Coronavirus LIVE: More than 13.7 million vaccine doses administered so far

Coronavirus live updates: The five most affected states by total cases are Maharashtra (2,130,000), Kerala (1,049,000), Karnataka (949,636), Andhra Pradesh (889,409), and Tamil Nadu (849,166)

10:18 PM

Odisha makes 7-day quarantine mandatory for travellers from 12 states

Odisha Govt makes 7-day home isolation mandatory for travellers from Maharashtra, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Telangana, West Bengal, Punjab, Delhi, Chandigarh, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh to the State, in view of current Covid situation in these States, according to ANI

9:50 PM

Over 13K get Covid jabs; fall in number of beneficiaries on Friday in Delhi

Over 13,000 beneficiaries received anti-Covid-19 vaccine on Friday, a significant fall from the number of people who had got the shots a day before, according to data shared by officials.

 

Over 3.6 lakh beneficiaries have received the vaccine till date in Delhi since the start of the inoculation drive a month ago, with more than 18,900 people receiving jabs on Thursday. Out of the total tally, more than 1.46 lakh are healthcare workers and over 2.2 lakh are frontline workers, as per the data. Read more

9:06 PM

Haryana records 148 fresh Covid-19 cases in past 24 hours

Haryana recorded 148 fresh coronavirus cases on Friday, taking the infection tally in the state to 2,70,411, a health department bulletin said.

 

With one more fatality from Karnal district, the death toll due to COVID-19 in the state rose to 3,044, it said.

 

Of the 148 fresh cases, Gurgaon reported 29 and Karnal 30. At present, there are 1,103 active cases in the state, while as many as 2,66,264 have recovered from the infection. The recovery rate is 98.47 per cent in Haryana, the bulletin added.

8:57 PM

Coronavirus LIVE: More than 13.7 million vaccine doses administered so far

8:33 PM

571 new coronavirus cases in Karnataka, four deaths

Karnataka logged 571 new COVID-19 cases and four related fatalities, taking the caseload to just over 9.50 lakh and the toll to 12,320, the Health department said on Friday. The day also saw 642 patients getting discharged after recovery. Bengaluru Urban accounted for most number of fresh cases at 368.

 

Cumulatively 9,50,207 COVID-19 positive cases have been confirmed in the state, which includes 12,320 deaths and 9,32,367 discharges, the Health department said in its bulletin.

 

Out of 5,501 active cases, 5,380 patients are stable and in isolation at designated hospitals, while 121 are in Intensive Care Units.

7:54 PM

No new event of post-vaccination hospitalisation reported in past 24 hours: Health Ministry

Five States with the highest vaccinations today - Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Gujarat, Karnataka and Maharashtra. No new event of hospitalisation reported in the past 24 hours: Health Ministry

7:42 PM

Rise in Covid cases in Delhi; experts warn against non-adherence to norms

Just as the Delhi government had asserted that the coronavirus pandemic had been "defeated" in the national capital, cases are on the rise again dramatically, as doctors on Friday warned that the numbers could go up in the coming months and urged people to continue to wear masks and follow COVID-19 safety norms.

Many doctors at leading healthcare facilities here cautioned that the rise was "alarming" with an "upsurge" in the number of patients going there in the last couple of days, after the cases had shown a downward spiral for nearly six weeks. READ ON...

7:25 PM

Seniors, 45+ with co-morbidities now can pick Covid vaccination site: Govt

As India gears up to vaccinate peopleabove 60 years of age and those over 45 years with comorbidities against COVID-19 from March 1, the Union Health Ministry on Friday said the facility of on-site registrations will be available so that eligible beneficiaries can walk into identified vaccination centres, get themselves registered and get inoculated.

 

The beneficiaries will be able to self-register in advance by downloading the Co-WIN 2.0 portal and through other IT applications such as Arogya Setu etc whichwill list the government and private hospitals serving as COVID-19 vaccination centres (CVCs) with the date and time of the available schedules. READ ON...

7:19 PM

Puducherry reports 20 new Covid-19 cases

The COVID-19 tally in the union territory of Puducherry rose to 39,697 on Monday with the addition of 20 new cases, the Health Department said. No fatalities were reported and the toll remained at 667.

 

A total of 1,648 samples were tested in the last 24 hours ending 10 AM, taking the cumulative number of specimens examined so far to 6.25 lakh, Health and Family Welfare Services Director S Mohan Kumar said in a release.

6:58 PM

Bharat Biotech confirms deal with Brazil to supply 20 million doses of COVAXIN vaccine

Bharat Biotech confirms deal with Brazil to supply 20 million doses of COVAXIN vaccine

6:14 PM

MHA says existing Covid-19 guidelines to continue till March 31

The home ministry Friday said the existing COVID-19 guidelines will remain in force till March 31. In a statement, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said while there has been a substantial decline in the active and new COVID-19 cases, there is need to maintain surveillance, containment and caution so as to fully overcome the pandemic.

 

The states and union territories have also been advised to speed up the vaccination of the target population so as to break the chain of transmission and overcome the pandemic.

 

Accordingly, containment zones continue to be demarcated carefully; prescribed containment measures strictly followed within these zones; COVID-appropriate behaviour promoted and strictly enforced; and the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) prescribed in respect of various permitted activities followed scrupulously, the home ministry said.

5:46 PM

Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine reduces transmission after one dose - UK study

A single dose of Pfizer and BioNtech's COVID-19 vaccine cuts the number of asymptomatic infections and could significantly reduce the risk of transmission of the virus, results of a UK study found on Friday.

 

Researchers analysed results from thousands of COVID-19 tests carried out each week as part of hospital screenings of healthcare staff in Cambridge, eastern England.

 

"Our findings show a dramatic reduction in the rate of positive screening tests among asymptomatic healthcare workers after a single dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine," said Nick Jones, an infectious diseases specialist at Cambridge University Hospital, who co-led the study.

5:01 PM

Senior citizens, those with co-morbidities above 45 years can now register on-site and get Covid-19 vaccine

As India gears up to vaccinate peopleabove 60 years of age and those over 45 years with comorbidities against COVID-19 from March 1, the Union Health Ministry on Friday said the facility of on-site registrations will be available so that eligible beneficiaries can walk into identified vaccination centres, get themselves registered and get inoculated.

 

The beneficiaries will be able to self-register in advance by downloading the Co-WIN 2.0 portal and through other IT applications such as Arogya Setu etc whichwill list the government and private hospitals serving as COVID-19 vaccination centres (CVCs) with the date and time of the available schedules.

 

The beneficiary would be able to choose the CVC of his/her choice and book an appointment for immunization, the ministry said. Vaccination will be free of charge at the government vaccination centres. Those taking the COVID vaccine at any designated/empanelled private health facility will have to pay a pre-fixed charge, it said.

4:15 PM

Neuberg Diagnostics claims first pvt lab to give vaccine shots in India

Neuberg Diagnostics has claimed that it has received the Government's approval for administering Covid-19 vaccine to its staff, and is currently waiting for approval to administer vaccines to identified priority groups in Tamil Nadu. These groups include those above the age of 60 years and those above 45 years with co-morbidities. The vaccines will be administered at Neuberg Ehrlich Laboratory in Chennai. The company claims the diagnostics chain becomes first private lab to administer vaccines

 

Ahead of the vaccination, Neuberg has technically trained its staff who can proficiently inoculate the population with utmost compliance. As per the official guidelines, the lab has created the dedicated sections for registration &verification, vaccination and observation, said the company. READ MORE...

3:59 PM

Coronavirus LIVE updates: Testing triples in Nagpur amid rise in cases

Maharashtra minister Nitin Raut on Friday said coronavirus testing in Nagpur has tripled to over 10,000 tests per day, amid rise in infections.

 

Addressing the media after a review meeting with district officials, Raut said there are 1,769 oxygen beds, 684 ICU and 263 ventilator beds available for COVID-19 patients in the district.

 

Although the cases of coronavirus are increasing in Maharashtra, the administration has been able to control the situation in Nagpur, the district's guardian minister said.