India’s average daily test positivity rate (positive cases identified for every 100 tests) continues to decline . It was 9.4% on May 29, compared to 13.4% recorded a week earlier.
About 30.36 lakh vaccine doses were administered in the country in the 24 hours ending 7 a.m. on May 30, which is close to 27,000 doses fewer than what was recorded in the previous 24 hours. However, it is 14.31 lakh more doses than what was recorded during the same period a week ago. There has been a significant uptick in daily vaccinations in the country.
You can track coronavirus cases, deaths and testing rates at the national and State levels here . A list of State Helpline numbers is available as well.
Here are the latest updates:
Curbs extended till June 9 in Chandigarh
The Chandigarh administration on Monday extended the coronavirus-induced restrictions till the morning of June 9, but allowed more relaxations such as reopening of barbers and salons.
It also extended the shop opening time by an hour. All shops will now be allowed to open from 9 am till 4 pm, from earlier till 3 pm.
All sports facilities will be opened for sportspersons who can utilise the infrastructure by strictly following Covid protocol, according to the release. However, swimming pools and gyms will continue to remain closed.
The administration also allowed reopening of barbers and salons in the city. Spa and massage centres will continue to remain closed.
Night curfew in the city is in place from 6 pm till 5 am on weekdays. The weekend curfew starts at 6 pm on Friday and continues till 5 am on Monday.
In the review meeting, the administrator expressed concern over the plight of the children who lost their parents to COVID-19. He directed that the school fees of all such children be waived and if any child needs accommodation in the administration's welfare home, it will be provided free of cost.
He also directed the Social Welfare Secretary to prepare a comprehensive scheme in consultation with the sub-committee of the Administrator's Advisory Council so that the affected could be fully rehabilitated.
- PTI
Jammu and Kashmir re-opens partially after 31-day lockdown
Markets reopened and public transport plied partially in J&K after a 31-day lockdown on Monday after the administration announced phased withdrawal of ‘corona curfew’, in the wake of the downward trend in number of the virus cases.
The authorities allowed all stand-alone shops, outdoor shopping complexes and outdoor bazaars to reopen on alternate or rotation basis, except Saturdays and Sundays. However, all educational institutes will remain closed till June 15. Public transport was also to ply with 50% seating capacity.
Vaccine fiasco leaves students fuming in Mumbai
Hundreds of students, who thronged the HBT Medical College and Dr. RN Cooper Municipal General Hospital at Juhu on Monday after Cabinet minister Aaditya Thackeray tweeted that free walk-in vaccinations would be available for students going abroad, returned disappointed as only 50 doses were available.
On May 28, Mr Thackeray had tweeted, “For students who have received confirmation of admission in universities abroad & require vaccines for the same, the BMC has arranged free walk-in vaccination this coming Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday (31st May, 1st, 2nd June) at 3 centres — Rajawadi, Cooper & Kasturba. The students need to carry I-20 or DS-160 form/ verified confirmation letter to concerned foreign universities, along with personal id documents. This admission and vaccine affecting careers, we are duty bound to vaccinate them in the required time. I will also be speaking to other municipal corporations across Maharashtra to implement the same for students in and around those cities with confirmation letters for universities abroad, to implement the same. The numbers are small, but their career opportunities can’t be missed.”
Andhra Pradesh government permits usage of ‘Anandaiah’ herbal medicine for COVID patients
The State government on Monday permitted the usage of the herbal concoction being given to COVID-19 patients by B. Anandaiah of Krishnapatnam in Nellore district by taking into account the findings of the Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences, but kept on hold its decision on the eye drops claimed to be life-saving for those with dangerously low levels of oxygen.
While giving the green signal to the herbal medicine, the government warned that COVID patients should not stop taking the drugs prescribed by doctors in the normal course.
According to an official release, the government is yet to receive a conclusive proof of the efficacy of the eye drops while it has been established that the concoction of ingredients like honey, pepper, green camphor, nutmeg, black cumin, cinnamon and medicinal herbs is not harmful but may not be able to cure the coronavirus infection.
Curfew in AP extended till June 10
The Andhra Pradesh government on Monday decided to extend the COVID curfew till June 10, with the same set of restrictions.
Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy took the decision to extend the curfew after a review of the current COVID-19 scenario in the state, official sources said.
The curfew, which was first clamped from May 5 as the coronavirus cases were on a steep upward spiral, was supposed to end on May 31. - PTI
Bihar extends lockdown for a week till June 8 with relaxation for business activities
The Bihar government on Monday extended the lockdown for a week, till June 8, in view of COVID-19 infection with some relaxation for business activities.
“In view of corona infection, decision has been taken to extend lockdown for a week till June 8. But some relaxation is being given for business activities. All should wear mask and maintain social distance,” tweeted Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.
This is for the fourth time the Bihar government has extended lockdown from May 5, 2021.
Maharashtra issues clarifications on COVID-19 lockdown in State
The government of Maharashtra issued additional clarifications to its May 30 order, that extended the lockdown-like curbs in the State till June 15 and also announced that relaxations will be granted depending upon the COVID-19 positivity rate and availability of oxygen beds.
In municipal corporations or regions of districts with less than 10% COVID-19 positivity rate and where the availability of occupied oxygen beds will be less than 40%, all the establishments/shops engaged in essential commodities and services that are presently opened from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. can now remain open from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m., the government said in an order.
For districts and corporations having more than a 20% positivity rate and where over 75% of oxygen beds are occupied, the borders of such districts will be closed and no person will be allowed to enter or exit in such districts. The exceptions will be death from a family, medical reason and emergency services or services related to such situations.
Fine the full list of clarifications here .
4,480 cases booked for lockdown violations in Chennai, 2,620 vehicles seized
The police have registered a total of 4,480 cases for lockdown violations , and seized 2,620 vehicles on Saturday. Patrol teams ensured that people did not come out unnecessarily.
The complete lockdown enforced in the State from May 10 has been extended till June 7. From May 18, the restrictions were made stringent by Police Commissioner Shankar Jiwal. The city was divided into 348 sectors, and the public were not allowed to move between police station limits without valid reasons.
In the city, there are 12 police districts and 13 checkpoints were set up on their borders. Similarly, a total of 153 checkpoints, at the borders of each police station’s jurisdiction, were set up. These points were barricaded and policemen allowed only those with valid reasons and relevant documents to move around.
More city hotels offer rooms to COVID-19 patients for quarantine
With many asymptomatic COVID-19 patients preferring to be under medical care, more hotels in Chennai have tied up with leading hospitals to run COVID-19 Care Centres.
Around 1,500 rooms in hotels, including Ginger in Vadapalani, Taj Club House, Clarion President Hotel and Regent Central Deccan, have been converted into rooms for those needing quarantine. Hospitals provide doctors and nurses on the premises 24X7, and patients are also put on a proper diet, as prescribed by the doctors. Their medication, too, is supervised. Patients are sent from hospitals to hotels based on their condition.
Industry sources said hotels were able to stay afloat by turning into COVID-19 quarantine centres. “We are able to manage with minimum losses and we can also continue to employ our staff, since human resource is an important quotient in hotels. Since we are allowed to take in guests, we have to pay power bills and water taxes,” said a hotelier.
Some hotels are also hosting doctors and other frontline workers.
Private vaccination centres have administered over 1.25 lakh doses
In the last 30 days, private COVID vaccination centres (PCVC) administered 1,25,200 doses of vaccines, according to the daily bulletin from the Directorate of Public Health in Tamil Nadu.
On Sunday, 28,672 people in the 18 to 44 age group were vaccinated. In 2,341 sessions held in the State, as many as 412 healthcare workers and 1,279 frontline workers were vaccinated.
Among the 53,936 people who were inoculated in a day, 17,413 were in the 45 to 59 years age group and had co-morbidities and 6,160 were senior citizens.
Since January 16, a total of 307,196 sessions have been held to administer Covishield and Covaxin.
‘Black fungus medicines will reach in two days’
While COVID-19 cases appear to be on the decline, the number of mucormycosis or black fungus cases remains a serious health concern.
Across Karnataka, 1,250 people including children have contracted the potentially fatal fungal infection. So far, 39 patients have succumbed to the disease.
Union Minister Pralhad Joshi said in Hubballi on Sunday said black fungus medicines will reach all districts in two days. “The Centre has made all arrangements to facilitate treatment of black fungus patients. The required amount of medicines have been dispatched and they will be available in all hospitals in all districts in two days,” he said.
Establishments to open five days a week in 55 U.P. districts from June 1
The Uttar Pradesh government on Sunday announced relaxations to the partial lockdown in much of the State as active cases have been reduced to just over 41,000.
Now, from June 1, shops, bazaars and other establishments in the State would be allowed to open outside containment zones from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. for five days in a week while a lockdown would be imposed during the weekend.
The relaxations, however, as of now, would be introduced only in 55 out of the 75 districts. In the remaining 20 districts, which have more than 600 active cases, no relaxations would be provided till the active cases fall below this level, said Rajendra Kumar Tiwari, Chief Secretary, in an order.
SII promises 9-10 crore Covishield doses in June
In a recent letter to Union Home Minister Amit Shah , SII said its employees have been working round the clock in spite of various challenges because of the pandemic.
"We are pleased to inform that in the month of June we will be able to manufacture and supply nine to 10 crore doses of our Covishield vaccine to the country as compared to our production capacity of 6.5 crore doses in May," Prakash Kumar Singh, the Director of Government and Regulatory Affairs at SII, said in the letter.
"Serum Institute of India has always been sincerely concerned about the protection of the citizens of our country and world at large from COVID-19. Under the leadership of our CEO, Adar C Poonawalla, our team has been working relentlessly shoulder to shoulder with our government to fight the COVID-19 pandemic," he said in the letter.
Centre asks private news channels to display four new helpline numbers
The Centre on Sunday asked private TV news channels to display four new national helpline numbers for the benefit of citizens as part of the COVID-19 awareness initiative.
In a letter to all private TV news channels, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting said the helpline numbers should be run as a ticker or in any other appropriate way at periodic intervals.
The Ministry lauded news channels for playing an important role in supplementing the efforts of the government in fighting the pandemic by creating awareness and informing people about treatment protocol, appropriate safety measures, and vaccination. “In order to further this cause, private TV channels are advised to promote awareness of the following four national level helpline numbers by way of a ticker or such appropriate ways as they may consider at periodical intervals, especially during prime time,” it said.
With 18,600 cases, Maharashtra records lowest daily spike in two months
In its lowest single-day surge in nearly two months , Maharashtra reported 18,600 new COVID-19 cases on Sunday as opposed to 22,532 recoveries with the State’s active case tally dipping further to reach 2,71,801.
A total of 814 deaths were added to the State’s progressive death toll, of which 402 occurred in the last week. Of the 402, as many as 272 were recorded in the last 48 hours while 412 had been added in the ongoing ‘reconciliation’ process, as per the State Health Department. The total death toll has now risen to 94,844 with the State’s case fatality rate rising to 1.65%.
The State’s total cases have touched 57,31,815 while its cumulative recoveries have gone up to 53,62,370 with the recovery rate rising to 93.55%.
