Coronavirus news highlights: Maharashtra reports 920 more Covid deaths, 57,640 new cases

India on Tuesday recorded its highest-ever death toll of 3,780 and saw over 3.8 lakh new cases. So far, total of 16 crore vaccine doses have been administered since the country's vaccination drive began on January 16. Meanwhile, the Centre tweaked its Covid testing norms as the over 2,500 labs in the country are already stretched. Individuals who have recovered from the infection need not be tested before being discharged.

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At least 25 states impose strict curbs to fight Covid-19 spread amid calls for nationwide lockdown

However, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had made it clear measures such as lockdowns should be the last resort and stressed creating micro-containment zones to arrest the spread of the coronavirus. Asked about the possibility of a national lockdown, V K Paul, Member (Health), Niti Aayog pointed out the April 29 advisory issued by the Home Ministry.

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Jharkhand extends lockdown-like restrictions till May 13 amid surge in Covid cases.

Rate of spread of coronavirus has come down in Maharashtra but we cannot be lax as a lot of ground is yet to be covered, says Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray

These are some things that the Chief Minister said in his address:

- We all have to prepare for the third wave. Centre's scientific body has warned about the third wave and we're preparing for that since last month. Several districts are seeing a decline in Covid-19cases while some districts are seeing an increase in cases. We're keeping a close tab on it

-We will procure vaccine dosesfor the 18-44 age group as and when they areavailable.

-We want to scale up the medical oxygen production capacity from the current 1200 MT to 3000 MT ahead of the third wave. The Chief Minister calls the drive'Mission Oxygen'.

-We also want to be self-sufficient in terms of Remdesivir.

Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray addresses the state over Covid-19. Watch it LIVE here:

Tamil Nadu reports 23,310 new cases, 20,062 recoveries & 167 deaths. Active cases: 1,28,311 Death toll: 14,779

Mumbai reports 3,879 fresh Covid-19 cases, 3,686 recoveries and 77 fatalities in the last 24 hours

With 41,953 cases, Kerala sees record daily spike, 58 new deaths

Credit: PTI File Photo

Third COVID wave inevitable, but it is not clear on what time scale it will occur. We should be prepared, says Centre

This disease is not spreading through animals, it's human to human transmission: Dr VK Paul, Member (Health), NITI Aayog

Foreign aid is monitored by a group made on Ministry level, Additional Secretary level. Under inter-ministerial consultative approach, it has some joint secy-level officers, MEA officers, Customs officers, Civil Aviation officers: Health Ministry

States and the kind of Covid-19 variants prevalent in the region:

Himachal Pradesh to impose corona curfew from midnight of May 6 to May 16. All offices to remain closed and only essential services will be allowed. No one from outside allowed without a negative RT-PCR report.

Class 10th exams stand cancelled and students will be promoted.

Vaccines are effective against current variants. New variants will arise all over the world & in India too but variants that increase transmission will likely plateau, said Principal Scientific Advisor to Centre K VijayRaghavan

Immune evasive variants & those which lower or increase disease severity will arise going ahead, he said.

Variants are transmitted the same as the original strain. It doesn't have the properties of new kinds of transmission. It infects humans in a manner that makes it more transmissible as it gains entry, makes more copies & goes on, same as original, VijayRaghavan added.

This is a critical time; it is important for all of us to work together and ensure India and the world get out of this pandemic, he said.

The Health Ministry also said that the Centre would set up a Center of Excellence Initiative where clinical protocols would be discussed through webinar.

It said thatinformation on oxygen therapy & other importantmessages would be disseminated through Doordarshan.

12 states have more than 1 lakh active cases, 7 states have 50,000 to 1 lakh active cases,& 17 states have less than 50,000 active cases. Maharashtra, Kerala, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh & Andhra Pradesh have around 1.5 lakh active cases

11 districts in Maharashtra showing continuous decline in Covid-19 cases since last 14 days, says Union Health Ministry

24 states and UTs show more than 15% Covid-19 positivity rate. Maharashtra's Covid-19 positivity rate is 24%.

Daily new Covid-19 cases and deaths:

Liberalised policy (for vaccination) was started on May 1st. Under this, the drive has begun smoothly in 9 states and 6.71 lakh people in the age group of 18-44 years have been administered vaccines: Lav Agarwal, Union Health Ministry, Joint Secretary

India's Covid-19 recovery rate has been improving since May 1, need to improve Covid-19 healthcare facilities in Tier 2 cities, says Heath Ministry

Watch the Union Health Ministry briefing LIVE here:

Around 2.4% day-on-day growth in Covid cases has been noticed: Lav Agarwal, Union Health Ministry

An increase in deaths has been noticed too. Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Delhi, and Haryana reported more death cases, he added.

There are some areas of concern. Bengaluru reported around 1.49 lakh cases in the last week. Chennai reported 38,000 cases. Some districts like Kozhikode, Ernakulam, Gurgram have recorded further & speedy Covidcases.

Delhi records 311 new Covid-19 deaths, 20,960 fresh cases in the last 24 hours

The test positivity rate stands at26.37 %.

The total number of positive cases has climbed to12,53,902 while the deaths stand at18,063 with case fatality at 1.44 %.

There are91,859 active Covid-19 cases in the city, as per the latest bulletin

People carry a body of a man, who died from coronavirus disease, during his cremation at a crematorium in NewDelhi. Credit: Reuters Photo

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Over 16 crore Covid vaccine doses administered in India

The cumulative number of Covid-19 vaccine doses administered in the country has crossed16 crore, with India reaching the mark in 109 days, the Union Health Ministry said.

In comparison, the US took 111 days while China took 116 days to achieve a similar mark, it said.

The ministry said 6,71,285 beneficiaries in the age group of 18-44 years have received their first dose of Covid vaccine across 12 states and UTs.

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Karnataka crossed 1 cr inoculations of Covid vaccine today. We've received 1,05,49,970 doses from Centre & state govt has procured 3 lakh doses. Vaccine is biggest weapon to defeat pandemic. We're leaving no stone unturned to vaccinate all: K Sudhakar

Credit: PTI File Photo

SC asks Centre and Chief Secretary, Principal Secretary of Delhi health department to discuss ways to supply oxygen to national capital

People wait to refill their medicaloxygencylinders for the Covid-19 coronavirus patients under home quarantine at a private refill centre in NewDelhi. Credit: AFP Photo

From 7th May, nobody will be allowed to arrive at airports without RT-PCR negative report not older than 72 hours. Those who will be positive, they will be sent to 14-day quarantine, arranged by airport authority with state govt: West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee (ANI)

Work from home for private sector, for 50% of the staff allowed. Jewellery shops to remain open from 12 pm to 3 pm. Home delivery to be encouraged. Banks to operate from 10 am to 2 pm: West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee (ANI)

Shopping complexes to be closed, attendance in state govt offices reduced to 50%: Mamata Banerjee

Looking at the #COVID19 situation, we've to take some steps. Wearing of masks to be mandatory, there'll be only 50% attendance in state govt offices. Shopping complexes, gyms, cinema halls, beauty parlours to be closed. Social/political gathering prohibited: WB CM Mamata Banerjee (ANI)

Hawkers, journalists to get priority for Covid vaccine first dose in West Bengal

Hawkers, transporters, journalists will be given priority in the administering of the first dose (of vaccine): West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee (ANI)

Need 10,000 vials of remdesivir everyday, West Bengal CM Mamata writes to PM Modi

Covid-19 reverses medical tourism trend, patients from Delhi seek hospital beds in North Karnataka

In a reversing medical tourism trend, several Covid-19 patients from New Delhi are now seeking treatment at hospitals in North Karnataka.

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Many Indian-American families separated due to US ban on travellers from India

Several families in the US find themselves separated from their loved ones more than 13,000 kms away across two continents as the Biden administration’s ban on travellers from India in view of the unprecedented second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic in the country has come into effect.

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Two patients die due to 'oxygen shortage' at Yelahanka hospital

Two patients at Arka Hospital, Yelahanka, died allegedly due tooxygen shortage on Tuesday, even as SOS messages flooded Twitter in thewee hours seeking the life-saving gas.

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Indian delegates at G7 meeting test positive for Covid-19: Report

India's delegation to the Group of Seven summit in London will be attempting to attend their meetings virtually after two of its members tested positive for Covid-19, aSky Newsreporter said on Wednesday, without citing sources.

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India accounted for one in four Covid-19 deaths globally last week: WHO

India accounted for nearly half of the Covid-19 cases reported worldwide last week and one in four of deaths, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Wednesday.

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Philippines approves emergency use of Moderna's Covid-19 vaccine

The Philippines' food and drug agency approved on Wednesday the emergency use of USdrugmaker Moderna Inc's Covid-19 vaccine in the Southeast Asian nation.

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All you need to know about the Centre's new Covid-19 testing guidelines

As Covid-19 cases surge during the second wave of the pandemic, so has the load on laboratories in charge of processing the swabs taken for a Covid-19 test. To reduce the load on these labs, the Centre has announced new guidelines for Covid-19 testing, one of which says that Covid-19 patients discharged from hospitals need not be tested.

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India reports 3.82 lakh new Covid-19 cases, 3,780 deaths

India recorded 3,82,315 Covid-19 cases and3,780 deaths over the last 24 hours, taking the total case tally to 2,06,65,148, according to data published by the Union Health Ministry.

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People are dying: HC slams Centre over oxygen shortage

The Karnataka High Court on Tuesday directed the Union government to submit by Wednesday whether it can ad hoc increase the quota of oxygen to state.

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Karnataka govt to import one lakh oxygen generators

The Cabinet on Tuesday approved a proposal to import one lakh oxygen concentrators to ramp up Covid-19 facilities in the state.

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'Chamarajanagar hospital tragedy fit for probe by retd HC judge'

The Karnataka High Court on Tuesday said the Chamarajanagar tragedy, where 24 patients died due to oxygen shortage, is a fit case for an enquiry by a retired high court judge. A division bench headed by Chief Justice Abhay Shreeniwas Oka asked Advocate General Prabhuling K Navadgi to make a submission on this.

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Covid-19: Seven more Gujarat towns face curbs, restrictions extended in 29 cities

The Gujarat government on Tuesday decided to impose a night curfew and other restrictions in seven more cities of the state and also extended till May 12 the existing lockdown-like restrictions in 29 cities to break the chain of the coronavirus infection. With this decision, night curfew (from 8 pm to 6 am) and other day-time restrictions will now be in force in 36 cities till May 12.

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Over 16 cr Covid-19 vaccine doses administered in India: Govt

The total number of Covid-19 vaccine doses administered in the country has crossed 16 crore with nearly 11.5 lakh doses administered till 8 pm on Tuesday, the health ministry said.

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Vaccinations for people aged above 45 to resume in Mumbai

Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation received a fresh stock of 1 lakh vaccine doses last night and it will resume vaccination of people above 45 years at its and govt’s vaccination centres: BMC (ANI)

Over 400 get jabs in Mumbai's first drive-in vaccination centre

As many as 417 persons were administered Covid-19 vaccine jabs at a drive-in inoculation center set up by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation on the first day, a civic official said on Tuesday evening.

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Covid situation in Assam 'a little alarming': Himanta

The Covid-19 situation in Assam is "a little alarming" with nearly 5,000 positive cases and the highest of 41 deaths reported on Tuesday, Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said.

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Covid-19: US is helping India significantly, says President Biden

The US is helping India "significantly" in its fight against the second wave of Covid-19 by sending it material and machine parts, President Joe Biden has said.

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BJP MP, MLAs unearth bed-blocking racket in Bengaluru

Bangalore South MP Tejasvi Surya and BJP MLAs Satish Reddy, L A Ravi Subramanya and Uday Garudachar stumbled upon a well-oiled racket at the BBMP war rooms where beds are blocked in hospitals in the names of asymptomatic patients and later ‘sold’ to symptomatic patients forRs 40,000 to Rs 50,000.

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