Covid-19 LIVE: Over 68,500 new cases in Maharashtra, another record spike

Coronavirus live updates: Modi asks civil servants to press entire national capacity for vaccine production as daily cases and deaths rise. Stay tuned for news on Covid-19

7:26 PM

Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal visits Covid-19 center at Commonwealth Games Village

7:16 PM

Manmohan Singh calls for ramping up vaccination in 5-point letter to PM

With the second wave of Covid-19 rampaging across India, former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in an open letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi has strongly advocated ramping up the vaccine supply by providing funds and concessions to the private sector and adopting a more transparent and flexible policy in distribution of vaccines to states.

 

Singh in his five-point suggestions also advocated compulsory licensing provisions for vaccines as in case of HIV/AIDS drugs so that more companies can produce the vaccines under a license. READ MORE...

7:10 PM

Andhra Pradesh sees 6,582 fresh coronavirus cases, 22 deaths

Andhra Pradesh reported 6,582 fresh cases of coronavirus, 2,343 recoveries and 22 deaths in the last 24 hours ending 9 AM on Sunday. The active COVID-19 caseload has increased to 44,686, a bulletin said.

 

The chart showed 9,62,037 positive cases, 9,09,941 recoveries and 7,410 deaths so far.

7:05 PM

Lockdowns, curfews should not affect Covid vaccination drive: Centre to States, UTs

The Union Health Ministry has written to States/UTs to ensure that movement restriction imposed by them for curbing COVID-19 spread does not adversely impact the vaccination exercise, by restricting access of beneficiaries to the COVID vaccination centres.

 

In the letter to States/UTs, the ministry said it is being advised that the vaccination services should not be affected by COVID-19 curfews, lockdowns and the movement of beneficiaries to and from COVID-19 Vaccination Centres (CNCs) should not be restricted during such interventions.

 

"Similarly those CVCs which have been identified as dedicated COVID-19 hospitals should continue providing uninterrupted COVID-19 vaccination services," the order said.

6:59 PM

Night curfew (9 pm to 5 am) will remain in place across Bihar: CM Nitish Kumar

6:58 PM

Tata Steel, SAIL, AMNS India supplying oxygen for treatment of Covid-19 patients

6:52 PM

Bonus salary of one month to all healthcare workers this year also: Bihar CM Nitish Kumar

6:44 PM

Raw material shortage, Covid-19 surge posing threat to West Bengal

Jute millers in West Bengal are keeping their fingers crossed as they apprehend that some units may down their shutters due to the prevailing shortage of raw materials and the second wave of the coronavirus outbreak could add to their woes, officials of an industry body said on Sunday.

 

Budge Budge jute mill has already announced a suspension of work, attributing problems in production with the raw material supply crunch, they said.

 

"There is a shortage of 5-7 lakh bales of raw jute in the system and the price is over Rs 8,000 a quintal. Production cut and closure of mills seem imminent post- election," Indian Jute Mills Association chairman Raghav Gupta told PTI.

6:33 PM

20 patients escape from Covid-19 care centre in Uttarakhand

Hoodwinking the authorities, 20 patients escaped from a COVID care centre at Narendra Nagar here, officials said on Sunday. The matter came to light when doctors visited the wards at the centres on Saturday night for a regular check-up, Chief Medical Superintendent Niraj Rai said.

 

Thirty-eight people were being treated there, of which 20 were found missing, said Chief Medical Officer Suman Arya. Two of those who escaped belonged to Uttarakhand while the rest were from outside the state, she said.

6:18 PM

Kerala reports 18,257 new Covid cases, 4,565 recoveries, and 25 deaths in past 24 hours

Kerala reports 18,257 new COVID19 cases, 4565 recoveries, and 25 deaths in past 24 hours. Death toll stands at 4929 while 11,40,486 patients have recovered, so far

6:15 PM

Railways to run 'Oxygen Express' to meet high demand amid surge in Covid-19 cases

The Railways will run 'Oxygen Express' over the next few days to transport liquid medical oxygen and oxygen cylinders across the country, the national transporter said on Sunday. Amid spiralling coronavirus cases in the country, the demand for medical oxygen in the country has gone through the roof.

 

Empty tankers will begin their journey from Kalamboli and Boisar railway stations in and near Mumbai on Monday to load liquid medical oxygen Vizag, Jamshedpur, Rourkela and Bokaro. Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra state governments had earlier approached the Railways Ministry to explore whether liquid medical oxygen tankers could be moved by the rail network.

6:15 PM

Railways to run 'Oxygen Express' to meet high demand amid surge in COVID-19 cases

The Railways will run 'Oxygen Express' over the next few days to transport liquid medical oxygen and oxygen cylinders across the country, the national transporter said on Sunday. Amid spiralling coronavirus cases in the country, the demand for medical oxygen in the country has gone through the roof.

 

Empty tankers will begin their journey from Kalamboli and Boisar railway stations in and near Mumbai on Monday to load liquid medical oxygen Vizag, Jamshedpur, Rourkela and Bokaro. Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra state governments had earlier approached the Railways Ministry to explore whether liquid medical oxygen tankers could be moved by the rail network.

5:36 PM

West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee writes to PM Modi requesting supply of 54 mn more vaccine doses

As COVID-19 cases across the country continue to rise at an alarming rate, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee on Sunday wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and requested the Centre for the supply of 5.4 crore more doses of COVID-19 vaccination, steady supply of Remdesivir and Tocilizumab medicines and supply of oxygen.

 

The Chief Minister said that the supply of vaccines from the Centre to the state had been 'scarce and erratic', which had negatively affected the vaccination program.

 

"While West Bengal is one of the best performers in vaccination, it is not suffering because of uncertainties of supply from end of the Government of India. We have to vaccinate around 2.7 crores and we need 5.4 crore doses," she wrote.

5:12 PM

Bed requirement for Covid-19 patients more than our capacity: Gujarat Deputy CM

Gujarat Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel on Sunday admitted that the present requirement of beds and other healthcare facilities in the wake of the spike in coronavirus cases is more than the state administrations's capacity.

 

Patel, who handles health portfolio, said though the state government is adding more facilities and beds at regular intervals to accomodate more patients, it fell short of demand.

4:59 PM

Police station in UP's Sambhal closed for 48 hours after seven personnel test Covid-19 positive

A police station in this Uttar Pradesh district had to be closed for 48 hours on Sunday after seven personnel posted there tested positive for COVID-19, a senior officer of the force said.

 

Superintendent of Police Chakresh Mishra said, "Seven personnel posted at the Hayatnagar police station tested positive for COVID-19 on Sunday. The test reports of the other policemen are yet to come. Complying with the coronavirus guidelines, the Hayatnagar police station has been closed for 48 hours. The police station is being sanitised."

 

He added that the work of the Hayatnagar police station is being carried out from the Sarai Tarin police station.