External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, wgi is on a visit to New York and Washington DC, from May 24 to 27, is expected to discuss the AstraZeneca vaccine with the Biden administration. The U.S. government is sending 60 million doses of this vaccine abroad — and some of it is likely to be given to India which faces shortage.
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:
Bharat Biotech expects EUA from WHO for Covaxin in July-September
Bharat Biotech on Tuesday said it expects approval for its COVID-19 vaccine Covaxin from the World Health Organisation for Emergency Use Authorisation during July-September.
The company said regulatory approvals for Covaxin are in process in more than 60 countries including the U.S.A., Brazil and Hungary among others.
"Application for EUL has been submitted to WHO-Geneva, regulatory approvals are expected July-September 2021," it said in a release.
- PTI
Maharashtra not to allow home quarantine in 18 districts
Maharashtra government on Tuesday announced the decision to stop home quarantine in 18 districts which show higher covid positivity rate than the state's average.
State's Public Health Minister Rajesh Tope said that the decision is taken to ensure better health care facilities to patients in districts which are showing higher positivity rate.
"Covid care centres in these districts will be provided isolation facilities where patients will be kept," he said.
Vijay Vadettiwar, Relief and Rehabilitation minister of Mahrashtra had said on Monday that Buldhana, Kolhapur, Ratnagiri, Sangli, Yavatmal, Amravati, Sindhdurg, Solapur, Akola, Satara, Washim, Beed, Gadchiroli, Ahmednagar and Osmanabad are few of the districts which are showing rising number of cases and will not see relaxations in covid restrictions from June 1.
He said that these 15 districts are in the red zone and curbs will be made stricter. - Alok Deshpande
Delhi reports lowest hospital admissions in 50 days
In what appears to further confirm the departure of the debilitating second wave of the Coronavirus from the Capital, the lowest number of COVID admissions in the last 50 days was reported from city hospitals on Monday, May 24, 2021.
According to Delhi government records, 382 patients were admitted against the discharge of 625 on May 24. This is not only the lowest number of daily hospital admissions of COVID patients since April 5, but even lower than one-fifth of the peak of 1993 single-day hospital admissions recorded on April 29.
On April 5, 406 admissions had been recorded against just 141 patients being discharged. Seemingly at its most virulent before beginning to abate albeit slightly from the following day, 1268 patients were discharged on April 29 before the number of admissions began reducing on a daily basis starting April 30.
Covid positivity rate down to 9.54 per cent: Health Ministry
The daily COVID-19 positivity rate has reduced and now stands at 9.54 per cent, while the single-day recoveries continue to outnumber the new cases for the 12th consecutive day, the Union Health Ministry said on Tuesday, May 25, 2021.
The active COVID-19 caseload has also reduced to 25,86,782 with a net decline of 1,33,934 cases being witnessed in a span of 24 hours. It now accounts for 9.60 per cent of the country's total infections.
The active cases have decreased since its last peak on May 10.
"India's daily recoveries continue to outnumber the daily new cases for the 12th consecutive day with 3,26,850 patients recuperating in a span of 24 hours taking India's cumulative recoveries to 2,40,54,861.
"A total of 20,58,112 tests were conducted in a span of 24 hours in the country and cumulatively 33,25,94,176 tests have been done so far. The daily positivity rate has reduced and stands at 9.54 per cent today," the Ministry said.
"In encouraging signs to India's fight against COVID-19 pandemic, the daily new cases have fallen below 2 lakh to a level seen 40 days before with 1,96,427 new infections being registered in a span of 24 hours," the Ministry said. — PTI
No reason to believe Covid will disproportionately affect children in next wave: N.K.Arora
There is no reason to believe that children will be disproportionately affected by the coronavirus in the coming weeks and months or in the next wave, the head of a government working group said, but stressed on the need for additional resource inputs to improve the paediatric Covid services.
Also read: India to push for Covaxin recognition by WHO and EU
In an interview with PTI, N.K. Arora, Chairman of India's COVID-19 Working Group of the National Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (NTAGI), said Indian data does not show specific predilection of the currently circulating virus strains either for the youth or paediatric age group.
"However, since the absolute numbers have increased, patients from both age groups are being noticed more,” he said.
Former Bengal CM Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee hospitalised
Former West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee was on May 25 admitted to a private hospital in the city. Mr. Bhattacharjee had tested positive for COVID-19 last week and was undergoing treatment at his Palm Avenue residence.
His health parameters, particularly oxygen saturation, started declining from May 24 evening and doctors decided on providing him institutional care. On May 25, he was admitted to Woodlands Hospital.
Bharat Biotech's U.S. partner Ocugen submits 'Master File' to FDA on Covaxin
Ocugen, Bharat Biotech's American partner for COVID-19 vaccine Covaxin, has submitted a "Master File" to the US Food and Drug Administration prior to seeking an emergency use authorisation in that country.
"The company is currently evaluating the clinical and regulatory path for COVAXIN in the United States including obtaining Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Also, eventually biologic license application (BLA) approval in the United States, as well as the company's commercialization strategy, if authorized or approved," Ocugen has said in a recent regulatory filing.
Ocugen has submitted key information and data to date including preclinical studies, chemistry, manufacturing, and controls (CMC), and clinical studies as a Master File for FDA review and input prior to a planned EUA submission.
The company is currently awaiting additional data from Bharat Biotech from the ongoing Phase 3 clinical trial for a EUA submission, it further said.
Bharat Biotech on February 2 said it has entered into a definitive agreement with OcugenInc, a US-based biopharmaceutical company, to co-develop, supply, and commercialise, the Indian vaccine maker's Covaxin for the US market. — PTI
Covaxin: Government reviews process to get WHO approval
A health worker wearing a protective suit stands on the window of a newly inaugurated 'Oxygen Hub' for Covid-19 coronavirus patients in Kolkata.
The government on Monday “took stock” of Bharat Biotech’s application process with the World Health Organisation (WHO) for regulatory clearances for the Covaxin vaccine, as an inter-ministerial group led by Foreign Secretary Harsh Shringla met with company representatives in Delhi.
The meeting, that included senior officials from the Ministry of External Affairs, Ministry of Health, and Department of Biotechnology, with Bharat Biotech International Limited (BBIL) Managing Director Dr. Krishna Mohan, went over the paperwork submitted in April for the WHO’s Emergency Use Listing (EUL), amidst concerns that Indians who have taken Covaxin doses will face travel restrictions without global regulatory approval.
On-site registration, appointment enabled for 18-44 age group on CoWIN
On-site registration and appointment for COVID-19 vaccination is now being enabled for 18-44 years age group on CoWIN, a statement issued by the Union Health Ministry on Monday said. However, this feature is being enabled only for government COVID Vaccination Centers (CVCs) now and would not be available for private CVCs presently. Private CVCs should publish their vaccination schedules exclusively with slots for online appointments, it stated.
In case of sessions exclusively organised with online slots, towards the end of the day, some doses may still be left unutilised in case the online appointee beneficiaries didnot turn up on the day of vaccination due to any reason, it noted.
Central teams conduct field study on herbal preparation
The teams constituted by the Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences (CCRAS), New Delhi, on Monday conducted field level studies extensively on the herbal preparation made by Ayurvedic practitioner B. Anandaiah.
The team members collected retrospective data from hundreds of persons who had consumed the herbal concoction, touted to reportedly provide cure for COVID-19. A lot of research would have be done, including animal studies and clinical studies, by the CCRAS before deciding on the efficacy of the herbal preparation, official sources said.
‘Those who have beaten COVID-19 must focus on mental health, eat well’
Deputy Medical Superintendent of Delhi government’s LNJP Hospital, Ritu Saxena, says people who have recovered from COVID-19 must eat a well-balanced diet and exercise regularly in order to fully recuperate from the disease
People in some rural areas resisting vaccination, say U.P. officials
Getting people to take COVID-19 vaccine shots in some parts of rural Uttar Pradesh is proving to be a tough ask for officials allegedly due to a range of misconceptions circulating about their side-effects.
In Barabanki district, adjoining Lucknow, when a team of Health Department officials had gone to a village for vaccination and awareness drive, a group of men and boys who had gathered on the banks of the Ghagra river fled after wading through the shallow waters or jumping into the stream upon seeing the officials. Though it is not confirmed if they were even eligible for the dose, a senior district official says they fled in fear that they could forcefully administered a dose. The officials then held an awareness camp in the village Sisaunda but only 14-15 persons got inoculated on the day, said SDM Ramnagar Rajeev Shukla. This was the story in several other villages, he said.
Tiny but mighty: pre-term baby fights off virus
A pre-term baby, who was born at 28 weeks and weighed just 1 kg, waged a successful battle against COVID-19 as well as pre-term health complications.
He was born at a private hospital here on April 8. His mother suffered from severe form of COVID and was provided with mechanical ventilator support, which prevented her from breastfeeding her newborn initially.
( With inputs from our Correspondents and agencies)
