Former Assam chief minister Bhumidhar Barman died on Sunday evening at a private hospital in Guwahati after a prolonged illness, his family said.

He was 91.

Barman, a veteran Congress leader, was a two-time chief minister of the state.

His first term as the chief minister lasted from April 22 to May 14, 1996 when his predecessor Hiteswar Saikia died.

He was again made the chief minister in 2010 when then CM Tarun Gogoi had gone to Mumbai for his heart surgery.

Barman was a minister in both Hiteswar Saikia and Tarun Gogoi governments, holding important portfolios like Health, Education and Revenue, among others.

The seven-term MLA was first elected to the Assam Assembly in 1967, as per the official records.

He represented Borkhetry in the Nalbari district for four terms.

His son Diganta Barman contested from the seat in 2016 and lost. 

He was also the Congress candidate from the seat this time.

Barman was also the two-time MLA of Nalbari West, and once won the election from Dharmapur.

A doctor by profession, Barman had graduated from Assam Medical College in Dibrugarh in 1958.

He is survived by a son and a daughter. His wife predeceased him. -- PTI 

Delhi on Sunday reported 25,462 COVID-19 cases, the highest single-day spike in the national capital till date, according to data shared by the Health Department.

   

The city also reported 161 deaths, while the positivity rate shot up to 29.74 per cent, also the highest so far.

 

A day ago, 24,375 COVID-19 cases and 167 deaths were reported in the city.

 

With the fresh cases, the national capital's cumulative tally has risen to 8,53,460. The death toll stands at 12,121, according to the latest bulletin.

 

A total of 85,620 tests, including 56,015 RT-PCR tests and 29,605 rapid antigen tests, were conducted the previous day, the bulletin said.

 

So far, over 7.66 lakh patients have recovered in Delhi, it added. The number of active cases in the city increased to 74,941 from 69,799 the day before, the bulletin stated.

 

The number of people under home isolation increased to 34,938 from 32,156 on Saturday, while that of containment zones mounted to 13,259 from 11,235 the day before, it said. -- PTI

Mumbai police are likely to call the director a pharma company for one more round of questioning for allegedly stocking thousands of Remdesivir medicine vials, an official said on Sunday.

 

Rajesh Dokania, director of Bruck Pharma, a Daman-based pharmaceutical company that manufactures Remdesivir vials, was questioned on Saturday night, the police official said.

Police have said that they had information that the Remdesivir stock was going to be flown abroad by air cargo, despite a ban on the export of the drug.

"Dokania was questioned at the BKC police station," the official said, adding that the cops later allowed him to go, but asked him to remain present for inquiry whenever he is called.

 

"While the director of the pharma company was brought for questioning at the police station, a team of the Food and Drugs Administration was also present there," Mumbai police spokesperson S Chaitanya said in a statement on Sunday.

 

The commissioner and the joint commissioner of the FDA were also aware of the questioning, the statement said.

Maharashtra Leader of Opposition Devendra Fadnavis had visited the police station on Saturday night along with other BJP leaders. Fadnavis had enquired why the director of the pharmaceutical company was called to the police station, he said in the statement.

Fadnavis had also said that permission was taken from the FDA commissioner to donate the stock of Remdesevir vials to the Maharashtra government, as Remdesevir stocked for export cannot be diverted to the domestic market without the nod of the Drugs Controller General of India or the FDA.

The communication from the FDA to the pharmaceutical company was not shared with the BKC police station, which was acting independently on the information available with them, said the Mumbai police spokesperson.

"Mumbai police acted in good faith," the statement said, adding that the pharma company director was called for inquiry in order to trace and seize a large quantity of 60,000 vials of Remdesevir based on specific verified inputs.

This inquiry was necessary in light of complaints of rampant hoarding and black marketing of Remdesevir and shortage being faced by citizens, it added.

These facts were explained to the Leaders of Opposition. They were informed that necessary legal action will be taken against those illegally hoarding Remdesevir.

Senior officers of Mumbai Police were also present, the statement added.

Meanwhile, another senior police official said the stock of 60,000 vials has not been seized yet. -- PTI 

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar also announced a decision to extend closure of schools/colleges/coaching centres till May 15 from April 30 decided earlier.

   

Religious places of all faiths will remain shut till May 15 in view of the sudden spike in coronavirus cases in Bihar, the chief minister said.

    

Earlier, they were closed till April 30.

     

The government offices with one-third strength will function only till 5 pm while shops/mandis/business establishments will be closed at 6 pm, an hour earlier than what was decided last week, he said.

      

Attendance in funeral was reduced to 25 from 50 earlier and likewise gathering in marriage/shradha was curtailed to 100 from 200 earlier.

   

Kumar announced the new curbs to break the chain of coronavirus in Bihar after an all-party meeting Saturday followed by an interaction with the district officials during the day. 

The Tamil Nadu government has announced postponement of class 12 public examination, complete lockdown on Sundays and effective April 20, night curfew from 10 pm to 4 am.

Though the class 12 public examination is deferred, the ongoing practicals would be conducted as per plan, the government said in an official release.

During the night curfew, private and public transport including those by autorickshaws and taxis shall not be allowed.

     

Visit to beaches, zoos and all tourist destinations like Nilgiris and Kodaikanal is barred. 

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Sunday demanded Prime Minister Narendra Modis resignation for mishandling of the COVID-19 second wave and alleged that the prime minister failed in planning to contain the rise in the number of infections.

Asserting that PM Modi did little to address the possible crisis in the supply of medical oxygen and vaccines in the five-six months when the virus had lost its sting before its resurgence this year, Banerjee accused Modi of

exporting vaccines to other countries to boost his image in the international arena while there was a scarcity in his own nation.

"For the rise in COVID-19 cases PM Modi has to resign. He is the man responsible for the present situation. He did not make any administrative planning for 2021. And look at the situation in Gujarat.

"The BJP cannot tackle the COVID-19 spike even in Gujarat, and has brought the entire country, including West Bengal, to such a pass," the TMC supremo said.

Highlighting that the West Bengal government had asked for 5.4 crore doses of vaccine from the prime minister for vaccinating every citizen of the state free of cost, the chief minister said, we are yet to get any response from him.

West Bengal would have borne the entire cost of the COVID-19 vaccines, the chief minister had said.

"I will send a strong letter to the PM today on this issue. There is shortage of oxygen and anti-viral drug Remdesivir in the entire country. Who is responsible for this? Had they given us the consent, we would have been able to vaccinate every resident of the state," she said.

"The crisis of life saving materials has also been flagged by the Maharashtra government.But without attending this issue you (Modi) are attending election rallies in Bengal," she said. -- PTI

Britain's Opposition Labour Party on Sunday joined calls for Prime Minister Boris Johnson to cancel his visit to India, starting next Sunday, amid growing concerns of a new variant of COVID-19 detected in the country.

Public Health England has said that 77 cases of the so-called double mutant Indian variant have been detected in the UK since last month and that it has now been classed as a Variant Under Investigation.

 

Downing Street had earlier confirmed a much shorter schedule for the UK prime minister's visit, with the bulk of the programme including talks with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi set for a day-long agenda on Monday, April 26.

"I can't see why the prime minister can't conduct his business with the Indian government via Zoom," said Labour's Shadow Communities Secretary Steve Reed.

"The prime minister, like all of us in public life, needs to try and set an example. I'd much rather the prime minister did it by Zoom rather than travelling to India," he told 'Sky News', when asked if the visit should go ahead next week.

A government minister, meanwhile, stressed that there is no evidence the Indian variant can evade vaccine protection or that it is more contagious.

"I'm told there is no evidence at the moment this particular variant is able to get around the vaccine or...that it is necessarily more contagious than the others -- but we are looking at it, it will be studied," said Environment Secretary George Eustice.

The variant -- officially named B.1.617 -- is believed to be almost certainly playing a part in the second wave of the coronavirus pandemic in India and a major spike in infection rates. It has sparked concerns among academics and sections of the UK media, who have called for India to be added to the red list, which involves stricter travel restrictions with a compulsory 10-day hotel quarantine for anyone returning to the UK from such countries.

Danny Altmann, a professor of immunology at Imperial College London, is among those who said that he finds it mystifying and slightly confounding that India is not yet on the red list and that those flying into the UK from there are not subjected to the compulsory hotel quarantine. -- PTI

Cases have been filed against four airlines for failing to check the RT-PCR test reports of passengers arriving from Maharashtra, Delhi government sources said on Sunday.

 

These cases against the four airlines -- Vistara, Indigo, SpiceJet and Air Asia -- have been filed under the Disaster Management Act, they said.

 

There was no immediate reaction available from the four airlines on the issue.

 

The Delhi government had last week announced that it will be mandatory for anyone travelling to Delhi from Maharashtra to carry a negative RT-PCR report dated 72 hours prior to arrival. Travellers without a negative report will be placed in quarantine for a period of 14 days, it had said.

 

"The cases have been registered against four airlines for not checking RT-PCR test reports of passengers coming to Delhi from Maharashtra," a Delhi government source said.

 

The decision was take following exponential rise in COVID-19 cases in the city.

 

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday said over 25,000 people have tested COVID-19 positive in the last 24 hours in Delhi. On Saturday, the national capital had recorded 24,375 fresh cases.

 

The government has also registered FIRs against two private hospitals in the city for providing "false" information about availability of beds there on an official app, sources said.

 

Kejriwal had on Saturday warned hospitals of strict action if they are found giving wrong information or turning away coronavirus patients despite showing availability of beds on the Delhi government app. -- PTI

Uttar Pradesh registered the highest single-day rise in COVID-19 cases as well as fatality count, with the disease claiming 129 more lives, while 30,596 fresh cases pushed its tally to 8,51,620.

 

Briefing reporters in Lucknow,  Additional Chief Secretary (Health) Amit Mohan Prasad said in the last 24 hours, 30,596 fresh COVID-19 cases were reported from the state, while 9,041 patients recovered from the disease.

A total of 6,50,333 COVID-19 patients have so far recovered from the disease in the state, he added.

With the 129 fresh fatalities, the death toll due to the viral disease stands at 9,830, the official said.

The count of active COVID-19 patients in the state stands at 1,91,457, he added.

Prasad also informed that over 3.82 crore samples have so far been tested for the viral disease in the state, including more than 2.36 lakh in the last 24 hours. -- PTI

Gujarat Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel on Sunday admitted that the present requirement of beds and other healthcare facilities in the wake of the spike in coronavirus cases is more than the state administrations's capacity.

Patel, who handles health portfolio, said though the state government is adding more facilities and beds at regular intervals to accomodate more patients, it fell short of demand.

"Over 9,000 new coronavirus cases are emerging in Gujarat everyday. Though we are adding new facilities and beds at regular intervals, it falls short against the demand as the inflow of coronavirus patients is much higher," Patel told reporters at civil hospital campus Ahmedabad.

"Requirement for beds and other healthcare facilities in the present situation is higher than the health department and administration's capacity. In view of the spike in cases, we are adding more beds to accommodate the patients," he said.

Commenting on the long queue of ambulances carrying coronavirus patients outside the civil hospital, Patel said it is the government's obligation to save each and every patient turned away by other hospitals.

"Long queues happen because other hospitals refuse to admit patients. Such patients then come to us for treatment. Such queues are not a pleasant sight, but it is our obligation to save each and every patient. Till they are admitted in the hospital, till they are in ambulance, we try to keep them alive by giving oxygen," he added.

Gujarat reported as many as many as 9,541 coronavirus cases and 97 deaths on Saturday, the highest one-day case count and death toll for the state since the pandemic began. -- PTI 

Delhi Commonwealth Games gold medallist and sitting Rajasthan MLA Krishna Poonia on Sunday tested positive for COVID-19 and is undergoing treatment at a Jaipur hospital.

   

The 43-year-old Krishna, who became the first Indian woman to bag an individual gold in the CWG by winning the discus throw event in the 2010 Delhi Games, is now admitted at the Rajasthan University of Health Sciences hospital.

 "She had cough and mild fever and she took a test on Saturday but the virus could not be detected. Today, we went to RHUS and doctors there took a CT scan from which it was diagnosed for COVID-19," her husband Virender Poonia told PTI.

 

Krishna is currently a sitting Congress MLA of Rajasthan from Sadulpur constituency.

 

"She is not in a serious condition and was doing fine otherwise. Doctors have advised her to be at hospital for a few days and so she is there. Maybe, she will have a test in five days and we will know after that," Virender said.

 

"She had her first dose of COVID-19 vaccine on Friday," said Virender who himself had recovered from the dreaded virus a few months ago. -- PTI  

Aam Aadmi Party spokesperson Raghav Chadha hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the COVID-19 situation in the country and asked him to "leave election management and start corona management".

 

At a press conference, he took a jibe at the prime minister and said the fast pase in which coronavirus cases are increasing in the country, the BJP's poll rallies too are increasing at the same rate.

"Looking at the deteriorating corona situation in the country, I want PM Modi to leave election management and start corona management," the AAP MLA said.

"Elections will come and go, please save human lives first," he added.

India is battling a massive surge in COVID-19 cases. Health ministry data on Sunday showed a record single-day rise of 2,61,500 coronavirus infections which has taken the country's tally to 1,47,88,109, while active cases have surpassed the 18-lakh mark.

The death toll increased to 1,77,150 with a record 1,501 new fatalities, the data updated at 8 am showed. -- PTI 

The government plans to double the production of antiviral drug remdesivir to around 3 lakh vials per day over the next 15 days, to make it available readily for the treatment of COVID-19.

   

Minister of State of Chemicals and Fertilisers Mansukh L Mandaviya tweeted that the process has already started to enhance the production of remdesivir in the country.

 

"We are trying to increase production of remdesivir injection and also that its price comes down. Currently, we are producing 1.5 lakh vials per day. In the next fifteen days, it will be doubled to 3 lakh vials per day," he said on Twitter.

 

The government has also given permission to 20 plants to produce the antiviral drug, he added.

 

Already, remdesivir is being rolled out of 20 plants in the country, Mandaviya said.

 

"In the next few days, we are trying to maximise the remdesivir production. The drug companies have also reduced retail prices of the medicine and patients will benefit� from it," he added.

 

On Saturday, NPPA said pharmaceutical companies like Cadila Healthcare, Dr Reddy's Laboratories and Cipla have reduced the price of their respective brands of remdesivir injection (100mg/vial).

 

According to the details shared by the NPPA, Cadila Healthcare has reduced the price of its REMDAC (remdesivir 100 mg) injection to Rs 899 from Rs 2,800 earlier.

 

Similarly, Syngene International has cut the price of its brand RemWin to Rs 2,450 from Rs 3,950 earlier.

 

Hyderabad-based Dr Reddy's Laboratories has cut the price of REDYX, which used to cost Rs 5,400 earlier to Rs 2,700 now.

 

Similarly, Cipla has reduced MRP of its CIPREMI brand to Rs 3,000 from Rs 4,000 earlier.

 

Mylan has also reduced the price of its brand from Rs 4,800 to Rs 3,400.

 

Similarly, Jubilant Generics has cut the price of its remdesivir brand to Rs 3,400 from Rs 4,700 earlier.

 

Hetero Healthcare has also cut the price of its brand COVIFOR from Rs 5,400 to Rs 3,490. -- PTI

Former Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda and his wife Asha Hooda tested positive for COVID-19 on Sunday.

 

The 73-year-old Congress leader and his wife are in Delhi and they will get themselves admitted to a hospital in Gurgaon as a precautionary measure, party MLA B B Batra told PTI.

"Hooda had mild fever on Saturday. Later, he and his wife got themselves tested for COVID-19 and their report was positive," he said.

When contacted, Hooda told PTI over phone that he had fever but was feeling okay. He said that his and wife's COVID-19 test reports have come positive.

On Friday, another senior Congress leader from the state, Randeep Singh Surjewala, had also tested COVID-19 positive.

Last year Hooda's son and Rajya Sabha MP Deepender Singh Hooda had also contracted COVID-19.

After the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, several top politicians from Haryana have contracted the infection. 

They include Chief Minister M L Khattar, his deputy Dushyant Chautala, state Home Minister Anil Vij and a few other ministers and Assembly Speaker Gian Chand Gupta. -- PTI 

In view of the alarming rise in COVID-19 cases in the national capital, the Delhi High Court on Sunday issued an office order stating that from April 19 onwards it will only take up "extremely urgent matters" filed this year.

 

The order issued by the High Court's Registrar General Manoj Jain also said that other pending routine or non-urgent matters and those cases filed or listed before the court between March 22, 2020 and December 31, 2020 shall not be taken up for now and would be adjourned en bloc.

"In case of any extreme urgency, the request in the pending matters may be made on the already notified designated link," the order said.

 

"Keeping in view the alarming rise in COVID-19 cases in the NCT of Delhi, it has been ordered that all the benches of this court shall with effect from April 19, 2021 take up extremely urgent matters filed in the year 2021 only," the order said.

 

The national capital reported 25,500 fresh coronavirus infections in the last 24 hours

The latest direction is in continuation of the court's April 8 decision that from April 9 to April 23 it will take up matters "through virtual mode only" in view of the rise in COVID-19 cases.

The high court had commenced complete physical functioning from March 15 onwards.

Subsequently, it had said that virtual or hybrid proceedings would be held on the request of lawyers.

Following the outbreak of COVID-19 in March last year, the court was holding proceedings through video conferencing. Its functioning was restricted to urgent matters from March 16 last year.

Thereafter, from March 25 last year, the functioning of the high court and district courts was further restricted and no physical hearing was being conducted due to the spread of COVID-19.

Subsequently, from September last year a few benches started holding physical courts everyday on a rotation basis.

Some of them also started holding hybrid proceedings, wherein lawyers have the option to attend the hearing via video conference instead of appearing in person. -- PTI 

Former prime minister Manmohan Singh on Sunday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the COVID-19 crisis, stressing that ramping up vaccination was the key to battling the pandemic.

 

In a letter to the prime minister, the veteran Congress leader said one must not look at absolute numbers but the total percentage of population vaccinated.

"The key to our fight against COVID-19 must be ramping up the vaccination effort. We must resist the temptation to look at the absolute numbers being vaccinated, and focus instead on the percentage of the population vaccinated," he said in his letter.

Noting that India currently has vaccinated only a small fraction of its population, Singh said he is certain that with the right policy design, "we can do much better and very quickly".

"There are many things we must do to fight the epidemic but a big part of this effort must be ramping up the vaccination programme," he said while making several suggestions.

Singh said he is forwarding his suggestions for consideration in a spirit of constructive cooperation in which he has always believed and acted upon.

The suggestions come a day after the Congress Working Committee met and discussed the efforts required to fight the COVID pandemic.

Singh said the Centre should publicise vaccine dose orders placed and accepted for delivery over the next six months.  

He said the government should indicate how vaccine supplies are to be distributed to states. 

India has seen a massive surge of COVID-19 cases with over two lakh cases being reported every day in the past four days. -- PTI

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday reviewed the COVID-19 situation in Varanasi, his Lok Sabha constituency, and stressed the need for vaccination of everyone over 45 years of age.

   

He asked the local administration to help people with full sensitivity and asserted that the cooperation of society as well as the government is necessary to curb the pandemic.

 

According to a statement, Modi emphasised on implementing 'tracking, tracing and testing', saying this has to be fully followed to check the virus' spread in the same manner the first wave was curbed.

 

Speaking to local officials and people's representatives, the prime minister asked the administration to ensure that preventive measures like social distancing and the use of masks are practised.

 

"The prime minister underlined the importance of the vaccination exercise and asked the administration to raise awareness among everyone over 45 years about it," the statement said.

 

As the member of Parliament from Varanasi, he has also been taking regular feedback from people, Modi said, adding that expansion and modernisation of medical infrastructure in the city have helped in fighting the pandemic.

 

The availability of beds, ICU and oxygen facility is being increased, he said.

 

Noting that the administration has set up the 'Kashi COVID Response Centre', the prime minister said other steps should also be carried out swiftly.

 

He was also informed about the mechanism put in by the administration, including a control room for contact tracing, a command and control centre for home isolation and a dedicated phone line for ambulance service.

 

Also, telemedicine was being made available through a control room to deal with the rising COVID cases.

 

The statement said 1,98,383 people have got the first dose of the COVID vaccine, while 35,014 have got both the jabs. -- PTI

Terming the COVID-19 situation in the national capital as "very serious", Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday seeking help for beds and oxygen for coronavirus patients.

   

Kejriwal also requested the prime minister for reserving at least 7000 central government hospital beds out of the 10000 in Delhi for COVID patients, and immediate supply of oxygen.

 

"The COVID situation has become very serious in Delhi. There is huge shortage of beds and oxygen. I request that at least  7000 out of 10,000 beds in Central government hospitals in Delhi be reserved for COVID patients and oxygen be immediately provided in Delhi," he wrote.

 

"We are making all efforts at our level. Your help is needed," he added. 

He thanked the prime minister for the 500 ICU beds being readied in Delhi by the DRDO and urged him to raise the number of these beds to 1000.

The Delhi government has received much support from the Centre during the pandemic so far, he said and hoped that the prime minister will help further by providing beds and oxygen for COVID patients

Earlier in the day, the chief minister said that less than 100 ICU beds are available in the national capital where over 25,500 new cases have been reported.

  

Pointing out that the positivity rate has gone up from 24 per cent to 30 per cent in just 24 hours, he said due to fast pace in increase of COVID-19 infections, hospital beds and oxygen for patients are rapidly depleting in the city. -- PTI

At least six COVID-19 patients died in the ICU of a government hospital in Madhya Pradesh's Shahdol due to low pressure in medical oxygen supply, an official said on Sunday.

The incident took place at the Government Medical College Hospital Shahdol on the intervening night of Saturday and Sunday.

 

"Out of 62 patients admitted in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) ward of the medical college's COVID-19 centre, six patients died due to low pressure of liquid oxygen late last night," the facility's dean, Dr Milind Shiralkar, said.

The other critical patients are safe, he said.

"Experts have been called and the causes are being ascertained," he said.

Shiralkar said the liquid oxygen supply at the hospital was running out by late Saturday evening.

Suppliers were being contacted constantly, but the vehicle did not reach till late night, due to which the pressure of oxygen supplied to the patients was reduced, he said.

The official said there was shortage of oxygen supply since the last few days.

The oxygen plant on the campus has a storage capacity of 10 kilo litres per day, the official said, adding that liquid oxygen is brought from other states.

The hospital has 62 ICU beds where critical COVID-19 patients are admitted, he added.

Meanwhile, Madhya Pradesh Congress president Kamal Nath asked the government how long the deaths due to lack of oxygen will continue in the state.

In a tweet, Nath said, "Now very sad news of deaths due to lack of oxygen is coming from Shahdol? Why didn't the government wake up even after deaths in Bhopal, Indore, Ujjain, Sagar, Jabalpur, Khandwa, Khargone due to shortage of oxygen? After all, how long will deaths continue due to lack of oxygen in the state?

Terming the situation as scary, Nath also said there was a shortage of Remdesivir injections used in the treatment of coronavirus, and alleged that the key anti-viral drug and oxygen were available only on paper and not in reality. -- PTI

The daily coronavirus positivity rate in India in the last 12 days has doubled to 16.69 per cent, while the weekly positivity rate has increased to 13.54 per cent in the past one month, the Health Ministry said on Sunday.

   

India reported a record 2,61,500 new coronavirus cases and 1,501 deaths on Sunday, while active cases have surpassed the 18-lakh mark, the ministry data stated.

 

Ten states -- Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Kerala, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu and Rajasthan -- reported 78.56 per cent of the new infections, it said.

 

"The daily positivity rate in the last 12 days has doubled from 8% to 16.69%," the ministry said in a statement. "The national weekly positivity rate has increased from 3.05% to 13.54% in the last one month."

 

Chhattisgarh reported the highest weekly positivity rate at 30.38 per cent, followed by Goa at 24.24 per cent, Maharashtra at 24.17 per cent, Rajasthan at 23.33 per cent and Madhya Pradesh at 18.99 per cent, according to the ministry.

 

The active cases in the country mounted to 18,01,316, comprising 12.18 per cent of the total infections and a net increase of infections in a span of 24 hours.

 

Five states -- Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka and Kerala -- account for 65.02 per cent of India's the active cases.

 

The cumulative recoveries have surged to 1,28,09,643 after 1,38,423 more people recuperated.

 

Out of the 1,501 deaths, 10 states account for 82.94 per cent of the new deaths. Maharashtra saw the maximum fatalities at 419, followed by Delhi with 167 deaths.

 

Nine states and Union territories have not reported any COVID-19 deaths. 

These are Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu, Meghalaya, Tripura, Sikkim, Mizoram, Manipur, Lakshadweep, Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh.  -- PTI

India took only 92 days to reach the mark of 12-crore vaccinations, the fastest country to do so, the Union Health Ministry said on Sunday.

   

It is followed by the United States which took 97 days and China  which took 108 days.

The cumulative number of COVID-19 vaccine doses administered in the country has crossed 12 crore as part of the world's largest vaccination drive, it said.

Cumulatively, 12,26,22,590 vaccine doses have been administered through 18,15,325 sessions, as per the provisional report till 7 am. 

 

These include 91,28,146 healthcare workers (HCWs) who have taken the first dose and 57,08,223 HCWs who have taken the second dose, 1,12,33,415 FLWs who have received the first dose and  55,10,238 FLWs who have taken the second dose.

Besides,  4,55,94,522 and 38,91,294  beneficiaries aged more than 60 have been administered the first and second dose respectively and 4,04,74,993 and 10,81,759  beneficiaries aged 45 to 60 years have taken the first and second dose respectively.

Eight states account for 59.5 per cent of the total doses given so far in the country. 

"The four states Gujarat (1,03,37,448), Maharashtra (1,21,39,453), Rajasthan (1,06,98,771) and UP (1,07,12,739) have so far administered more than 1 crore doses each to their population. Gujarat completed 1 crore vaccinations on April 16 while the other three states achieved it on April 14," the ministry said.

"India took only 92 days to reach 12 crore vaccinations, the fastest country to do so. It is followed by the US which took 97 days and China (108 days)," the ministry stated.

Over 26 lakh vaccination doses were administered in a span of 24 hours.

As on day-92 of the vaccination drive (April 17), 26,84,956 vaccine doses were given. A total of 20,22,599 beneficiaries were vaccinated across 39,998 sessions for the first dose and 6,62,357 beneficiaries received the second dose of vaccine, it stated. -- PTI 

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday said around 25,500 new COVID-19 cases have been reported in Delhi and the positivity rate has increased to nearly 30 per cent in the last 24 hours.

   

He also said that the Delhi government has sought the Centre's help in ensuring adequate beds and supply of oxygen for COVID-19 patients.

 

Less than 100 ICU beds are vacant in Delhi hospitals, and the situation is worsening every moment, Kejriwal said, adding that he spoke to Union Home Minister Amit Shah this morning and stressed on the need for making more beds available.

 

"We are constantly in touch with the Centre and getting help from it," he said.

 

The chief minister said due to the fast pace of increasing COVID-19 infections, hospital beds and oxygen for patients are depleting fast in the city.

 

The Centre should reserve at least 7,000 of 10,000 beds in hospitals run by it in Delhi as COVID beds and ensure immediate supply of oxygen, he said.

 

The Delhi government in next 2-3 days will come up with 6,000 beds at Yamuna Sports Complex, Radha Swami Satsang Beas premises and schools. It is also arranging high flow oxygen beds for the patients, Kejriwal added. -- PTI 

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday cancelled all his public rallies in poll-bound West Bengal following a rapid rise in COVID-19 cases in the country.  

   

He also advised all other politicians to think about the consequences of holding large public rallies.  

 

"In view of the Covid situation, I am suspending all my public rallies in West Bengal.I would advise all political leaders to think deeply about the consequences of holding large public rallies under the current circumstances," he said on Twitter.  

 

The Congress has been critical of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah for holding political rallies amid the rise in coronavirus cases in the country.  

 

Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram has accused the prime minister of shocking callousness for holding big political rallies in poll-bound Bengal amid the rise in COVID-19 cases. 

 

He said the prime minister should be at his job, sitting at his desk and coordinating with chief ministers in handling the COVID pandemic.

 

Prime Minister Modi has been addressing public rallies in West Bengal for the eight-phase assembly elections in the state. 

India has been witnessing a massive surge in coronavirus cases. 

 

A record single-day rise of 2,61,500 coronavirus infections has taken the country's total tally of COVID-19 cases to 1,47,88,109, while active cases surpassed the 18-lakh mark, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Sunday. -- PTI

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday condoled the loss of lives in a hospital fire in Raipur and appealed to the Chhattisgarh government to provide all help to the bereaved families.

 

Four coronavirus patients were killed in the fire at the intensive care unit of a private hospital in Chhattisgarh's Raipur city, police said on Sunday. Authorities have ordered a probe into the incident.

"The news of fire in the ICU of a hospital in Raipur is sad. My condolences to the families who lost their loved ones," Gandhi said in a tweet in Hindi.

There is an appeal to the state government that all assistance should be given to the bereaved families during this difficult time, he said.

The Congress government in Chhattisgarh is led by senior party leader Bhupesh Baghel.

The fire broke out at Raipur's Rajdhani hospital on Saturday, police said.

"Four persons died in the incident, one from fire injuries and three due to suffocation," a police official said, adding a case of negligence will be registered against the owners of the hospital.

The fire broke due to short-circuit in a fan and spread in other wards, police said. -- PTI  

Actor Neil Nitik Mukesh has tested positive for COVID-19 and is currently under home quarantine. 

  

Mukesh took to social media to inform fans about his diagnosis.

Mukesh, 39, said he and members of his family had tested positive for COVID-19 despite taking "necessary precautions". 

"We are all home quarantined, following the essential protocols and taking medication as prescribed by our doctors. We thank all of you for your love and good wishes! Take care and stay safe," the actor wrote. 

On Saturday, Mumbai recorded 8,811 new cases and 51 fatalities, taking the city's case tally to 5,71,018 and the death toll to 12,301.

Engineering entrance exam JEE-Mains scheduled to be held from April 27-30 has been postponed in view of the COVID-19 situation, Union Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal 'Nishank' announced on Sunday.

 

"Given the current #covid19 situation, I have advised @DG_NTA to postpone the JEE (Main) 2021 April Session. I would like to reiterate that safety of our students & their academic career are @EduMinOfIndia's and my prime concerns right now," Nishank tweeted.

According to an official order by the National Testing Agency, "looking at the present situation of COVID-19 pandemic and also taking into account the safety and well being of candidates and examination functionaries, it has been decided to postpone JEE-(Main) April session".

"The revised dates will be announced later on and at least 15 days before the examination," the order said. 

"At 11 am, Prime Minister @narendramodi will be chairing a meeting to review the COVID-19 situation in Varanasi. The meeting will be attended by top officials, local administration and doctors who are involved in fighting COVID in Varanasi," his office said. 

The holy city has also witnessed a surge in COVID-19 cases like other major urban centres of UttarPradesh.

Arjun Rampal has tested positive for the novel coronavirus. The actor shared the update on his social media handles. Arjun is currently under home quarantine and following all the necessary protocols.

Arjun Rampal wrote in his post that he is asymptomatic and is currently getting the medical attention that is needed. He also asked people who have come in contact with him in the last 10 days to get themselves tested. 

"I have tested for COVID-19. Even though I am asymptomatic, I have isolated myself and home quarantined, getting the needed medical care. I am following all protocols as is required of me. To all those who have been in contact with me in the past 10 days, please take care and take the necessary precautions. This is a very scary time for us but if we are aware and wise for a short span of time, it will yield long term benefits. Together, we can and we will fight Corona! (sic), the statement read.

India registered its highest-ever single-day spike with 261,500 fresh cases of the coronavirus disease and recorded 1501 fatalities, taking the tally to 14,788,109 and the death toll to 177150, according to the Union ministry of health and family welfare on Sunday. 

The number of active cases in the country stands at 18,01,316, the health ministry's dashboard at 9 am showed.

According to the health ministry, 12,809,643 people have recovered from the disease after 138,423 Covid-19 patients were cured in the last 24 hours. India has vaccinated more than 110 million people so far.

The Delhi government has issued an order making it mandatory for all residents of Delhi who visit the Kumbh in Haridwar to quarantine themselves at home for fourteen days on return. Anyone who violates the order will face legal action.

An order issued by Chief Secretary Vijay Dev states, "All those residents of Delhi, who have visited or are going to visit Kumbh, will be required to compulsory home quarantine themselves for 14 days on arrival to Delhi." 

"Residents of Delhi who visited the Kumbh Mela between April 4 and April 17 are required to upload their details on a link provided on the Delhi government website within 24 hours," he added in an official letter.

"Those who are going to visit Kumbh between April 18 and April 30 must fill in their details before leaving Delhi. This will allow the government to effectively trace all Kumbh Mela visitors," the letter reads.

It further stated that If anyone who visits the Kumbh Mela fails to upload their information, they will be sent to an institutional quarantine centre for two weeks, the official order reads.

More than 1,700 people have tested positive for Covid-19 at the Kumbh in Haridwar. The COVID-19 protocol including wearing of masks and social distancing was openly violated as lakhs gathered for the major Hindu pilgrimage.

Meanwhile, Delhi reported 24,374 fresh Covid-19 cases in 24 hours on Saturday in its highest ever single-day tally. There are now almost 70,000 active cases in Delhi. 

A 39-year-old nurse from Miami, Florida has been arrested for threatening to kill US Vice President Kamala Harris, the local media reports said.

According to a criminal complaint filed in a Florida district court, Niviane Petit Phelps made threats to kill and inflict bodily harm upon Harris, CNN reported. 

After concerned authorises was notified of a threat to kill Harris in the month of March, an official was tasked to gather evidence, including videos and photographs that were sent by Phelps to her spouse.

"The videos generally depict Phelps complaining and speaking angrily to the camera about her hatred for President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, among others," the complaint copy was quoted by CNN. "However, in these videos, Phelps also made statements about killing Vice President Harris."

"Kamala Harris you are going to die. Your days are numbered already," the complaint quoted Phelps as saying in one of the videos.

In another video, the accused said, "I'm going to the gun range. ... I swear to God, today is your day you're gonna die. 50 days from today, mark this day down."

According to the complaint, Phelps was angry at the time about Kamala Harris becoming vice president but that she is "over it now."