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

4:42 PM

Covid-19 surge: Migrant workers in Gurugram leaving for their native places

4:37 PM

Delhi govt requests Railways to deploy Covid-care coaches at two stations

The Delhi government has urged the railways to arrange up to 5,000 beds by deploying COVID-care coaches at the Shakur Basti and the Anand Vihar stations in view of the rising number of coronavirus cases in the national capital.

 

In a letter to Railway Board chairman Suneet Sharma, Delhi Chief Secretary Vijay Kumar Dev said there has been a tremendous increase of COVID-19 cases in Delhi in the recent past, resulting in high number of serious cases requiring treatment in hospitals. READ MORE...

4:22 PM

Five die in Chhattisgarh Covid-19 hospital fire; probe ordered

Authorities have ordered an investigation after five coronavirus patients died in a fire at the COVID-19 ward of a private hospital in Chhattisgarh's capital city Raipur, police said on Sunday. Raipur Collector Dr S Bharathi Dasan has ordered an investigation into the incident. Officials have been directed to conduct safety check at coronavirus hospitals in the city.

 

The fire broke out at Raipur's Rajdhani hospital on Saturday, police said.

 

"Five coronavirus patients died in the incident. One was charred to death and the others died due to suffocation," a police official said, adding a case of negligence will be registered against the owners of the hospital.

4:03 PM

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

3:59 PM

Manmohan Singh writes to PM on Covid crisis; stresses vaccination key to battling pandemic

Former prime minister Manmohan Singh on Sunday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the COVID-19 crisis, stressing that ramping up vaccination was the key to battling the pandemic.

 

In a letter to the prime minister, the veteran Congress leader said one must not look at absolute numbers but the total percentage of population vaccinated.

 

"The key to our fight against COVID-19 must be ramping up the vaccination effort. We must resist the temptation to look at the absolute numbers being vaccinated, and focus instead on the percentage of the population vaccinated," he said in his letter. Noting that India currently has vaccinated only a small fraction of its population, Singh said he is certain that with the right policy design, "we can do much better and very quickly".

3:35 PM

Key to our fight against Covid-19 must be ramping up vaccination effort: Manmohan Singh writes to PM Modi

3:34 PM

Philippines logs 10,098 new Covid-19 cases, total tops 936,000

The Philippines' Department of Health (DOH) reported on Sunday 10,098 new COVID-19 infections, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the Southeast Asian country to 936,133.

 

The death toll climbed to 15,960 after 150 more patients died from the viral disease, the DOH said.

 

The Philippines, which has an about 110-million population, has tested over 10 million people since the outbreak in January 2020. The country continues to detect more coronavirus variants as the number of infections soars.

3:24 PM

After CBSE, now JEE exams postponed due to Covid-19 surge

After postponing the CBSE board examinations, the Union Education Ministry has decided to postpone the Joint Entrance Examinations (JEE) in India and abroad. Union Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank has asked the National Testing Agency (NTA) not to conduct the JEE Mains examination in view of the rising Covid cases. The JEE Mains examination was scheduled to be held on April 27, 28 and 30 this year.

 

According to the Education Ministry, the students will be informed about the next date of examinations 15 days in advance.

 

On the entrance test, Nishank said, "JEE (Main) 2021 April session date will be announced later. It will be announced at least 15 days before the exam and all students will be informed about it."

3:12 PM

Arvind Kejriwal writes to PM, seeks help for beds, oxygen for Covid-19 patients

Terming the COVID-19 situation in the national capital as "very serious", Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday seeking help for beds and oxygen for coronavirus patients.

 

Kejriwal also requested the prime minister for reserving at least 7000 central government hospital beds out of the 10000 in Delhi for COVID patients, and immediate supply of oxygen.

 

"The COVID situation has become very serious in Delhi. There is huge shortage of beds and oxygen. I request that at least 7000 out of 10,000 beds in Central government hospitals in Delhi be reserved for COVID patients and oxygen be immediately provided in Delhi," he wrote. "We are making all efforts at our level. Your help is needed," he added.

2:59 PM

Covid-19 situation in Delhi very serious, huge shortage of beds, oxygen: CM Arvind Kejriwal to PM Modi

Covid-19 situation in Delhi very serious, huge shortage of beds, oxygen: CM Arvind Kejriwal to PM Modi

2:59 PM

Kerjiwal requests PM that 7,000 out of 10,000 beds in govt hospitals in Delhi be reserved for COVID patients

CM Arvind Kerjiwal requests PM Modi that 7,000 out of 10,000 beds in Central govt hospitals in Delhi be reserved for Covid-19 patients

2:58 PM

CM Arvind Kejriwal writes to PM Modi about prevailing Covid situation in Delhi

2:46 PM

PM Modi reviews Covid-19 situation in Varanasi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday reviewed the COVID-19 situation in Varanasi district of Uttar Pradesh through video conferencing, the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) said.

 

According to a statement issued by the PMO, during the meeting, the Prime Minister was apprised about testing, the availability of beds, medicines, vaccine, and manpower etc. for the prevention of coronavirus and proper treatment of infected patients.

 

He directed the officers to provide all possible assistance to the public at the earliest, said the statement.

2:36 PM

Coronavirus LIVE: Six die due to low pressure oxygen in MP hospital

At least six COVID-19 patients died in the ICU of a government hospital in Madhya Pradesh's Shahdol due to low pressure in medical oxygen supply, an official said on Sunday. The incident took place at the Government Medical College Hospital here on the intervening night of Saturday and Sunday.

 

"Out of 62 patients admitted in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) ward of the medical college's COVID-19 centre, six patients died due to low pressure of liquid oxygen late last night," the facility's dean, Dr Milind Shiralkar, said. The other critical patients are safe, he said. "Experts have been called and the causes are being ascertained," he said.

2:27 PM

World Coronavirus Dispatch: Last million global deaths came in just 3 months

As Covid death toll passes 3 million, a weary world takes stock

 

The total number of deaths due to the deadly coronavirus has reached a staggering 3 million worldwide as countries struggle to put up with multiple waves. The global pace of deaths is accelerating, too. After the coronavirus emerged in the Chinese city of Wuhan, the pandemic claimed a million lives in nine months. It took another four months to kill its second million, and just three months to kill a million more. As the United States and other rich nations race to vaccinate their populations, new hot spots have emerged in parts of Asia, Eastern Europe and Latin America. Read here