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Hours after multiple government hospitals in India’s capital issued a public appeal for help with acute oxygen shortage, GTB Hospital and Sir Ganga Ram Hospital in Delhi said that a disaster was averted after they received stocks during the night.
Many hospitals, including these two, had said that their oxygen stock will last only for “7-12 hours” and COVID-19 patients will succumb if the situation isn’t addressed on priority basis.
With elections ongoing in West Bengal, scientists report the emergence of a new lineage of coronavirus that may comprise as much as 15% of the genomes in the State from January to March.
The new variant, B.1.618, has a major mutation called E484K — found in several of the internationally identified variants of concern — that help it evade the immune system and possibly compromise vaccine efficacy.
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:
New Delhi
Total oxygen production capacity is at 7000 tons, says Union Health Secretary
“Last year we used 3,500 metric tons of medical oxygen. We have alloted 6,600 tons to States this year. Our total oxygen production capacity is 7,000 tons,” Rajesh Bhushan says.
“There is a 24X7 control room to handle oxygen transport problems. Challenges emerge during a pandemic and the best way forward is for Centre and States to work together,” he added.
“This is not the time to deliberate on how India missed the second wave. Our efforts are focused on dealing with and solving the crisis,” he said at the press conference.
ICMR Director General Balram Bhargava says: “Right now, we cannot comment on when we can see a downturn in the second wave. We are working with States to fight and overcome this.”
– Jacob Koshy
New Delhi
Very few breakthrough infections reported, says ICMR Director General
“We have 2-4/10,000 breakthrough infections reported from Covaxin and Covishield. This is a very small number and not at all worrisome. There is a possibility that newer highly transmissible variant may be responsible else it would have been zero,” says Balram Bhargava, DG, ICMR at the press conference.
Breakthrough infections are those who test positive after vaccination.
NITI Aayog Memeber V.K. Paul says the biological E vaccine has completed phase 1 and phase 2 trials and is ready for phase 3 trials. “This is a major manufacturer and can produce 7 crore doses per month,” he added.
– Jacob Koshy
New Delhi
Union Health Secretary addresses the press
There are 146 districts with a test positivity rate (TPR) of over 15% and these are facing the strain in terms of hospital care. There are 274 districts with TPR ranging from 5-15%. The case fatality rate is 1.17% and is declining, Rajesh Bhushan said.
There is an increase in the deaths of patients aged 70 years and above compared to the first wave.
87% of all healthcare workers have got the first dose of the vaccine and 80% have got both the doses. This is a positive development.
Among frontline workers, 79% have received the first dose of the vaccine.
Jharkhand and Gujarat have administered 100% of first dose to registered healthcare workers
Vaccines will not be available at chemists’ or pharmacies but only in hospital settings. Free vaccines will be available only at government-designated centres. However the Rs 250 cap at private hospitals has been lifted.
– Jacob Koshy
Hyderabad
Updated data from Covaxin phase 3 trial shows 78% efficacy
The efficacy of Covaxin has dropped a tad lower – 78% – than the 81% reported in March. On Wednesday, Bharat Biotech, via a press release, announced results from an interim analysis of its phase 3 trial. The efficacy against severe COVID-19 disease was 100%, the company claimed, but that against protecting from asymptomatic COVID-19 infection was 70%.
The analysis was on a data set of 127 Covid positive volunteers.
Srinagar
Transporters go on strike as fresh COVID-19 guidelines come into effect in J&K
Private transporters in Jammu went on an indefinite strike today to protest a government order capping the seating capacity to 50% in public transport vehicles in view of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The new guidelines, which also include restrictions on opening of shops at market places and malls as part of steps to prevent the spread of the coronavirus infection amid a recent spike, came into effect on Wednesday morning.
Protesting against the order, the transporters launched a strike to press for hiking of fares.
“The government has taken a decision without consulting us. It is not feasible for transporters to ply their vehicles with 50 per cent passengers on board. The fuel prices are skyrocketing and the transporters were the hardest hit since the outbreak of the pandemic,” a stakeholder said.
New Delhi
Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal tests positive
Union Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ has tested positive for COVID-19. The 61-year-old Minister said he is following medical advice after his report came positive.
“This is to inform you all that I have tested COVID positive today. I am taking medication and treatment as per the advice of my doctors. Request all those who have come in my contact recently to be observant, and get themselves tested,” he tweeted.
“All the work of @EduMinOfIndia is being conducted normally observing necessary precautions,” he added.
Mumbai
Oxygen reallocation will impact small businesses in some sectors, says Crisil Ratings
Reallocating oxygen for medical purposes to take care of the rising COVID cases will have an adverse impact on small businesses in some sectors, domestic rating agency Crisil said.
It said the “hiccup” seems temporary for now, and is unlikely to impact the credit quality of the affected businesses.
The impact will be greater for companies in Maharashtra, New Delhi, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat, where medical oxygen demand has increased multiple times due to high COVID-19 caseloads, the agency added.
The central government has barred industrial use of oxygen except in nine designated sectors from Thursday onwards to divert the available stocks for life-saving medicinal use.
Agartala
Night curfew to be imposed indefinitely in Agartala from Apr 22
The Tripura government has decided to impose a seven-hour night curfew from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. in Agartala Municipal Corporation (AMC) area from Thursday for an indefinite period to contain the spread of COVID-19.
The decision was taken at a Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb. The capital city has been reporting most of the coronavirus cases in the State.
The order issued by Chief Secretary Manoj Kumar said that essential services have been exempted from the purview of the curfew.
Various recruitment examinations, including Joint Recruitment Board of Manpower and Employment Department and physical test of the IR battalion, however, stand postponed.
Kerala
Kerala might curb civic life on weekends
Kerala government is mulling near-total curtailment of civic life on weekends to slow down the transmission of the resurgent COVID-19 virus.
A top-level meeting chaired by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Wednesday reportedly weighed in, allowing only essential services to operate on April 24 and 25th.
It might even declare Saturday a government holiday.
The government is yet to call it a weekend lockdown.
India
Covishield to be sold to States at ₹400 a dose and at ₹600 to private hospitals from May 1
From May 1, Serum Institute of India (SII) will be selling Covishield to State governments at ₹400 dose and to private hospitals at ₹600 dose, Adar Poonawala, CEO, SII said in a statement on Wednesday.
The vaccines, however, would not retail until 4-5 months and corporates and private individuals could in the meantime only get these vaccines from “State-facilitated machinery,” his statement added. – Jacob Koshy
Nashik
Patients die after oxygen tank leakage at Nashik hospital
At least 22 COVID-19 patients were reported to have lost their lives on Wednesday at Nashik’s Dr. Zakir Hussain Hospital owing to acute shortage of oxygen following massive leakage from a tank.
Mumbai
Indrani Mukerjea, 39 other inmates coronavirus positive
Sheena Bora murder case accused Indrani Mukerjea and 39 other inmates of the Byculla prison here have tested positive for coronavirus and shifted to a quarantine centre, an official said on Wednesday.
These 40 inmates were found positive for coronavirus after they were subjected to Rapid Antigen Test (RAT), he said.
“Most of the 40 inmates are asymptomatic. They were shifted to the isolation centre of the prison at Patankar School in Byculla in Central Mumbai as a precautionary measure,” he said.
– PTI
Assam
Assam to vaccinate everyone in 18-45 age group for free
The Assam government will vaccinate everyone in the 18-45 age group for free from May 1 onwards, Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has said.
The state Health Department has already written to Covaxin maker Bharat Biotech for procuring 1 crore vaccines.
Funds collected in Asom Arogya Nidhi account last year shall be utilised for procuring the vaccines, he said.
– PTI
Covishield comprises over 90% of 12.76 crore COVID vaccines administered so far
Covishield, from the Oxford/AstraZeneca stable, comprises over 90% of the 12.76 crore COVID-19 vaccines administered across the country so far, according to government data on Wednesday.
Of this, 15 States and union territories have only given Covishield, being manufactured by the Pune-based Serum Instiute of India. The other vaccine being administered in India is the indigenous Covaxin from Bharat Biotech in Hyderabad.
Giving details, of the 127,605,870 COVID-19 vaccination jabs administered till now, 11,60,65,107 are of Covishield while 1,15,40,763 are of Covaxin, according to the government’s CO-WIN portal.
Experts said Covishield is being produced at a much higher scale than Covaxin due to which its availability is more.
Distressing scenes from Delhi’s GTB hospital
Nikhil Babu reports: A woman waiting outside the emergency of GTB Hospital, a COVID-19 hospital, died, and her husband was seen shifting her body into the ambulance without any help. “We were waiting outside the emergency and she breathed her last while waiting,” Surender Kumar, 35, a daily wage labourer said outside the emergency.
Some viewers may find the video distressing and we advise caution while viewing it.
Karnataka
Karnataka govt. sets up war room to monitor supply of oxygen, Remdesivir
With complaints pouring in regarding shortage and blackmarketing of oxygen and Remdesivir, the Karnataka government on Wednesday announced setting up a ‘War Room’.
“In order to ensure timely & sufficient supply of Oxygen and #Remdesivir a 24×7 war room has been established with staff working round the clock in 3 shifts,” State Health Minister K Sudhakar tweeted.
Passing an order to this effect, the Drug Controller of Karnataka appointed 26 government employees and officers to manage the war room.
The government also set up a new 6 Kilo Litre capacity Medical Oxygen plant at the Chamarajanagar District Hospital.
Serum Institute of India will sell Covishield to State governments at ₹400 a dose, private hospitals at ₹600 a dose, SII chief Adar Poonawala has said in a statement. – Jacob Koshy reports.
Gujarat
Gujarat CM receives first dose of anti-COVID 19 vaccine
Gujarat CM Vijay Rupani getting Covid-19 vaccine at Government Hospital in Gandhinagar on April 21, 2021.
| Photo Credit: Vijay Soneji
Gujarat CM Vijay Rupani getting Covid-19 vaccine at Government Hospital in Gandhinagar on April 21, 2021.
| Photo Credit: Vijay Soneji
Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani has received the first dose of an anti-COVID 19 vaccine at a government health centre in Gandhinagar.
Mr. Rupani took the jab exactly 60 days after he tested negative for the COVID-19 infection. The Chief Minister had tested positive for coronavirus on February 15.
On the occasion, Mr. Rupani appealed to the eligible people, including those who had contracted coronavirus earlier, to get themselves vaccinated. – PTI
Haryana
DRDO to set up 2 COVID-19 hospitals in Panipat, Hisar: Minister
The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) will set up two dedicated COVID-19 hospitals of 500 beds each in Panipat and Hisar, Haryana’s Home and Health Minister Anil Vij said on Wednesday, Apri 21, 2021.
The Army’s Western Command has been asked to provide doctors and other medical staff for the facilities, he said.
“DRDO will set up two Dedicated Covid Hospitals in Haryana of 500 beds each at Panipat and Hissar,” Vij tweeted.
“Work to start (on setting up of these hospitals) immediately,” he added.
Haryana has registered a sharp increase in coronavirus cases in the last three weeks.
India becomes fastest country to administer 13 crore COVID vaccine doses: Health ministry
India took only 95 days to administer 13 crore doses of COVID-19 vaccine, the fastest country to do so, the Union Health Ministry said on Wednesday.
The US took 101 days to administer 13 crore doses of COVID-19 vaccine, while China took 109 days to cross the same number, it said.
The cumulative number of COVID-19 vaccine doses administered in the country has reached 13,01,19,310 with 29,90,197 vaccine doses being given in a span of 24 hours, according to data updated at 7 am. Eight states — Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, West Bengal, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh and Kerala — account for 59.33 per cent of the total doses given so far in the country.
Uttarakhand tightens restrictions in view of COVID surge
The Uttarakhand government has ordered closure of markets in urban areas barring shops dealing in essential commodities from 2 p.m. onwards and changing of the curfew timing across the State from 9 p.m. to 7 p.m.
The order, aimed at checking the spread of COVID-19, comes into effect from Wednesday, Chief Secretary Om Prakash said.
“The night curfew timing for all 13 districts has been revised from 9 p.m.-5 a.m. to 7 p.m.-5 a.m.,” it said.
The order of closing shops and business establishments also applies to shopping malls, he said.
Tourist spots to be shut, night curfew extended by 1 hour in Andamans
Tourist spots and cinema halls will be shut for one month from April 22 and night curfew will be extended by one hour with immediate effect in Andaman and Nicobar Islands as the archipelago is witnessing a spike in COVID-19 cases, a notification said on Wednesday.
The restrictions were necessitated as a large number of cases are being detected among tourists coming from the mainland, some of whom have been found to be tampering with COVID test reports, for which FIRs have been registered against them.
Members of the Great Andamanese tribe employed in the administration in Port Blair will be granted special leave to return to their hometowns after they test negative for COVID- 19, the notification said.
It said that the existing night curfew from 10 pm to 5 am will be revised to 9 pm to 5 am with immediate effect.
Bhubaneswar
All religious places closed for public in Odisha capital
With the Odisha capital Bhubaneswar registering the highest ever single day spike of 581 new COVID-19 cases, the local municipal authorities declared closure of all religious places like temples, mosques, gurudwaras and churches for devotees from Wednesday till further order.
After consultations with management committees of religious institutions like temples/mosques/gurudwaras/ churches and others, the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation has issued directives for religious places which will come into force from 21/04/2021, the BMC said in an order.
“No devotees shall be allowed inside any religious institution like temples/mosques/gurudwaras/churches, etc, until further order. However, the usual religious rituals in all such places of worship will be conducted with limited numbers of priests/staff,” the order said. – PTI
Bengaluru
Oxygen shortage: Hospitals ask families to shift patients
Although the State government has been claiming that there is no shortage of liquid medical oxygen, many hospitals continued to ask their admitted patients to shift to other facilities as they are running out of stock. Government helplines 108 and 1912 were flooded with calls seeking help.
Since Tuesday morning, the Emergency Response Team (ERT), a volunteer group, has been getting many calls from desperate families. ERT volunteers said they have got several calls from families of patients admitted in as many eight hospitals in various parts of the city on Tuesday, requesting help in finding oxygenated beds.
Karnataka
Karnataka introduces weekend curfew, curbs on businesses
The Karnataka government on Tuesday imposed weekend curfew and night curfew across the State and prohibited a range of businesses from functioning to contain the surge of COVID-19. The new pandemic-related stricture will be in place till May 4.
While the night curfew will be between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m., the weekend curfew will be between 9 p.m. on Friday till 6 a.m. on Monday. The new restrictions come in the midst of a surge in COVID-19 cases in the State, as cases exceeded 21,000 on Tuesday, bringing pressure on the medical infrastructure.
Educational institutions, cinema halls, shopping malls, gymnasiums, yoga centres, spas, sports complexes, stadium, swimming pools, entertainment parks, theatres and bars have been brought under prohibited list till May 4. The guidelines ban social, political, sports, entertainment, academic, cultural, religious gatherings, and large congregation.
(With inputs from our Correspondents and agencies)
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