To ramp up the COVID-19 vaccination , around 10,000 private hospitals under Ayushman Bharat PMJAY and more than 600 private hospitals under the Central Government Health Scheme will be utilised with prospective beneficiaries having the option to pre-register via a CoWin 2.0 or Arogya Setu app, or walk-in at any of the registered vaccination sites.
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:
Schools in Kashmir open after one year
Schools in Kashmir reopened on March 1 after remaining closed for nearly one year due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The students of classes 9 to 12 attended school for the first time since March 9, 2020. Only those students were allowed to attend school who had been granted permission in writing by their parents.
Most private schools had sought no objection certificates from parents, absolving the school management of any blame in case of any health issue arising due to conduct of physical classes. Several schools had asked students to bring along medical fitness certificates on the first day of the school.
Schools across Kashmir were closed in the second week of March last year as a precautionary measure in view of the coronavirus pandemic across the globe. According to a government order, middle school level classes (6th to 8th standards) are scheduled to reopen on March 8 while remaining classes are slated to reopen on March 18. — PTI
How to sign up for COVID-19 vaccine?
There are three methods to register for the COVID-19 vaccine . This is for the second phase of vaccination. It will cover those over 60 years of age and 45+ with comorbidities. The three ways to sign up for the vaccine include — self registration, on-site registration and facilitated cohort registration.
'Walk-in registration allowed, 20 people vaccinated since morning'
"COVID vaccination for general public started around 11 am. About 20 people have been vaccinated till now. Walk in registration without any prior booking is happening," said Chhavi Gupta, spokesperson of Delhi government-run Rajiv Gandhi Super Speciality Hospital.
10 healthcare workers have so far been administered the second dose of the vaccine till now at the hospital as on Monday.
- Nikhil Babu
T.N. begins vaccination for 60+ group
Dravidar Kazhagam president K. Veeramani taking the first dose of COVID-19 vaccine at Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital in Chennai, on March 1, 2021.
People have been given three options . They may register online or go to the vaccination centre and register themselves with a valid photo identity card provided by the government. People may also register themselves through the Co-WIN 2.0 app, which would be ready by the midnight of February 28, health officials said.
Vaccines will be provided to those in the age group of 45-59 with pre-existing health conditions. A total of 761 private hospitals and 529 government hospitals will offer the vaccines. They will be administered free of cost at government hospitals. At private hospitals, a patient will have to pay ₹250 per dose. While one dose costs ₹150 per person, the hospitals have been permitted to collect another ₹100 as service charge per dose.
Phase two vaccination drive to begin at 12 p.m. in Karnataka
Senior citizens waiting their turn for COVID-19 vaccine dose at K.C. General Hospital, Bengaluru, March 1, 2021.
Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik takes the first dose of COVID-19 vaccine at Odisha Assembly Dispensary on March 1, 2021.
Mandatory COVID-19 test for tourists from Kerala drives down visitors to the Nilgiris
The number of tourists coming to the Nilgiris from Kerala has come down in the last few days after the district administration announced that they would have to undergo a COVID-19 test before entry.
Collector J. Innocent Divya said all tourists from Kerala should have undergone a test before visiting the Nilgiris. Those who were coming in without taking the test would be tested at border checkpoints. The measure has been taken in view of the increase in the number of infections in Kerala, and to check the spread of the contagion in the district.
The restriction has discouraged visitors, though it does not bar any tourist from the Nilgiris, said a hotel owner in Udhagamandalam.
“We have had people calling us up and asking about the new ‘restriction’ and have had many people cancel reservations because they do not want to undergo the test,” he said.
‘Substandard face masks given through ration shops’
A wing of the Kerala Sasthra Sahithya Parishad (KSSP) has urged the authorities to ensure the quality of face masks being distributed reportedly through ration shops in the State.
According to functionaries of Campaign Against Pseudo Science Using Law and Ethics (CAPSULE) Kerala, a platform under the KSSP, one ration card holder is getting two face masks each. The Civil Supplies Department is distributing them through the public distribution system. The criterion for distribution is not clear though it has been presumed that they are for the prevention of COVID-19. As the society is yet to completely recover from the pandemic, people may view distribution of face masks only as a preventive measure.
U. Nandakumar, CAPSULE functionary, pointed out that the cloth masks were found to be single-layered and porous. “If the face masks are to protect people from the infection, they should at least be double-layered and should not be porous. The World Health Organisation’s guidelines say that fabric face masks should have more than two layers. Distribution of single-layered face masks is not only unscientific, but also carries risks for those who wear them,” he said.
Efforts on to step up coverage in phase 2 of COVID-19 vaccination drive in Puducherry
As the second phase of the COVID-19 vaccination programme broadens in scope to target beneficiaries, including persons above 60 and those above 45 with comorbidities from today, health authorities are looking for ways to improve the dismal immunisation coverage .
Since, the vaccination drive began in Puducherry, 10,329 personnel, including 9,589 healthcare workers, have undergone immunisation. Vaccination for healthcare personnel has been on for 28 days while the drive has been on for 17 days for frontline workers.
“Now that the vaccination will be available to the public on a walk-in basis at any of the 17 government-run facilities, we hope that the programme picks up pace,” said S. Mohan Kumar, Director of Health Services. Senior citizens can visit any facility with documentary proof of age and those above 45 years can produce a certificate of their medical condition to get themselves vaccinated.
The Health Department, which had received a consignment of 81,000 doses, now has a stock of 70,000 doses. As part of efforts to boost immunisation coverage, health officials have been asking all medical colleges, including private institutions, to get their staff administered vaccines.
Retail showing signs of revival post lockdown
When the lockdown was announced in March 2020, the retail sector in Tamil Nadu, including textile and consumer brands, took a severe hit with business falling immediately by 25%.
A year down the line, those at the helm of the retail outlets have realigned their strategies , embraced technology and learnt to operate with minimal workforce.
Business is now 80% up when compared to pre-COVID-19 levels. “Retail has bounced back much more strongly in non-metros. Non-metros are at 80% pre-COVID levels while it was closer to 65% in metros. Malls are still facing a challenge in comparison to high street stores,” said Suhail Sattar, chairman of the Chennai Chapter of the Retail Association of India and co-founder of Hasbro Clothing.
He said the lockdown had taught lessons like the need for multi-channel approach and scaling up investment in online and digital as medium.
India’s cases surpass 1.11 crore, death toll reaches 1,57,157
India’s COVID-19 tally surpassed 1.11 crore on March 1 with 15,510 new infections, while the active cases registered an increase for the fifth consecutive day and were recorded at 1,68,627, according to the Union Health Ministry data .
The total coronavirus cases reached 1,11,12,241 in the country, while the death toll rose to 1,57,157 with 106 new fatalities, the data updated at 8 a.m. on March 1showed.
The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 1,07,86,457, which translates to a national COVID-19 recovery rate of 97.07%, it stated. The case fatality rate has dropped to 1.41%.
The active cases further increased to 1,68,627, which comprises 1.52% of the total infections, as per the data.
The registration option for the second phase of vaccination against COVID-19 went live on the cowin.gov.in app around 9 a.m. on March 1, 2021.
Vaccine sought for teachers, students
Leaders of the Municipal Teachers Federation (MTF) have appealed to the government to administer COVID-19 vaccine to teachers and students on a priority basis . The federation’s State president S. Ramakrishna pointed to the increase in the number of cases in the State, especially in Chittoor district. He said cases were also reported from schools in that district.
Referring to the resurgence of the pandemic in Maharashtra where the government had declared a holiday for schools till March 14, Mr. Ramakrishna said the Centre had also asked the States to strengthen measures to curb the spread of the virus.
He urged the authorities to ensure strict implementation of the guidelines in schools. Each classroom should not have more than 16 students, relaxation of the ‘compulsory attendance’ rule for students and teachers and declaration of half day schools in view of the early summer heat.
96% people faced drop in earnings during last year’s lockdown: survey
Nearly 96% of the people surveyed under a food rights campaign in Maharashtra faced a drop in their earnings during the novel coronavirus-induced lockdown last year, a social body claims.
Job losses and non-availability of casual work were the key reasons for this, and every fifth respondent was forced to go hungry because of no money to buy food, Mukta Srivastava, the State’s convener for the Anna Adhikar Abhiyan, told reporters on Saturday.
The abhiyan, comprising a group of activists from food and nutrition sector, surveyed a total of 250 people in May and September last year in Mumbai, Thane, Raigad, Pune, Nandurbar, Solapur, Palghar, Nashik, Dhule and Jalgaon.
Of the total respondents, 52% were from rural areas and the rest from urban limits. Those surveyed included 60% women, she said. Before the lockdown, nearly 70% of the respondents had a monthly income of ₹7,000, while the remaining earned about ₹3,000 per month, Ms. Srivastava said.
PM Modi takes first dose of COVID-19 vaccine
Prime Minister Narendra Modi early on Monday morning took the first shot of COVAXIN , the Indian researched and produced anti-COVID19 vaccine (produced by Bharat Biotech) at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in New Delhi. Tweeting a picture of himself getting a shot Prime Minister Modi said:”Took my first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine at AIIMS. Remarkable how our doctors and scientists have worked in quick time to strengthen the global fight against COVID-19. I appeal to all those who are eligible to take the vaccine. Together, let us make India COVID-19 free!”
- Nistula Hebbar
