Coronavirus LIVE: Tamil Nadu adds record 20,768 fresh Covid infections

Coronavirus live updates | Surge in infections has overwhelmed hospitals, morgues and crematoriums and left families scrambling for medicines and oxygen.

11:34 AM

Pained by the loss of lives due to a fire at a hospital in Bharuch: PM Modi

11:11 AM

DATA STORY: In a first, India reports more than 400,000 Covid cases in a day

India on Saturday reported a net increase of 98,482 in active coronavirus cases to take its count to 3,268,710. India’s share of global active coronavirus cases now stands at 17.26 per cent (one in 6). The country is second among the most affected countries by active cases. On Saturday, it added 401,993 cases, the most in a day yet, to take its total caseload to 19,164,969. And, with 3,523 new fatalities, its Covid-19 death toll reached 211,853, or 1.11 per cent of total confirmed infections.

Read on...

11:02 AM

Second Covid-19 wave: India Inc steps in as govt falters on health care

With India reporting a massive surge in Covid patients, companies are coming forward with several innovative initiatives to help the people, who are unable to get hospital beds, oxygen, ventilators and vaccines.
 

On Friday, the Adani Foundation announced that its Adani Vidya Mandir School campus in Ahmedabad will be converted into a supportive care facility for Covid patients.
 

This facility aims to lighten the load on the city’s government and private health infrastructure and will take care of those who are isolated from their families, it said.  Read on...

10:29 AM

Gujarat: 18 Covid-19 patients die after fire breaks out in Bharuch hospital

At least 18 coronavirus (Covid-19) patients died after a fire broke out at a hospital in Gujarat's Bharuch in the early hours on Saturday.

 

There were around 50 other patients at the four- storeyed Welfare Hospital when the fire broke out in the Covid-19 ward at 1 am. They were rescued by locals and firefighters, an official said.

 

"As per information at 6.30 am, the death toll in the tragedy stood at 18. Immediately after the fire, we had confirmation of 12 deaths," a police official told PTI.

 

The 12 patients in the Covid-19 ward died due to the fire and the resulting smoke, Bharuch SP Rajendrasinh Chudasama said. Read on...

10:22 AM

States to get Rs 15,000 cr more from Centre to boost capital expenditure

In a bid to boost capital spending by states and nudge them to monetise their assets, the Centre will provide an additional Rs 15,000 crore as interest-free 50-year loan to them. This is in the wake of the economy facing headwinds on account of a second Covid wave.
 

The funds provided to states under the scheme will need to be used for new and ongoing capital projects, and to settle pending bills for ongoing capital projects.

Besides the amount earmarked for North East and other states, Rs 5,000 crore has been allocated to incentivise states for monetisation of their assets and divestment of state public sector enterprises. Read on...

10:14 AM

People who have registered on CoWIN app & received a message can go to vaccination centres: Mumbai Mayor

People who have registered on CoWIN app & received a message can go to vaccination centres. Don't go to centres until and unless you receive a message. If you have registered but have not received a message, don't go to the centre: Mumbai Mayor Kishori Pednekar

10:03 AM

Vaccine for 18+: Had planned big event for today but received only 300,000 dose, says Maharashtra Dy CM

We had planned a big event for today but we received only 3 lakh doses. Out of that 20,000 have been given to Pune district. Today we don't have vaccines to inoculate people aged 45 yrs & above. Hence vaccination centres in Pune dist are closed for next 2 days: Maharashtra Dy CM

 

9:29 AM

Coronavirus in India: Summary of MoHFW data (May 1)

Active cases: 3,268,710 (Net addition: 98,482)

Deaths: 208,330 (Net increase: 3,498)

Cured: 15,684,406 (Net increase: 299,988)

Total cases: 19,164,969 (Net increase: 401,993)

Total vaccination: 152,245,179 (Increase over previous day: 2,224,548)

9:16 AM

Fire at Bharuch hospital: Gujarat govt announces Rs 4 lakh to families of each of the victims of the accident

I express my condolences to the patients, doctors and hospital staff who lost their lives in the fire accident at Bharuch Hospital. The state government will provide assistance of Rs 4 lakh to the families of each of the victims of the accident: Gujarat CM Vijay Rupani

9:01 AM

Serum Institute plans to start vaccine production outside India: Report

The Serum Institute of India, which manufactures the AstraZeneca coronavirus (Covid-19) vaccine, is planning to start vaccine production in other countries as it struggles to meet supply commitments, its chief executive officer told The Times.

 

"There's going to be an announcement in the next few days," Adar Poonawalla was quoted as saying by the newspaper in an interview published on Friday. Read on...

8:43 AM

Gujarat: 18 Covid-19 patients die after fire breaks out in Bharuch hospital

At least 18 coronavirus (Covid-19) patients died after a fire broke out at a hospital in Gujarat's Bharuch in the early hours on Saturday.

 

There were around 50 other patients at the four- storeyed Welfare Hospital when the fire broke out in the Covid-19 ward at 1 am. They were rescued by locals and firefighters, an official said.

 

"As per information at 6.30 am, the death toll in the tragedy stood at 18. Immediately after the fire, we had confirmation of 12 deaths," a police official told PTI. Read on....

8:13 AM

Covid-19 fallout: Outdated CPI, GDP may have to wait longer for revision

The second and the deadlier Covid-19 wave has derailed the government's plans to carry out the consumer expenditure survey in 2021-22 as well. This is further delaying the base revision exercise for the country's key macro-economic indicators, raising data quality concerns.

Revision of consumer price index (CPI) and gross domestic product (GDP) base years from 2011-12 and 2012, respectively, were dependent on the outcomes of the consumer expenditure survey of 2017-18, that the government decided to junk sometime back. Read on...

8:01 AM

Vaccination drive for 18+ to begin today; Fortis will charge Rs 1,250/dose for Covaxin

Fortis will charge Rs 1,250 for Covaxin, but has not given Covishield rates. It to carry out vaccination from tomorrow in north india. As it gets more stock, it will start in other parts of country.

7:59 AM

USAID Covid-19 coordinator oversees send-off of the 4th plane carrying critical life-saving supplies to India

Today, USAID Covid-19 coordinator Jeremy Konyndyk, White House National Security Council and Embassy of India, Washington DC oversaw the send-off of the 4th plane carrying critical life-saving supplies to the people of India: USAID

7:41 AM

Vaccination drive 3.0: Hospitals, states ready for a slow start for those above 18 years

Just hours before the universal adult immunisation was to kick off, the Centre confirmed it would be a slow start. The Union health ministry said on Friday that the third phase of Covid-19 vaccination —for 18 to 44 years — would be launched only in some states on May 1. The process is expected to stabilise slowly to cover a wider population in a few days, according to a ministry official. But there were some last-minute surprises.

 

Maharashtra, among the states to maintain that the supply was too short for the next round of vaccination, relaxed its stand late Friday evening. Chief minister Uddhav Thackeray announced that the state would start vaccinating citizens in the 18 to 45 years category on May 1 itself but it would be a phased process due to the shortage of vaccines. Read on...