On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared that the world was facing its first-ever pandemic from a coronavirus. Its Director General, Tedros Adhanom, said then: “Pandemic is not a word to use lightly or carelessly. It is a word that, if misused, can cause unreasonable fear, or unjustified acceptance that the fight is over, leading to unnecessary suffering and death. Describing the situation as a pandemic does not change WHO’s assessment of the threat posed by this virus. It doesn’t change what WHO is doing, and it doesn’t change what countries should do.”
The pandemic declaration preceded two weeks of the number of cases of COVID-19 outside China increasing13-fold, and the number of affected countries tripling. Last March 11, there were more than 1,18,000 cases in 114 countries, and 4,291 people had lost their lives, according to the WHO. A year down, the numbers had surged nearly 1,000-fold. There are about 118 million confirmed coronavirus cases as on Thursday and nearly 2.6 million deaths due to the disease.
Also read: Coronavirus | Don’t lower guard, pandemic not over yet, says Centre over rise in active cases
In India, the number of cases have so far touched 11.2 million, with 1,58,227 deaths confirmed by the government so far. Notwithstanding a decline in daily cases since September, February has since seen an uptick with fresh daily infections crossing 22,000 , according to data on Thursday — the first time it’s done so this year.
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:
Olympics Committee and China make vaccine deal for Tokyo, Beijing Olympians
The International Olympic Committee and China have teamed up to offer vaccines to athletes and teams preparing for the upcoming games in both Tokyo and Beijing.
The collaboration with Chinese Olympic officials was announced on Thursday during an online IOC meeting.
“We are grateful for this offer, which is in the true Olympic spirit of solidarity,” IOC president Thomas Bach said.
Bach said the IOC would “pay for extra doses” for Olympic and Paralympic participants.
Tamil Nadu CM takes first dose of Covaxin, advises people to take jab
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K Palaniswami received his first dose of COVID-19 vaccine, the indigenous Covaxin, at the Rajiv Gandhi government general hospital in Chennai, as he advised people to take the jab following a surge in new cases in the State.
Doctors at the hospital examined his pulse and blood pressure before administering the vaccine to Mr. Palaniswami who was flanked by Health Minister C Vijayabaskar and senior executives of Health and Family Welfare Department.
Health Department officials said Mr. Palaniswami was administered Covaxin.
The Chief Minister is taking the shot almost two months after formally launching the vaccination drive in Tamil Nadu along with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on January 16.
Indian football team captain Sunil Chhetri tests positive
Indian football team captain and star striker Sunil Chhetri said he has tested positive for COVID-19, a development that is set to rule him out of the international friendly against Oman on March 25 in Dubai.
He is also likely to miss the March 29 friendly against United Arab Emirates at the same venue. The Bengaluru FC star forward took to social media to post the update and said that he is feeling fine.
"In a not-so-happy update, I've tested positive for COVID-19. In better news, I feel fine as I continue my recovery from the virus and should be back on a football pitch soon," Chhetri wrote on his Twitter handle.
Israel vaccinates vast majority of its soldiers
The Israeli military says it has vaccinated the vast majority of its soldiers, allowing the military to resume many of its normal operations.
The Army announced on March 11 that nearly 80% of its soldiers have either been vaccinated or recovered from COVID-19. It expects that number to increase to 85% in the coming days.
Military officials say they cannot force remaining soldiers to be vaccinated. But Brig. Gen. Alon Glazberg, the army's chief medical officer, says units in which 90% of the soldiers have been vaccinated or recovered have been branded “green” status. Such units have much more flexibility in terms of training, gathering and operating.
“That will allow us to train and also operate in a more normal way,” he told reporters. “There are still some restrictions, but in general, a green unit can go back and behave as one capsule.” — AP
Alia Bhatt tests negative for COVID-19, resumes work
Alia Bhatt on Thursday said she has tested negative for COVID-19 and has resumed work after consulting with her doctors.
Speculation was rife about Bhatt being dignosed with COVID-19 after her actor boyfriend Ranbir Kapoor and filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali, who has been shooting for “Gangubai Kathiawadi” with Bhatt, tested positive for the novel coronavirus early this week.
Bhatt took to her Instagram stories to thank her well wishers and inform she was under isolation for some time.
“I’ve been reading all your messages of concern and care. I have tested negative for Covid-19 and after isolating and speaking with my doctors, I am back to work from today. Thank you all for all your good wishes! I am taking care and staying safe. You please do the same. Love to you all! #DoGazKiDoori #MaskHaiZaroori,” she wrote. — PTI
SpiceHealth opens its COVID-19 testing labs for public
SpiceHealth, a healthcare company founded by SpiceJet promoters Ajay Singh and Avani Singh, said it has now opened its COVID-19 testing laboratories for the general public.
"Till now, SpiceHealth... has been working with various State governments and government medical bodies to facilitate COVID-19 testing," the company said in its press release.
While that association continues, SpiceHealth said it has now decided to open its testing facilities for the general public "to ensure rapid testing to fight the pandemic".
In the first phase, the company will make its testing facility available for the general public in Mumbai and Delhi.
COVID-19 surge: MPSC exam postponed
The Maharashtra Public Service Commission (MPSC) on March 11 postponed its preliminary exam scheduled for March 14 in view of the rising COVID-19 cases in the State.
The State relief and rehabilitation department issued a circular in this regard and said it was reviewing the situation in various parts of the State.
The exam was earlier scheduled in April last year, but has been delayed due to the COVID-19 outbreak.
The MPSC conducts recruitment examinations for Group A, B and C posts, among others, in the state administration. — PTI
Covaxin operating at the same level as Covishield: Health Ministry
Covaxin is now in regular emergency use authorisation, says Dr. V.K. Paul, Niti Aayog member - Health.
"This is now operating at the same level as Covishield. More 19 lakh people given covaxin so far and only 311 had minimal side effects," Dr. Paul says.
"Maharashtra is of serious concern — we are looking at a lockdown in Nagpur. We can’t take this virus lightly. Vaccination should be intensified in areas that are seeing a rise in cases," he says.
"Caution for Delhi and neighbourhood — Delhi NCR is seeing a rise — be careful/be watchful," he says.
Austria targets hard-hit area with shots to battle variant
Austria is embarking on an ambitious drive to inoculate residents of a district that has been particularly hard-hit by the virus variant first found in South Africa, a move that is part of a research project into vaccinations.
Some 48,500 of the 64,000 people eligible for vaccinations in Tyrol province's Schwaz district have signed up to be vaccinated in the drive that starts Thursday, according to the Austrian news agency APA .
Health Minister Rudolf Anschober said the rollout will offer vaccine jabs to all people 16 and over.
The district, east of the provincial capital of Innsbruck and home to about 84,000 people, has been a source of concern for weeks.
As of last week, it accounted for 66 of 88 active confirmed cases of the more transmissible variant in the province, APA reported. — AP
EU regulator meets to evaluate J&J's one-shot COVID-19 shot
The European Medicines Agency was meeting on March 11 to discuss whether Johnson & Johnson's one-dose coronavirus vaccine should be authorised, a move that would give the European Union a fourth licensed vaccine to try to curb the pandemic amid a stalled inoculation drive.
The Amsterdam-based EU regulator is scheduled to convene its expert committee in the morning to assess the J&J vaccine data.
A decision on whether the agency recommends that the shot be licensed across the 27-nation bloc could come in the afternoon.
The EMA has already approved COVID-19 vaccines made by Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna and AstraZeneca.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the J&J shot in late February. — AP
Maharashtra govt allows vaccination centres to operate 24x7
The Maharashtra government has allowed all COVID-19 vaccination centres in the State to operate round-the-clock if they have adequate staff, to speed up the immunisation drive in the State.
So far, 21.25 lakh people have been inoculated against the viral infection in the State, a health official said.
"At present, it is an in-principle nod [for operating round-the-clock]. It is up to the medical facilities, depending upon the availability of staff, to decide on the number of hours to carry out the vaccination," State Health Department’s Principal Secretary Dr. Pradeep Vyas said.
"We found some people in their late 40s who came up with fake medical certificates of co-morbidities to get the vaccine. When we asked them to describe their illness, we found they were lying. It is unfortunate," a health official from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation said.
This was affecting other eligible people from getting vaccinated in time, the official said. — PTI
Man with South Africa strain of coronavirus quarantined along with nine primary contacts
A man who was found to be infected by the South African strain of the coronavirus has been isolated in a government hospital at Shivamogga, health officials said on March 11.
Along with him nine other primary contacts including his wife and daughter have been quarantined at the hospital.
According to the officials, the infected person had returned from Dubai. "He is asymptomatic and healthy.His wife and daughter are under institutional quarantine...," an official said.
An alert has been sounded in the area where he lived, the officials said. They requested people in the vicinity to come forward if they show any symptoms of fever. — PTI
Strict lockdown will be enforced in parts of Maharashtra: Thackeray
Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray said strict lockdown measures will be enforced in some parts of the State to contain the spread of COVID-19.
Thackeray, 60, was speaking after receiving the first dose of the vaccine against COVID-19 at the government-run J.J. Hospital in Mumbai.
"Some areas of Maharashtra will witness strict lockdown measures to curb the spread of the coronavirus infection. The government is going to hold a special meeting with officials before coming out with the lockdown measures," Mr. Thackeray said.
Mr. Thackeray’s wife Rashmi Thackeray and mother-in-law also received the vaccine doses. The CM was accompanied by his son and State Cabinet minister Aaditya Thackeray. — PTI
PM Modi's nonagenarian mother Hiraba gets vaccinated
Prime Minister Narendra Modi's mother Hiraba took the coronavirus vaccine dose on Thursday.
"Happy to share that my mother has taken the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine today. I urge everyone to help and motivate people around you who are eligible to take the vaccine," the prime minister tweeted.
Hiraba, who is over 95 years old, lives with the PM's younger brother Pankaj Modi at Raysan village near Gandhinagar city.
Lockdown in Nagpur from Mar. 15-21, says Guardian Minister Nitin Raut
A “strict lockdown” will be enforced in Nagpur from March 15 to 21 in view of spike in COVID-19 cases here, District Guardian Minister Nitin Raut announced on March 11.
The district has been reporting a spike in daily cases since the last month.
Mr. Raut chaired a meeting of top district officials in Nagpur and later told reporters that the lockdown will be enforced in the Nagpur Police Commissionerate limits from March 15 to 21.
Havells India to cover COVID-19 vaccination cost for staff in India
Consumer electrical goods maker Havells India on Thursday said it will cover cost of COVID-19 vaccination for all its direct and indirect employees in India, joining the growing number of companies in the country in doing so.
"The company will cover the cost of COVID-19 vaccination for all its direct and indirect employees in India under the company's vaccination programme through a process of reimbursement," Havells India Ltd. said in a statement.
V. Krishnan, CHRO (Chief Human Resource Office) Havells said: "As we continue to navigate the pandemic, for us at Havells nothing is more important than the health and well-being of our people. Based on our philosophy of 'people at core' we are pleased to share that all employees of Havells – direct and indirect, will be reimbursed with the COVID-19 vaccination cost for both the doses under government guidelines".
Several companies, including Infosys, Accenture, Capgemini, Reliance Industries, TVS Motor Company and ReNew Power have committed to covering vaccine costs for their employees and their family members. — PTI
Jagdeep Dhankhar gets first jab of COVID vaccine
West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar and his wife Sudesh Dhankhar received the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine on Thursday morning, officials of the Health Department said.
The Governor and the first lady were administered the COVID-19 vaccine at Command Hospital in Alipore, they said.
"The governor and his wife were administered the COVID-19 vaccine around 11.30 am at Command Hospital. Both are absolutely fine," a senior health official said.
Mr. Dhankhar thanked the doctors, nurses and health workers at Command Hospital after being inoculated.
Till Wednesday, 19.87 lakh people have been inoculated in West Bengal.
6 states account for over 85% of fresh cases in India
People maintain social distance as they stand in a queue for receiving the coronavirus vaccine at Government Medical College in Jammu.
Maharashtra, Kerala, Punjab, Karnataka, Gujarat and Tamil Nadu continue to report a high number of fresh COVID-19 cases and together account for 85.91 per cent of the new cases of the coronavirus infection reported in the country in a span of 24 hours, the Union health ministry said on Thursday.
A total of 22,854 new COVID-19 cases were registered in the country in the said period.
Maharashtra has reported the highest number of fresh cases at 13,659 (almost 60 per cent of the number of cases reported in the country), followed by Kerala (2,475) and Punjab (1,393), the ministry said.
AAP leder Raghav Chadha tests positive
Aam Aadmi Party leader and Delhi Jal Board vice chairman Raghav Chadha on Thursday said that he has tested positive for COVID-19.
He said that no serious symptoms have surfaced yet but as a precautionary measure he is practicing self-isolation for the next few days.
"I would like to inform you all that I have tested positive for COVID-19," Mr. Chadha, who is also an Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) spokesperson, tweeted.
"My humble appeal to all who have come in direct contact with me in the last few days - if you notice any symptoms, please get yourself tested and take all necessary precautions. It is our responsibility to keep ourselves and others safe, preventing further spread of the virus," he said on Twitter.
Spike in daily COVID-19 cases in India
India recorded 22,854 cases of coronavirus infection in a day, the highest in around two-and-half-months, taking the total tally of COVID-19 cases to 1,12,85,561, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Thursday.
The death toll increased to 1,58,189 with 126 daily new fatalities, the data updated at 8 am showed. The total active cases have increased to 1,89,226 which now comprises 1.68 per cent of the total infections.
The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 1,09,38,146 which translates to a national COVID-19 recovery rate of 96.92 per cent, while the case fatality rate stands at 1.40 per cent, the data stated.
South African strain found in Karnataka
Karnataka on Wednesday recorded the first COVID-19 case of the South African strain.
It was detected in a 58-year-old male, who came to Bengaluru on March 1 from Dubai. He is under institutional quarantine in Shivamogga, Health Commissioner K.V. Trilok Chandra told The Hindu . Eight of his primary contacts have been traced and isolated. They have been tested and reports are awaited, he added.
U.S. Congress passes $1.19 trillion COVID-19 relief bill
In a massive and early victory for the Democrats, the House of Representatives approved 220-211 a $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill , voting almost entirely along party lines. The bill, having already passed the Senate, will be signed into law by U.S. President Joe Biden on Friday.
Also read:U.S. House passes $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief plan
“Help is here,” Mr Biden tweeted shortly after the House had voted on the American Rescue Plan. He called the bill – which is one of the largest stimulus measures on record — a “historic victory” for the American people.
Central observer tests positive in poll-bound Assam
The Election Commission has replaced a Central observer after he tested positive for coronavirus, officials said on Wednesday.
Roshni Aparanji Korati, Deputy Commissioner of eastern Assam’s Jorhat district, said the EC’s general observer, Manjeet Singh Brar, tested COVID-19 positive on Tuesday on his arrival in the district. He has been replaced by P.A. Siddiqui, a West Bengal cadre IAS officer.
Brazil registers daily record for COVID-19 deaths
Brazil has registered a record for daily COVID-19 fatalities, with 2,286 people dead from the virus in the last 24 hours, according to the Health Ministry on Wednesday. New coronavirus infections tallied 79,876 to bring the total in the year-long pandemic to more than 11.2 million, according to the Health Ministry.
The total death toll of 270,656 is the second-highest after the United States.
Actor Mohanlal receives COVID-19 vaccine
Actor Mohanlal said on Wednesday that he had received the first dose of the coronavirus vaccine. The Drishyam 2 actor took to Instagram to share pictures of him receiving the first jab of the vaccine at Amrita Hospital here. In one of the photos, he is seen flashing the victory sign.
He thanked the government and healthcare staff for their support.
( With inputs from our Correspondents and agencies )
