Coronavirus LIVE: Maharashtra sees record daily count of 63,294 cases

Coronavirus live updates: India has administered a total of 98 million Covid-19 vaccines to 3.6% of its population

4:29 PM

Maharashtra: Streets, markets deserted as first weekend lockdown comes into force

The weekend lockdown imposed across Maharashtra to bring under control the Covid-19 surge, has elicited a positive reponse from people so far with the streets and markets in most parts of the state, including Mumbai, Pune, Aurangabad and Nagpur, wearing a deserted look, officials said on Saturday.

 

However, at some locations in the state, including some market areas in Mumbai, people were seen flouting social distancing and other norms by gathering at one place in large numbers.

The first weekend lockdown in the state began at 8 pm on Friday and it will continue till 7 am on Monday.

 

The announcement about the weekend lockdown had been made on Sunday, when the state government also declared some other restrictions, like night curfew during the week days and prohibitory orders during the day time as part of its 'Break the Chain' Covid-19 action plan. The weekend lockdown and other curbs will continue till April 30. (PTI)

4:17 PM

Mizoram to close schools for class 8 and below

Mizoram will close down schools for students of class eight and below following a spike in Covid-19 cases due to the second wave of the virus in the state, a new guideline issued by the state government which came into effect on Saturday said.

 

Schools for students of classes five to eight were reopened on March 1 and for classes three and four on April 1.

 

Public interview for ministers has been suspended, for the time being, the guideline issued on Friday night said. (PTI)

4:08 PM

Oxygen demand in Indore has gone up to 60%, says MP

3:25 PM

MP's active case count may reach 100,000 by April end: CM

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Saturday said the number of active Covid-19 cases in the state might reach one lakh by the end of this month given the spike in infection count.

 

He made the statement while speaking to reporters here.

 

"The way there is a spike in coronavirus infection cases, the number of active cases in Madhya Pradesh may reach one lakh by the end of this month. We will try to stop this in the middle as we have started adopting some measures, including lockdown," he said. (PTI)

3:24 PM

Kejriwal visits LNJP Hospital, reviews Covid-19 prepation

Amid escalating cases of Covid-19 in Delhi, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday visited the LNJP Hospital and said the administration and hospitals are working to contain the "fourth wave" of the pandemic in the city.

 

Delhi recorded 8,521 freshcasesof Covid-19 on Friday, the highest single-day surgesince November 11 last year, while39 more people died due to the coronavirus infection, taking the deathtollto 11,196.

 

The highest single-day spike in Delhi till date -- 8,593 cases -- was reported on November 11 in 2020, while on November 19, the city had recorded 131 Covid-19 deaths, the highest single-day fatality count till date. (PTI)

3:16 PM

Pakistan approves third Chinese Covid vaccine despite low efficacy

Pakistan has approved the emergency use of the third Chinese vaccine, despite its low efficacy rate, as the country struggled to contain the spread of the coronavirus.

 

The Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) on Thursday granted Emergency Use Authorisation (EUA) to CoronaVac, developed by Chinese company Sinovac Biotech, officials said on Saturday.

 

"This is the third Chinese vaccine allowed to be used in Pakistan," a DRAP official said, adding that the country now has five approved Covid vaccines. Read here

2:38 PM

Coronavirus LIVE: BMC gets 99,000 Covishield doses today

Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has received 99,000 Covishield doses today morning that will be distributed to the civic and government-run vaccine centres

2:34 PM

Coronavirus LIVE: 1,925 more people test positive in Jharkhand

Jharkhand's Covid-19 tally soars to 134,715 as 1,925 more people test positive for infection, while 17 fresh fatalities push state's coronavirus death toll to 1,175, according to the state health department

2:29 PM

Only 5 days of vaccine stock left, says Punjab CM

Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Saturday said that the state has only five days of Covid-19 vaccines left.

 

"Punjab left with only 5 days of supply (5.7 lakh Covid vaccine doses) at the current levels of vaccinating 85000-90000 persons a day. If the state is able to meet its target of 2 lakh vaccines a day, then its current supplies will last only 3 days," the Punjab CM said during a video conference convened by Congress president Sonia Gandhi to discuss the Covid situation.

 

He said that he had written to the Prime Minister and the Union Health Minister to give confirmed supply schedules. He also urged the Centre to share the schedule for the supply of vaccines with the states over the next quarter based on their confirmed supply orders. Read here

1:40 PM

Covid spike, local lockdowns could disrupt FPI inflows: India Ratings

The recent spike in Covid-19 cases along with associated lockdowns, though localised, could disrupt foreign portfolio investments as well as domestic credit markets, said India Ratings and Research (Ind-Ra).

 

According to Ind-Ra, India's second round of Covid outbreak is moving in a direction different from the global trend.

 

"The cases seem to have abated in major countries and the massive vaccination drive is expected to anchor any meaningful surge. Therefore, the counter trends coupled with spurt in daily cases would be the cause for concern in the near term," the agency said in a report.

 

"While the mortality rates have remained benign, the infection rate is increasing at a much faster rate than earlier." (IANS)

1:20 PM

Countries worldwide hit new records for virus cases, deaths

Ambulances filled with breathless patients lined up in Brazil as nations around the world set new records Thursday for Covid-19 deaths and new coronavirus infections. The disease surged even in some countries that have kept the virus in check. In the United States, Detroit leaders began making a plan to knock on every door to persuade people to get vaccine shots. Brazil this week became just the second country, after the US, to report a 24-hour tally of Covid-19 deaths that exceeded 4,000. India hit a peak of almost 127,000 new cases in 24 hours, and Iran set a new coronavirus infection record for the third straight day, reporting nearly 22,600 new cases.

12:42 PM

Stalled at first jab: Covid-19 vaccine shortages hit poor countries

As many as 60 countries, including some of the world's poorest, might be stalled at the first shots of their coronavirus vaccinations because nearly all deliveries through the global programme intended to help them are blocked until as late as June.

 

COVAX, the global initiative to provide vaccines to countries lacking the clout to negotiate for scarce supplies on their own, has in the past week shipped more than 25,000 doses to low-income countries only twice on any given day. Deliveries have all but halted since Monday.

 

During the past two weeks, according to data compiled daily by UNICEF, fewer than 2 million COVAX doses in total were cleared for shipment to 92 countries in the developing world the same amount injected in Britain alone. Read on...

12:38 PM

Punjab left with only 5 days of coronavirus vaccine supply: Punjab CM

Punjab left with only 5 days of vaccine supply (570,000 Covid vaccine doses) at the current levels of vaccinating 85,000-90,000 persons a day. If the state is able to meet its target of 200,000 vaccines a day, then its current supplies will last only 3 days: Punjab CM

12:26 PM

If we have enough doses and age bar is removed, we can vaccinate people within 2-3 months in Delhi: Kejriwal

If we have enough doses and age bar is removed, we can vaccinate people within 2-3 months in Delhi. Currently, we've vaccine for 7-10 days. We need to remove age criteria & scale up vaccination. There'll be no lockdown. New restrictions will be imposed soon:Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal

12:20 PM

Rahul decries Centre's 'arrogance' over not heeding to good suggestions

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday called for giving money into the hands of common people during the second wave of coronavirus, but lamented that the "arrogant government" is allergic to good suggestions.

 

"The failed policies of the central government has led to a terrible second wave of coronavirus and migrant labourers are forced to migrate once again," Gandhi said in a tweet in Hindi.

 

"Besides increasing vaccination, it is important to give money into their hands - both for the life of the common man and the economy of the country. But this arrogant government is allergic to taking good suggestions," he further tweeted.