LIVE! Keep Eid celebrations low-key: Maha govt

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Tue, 11 May 2021

Keep Eid celebrations low-key: Maha govt

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23:37 Keep Eid celebrations low-key: Maha govt

Ahead of Eid-ul-Fitr, the Maharashtra government on Tuesday issued guidelines, urging people to celebrate the festival in a simple manner and advised against taking out processions and congregating in view of COVID-19 and the curbs enforced in the state.

Ramzan, the holy month of Muslims, began on April 13.

Eid-ul-Fitr, which marks the culmination of the fasting month, will be celebrated either on May 13 or May 14 depending upon sighting of moon.

The government, in a statement, said Muslims should offer prayers or have 'iftar' (evening meals) inside their homes and not gather at mosques or public places given the spread of the respiratory disease.

Community members should not come together to offer namaz inside mosques or on open places, the government said.

It said the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation and other local administrations have allotted time slots within which the people should make Eid-ul-Fitr related purchases.

People should not gather or come together to make purchases beyond the said time slots, the government said.

It said no procession should be taken out and added religious, social, cultural and political programmes should not be organised.

-- PTI

Delhi University assistant professor Hany Babu, an accused in the Elgar Parishad-Maoist

links case, is suffering from acute eye infection, his family said on Thursday, seeking proper medical treatment for him.

Babu, arrested in July 2020, is currently lodged in Taloja jail in neighbouring Navi Mumbai.

His wife Jenny Rowena and his brothers said in a statement that Babu has developed an acute eye infection which can even pose risk to his life if it spread to his brain.

He was in "agonising pain", but the authorities told him that the prison did not have the facilities to treat the infection, the family claimed.

He was taken to a government hospital on May 7 and an ophthalmologist prescribed certain medication and advised him to return for follow-up in two days, it said.

But he was not taken back to hospital again, the family claimed.

The Elgar Parishad case relates to alleged inflammatory speeches delivered at a conclave held in Pune on December 31, 2017, which the police claimed triggered violence the next day near the Koregaon- Bhima war memorial.

Pune Police claimed the conclave was backed by Maoists. Later, the case was taken over by the National Investigation Agency. Several other activists including Sudha Bharadwaj and Varavara Rao were arrested in the case.

-- PTI

22:58 Adityanath fudging Covid numbers: Cong leader

Uttar Pradesh Congress chief Ajay Kumar Lallu on Tuesday trashed the state government's claims on managing the coronavirus pandemic and accused Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath of fudging statistics.

While accusing the BJP government of laxity, the opposition leader said a 'tower of corpses' has risen in the state.

Lallu's statement came hours after Defence Minister Rajnath Singh's visit to Lucknow, where he praised Adityanath's handling of the COVID-19 crisis and claimed that the World Health Organization too had done so.

"Can't the defence minister, who is praising the chief minister indulging in fudging the statistics, see the flames from the funeral pyres in his parliamentary constituency of Lucknow and other parts of the state," the Congress leader said.

"Can he not see the deaths caused by the shortage of oxygen and the shortage of medicines," he said, adding that Singh showed a lack of sensitivity by praising the chief minister.

Lallu claimed that the ground reality is that there are "no vaccines, no oxygen, no medicines" in the state. "Due to the laxity of the government, there is a 'minar' (tower) of corpses, and it is getting praise," he said.

He accused the state government of being "shameless" and "disgracing humanity".

-- PTI

A committee headed by former Chief Justice of the Allahabad High Court Dilip Bhosale will

study the Supreme Court's order striking down quota for the Maratha community in Maharashtra, state minister Ashok Chavan said on Tuesday.

The eight-member panel led by Justice Bhosale, a former Bombay High Court judge, will guide the state government on the future course of action, Chavan added.

Other members of the panel include former state advocate general Darius Khambata, senior advocate Rafique Dada and a few serving and former government officials, the minister informed.

The committee will submit its report on or before May 31.

The apex court on May 5 struck down a Maharashtra law granting quota to Marathas in admissions and government jobs, terming the statute as unconstitutional.

-- PTI

Bharat Biotech on Tuesday said it will continue the steady supply of its COVID-19 vaccine Covaxin, adding the jab has been directly supplied to 18 states since May 1.

The states include Andhra Pradesh, Delhi, Bihar, Gujarat, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal, the Hyderabad-based firm added.

"COVAXIN has been directly supplied to 18 states since May 1st. Unflinching in our efforts, we will continue the steady supply of our #vaccine," Bharat Biotech said in a tweet.

The company is supplying its vaccine to Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Gujarat, Haryana, Jammu & Kashmir, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Tripura, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal.

Bharat Biotech has commenced direct supply of Covaxin with effect from May 1 to several states based on the allocations received by the central government, the company's Joint Managing Director Suchitra Ella had earlier said.

On April 29, Bharat Biotech had announced a cut in the price of Covaxin for states to Rs 400 per dose from the earlier Rs 600.

This followed widespread criticism of its pricing policy as it sold Covaxin to the central government at Rs 150 per dose.

India has expanded its COVID-19 vaccination drive by allowing its large 18-plus population to get inoculated from May 1.

-- PTI

The Delhi international airport will shut down its T2 terminal from May 17 midnight as the number of flights have reduced significantly due to the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, sources said on Tuesday.

From May 17 midnight, all flights will be handled at the T3 terminal only, they stated.

Currently, the Delhi airport is handling around 325 flights per day, they mentioned. Before the pandemic, it used to handle around 1,500 flights per day.

The Delhi airport's decision has come at a time when India and its aviation sector has been badly hit by the second wave of the pandemic.

During the last few weeks, the number of domestic air passengers per day have come from more than 2.2 lakh to around 75,000 right now, according to the Civil Aviation Ministry's data.

Similarly, international air traffic has also been affected by the second wave of the pandemic.

New cases of coronavirus in India fell to 3.29 lakh after 14 days taking the total tally of COVID-19 infections to 2,29,92,517, according to the Union health ministry data updated on Tuesday.

A total of 3,29,942 infections were reported in a span of 24 hours, while the death toll climbed to 2,49,992 with 3,876 fresh fatalities, the data updated at 8 am showed.

-- PTI

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's wife Sunita Kejriwal on Tuesday said she has returned home from hospital after recovering from COVID-19.

"Finally back at home after recovering from Corona. I am in deep gratitude to all - Doctors, family, friends, staff and well wishers for immense support. Prayers for all to stay safe and healthy," she tweeted.

Sunita Kejriwal, a former IRS officer, had tested positive for COVID-19 on April 20 and she was later admitted to a health facility.

The Delhi chief minister had also isolated himself at his home after his wife contracted the infection.

-- PTI

The NCW has issued notices to Swaraj India leader Yogendra Yadav and BKU Ekta Ugrahan president Joginder Singh Ugrahan over reports of sexual assault on a 26-year-old woman activist at the Tikri border protest site, the women rights panel said on Tuesday.

"The National Commission for Women has come across media reports of the sexual assault of a 26-year-old woman at Tikri border, Haryana. It is being alleged that Yogendra Yadav and other protesters of the Samyukta Kisan Morcha were aware of the sexual assault committed upon the girl but unfortunately, they did not inform the police about the incident.

"The Commission has sent a notice to Yadav seeking an explanation for the delay in informing police about the incident. The Commission has also sought a reply from Joginder Singh Ugrahan, president, BKU Ekta Ugrahan, to provide an explanation on the said matter and to inform the Commission as to what steps have been taken to ensure safety and security of women associated with the agitation. The reply has to be communicated to the Commission within 10 days," the commission said.

The Samyukta Kisan Morcha had on Sunday said that it had zero tolerance towards violence against women amidst reports that the woman activist from West Bengal was sexually assaulted on her way to join the farmers protest and later at Tikri border by some persons posing to be "Kisan Social Army" members.

It said it will probe the allegations that some of its leaders were aware of the reported sexual assault of a woman activist at the Tikri border protest site, who later died due to COVID-19 at a private hospital in Haryana.

Laying down the timeline of events, Yadav said the farmers outfit came to know about the alleged assault only after the victim's father, who was also present in the press conference, came to meet them on May 2.

The farmer leader in a tweet replied to NCW Chairperson Rekha Sharma, who said in a post that she was sending a notice to the activist for not reporting the matter to the police.

"Eagerly waiting for your notice @sharmarekha ji. I thought @NCWIndia would honour me for going out of my way to rescue a woman. But I was wrong. Your agenda is different. I hope you are as prompt in using Twitter to do what your commission was meant to do," Yadav said.

The Haryana Police had on Sunday formed a special investigation team to probe the case.

Several farmers are protesting against the farm laws at border points of Delhi, including Tikri and Singhu, since November last year.

-- PTI

The Congress on Tuesday set up a five-member group headed by former Maharashtra chief minister Ashok Chavan to evaluate the party's performance in the just-concluded assembly polls.

It comes a day after party chief Sonia Gandhi proposed at a meeting of the Congress Working Committee the formation of a group to assess the party's losses in Kerala, Assam, West Bengal and Puducherry.

"The Congress president has constituted a group to evaluate the results of the recently concluded assembly elections, with immediate effect. Ashok Chavan will be the chairman and other members of the group are Salman Khurshid, Manish Tewari, Vincent H Pala and Jothi Mani," an official statement from AICC general secretary K C Venugopal said.

The group will submit its report within two weeks, the communication further said.

The Congress chief had on Monday said the party has to put its house in order by facing reality and drawing lessons from the "serious setbacks".

-- PTI

20:18 PM will not attend G7 summit in person: MEA

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will not travel to the UK to attend a summit of the G7 grouping in person in view of the prevailing coronavirus situation, the Ministry of External Affairs said on Tuesday.

The G7 summit is scheduled to take place in Cornwall in the UK next month.

"While appreciating the invitation to the Prime Minister by UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson to attend the G7 Summit as a special invitee, given the prevailing COVID situation, it has been decided that the Prime Minister will not attend the G7 Summit in person," MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said.

The G7 comprises the UK, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States.

-- PTI

A total of 9,200 oxygen concentrators, 5,243 oxygen cylinders, 19 oxygen-generation plants and about 3.44 lakh Remdesivir vials received as global aid were delivered or dispatched through road and air to various states and Union territories between April 27 and May 10, the health ministry said on Tuesday.

The major consignments received on Monday from the UAE, the US, Israel and the Netherlands include ventilators or BiPAP or CPAP (610), oxygen concentrators (300) and 12,600 strips of favipiravir (each strip contains 40 tablets).

Cumulatively, 9,200 oxygen concentrators, 5,243 oxygen cylinders, 19 oxygen-generation plants, 5,913 ventilators or BiPAP and about 3.44 lakh Remdesivir vials have been delivered or dispatched through road and air between April 27 and May 10, the ministry said in a statement.

The process of effective immediate allocation and streamlined delivery to the recipient states, Union territories and institutions is being monitored on a regular basis by the ministry, the statement said.

A dedicated coordination cell has been created in the health ministry to coordinate the receipt and allocation of foreign COVID relief material as grants, aid and donations. The cell started functioning from April 26.

A standard operating procedure has been framed and is being implemented by the ministry since May 2.

-- PTI

West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar on Tuesday said he will visit areas affected by post-poll violence in Cooch Behar district on Thursday.

"Governor... will be leaving Kolkata by BSF Helicopter on May 13 to visit post poll unprecedented violence affected areas @MamataOfficial #Sitalkuchi and other places in Coochbehar to connect with sufferers," he tweeted.

Dhankhar had on Monday said he would go to the violence-affected areas of West Bengal to take stock of the situation.

He also said that despite asking the state government to make arrangements for his visit, there has not been any response from the administration.

At least 16 people have been killed in post-poll violence in West Bengal, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had recently said.

-- PTI

19:21 Sachin Waze dismissed from Mumbai Police

Sachin Waze has been dismissed from the police service, Mumbai Police said on Tuesday.

Waze is an accused in Mansukh Hiren death case and Antilia bomb scare case.

A Delhi Court on Tuesday refused to give any interim relief from arrest to businessman Navneet Kalra for the second time in the alleged oxygen concentrator hoarding and black marketing case.

Additional Sessions Judge Sumit Dass also placed his anticipatory bail before the District and Sessions Judge which will now decide which court will hear the plea on Wednesday.

"Bail application placed before the District Judge South East at 10 am tomorrow; they will send it to the concerned court. There is no interim relief or any sort of protection to the accused yet," the judge remarked.

The court was hearing the arguments on the issue of jurisdiction on the anticipatory bail petition filed by the businessman in connection with the seizure of oxygen concentrators from his upscale restaurants, including 'Khan Chacha' in Khan Market.

During a recent raid, 524 oxygen concentrators were recovered from three restaurants owned by Kalra and it is suspected that he has left Delhi along with his family.

These concentrators are the crucial medical equipment used for COVID-19 management.

-- PTI

18:43 Mumbai sees a daily rise of 1,707 Covid cases

Mumbai recorded at 1,707 new Covid cases, the lowest single-day count in nearly two months, while 51 patients succumbed to the infection, the city civic body said.

Earlier on March 16, the metropolis had witnessed 1,922 new cases.

Also, for the 10th day in a row, Mumbai's daily COVID-19 case count remained below the 4,000-mark though the number of fatalities has fluctuated between 62 and 90 during the period.

According to the BMC, 28,258 COVID-19 tests were conducted in the last 24 hours.

As per the BMC, the city's average growth rate of COVID-19 cases for the period May 4 and May 10 was 0.39 per cent, while the case doubling rate was 170 days.

According to the civic body, Mumbai has 81 active containment zones in slums and 'chawls', while 479 buildings have been sealed after a certain number of their residents tested positive for coronavirus.

Gangster Chhota Rajan, who was admitted at AIIMS for treatment after he had tested positive for COVID-19, was taken back to Tihar jail on Tuesday following his recovery from illness, officials said.

He was found COVID-19 positive in the Tihar Jail on April 22 and was admitted to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences on April 24.

According to a senior police officer, Rajan was brought back to Tihar on Tuesday as he had recovered.

On Friday, the jail administration had dismissed reports claiming that Rajan had died.

"News of death of Tihar jail inmate Rajendra Sadashiv Nikalje @ Chhota Rajan s/o Sadashiv Nikalje is wrong," Director General (Prisons) Sandeep Goel had said.

Rajan, 61, is lodged at the high-security prison since his arrest after deportation from Bali in Indonesia in 2015.

-- PTI

18:19 Telangana imposes 10-day lockdown from May 12

As the second Covid wave continues to wreak havoc, the Telangana government announced a lockdown from Wednesday morning. The restrictions will come into force by 10 am on May 12 and the state will remain under lockdown for 10 days.

Sources in the office of the chief minister said that all activities will be allowed from 6 am to 10 am as Telangana goes under complete lockdown from May 12.

Telangana reported 4,826 fresh Covid-19 cases taking the tally to over half a million, while the death toll stood at 2,771 with 35 more casualties, a bulletin said. The total number of cumulative cases in the state stood at 5,02,187, while with 7,754 being cured, the total recoveries were at 4,36,619. Cumulatively, over 1.36 crore samples have been tested.

18:06 Uddhav meets governor on Maratha reservation

Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) led by CM Uddhav Thackeray met Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari today over the issue of Maratha reservation. The Supreme Court last week struck down the Maharashtra law granting quota to Marathas in admissions and government jobs, terming it as "unconstitutional", and held there were no exceptional circumstances to breach the 50 per cent reservation cap set by the 1992 Mandal verdict.

The Delhi government will float a global tender for procuring coronavirus vaccines, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said on Tuesday, as the city government grapples with a shortage of doses.

Addressing a press conference here, he alleged that the BJP-ruled Centre was "forcing" state governments to invite global tenders for vaccine procurement.

The Central government wants the states to compete and fight with each other in the international market for vaccines, Sisodai alleged. Sisodia also demanded the Centre to launch a nationwide COVID vaccination drive on the line of pulse polio campaign.

Earlier in the day, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal also wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi over vaccine shortage, saying the Centre should share the vaccine formula of the two manufacturers with other capable pharmaceutical companies to scale up production in the country.

AAP leader Atishi had also said Monday the Delhi government will have to close vaccination centres where Covaxin is being administered to beneficiaries in the 18-44 age group after Tuesday evening if its stocks are not replenished. PTI

17:42 CMs of Delhi, AP ask PM to open up vax making

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy on Tuesday asked the Centre to direct Bharat Biotech and ICMR-NIV to transfer the Covaxin manufacturing technology and provide the viral strain to "whoever is interested and capable of manufacturing the vaccine" so that the production could be ramped up.

In a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Jagan claimed that the present total manufacturing capacity of Covaxin did not cater to the country's requirement.

"It may take several months to get all vaccinated at this pace. Please explore the possibility of involving all such production firms and enable them with the technology, intellectual property rights to deliver the vaccine as quickly and as affordable as possible," the Chief Minister said.

"Anyone who can manufacture or is interested in manufacturing the vaccine should be encouraged to do so in the larger public interest.Entire manufacturing capacity should be mobilised and put to use in this testing times," Jagan added.

Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal also wrote to Modi, requesting him to allow other companies to manufacture the two COVID-19 vaccines. "Govt of India can do away with vaccine production monopoly using the patent law," he writes.

Jagan Reddy said the Prime Minister's intervention on these suggestions, and if implemented, would go a long way in encouraging the manufacturers and accelerate the supply of vaccines.

The Chief Minister said "we are not able to vaccinate our population at large" due to short supply of vaccine though the state demonstrated its capacity to inoculate six lakh people per day.

A patient breathes as a govt-made crisis unfolds

17:38 Indians seem to have learnt little from the first Covid-19 wave

"Today, the day I write this, is the first anniversary of the death of the first friend I lost to Covid-19. He was one of the early ones to fall victim, an outlier, a man in his 60s with no comorbidities, most precautions recommended at that time followed, maybe a slip-up while visiting his local bajaar, maybe something else, maybe a mistake by the doctors still learning how to deal with this thing, maybe carelessness at the nursing home. Suddenly, unbelievably, he was gone.

"It felt like a horror story: there's a rogue, man-eating tiger prowling in the jungle outside the village; if we don't go there just now, especially at dusk or after dark, we should be fine; and then this man is taken in broad daylight while walking on a path in the middle of the village; who knew the jungle had changed shape and extended its boundaries, who knew the tiger was unpredictable about where and when it struck?"

Equity benchmarks nursed losses on Tuesday after four days of gains, largely in tandem with overseas markets which tumbled after surging commodity prices stoked inflation fears.

Profit-booking in banking, finance and metal counters further weighed on bourses, traders said. The 30-share BSE Sensex opened on the backfoot and stayed in the negative territory throughout the session, ending 340.60 points or 0.69 per cent lower at 49,161.81.

Similarly, the broader NSE Nifty slumped 91.60 points or 0.61 per cent to close at 14,850.75. Kotak Bank was the top loser in the Sensex pack, shedding 3 per cent, followed by HDFC, Tech Mahindra, Bajaj Finance, Titan, Bajaj Finserv, HUL and Axis Bank. On the other hand, NTPC, ONGC, PowerGrid, Sun Pharma, UltraTech Cement and SBI were among the gainers, climbing up to 4.60 per cent.

17:04 Delhi aims to get Covid+ve rate down to 5%

Health Minister Satyendar Jain on Tuesday said while the number of daily new infections in the capital has started reducing, one cannot be at ease till the positivity rate drops below five percent.

The number of cases has dipped to around 12,500 from a high of around 28,000. The positivity rate has also reduced to 19 percent from a maximum of 36 percent in April, he told reporters.

"But we cannot be at ease till the positivity rate drops below five percent and the number of new infections is less than 3,000 to 4,000, Jain said. Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had on Monday expressed hope that the peak of the second wave of the pandemic in Delhi has passed.

However, no concessions can be allowed just yet, he had said. Jain said on Tuesday the Delhi government has made all the preparations to ramp up vaccination but there are no vaccines available.

AAP leader Atishi had on Monday said the government will be forced to shut down vaccination centres administering Covaxin to people in the 18-44 age group after Tuesday evening due to a lack of jabs.

Jain said the bed occupancy in the capital rose to around 22,000 this time as compared to the previous high of around 9,500. The situation with respect to oxygen supply has improved, but around 20,000 beds are still occupied, he said.

The minister ascribed the dip in the number of testing over the few days to the restricted movement of people due to the lockdown. Around 80,000 tests are being conducted daily, he said.

Earlier, the average number of tests was around 1 lakh, according to government data. On Tuesday, Delhi logged 12,481 infections with a positivity rate of 17.7, the lowest since April 14, when it stood at 15.9 percent. PTI

Doctors in Gujarat have warned against a so-called `cow-dung therapy', saying smearing of cow dung on the body does not give protection against coronavirus but may cause other infections including mucormycosis.

A small group of people has been visiting a cow shelter run by Shree Swaminarayan Gurukul Vishwavidya Prathisthanam (SGVP) here to take the therapy, believing that it increases immunity against COVID-19. The shelter houses over 200 cows.

For the last one month, around 15 persons visit it every Sunday to apply cow dung and cow urine on the body. It is then washed off with cow milk, said an SGVP official. Those taking the therapy include some frontline workers and people working at medical stores, he said.

Doctors, however, do not vouch for its efficacy. "I don't know if this therapy would really help people. I have never come across any research which suggested that application of cow dung on the body would increase immunity against coronavirus," said Dr Dileep Mavlankar, Director of the Indian Institute of Public Health, Gandhinagar.

Dr Mona Desai, a senior doctor from the city, termed the therapy as "humbug and inauthentic". "Cow dung is nothing but body waste. Applying cow dung and urine can never boost immunity or protect you from coronavirus. People should consult doctors and stay away from such therapies," said Dr Desai, chairperson of the women's wing of the Indian Medical Association (IMA).

"Instead of proving helpful, cow dung would give you other infections, including mucormycosis," she said. Mucormycosis, also called black fungus infection, has been observed among some COVID-19 survivors and can be fatal. "Since cow dung also carries several fungi, they may enter into the body and infect you. I urge people to be little aware and not put their lives in danger," said Desai. PTI

India might be heading towards a "serious livelihood crisis" as the situation seems to be worse this time for the working class amid the COVID crisis and local restrictions by states already add up to something close to a nationwide lockdown, according to noted economist Jean Dreze.

In an interview to PTI, he also said the government's target to make India a USD 5 trillion economy by 2024-25 was never a "feasible target" and was just to pander to the "super-power ambitions" of the Indian elite.

About the impact of the second wave of COVID on the Indian economy, the eminent economist said the situation today is not very different from what it was around this time last year as far as working people are concerned.

"The economic consequences of local lockdowns may not be as destructive as those of a national lockdown. But in some respects, things are worse this time for the working class," he opined. Further, the eminent economist said the fear of infection is more widespread and that will make it hard to revive economic activity. "Despite mass vaccination, there is a serious possibility that intermittent crises will continue for a long time, perhaps years.

"Compared with last year, many people have depleted savings and larger debts. Those who borrowed their way through last year's crisis may not be able to do it again this time," he observed. Dreze also pointed out that last year there was a relief package and today relief measures are not even being discussed.

"On top of all this, local lockdowns may give way to a national lockdown relatively soon. In fact, they already add up to something close to a country-wide lockdown. "In short, we are heading towards a serious livelihood crisis," he said.

On how the government could have missed seeing the second COVID-19 wave coming, Dreze said the Indian government has been in denial all along. "Remember, the government refused to admit about any 'community transmission' of COVID for a long time, even as recorded cases were counted in millions. "When an early analysis of official data exposed the collapse of health services, the government retracted the data," he said. He pointed out that misleading statistics have been routinely invoked to reassure the public that all is well.

"Denying a crisis is the surest way to make it worse. We are now paying the price of this complacency". India has been reporting more than three lakh new COVID cases daily in recent weeks and the death toll due to the infection is also rising.

Noting that India is also paying the price of a long history of neglect of the health sector, especially public health, Dreze said nothing is more important than health for the quality of life, yet public expenditure on health in India has hovered around a measly 1 per cent of GDP for decades. -- PTI

A drive-through vaccination centre

16:33 18 states show decrease in Covid cases: Govt

Covid-19 update from the Union Ministry of Health.

-- More than 1 lakh active cases in 13 states, 50,000 to 1 lakh active cases in 6 states and less than 50,000 active cases in 17 states.

-- One lakh O2 concentrators being procured under PM Cares Fund. 5,805 MT Liquid Medical Oxygen being imported. 374 tankers with 7,049 MT capacity airlifted in the country. 81 containers with 1,407 MT imported through IAF. 157 Oxygen special trains to transport 637 LMO tankers.

-- Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Delhi, Rajasthan, Haryana, Chhattisgarh, Bihar, Gujarat Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Jharkhand, Telangana, Chandigarh, Ladakh, Daman and Diu, Lakshadweep and Andaman & Nicobar Islands showing continuous decrease in daily new COVID-19 cases.

-- Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Odisha, Punjab, Assam, J&K, Goa, Himachal Pradesh, Puducherry, Manipur, Meghalaya, Tripura, Nagaland, and Arunachal Pradesh showing continued increasing trend in daily new cases.

Representational image

16:20 26 Covid patients die at Goa hospital, O2 blamed

Goa Health Minister Vishwajit Rane on Tuesday said 26 COVID-19 patients died at the state- run Goa Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) in the early hours and sought an investigation by the High Court to find out the exact cause. He said these fatalities occurred between 2 am and 6 am "which is a fact", but remained evasive about the cause.

Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, who visited GMCH, said the gap between the "availability of medical oxygen and its supply to COVID-19 wards in the GMCH might have caused some issues for the patients" even as he stressed that there is no scarcity of oxygen supply in the state.

Speaking to reporters, Rane admitted the shortfall in the supply of medical oxygen at the GMCH as of Monday.

"The high court should investigate the reasons behind these deaths. The HC should also intervene and prepare a white paper on oxygen supply to the GMCH, which would help to set the things right," the health minister said after CM's visit to the GMCH.

Rane said the medical oxygen requirement of the facility as of Monday was 1,200 jumbo cylinders of which only 400 were supplied. "If there's a shortfall in the supply of medical oxygen, the discussion should be held about how to bridge that gap," he said.

Rane said a three-member team of nodal officers set up by the state government to oversee COVID-19 treatment at GMCH should give its inputs about the issues to the CM. Earlier in the day, the CM donning a PPE kit visited COVID-19 wards in the GMCH where he met patients and their relatives.

Patients infected by the SARS-COV2 virus

15:51 New vaccine blocks novel coronavirus, variants in animal study

A new vaccine candidate has proven effective in protecting monkeys and mice from the novel coronavirus and its variants that first emerged in the UK, South Africa and Brazil, as well as related bat coronaviruses that could potentially cause the next pandemic, according to a study.

The finding, published in the journal Nature, is highly relevant to humans, the researchers said. The pan-coronavirus vaccine triggers neutralising antibodies via a nanoparticle composed of the coronavirus part. This part allows the vaccine to bind to the body's cell receptors, and is formulated with a chemical booster called an adjuvant, the researchers said.

"We began this work last spring with the understanding that, like all viruses, mutations would occur in the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which causes COVID-19," said study senior author Barton F. Haynes, from Duke University Human Vaccine Institute in the US. "The new approach not only provided protection against SARS-CoV-2, but the antibodies induced by the vaccine also neutralised variants of concern that originated in the United Kingdom, South Africa and Brazil," Haynes said. The induced antibodies reacted with quite a large panel of coronaviruses, he added. Haynes and colleagues built on earlier studies involving SARS, the respiratory illness caused by a coronavirus called SARS-CoV-1.

They found a person who had been infected with SARS developed antibodies capable of neutralising multiple coronaviruses, suggesting that a pan-coronavirus might be possible. The researchers noted that the Achilles heel for the coronaviruses is their receptor-binding domain, located on the spike that links the viruses to receptors in human cells. While this binding site enables it to enter the body and cause infection, it can also be targeted by antibodies, they said.

The team identified one particular receptor-binding domain site that is present on SARS-CoV-2, its circulating variants and SARS-related bat viruses that makes them highly vulnerable to cross-neutralizing antibodies. The team then designed a nanoparticle displaying this vulnerable spot. The nanoparticle is combined with a small molecule adjuvant formulated with alum that boosts the body's immune response, according to the researchers.

15:48 K'taka gets OxyBus service for Covid patients

Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa on Tuesday asked Covid patients over-staying in hospitals 'unnecessarily' to go home to make way for serious ones to get treatment.

"What is the need for the 332 patients to remain in the hospital for 30 days? They should vacate the beds. There are 503 patients in the hospital for 20 days. This way people who are staying in the hospital unnecessarily should go home," he said.

The CM also launched the OxyBus service to aid Covid-19 patients during emergencies. Each makeshift OxyBus supports up to 8 patients. 20 such units will be set up near Govt Hospitals and Triage Centers in Bengaluru, and more units will be set up across the state.

He was speaking to reporters after visiting a COVID war room in Bengaluru which has generated data about the COVID patients, the status of beds in the hospitals, oxygen availability and other essential drugs for the pandemic.

The CM said the COVID War Room has generated information about those patients who can avail treatment at home but were staying put in the hospital depriving serious patients from getting treatment.

Responding to a query, Yediyurappa said those 503 people are in the hospital despite advice of doctors for their discharge.

According to him, such patients should be told that the treatment was over and they should go home paving the way for admission of serious ones.

Hailing the COVID War Room management, Yediyurappa said it is a model in the country as the data are perfect giving every detail on a real time basis about the number of people admitted, for how long they are there and the availability of beds in the hospitals for COVID patients. "We are operating this war room in a systematic manner, which probably cannot be seen anywhere in the country," the he said.

Singapore is on a "knife's edge with COVID-19 cases that could go either way over the next few weeks, but the country cannot completely shutdown its borders as it is not self-sufficient and need to maintain supply lines and global connections to survive, two senior minister told lawmakers on Tuesday. Singapore is now reopening its borders gradually to allow safe travel in limited numbers, with the necessary safeguards in place to ensure public health considerations are addressed.

Singapore has detected 10 different variants among local and imported coronavirus cases till date, Health Minister Gan Kim Yong told Parliament. The emergence of new COVID-19 variants have challenged existing knowledge on the virulence and transmissibility of COVID-19, he said.

The existing restrictions on travelling in local trains, metro trains and monorails in Mumbai cannot be relaxed at this juncture as COVID-19 cases are still spreading, the Maharashtra government told the Bombay High Court on Tuesday.

State government's counsel PP Kakade told a bench of Justices KK Tated and Abhay Ahuja that only frontline health workers and state government staff are currently allowed to use the services of suburban trains, the monorail, and metro trains.

The bench was hearing a plea filed by the Cooperative Banks Employees Union (CBEU) seeking permission to travel to work by local trains, metro, and monorail services in the city. CBEU counsel AS Peerzada urged the HC to allow the staff of cooperative banks to board trains to enable them to discharge essential banking services.

"Even during the first wave of the pandemic, the railways and state authorities had in September 2020 permitted all cooperative and private bank officials to travel by local trains, metro trains, and monorail. Even currently, employees of nationalised bank are permitted to use local trains," Peerzada said.

Kakade, however, said the staff of nationalised banks was currently not allowed to use local trains during the second wave of the pandemic. "COVID-19 infections in the state are still spreading. We can't open the trains for anyone else right now," he said.

Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan on prioritising vaccination for 2nd doses. "States to ensure all beneficiaries who have taken the first dose are prioritised for the second doses. The urgent need to address the large number of beneficiaries waiting for 2nd dose was stressed. In this regard, states can reserve at least 70% of the vaccines supplied to them from the Government of India channel for second dose vaccination and the remaining 30% for the first dose."

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15:10 Three LeT militants killed in J-K encounter

Three Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) militants were killed in an encounter with security forces in Anantnag district of Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday, police said.

Security forces launched a cordon and search operation at Vailoo in Komernag area of the district early on Tuesday following information about presence of militants there, a police official said.

"During the search operation, as the presence of terrorists got ascertained they were given an opportunity to surrender. However, they fired indiscriminately upon the joint search party which was retaliated leading to an encounter," the official said.

He said the joint teams of security forces also rescued all the civilians trapped in the gunfire and halted the operation for the time to ensure safe evacuation of people from the area of gunfight. "After ensuring all civilians are safe, the operation was resumed and all the terrorists were eliminated in the ensuing encounter. Bodies of the killed terrorists were retrieved from the site of encounter," the official said.

The total active COVID-19 cases in the country dipped to 37,15,221 on Tuesday with a net decline of 30,016 cases being recorded in a span of 24 hours for the first time after 61 days, the Union health ministry said on Tuesday.

The total recoveries in a span of 24 hours too outnumbered the daily new COVID-19 cases after 61 days.

The total active cases now comprise 16.16 per cent of the country's total coronavirus infections.

Thirteen states -- Karnataka, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Chhattisgarh, Haryana, Bihar and Madhya Pradesh cumulatively account for 82.68 per cent of India's total active cases, the ministry said. The ministry said 24.44 per cent of the total active cases in the country have been reported from 10 districts including Bengaluru Urban, Pune, Delhi, Ernakulam, Nagpur, Ahmedabad, Thrissur, Jaipur, Kozhikode and Mumbai. Ten states -- Maharashtra, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, Haryana and Delhi -- reported 69.88 per cent of the 3,29,942 new COVID-19 cases registered in a day, the ministry said.

Karnataka has reported the highest daily new cases at 39,305. It is followed by Maharashtra with 37,236 cases and Tamil Nadu which reported 28,978 new cases.

India's cumulative recoveries have surged to 1,90,27,304 with 3,56,082 recoveries being registered in a span of 24 hours. Ten states account for 72.28 per cent of the new recoveries, the ministry said. The National Mortality Rate currently stands at 1.09 per cent, it said.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday suggested that the Centre share the anti-COVID-19 vaccine formula of the two manufacturers with other companies in the country to scale up production.

Kejriwal said there is a shortage of vaccine across the country and an urgent need to ramp up its manufacturing on war footing while developing a national policy to inoculate everyone in the next few months.

He said the Centre should ensure that all the vaccine manufacturing plants in the country start producing COVID doses.

The two COVID vaccine manufacturers can be provided royalty for use of their formula by other companies, he said.

He said scaling up vaccine production is needed to vaccinate everyone before the onset of the next wave of COVID-19. -- PTI

14:27 Maha to divert Covaxin meant for 18-44 to 45+

Amid a shortage of COVID-19 vaccine does, the Maharashtra government on Tuesday decided to divert three lakh vials of Covaxin meant for the 18-44 age group for the use of the people aged 45 years and above. Speaking to reporters, state Health Minister Rajesh Tope also said more than five lakh people above 45 years are awaiting the second dose for the want of the vaccine.

"Efficacy of the vaccine is largely affected if the second dose is not administered in a stipulated time. To avoid such health crisis, the state government has decided to divert three lakh vials (of Covaxin) purchased for the 18-44 age category for the people above 45 years," Tope said.

He said only 35,000 vials of Covaxin are currently available with the state government for administering the second dose to the people above 45 years. According to the Liberalised Pricing and Accelerated National COVID-19 Vaccination Strategy, COVID-19 vaccination is free at government vaccination centres that receive doses from the Centre for eligible population groups comprising healthcare workers, frontline workers and people above the 45 years of age.

However, states and private hospitals have to procure 50 per cent of the vaccines in order to immunise persons in the age group of 18 to 44 years. PTI

14:08 Nadda blames states for 2nd Covid wave

When you can't defend the indefensible, blame Congress-held states for the second wave. With the Congress blaming the BJP government for mishandling the crisis, BJP president JP Nadda today wrote to Sonia Gandhi, saying, among other things, this: "There are other aspects that also need greater thought. For instance, the data from February and March would reveal which states failed to track the rising cases. Why are mortality rates in states such as Punjab so high? These are questions you must ask your own Chief Ministers."

Important announcement from Maharashtra Health Minister Rajesh Tope: "There is a dearth of vaccines and hence we are considering holding off vaccination drive temporarily for the 18-44 age group. 2.75 lakh vaccine doses left for this group will be used for the 45 years and above age group now. Administering 2nd dose is priority.

"Mucormycosis (black fungus) patients will be treated for free under Mahatma Jyotiba Phule Jan Arogya Yojana. Over 2,000 cases have been reported and eight people have died of this infection in the state so far. We are making special wards for these patients.

"Decision over extension of lockdown in the state will be taken in the cabinet meeting tomorrow."

13:41 How protesting farmers are keeping Covid away

From conducting disinfection drives to serving immunity-boosting 'kadha' in langars, farmers protesting at Tikri and Singhu borders in the national capital against the Centre's three agricultural laws are taking new steps everyday to keep the deadly coronavirus at bay.

Delhi reported 319 more COVID-19 fatalities and 12,651 new cases on Monday, with a positivity rate of 19.10 per cent.

"We disinfected 17-km of the protest site at the Tikri border. And will do it again in the coming days as well. We have been taking all preventive measures to stop the spread of coronavirus, including distributing masks and sanitisers to the protesting farmers," Roop Singh of Bharat Kisan Union (Ekta Ugrahan) said on Tuesday.

Singh claimed that the farmers have not got any support from the government in fighting against coronavirus, and that all measures taken to curb the spread of the virus at the Tikri border have been taken by them only. Thousands of farmers, mostly from Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh, have been camping at three Delhi border points -- Singhu, Tikri and Ghazipur -- for almost six months, demanding a repeal of the three agri reform laws enacted by the central government in September last year.

According to farmer leader Abhimanyu Kohar, each and every langar at the Singhu border is being sanitised regularly and to improve the immunity of protesting farmers, 'kadha' is also being served on a daily basis.

"The langars operating round-the-clock are being sanitised regularly. To improve the immunity of farmers, they are being served with 'kadha' as well. Also, there are vaccination camps in the vicinity and whoever wants to get vaccinated is free to get the jab," said Kohar from Samyukta Kisan Morcha, an umbrella body of farmers' unions spearheading the stir. "We, from our end, are neither forcing anyone to not have it or have it, this is their personal choice," he said.

The Centre has been maintaining that the new farm laws will free farmers from middlemen, giving them more options to sell their crops. The protesting farmers, however, say the laws will pave the way for eliminating the safety cushion of MSP and do away with the 'mandi' (wholesale market) system, leaving them at the mercy of big corporates. PTI

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday urged people to provide a helping hand to the needy in these distressing times of the COVID-19 pandemic. He said this while asking them to join the SpeakUpToSaveLives' campaign to strengthen the fight against coronavirus. He also shared an over one-minute video showing shortage of oxygen, ventilators, ICU beds and vaccines and people scrambling to get them.

"Our country needs a helping hand in these distressing times. Let's all do our bit to save lives. Join the campaign #SpeakUpToSaveLives and strengthen our fight against Corona," he said in a tweet.

The Congress has set up a control room at the All India Congress Committee headquarters and Pradesh Congress Committee offices to help people. The party has been arranging oxygen, beds and essential medicines for those in need while it has also called for free vaccination for all in the country. PTI

In India, citizens struggle for the right to breathe

13:16 Pak says Indian variant of COVID-19 not present in country

The Indian variant of the coronavirus has not been found yet in Pakistan, a senior minister in-charge of the coronavirus task force has said, rejecting reports that the Indian strain of the virus reached Thailand from the country. According to reports, health authorities in Thailand on Monday confirmed the country's first cases of the Indian variant of the coronavirus, in a Thai woman and her 4-year-old son who have been in state quarantine since arriving from Pakistan.

The finding comes amid Thailand battling a new wave of the coronavirus. Reacting to the reports, Minister of Planning Asad Umar, who also heads the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) -- a centralised body set up to coordinate the national COVID-19 response -- on Monday said it is not possible that two Thai nationals had contracted the Indian coronavirus variant from Pakistan as it is not yet present in the country.

Some of the variants such as UK, Brazilian and South African were reported in the country, but not a single case of Indian variant has been reported yet, he was quoted as saying by the Dawn newspaper.

The Indian variant -- officially known as B.1.617 -- was first detected in the state of Maharashtra in October last year. The strain has reportedly been spotted in at least 21 countries. It was quite possible that the woman had contracted the virus from Thailand or somewhere else as the virus was not reported in Pakistan, Umar said. Thailand has banned travellers from India, other than Thai citizens, starting on May 1 to prevent the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.

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13:01 Read this student's account of quarantine horror

A PIL in the Delhi High Court on Tuesday claimed that the quarantine centre at Sultanpuri in the national capital for COVID-19 patients is "unhygienic", "uninhabitable" and lacks medical professionals to monitor them.

A bench of Chief Justice D N Patel and Justice Jasmeet Singh did not pass any order as the court fees had not been paid by the petitioner, a student of Jawaharlal Nehru University. The court said it will take up the matter only after the court fee is paid and listed the matter for hearing on May 17.

The petitioner-student has said in her plea that she tested COVID-19 positive while staying on the JNU campus and since there was no quarantine facility in the university premises, she was transferred to the Sultanpuri Isolation Centre.

"To the utter shock of the petitioner who had tested COVID-19 and was suffering from fever, acute body ache and weakness, the quarantine centre was unhygienic and no facilities were given to the patients," the petition has alleged.

During her four day of stay at the centre, she found that "patients at the quarantine facility were suffering severely not only on account of their illness but also due to the negligence of the government authorities in providing them with basic facilities like sanitation, food, medicines, clean mattresses and blankets, regular doctor visits, proper monitoring of oxygen, etc".

She has also alleged in her plea that "not a single person visits these wards, be it a doctor, nurse or any ward officials".

"The patients manage everything on their own. No doctor or a nurse visits the patients to check their vitals, temperature and oxygen levels. All of them have to come to the ground floor of the building to get checked and to obtain basic medicines.

"Most of the time, the patients have to wait in a line, sometimes even for an hour in the scorching sun to obtain basic medicines..," the petition has further claimed. The petitioner has sought appointing of a court commissioner to visit the quarantine facility at Sultanpuri and directions to the Delhi government "to follow the recommendation issued by WHO and the guidelines issued by NCDC for implementing quarantine".

Besides that the petitioner also seeks a clean and hygienic environment by sanitizing and disinfecting the premises, doctor visits thrice a day to the patients in their rooms, PPE kits for sanitation workers at the quarantine centres, periodic checking of oxygen levels of the patients and several other reliefs. PTI

12:30 No shortage of ICU, O2 beds in Delhi: Kejriwal

Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal says corona cases are going down in Delhi and so is the second wave. "With your cooperation lockdown was successful. We've increased number of oxygen beds in past few days. Yesterday, we started 500 new ICU beds near GTB Hospital. Now there's no shortage of ICU and oxygen beds in Delhi."

Kejriwal on Monday said that his government is boosting the infrastructure to prepare the national capital for the next wave of the coronavirus disease. Delhi has seen a surge in the number of daily cases of Covid-19, which led the Kejriwal government to announced strict lockdown-like measures to check the spread of the infection in second wave.

"We're increasing oxygen beds... we must prepare for the third wave. In this wave, Delhi recorded maximum 28,000 cases in a day. The scale at which we're creating infrastructure, we'll be able to deal even if 30,000 daily cases are reported in next wave," the chief minister said.

His comments come on a day when the Delhi's health minister Satyendar Jain said that the city was running out of vaccines, with just three to four days of supplies remaining of AstraZeneca's Covishield, made by the Serum Institute of India and a day for Covaxin.

The proposed COVID-19 vaccination camp which was scheduled to be held at GSD Complex, Indira Gandhi International Airport, Delhi on Tuesday and Thursday, has been cancelled as government authorities have expressed inability to hold these camps due to non-availability of vaccines.

An official letter issued by Air India stated: "The proposed COVID vaccination Camp at GSD Complex, IGIA (Delhi) on May 11 and 13 stands canceled because government authorities have expressed inability to hold these camps due to non-availability of vaccines." However, the fresh dates will be notified once Air India get re-confirmation from government authorities.

12:08 Uddhav is now family doc of Maharashtra: Sena

The Shiv Sena on Tuesday described Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray as the "family doctor" of the 12 crore people of the state, saying his "caring attitude" and efforts have prevented the state from crossing the "danger level" of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In the editorial in the party mouthpiece 'Saamana', the Sena also said even Prime Minister Narendra Modi had acknowledged Maharashtra's efforts in mitigating the second wave of the pandemic. In his recent interaction with physicians, the chief minister had urged them to help in the early diagnosis of COVID-19 infection in their patients and facilitate timely treatment for them.

Terming Thackeray, who heads the Sena, a "Covidologist", the editorial said he was probably the only chief minister who has studied the COVID-19 crisis in detail.

The number of daily coronavirus positive cases in Maharashtra, which has been reeling under the resurgent pandemic, dropped below 40,000 to 37,236 on Monday for the first time after March 31. As of May 10, Maharashtra's caseload stood at 51,38,973 including 76,398 fatalities.

"Chief Minister Thackeray studied the pandemic in detail and is working hard to bring down the cases. He has (in a way) become a family doctor of the 12 crore people of Maharashtra," the Sena said.

"He did not let Maharashtra cross the danger level. Not only that but Thackeray is also instilling courage and strength in the people to fight the COVID-19 by becoming their family doctor. It is the duty of everyone to support him," the Sena said. The party said heart-wrenching photographs of corpses of people who have died of COVID-19 piling up in other parts of the country are being published daily by the international media.

"But there are no such photographs from Maharashtra. Who should be credited for the same if not CM Thackeray?" the Sena asked.

The Sena further said the state government was preparing itself to fight the third wave of COVID-19 which is predicted to affect children more than other age groups. The Sena said the CM's priority was to protect children during the third wave and he has asked doctors to pay attention to identify certain symptoms in children. "...This is a sign of a family head. The chief minister is personally paying attention towards (availability of) medical oxygen and vaccination," the Sena said.

In a veiled dig at the BJP and other opposition parties that have been accusing Thackeray of not stepping out of his residence for fear of catching the viral infection, the Sena said, "Thackery has stopped moving out unnecessarily".

11:39 The UP model, or how not to face a pandemic

Nowhere else in the world has anti-terrorist legislation been invoked to threaten citizens voicing their needs during a pandemic, adding fear to their despair. Read the column here

The first Oxygen Express to Karnataka, carrying 120 tonnes of liquid medical oxygen reached the city on Tuesday. According to South Western Railway, the oxygen express carrying six cryogenic containers with medical oxygen weighing 120 tonnes departed from Jharkhand on Monday and arrived at the Inland Container Depot in Whitefield here this morning.

"A signal free 'Green Corridor' was created by the Railways to enable swift transport of the Oxygen Express...," Chief Public Relations Officer of South Western Railway, Aneesh Hegde told PTI.

"The Railways has taken a lot of care in smooth transportation of the oxygen throughout the country by ensuring a green corridor, efficient maintenance of assets and several concessions such as exemption of development surcharge, busy season surcharge, Terminal Access Charge etc for Oxygen container transport," he said.

More than 4,700 MT oxygen has been delivered through Oxygen Express for COVID patients across the country so far, the official noted.

In view of the alarming rise in coronavirus cases in Karnataka, which had been reporting 50,000 infections daily, the oxygen demand grew manifold.-- PTI

BJP chief JP Nadda writes to Congress interim chief Sonia Gandhi: "Saddened but not surprised by conduct of Congress during these times. While there are a few members of your party doing commendable work in helping people, their hard work gets eclipsed by negativity spread by senior members of the party. One would wish that while India is fighting COVID19 with utmost courage, the top echelons of Congress would stop misleading people, creating false panic and even contradicting their stands just based on political considerations."

Congress interim President Sonia Gandhi on Monday alleged that the Centre has abdicated its responsibility and left COVID-19 vaccination to states.

"Modi government has abdicated its responsibility and left vaccination to states. It would have been financially more equitable for the Centre to provide free vaccine to all," the party Chief said while Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting.

Sonia Gandhi further expressed concern over the worrying situation due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the country.

10:39 Encounter begins in Kashmir valley

An encounter started between terrorists and security forces at Vailoo, Kokernag area of Anantnag. "Three terrorists of LeT outfit are trapped in the encounter," says IGP Kashmir to ANI. IGP Kashmir says three terrorists of LeT are trapped.

Equity benchmark Sensex tumbled over 450 points in early trade on Tuesday, tracking losses in index-heavyweights HDFC twins, ICICI Bank and Kotak Bank amid negative cues from global markets.

The 30-share BSE index was trading 470.10 points or 0.95 per cent lower at 49,032.31 in initial deals. Similarly, the broader NSE Nifty slumped 145.80 points or 0.98 per cent to 14,796.55. Kotak Bank was the top loser in the Sensex pack, shedding over 2 per cent, followed by HDFC, TCS, ICICI Bank, Bajaj Auto, Tech Mahindra, M&M and Maruti.

On the other hand, Sun Pharma, NTPC, ONGC, ITC, Reliance Industries and UltraTech Cement were among the gainers. In the previous session, Sensex ended 295.94 points or 0.60 per cent higher at 49,502.41, and Nifty jumped 119.20 points or 0.80 per cent to 14,942.35. Foreign institutional investors (FIIs) were net buyers in the capital market as they purchased shares worth Rs 583.69 crore on Monday, according to provisional exchange data.

Liquid medical oxygen being transported

10:15 India records 3.29 lakh Covid cases in a day

India reports 3,29,942 new COVID-19 cases, 3,56,082 discharges and 3,876 deaths in the last 24 hours, as per Union Health Ministry. Cases are still alarmingly high, but have dropped from the all-time high of 4.16 lakh cases a day.

Total cases: 2,26,62,575

Total discharges: 1,90,27,304

Death toll: 2,49,992

Active cases: 37,15,221

Total vaccination: 17,27,10,066

The United States Customs and Border Protection agents discovered cow dung cakes in a leftover baggage of a passenger from India at an international airport in the suburb of Washington DC, according to officials.

Cow dung cakes are prohibited in the US as they are considered to be potential carriers of the highly contagious foot and mouth disease.

They were destroyed, the US Customs and Border Protection said on Monday.

"That is not a typo. CBP agriculture specialists found two cow dung cakes in a suitcase that was left behind after passengers from an Air India flight cleared CBP's inspection station on April 4," a media release said on Monday.

"Foot and Mouth Disease is one of the animal diseases that livestock owners dread most, has grave economic consequences, and it is a critical threat focus of Customs and Border Protection's agriculture protection mission," said Keith Fleming, Acting Director of Field Operations for CBP's Baltimore Field Office.

Cow dung is reported to be a vital energy and cooking source in some parts of the world. Cow dung has also been reportedly used as a skin detoxifier, an antimicrobial and as fertilizer. Despite these alleged benefits, cow dung from India is prohibited due to the potential introduction of foot and mouth disease, the CBP said.

According to the US Department of Agriculture, Foot and Mouth Disease is a worldwide concern as it can spread widely and rapidly and causes significant economic losses to livestock populations.

A single detection of FMD will likely stop international livestock trade completely until authorities can eradicate the disease threat.

The US has been FMD free since 1929, according to a statement. -- PTI

09:22 US authorises Pfizer vaccine for 12-15 yr olds

The United States has authorised the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for children aged 12 to 15 years old.

The US Food and Drug Administration previously had granted an emergency use authorization for the jab to individuals aged 16 and older.

"This is a promising development in our fight against the virus," said US President Joe Biden.

A United States congresswoman has urged President Joe Biden to send more direct support to India which is battling an unprecedented second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Congresswoman Haley Stevens, in a letter to Biden on Monday, said that India is now the epicentre of the COVID-19 pandemic.

"This past week India registered over 400,000 daily cases. On May 4, there were 3,786 deaths, bringing the total to 226,188 fatalities. The sharp increase in cases has severely strained the healthcare system, overwhelming hospitals, and depleting oxygen supplies. India is in great need of oxygen, therapeutics, and vaccines," Stevens wrote.

Asking the White House to increase shipments of oxygen cylinders, Remdesivir, Tocilizumab and ventilators to Indian hospitals, she thanked Biden for his support of more than USD 100 million to India.

"I urge you to provide the following items: Oxygen Cylinders, 10 liters and 45 liters Liquid Medical Oxygen Capacity; Oxygen Concentrator; Oxygen Generator Plants; Remdesivir; Tocilizumab, Ventilators/BiPAP," she said.

"As you continue to assess the situation in India, I urge you to consider fulfilling the additional needs outlined above. As long as COVID persists in India, there is the potential for additional variants that could pose a serious threat to a vaccinated America. We must do our part to quell the virus everywhere it persists," Stevens added.

India has been severely affected by the unprecedented second wave of the coronavirus and hospitals in several states are reeling under the shortage of health workers, vaccines, oxygen, drugs and beds.

Microblogging giant Twitter has donated USD 15 million to help address the COVID-19 crisis in India which is battling the unprecedented second wave of the deadly pandemic.

Twitter CEO Jack Patrick Dorsey on Monday tweeted that the amount has been donated to three non-governmental organisations -- Care, Aid India and Sewa International USA.

While CARE has been given USD 10 million, Aid India and Sewa International USA have received USD 2.5 million each.

"Sewa International is a Hindu faith-based, humanitarian, non-profit service organisation. This grant will support the procurement of lifesaving equipment such as oxygen concentrators, ventilators, BiPAP (Bilevel Positive Airway Pressure) and CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) machines as part of Sewa International's 'Help India Defeat COVID-19' campaign," the San Francisco-based company said in a statement.

"Equipment will be distributed to government hospitals and COVID-19 care centers and hospitals," it said.

Reacting to the announcement, Sewa International's vice president for Marketing and Fund Development Sandeep Khadkekar thanked Dorsey for his generous donation, saying it is gratifying that Sewa's work has been recognised.

"We are a volunteer-driven non-profit organisation, and we believe in serving all, following the sacred Hindu benediction, 'Sarve Bhavantu Sukhinah' -- 'May all be happy'," Khadkekar told PTI.

"Our administrative costs are about five per cent, meaning that every dollar a donor offers, we spend 95 cents of it on the work that it is earmarked for. In these past two weeks, we have seen how overwhelmed India's healthcare system is, and we want to do as much as we can to come to the aid of people who are deeply affected. Twitter's generosity will go a long way in helping us do the work we want to do, and that we need to do," he said.

With this, Houston-headquartered Sewa USA has so far raised USD 17.5 million towards its India COVID-19 relief efforts.

CARE is a leading humanitarian organisation fighting global poverty.

Twitter said the grant of USD 10 million will support CARE's urgent action to help address the deadly second wave of COVID-19 infections devastating India.

"Funds will be used to supplement government efforts by setting up temporary COVID-19 care centers; providing oxygen, PPE kits and other critically needed emergency supplies for frontline health workers; and addressing vaccine hesitancy and helping ensure that people get vaccinated, particularly in remote, marginalised communities in India," it said.

Association for India's Development (AID) is a volunteer movement promoting sustainable, equitable and just development.

AID partners with grassroots organisations in India on interconnected areas of education, health, agriculture, livelihoods, environment, and human rights, Twitter said. -- PTI

01:49 Indian variant got to be monitored: Boris

United Kingdom Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Monday laid out the next stage in his COVID-19 pandemic lockdown easing roadmap, with indoor gatherings and hugging to be allowed again within a cautious and common sense approach.

Addressing a Downing Street press conference, Johnson declared that the tests he had set for the country to move to the next stage of reopening from next Monday have been met as the UK recorded the lowest level of pandemic deaths since July last year.

However, he struck a note caution and pointed to the need to monitor new variants of coronavirus, including the so-called Indian variant which has now been classed as a Variant of Concern (VOC) by Public Health England (PHE).

This is a very considerable unlocking. But it's got to be done in a way that is cautious we have just got to monitor the Indian variant, other variants, said Johnson.

He was joined at the briefing by Professor Chris Whitty, the Chief Medical Officer for England, who in his update on the pandemic circulation said that one of three subtypes of the Indian variant was of some concern as it showed a rise in numbers sharply in some parts of the UK from very low levels.

So that has to be monitored very carefully, said Whitty.

The Indian variant subtype B.1.617.2, which was found to be at least as highly transmissible as the dominant Kent variant in England, was designated as a VOC by PHE last week after over 500 cases were found in parts of England.

It is among a list of variants, including South African and Brazilian variants, currently being monitored as VOCs in Britain.

Under the eased lockdown rules from next week, people from different households so far able to meet only outdoors will be able to meet in indoor settings as up to six people or two households will be able to meet indoors and up to 30 people outdoors.

From May 17 the penultimate mark for a complete end to lockdown scheduled for June 21, the Stay in the UK restriction will be lifted and people will be able to travel for overnight stays and to green list countries.

The unlock from next Monday will mean indoor hospitality can reopen and indoor entertainment can resume, including cinemas, museums, and children's play areas.

All remaining outdoor entertainment can reopen, such as outdoor cinemas and performances. Some larger events will be able to take place, including conferences, theatre and concert performances, and sports events.

Restrictions on the number of attendees will remain in place.

The public can make informed, personal decisions on close contact, such as hugging, with their friends and family. Close contact continues to carry a risk of catching or spreading COVID-19, and people must consider the risk to themselves and to others.

COVID-secure rules remain for the workplace and businesses, such as in shops and hospitality, Downing Street said.

Face coverings will no longer be needed in classrooms or for students in communal areas in secondary schools and colleges.

Twice weekly home testing will remain in place to control infection rates.

All remaining university students will be eligible to return to in-person teaching and learning from May 17, and should get tested twice a week upon return.

Up to 30 people will now be able to attend weddings, receptions, and commemorative events including wakes, as well as standalone life-cycle events.

These can take place outdoors or at any indoor Covid secure venue that is permitted to open. The number of people able to attend a funeral will be determined by the number that can be safely accommodated in the venue with social distancing in place. -- PTI

Image only for representation.

00:23 No oxygen for 5 mins, 11 die at AP hospital

At least 11 COVID-19 patients died due to a problem in oxygen supply inside the ICU in the government-run Ruia Hospital in Tirupati late on Monday night, Chittoor district Collector M Hari Narayanan said.

There was a five-minute lag in reloading the oxygen cylinder that caused the pressure to drop, resulting in the deaths, he said.

"The oxygen supply was restored within five minutes and everything is now normal. Because of this we could prevent more casualties," Hari Narayanan added.

About 30 doctors were immediately rushed into the ICU to attend to the patients.

The Collector said there was no scarcity of oxygen in the hospital and adequate supply was in place.

In all, about 700 Covid-19 patients were undergoing treatment in the ICU and oxygen beds in Ruia while another 300 were in normal wards.

Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy expressed grief over the incident.

He spoke to the district collector and directed that a detailed investigation be conducted into the incident.

Jagan directed the officials to ensure that suchincidents did not recur. -- PTI

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