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Fri, 07 May 2021
Maha requests Centre for more vaccines, oxygen
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23:19 Maha requests Centre for more vaccines, oxygen
Maharashtra Health Minister Rajesh Tope on Friday requested the Central government for more COVID-19 vaccines, oxygen supply, Remdesivir injections, in wake of the prevailing situation of the pandemic.
"We need 1700 metric tonnes (MT) of oxygen. We urge the Central government to provide us the required oxygen. We received 9 lakh vaccines two days back and 8 lakh vaccines have been administered so far. We request the Centre to provide us vaccines in a large number," said Tope while addressing a press conference in Mumbai.
"Almost 4 lakh people of 45 years and above are waiting for their second dose. There is no supply of Covaxin and if we don't get the supply, we have to transfer vaccines allotted to 18-44 years to 45 years and above age group," he added.
Tope said that the state government started import of 3 lakh Remedesivir after getting permission from the Drugs Controller General of India.
"We have started import of 3 lakh Remedesivir after getting permission from Drugs Controller General of India. We are not receiving the allotted amount of Remdesivir injections from the Centre. We have got 52,000 Remdesivir injections from US aid through Centre," he informed.
Meanwhile, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Kerala, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Chhattisgarh, West Bengal, Haryana, and Bihar have a high COVID caseload in the country, informed the Union Health Ministry today.
Mumbai reported 3,039 new COVID19 cases, 4,052 recoveries and 71 deaths in the last 24 hours, as per the city health department.
The total case tally is at 6,71,394 and active cases are at 49,499 in the city.Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Wednesday said that the state has been aiming to increase its oxygen generation capacity to 3,000 metric tonnes per day after the central government warned about the Covid-19 third wave.
"The central government's scientific body has warned about the third wave of COVID. We are preparing for that since last month. Several districts are seeing a decline in COVID cases while some districts are seeing an increase in cases. We are keeping a close tab on it," he said. -- ANI
23:05 Post-poll violence in Bengal appears well conspired: RSS
The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh on Friday condemned the post-poll violence in West Bengal and said it appears to be 'well conspired' and is against the spirit of democracy.
Several incidents of violence were reported in West Bengal after the announcement of assembly poll results on May 2.
The Bharatiya Janata Party, which is part of the Sangh-guided larger ideological family, has alleged that its several workers were killed and many were injured by the Trinamool Congress in the aftermath of the elections.
The Mamata Banerjee-led TMC swept the polls, winning over two-thirds majority, with BJP emerging the main opposition party.
In Bengal, the anti-social elements active in this abhorring violence, 'misbehaved with women folk in the most barbaric and despicable manner, brutally killed innocent people and torched houses', the Sangh's general secretary, Dattatreya Hosabale, said in a statement.
He also claimed that as a result of unabated violence, thousands of people, including a large number from the scheduled castes and tribes, were forced to go in search of refuge to save their lives and honour.
The RSS general secretary said that there is widespread 'fear psychoses' among the common people of West Bengal.
"The violence unleashed state wide, soon after the election results came out, is not only highly condemnable but appears to be well conspired also," Hosabale said.
"It is our considered opinion that this post-poll result violence is contrary to the 'Bharatiya' tradition of co-existence and respect to the opinion of all, as also it is totally opposed to the very spirit of democracy and one people enshrined in our Constitution," Hosabale said.
He alleged that the state's administrative machinery remained 'completely passive' and was a 'mute spectator' to the situation in West Bengal.
Electoral victory may belong to a political party, but the government is accountable to the entire society, Hosabale said.
The RSS demands that the newly-elected government of West Bengal, should effectively establish rule of law by immediately containing violence and initiate legal action against culprits by arresting them, he said.
The Sangh also urged the Centre to take necessary and all possible steps to establish 'peace' in West Bengal and ensure that the state government acts in the appropriate direction, the RSS general secretary said.
'The RSS appeals to all the intelligentsia, the socio-religious and political leadership to play their significant role to arouse a feeling of trust and stand by the suffering sections of society in Bengal in this hour of crisis,' Hosabale said in the statement. -- PTI
22:10 IAF, Navy intensify efforts to help tackle Covid
The Indian Air Force (IAF) has conducted 59 sorties to airlift 72 cryogenic oxygen storage containers and 1,252 oxygen cylinders from seven countries across the world, the defence ministry said on Friday.
These seven countries are Singapore, Dubai, Thailand, the United Kingdom, Germany, Belgium and Australia, the ministry said in a statement.
India has been badly hit by a second wave of COVID-19, and hospitals in several states are reeling under a severe shortage of vaccines, oxygen, drugs, equipment and beds.
As on Friday, the C-17 aircraft of the IAF have conducted 400 sorties within the country, including 351 to airlift 252 oxygen tankers of total capacity of 4,904 metric tonnes, the ministry stated.
Along with the IAF, the Indian Navy has also intensified its efforts to aid the civil administration in tackling the current COVID-19 situation by ferrying oxygen containers and medical equipment.
The ministry said the Indian Navy deployed INS Talwar, INS Kolkata, INS Airavat, INS Kochi, INS Tabar, INS Trikand, INS Jalashwa and INS Shardul to ferry oxygen containers, cylinders, concentrators and related equipment from friendly foreign countries.
On May 5, the Indian Navy deployed nine warships to bring liquid oxygen and other medical supplies from several countries in the Persian Gulf and South East Asia.
With a record 4,14,188 new coronavirus infections being reported in a span of 24 hours, India's total tally of COVID-19 cases climbed to 2,14,91,598 on Friday, while the count of active cases crossed the 36-lakh mark, according to the Union health ministry.
The death toll has increased to 2,34,083 with 3,915 fatalities being reported in a day, data uploaded by the ministry showed.
Since April 23, the IAF has been airlifting empty oxygen tankers and containers to various filling stations across the country.
Along with oxygen containers, the IAF has transported essential medicines as well as equipment required by COVID hospitals in various parts of the country. -- PTI
21:26 BJP to boycott Bengal speaker's election
West Bengal Bharatiya Janata Party president Dilip Ghosh on Friday said that party legislatures will boycott the election for the speaker in West Bengal assembly and its newly elected lawmakers will not attend the House till the post-poll violence in the state is controlled.
The Speaker's election is slated for Saturday.
The BJP lawmakers will not attend the assembly in protest against the post poll violence, he said.
" We will not attend the speaker's election tomorrow. We will also not attend the sessions of the House," Ghosh told reporters at the state assembly.
He also said, "We will not come to the assembly till our MLAs get full protection ... We will only come when our MLAs will be able to walk alongside our workers."
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had on Thursday said that 16 persons -- both from Trinamool Congress and the BJP and one from the ISF had lost their lives in the post poll violence in the state.
The results were declared on May 2.
"We will expect that the government will take initiative to stop the violence and compensate those affected in the violence," Ghosh added.
Banerjee had on Thursday announced that family members of each of those killed in the violence after the eight-phase election in the state will be given Rs 2 lakh each by the government as compensation.
A four-member fact finding team of the union home ministry is visiting the state to look into the reasons for the post poll violence.
They met the West Bengal chief secretary, home secretary and director general of police at the state secretariat and met Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar on Friday seeking a report on the violence.
The union home ministry has asked Dhankar to give a report on the law and order situation in the state, particularly the violence that took place following the declaration of the election result. -- PTI
20:55 Mumbai reports 3,039 new Covid cases, 71 deaths
Mumbai reported 3,039 new coronavirus infections and 71 fatalities on Friday, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) said.
It took the city's caseload to 6,71,394 and death toll to 13,687. After more than a month, the number of active cases dipped below 50,000 on Friday.
There are 49,499 active cases in Mumbai now.
Also, on the seventh day in a row, the daily rise in cases in the country's financial capital remained below 4,000. With 35,224 tests conducted during the day, the total of coronavirus tests carried out in the city so far increased to 56,44,402.
Since Thursday evening, 4,052 patients were discharged from hospitals, taking the number of recoveries to 6,06,435.
Mumbai's rate of recovery is now 90 per cent.
The city's average growth rate of COVID-19 cases for the period between April 30 to May 6 was 0.51 per cent, while the doubling rate of cases was 138 days.
There are 96 active containment zones in slums and chawls while 617 buildings are currently sealed. -- PTI
20:50 Bengal violence: NCW says women receiving rape threats
A National Commission for Women team visiting West Bengal to take stock of the post-poll violence has found that many women are receiving rape threats and want their daughters to leave the state as police are not taking effective steps for their protection, chairman of the women's rights body Rekha Sharma said on Friday.
Victims are unable to voice their complaints due to the fear of backlash, she said in a statement.
After the third straight convincing victory for the ruling Trinamool Congress, led by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, in the assembly election, West Bengal has witnessed a number of violent incidents since Sunday, when the results were announced.
Taking suo moto cognisance of videos purportedly showing women being beaten up in West Bengal's Nandigram assembly constituency, the National Commission for Women had on Tuesday announced that it will send a team to the state for further inquiry into the matter.
The team received information about many stranded victims, who left their homes because of violence, are currently forced to stay in a shelter home. The team was informed by the victims that they were physically assaulted and their homes were vandalised and set ablaze by TMC goons, the NCW statement said.
The complainants told the team that they have been receiving rape and threat calls every day. The women also said that they are not being provided any protection by the police or state authorities. The women said that they have left the elderly in their homes and are worried about their safety, it said.
The shelter homes that these people are staying in have no facilities. The victims complained that they are not being provided with any medical facilities, healthy food or even clean drinking water, it added.
The NCW team headed by Sharma talked to many women who said they were worried about the safety of their daughters and wanted them to leave the state for their safety, according to the statement.
After talking to several victims, the NCW found that West Bengal police officials are not taking effective steps to provide security to women, the statement said.
'Victims are unable to speak about their complaints due to the fear of backlash. Accountability of police and state authorities need to be fixed. There is also a need for sensitisation and training of police officials for a better handling of cases related to women and the number of women police officers in the force must be increased.
'There is no effective rehabilitation scheme for women in distress and women are unaware of the welfare schemes launched for them by the central government. There is a need for conducting awareness programmes about schemes of central government at the district level,' it stated.
The NCW alleged that it was supposed to meet many more victims of the post-poll violence but the state government officials refused to facilitate the meetings citing restrictions on movement in view of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The team members also met Governor Jagdeep Dhankar who advised them to seek detailed information from district magistrates and police officials regarding the number of FIRs filed in connection with the violence and their status thereof.
He also suggested that police officials should be directed to appear before the NCW with the reports, the statement said.
At least six people had been killed in the post-poll violence in different parts of West Bengal till Tuesday.
The Bharatiya Janata Patry has alleged that TMC-backed goons have killed a number of its workers, attacked its women members, vandalised houses, looted shops of its members and ransacked its offices.
The TMC has claimed that three of its supporters have been killed in violent incidents.
Members of other parties, including the Left and the Congress, have also attacked the TMC for the violence, which they said has been aimed at their members and sympathisers as well.
The TMC has denied the charges. -- PTI
20:22 Maha to have separate Covid task force for kids
With the possibility of a third wave of COVID-19 pandemic looming, the Maharashtra government is setting up a paediatric task force to create infrastructure for the treatment of children, health minister Rajesh Tope said on Friday.
More than 1.30 lakh minors in the state have been infected by coronavirus during the second wave which began around February 15, as per official data.
"A paediatric task force is being set up to tackle the third wave of COVID-19 where children could also get infected.
"We will need new designs for isolation or treatment centres because generally mother has to stay with the child," Tope told reporters.
The state is also facing a vaccine shortage and 'we may have to rearrange the current vaccine distribution methods', he said. -- PTI
BS Yediyurappa
19:54 2-week total lockdown in Karnataka from May 10
Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa on Friday announced a complete lockdown in the state for two weeks from May 10, Monday.
"As Covid-19 cases are surging in the state, corona curfew was not successful. So, a complete lockdown will be imposed from 10th May 6 am to 24th May 6 am.
"All hotels, pubs and bars will remain closed. Eateries, meat shops and vegetable shops can operate from 6-10 am," the Karnataka CM announced.
"Not even a single person will be allowed after 10 am in the lockdown, I have suggested police officers to take stringent action. We have decided this after looking at the death toll and increasing number of cases."
It's a temporary decision of lockdown, I request migrant labourers to not leave, Yediyurappa added.
19:47 Salman Khan to financially support 25,000 cine workers
Superstar Salman Khan has come forward and pledged to offer monetary help to 25,000 daily wage earners of the film industry, the Federation of Western Indian Cine Employees (FWICE) said on Friday.
According to B N Tiwari, FWICE of President, the 55-year-old actor will be paying Rs 1,500 to every worker on monthly basis.
"We got a confirmation from Salman Khan last night that he will help 25,000 workers with Rs 1,500 each monthly. We will soon finalise and send the list of the workers to those who are in dire need," Tiwari told PTI.
In order to contain the spread of the coronavirus, the Maharashtra government has suspended shoot of all films and shows in the state. Following this, makers of several film and TV shoots from Mumbai recently shifted their shooting base to Goa.
However, the Entertainment Society of Goa (ESG) on Thursday cancelled all permissions granted for shootings in the state in the wake of the surge in Covid-19 cases.
FWICE has a total of 2.5 lakh workers including junior artists, make-up artistes, stuntmen, spot boys and technicians.
Most recently, Khan's banner Salman Khan Films announced that the revenue earned from the superstar's upcoming film Radhe: Your Most Wanted Bhai will be utilised to support Covid-19 relief work across the country.
19:31 Bengal violence: MHA team visits Diamond Harbour
A four-member team deputed by the Ministry of Home Affairs visited the Diamond Harbour area of West Bengal's South 24 Parganas district to assess the ground situation amid the reports of post-poll violence in the state.
The team interacted with locals and assessed the property vandalism in those areas.
The MHA has deputed a four-member team, led by an additional secretary level official including a Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) official, to visit the affected areas.
The team reached West Bengal yesterday.
Additional Secretary Home Ministry Govind Mohan, Additional Secretary Education Ministry Vinit Joshi, Joint Director of Intelligence Bureau Janardan Singh and IB Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) IB, Nalin are among the team.
Violence has been reported in several parts of West Bengal after the results of the assembly elections were declared on May 2.
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) alleged that nine of its party workers have been killed in the post-poll violence.
However, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) is denying the allegations. -- ANI
18:29 BMC opens vax slots for all adults at 7 pm
This is from the Mumbai Civic body: Those who are above 45 years may book tomorrow's slots after 7 pm tonight. No walk-ins permitted. The slots for 18-44 year-olds shall open after 7.30 pm.
Please do not walk-in unless you are a HCW (healthcare worker)/FLW (frontline worker) or scheduled for second dose of Covaxin. No walk-ins for covishield at all,
Meanwhile, West Bengal government moves Supreme Court seeking its direction to disband the current COVID-19 vaccination policy and bring in universal coverage with uniform price.
A patient receives treatment at a converted banquet hall in Delhi
18:04 Covid can cause dangerous blood clots: Experts
There is increasing evidence to suggest that COVID-19 is not just a disease of the lungs as initially thought but can also cause dangerous blood clots which need to be immediately retrieved to save limbs in some cases, say experts.
Global studies have shown that the prevalence of blood clot formation known as deep vein thrombosis (DVT) in hospitalised COVID-19 patients is 14-28 per cent and is a lower 2-5 per cent for arterial thrombosis.
The India experience is similar, said experts, stressing that the infection is about the blood vessels as much as about the lungs. "We are dealing with five-six such cases per week on average. This week it has been one a day of such complications," said Dr Ambarish Satwik, vascular and endovascular surgeon at Delhi's Sir Ganga Ram Hospital.
The prevalence of blood clot formation in COVID-19 is high in patients who have conditions such as type-2 Diabetes Mellitus, although the exact incidence remains unknown, added Dr Amrish Kumar, consultant, cardio-thoracic vascular department, Aakash Healthcare in southwest Delhi's Dwarka locality.
While DVT is a serious condition that occurs when a blood clot forms in a vein located deep inside the body, arterial thrombosis is a clot that develops in an artery. Arteries are blood vessels that carry oxygen-rich blood away from the heart to the body, while veins carry blood low in oxygen from the body back to the heart.
Satwik drew attention to the Covid-clot connection in a tweet earlier this week in which he posted a picture of a blood clot cast retrieved from the lower limb arteries of a COVID-19 patient.
"What COVID clots look like. Covid produces blood clots. The incidence of heart attack, stroke, or limb loss due to an arterial clot in Covid varies from 2 per cent-5 per cent. We pried these out of the lower limb arteries of a Covid patient. We were able to save the limb," Satwik said on May 5.
Explaining his tweet, which attracted a lot of attention and questions too, Satwik said the COVID-19 patient had an acute circulatory cut off because of the clots, and the limb was threatened. So we had to physically do a surgical procedure and extract these clots, otherwise there would have been gangrene, and he would have ended up with an amputation. We were successfully able to take the clots out and save the limb, the surgeon explained.
Authors of a Lancet paper published in November last year said studies suggested there is increased association between COVID-19 and the risk of thromboembolism (TE) or obstruction of a blood vessel by a blood clot.
The authors of the paper concluded that TE rates of COVID-19 are high and associated with a higher risk of death. We have been understanding the pathophysiology of COVID-19 for over a year now. When it first hit China and the global west, it was thought that it was typical viral pneumonia. Severe cases of acute COVID were being labelled as similar to the acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), which leads to respiratory failure, Satwik noted.
However, a series of autopsies on COVID patients and their lungs revealed that what the doctors were seeing was not typical ARDS. ...in addition to that, they were finding clots in the microcirculation of the lungs. So it was then kind of understood that COVID is as much a disease of blood vessels as much it's a disease of the lungs, Satwik added.
In a COVID-19 patient, when blood vessels are injured, they produce a protein that attracts platelets and other clotting factors that come together to form a clot, Kumar added. Studies have shown that around 20 to 30 per cent of hospitalised COVID-19 patients have developed this complication, he told PTI.
17:54 Prioritise vaccinations for 45+: Centre to states
The Union Health Ministry on Friday requested all the states and Union Territories to prioritise the beneficiaries of the second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.
"From the side of the Union Health Ministry, we requested all the states/ UTs to prioritise the beneficiaries of the second dose and ensure the timely completion of the recommended vaccination schedule," Additional Secretary (Health) Arti Ahuja said during a media briefing.
The Ministry also urged that the states / UTs to use the vaccines received by them through the 'Government of India channel' in 70:30 ratio for the second dose and the first dose respectively.
"Secondly, utilise the supplies of the vaccines through the Government of India channel in the 70:30 ratio for the second dose and the first dose respectively and do a regular review of the coverage of the vaccination drive," Ahuja said.
The Ministry also said that so far, a total of 16.50 crore doses of the COVID-19 vaccine have been administered across all categories.
"Among the Healthcare workers, so far, 0.95 crore doses have been administered for the first dose and 0.64 crore doses have been given as the second dose. Similarly, for the frontline workers 1.38 crore doses for the first dose and 0.75 crore doses for the second dose," the Additional Secretary said.
"People aged more than 45 years, nearly 10.76 doses have been administered for the first dose while 1.90 crore doses have been given as the second dose. As many 11.81 lakh people have been given the first dose, in the age group of 18-44 years. So far, a total 16.50 crore doses have been administered across all categories," she added. -- ANI
17:46 WhatsApp scraps May 15 deadline for accepting privacy policy terms
WhatsApp has scrapped its May 15 deadline for users to accept its controversial privacy policy update and said not accepting the terms will not lead to deletion of accounts.
WhatsApp had faced severe backlash over user concerns that data was being shared with parent company Facebook. A WhatsApp spokesperson told PTI that no accounts will be deleted on May 15 for not accepting the policy update.
"No accounts will be deleted on May 15 because of this update and no one in India will lose functionality of WhatsApp either. We will follow up with reminders to people over the next several weeks," the spokesperson said in an emailed response to a query on Friday.
The spokesperson added that while a "majority of users who have received the new terms of service have accepted them", some people have not had the chance to do so yet. However, the company did not clarify the reason behind the decision and did not divulge the number of users who have accepted the terms so far. PTI
17:44 Railways has delivered 2,960 tonnes of liquid oxygen to states
The Railways has delivered 2,960 tonnes of liquid medical oxygen (LMO) to states across the country since April 19 in 185 tankers, the national transporter said on Friday. Forty-seven 'Oxygen Express' trains have completed their journey so far, it added.
Till now, 174 tonnes of LMO has been offloaded in Maharashtra, 729 tonnes in Uttar Pradesh, 249 tonnes in Madhya Pradesh, 305 tonnes in Haryana, 123 tonnes in Telangana and 1,334 tonnes in Delhi.
At present, 18 tankers are on the run with more than 260 tonnes of LMO which are expected to arrive in Maharashtra, Haryana and Delhi, the Railways said. "Running of new oxygen is a very dynamic exercise, and figures keep getting updated all the time. More loaded Oxygen Expresses are expected to start their journeys later in the night," it said. PTI
17:14 3rd Covid wave may not happen if... says govt
Principal Scientific Advisor to Centre, Prof K Vijayraghavan on the Covid crisis: "If we take strong measures, the third wave may not happen in all the places or indeed anywhere at all. It depends much on how effectively the guidance is implemented at the local level, in the states, in districts and in the cities everywhere." He said on the issue of Covid-triggered Black fungus or mucormycisis cases, surveillance was on.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday spoke to the chief ministers of Manipur, Sikkim and Tripura on the COVID-19 situation in their states, government sources said. Modi had on Thursday spoken to the chief ministers of Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Jharkhand and Telangana besides the lieutenant governors of Jammu & Kashmir and Puducherry in this regard.
A Covid patient receives oxygen at a gurudwara
17:14 Lawyer moves HC after Covid patient dies at home
The incredible India where you have to move court to get a hospital bed for a loved one.
Advocate MK Gahlaut, who approached the Delhi High Court seeking an ICU bed with ventilator for a patient yesterday, informs the court that the patient died, his mother passed away and one more family member is on death bed. He moves contempt petition, says yesterday, the HC ordered that all COVID patients have to be given treatment.
The Delhi high court on Thursday directed the Delhi government to ensure treatment was available to all Covid patients from the national capital, and said that medical facilities in city was unable to hold up to the test it was put under by the pandemic's current wave.
16:37 Chhota Rajan alive: AIIMS
Underworld don Chhota Rajan is still alive. He is admitted at AIIMS for treatment of COVID19: AIIMS official.
It was reported widely that the gangster had died of Covid-19 at the AIIMS, Delhi. However, the hospital clarified that the Chhota Rajan is still alive and is admitted at AIIMS for treatment of the virus.
Rajan, 62, was admitted to the hospital on April 26 after he was confirmed to have contracted the coronavirus infection.
The gangster was lodged in the high security Tihar jail since his extradition from Indonesia back in 2015.
People line up at a Covid vaccine centre
16:19 No supply of Covaxin: Maharashtra govt
Rajesh Tope, Maharashtra Health Minister: "We need 1700 MT of oxygen. We urge the Central govt to provide us the required oxygen.
"We received 9 lakh vaccines two days back and 8 lakh vaccines have been administered so far. We request the centre to provide us vaccines in large number.
"Almost 4 lakh people of 45 years and above are waiting for their second dose.
"There is no supply of Covaxin and if we don't get the supply we have to transfer vaccines allotted to 18-44 yrs to 45 years and above age group."
Sutapa Sikdar with Irrfan Khan
16:13 'My relative couldn't get a bed because he wasn't Chhota Rajan'
Actor Irrfan Khan's wife, Sutapa Sikdar, had penned a note on Facebook after the death of a relative due to Covid-19. She wrote in her note that she was unable to find a hospital bed for him, amid an acute shortage of resources in New Delhi.
Sutapa wrote on May 4, "I posted day before for help for my relative Sameer Banerjee. Today he left us. We couldnt set up an ICU at home in Delhi the capital of India. And we couldnt get a bed in the hospital. My gratitude to all the covid warriors who helped. I will never forget you all, my blessings to you all till I live."
She continued, "I will never forget sameerdas smile ..i will cherish my adolescent memories with him. I will never ever forget that I couldnt get a bed in ICU for him because he was not chotarajan. he was an honest man. I will not forget this mayhem in delhi."
HDFC was the top gainer
16:03 Sensex jumps 257 pts; Nifty ends above 14,800
Extending its winning run to the third session, equity benchmark Sensex advanced 257 points on Friday, tracking gains in index majors HDFC twins, ITC and Bharti Airtel amid a positive trend in global markets. The 30-share BSE index ended 256.71 points or 0.52 per cent higher at 49,206.47.
Similarly, the broader NSE Nifty rose 98.35 points or 0.67 per cent to 14,823.15. HDFC was the top gainer in the Sensex pack, spurting over 2 per cent, followed by Bajaj Finserv, M&M, NTPC, Bharti Airtel, UltraTech Cement and ONGC. On the other hand, Bajaj Auto, Bajaj Finance, Infosys and Kotak Bank were among laggards. -- PTI
15:35 Lawyer on EC's panel resigns over 'values'
A lawyer, who has been representing the Election Commission (EC) before the Supreme Court, has resigned from the panel of advocates of the EC, saying his values were not in consonance with the present functioning of the poll body.
Advocate Mohit D Ram was a panel counsel for the EC in the Supreme Court since 2013.
"I have found that my values are not in consonance with the current functioning of the EC; and hence I withdraw myself from the responsibilities of its panel counsel before the Supreme Court. I undertake to ensure smooth transition of files, NOC and 'vakalatnamas' in all pending matters with my office," he said in the resignation letter. PTI
15:27 TN to provide Rs 4000 aid for Covid-hit families
DMK) supremo MK Stalin, who was sworn-in as the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister on Friday, immediately took charge of his duties and signed an order to provide Rs 4,000 to each COVID-19 family in the state as "Corona relief."
He has promised to give the first installment of Rs 2,000 in May. Stalin also announced the state government will bear expenses for all corona-related treatments to state government insurance cardholders in the empanelled private hospitals.
These were the first set of orders that the minister passed soon after taking the oath at Raj Bhavan.Along with Stalin 33 other ministers from his party also took the oath.
The names include 19 former ministers and 15 new faces. There are two women among the newly sworn-in ministers.Stalin's son Udhayanidhi does not figure in the list of ministers.
15:20 4-digit security code for CoWIN from tomorrow
The CoWIN system is introducing a new feature of four-digit security code from May 8 to minimise data entry errors about vaccination status that would subsequently reduce inconvenience caused to citizens, the health ministry said.
It has been noticed in some instances that citizens who had booked their appointment for COVID-19 vaccination through the CoWIN portal but did not actually go for vaccination on the scheduled date have received SMS notification that a vaccine dose has been administered to them, it said.
Upon examination, it has been found to occur largely on account of the vaccinator wrongly marking the citizen as vaccinated, an instance of data entry error by the vaccinator, it stated.
"In order to minimize such errors and the subsequent inconvenience caused to the citizens, the CoWIN system is introducing a new feature of four-digit security code in the CoWIN application from May 8. "Now, after verification, if the beneficiary is been found eligible, before administering the vaccine dose, the verifier/vaccinator will ask the beneficiary about his four-digit code and then enter the same in the CoWIN system to correctly record the vaccination status," the ministry said in its statement.
This new feature will be applicable only for citizens who have done an online booking for a vaccination slot. The four-digit security code will be printed in the appointment acknowledgement slip and will not be known to the vaccinator.
The code will also be present in the confirmation SMS sent to beneficiary after successful booking of an appointment.
The appointment acknowledgement slip can also be saved and shown from the mobile. This will ensure that for those citizens who have booked an online appointment, the data entries regarding vaccination status of a citizen are recorded correctly, the ministry said in a statement.
This will also reduce the opportunities of impersonation and wrongful use of flexibilities provided in CoWIN for facilitating vaccination coverage. The ministry advised the citizens must carry a digital or physical copy of their appointment slip and the registered mobile phone with appointment confirmation SMS, so that the security code can be furnished for easy completion of vaccination recording process.
Citizens must provide the security code to the vaccinator as the digital certificate will be generated only after the vaccination record has been updated with the security code.
Citizen should get a confirmation SMS after the process has been successfully completed. The confirmation SMS indicates that the vaccination process has been completed successfully and the digital certificate has been generated. If one does not get the confirmation SMS, one should get in touch with the vaccinator or the vaccination centre in-charge, the ministry said. PTI
15:14 Kejriwal to hold Covid review meet today
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal will review the COVID-19 situation in the national capital in a meeting to be held later in the day, an official said.
The meeting, to be held at the chief minister's residence, will be attended by Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, Health Minister Satyendar Jain, health secretary and all the district magistrates, the official said. The national capital recorded 335 COVID-19 deaths in a day and 19,133 new cases even as the positivity rate dropped below 25 per cent for the first time since April 18, according to the bulletin issued by the Delhi health department on Thursday. PTI
15:02 No lack of oxygen now at COVID centre in south Delhi: ITBP
Oxygen supply at the 500-oxygenated bed COVID care centre in south Delhi has been "normalised" and there is no lack of the life-saving gas for patients there, the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) said on Friday.
This for the first time that a comforting development of adequate oxygen supply has been reported from the facility since it was opened about two weeks ago on April 26.
Official sources said while the full sanctioned 6.55 metric tonnes of medical oxygen for the centre was yet to be received, improvisations are being done by deploying some oxygen concentrators and sending oxygen cylinders on a truck to refill them from a BHEL plant situated about 230 kilometres away in Uttarakhand's Haridwar district.
This Delhi government facility, called the Sardar Patel COVID care centre (SPCCC), is located in the Radha Soami Beas campus in south Delhi's Chhattarpur area and the medical wing and doctors of the border guarding force have been entrusted by the Union government to run it.
"Oxygen supply at the centre has been normalised and there is no lack of oxygen for the patients admitted at the centre. "Adequate medicines are being provided by the district administration to the centre for the admitted patients," ITBP spokesperson Vivek Kumar Pandey said. The facility till now has been under-utilised as it was not able to admit patients to its full capacity even as the ITBP had issued a statement last week saying that it was facing shortage of medical oxygen and the "Delhi government has been requested to increase oxygen supply so that admissions are increased."
At least 400 patients are admitted to the SPCCC at present, Pandey said. Till now, over 918 admissions have been made at the centre. "There are instances when many patients whose oxygen level (saturation) was as low as 60 but after they were provided the much-needed care, many of them have improved to the level of 80-90 saturation level," he said. Pandey said there have been instances of re-admission at the facility too.
"At least 24 patients have been re-admitted to the centre after they left on their own." "Later, when they found that better care is being given at the SPCCC, they requested re-admission," he said. It speaks about the volume of confidence patients have in the centre, the spokesperson said. "Hundreds of patients who were critical earlier have been given treatment here and their oxygen levels have now become better," he said. -- PTI
14:57 Shilpa Shetty's husband, kids test +ve for Covid
Bollywood star Shilpa Shetty on Friday announced that six of her family members, including husband Raj Kundra, son Viaan-Raj and daughter Samisha, have tested positive for coronavirus. In a statement posted on her official Instagram page, the 45-year-old actor said her parents-in-law and her mother have also contracted the virus.
"The last 10 days have been difficult for us as a family. My parents-in-law tested positive for Covid-19, followed by Samisha, Viaan-Raj, my Mom, and lastly, Raj. They've all been in isolation in their rooms at home as per the official guidelines and have been following the doctor's advice," Shetty said.
Besides her family, two members of the actor's in-house staff also tested positive and they are currently being treated at a medical facility, she added. Shetty said all the members of her family are "on the road to recovery", while she has tested negative for the disease.
"All safety measures have been followed as per protocol, and we're grateful to the BMC and authorities for their prompt help & response. "Thank you for all your love & support. Please continue to keep all of us in your prayers. Please mask up, sanitise, stay safe; and whether Covid positive or not... Still stay positive, mentally," she added. Shetty and Raj Kundra have been married since 2009.
They welcomed their son Viaan Raj in 2012. In February 2020, the couple had revealed that they became parents to daughter Samisha through surrogacy. On Thursday, Mumbai reported 3,056 new coronavirus cases and 69 deaths, pushing its caseload to 6,68,355 and death toll to 13,616. PTI
14:54 Mamata writes to PM, seeks 550 MT oxygen for WB
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, seeking increased supply of medical oxygen for COVID-19 treatment.
Banerjee also said that the Centre hiked oxygen allocation for other states out of the total production in Bengal, despite its enhanced requirement.
The chief minister said daily consumption of oxygen in her state has gone up to 470 MT in the last 24 hours and is expected to increase to 550 MT per day in about a week.
"I would request you to kindly have the allocation of medical oxygen reviewed and instructions issued for an immediate allocation of at least 550 MT per day of MO," she said in the letter to Modi.
Any allocation less than the requested amount will not only adversely affect the supply, but may also result in loss of lives of patients in the state, Banerjee said.
"... Government of India has increased allocation of MO to other states, from the total production in West Bengal, during the last 10 days from 230 MT to 360 MT, keeping allocation for us constant at 308 MT per day despite its requirement of 550 MT," the CM aaded. -- PTI
14:23 Central Vista PIL to be heard on May 10
Central Vista construction case hearing begins in the Supreme Court: Siddharth Luthra, lawyer appearing for the petitioner said, how come at a time when there is a health emergency in the country, is construction activity on, especially when labourers are in a health camp and the situation is very bad.
"We are facing a humanitarian crisis. If construction activity will be deferred for 3 - 4 weeks, it will serve the purpose, (for the time being)," said Siddharth Luthra, lawyer appearing for the petitioner in Central Vista construction case in Supreme Court.
"Since there is a public health emergency, let the matter be taken by the Delhi High Court on May 10," Luthra submitted to the Supreme Court bench.
14:12 Karnataka's Remdesivir allocation increased
Karnataka's allocation of Remdesivir has been increased to 2,62,346 vials from May 10 to May 16. Stating this in a tweet on Friday, Karnataka Health Minister Sudhakar K thanked the Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Minister D V Sadananda Gowda for their continued support to strengthen the State's battle against Covid-19 pandemic. Karnataka's active COVID cases breached the five lakh mark with 49,058 fresh infections, including 23,706 in Bengaluru Urban district, on Thursday.PTI
14:06 Ramzan namaz offered in Telangana
People in Hyderabad offer namaz on the last Friday of the Ramzan month.
13:57 Maharashtra not receiving Remdesivir quota: Tope
Maharashtra Health Minister Rajesh Tope on Friday alleged that most of the pharmaceutical companies are not supplying the mandated quantity of Remdesivir to the state. He was speaking to reporters.
"The Union government has fixed the quota of Remdesivir vials to every state. However, most of the pharmaceutical companies are not supplying the vials as per the quantity allocated by the Centre," Tope said.
Of the total number of Remdesivir vials that the Indian government has received as part of the US aid, Maharashtra managed to get 52,000 vials, he added. "But it is the duty of the (Centre's) Department of Pharmaceuticals to ensure that Maharashtra gets the supply of Remdesivir as mandated by the Centre," he said.
According to him, except Hetero Labs, no other pharmaceutical company is supplying Remdesivir as per the fixed quota. On Thursday, Tope had claimed that the Union government's Department of Pharmaceuticals was slow in granting clearance to essential medical items imported by the state government. PTI
13:54 Delhi hospital receives foreign aid
Lady Hardinge Hospital, Delhi, says they have received medical equipment from Russia, UK, UAE, USA, France, Ireland and Romania. "We'll use oxygen cylinders in our new 240-bedded facility. Situation is under control, 20% of our requirement was fulfilled by oxygen concentrators," the director of the hospital said.
13:12 India sinking under Modi govt's indifference: Sonia
The Covid battle transcends political differences and everyone has to fight it together as a nation, Congress president Sonia Gandhi said at a meeting of the Congress Parliamentary Party on Friday.
The Modi government, she said, must urgently call an all-party meeting on the COVID-19 situation. She also demanded that standing committees be convened to ensure collective action and accountability to combat the pandemic better.
Addressing her party's MPs for the first time since the election results to four states and one union territory, she said the CWC would meet soon to review the outcome. "We as a party collective must draw appropriate lessons from this setback in polls in the spirit of humility and honesty," she said, describing the Congress' performance in the recently concluded elections as very disappointing.
"We as a party collective must draw appropriate lessons from this setback in polls in spirit of humility, honesty," Sonia Gandhi said.
Congress demands that standing committees must be convened to ensure collective action, accountability to combat pandemic better. "Tackling COVID crisis requires able, visionary leadership; nation is sinking under weight of Modi govt's indifference. India is crippled by political leadership that has no empathy for people, Modi govt has failed people of country," she said.
13:02 CM Stalin takes charge
MK Stalin takes charge as the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu at the Secretariat.
12:44 The dream of a modern India is dying
"My assurances to Muslims, terrified by the hatred and bigotry they see in today's India, have begun to ring hollow. And now, I don't know what to say to the young Hindu professionals who want to emigrate.
The reasons they give can be compelling. They see no hope in our political scene. The middle class has always been suspicious of politicians. But now, that suspicion has translated into sheer disgust.
Everyone I know recognises that all societies risk being overwhelmed by Pandemics. But most civilised societies still find ways to cope or to prepare themselves. In India, we have done neither."
Read Vir Sanghvi's column for the Hindustan Times here.
12:26 Both sides involved: Sena on WB post-poll violence
The Shiv Sena on Friday said the violence that has erupted in West Bengal after the Assembly election results, reveals the gory side of politics and it shows that the rule of force prevails instead of democracy. The party also said that maintaining law and order in the state was equal responsibility of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and the central government.
"What is exactly happening in West Bengal and whose invisible hands are there behind it? These things need to become clear. Ever since the BJP lost the election in that state, news reports of violence erupted there are being flashed. It is being said that TMC workers are beating their BJP counterparts. But all that is mispropaganda," the Sena said in an editorial in party mouthpiece 'Saamana'.
Out of the 17 people who have so far died in the post-poll violence in West Bengal, nine are linked to the BJP, while the rest are TMC workers. This means that both sides are involved, it said.
"Prime Minister Narendra Modi took stock of the situation from West Bengal governor over phone. A senior BJP functionary moved the high court, holding Mamata Banerjee responsible for the violence and sought imposition of the President's rule in the state," it said.
All this shows that the BJP is indulging in foul play, the Uddhav Thackeray-led party alleged.
In the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, the BJP had got 18 seats in West Bengal. Following that, violence erupted and TMC workers were attacked, it said. "If this is Bengal's culture, then Ravindra Sangeet, Ravindranath Tagore, Bengali literature, the state's social reformist movement and contribution it to the freedom struggle have gone waste?" the Sena asked.
Violence has also broken out in Delhi after the BJP lost the assembly elections there, it said.
12:16 Sonia chairs meeting of MPs to discuss pandemic
Congress President Sonia Gandhi on Friday chaired a meeting of all party MPs from the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha to assess the situation arising out of the second wave of COVID-19 and evolve a political strategy.
Gandhi addressed the MPs and sought the views of the Congress parliamentarians on how to deal with the situation. This is the first meeting of the Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP) after the Budget session of Parliament that ended in March.
This is her first internal interaction with party MPs after the Congress party's drubbing in recent assembly polls in five states, where it failed to wrest back Kerala and Assam and scored a zero in West Bengal.
The Congress has been critical of the Modi government's handling of the COVID situation in the country which is witnessing a record rise in cases. India's total tally of COVID-19 cases climbed to 2,14,91,598 with a record 4,14,188 new coronavirus infections being reported in a day, the Union Health Ministry said on Friday. PTI
12:12 Covid 2nd wave in India a tragedy: Top US surgeon
The second wave of COVID-19 in India is a tragedy, US Surgeon General Dr Vivek Murthy has said, underlining the need for countries to help each other during the crisis.
"If COVID-19 has taught us anything, it's that we need each other to get through this pandemic. As a world, we need each other in terms of countries to step up to help make sure that the world has an adequate supply of vaccine, to ensure people have treatments available, supply of PPE because the threat of COVID in any part of the world is ultimately a threat to every country," Indian-American Murthy told a news channel in an interview.
To a question on the current COVID crisis in India and if the US might face a similar situation, Murthy hoped that it never happens.
"But it is always a possibility and that we have to be mindful of. And I'm cautiously optimistic that we will do well in this country, especially if we keep up our efforts at the vaccination campaign," he said on Thursday.
"What's happening in India is a tragedy. And India has two challenges or has many challenges, but in terms of their variants, it has to B117 variant, which is the predominant one circulating here, which we know is at least 50 per cent or more contagious than the variant we were dealing with last year in the US," Murthy said.
The 617 variant of the deadly virus may or may not be more transmissible, he said, adding that doctors are still trying to understand it.
"It's just what they do. But they can't mutate, if they're not spreading, if they're not replicating within people. That's why we got to work hard. Just remember, this is not an effort that one person can take care of on their own or one country on its own," said the Indian-American surgeon general. -- PTI
12:00 Bengal MLAs take oath
Newly elected MLAs of West Bengal take oath as members of the state assembly.
11:57 SC upholds K'taka HC order for 1200MT of oxygen to state
The Supreme Court on Friday refused to interfere with the Karnataka High Court order, asking the Centre to increase the daily liquid medical oxygen (LMO) allocation for the state from 965 MT to 1200 MT for treating COVID-19 patients.
A bench of justices DY Chandrachud and M R Shah said that the high court order of May 5 is well calibrated, deliberated and judicious exercise of power. It refused to accept the Centre's contention that if every high court start passing orders for allocating oxygen, it will throw the supply network of the country haywire. PTI
11:54 Veteran music composer Vanraj Bhatia dies at 94
Veteran music composer Vanraj Bhatia died in Mumbai on Friday after a brief illness, a former colleague said. The 94-year-old virtuoso, who scored the music for Shyam Benegal classics like Ankur and Bhumika and TV series Yatra and Bharat Ek Khoj (Discovery of India) lived alone at his apartment at the Rungta Housing Colony on Napean Sea Road.
After graduating from the Elphinstone College, he trained in western classical music in London and Paris. On returning home, he joined the advertising world, working for a phenomenal 6,000 ad jingles, most famously the La laaala la refrain for a soap endorsement filmed by a waterfall.
With Benegal, he found his niche in parallel cinema, blending the western with the Indian classical idiom. He created the soundtracks for Aparna Sen's 36 Chowringhee Lane and Kundan Shah's Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro.
His last work was an opera titled Agni Varsha which was performed in New York. Among the awards he won are the National Award for Best Music for Govind Nihalani's TV series Tamas and also the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award. He received India's fourth-highest civilian honour, the Padma Shri in 2012. PTI
11:28 Supply 700MT of O2 daily to Delhi: SC tells Centre
Justice Dr Chandrachud, heading bench of SC said that 700 MT has to be supplied to Delhi on daily basis. "Every single day,700 MT oxygen must be given to Delhi hospitals. We need business and until that order is modified, please comply with our directions," Justice Chandrachud said.
The Delhi government has directed all healthcare facilities in the national capital treating COVID-19 patients to update the status of bed availability on Delhi Corona App and website "as frequently as feasible".
It has been reported that many hospitals are not updating status of different categories of beds availability regularly on the designated portal and Delhi Corona App, the health department said in an order to all hospitals and nursing homes functioning as COVID facilities.
"This is creating great hardship to the public who, in the absence of reliable information, are forced to spend time and energy in searching for vacant beds and are subjected to great harassment and agony," it read.
Medical directors, medical superintendents and directors of all such facilities are directed to update the status of beds on the "portal and Delhi Corona App as frequently as feasible, but not later than two hourly", the health department said.
Of the 19,333 oxygen-supported beds for coronavirus patients across Delhi, only 2,170 were vacant around 10:45 am on Friday, according to the Delhi Corona app. Only 32 of the 5,566 ICU beds were available, it showed.
11:10 DMK workers celebrate
DMK workers celebrated outside party headquarters in Chennai after party chief MK Stalin took oath as Chief Minister. Spot the masked ones.
11:04 Chef Vikas Khanna sent 5K PPE kits, O2 machines
Indian chef Vikas Khanna is working on a war footing to send Covid-19 emergency relief materials, including oxygen concentrators and PPE kits, to India which is battling a devastating surge in coronavirus infections.
Khanna, a Michelin-star chef, who distributed millions of meals and essential supplies across India during the first wave of the COVID19 pandemic last year, is working round-the-clock to mobilise and transport about 10,000 oxygen concentrators and 50,000 fire-resistant PPE kits to India.
He had tweeted that over USD 525,000 in contributions have been collected within a matter of days and the first shipments of about 650 oxygen concentrators and 5,000 PPE kits have reached India. "We just crossed USD 525,000 in contributions. (About Rs 4 crore) The first shipments have arrived in India," he tweeted.
Khanna told PTI here that it is absolutely heartbreaking to see what is unfolding in our motherland. "The next few weeks are going to be very emotional and tough. It is also going to be traumatic for all us who are far away. We can't be safe until all of us are safe. We all have to be very strong," he said adding that through his efforts, his aim to save as many lives as possible.
" I'm not going to sit still till this is achieved. Everything else can wait, but we cannot have any delay in saving lives," he said.
California-based aid group Vibha, in partnership with Khanna, is also mobilising efforts and raising money to procure the much-needed oxygen concentrators, PPE kits and other essential supplies for distribution across India. Khanna said while half a million dollars have been collected in about five days, the organisation and he aims to collect a million dollars to help procure additional critical supplies for India. He said he is also figuring out to fund vaccination centers in the country.
Last year, Khanna's massive food drive FeedIndia Initiative' had provided meals, rations and other essential supplies to millions of people across India amid the first wave of COVID19.
As the pandemic hit India last year, Khanna had partnered with India's National Disaster Relief Force for logistical and on-the-ground support and his movement soon received support from companies and tech firms. As the second wave of the pandemic causes widespread devastation across the country, Khanna said the food drive will start again and he aims to distribute 8 million meals in the next one week, starting from Mothers Day this weekend.
India is in the midst of a raging second wave of COVID-19 and is recording over 400,000 daily coronavirus infections and more than 3000 deaths. According to data by Johns Hopkins, India has a total of 21 million confirmed COVID19 cases and over 230,000 deaths. PTI
10:49 Central vista is criminal wastage: Rahul Gandhi
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday attacked the Union government over the central vista project, terming it a "criminal wastage" and asked the dispensation to focus on people's lives.
The redevelopment project of the Central Vista -- the power corridor of the country -- envisages a new triangular Parliament building, a common Central Secretariat and the revamping of the three-km-long Rajpath from the Rashtrapati Bhavan to India Gate and new residences for the prime minister and the vice president. The CPWD, which is executing the project, had revised its estimated cost from Rs 11,794 crore to Rs 13,450 crore.
"Central Vista is criminal wastage. Put people's lives at the centre -- not your blind arrogance to get a new house," he said on Twitter.
Gandhi and his Congress party have been asking the government to shelve its plans on the central vista project and give priority to improving medical infrastructure during the COVID-19 pandemic to save people's lives.
It has also criticised the government for according the construction work of the Central Vista project "essential services" tag and has and accused it of having its priorities wrong.
The work on the project has continued despite the lockdown in the national capital that has brought most construction sites to a grinding halt. The construction work for the project has been brought under the ambit of "essential services", a move that been flayed by the opposition. PTI
BJP's Locket Chatterjee and JP Nadda meet a BJP worker's family
10:45 Post-poll deaths: MHA team arrives in Bengal
A 4-member team of Ministry of Home Affairs that is in the state to assess post-poll violence situation, arrives at Raj Bhavan in Kolkata.
The four member team, constituted by the Ministry of Home Affairs is headed by an additional secretary rank official.
Following TMCs thumping victory in Assembly polls on Sunday, there have been reports of widespread violence in the state with many BJP offices and workers being allegedly targeted by TMC workers. There have also been reports of TMC leaders being targeted by the BJP. More than 14 deaths have been reported till date.
10:23 India records highest-ever tally of 4.14 L cases
With a record 4,14,188 new coronavirus infections being reported in a day, India's total tally of COVID-19 cases climbed to 2,14,91,598, while the active cases crossed the 36-lakh mark, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Friday.
The death toll has increased to 2,34,083 with 3,915 fatalities being reported in a span of 24 hours, the data updated at 8 am showed. Registering a steady increase, the active cases have increased to 36,45,164 comprising 16.96 per cent of the total infections, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate has dropped to 81.95 per cent.
The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 1,76,12,351, while the case fatality rate was recorded at 1.09 per cent, the data stated. India's COVID-19 tally had crossed the 20-lakh mark on August 7,30 lakh on August 23, 40 lakh on September 5 and 50 lakh on September 16. It went past 60 lakh on September 28, 70 lakh on October 11, crossed 80 lakh on October 29, 90 lakh on November 20 and surpassed the one-crore mark on December 19. India crossed the grim milestone of 2 crore on May 4.
According to the ICMR, 29,86,01,699 samples have been tested up to May 6 with 18,26,490 samples being tested on Thursday. The 3,915 new fatalities include 853 from Maharashtra, 350 from Uttar Pradesh,335 from Delhi, 328 from Karnataka, 212 from Chhattisgarh, 195 from Tamil Nadu, 177 from Haryana, 161 from Rajasthan, 154 from Punjab, 151 from Uttarakhand, 133 from Jharkhand, 123 from Gujarat and 117 from West Bengal.
10:20 MK Stalin sworn in as Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu
Muthuvel Karunanidhi Stalin, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam president who led his party to a huge victory in the Assembly polls was sworn in as Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu on Friday.
Governor Banwarilal Purohit administered the oath of office and secrecy to 68-year old Stalin, for whom this would be the first stint as CM, in a simple ceremony at the Raj Bhavan in Chennai.
All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam top leader O Panneerselvam, leaders from alliance parties including Congress's P Chidambaram, MDMK chief Vaiko and top state officials took part in the ceremony.
The ceremony witnessed adherence to COVID-19 guidelines including wearing masks.
09:46 Betrayer, says Kamal Haasan as party VP quits
Makkal Needhi Maiam party chief Kamal Haasan called Vice President R Mahendran a "betrayer" after he resigned from the party and said that the former was about to be sacked from the party anyway and expressed joy that "a weed" has removed itself out from the party.
Days after a defeat in the Tamil Nadu assembly elections, Mahendran on Thursday resigned from the party, alleging that "there is no democracy in the party".
In a statement, the MNM president said in his bid to bring a change to Tamil Nadu the party had faced its first assembly elections.
"We faced our first State Assembly Elections with the sole objective of 'Re-Imagining Thamizh Nadu'. We worked to our best in the war," he said.
Kamal Haasan said that Mahendran the biggest example for the fact that democracy sometimes fails and accused that he had lied to take the faces of the people who gave him the identity.
"He claims there is no democracy in the party. He is the biggest example for the fact that democracy sometimes fails. He has lied to take the faces of the people who gave him the identity," he said.
Haasan further said that they witnessed the fact that they faced not just opponents from the other side but also betrayers from within.
"Remove the betrayers resonated the unanimous voice of the party. Dr Mahendran was on top of that list," he said.
"He tried to pre-empt his removal by resigning. Just like you, I am happy about the fact that a weed removed itself. It will be ascendancy for our party henceforth," said Kamal.
He accused Mahendran of trying to blame others for his "dishonesty and inefficiency" and gain sympathy. -- ANI
08:20 Modi spoke his 'Mann ki Baat', didn't listen: Soren
Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren on Thursday described Prime Minister Narendra Modi's phone call to him on the COVID-19 situation in the country as the PM's "Mann Ki Baat", instead of business.
Soren's reaction came after Modi spoke to him and the chief ministers of Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, and Telangana about the COVID-19 situation on Thursday.
"Today the respected Prime Minister called. He only spoke his 'Mann Ki Baat'. It would have been better if he would have talked business and heard the issues," the Jharkhand chief minister said in a tweet.
Official sources said Soren was unhappy as he was not allowed to present the issues concerning his state before Modi and instead, it was only the prime minister who talked about the COVID-19 situation.
Jharkhand is among the 10 states and Union territories that are collectively accounting for over 75 per cent of daily COVID-19 deaths in the country, according to latest data. The others in the league are Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, Delhi, Chhattisgarh, Haryana, Punjab, Tamil Nadu and Rajasthan.
Jharkhand reported 133 COVID-19 fatalities on Thursday, taking the death toll due to the viral disease in the state to 3,479, while 6,974 cases pushed the state's infection tally to 2,70,089.
The mortality rate in the state remains higher at 1.28 per cent against the national mortality rate of 1.10 per cent. According to a bulletin issued by the state health department, the recovery rate of COVID-19 patients is 76.26 per cent in Jharkhand as against the national average of 82 per cent.
Soren digitally inaugurated a 528-bed makeshift COVID-19 hospital at Ranchi's Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences on Thursday.
Of the 528 oxygenated beds, 327 were set up at the RIMS multi-storey parking lot, 73 at the oncology department and 128 at the old building of the institute.
Soren said 108 more beds will be set up with the help of the National Thermal Power Corporation, the country's largest energy conglomerate. -- PTI
01:06 Waze allowed to get medicines, clothes in jail
A special court in Mumbai on Thursday directed the Taloja jail authorities to provide medicines and a few items of daily need to suspended police officer Sachin Waze.
Waze, arrested in connection with the recovery of an explosives-laden SUV near industrialist Mukesh Ambani's house and death of Thane businessman Mansukh Hiran, is currently in judicial custody.
He had moved the court, seeking a T-shirt and pair of jeans, sports shoes, washing powder, sugar and salt jars, salt packets, bath soap, spectacles and medicines inside prison.
Special judge P R Sitre allowed the plea. -- PTI
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