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Mon, 24 May 2021
Covid 2nd wave China's war on India: Vijayvargiya
Timeline Refresh
23:44 Narada case: SC to hear CBI's challenge to HC order tomorrow
The vacation bench of the Supreme Court of India has listed the CBI's plea challenging a Calcutta High Court order in the Narada case. Earlier this month, the high court had placed the accused in the Narada scam in house arrest.
23:16 Covid 2nd wave China's war on India: Vijayvargiya
The devastating second COVID-19 wave sweeping through India over the past few months is China's "viral war" against the country, senior BJP leader Kailash Vijayvargiya today said. This is the moment we all must stand with the nation, he asserted.
This "viral war" is being waged to undercut the country's, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi's, standing globally, the party's in-charge of West Bengal said.
"This second wave of Covid, whether it has come or has been sent is a matter of discussion. Because if anyone in the world has challenged China, it was India and Modiji," Vijayvargiya said, adding that the this wave was part of China's "toolkit" to malign the prime minister and diminish his popularity.
"The second wave has swept through only India. Neighbouring countries like Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, or Afghanistan haven't been affected. That's why I feel China is out to trouble India," he said.
The BJP leader was speaking in Madhya Pradesh's Indore during a programme to distribute oxygen concentrators in rural areas of the city.
22:45 TN govt seeks banning 'The Family Man 2' series
The Tamil Nadu government on Monday requested the Centre to take immediate action either to stop or ban the release of 'The Family Man 2' webseries on Amazon Prime, saying it depicted the Eelam Tamils in a "highly objectionable manner."
Claiming there were "condemnable, inappropriate and malicious contents" in the serial, Tamil Nadu IT Minister T Mano Thangaraj said the trailer released in social media was aimed at discrediting and distorting the historical struggle of the Eelam Tamils in Sri Lanka.
"I would like to state that the above serial has not only hurt the sentiments of Eelam Tamils but also the
feelings of the people of Tamil Nadu in large-scale and if allowed to broadcast, it would be prejudicial to the maintenance of harmony in the state," he said in a letter to Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar.
Thangaraj claimed the sacrifices of their long drawn out democratic battle has been intentionally undermined and it could not by any stretch of imagination considered merely as a serial with any value for Tamil culture.
"A serial loaded with insults and insinuations against the glorious Tamil culture could never be considered as the one having any broadcasting value."
"Branding Tamil speaking actress Samantha as a terrorist in the serial is directly an attack on the pride of Tamils living around the world and no one will tolerate this kind of motivated and mischievous campaign," he said.
The trailer of the serial has already evoked strong and widespread opposition from the people of Tamil Nadu and political parties in the state, he said.
-- PTI
22:20 'Maha may ease curbs where cases are dropping'
Maharashtra Relief and Rehabilitation Minister Vijay Wadettiwarsaid the government was contemplating easing COVID-19-induced lockdown-like curbs in districts outside the "red zone" after June 1.
He said 15 districts (out of total 36) are in the "red zone" (high caseload) and the curbs their could be made more stricter.
Buldhana, Kolhapur, Ratnagiri, Sangli, Yavatmal, Amravati, Sindhdurg, Solapur, Akola, Satara, Washim, Beed, Gadchiroli, Ahmednagar and Osmanabad are the districts where coronavirus cases are still on the rise, the minister said.
"There is a demand for easing restrictions where COVID-19 cases have reduced. The government may ease restrictions in districts where cases are coming down. It will take a decision after observing the situation for four to five more days " he said.
Wadettiwar said suburban trains in Mumbai will not be opened to all for another 15 days at least.
"Social distancing is not possible in local trains. They will continue to ply for essential services staffers only," he said.
Home quarantine system for COVID-19 patients has now been replaced with institutional quarantine in districts where the coronavirus cases are increasing, the minister said.
-- PTI
22:07 Guj Dalit man attacked over mustache by 11 people
A Dalit man was attacked in Viramgam taluka in Gujarat's Ahmedabad allegedly by 11 people for sporting a long mustache, and three people have been arrested so far in the incident, police said on Monday.
Suresh Vaghela (22), who belongs to a Scheduled Caste community, in his complaint, has said 11 members of an Other Backward Classes (OBC) group attacked him for sporting a mustache, Deputy Superintendent of Police D S Vyas said.
"Vaghela is undergoing treatment in a hospital. We have arrested three people so far," the Deputy SP added.
Vaghela's FIR stated that the group, led by one Dhama Thakor, gathered outside the former's house in Karathkal village on Sunday night and hurled casteist abuses over his moustache.
The group attacked Vaghela with a sharp weapon as well as sticks, and his sister was also injured in the attack, the complaint stated.
-- PTI
21:46 Odisha cancels COVID activities in 3 districts
Keeping in view the impending very severe cyclonic storm "Yaas", the Odisha government on Monday decided to suspend the COVID-19 testing, vaccination and door-to-door survey work in the three cyclone prone districts.
The three districts are-Balasore, Bhadrak and Mayurbhanj. They fall in the red zones having more than 1000 active coronavirus cases.
"The ongoing activities of COVID-19 testing, vaccination and door-to-door COVID-19 survey shall remain suspended in Balasore, Bhadrak and Mayurbhanj districts between May 25 and 27," a notification issued by the Health and Family Welfare Department said.
However, the district collectors of Kendrapada, Jagatsinghpur and Keonjhar, will take a call on suspension of the COVID related activities in their jurisdiction, it said.
The state government has also cancelled holidays and leaves of all government employees with immediate effect in the view of the cyclone.
Cyclone Yaas is likely to cross Odisha-West Bengal coast on May 26.
-- PTI
21:19 Smarting under statement withdrawal, Ramdev poses 25 questions to IMA
Having been forced to withdraw his statement questioning the efficacy of allopathy medicines, yoga guru Ramdev on Monday asked the Indian Medical Association if allopathy offered permanent relief for ailments such as hypertension and diabetes.
In an 'open letter' posted on his Twitter handle, Ramdev posed 25 questions to IMA, which had objected to his video clip running down allopathy treatment for COVID-19.
He asked if allopathy offered permanent relief from hypertension and type-1 and 2 diabetes.
"Does the pharma industry have permanent treatment for thyroid, arthritis, colitis and asthma?" he asked.
Ramdev went on to ask if allopathy had medicines for fatty liver and liver cirrhosis. "Like you found a cure for TB and chicken pox, look for treatments for liver ailments. After all, allopathy is now 200 years old."
He further asked what non-surgical cure does the pharma industry have for heart blockage. "What treatment is there for cholesterol."
"Does the pharma industry have treatment for migraine?", or treatment for constipation and bloating amnesia without any side effects, he said.
The yoga guru went on to list modern day ailments such as Parkinson's disease and asked if allopathy had any painless cure to treat infertility as well as to reverse ageing and increase hemoglobin.
"Doctors should not fall ill at all if allopathy is all powerful and 'sarvagun sampanna' (having all good qualities)," he remarked.
On Sunday, Ramdev was forced to withdraw a statement made in a viral video clip in which he is heard saying that "lakhs have died from taking allopathic medicines for COVID-19."
He is also heard questioning some of the medicines being used to treat Covid-19.
The remarks were met with vociferous protests from the doctors' association, following which Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan asked him to withdraw the "extremely unfortunate" statement.
-- PTI
20:51 PM Modi-led panel meets to decide next CBI chief
A high-powered committee chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi met on Monday to select the new director of the Central Bureau of Investigation.
Besides Modi, the other two members of the panel -- Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury and Chief Justice of India N V Ramana -- were also present in the meeting held at the Prime Minister's residence.
The meeting lasted for more than 90 minutes.
Serving Indian Police Service officers of the senior-most batches -- 1984, 1985, 1986 and 1987 -- are being considered for the top post in the CBI.
At present, the CBI's additional director, Praveen Sinha, a 1988-batch IPS officer, is holding the charge of director.
Sinha was given the additional charge after the retirement of Rishi Kumar Shukla in February after a two-year tenure.
-- PTI
20:30 Mumbai sees another 1,057 Covid-19 cases
Mumbai's COVID-19 tally reached 6,98,867 after 1,057 people were detected with the infection, and the death toll increased by 48 to touch 14,671, an official said.
He said 1,312 people were discharged from hospitals.
The time taken for the tally to double has reached 334 days and the overall growth rate of cases is 0.20 per cent.
20:26 Police raids Twitter office at New Delhi
Delhi Police on Monday raided social media giant Twitter's India offices in New Delhi, Lado Sarai and Gurugram.
20:00 Govt doesn't seem to care: Rahul on Covid
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday said that even though vaccination is the key to controlling the pandemic the government does not seem to care as he claimed reduction in daily inoculation in the country.
He shared a graph showing the decline in the number of vaccine doses administered during April and May (till 20th) and pointed out that the average number of vaccination per day has fallen below the daily production.
"Vaccination is the key to controlling the pandemic but GOI doesn't seem to care," he said on Twitter while sharing a graph.
The graph showed that the total vaccinations in April were 8.98 crore, which have fallen to 3.69 crore in May (till 20th).
It also claimed that while average vaccination per day in April was 29.95 lakh against the total daily production of 26.66 lakh doses, it has fallen to 18.44 lakh per day vaccination against a production of 25.80 lakh doses in May this year.
The Congress has been critical of the government's vaccine policy and have termed it as discriminatory.
19:49 Milkha Singh hospitalised for COVID-19
Legendary Indian sprinter Milkha Singh, who has tested positive for COVID-19, was on Monday hospitalised, with his son and ace golfer Jeev Milkha Singh saying that the move was a precautionary measure.
The 91-year-old Milkha had been in home isolation at his Chandigarh residence after he tested positive for the virus on Wednesday. He has now been admitted to Fortis hospital in Mohali. Hospital sources said that Milkha's condition was "stable". "He has been hospitalised. He was weak and not eating since yesterday, so we had to hospitalise him," Jeev said.
"Though his parameters seemed alright, we thought it is safer to have him admitted where he would be under supervision of senior doctors," Jeev added.
"He is under good care of doctors there. He is a strong man, always positive and will recover soon," added the golfer, who reached here on Saturday from Dubai after his father tested positive.
Milkha had earlier said that a couple of house helps had been infected by the virus after which his family underwent tests.
The legendary athlete is a four-time Asian Games gold-medallist and 1958 Commonwealth Games champion but his greatest performance was the fourth place finish in the 400m final of the 1960 Rome Olympics.
19:29 Cyclone Yaas: Kolkata port to suspend operations from May 25
The Kolkata Port will suspend all shipping movements from May 25 in the wake of cyclone Yaas, a senior official said on Monday.
Kolkata Port Trust chairman Vinit Kumar said the decision was taken as a precautionary measure.
Entering of ships will be halted from Tuesday morning, while cargo handling will be stooped at 2 pm and workers will be shifted to safety, he said.
The movement of goods-carrying vehicles on the port roads will be halted at 6 pm.
The Kolkata Port is taking several measures in the wake of the warning issued for the cyclone, which is likely to make landfall near Balasore in north Odisha along the West Bengal border around Wednesday noon.
Control rooms have been set up at Kolkata Dock System and Haldia Dock Complex, Kumar said.
"We are continuously monitoring the situation. Control rooms at KDS and HDC are being manned by senior officers since May 21. Tugboats and launches will be available for any emergency," he added.
-- PTI
19:11 Cyclone Yaas: All 265 fishing boats have returned to harbour from Bay of Bengal
The Indian Coast Guard on Monday said all the 265 boats, which were reported to be in the Bay of Bengal by fisheries authorities, have returned to harbour in view of cyclone Yaas.
The cyclone is very likely to cross the north Odisha and West Bengal coasts between Paradip and Sagar Island around May 26 noon as a 'very severe cyclonic storm'.
It is expected to bring in winds of 155 to 165 kmph, gusting up to 180 kmph.
'Consistent efforts of the ICG ensured all 265 boats reported at sea by fisheries authorities safely returned harbour,' the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) tweeted.
It said its disaster response teams, ships and aircraft are on standby.
Moreover, the ICG is maintaining close liaison with state administrations and other stakeholders to deal with any situation, the coast guard said.
The deep depression over the Bay of Bengal intensified into cyclone Yaas in the early hours of Monday and it is likely to intensify into a severe cyclonic storm in the next 24 hours, the India Meteorological Department said.
Just a couple of days back, on May 17, cyclone Tauktae devastated the coastal districts of Gujarat, killing around 70 people in the state. -- PTI
Image only for representation.
18:50 First case of yellow fungus reported in country
After cases of black and white fungus, both post-COVID complications, have been reported from several states, a first such case of yellow fungus was detected in Uttar Pradesh's Ghaziabad district on Monday, informed Dr. BP Tyagi, an ENT (Ear-Nose-Throat) specialist.
Dr. Tyagi said that the patient is also infected with black and white fungus apart from yellow fungus and is currently undergoing treatment at a city hospital.
The patient aged 45 is a resident of Sanjay Nagar, he added.
According to Dr Tyagi, the symptoms of Mucor septicus (yellow fungus) are lethargy, reduced or loss of appetite, and weight loss.
As it progresses, severe symptoms such as leakage of pus and slow healing of wounds, sunken eyes due to malnutrition and organ failure and necrosis (a form of cell injury which results in the premature death of cells in living tissue).
Yellow fungus is a fatal disease because it starts internally and therefore it is important to note its symptoms.
This unfortunately makes it very difficult to manage the disease, leading to delay in receiving treatment in many cases, said Dr Tyagi adding that the only cure available for the disease is Amphoteracin-B injection.
"It is very important to clean out the enclosure around the house, keep it as clean as possible, and remove old food, fecal matter etc as soon as possible to help prevent the growth of bacteria and fungus," said Dr Tyagi.
The ENT specialist further said, "The humidity of the house is also important so it should be measured at all times. Too much humidity can promote the growth of bacteria and fungus. For COVID patients, it is important to adopt a medical practice as soon as possible so that the body does not give rise to further complications like yellow fungus."
According to the patient's caretaker, the patient was undergoing treatment for COVID-19 for the past two months and was also recovering.
But in the last four days, one side of the patient's face starting swelling up due to which he was unable to open his eyes.
Bleeding from the nose as well as bleeding in urine also started.
In a hurry, the patient was admitted to the hospital where medical examination revealed yellow fungus. -- ANI
18:35 TMC turncoats welcomed into BJP by neglecting old-timers will quit one by one: Tathagata
Continuing his tirade against a section of the party leadership, senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader Tathagata Roy on Monday said those Trinamool Congress turncoats who were welcomed into the saffron party by neglecting old-timers have shown their 'true colours' and will return to their old party one by one.
TMC turncoats Sonali Guha, Sarala Murmu and Amal Acharya, who had joined the BJP before the West Bengal assembly elections, have expressed their desire to return to the ruling party in the state and said they regretted their decision to join the BJP.
"My words have proved to be true. Those who were welcomed into the BJP with open arms, those new entrants who were granted such rousing reception while old-timers of 20-30 years were given short shrift and subjected to total neglect, are now set to return to the TMC one by one," Roy, known for his controversial statements, said.
After the BJP's poor performance in the assembly elections, in which it bagged only 77 seats while the TMC won 213 constituencies, the former governor of Tripura and Meghalaya said that 'unwanted elements' from the ruling party in West Bengal had joined the saffron camp ahead of the polls.
On the TMC turncoats' wish to return to their old party, senior leader and MP Sougata Roy said that in his opinion, these turncoats should not be inducted into the Trinamool Congress within the next six months.
"Chief Minister and party chief Mamata Banerjee will take the final decision in this regard. But, in my view, they should not be inducted into the party within six months' time.
"Our grassroots level activists had worked so hard during poll campaigning against the BJP's sustained adverse campaign and money power. We may look into their sentiments," Roy said.
TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh said the party is preoccupied with the fight against COVID-19 and does not have time for other issues. -- PTI
18:12 Cyclone Yaas: Odisha deploys rescue teams
The Odisha government rushed a large contingent of rescue and relief teams to Balasore district bordering West Bengal on Monday where the very severe cyclonic storm Yaas in likely to make landfall.
Considering the input given by the weather office, the state government is preparing for possible landfall of the cyclone in Odisha, Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) PK Jena told reporters.
A massive evacuation drive will be launched in all low-lying areas and vulnerable storm-surge pockets, following the IMD predicting a tidal surge of 2-4.5 meters during the landfall of Yaas, Jena said.
"The process of evacuation has already begun in the state and would be completed by Tuesday afternoon. The government is determined to ensure zero casualty in the cyclone," he said. Balasore, Bhadrak, Kendrapara and Jagastinghpur districts have been identified as high-risk zones along with Mayurbhanj and Keonjhar districts. Besides, the district authorities of Cuttack, Puri, Khura, Nayagarh and Dhenkanal have also been put on alert for any eventuality.
Representational image
17:40 Researchers at China's Wuhan bio lab sought hospitalisation before Covid outbreak: Report
Three researchers from the Wuhan Institute of Virology sought hospital care in November 2019, weeks before Beijing disclosed the COVID-19 pandemic, a US media report said, citing a previously undisclosed American intelligence document that could add weight to growing calls for a full scale probe of whether the coronavirus may have escaped from China's top bio lab.
The details of the reporting go beyond a State Department fact sheet, issued during the final days of the Trump administration, which said that several researchers at the Wuhan lab, a center for the study of coronaviruses and other pathogens, became sick in autumn 2019 "with symptoms consistent with both Covid-19 and common seasonal illness," the Wall Street Journal reported.
The origins of the COVID-19 remain a widely debated topic, with some scientists and politicians maintaining that the possibility of a lab leak of the deadly virus exists.
The Wuhan Institute of Virology is near the outbreak's known epicentre of Huanan Seafood Market in central China's Wuhan city, where the virus first emerged in late 2019 and became a pandemic.
Former US president Donald Trump was among those who supported the theory that the virus might have escaped from a bio lab in China.
"Three researchers from China's Wuhan Institute of Virology became sick enough in November 2019 that they sought hospital care," the newspaper said. The disclosure of the number of Chinese researchers, the timing of their illnesses and their hospital visits come on the eve of a meeting of the World Health Organization's decision-making body, which is expected to discuss the next phase of an investigation into Covid-19's origins.
The paper said that current and former officials familiar with the intelligence about the lab researchers expressed differing views about the strength of the supporting evidence, with one person saying it was provided by an international partner and was potentially significant but still in need of further investigation and additional corroboration. Another person described intelligence as stronger. The information that we had coming from the various sources was of exquisite quality. It was very precise. What it didn't tell you was exactly why they got sick, he said, referring to the researchers.
In a detailed article titled The origin of COVID: Did people or nature open Pandora's box at Wuhan' published in the prestigious Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists early this month, noted British science writer, editor and author Nicholas Wade raised several questions on the origin of the novel coronavirus that has disrupted lives the world over for more than a year and caused over three million deaths and wrecked global economies. The evidence adds up to a serious case that the SARS2 virus could have been created in a lab, from which it then escaped, wrote Wade, who refers to SARS-CoV-2 virus as SARS2 in short.
A drive in vaccination centre in Mumbai
17:30 Will only supply Covid vaccines to GOI: Pfizer
Pharmaceutical major Pfizer's statement on the supply of its Covid vaccine to India: "Pfizer will supply Covid vaccine only to central governments and supra-national organisations for deployment in national immunization programs. Allocation of doses and implementation plan within a country is a decision for local governments based on relevant health authority guidance.
"Pfizer's discussions with the Government of India are ongoing and we are hopeful to bring the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine for use in the country."
The statement comes amid the governments of Delhi and Punjab saying that Pfizer and Moderna have declined to sell coronavirus vaccines to the state government as they want to directly deal with the Centre.
17:10 Steady decline in daily new Covid cases: Govt
A steady decline in daily new Covid-19 cases has been observed since the last 17 days in India, the Union health ministry said on Monday. It said there has been 2.6 times increase in the number of Covid tests done in the past 15 weeks in the country along with a steady dip in the weekly positivity rate reported in the last two weeks.
Talking about the effect of the pandemic on children and young people, AIIMS, Delhi director Randeep Guleria noted, Children suffered collateral damage due to mental stress, smartphone addiction and education challenges amid the ongoing pandemic. The ministry added that there is no indication as of now that children will be severely affected in the third wave of Covid-19.
India vaccinates with Covishield and Covaxin against Covid
17:06 Panacea Biotec to make 100mn doses of Sputnik vax
Indian firm Panacea Biotec begins production of Sputnik V vaccines. It will annually manufacture 100 million doses of Sputnik V. The first batch of the COVID-19 vaccine produced at Panacea Biotec's facilities at Baddi in Himachal Pradesh will be shipped to the Russia's Gamaleya Center for quality control. Full-scale production of the vaccine is expected to start this summer, RDIF and Panacea Biotec said in a joint statement.
As announced in April, RDIF and Panacea have agreed to produce 100 million doses per year of Sputnik V, it added.
"Launch of production in India in partnership with Panacea Biotec marks an important step in helping the country fight the pandemic," RDIF chief executive Kirill Dmitriev said.
The production of Sputnik V supports efforts of India's authorities to leave behind the acute phase of coronavirus as soon as possible while the vaccine will also be exported at a later stage to help prevent the spread of the virus in other countries around the world, he added.
People wait to get vaccinated
16:31 This is how Delhi preps for 3rd Covid wave
As part of preparations for the third wave of the Covid-19, the Delhi government has started arranging for oxygen cylinders.
The Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on his visit to the oxygen plant at Delhi's Mayapuri area said that as many as 6,000 new oxygen cylinders have been imported from China as part of these preparations.
"The capacity of the oxygen plant has gone upto 55 metric tons. Delhi government has imported 6,000 new oxygen cylinders from China. No other such consignment has been brought from outside India during the entire COVID period," the Delhi Chief Minister said.
"These cylinders have been donated by HCL and Give India to the Delhi government. We thank the Ministry of External Affairs and the Indian Embassy in China for helping us import these cylinders," he said.
Kejriwal further informed that there are three oxygen cylinder deports across Delhi. Each cylinder have been given 2,000 oxygen cylinders which were imported from China.
"These cylinders can also be provided to the people in home isolation. If we need, we can use these 6,000 oxygen cylinders to add 3,000 more oxygen beds in Delhi," he added.
According to the Delhi health bulletin on Sunday, Delhi reported 1,649 new coronavirus cases and 189 deaths in the last 24 hours.
The COVID-19 lockdown in the city, which started on April 19 has been extended till May 31. -- ANI
16:14 Sensex jumps 111 pts; Nifty ends near 15,200
Equity benchmark Sensex advanced 111 points on Monday, tracking gains in HDFC twins, SBI and L&T amid mixed cues from global markets. The 30-share BSE index climbed 111.42 points or 0.22 per cent to finish at 50,651.90.
The broader NSE Nifty rose 22.40 points or 0.15 per cent to 15,197.70. SBI was the top gainer in the Sensex pack, advancing over 2 per cent, followed by L&T, ITC, Dr Reddy's, Axis Bank and PowerGrid. On the other hand, IndusInd Bank, UltraTech Cement, Titan and Bajaj Finserv were among the losers.
A dengue mosquito
16:12 After Covid & Black Fungus, mosquitoes bite Delhi
Expressing concern over mosquito infestation in the national capital, the Delhi High Court Monday said if the situation is not controlled immediately, the rise in vector-borne diseases could lead to more problems and complexities amidst the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
A bench of Justices Vipin Sanghi and Jameet Singh took suo motu cognizance of the mosquito infestation in Delhi and said that on account of the prevailing pandemic, the steps to be taken by the Delhi government and civic authorities have taken a back seat and they need to pull up their socks.
The court directed Delhi government, three MCDs, Delhi Cantonment and New Delhi Municipal Council to file their status reports on the steps already taken and to be undertaken on mosquito infestation and listed the case for hearing before a bench headed by the Chief Justice on May 28. Every year during and after monsoon one sees a surge in cases of chikungunya and dengue, the high court said.
15:53 Vaccination team attacked in MP's Ujjain
A medical team that was in Malikhedi village of Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh, to create awareness about Covid-19 vaccination was attacked. One person has been injured after being hit on the head.
Police say that some villagers verbally abused them and hit the husband of the Asst Secretary on the head. A FIR has been registered against four people.
The victim, Shakeel Mohd Qureshi, says, "We went there to create awareness and vaccinate people but they didn't want to get vaccinated. We thought we will go to them and talk to them but some people came there along with a crowd and one man hit me on the head with a stick. They were 50 in number."
More than 1.80 crore COVID-19 vaccine doses are still available with the states and UTs and they will receive over 48 lakh doses in the next three days, the Union Health Ministry said on Monday.
The Centre has so far provided, both through the free of cost category and through direct state procurement category, more than 21.80 crore vaccine doses to states and UTs.
15:30 How Rajiv Gandhis peace deals materialised
21st May marked the 30th death anniversary of India's former prime minister, Rajiv Gandhi. This column details how Rajiv Gandhi worked three peace deals during his tenure. Do read
15:25 Over 1 cr vaccine doses given in 18-44 age group
India has administered more than one crore vaccine doses in the 18-44 age group, the Union Health Ministry said on Monday. The cumulative number of COVID-19 vaccine doses administered in the country exceeded 19.60 crore, the ministry said. A total of 19,60,51,962 vaccine doses have been administered through 28,16,725 sessions, according to the provisional report till 7 am.
Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat, West Bengal, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Kerala and Andhra Pradesh account for 66.30 per cent of the total doses given so far in the country. PTI
There is a crippling shortage of vaccines in the country
15:23 Pfizer, Moderna won't sell vaccines to Delhi: CM
A day after COVID vaccine manufacturer Moderna allegedly refused to send vaccines directly to the Punjab government, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday informed that Pfizer and Moderna have refused to sell vaccines directly to the Delhi government too and claimed they will only deal with the Central government.
"We have spoken to Pfizer and Moderna for vaccines, and both the companies have refused to sell vaccines directly to us. They have said that they will deal with the Government of India alone," Kejriwal said after visiting the oxygen cylinder depot in Delhi's Mayapuri area.
"I appeal to the Centre to import vaccines and distribute them to the states. We have lost a lot of time. We need vaccines at war footing," he said.
Punjab Nodal Officer for vaccination Vikas Garg, had on Sunday, COVID vaccine manufacturer Moderna has refused to send vaccines directly to the Punjab government stating that according to their policy, they only deal with the Government of India and not with any state government or private parties.
Citing a media report, Kejriwal further said that there are sixteen companies across the country that can manufacture COVAXIN and Biotech has signed an agreement with two such companies.
"The Centre should hold a meeting with all 16 companies and order them to manufacture Covaxin. UK and USA are examples that vaccination is the only way to prevent COVID-19," he added.
Kejriwal also claimed that the Delhi government does not have medicines and injections for black fungus treatment.
"We have made dedicated centers for Black fungus at various hospitals. But we do not have medicines and injections. We need at least four injections per day per patient. The Centre is providing us with injections used for treating black fungus but there is still a shortage. We require 2000 vials per day. But we receive 400-500 vials per day," he said.
"We have imported 6000 oxygen cylinders from China. We can now provide 3000 more oxygen beds. These cylinders have been donated by the HCL and Give India to the Delhi government. We thank the Ministry of External Affairs for helping us to import these cylinders," he added.
There is a crippling shortage of vaccines in the country
15:23 Pfizer, Moderna won't sell vaccines to Delhi: CM
A day after COVID vaccine manufacturer Moderna allegedly refused to send vaccines directly to the Punjab government, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday informed that Pfizer and Moderna have refused to sell vaccines directly to the Delhi government too and claimed they will only deal with the Central government.
"We have spoken to Pfizer and Moderna for vaccines, and both the companies have refused to sell vaccines directly to us. They have said that they will deal with the Government of India alone," Kejriwal said after visiting the oxygen cylinder depot in Delhi's Mayapuri area.
"I appeal to the Centre to import vaccines and distribute them to the states. We have lost a lot of time. We need vaccines at war footing," he said.
Punjab Nodal Officer for vaccination Vikas Garg, had on Sunday, COVID vaccine manufacturer Moderna has refused to send vaccines directly to the Punjab government stating that according to their policy, they only deal with the Government of India and not with any state government or private parties.
Citing a media report, Kejriwal further said that there are sixteen companies across the country that can manufacture COVAXIN and Biotech has signed an agreement with two such companies.
"The Centre should hold a meeting with all 16 companies and order them to manufacture Covaxin. UK and USA are examples that vaccination is the only way to prevent COVID-19," he added.
Kejriwal also claimed that the Delhi government does not have medicines and injections for black fungus treatment.
"We have made dedicated centers for Black fungus at various hospitals. But we do not have medicines and injections. We need at least four injections per day per patient. The Centre is providing us with injections used for treating black fungus but there is still a shortage. We require 2000 vials per day. But we receive 400-500 vials per day," he said.
"We have imported 6000 oxygen cylinders from China. We can now provide 3000 more oxygen beds. These cylinders have been donated by the HCL and Give India to the Delhi government. We thank the Ministry of External Affairs for helping us to import these cylinders," he added.
A Black Fungus patient's family checks the reports
14:04 Maha to provide free treatment for Black Fungus
The Maharashtra government told the Aurangabad bench of the Bombay High Court on Monday that fungal ailment mucormycosis was now covered under the Mahatma Jotiba Phule Jan Aarogya Yojana and the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana.
Citizens will receive free treatment for mucormycosis at pre-identified hospitals and nursing homes across Maharashtra under the above schemes, the state said.
The Maharashtra government told a bench of Justices R V Ghuge and B U Debadwar that it had identified 130 hospitals across the state for treating anti-fungal ailments and citizens, even those who did not hold cards for the insurance schemes mentioned above, could avail the treatment for mucormycosis at these facilities free of cost.
The state said 1,000 more hospitals would be empanelled for treating mucormycosis under the above two schemes soon. The government said anti-fungal medicines required for treating mucormycosis will be provided free of cost to patients admitted in these hospitals and private hospitals will also be restrained from "raising astronomical bills".
The government said it was also working on capping the cost of the treatment for mucormycosis at private hospitals in the state. A Government Resolution (GR) issued on May 18 this year notified the above submissions, the state said. The bench accepted the state's submissions and directed it to publicise the GR.
"It is thus, apparent that the state of Maharashtra has come up with a specific policy to treat mucormycosis. Private hospitals too will be restrained from raising astronomical bills. We therefore, expect the state government to accord wide publicity to this policy so that the poorest of poor, the illiterate and semi literate and persons in remote and tribal areas become aware of the same," the HC said.
"Needless to state that the list of hospitals identified for such treatment and through which medicines will be made available also be given wide publicity so that patients do not land at wrong hospitals for availing the treatment for mucormycosis," it said. The court directed such hospitals to display instructions for the public about the availability of beds and medicines.
The ad that appeared in newspapers across India today
13:39 Obscure US firm wants to 'invest $15m in India'
An obscure US-based firm with just 19 employees, USD 15 million in revenue and hosting just a one-page website wants to invest USD 500 billion in equity into India's National Infrastructure Pipeline (NIP). Landomus Realty Ventures released statements via advertisements and on its website, stating it wants to "invest USD 500 billion in equity as the first phase of the USD 2 trillion investment under Build India into the National Infrastructure Pipeline (NIP) and non-NIP projects listed by the government of India".
In the advertisement issued in leading newspapers, Landomous Group chairman Pradeep Kumar Satyaprakash said his group "aims to assist the Government in its endeavour to rebuild India and achieve the USD 5 trillion GDP target".
"Landomus Group requests you to provide us an opportunity to contribute to your vision of a New India," he said in the advertisement titled "Humble Appeal to our Beloved and Hon'ble Prime Minister Shri. Narendra Modi Ji".
Little is known about the company. It has a one-page website that does not give out much details. As per Zoominfo, the company has 19 employees and a revenue of USD 5 million.
A Whois lookup, however, revealed that the company website was registered in 2015 by United Land Bank, headquartered at Sivan Chetty Gardens in Karnataka. The website gave the address of Landomus Realty Ventures Inc as Secaucus, New Jersey, USA. Zoominfo, which provides a database of companies, said "Landomus Realty Ventures Inc was formed for the purpose of acquiring land parcels and creating land banks in India".
An email sent to the email address listed on the company website remained unanswered. The email sought information about the firm, its source of funding, information on promoters and its backers, revenues and purpose of issuing the advertisement remained answered. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had announced the NIP in December 2019. Under the NIP, the government has projected a total infrastructure investment worth Rs 111 lakh crore during FY20-25. PTI
13:02 Powerlifting champ distributes food to needy in Delhi
Former international powerlifting champion Gaurav Sharma has been providing food packets and water to the needy amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
He said he decided to serve the people in Delhi after the lockdown was imposed and he was able to see the plight of the daily-wage labourers in the national capital.
"I did this during the last lockdown too. I decided to do it again when the lockdown was reimposed. I have been doing this for the past 15 days. 1000-1100 food packets have been prepared. People are also given bottles of water, sanitiser, and face mask," Gaurav told ANI.
"I saw the daily-wage labourers, people have been stuck and they have not been able to go t0 their homes, I felt a bit sad seeing that so I decided to serve them. I'll do it till the lockdown remains in place," he added.
12:59 Expedite registration of migrant workers: SC
The Supreme Court on Monday said the process of registration of migrant workers is very slow and it must be expedited so that benefit of schemes can be extended to them amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
While stressing on the need to register migrant workers, the apex court said the benefit of schemes can be extended to them after they are identified and registered by authorities.
A bench of Justices Ashok Bhushan and M R Shah said the government must ensure that benefit of schemes reach beneficiaries, including migrant workers, and the process must be monitored and supervised.
The top court said it is not satisfied with the efforts of the Centre as well as the states on the issue of registration of workers in unorganised sectors.
The bench was hearing an application filed by three activists who have sought directions to the Centre and states to ensure food security, cash transfers, transport facilities and other welfare measures for migrant workers who are facing distress due to the curbs clamped in several parts of the country amid the pandemic. PTI
A patient with Black Fungus being treated in Jabalpur
12:56 Over 30 patients under treatment at Kota hospital for black fungus
Over 30 patients suffering from mucormycosis are under treatment at a government hospital here, a doctor said. Most of the people are Covid survivors, said Rajkumar Jain, who is treating the affected in the MBS Hospital with his team, adding that he did not notice any non-Covid black fungus patient so far. At least 30 patients suffering from the fungal infection are under treatment in the ward in the MBS Hospital and five-six of them are in critical stage, Jain said on Sunday.
Most of the patients are from Kota and neighbouring districts of Rajasthan, while two are from Madhya Pradesh, a ward official said.
Meanwhile, a 45-year-old coronavirus survivor who was suffering from black died while on way to a hospital in Kota from Jhalawar, his family said.
Ramswroop was in an advance stage of mucormycosis and the mortality rate of the disease is very high, Jain said. "It's 100 per cent mortality after black fungus reaches the brain," he said, adding that recovery was possible if diagnosed at earlier stage. PTI
12:40 Gambhir should have realised meds were short: HC
The Delhi High Court asks the Drug Controller General of India to conduct an investigation into the distribution of medicines by MP Gautam Gambhir. The court says Gambhir has actually done a disservice, unintentionally maybe. "Shouldn't he have realised that medicines were in shortage," asks the court.
The Delhi High Court last week pulled up the Delhi Police for the "vague and whitewashed' inquiry into the allegations of hoarding of Covid-19 medicines by politicians and said it had "lost confidence' after going through the status report placed before it.
The court said it appeared that the police were not interested in bringing out the truth.
"Just because some political figures are involved is no reason not to investigate,' a division bench of Justices Vipin Sanghi and Jasmeet Singh said.
12:11 Cyclone Yaas: 99 NDRF teams readied
The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has committed 99 teams across Odisha, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and Andaman and Nicobar Islands in the view of Cyclone Yaas, NDRF Director General SN Pradhan said on Monday.
"#CycloneYaas Update24/5/21 @NDRFHQ commits 99 tms Across 5States/UT 52 tms(22+30 more)-Odisha 35 tms(25+10more)WBengal Rest across AP/TN/A&N," Pradhan tweeted.
As many as 18 teams NDRF teams have been deployed in Odisha alone. Seven teams have been deployed in Balasore, 4 in Bhadrak, 3 in Kendrapada, 2 in Jajpur, one each in Jagatsinghpur and Mayurbhanj. Four teams have also been kept as reserve, as per the NDRF.According to the Odisha government, 66 Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF) teams and 177 fire services teams are being deployed in areas that are likely to be affected by the cyclone.
The Armed Forces too, have commenced preparations to mitigate the impact of the anticipated disaster by airlifting 950 National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) personnel across the country, with 26 helicopters in standby for immediate deployment.
Eight flood relief columns and three Engineer Task Forces of the Army are ready for immediate deployment on requisition by the civil administration and the Armed Forces are in constant touch with the civil administration of the affected states.
Umashankar Das, senior scientist of IMD, Bhubaneswar said Cyclonic Yaas is likely to cross the coast between Paradeep and Sagar island on May 26.
60 teams of Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force on ready
11:48 Deep depression develops into Cyclone Yaas
The deep depression over the Bay of Bengal intensified into Cyclone Yaas in the early hours of Monday and it is likely to intensify into a severe cyclonic storm in the next 24 hours, the India Meteorological Department said. The cyclone is very likely to cross north Odisha-West Bengal coasts between Paradip and Sagar Island around May 26 noon as a 'very severe cyclonic storm'. It is expected to bring in winds of 155 to 165 kilometres per hour, gusting up to 180 kmph.
"It (Cyclone Yaas) is very likely to move slowly north-northwestwards, intensify further into a Severe Cyclonic Storm during next 24 hours and into a Very Severe Cyclonic Storm during subsequent 24 hours," the Cyclone Warning Division of the IMD said.
The West Bengal and Odisha governments have been bracing to deal with the impact of the cyclone. On Sunday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired a high-level meeting to review the preparedness of the state and central agencies to deal with the situation, and called for a timely evacuation of those involved in offshore activities.
The armed forces are also on alert, with the Navy putting four warships and a number of aircraft on standby. The Air Force has kept 11 transport aircraft and 25 helicopters ready to carry out humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations, officials said. National Disaster Response Force chief S N Pradhan has urged authorities in the two states to adopt an "over-preparing" approach for the impending natural disaster, and carry out evacuation even in the least vulnerable places. PTI
11:37 Not convinced Covid developed naturally: Dr Fauci
America's top expert on infectious diseases, Dr Anthony Fauci said he is "not convinced" the novel coronavirus developed naturally and has called for an open investigation into the origins of Covid-19 virus.
When Dr Fauci was asked at an event whether he was still confident that the coronavirus developed naturally he said: "I am not convinced about that, I think we should continue to investigate what went on in China until we continue to find out to the best of our ability what happened."
"Certainly, the people who investigated it say it likely was the emergence from an animal reservoir that then infected individuals, but it could have been something else, and we need to find that out. So, you know, that's the reason why I said I'm perfectly in favour of any investigation that looks into the origin of the virus," Dr Fauci was quoted by Fox News.
The Biden administration's top medical adviser made these remarks during 'United Facts of America: A Festival of Fact-Checking' event.
When he was asked categorically about whether the Covid-19 virus could not have occurred by serial passage in a laboratory, the director of the National Institute of Allergies and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) said that he is fully in favour of any further investigation of what went on in China.
However, he did not explicitly rule out such a possibility. He repeated that the NIH and NIAID categorically have not funded gain of function research to be conducted in the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV).
Last year Dr Fauci had largely dismissed the theory that the deadly Covid-19 virus due to which over 165 million people have been infected worldwide and over 3.5 million people died so far, was genetically engineered and had leaked from a lab in Wuhan, China. -- ANI
11:09 CBI moves SC against TMC leaders' house arrest
The CBI moves the Supreme Court against the Calcutta HC order allowing the house arrest of 4 leaders, including 3 from TMC, in the Narada case. The fourth is a former party leader.
The central agency wants today's High Court hearing - a five-member bench is scheduled to hear the politicians' bail plea - to be cancelled.
This puts a question mark over the High Court hearing that has been scheduled for 11 am.Those arrested are ministers Firhad Hakim and Subrata Mukherjee, MLA Madan Mitra, and Sovan Chatterjee, who quit the Trinamool to join the BJP before leaving that party too in March. Mr Hakim is a key minister in the fight against COVID-19 in Kolkata, was also allowed to work from home.On Friday the High Court denied interim bail for all four.
A Covid patient gets oxygen support in Ajmer
11:01 Roche's Antibody Cocktail priced at Rs 59,750 per dose
Drug majors Roche India and Cipla on Monday announced launch of Roche's Antibody Cocktail in India priced at Rs 59,750 per dose for the treatment of mild to moderate COVID-19 in patients who are at high risk.
"The first batch of the Antibody Cocktail (Casirivimab and Imdevimab) is now available in India while a second batch will be made available by mid-June. In total they can potentially benefit 2,00,000 patients as each of the 1,00,000 packs that will be available in India offers treatment for two patients," Cipla and Roche said in a joint statement.
Cipla will distribute the product by leveraging its strong distribution strengths across the country, it added. The price for each patient dose [a combined dose of 1,200 mg (600 mg of Casirivimab and 600 mg of Imdevimab)] will be Rs 59,750 inclusive of all taxes.
The maximum retail price for the multi dose pack (each pack can treat two patients) is Rs 1,19,500 inclusive of all taxes As per the statement, the drug will be available through leading hospitals and COVID treatment centers.
10:39 A healthcare centre in Bihar
The Modi government's promise of a $5 trillion economy has since been derailed due to the pandemic, but India's healthcare sector continues to get no attention. The picture alongside is the Primary Health Centre in Madhubani's Sakri in Bihar. "This hospital only exists on paper. Doctors, nurses & sanitation workers are also appointed to this facility but they're not present here. They only come once in a month," says a local. Another picture showed a pig scavenging in garbage in the healthcare centre premises.
"Doctors don't come here. This facility only opens on January 26 and August 15 for flag hoisting. This hospital is operational on papers," says another local.
India allotted just 0.34% of its budget to healthcare and this picture of ruin is symptomatic of not just Bihar but most other states.
10:29 Severe cyclonic storm Yaas expected in 24 hours
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Monday informed that the deep depression over the East-central Bay of Bengal has intensified into a cyclonic storm and it would further intensify into a severe cyclonic storm during the next 24 hours.
In a tweet, IMD informed, "Deep Depression over East-central Bay of Bengal intensified into Cyclonic Storm 'Yaas' and about 600 km of Port Blair. To intensify into a Severe Cyclonic Storm during next 24 hours and into a Very Severe Cyclonic Storm during subsequent 24 hours."
Keeping in view the approaching cyclone, the Eastern Railway on Sunday cancelled 25 trains between May 24 and May 29.Yesterday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired a high-level meeting to review the preparedness of the States and central ministries and agencies which will be dealing with the disaster arising out of the predicted cyclone Yaas.
The Armed Forces also have commenced preparations to mitigate the impact of the anticipated disaster by airlifting 950 National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) personnel across the country, with 26 helicopters in standby for immediate deployment.
As per a statement from the Ministry of Defence, 70 tonnes of load has also been airlifted from Jamnagar, Varanasi, Patna and Arakonnam to Kolkata, Bhubaneswar and Port Blair in 15 transport aircraft as of May 23.
The low-pressure area which formed over the east-central Bay of Bengal on Saturday morning, had intensified into a depression on Sunday and by Monday morning, it will form a cyclone namely Yaas, informed the India Meteorological Department Director General of Meteorology Dr Mrutyunjay Mohapatra.
10:14 Sensex surges over 300 pts in early trade; Nifty tops 15,200
Equity benchmark Sensex rallied over 300 points in opening trade on Monday, tracking gains in index majors HDFC twins, SBI and ICICI Bank amid mixed cues from global markets.
The 30-share BSE index was trading 310.72 points or 0.61 per cent higher at 50,851.20, and the broader NSE Nifty surged 71.90 points or 0.47 per cent to 15,247.20.
PowerGrid was the top gainer in the Sensex pack, advancing over 2 per cent, followed by SBI, L&T, HDFC Bank, Maruti, Axis Bank and Dr Reddy's.
On the other hand, Titan, M&M, IndusInd Bank and HUL were among the losers.
In the previous session, Sensex soared 975.62 points or 1.97 per cent to finish at 50,540.48, and Nifty soared 269.25 points or 1.81 per cent to close at 15,175.30.
Foreign institutional investors (FIIs) were net buyers in the capital market as they purchased shares worth Rs 510.16 crore on Friday, as per provisional exchange data.
Markets finally ended a two-month-long consolidation phase and gained over 3 per cent last week. Signs of COVID cases peaking out combined with favourable global cues lifted sentiment, said Ajit Mishra, VP Research at Religare Broking. -- PTI
10:13 Jaishankar in US, Covid-related cooperation on agenda
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar arrived in New York on Sunday on his first visit to the United States after India entered the UN Security Council as a non-permanent member in January this year and is expected to meet UN chief Antonio Guterres and Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
Jaishankar is expected to meet the UN Secretary General on Tuesday morning and will visit Washington DC where he will meet Blinken.
It is the first visit by a senior Indian minister to the US after President Joe Biden assumed office in January.
"Privilege to receive @DrSJaishankar on his first visit to New York after #India entered the UN #SecurityCouncil on 1 January 2021," India's Permanent Representative to the UN T S Tirumurti tweeted Sunday night.
During his US visit that will conclude May 28, Jaishankar will also meet in DC Cabinet members and Senior Officials of the Administration dealing with the bilateral relationship.
He will have two interactions with business forums on economic and COVID-related cooperation between India and the US, the Ministry of External Affairs said on May 21.
This is Jaishankar's first visit to the US since India began its two-year tenure in the UN Security Council as a non-permanent member on January 1 and since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. -- PTI
09:55 India becomes 3rd country to log over 3L deaths
India achieved a grim milestone becoming the third country in the world after the United States of America and Brazil to record more than three lakh deaths due to COVID-19.
New COVID-19 cases reported in the country fell further in the last 24 hours with 2,22,315 more people testing positive, according to the Union health ministry on Monday.
With the addition of fresh infections, the cumulative caseload has reached 2,67,52,447.
Total cases: 2,67,52,447
Total discharges: 2,37,28,011
Death toll: 3,03,720
Active cases: 27,20,716
Total vaccination: 19,60,51,962
09:01 Army ready to help Indians fight COVID-19, says CDS Rawat
Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat on Sunday said the Army is ready to extend help to the people of India in tackling the COVID-19 pandemic, which has claimed nearly 3 lakh lives in the country.
He was speaking via videoconferencing at a seminar organised by a social organisation here.
To stop the spread of COVID-19 in rural areas, people will have to come together and they have to be ready to fight the pandemic, General Rawat said.
"The Army is ready to extend help to the people of the country," he said.
India recorded 2.4 lakh fresh COVID-19 cases and 3,741 deaths on Sunday that pushed the tally to 2,65,30,132 and the toll to 2,99,266, according to Union health ministry data.
This is the seventh straight day when daily cases in the country have remained below the 3-lakh mark.
Last week, in an interaction with district magistrates and field officials, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had asked them to work to rid the rural areas of the coronavirus infection and talk to villagers to guide them. -- PTI
09:00 All missing on board barge P305, tugboat accounted for: Navy
All the 274 personnel who were on board barge P305 that sank and tugboat Varaprada that went adrift during Cyclone Tauktae fury have been accounted for with the recovery of 16 bodies along Maharashtra and Gujarat coasts, the navy said on Monday.
"A total of 274 crew were reported missing on May 17 (261 from Barge P305 and 13 from Tug Varaprada). While 186 survivors from P305 and two from Varaprada were picked up at sea, 70 mortal remains (bodies) were recovered at sea by ships of Indian Navy and Coast Guard," a navy spokesperson said.
"Eight bodies have been recovered along the coast in Raigad district of Maharashtra and another eight bodies washed ashore the Gujarat coast near Valsad," he said.
Thus all the 274 crew (261 on board P305 and 13 on board Varaprada) have been accounted for, he said. The final confirmation will be pending till the identification of all the bodies recovered is completed, he added.
Rescue personnel had recovered 70 bodies, believed to be of P305 personnel, in the sea till Sunday. With 16 bodies washing ashore, the death toll in the tragedy at sea could rise to 86, another official said.
As of now, the official death toll stands at 70 pending identification of the bodies washed ashore.
INS Makar, a navy survey catamaran equipped with side scan sonars, located the wreckage of P305 on Saturday in the vicinity of where it sank on May 17.
The navy had also deployed specialised diving teams to boost the search and rescue (SAR) operations. The SAR operations haven't been call off yet, the spokesperson told PTI.
The relatives of the victims will try to identify the deceased with the help of the belongings found on their bodies, like clothes, identity cards, batch number or birth marks, previous injury marks or tattoos. In case the bodies are not identified, DNA tests would be conducted, another official said.
All the 440 persons on barges Gal Constructor and Support Station 3 (SS-3) and drillship Sagar Bhushan were brought ashore to safety recently.
08:48 Walk-in vaccination resumes in Mumbai
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporationn has said it will implement 'walk-in' vaccination for citizens at its centres from Monday to Wednesday.
A statement issued by it said citizens aged 60 years and above will get the first and the second dose of Covishield vaccine during this period. Health workers and frontline workers as well as 45 years and above will get the second dose.
All age groups will get the second dose of Covaxin.
From May 27 to 29, the vaccination drive will be carried out after registration by beneficiaries. There will be no vaccination on May 30.
Any changes in the schedule will be informed to the public a day earlier, the civic body said. -- PTI
08:09 Ramdev withdraws remarks on allopathy after furore
Yoga guru Ramdev on Sunday withdrew his recent statements on allopathic medicine which had triggered strong protests from the medical fraternity.
Responding to a letter from Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan, Ramdev said he wants to put the matter to rest.
"Hon'ble Minister, I have received your letter. I withdraw my statement, putting to rest the controversy over various medical practices... (jee aapaka patr praapt hua, uske sandarbh mein chikitsa paddatiyon ke sangharsh ke is poore vivaad ko khedapoorvak viraam dete hue main apna vaktavya vaapis leta hoon)," Ramdev tweeted from his personal Twitter handle, attaching his statement.
Citing a video circulating on social media, the Indian Medical Association had on Saturday said Ramdev claimed that allopathy is a "stupid science".
He also allegedly said medicines such as remdesivir, fabiflu and other drugs approved by the Drugs Controller General of India have failed to treat COVID-19 and "lakhs of patients have died after taking allopathic medicines."
The apex doctors' body urged the union health minister to take strict action against Ramdev for misleading people by making "unlearned" statements against allopathy.
In a strongly-worded letter to Ramdev on Sunday, Harsh Vardhan said his remarks on allopathic medicine were "extremely unfortunate".
"The statement disrespects the corona warriors and hurt the sentiments of the country. Your statement on allopathy can break the morale of healthcare workers and weaken our fight against COVID-19," he said.
Vardhan further said allopathic medicines have saved lives of crores and comments that the drugs are responsible for death of lakhs is "extremely unfortunate".
Replying to the minister's letter, Ramdev in his statement said he respects all forms of medical science and allopathy doctors have saved people during the pandemic by risking their own lives.
"I accept that allopathy has shown remarkable progress in life-saving system (jeevan raksha pranali) and surgery and has served humanity," he said.
Regarding the video in question, Ramdev said he was actually reading out messages forwarded on WhatsApp.
"...if that has hurt sentiments of anyone, then I regret it," he added.
However, he also said traditional ayurveda, yoga and naturopathy have also controlled and provided permanent solution to several complex diseases like blood pressure, thyroid, sugar, arthritis, hepatitis and asthma. -- PTI
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