Maharashtra, Punjab, Karnataka, Gujarat and Tamil Nadu continue to report a high number of daily COVID-19 cases, accounting for 71.1% of the 28,903 new infections, the Union Health Ministry has said. It said 83.91% of the new cases are from Maharashtra, Punjab, Karnataka, Gujarat and Tamil Nadu and Kerala.
Maharashtra alone accounts for 61.8% of the daily new cases with 17,864 cases. It is followed by Kerala with 1,970 while Punjab reported 1,463 new cases, the Ministry said. Kerala is reporting a consistently declining trend over the last one month.
India's total active caseload has reached 2.34 lakh (2,34,406) comprising 2.05% of the total infections. "Maharashtra, Kerala and Punjab account for 76.4% of India's total active cases, with Maharashtra alone contributing nearly 60%," the Ministry highlighted.
There are 70 districts in 16 States where there has been more than 150% rise in COVID-19 cases from March 1 to 15, the government said.
Vaccine wastage
The average of COVID-19 vaccine wastage in India is 6.5%, with Telangana and Andhra Pradesh recording 17.6% and 11.6% wastage respectively, the Centre said as it called for optimal utilisation of the jabs. Addressing a press conference, Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan said that 3.51 crore vaccine doses have been administered till now in the country, which include 1.38 crore beneficiaries aged 45-60 years with specific co-morbidities and those above 60 years who have been given the first dose.
On March 15, 8.34 million COVID-19 vaccine doses were administered worldwide, of which India alone administered 36% of doses, he said.
Mr. Bhushan said COVID-19 vaccine wastage in five States — Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka and Jammu and Kashmir is higher than 6.5%, which is the national average.
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Here are the latest updates:
COVID-19 cases on the rise in tier two, three cities: NITI Aayog
Member (health) NITI Aayog V.K. Paul said: "COVID’s current surge is a matter of serious concern. PM has said that the emerging second peak has to be stopped. There is no need to panic. We have the tools and together we can control the situation. The earlier COVID-19 phase was bigger in big cities but now it seems that cases are going up in two/thre tier cities"
"So PM has directed that testing facilities/ ambulance and referral system should be made available. Also, there is no reason for concern with regard to use of Covishield," he added.
- Delhi Bureau
150% increase in cases across 16 States in 15 days: Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan
According to Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan at a press conference, India has reported 1.14 crore COVID-19 cases, 1.59 lakh deaths and have conducted 22.9 crore tests. Cases positivity rate is now below 5% (4.9%). He said: "India is currently registering nearly 43% week on week increase in COVID cases and nearly 37% week on week increase in deaths. India is currently registering Nearly 43 per cent week on week increase in COVID cases and nearly 37 per cent week on week increase in deaths."
"In 70 districts across 16 states — there has been a 150% increase in cases in the past 15 days. Maharashtra and Punjab are a cause of concern with high positivity rates. Health ministry is advocating for more tests. Maharashtra has 60% of all active cases in India currently. Also it is hgher testing rate in States like Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Haryana, Delhi, Himachal Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh is the need of the hour. Total vaccination doses administered is 3.51 crore," he added.
"Vaccine wastage is at 6.5% currently with Telangana, A.P., U.P. and Karnataka leading the wastage —- this has to be brought down," he stated.
- Delhi Bureau
We must stop "second peak" immediately: Modi
"We must stop this emerging "second peak" of Corona immediately," Prime Minister Narendra Modi tells Chief Ministers.
India is seeing a robust recovery rate but we have to work together to stop emerging second wave of Corona and for this. "We have to take quick and decisive steps," he adds.
Now, we should be not be careless and there is no need to create panic among the general public, he says.
States like Kerala, UP, Chhattisgarh overly dependent on antigen tests; RT PCR tests should make for over 70 percent of overall testing, he adds.
We have to increase testing in small cities. The pace of COVID vaccination in the country is continuously increasing. We are looking at ensuring curbing any waste of vaccine doses.
Government school in Villupuram closed after teacher tests COVID-19 positive
Authorities closed the Government Model Girls Higher Secondary School in Villupuram on Wednesday, after a teacher tested positive for COVID-19.
An official of the Education Department said that the teacher was deputed to handle students of two classes. On information, a Health Department team took samples from about 80 students of the two classes. The test results are awaited. The premises have been sanitised and the school will reopen on Monday.
Sri Lanka to continue with Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine
Sri Lanka will continue to use the Oxford AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines despite its suspension in some countries over reports that the doses were causing blood clot-related complications, a government spokesman said on Wednesday.
Some nations, mostly European, suspended the use of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine, which also has a tie-up with the Serum Institute of India, after some reports of blood clotting.
Ramesh Pathirana, the Cabinet co-spokesman, said that the vaccine halted in certain European countries was limited to one batch of the vaccine and Sri Lanka had not received doses from the same batch.
“Those vaccines which are involved in that problem only belong to a certain batch in that vaccine are temporarily suspended in certain countries in Europe, that batch of vaccines was not given to Sri Lanka,” he said.
He said that the public should remain calm and not fear such reports.
His comments come in the wake of several European countries — ncluding Denmark, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Norway and Iceland -— pausing the administration of the Oxford-AstraZeneca jab. Some Asian and African countries have expressed concern. Congo and Thailand have stopped the doses.
Another COVID-19 cluster found in Nagole school
A day after a cluster of 14 COVID-19 cases were detected at the Zilla Parishad High School (ZPHS) in Mancherial, another cluster of 34 cases were detected among students of Telangana Minority Residential School located in Bandlaguda, Nagole, on Tuesday.
Medchal-Malkajgiri Health officials said after receiving information that some students at the school had developed symptoms of COVID-19, they conducted tests and found the 34 students to be positive for coronavirus. While 10 teachers were tested, their tests turned up negative. Tests on 12 teachers who were not present on Tuesday will be conducted on Wednesday.
Health workers tasked to report Maharashtra returnees in Mandya
Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA) and anganwadi workers in K.R. Pet and Nagamangala taluks in Mandya district have been assigned a new task – to alert the health authorities on coming across new persons in the households – as a measure to curb the spread of COVID-19 since many from these two taluks work in Maharashtra, which has reported a spike in cases triggering the scare of a second wave of infection.
These two taluks had reported the highest number of cases last year as many locals returned to their respective villages from the neighbouring State following the lockdown and for other reasons.
India records highest daily spike this year
India recorded its highest daily tally of coronavirus cases this year with 28,903 new infections, taking the total COVID-19 tally to 1,14,38,734, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Wednesday.
The death toll increased to 1,59,044 with 188 new fatalities, the highest in around two months, the data updated at 8 am showed. Registering an increase for the seventh day in a row, the total active caseload has increased to 2,34,406 which now comprises 2.05 per cent of the total infections, while the recovery rate has further dropped to 96.56 per cent, the data stated.
As many as 30,254 new infections were recorded in a span of 24 hours on December 13.
The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 1,10,45,284, while the case fatality rate has dropped to 1.39 per cent, the data stated.
Vietnam's homegrown vaccine to be out by Q4
Vietnam's domestically developed COVID-19 vaccine, called nanocovax, is expected to be available by the fourth quarter of this year, the government said in a statement on Wednesday.
The Southeast Asian country has inoculated more than 16,000 people with AstraZeneca vaccines it received last month, the government said, adding that it was also in talks to buy vaccines from other producers, including Pfizer, Moderna, Johnson & Johnson and the Sputnik V maker.
Post-vaccine blood clots a form of rare cerebral thrombosis: EMA
Scientists at the Germany-based Paul-Ehrlich-Institut report that the blood clots observed in some of those vaccinated are a “special form of very rare cerebral vein thrombosis”. This corresponds to a deficiency in platelets and bleeding following vaccination with the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine. The recommendations from the institute were the reason Germany put on hold ongoing vaccinations until a full review by the European Medicines Agency (EMA).
The blood clots observed post vaccination, however, are less than the background number of such thrombosis events even without vaccination. The World Health Organization (WHO) has ruled out any link between AstraZeneca’s vaccine against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and reported blood clots. “We do not want people to panic and we would, for the time being, recommend that countries continue vaccinating with AstraZeneca,” WHO Chief Scientist Soumya Swaminathan was quoted as saying by news agency AFP.
State active case tally rapidly climbs
Maharashtra posted yet another record single-day jump of 17,864 new COVID-19 cases on Tuesday as its active case tally rapidly climbed to 1,38,813. Just 9,510 patients were discharged in the last 24 hours with the State’s recovery rate dipping to 91.77%. As many as 87 deaths pushed the fatality toll to 52,996.
While the total case tally has reached 23,47,328, the cumulative recoveries stand at 21,54,253.
Collectors told to impose fines on people not wearing masks in public
A senior citizen being administered the Covid-19 vaccine at a Public Health Centre in TVS colony, Chennai.
In the light of increasing numbers of fresh COVID-19 infections in Tamil Nadu, Chief Secretary Rajeev Ranjan on Tuesday instructed District Collectors to strictly enforce guidelines and impose a fine on those not wearing a facemask while in public places.
During a meeting to review the COVID-19 scenario across the State, Mr. Ranjan instructed Collectors to strictly enforce the Standard Operating Procedures issued by the government and to impose a fine on violators under the Public Health Act. Respective local bodies, health, police and revenue department officials are to ensure compliance.
Moderna says it has started vaccine trials on children
U.S. manufacturer Moderna on Tuesday said it has started COVID-19 vaccine trials for children aged from 6 months to under 12 years old, with plans to enroll about 6,750 participants.
“We are pleased to begin this Phase 2/3 study of mRNA-1273 in healthy children in the U.S. and Canada,” said CEO Stephane Bancel in a statement.
Average of 4.5 contacts per patient traced in the last week
With a surge in the number of COVID-19 cases in the State, the COVID-19 Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) has recommended that for every patient, 20 contacts need to be traced in districts where the positivity rate is above 1%.
However, according to data provided by the Karnataka State COVID-19 war room on an average, not a single contact has been identified in 45.3% of the cases reported in the last week.
‘Unrestricted movement making it tough to find source’
As a second COVID-19 cluster was detected in Telangana, dreadful memories from last year started playing on the minds of State Health officials. Emerging clusters, rapid spread of coronavirus and its containment had given sleepless nights to the officials even as they clocked in extra hours to keep the situation under control.
(With inputs from our Correspondents and agencies)
