Coronavirus LIVE: No case of post-vaccine hospitalisation today, says govt

Coronavirus live updates: India has rolled out two coronavirus vaccines - Covishield and Covaxin. Globally, more than 94 million people have been infected, of which, 10,542,068 are in India

9:36 AM

Mumbai vaccination drive: Health workers cheer as Covid-19 vaccine reaches vaccination centre

Health workers clap and cheer as Covid-19 vaccine reaches the vaccination centre at Cooper hospital in Mumbai, Maharashtra.

9:34 AM

Maharashtra: Thane district sees 297 new Covid-19 cases

With the addition of 297 fresh coronavirus positive cases in the last 24 hours, the overall infection count in Thane district of Maharashtra mounted to 2,48,809, an official said on Saturday.

 

The death toll in the district, which is part of the Mumbai Metropolitan region (MMR), rose to 6,049 with the viral disease claiming lives of six more persons, he said.

 

Thane district's mortality rate stands at 2.43 per cent, the official added.

9:19 AM

Kerala all set for vaccination drive

9:05 AM

Mizoram reports 4 new Covid-19 cases in the last 24 hour

8:26 AM

Scientists develop rapid blood test to identify patients at highest risk of severe Covid-19

Scientists have developed a rapid blood test that can predict within a day of hospitalisation which patients with COVID-19 are at the highest risk of severe complications or death, an advance that may help identify those who may best benefit from specific investigational treatments.

 

The test, described in the journal JCI Insight, measures levels of mitochondrial DNA -- a unique type of genetic material that normally resides inside the energy factories of cells.

8:17 AM

Coronavirus world update: Italy hits 1 million dose coronavirus vaccination mark in just 19 days

Italy passed a positive milestone, with 1 million doses of Covid-19 vaccine having been administered just 19 days after the country launched its nationwide vaccination program.

 

The development was praised by Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte and President Sergio Mattarella, Xinhua news agency reported on Friday.

 

The key indicator represents a dramatic increase in the pace of distributing the vaccines: it took the country 13 days to give the first 500,000 shots and just 6 to give the next 500,000. According to estimates in the Italian media, the next 500,000 doses could be distributed by late Monday or early Tuesday. Read on...

7:41 AM

India's vaccination drive to be launched by PM Narendra Modi at 10:30 am

India to begin a nationwide vaccination drive against Covid-19 today, to be launched by PM Narendra Modi at 10:30 am via video conferencing.

7:39 AM

Covid vaccination drive: India well prepared to store, distribute vaccines

As the country initiates a mammoth vaccination drive, the government may have to overcome many hurdles to achieve its stated goal of vaccinating 300 million people in the first phase. But Covid-19 vaccine cold storage capacity and distribution is the least of its worries.

 

Apart from the existing government infrastructure, used for universal immunisation programme, underutilised capacities at private facilities will come in handy, according to stakeholders. Low cost of setting up a new cold storage facility has reduced the risk of supply overtaking storage capacities at remote places, they said. Read on...

7:05 AM

Covid-19 vaccination drive begins today; all you need to know about it

With the country all set to roll out two Covid vaccines —Covishield and Covaxin — on Saturday, the health ministry has come out with directions for programme managers on handling the two jabs and detailing the precautions that need to taken. And, giving them a heads-up about the adverse events that may occur after a person receives the shot. Read on...

7:02 AM

Decked up for first day, first shot: All eyes on Covid-19 vaccination drive

Dr Alka Choudhary was waiting anxiously for an SMS on the eve of India’s vaccination roll-out when Business Standard met her on Friday. She wanted to know whether she would be among the first to get vaccinated as the process begins on Saturday

 

“We await a message from the government telling us that we are eligible to receive the shot. After receiving the message, we will head to the vaccination centre along with necessary documents,” said Choudhary, district surveillance officer under the National Health Mission, and a doctor at the Peera Garhi Mohalla Clinic. Read on...