5.4 crore Covid-19 samples tested; 40 lakh people under surveillance: Government

Around 40 lakh people have been kept under surveillance as part of Covid-19 preventive measures while the country is testing around a million samples a single day, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said on Tuesday.

More than 30 vaccine candidates for Covid-19 have been supported, and three of them are in advance stages of trials now while four are in advanced pre-clinical development stage. Thirteen clinical trials of repurposed drugs have been undertaken to build a portfolio of therapeutic options for Covid-19 patients.

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However, the MHA has no data on death or injury caused to people while enforcing the countrywide lockdown to contain the spread of the virus infection.

These inputs form part of a series of written replies Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai tabled in Rajya Sabha. He said India is following a "whole of Government and whole of society approach".

As on September 10, a total of 15,290 Covid-19 treatment facilities with 13,14,171 dedicated isolation beds, without oxygen support, have been created. Also, 2,31,269 oxygen-supported isolation beds and 62,694 ICU beds (including 32,241 ventilator beds) are available in the country, he said.

"States are being supported in terms of supply of logistics. So far 1.39 crore of PPE kits, 3.42 crores N-95 masks, 10.84 crore tablets of Hydroxychloroquine and 29,779 ventilators and 1,02,400 oxygen cylinders have been supplied to States/UTs/ Central government hospitals," he said.

He also said 14,154 flights with 15,24,266 passengers have been screened at airports and screening was also done at 12 major and 65 minor ports and land border crossings,

On vaccines, he said,13 clinical trials of repurposed drugs have been undertaken to build a portfolio of therapeutic options for Covid-19 patients.

Responding to senior Congress MP Mallikarjun Kharge's question, Rai said the Centre has no "data pertaining to complaints and cases registered, First Information Report (FIR) regarding harassment, injury, death of individuals in enforcing the Covid-19 lockdown across the country is not maintained centrally."

Read | No central data on death, injury to people during Covid-19 lockdown: Centre in Rajya Sabha

Police and public order are State subjects as per 7th Schedule of the Constitution of India and hence, the actions are taken by the respective state governments.

Kharge had asked whether there has been any instance of excessive police measures leading to harassment, injury, death of individuals in enforcing the Covid-19 lockdown across the country and if so, the details.