oxygen crisis: Supreme Court says no contempt notice, but centre must ensure oxygen for Delhi

Supreme Court says no contempt notice, but centre must ensure oxygen for Delhi