Third Phase of Covid-19 vaccination on all days of April; India records year’s highest single-day rise in Covid cases

 

Third Phase of Covid-19 vaccination on all days of April

The third phase of the Covid-19 vaccination, which covered all people over 45 years of age, began on Thursday and the Center decided to carry out the campaign every day of April, including official holidays, and in all public and private centers. . The Union government wrote to all states and territories in the union and asked them to make the necessary arrangements for this, the Health Ministry said.

With the aim of exponentially expanding the vaccination campaign in India, this step was taken after detailed discussions with the states and UT on March 31, the ministry said. “This decision is in line with the gradual and proactive approach employed by the Government of India together with the states and UT for COVID-19 vaccination,” he added. The vaccination exercise will continue to be regularly reviewed and monitored at the highest level, he said.

So far, vaccine doses of more than 6.5 million rupees have been administered nationwide to frontline workers, healthcare workers, those over 60 and people over 45 with comorbid conditions. specific.

India records highest single-day increase of the year with 72,330 cases

On Thursday, India reported the highest single-day increase this year of 72,330 new infections in a 24-hour span, bringing the national case count to 1,22,21,665.

India reported more than 72,000 Covid-19 cases in the 24 hours ending at 9am on Thursday, the highest daily peak since October 11, 2020. Maharashtra accounted for 39,544 of the total of 72,330 new infections, the highest number of the state so far. Chhattisgarh recorded 4,563 cases, while Karnataka’s cumulative count surpassed 1 million with 4,234 new infections, of which 2,906 were recorded in Bangalore alone.

According to the Ministry of Health, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, Punjab, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh continue to show a sharp increase in daily new COVID cases accounting for 84.61 percent of new cases reported in a 24 hour span. Maharashtra, Karnataka, Kerala, Chhattisgarh and Punjab cumulatively account for 78.9% of the total active cases in the country. Maharashtra alone accounts for more than 61% of the number of active cases in the country.

Sri Lanka and Africa call for delay in Indian vaccine supply

Sri Lanka will not receive its fair share of one million doses of Covishield vaccine from the vaccine manufacturing company Serum Institute of India (SII) within the timeframe promised above. the sunday times reported Thursday.

“We cannot fulfill that commitment, leaving alone in mid-March and April,” said a senior source at the Pune-based Institute. The Sunday Times under conditions of anonymity. “This (agreement) is one of several additional capabilities that we were required to fulfill on behalf of AstraZeneca and the Indian government. The fire did not affect production as such, but due to increased commitments, we need to increase our capacity. Hence this delay. ”

Africa CDC also claimed that India’s vaccine supply delays could be “catastrophic.” Africa may not be able to meet its goals of immunizing the continent against COVID-19 if supply delays continue from a key Indian manufacturer, the director of the African Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Thursday. In briefing the media, Dr. John Nkengasong said that officials hope that the problems at the Serum Institute of India are only temporary, otherwise they would definitely affect the continuity of the vaccination campaign in Africa. “I really want to have the deliberate hope that it is a delay and not a ban” because that would be catastrophic, “he said.

Delhi schools will be closed for all classes in the new academic session until further orders

Following a surge in coronavirus cases in the national capital, the Delhi government announced Thursday that students of any class should not be called in to physically attend schools in the new academic session until new orders are submitted. .

The Directorate of Education (DoE) said that teaching and learning activities may begin from April 1 for students through the digital modality for the academic session 2021-22.

“It is clarified that students of any class should not be physically called to school for the 2021-22 academic session until further orders. However, teaching and learning activities can start from April 1, 2021, for students through digital modes for the new academic session, ”said the DoE in official order.

Schools in Delhi closed in March last year ahead of a nationwide shutdown to slow the spread of the coronavirus. While several states partially reopened schools in October, the Delhi government allowed schools to reopen for students in class 9-12 for practical work and make-up lessons, from January 18 to February 5.

“It is reiterated that students in classes 9 to 12 (2020-21 session) may be called to the school only to provide academic guidance and support to students for midterms, pre-board exams / annual exams/exams meeting, practical exams, project work, internal evaluation following the Standard Operating Procedure for COVID safety and with parental consent, ”added the DoE.