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Apex court judge and chairperson of the Supreme Court Juvenile Justice Committee S Ravindra Bhat Saturday said there was a need to step up measures to ensure better care, protection and well-being of children during the second wave of COVID-19.

He made the remarks during a review meeting held by the Juvenile Justice Committee of the Supreme Court to take stock of actions taken by various states on care, protection and wellbeing of children during this COVID-19 wave.

In the meeting, held in coordination with the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), possible measures and actions that need to be taken to ensure that every child in need gets appropriate care and protection during this time, were also deliberated upon.

Bhat said some children have lost either one or both parents to <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/coronavirus">COVID-19</a> and there are many without parental supervision and care when their parents are in hospital or under medical care.

"These children are more vulnerable now than ever before. Concerted efforts should be made by all the key stakeholders to ensure the care and protection of children during the second wave of COVID," he said.

He suggested developing a mechanism to address interim care and needs of orphan, separated, or unaccompanied children, including clear guidance on steps to be taken in the event such a child has been exposed or has symptoms of the virus and requires a period of isolation and treatment.

He further emphasised that caregivers and employees of care institutions - both government-managed and private - should be vaccinated, as frontline professionals and also that the services of these institutions should be declared as essential services.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/children-spread-coronavirus-more-efficiently-than-adults-study-383559">Children spread coronavirus 'more efficiently' than adults: Study</a>

Some key priorities outlined by Justice Bhat were - screening and medical care for the children in the institutional care, provision of emergency medicine, supplies, emergency access to hospitals, and a roster of doctors available for teleconsultation,&nbsp;and on priority&nbsp;vaccination of all staff working in the Child Care Institutions and other frontline Child Protection workers.

Nomination of state and district level nodal officers empowered to take decisions and constitute a task force for rapid emergency response for children during COVID-19 was also highlighted.

On the needs of orphaned children, he reiterated that a coordinated response, in each district, by a committee to ensure temporary foster homes as well as gather and secure all information relating to the deceased parent or parents, for future use should be set up.

Each district CWC should compile all the details of such children, and their needs, it was emphasised.

Justice Bhat also stated that "prevention of and response to the second wave of COVID surge requires close coordination and collaboration between child protection system and health system, a multi-sectoral response ensures that children and caregivers' needs are addressed holistically and it leads to a better outcome for children".

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-indias-covid-surge-why-children-could-be-at-risk-383575/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

In the review meeting, judges of all high courts and officials of various states and union territories presented the measures which are being undertaken for the care, protection, and well-being of the children during the second wave of COVID.

Some of the measures by the state and union territories were setting up a state-level nodal officers and district task force for rapid response for care and protection children during the current pandemic, sponsorship for the children lost parents or the bread earners lost income or facing economic hardship.

High Court juvenile justice committees represented by judges, as well as state and union territories also highlighted the measures they are taking to stop the spread of COVID-19 in child care institutions and the medical treatment and care of the children who contracted the disease.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/covid-in-india-3rd-wave-may-hit-kids-mumbai-prepares-pediatric-wards-382729">Covid in India: 3rd wave may hit kids, Mumbai prepares pediatric wards</a>

Aastha Khatwani, joint secretary in the Ministry of Women and Child Development, said, "Considering the emergency need, the ministry has issued the advisory to stop illegal adoption and care and protection of the children who have lost one either or both the parents to COVID."

She further added that the ministry has developed clear, coordinated, easy to understand, community messaging on children's unique risks, vulnerabilities and need of care and protection during COVID-19, and these messages are disseminated and broadcast through social media and other channels.

Vandhana Kandhari, child protection specialist of UNICEF India highlighted that "efforts to pre-emptively scale up the capacity of family-based care and social protection systems are critical to enhance family resilience and prevent unnecessary recourse to residential care".

Kandhari added that in order to provide interim care to the children, extended family members, trusted friends, good neighbours and or community members can be declared a 'fit person'.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/novavax-starts-covid-vaccine-trials-on-children-382694">Novavax starts Covid vaccine trials on children</a>

The review meeting was held with the chairpersons and members of juvenile justice committees of various high courts and was also attended by officials of Departments of Women and Child Development, Social Welfare and Health from various states and union territories.

Apex court judge and chairperson of the Supreme Court Juvenile Justice Committee S Ravindra Bhat Saturday said there was a need to step up measures to ensure better care, protection and well-being of children during the second wave of COVID-19.

Apex court judge and chairperson of the Supreme Court Juvenile Justice Committee S Ravindra Bhat Saturday said there was a need to step up measures to ensure better care, protection and well-being of children during the second wave of COVID-19. He made the remarks during a review meeting held by the Juvenile Justice Committee of the Supreme Court to take stock of actions taken by various states on care, protection and wellbeing of children during this COVID-19 wave. In the meeting, held in coordination with the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), possible measures and actions that need to be taken to ensure that every child in need gets appropriate care and protection during this time, were also deliberated upon. Bhat said some children have lost either one or both parents to COVID-19 and there are many without parental supervision and care when their parents are in hospital or under medical care. "These children are more vulnerable now than ever before. Concerted efforts should be made by all the key stakeholders to ensure the care and protection of children during the second wave of COVID," he said. He suggested developing a mechanism to address interim care and needs of orphan, separated, or unaccompanied children, including clear guidance on steps to be taken in the event such a child has been exposed or has symptoms of the virus and requires a period of isolation and treatment. He further emphasised that caregivers and employees of care institutions - both government-managed and private - should be vaccinated, as frontline professionals and also that the services of these institutions should be declared as essential services. Also read | Children spread coronavirus 'more efficiently' than adults: Study Some key priorities outlined by Justice Bhat were - screening and medical care for the children in the institutional care, provision of emergency medicine, supplies, emergency access to hospitals, and a roster of doctors available for teleconsultation, and on priority vaccination of all staff working in the Child Care Institutions and other frontline Child Protection workers. Nomination of state and district level nodal officers empowered to take decisions and constitute a task force for rapid emergency response for children during COVID-19 was also highlighted. On the needs of orphaned children, he reiterated that a coordinated response, in each district, by a committee to ensure temporary foster homes as well as gather and secure all information relating to the deceased parent or parents, for future use should be set up. Each district CWC should compile all the details of such children, and their needs, it was emphasised. Justice Bhat also stated that "prevention of and response to the second wave of COVID surge requires close coordination and collaboration between child protection system and health system, a multi-sectoral response ensures that children and caregivers' needs are addressed holistically and it leads to a better outcome for children". In the review meeting, judges of all high courts and officials of various states and union territories presented the measures which are being undertaken for the care, protection, and well-being of the children during the second wave of COVID. Some of the measures by the state and union territories were setting up a state-level nodal officers and district task force for rapid response for care and protection children during the current pandemic, sponsorship for the children lost parents or the bread earners lost income or facing economic hardship. High Court juvenile justice committees represented by judges, as well as state and union territories also highlighted the measures they are taking to stop the spread of COVID-19 in child care institutions and the medical treatment and care of the children who contracted the disease. Also read | Covid in India: 3rd wave may hit kids, Mumbai prepares pediatric wards Aastha Khatwani, joint secretary in the Ministry of Women and Child Development, said, "Considering the emergency need, the ministry has issued the advisory to stop illegal adoption and care and protection of the children who have lost one either or both the parents to COVID." She further added that the ministry has developed clear, coordinated, easy to understand, community messaging on children's unique risks, vulnerabilities and need of care and protection during COVID-19, and these messages are disseminated and broadcast through social media and other channels. Vandhana Kandhari, child protection specialist of UNICEF India highlighted that "efforts to pre-emptively scale up the capacity of family-based care and social protection systems are critical to enhance family resilience and prevent unnecessary recourse to residential care". Kandhari added that in order to provide interim care to the children, extended family members, trusted friends, good neighbours and or community members can be declared a 'fit person'. Also read | Novavax starts Covid vaccine trials on children The review meeting was held with the chairpersons and members of juvenile justice committees of various high courts and was also attended by officials of Departments of Women and Child Development, Social Welfare and Health from various states and union territories.

Need to step up measures for well-being, protection of children during COVID-19 second wave: SC judge

A 300-bed Covid isolation centre came up at Calvary Temple at Miyapur here. 
 
The Calvary Temple founded by Brother Satish decided to open their premises for the treatment of Covid positive patients from an underprivileged background. 
 
The facility, inaugurated by Telangana Legislative Council Member K. Kavitha on Saturday, will offer free treatment, medicine and food to the Covid patients. 
 
The isolation centre has been developed in association with Ankura Hospital and Theresa Hospital. 
 
This facility, which will start functioning from May 10, consists of 50 oxygen beds and 250 normal beds with a staff of over 100 to look after the patients. 
 
Kavitha congratulated and thanked Brother Satish, Ankura Hospital and Theresa Hospital for their noble gesture swift initiative to cater to the needs of ailing needy and poor people. She also appealed to people to be safe and be vigilant about the safety of others. 
 
Kavitha, who is the daughter of Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao, requested people to adhere to Covid Protocols and practice all the precautionary measures that have been laid down for protection against <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/coronavirus">Covid-19.</a>

A 300-bed Covid isolation centre came up at Calvary Temple at Miyapur here. The Calvary Temple founded by Brother Satish decided to open their premises for the treatment of Covid positive patients from an underprivileged background.

A 300-bed Covid isolation centre came up at Calvary Temple at Miyapur here. The Calvary Temple founded by Brother Satish decided to open their premises for the treatment of Covid positive patients from an underprivileged background. The facility, inaugurated by Telangana Legislative Council Member K. Kavitha on Saturday, will offer free treatment, medicine and food to the Covid patients. The isolation centre has been developed in association with Ankura Hospital and Theresa Hospital. This facility, which will start functioning from May 10, consists of 50 oxygen beds and 250 normal beds with a staff of over 100 to look after the patients. Kavitha congratulated and thanked Brother Satish, Ankura Hospital and Theresa Hospital for their noble gesture swift initiative to cater to the needs of ailing needy and poor people. She also appealed to people to be safe and be vigilant about the safety of others. Kavitha, who is the daughter of Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao, requested people to adhere to Covid Protocols and practice all the precautionary measures that have been laid down for protection against Covid-19.

300-bed COVID isolation centre comes up in Hyderabad's Calvary Temple

Describing the surge of COVID-19 infections and deaths in India as "nothing short of heartbreaking", Vice President Kamala Harris said on Friday that the country's welfare is critically important to the United States.

Pledging that the Biden administration is determined to help India in its hour of need, Harris said that the entire government machinery has been galvanised to help the country in this hour of crisis.

India is struggling with a second wave of the pandemic with more than 4,00,000 daily new coronavirus cases being reported in the past few days, and hospitals are reeling under a shortage of medical oxygen and beds.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="US stands with India: First of $100 million Covid aid from US arrives in India ">US stands with India: First of $100 million Covid aid from US arrives in India&nbsp;</a>

"At the beginning of the pandemic, when our hospital beds were stretched, India sent assistance. And today, we are determined to help India in its hour of need", Harris said in her remarks at the State Department's Diaspora outreach event on US COVID Relief for India.

"We do this as friends of India, as members of the Asian Quad, and as part of the global community. I believe that if we continue to work together across nations and sectors we will all get through this",&nbsp;Harris said.

The Biden-Harris Administration has announced $100 million assistance to India to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic. In about a week's time, as many as six plane loads of COVID-19 assistance have landed in India.

The entire administration has been galvanized to help India in this hour of crisis. The White House and the State Department is coordinating with the corporate sector, which has mounted an unprecedented private sector relief for any country ever.

Indian-Americans have been raising millions of dollars and have been sending life-saving health care equipment and medicines to India.

Sewa International USA has raised more than USD 10 million, American Association of Physicians of Indian-Origin or AAPI have raised $3.5 million and Indiaspora more than $2 million, to name some of them.

In her remarks, Harris recognised the contribution of Indian-Americans on the issue.

"For years, diaspora groups like Indiaspora and the American India Foundation have built bridges between the United States and India. And this past year, you have provided vital contributions to COVID-19 relief efforts. Thank you for your work," said the vice president.

"As many of you know, generations of my family come from India. My mother was born and raised in India. And I have family members who live in India today. The welfare of India is critically important to the United States,&nbsp;Harris said.

"The surge of COVID-19 infections and deaths in India is nothing short of heartbreaking. To those of you who have lost loved ones, I send my deepest condolences. As soon as the dire nature of the situation became apparent, our Administration took action", she said, referring to the steps that the Biden-Harris Administration has taken to help India in this hour of crisis.

On April 26, President Joe Biden spoke with Prime Minister Narendra Modi to offer America's support.

By April 30, US military members and civilians were delivering relief on the ground, she said, referring to the whole-of-government approach that the administration has taken to help India.&nbsp;

Describing the surge of COVID-19 infections and deaths in India as "nothing short of heartbreaking", Vice President Kamala Harris said on Friday that the country's welfare is critically important to the United States.

Describing the surge of COVID-19 infections and deaths in India as "nothing short of heartbreaking", Vice President Kamala Harris said on Friday that the country's welfare is critically important to the United States. Pledging that the Biden administration is determined to help India in its hour of need, Harris said that the entire government machinery has been galvanised to help the country in this hour of crisis. India is struggling with a second wave of the pandemic with more than 4,00,000 daily new coronavirus cases being reported in the past few days, and hospitals are reeling under a shortage of medical oxygen and beds. Also read | US stands with India: First of $100 million Covid aid from US arrives in India "At the beginning of the pandemic, when our hospital beds were stretched, India sent assistance. And today, we are determined to help India in its hour of need", Harris said in her remarks at the State Department's Diaspora outreach event on US COVID Relief for India. "We do this as friends of India, as members of the Asian Quad, and as part of the global community. I believe that if we continue to work together across nations and sectors we will all get through this", Harris said. The Biden-Harris Administration has announced $100 million assistance to India to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic. In about a week's time, as many as six plane loads of COVID-19 assistance have landed in India. The entire administration has been galvanized to help India in this hour of crisis. The White House and the State Department is coordinating with the corporate sector, which has mounted an unprecedented private sector relief for any country ever. Indian-Americans have been raising millions of dollars and have been sending life-saving health care equipment and medicines to India. Sewa International USA has raised more than USD 10 million, American Association of Physicians of Indian-Origin or AAPI have raised $3.5 million and Indiaspora more than $2 million, to name some of them. In her remarks, Harris recognised the contribution of Indian-Americans on the issue. "For years, diaspora groups like Indiaspora and the American India Foundation have built bridges between the United States and India. And this past year, you have provided vital contributions to COVID-19 relief efforts. Thank you for your work," said the vice president. "As many of you know, generations of my family come from India. My mother was born and raised in India. And I have family members who live in India today. The welfare of India is critically important to the United States, Harris said. "The surge of COVID-19 infections and deaths in India is nothing short of heartbreaking. To those of you who have lost loved ones, I send my deepest condolences. As soon as the dire nature of the situation became apparent, our Administration took action", she said, referring to the steps that the Biden-Harris Administration has taken to help India in this hour of crisis. On April 26, President Joe Biden spoke with Prime Minister Narendra Modi to offer America's support. By April 30, US military members and civilians were delivering relief on the ground, she said, referring to the whole-of-government approach that the administration has taken to help India.

COVID-19 surge in India heartbreaking; US determined to help the country: VP Kamala Harris

To stress considerate and careful reporting, the South Asian Journalists Association (SAJA) has advised all media organisations to not use the term ‘India variant’ or ‘Indian variant’ while reporting about a certain new strain of coronavirus.

Stressing on how this term can be termed as ‘racist’ and can fuel unjustified anger towards the Indian community on a global level, SAJA said, "Over the years, certain disease names have provoked verbal, physical or social backlash against members of specific religious or ethnic groups".

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/coronavirus-update-indian-government-under-pressure-to-impose-a-national-lockdown-383620">Watch |</a>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/coronavirus-update-indian-government-under-pressure-to-impose-a-national-lockdown-383620/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

The association has urged media houses to not promote any such usage of these terms and practice their profession in accordance with guidelines issued by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2015 which warns naming diseases/variants after countries from where they originated.

"SAJA recommends applying the same guidance to any current or future variants of the coronavirus," the organisation advised.

The variant in question is B.1.617, also known as ‘double mutant’ due to its mutations found in other variants that appeared together for the first time in this new strain and first detected in western parts of India, the letter stated.

To stress considerate and careful reporting, the South Asian Journalists Association (SAJA) has advised all media organisations to not use the term ‘India variant’ or ‘Indian variant’ while reporting about a certain new strain of coronavirus.

To stress considerate and careful reporting, the South Asian Journalists Association (SAJA) has advised all media organisations to not use the term ‘India variant’ or ‘Indian variant’ while reporting about a certain new strain of coronavirus. Stressing on how this term can be termed as ‘racist’ and can fuel unjustified anger towards the Indian community on a global level, SAJA said, "Over the years, certain disease names have provoked verbal, physical or social backlash against members of specific religious or ethnic groups". Watch | The association has urged media houses to not promote any such usage of these terms and practice their profession in accordance with guidelines issued by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2015 which warns naming diseases/variants after countries from where they originated. "SAJA recommends applying the same guidance to any current or future variants of the coronavirus," the organisation advised. The variant in question is B.1.617, also known as ‘double mutant’ due to its mutations found in other variants that appeared together for the first time in this new strain and first detected in western parts of India, the letter stated.

Usage of term 'Indian variant' wrong and unethical: SAJA

On his second day of taking the office, the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, MK Stalin, has announced a state-wide lockdown due to "unavoidable circumstances" following a covid surge in India.

The lockdown will begin from 4 am on May 10 (Monday) and continue till 4 am on May 24, if not extended further.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/india-sees-record-4187-covid-19-deaths-401078-new-cases-govt-383617" hreflang="en">India sees record 4,187 COVID-19 deaths, 4,01,078 new cases: Govt&nbsp;</a>

However, to ease the shift from day-to-day functioning to a strict lockdown, Stalin has permitted shops to stay open over the weekend, between 6 am to 9 pm.

The decision has been taken after Tamil Nadu state recorded 197 deaths and 24,465 new cases on Friday, taking the toll to 135,355.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/indian-american-physicians-sending-5000-oxygen-concentrators-to-india-383606" hreflang="en">Indian-American physicians sending 5,000 oxygen concentrators to India</a>

For context, even the entire state of Tamil Nadu had seen only a maximum of 6,900-odd COVID-19 cases in the first wave, but now Chennai itself is nearing that number. Tamil Nadu is almost nearing four-times the highest number of daily cases, as was seen in the first wave.&nbsp;

Under this lockdown, all international flights, except for those allowed by Home Ministry, have been banned, and those wanting to enter the state will have to gain an instant approval E-pass.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/oxygen-availability-in-tamil-nadu-critical-stalin-writes-to-pm-modi-383577" hreflang="en">Oxygen availability in Tamil Nadu critical, Stalin writes to PM Modi&nbsp;</a>

All malls, beauty parlours, salons, spa and TASMAC liquor stores will stay shut till further notice. In addition to this, cinema halls, clubs, bars and other entertainment venues have been ordered to stay shut. Beaches, zoos, museums, monuments and tourist destinations such as Nilgiris, Kodaikanal, Yercaud have been ordered to stay shut.

However, standalone grocery, vegetable shops and supermarkets will be allowed to operate till 12 pm without AC, and services such as Dunzo, Swiggy and more can operate to home deliver essentials. All other restaurants and hotels have been ordered to stay closed for dine-in options. Hotels, that already have guests staying with them, can only offer food through room service.

(With inputs from Sidharth MP)

On his second day of taking the office, the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, MK Stalin, has announced a state-wide lockdown due to "unavoidable circumstances" following a covid surge in India.

On his second day of taking the office, the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, MK Stalin, has announced a state-wide lockdown due to "unavoidable circumstances" following a covid surge in India. The lockdown will begin from 4 am on May 10 (Monday) and continue till 4 am on May 24, if not extended further. Also read | India sees record 4,187 COVID-19 deaths, 4,01,078 new cases: Govt However, to ease the shift from day-to-day functioning to a strict lockdown, Stalin has permitted shops to stay open over the weekend, between 6 am to 9 pm. The decision has been taken after Tamil Nadu state recorded 197 deaths and 24,465 new cases on Friday, taking the toll to 135,355. Also read | Indian-American physicians sending 5,000 oxygen concentrators to India For context, even the entire state of Tamil Nadu had seen only a maximum of 6,900-odd COVID-19 cases in the first wave, but now Chennai itself is nearing that number. Tamil Nadu is almost nearing four-times the highest number of daily cases, as was seen in the first wave. Under this lockdown, all international flights, except for those allowed by Home Ministry, have been banned, and those wanting to enter the state will have to gain an instant approval E-pass. Also read | Oxygen availability in Tamil Nadu critical, Stalin writes to PM Modi All malls, beauty parlours, salons, spa and TASMAC liquor stores will stay shut till further notice. In addition to this, cinema halls, clubs, bars and other entertainment venues have been ordered to stay shut. Beaches, zoos, museums, monuments and tourist destinations such as Nilgiris, Kodaikanal, Yercaud have been ordered to stay shut. However, standalone grocery, vegetable shops and supermarkets will be allowed to operate till 12 pm without AC, and services such as Dunzo, Swiggy and more can operate to home deliver essentials. All other restaurants and hotels have been ordered to stay closed for dine-in options. Hotels, that already have guests staying with them, can only offer food through room service. (With inputs from Sidharth MP)

MK Stalin imposes state-wide lockdown amid covid surge from Monday

India is in touch with Maldives authorities in the aftermath of the attack on the former President of Maldives Mohamed Nasheed. Nasheed who is the current speaker of the Maldives Parliament was injured in a bomb blast on Thursday evening. He has been hospitalised since then.

As part of the engagement between the two countries, Maldives regularly gets security assistance from India, a close ally. This time is no exception. India was the first country to react after the attack. India's External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar had expressed his concern.&nbsp;

"Deeply concerned at the attack on Speaker @MohamedNasheed. Wish him a speedy recovery. Know that he will never be intimidated," Jaishankar had tweeted on Thursday.

According to the ADK Hospital in Male, where Nasheed is admitted, he has undergone number of life-saving surgeries on injuries to his head, chest, abdomen, and limbs. He is off life support and has also spoken to his family.

Meanwhile, the Maldives police have announced that they have arrested individuals in connection with Thursday's blast and have also released pictures. Officers from London's Metropolitan Police and Australian police will also be part of the investigation. The attack on Nasheed is being treated as a terror attack by local authorities.

India is in touch with Maldives authorities in the aftermath of the attack on the former President of Maldives Mohamed Nasheed. Nasheed who is the current speaker of the Maldives Parliament was injured in a bomb blast on Thursday evening.

India is in touch with Maldives authorities in the aftermath of the attack on the former President of Maldives Mohamed Nasheed. Nasheed who is the current speaker of the Maldives Parliament was injured in a bomb blast on Thursday evening. He has been hospitalised since then. As part of the engagement between the two countries, Maldives regularly gets security assistance from India, a close ally. This time is no exception. India was the first country to react after the attack. India's External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar had expressed his concern. "Deeply concerned at the attack on Speaker @MohamedNasheed. Wish him a speedy recovery. Know that he will never be intimidated," Jaishankar had tweeted on Thursday. According to the ADK Hospital in Male, where Nasheed is admitted, he has undergone number of life-saving surgeries on injuries to his head, chest, abdomen, and limbs. He is off life support and has also spoken to his family. Meanwhile, the Maldives police have announced that they have arrested individuals in connection with Thursday's blast and have also released pictures. Officers from London's Metropolitan Police and Australian police will also be part of the investigation. The attack on Nasheed is being treated as a terror attack by local authorities.

Nasheed attacked: India in touch with Maldives, support extended

Cases are surging every minute in India while experts say lockdown could help the break chain of transmission.

Coronavirus Update: Indian government under pressure to impose a national lockdown

India saw a record 4,187 fatalities due to COVID-19 in a single day, taking the country's death toll to 2,38,270, while 4,01,078 new infections were reported in a day, pushing the tally to 2,18,92,676, according to the Union health ministry data updated on Saturday.&nbsp;

Registering a steady increase, the active cases have increased to 37,23,446, comprising 17.01 per cent of the total infections, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate has dropped to 81.90 per cent, the data updated at 8 am showed.&nbsp;

The number of people, who have recuperated from the disease, surged to 1,79,30, 960, while the case fatality rate was recorded at 1.09 per cent, the data stated.&nbsp;

According to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), 30,04,10,043 samples have been tested up to May 7 with 18,08,344 samples being tested on Friday.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

India saw a record 4,187 fatalities due to COVID-19 in a single day, taking the country's death toll to 2,38,270, while 4,01,078 new infections were reported in a day, pushing the tally to 2,18,92,676, according to the Union health ministry data updated on Saturday.

India saw a record 4,187 fatalities due to COVID-19 in a single day, taking the country's death toll to 2,38,270, while 4,01,078 new infections were reported in a day, pushing the tally to 2,18,92,676, according to the Union health ministry data updated on Saturday. Registering a steady increase, the active cases have increased to 37,23,446, comprising 17.01 per cent of the total infections, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate has dropped to 81.90 per cent, the data updated at 8 am showed. The number of people, who have recuperated from the disease, surged to 1,79,30, 960, while the case fatality rate was recorded at 1.09 per cent, the data stated. According to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), 30,04,10,043 samples have been tested up to May 7 with 18,08,344 samples being tested on Friday. (With inputs from agencies)

India sees record 4,187 COVID-19 deaths, 4,01,078 new cases: Govt 

An Indian-American group of physicians is shipping 5,000 oxygen concentrators to India to save the lives of the people infected with the coronavirus.&nbsp;

The recently-created Federation of Indian Physicians Association (FIPA) said on Friday that the 5,000 oxygen concentrators have already been purchased. Of these, 450 units have already reached Ahmedabad, 325 are on their way to Delhi and 300 others to Mumbai.&nbsp;

"These units are to be received by local Indian partners, hospitals, makeshift isolation centers, newly created mobile hospitals and charities so that local partners in the remote parts of India can use these units to provide oxygen to Covid patients as needed," said DR Raj Bhayani, president, FIPA.&nbsp;

About 3,500 units are still waiting to be shipped, he said, adding that FIPA has reached out to the Indian embassy, and the ministry of aviation and Air India to help transport these units immediately.&nbsp;

With a record of 4,14,188 new coronavirus infections being reported in a day, India's total tally of COVID-19 cases climbed to 2,14,91,598, while the death toll increased to 2,34,083 with 3,915 fatalities reported in 24 hours on Friday, according to the Union Health Ministry data.&nbsp;

Iowa-based Sehgal Foundation, the non-profit body which works in the rural areas of India, in a separate statement said that it is sending 200 oxygen concentrators to India.&nbsp;

The foundation said it is working tirelessly to ensure that the help is reached out to the people grappling with the COVID-19 surge in India.&nbsp;

Indian-Americans in Greater Boston, a community organisation, is organising a 5k Virtual Walk/Run over the weekend to raise funds for its COVID-19 assistance to India.&nbsp;

Kerala Association of Connecticut has started a fundraiser campaign to help combat the COVID-19 surge situation in India. The money donated will be directed towards Providing Oxygenators to Hospitals via Give India platform and their community partners, the association said.&nbsp;

Headed by Krishna Srinivasan, the association is targeting to raise USD 5,000.&nbsp;

Indian-American Vandana Karna on Saturday launched another fundraising campaign to save lives in rural Bihar. In just a few hours, Bihar Aid raised more than USD 8,000 of the initial target of USD 10,000.&nbsp;

"This is our first call to help with shipment of the following to Darbhanga where several areas have been sealed due to high infection rate," Karna said.&nbsp;

Bihar Aid plans to send Oxygen flow meters, Oxygen cylinders (D type), Oxygen concentrators, Pulse oximeter and sensor-based sanitising machines and PSA (Pressure Swing Adsorption) oxygen generation plants, she said. &nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

An Indian-American group of physicians is shipping 5,000 oxygen concentrators to India to save the lives of the people infected with the coronavirus. The recently-created Federation of Indian Physicians Association (FIPA) said on Friday that the 5,000 oxygen concentrators have already been purchased.

An Indian-American group of physicians is shipping 5,000 oxygen concentrators to India to save the lives of the people infected with the coronavirus. The recently-created Federation of Indian Physicians Association (FIPA) said on Friday that the 5,000 oxygen concentrators have already been purchased. Of these, 450 units have already reached Ahmedabad, 325 are on their way to Delhi and 300 others to Mumbai. "These units are to be received by local Indian partners, hospitals, makeshift isolation centers, newly created mobile hospitals and charities so that local partners in the remote parts of India can use these units to provide oxygen to Covid patients as needed," said DR Raj Bhayani, president, FIPA. About 3,500 units are still waiting to be shipped, he said, adding that FIPA has reached out to the Indian embassy, and the ministry of aviation and Air India to help transport these units immediately. With a record of 4,14,188 new coronavirus infections being reported in a day, India's total tally of COVID-19 cases climbed to 2,14,91,598, while the death toll increased to 2,34,083 with 3,915 fatalities reported in 24 hours on Friday, according to the Union Health Ministry data. Iowa-based Sehgal Foundation, the non-profit body which works in the rural areas of India, in a separate statement said that it is sending 200 oxygen concentrators to India. The foundation said it is working tirelessly to ensure that the help is reached out to the people grappling with the COVID-19 surge in India. Indian-Americans in Greater Boston, a community organisation, is organising a 5k Virtual Walk/Run over the weekend to raise funds for its COVID-19 assistance to India. Kerala Association of Connecticut has started a fundraiser campaign to help combat the COVID-19 surge situation in India. The money donated will be directed towards Providing Oxygenators to Hospitals via Give India platform and their community partners, the association said. Headed by Krishna Srinivasan, the association is targeting to raise USD 5,000. Indian-American Vandana Karna on Saturday launched another fundraising campaign to save lives in rural Bihar. In just a few hours, Bihar Aid raised more than USD 8,000 of the initial target of USD 10,000. "This is our first call to help with shipment of the following to Darbhanga where several areas have been sealed due to high infection rate," Karna said. Bihar Aid plans to send Oxygen flow meters, Oxygen cylinders (D type), Oxygen concentrators, Pulse oximeter and sensor-based sanitising machines and PSA (Pressure Swing Adsorption) oxygen generation plants, she said. (With inputs from agencies)

Indian-American physicians sending 5,000 oxygen concentrators to India  

A Tanzanian man and woman arrived in Chennai on Qatar Airways flight 528 from Johannesburg via Doha, as they did not find a direct flight to Bengaluru. &nbsp;

The woman was travelling to India for treatment in Bengaluru and was accompanied by her male attendant, on a visa that was granted based on communication from the Bengaluru hospital.&nbsp;

Air Customs officials at the Chennai International Airport who maintained a high vigil, based on Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) information regarding narcotics smuggling from African countries, intercepted the duo.&nbsp;

Senior officials said that the duo appeared nervous and gave evasive replies on being questioned, following which their baggage was examined.&nbsp;

According to officials, even when the clothes and personal belongings were emptied, the empty suitcases were noticed to be very heavy. That's when the suitcases were examined thoroughly and plastic packets were found concealed beneath the trolley rods, pasted neatly to the shell of the suitcase. In this case, they had smeared some spicy powders to also hoodwink the dog squads and make it all the more difficult to detect.

Five plastic packets were recovered from each trolley suitcase. On testing, 15.6 kg of white coarse powder suspected to be Heroin valued at INR 100 crores was recovered and seized under The NDPS Act 1985, read with Customs Act.&nbsp;

A Tanzanian man and woman arrived in Chennai on Qatar Airways flight 528 from Johannesburg via Doha, as they did not find a direct flight to Bengaluru. The woman was travelling to India for treatment in Bengaluru and was accompanied by her male attendant, on a visa that was granted based on communication from the Bengaluru hospital.

A Tanzanian man and woman arrived in Chennai on Qatar Airways flight 528 from Johannesburg via Doha, as they did not find a direct flight to Bengaluru. The woman was travelling to India for treatment in Bengaluru and was accompanied by her male attendant, on a visa that was granted based on communication from the Bengaluru hospital. Air Customs officials at the Chennai International Airport who maintained a high vigil, based on Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) information regarding narcotics smuggling from African countries, intercepted the duo. Senior officials said that the duo appeared nervous and gave evasive replies on being questioned, following which their baggage was examined. According to officials, even when the clothes and personal belongings were emptied, the empty suitcases were noticed to be very heavy. That's when the suitcases were examined thoroughly and plastic packets were found concealed beneath the trolley rods, pasted neatly to the shell of the suitcase. In this case, they had smeared some spicy powders to also hoodwink the dog squads and make it all the more difficult to detect. Five plastic packets were recovered from each trolley suitcase. On testing, 15.6 kg of white coarse powder suspected to be Heroin valued at INR 100 crores was recovered and seized under The NDPS Act 1985, read with Customs Act.

Two Tanzanian nationals arrested for smuggling in Heroin worth INR 100cr

The EU and India were set to bolster warming ties at a virtual summit Saturday by relaunching long-stalled trade talks and agreeing to work together against the coronavirus pandemic battering the south Asian giant.

Exclusive: EU states meet, Indian Prime Minister Modi a special invitee

The first-ever India-EU summit comprising of India and 27 EU member states began on Saturday. World leaders showered praise on India. These included French President Emmanuel Macron who said India did not need to "listen to lectures from anyone" and Portuguese Prime Minister António Costa who himself is an Overseas Citizen of India. He spoke about his OCI card with pride.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi appealed EU leadership to support waiver on Trade-related aspects of intellectual property rights (TRIPS waiver) at WTO (World Trade Organisation). This wavier is being sought for Covid-related treatments and vaccines to be widely available across the world.

Last week US extended support for the wavier, which came in the backdrop of PM Modi-US President Joe Biden's talks. The wavier will help in the production of more covid vaccines helping ease the situation globally.

During the summit on Saturday, several EU leaders individually thanked India for medical supplies it provided last year while Europe battled the pandemic. &nbsp;All the EU leaders extended solidarity and support to the people of India and the government amid the covid crisis.&nbsp;

French President Macron pointed out that India did not need to "listen to lectures from anyone" about vaccine supplies. He highlighted that India has "exported a lot for vaccines for humanity" while mentioning the situation in the country due to covid. Spain PM Pedro Sánchez warmly recalled Indian assistance last year when Spain faced terrible times due to COVID.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/anti-covid-drug-by-indias-defence-research-and-development-organisation-gets-regulator-nod-383728">Anti-Covid drug by India's Defence Research and Development Organisation gets regulator nod</a>

Portuguese PM Antonio Costa proudly mentioned his status as an OCI.

Portugal is the President of the Council of the European Union and the virtual India-EU Leaders meet is being hosted by Portugal PM António Costa.

'Kem Chho'

Belgian PM Alexander De Croo greeted PM Narendra Modi with 'Kem Chho'. It means 'how are you?' in Gujarati, PM Modi's mother tongue.

7,000 people of Indian origin people live in Belgium. Large number of Gujaratis stay in Antwerp, the diamond capital of the world.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez warmly recalled Indian assistance last year during the worst time for Spain. India has been exported vaccines and medicines to many countries in the world during the pandemic.

It is for the second time the EU is holding such a summit with any country. In March, US President Joe Biden meet with EU member states in such a format.

The first-ever India-EU summit comprising of India and 27 EU member states began on Saturday. World leaders showered praise on India. These included French President Emmanuel Macron who said India did not need to "listen to lectures from anyone" and Portuguese Prime Minister António Costa who himself is an Overseas Citizen of India.

The first-ever India-EU summit comprising of India and 27 EU member states began on Saturday. World leaders showered praise on India. These included French President Emmanuel Macron who said India did not need to "listen to lectures from anyone" and Portuguese Prime Minister António Costa who himself is an Overseas Citizen of India. He spoke about his OCI card with pride. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi appealed EU leadership to support waiver on Trade-related aspects of intellectual property rights (TRIPS waiver) at WTO (World Trade Organisation). This wavier is being sought for Covid-related treatments and vaccines to be widely available across the world. Last week US extended support for the wavier, which came in the backdrop of PM Modi-US President Joe Biden's talks. The wavier will help in the production of more covid vaccines helping ease the situation globally. During the summit on Saturday, several EU leaders individually thanked India for medical supplies it provided last year while Europe battled the pandemic. All the EU leaders extended solidarity and support to the people of India and the government amid the covid crisis. French President Macron pointed out that India did not need to "listen to lectures from anyone" about vaccine supplies. He highlighted that India has "exported a lot for vaccines for humanity" while mentioning the situation in the country due to covid. Spain PM Pedro Sánchez warmly recalled Indian assistance last year when Spain faced terrible times due to COVID. Also Read | Anti-Covid drug by India's Defence Research and Development Organisation gets regulator nod Portuguese PM Antonio Costa proudly mentioned his status as an OCI. Portugal is the President of the Council of the European Union and the virtual India-EU Leaders meet is being hosted by Portugal PM António Costa. 'Kem Chho' Belgian PM Alexander De Croo greeted PM Narendra Modi with 'Kem Chho'. It means 'how are you?' in Gujarati, PM Modi's mother tongue. 7,000 people of Indian origin people live in Belgium. Large number of Gujaratis stay in Antwerp, the diamond capital of the world. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez warmly recalled Indian assistance last year during the worst time for Spain. India has been exported vaccines and medicines to many countries in the world during the pandemic. It is for the second time the EU is holding such a summit with any country. In March, US President Joe Biden meet with EU member states in such a format.

India-EU Summit: EU leaders extend solidarity to India, PM Modi presses for vaccine patent waivers

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi requesting immediate supply of additional medical oxygen, in line with what was agreed in government meetings held on May 1 and 2.

The letter mentions that Tamil Nadu is facing a looming oxygen crisis and that the requirement of medical oxygen is projected to go from the current 440MT to 840MT.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Referring to the National Oxygen Plan, Stalin says that only 220MT was allocated for Tamil Nadu, following which the officials had requested DPIIT&nbsp;(on May 1 and 2) for an immediate supply. It is added that despite DPITT having agreed to provide 476MT of medical oxygen, such an order has not been issued.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The letter,&nbsp;which was released to the media,&nbsp;also adds that revised allotment orders for nearly 220MTs of medical oxygen from sources in Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Rourkela are awaited.&nbsp;

Besides mentioning the death of 13 patients at the&nbsp;Chengalpattu&nbsp;Government hospital near Chennai a few days back, Stalin also requested the Central Government to provide at least 20 ISO Cryogenic Containers and trains to transport oxygen to Tamil Nadu.&nbsp;&nbsp;

On Friday, Tamil Nadu witnessed 26,465 new COVID-19 cases, 22.381 recoveries, thus taking the active cases to 1,35,355. 197 deaths were recorded over the last 24 hours.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi requesting immediate supply of additional medical oxygen, in line with what was agreed in government meetings held on May 1 and 2.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi requesting immediate supply of additional medical oxygen, in line with what was agreed in government meetings held on May 1 and 2. The letter mentions that Tamil Nadu is facing a looming oxygen crisis and that the requirement of medical oxygen is projected to go from the current 440MT to 840MT. Referring to the National Oxygen Plan, Stalin says that only 220MT was allocated for Tamil Nadu, following which the officials had requested DPIIT (on May 1 and 2) for an immediate supply. It is added that despite DPITT having agreed to provide 476MT of medical oxygen, such an order has not been issued. The letter, which was released to the media, also adds that revised allotment orders for nearly 220MTs of medical oxygen from sources in Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Rourkela are awaited. Besides mentioning the death of 13 patients at the Chengalpattu Government hospital near Chennai a few days back, Stalin also requested the Central Government to provide at least 20 ISO Cryogenic Containers and trains to transport oxygen to Tamil Nadu. On Friday, Tamil Nadu witnessed 26,465 new COVID-19 cases, 22.381 recoveries, thus taking the active cases to 1,35,355. 197 deaths were recorded over the last 24 hours.

Oxygen availability in Tamil Nadu critical, Stalin writes to PM Modi 

Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) has given its approval to an anti-Covid drug developed by Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). The drug has been approved for emergency use as an adjunct therapy in moderate to severe coronavirus cases. The drug is to be administered orally.

Clinical trials of the drug 2-deoxy-D-glucose (2-DG) showed that it helps in faster recovery of hospitalised patients and reduces supplemental oxygen dependence.

The approval to the drug has come at a time when India has been grappling with a record-breaking wave of coronavirus pandemic that has stretched the country's healthcare infrastructure to its limit.

The announcement of the approval was made by India's health ministry

"In the ongoing second COVID-19 wave, a large number of patients are facing severe oxygen dependency and need hospitalisation.

"The drug is expected to save precious lives due to the mechanism of operation of the drug in infected cells. This also reduces the hospital stay of COVID-19 patients," the ministry said.

It said the anti-COVID-19 therapeutic application of 2-DG drug has been developed by the Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Allied Sciences (INMAS), a leading laboratory of Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), in collaboration with Dr Reddy's Laboratories (DRL) in Hyderabad.

"On May 01, DCGI granted permission for emergency use of this drug as adjunct therapy in moderate to severe COVID-19 patients. Being a generic molecule and analogue of glucose, it can be easily produced and made available in plenty in the country," the ministry said in a statement.

Adjunctive therapy is a treatment used together with the primary treatment to assist it.

The drug comes in powder form in a sachet and is taken orally by dissolving it in water.

"It accumulates in the virus-infected cells and prevents virus growth by stopping viral synthesis and energy production. Its selective accumulation in virally infected cells makes this drug unique," the ministry said.

In terms of efficacy trends, the ministry said, patients treated with 2-DG showed faster symptomatic cure than the standard of care (SoC) on various endpoints.

"A significantly favourable trend (2.5 days difference) was seen in terms of the median time to achieving normalisation of specific vital signs parameters when compared to SoC," it said.

"Clinical trial results of the drug have shown that it helps in faster recovery of hospitalised patients and reduces supplemental oxygen dependence. A higher proportion of patients treated with 2-DG showed RT-PCR negative conversion in COVID patients," it added.

(With inputs from agencies)

Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) has given its approval to an anti-Covid drug developed by Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). The drug has been approved for emergency use as an adjunct therapy in moderate to severe coronavirus cases.

Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) has given its approval to an anti-Covid drug developed by Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). The drug has been approved for emergency use as an adjunct therapy in moderate to severe coronavirus cases. The drug is to be administered orally. Clinical trials of the drug 2-deoxy-D-glucose (2-DG) showed that it helps in faster recovery of hospitalised patients and reduces supplemental oxygen dependence. The approval to the drug has come at a time when India has been grappling with a record-breaking wave of coronavirus pandemic that has stretched the country's healthcare infrastructure to its limit. The announcement of the approval was made by India's health ministry "In the ongoing second COVID-19 wave, a large number of patients are facing severe oxygen dependency and need hospitalisation. "The drug is expected to save precious lives due to the mechanism of operation of the drug in infected cells. This also reduces the hospital stay of COVID-19 patients," the ministry said. It said the anti-COVID-19 therapeutic application of 2-DG drug has been developed by the Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Allied Sciences (INMAS), a leading laboratory of Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), in collaboration with Dr Reddy's Laboratories (DRL) in Hyderabad. "On May 01, DCGI granted permission for emergency use of this drug as adjunct therapy in moderate to severe COVID-19 patients. Being a generic molecule and analogue of glucose, it can be easily produced and made available in plenty in the country," the ministry said in a statement. Adjunctive therapy is a treatment used together with the primary treatment to assist it. The drug comes in powder form in a sachet and is taken orally by dissolving it in water. "It accumulates in the virus-infected cells and prevents virus growth by stopping viral synthesis and energy production. Its selective accumulation in virally infected cells makes this drug unique," the ministry said. In terms of efficacy trends, the ministry said, patients treated with 2-DG showed faster symptomatic cure than the standard of care (SoC) on various endpoints. "A significantly favourable trend (2.5 days difference) was seen in terms of the median time to achieving normalisation of specific vital signs parameters when compared to SoC," it said. "Clinical trial results of the drug have shown that it helps in faster recovery of hospitalised patients and reduces supplemental oxygen dependence. A higher proportion of patients treated with 2-DG showed RT-PCR negative conversion in COVID patients," it added. (With inputs from agencies)

Anti-Covid drug by India's Defence Research and Development Organisation gets regulator nod

India has reported over 400,000 cases for the third consecutive day in a row and over 4,000 deaths.

Coronavirus Update: India records highest death-toll ever

The government on Friday reiterated that India should be included in the UNSC if the international body wants to be seen as a credible global leader. Foreign Secretary Harsh Shringla said, 'At the core of India’s call for reformed multilateralism, lies the reform of the UN Security Council, reflective of the contemporary realities of today.'

Indian Foreign Secretary Harsh Shringla reiterates call for UNSC reform

India's deadly COVID-19 second wave is making global headlines. India's young generation has turned to applications to save lives.

Coronavirus Update: India's young turn to apps to save lives

The Supreme Court of India has refused to expunge critical remarks of the Madras High Court holding the poll panel responsible for surge in COVID-19 cases in country. SC also trashed the plea that media be restrained from reporting observations of judicial proceedings, saying it will be a retrograde act.

India: Supreme Court refuses to expunge critical remarks of Madras High Court against EC

After a gap of eight years, India and the European Union (EU) will resume talks on a "comprehensive" free trade agreement, a key outcome of the India-EU leaders meeting that will take place virtually on Saturday. The summit that takes place around 5 pm IST will see Indian PM along with Heads of State or Government of all the 27 EU Member States present.

With a focus on a "balanced, ambitious" FTA pact, European sources called the resumption of FTA talks a "breakthrough". Other key outcomes will be on connectivity partnership that will "bring region, people" much together. This is the second time the EU will have such a partnership with any country — the first was Japan.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/lessons-for-india-how-europe-us-tackled-covid-19-second-and-third-waves-383317" hreflang="en">Lessons for India: How Europe, US tackled COVID-19 second and third waves</a>

The summit was to happen in Portugal for which Indian PM Modi's visit was scheduled, but the visit was postponed due to the covid crisis in India. Portugal is the President of the Council of the European Union and the virtual India-EU Leaders meet is being hosted by Portugal PM António Costa.

A release by the Ministry of External Affairs said, "The India-EU Leaders' Meeting is an unprecedented opportunity for discussion with all the leaders of the EU Member States. It is a significant political milestone and will further build on the momentum witnessed in the relationship since the 15th India-EU Summit in July 2020."

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/pope-hails-tireless-work-of-indian-medics-in-his-message-to-india-383290" hreflang="en">Pope hails 'tireless' work of Indian medics in his message to India</a>

This is the second time this format of one world leader and all 27 EU member states is meeting, the first was with US President in March this year. PM will also participate in a meeting of the European Council as a special invitee at the invitation of the President of the European Council Charles Michel.

"The meeting on Saturday will be between two natural partners. World's second largest democracies that share values, have converging interest, and support multilateralism. We need to demonstrate a democratic and open model is the most capable and able to address the challenges of the world," said, European sources on India EU meet on Saturday.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/coronavirus-in-india-australian-state-of-victoria-sends-aid-worth-31-million-to-india-383233" hreflang="en">Coronavirus in India: Australian state of Victoria sends aid worth $31 million to India</a>

Vaccines will be another key focus as the virtual summit, with a waiver on intellectual property rights on covid vaccines to be part of the discussion. After the US announced its support to waiver to intellectual property on covid vaccine patent, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has said that the block is ready to have a discussion on the subjects.

EU has been exporting a large number of vaccines, something which helps the world. India, too, had recently sent vaccines to more than 90 countries under its vaccine outreach programme. India had paused the outreach as the second wave of covid crisis wreaks havoc in the country.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/no-need-for-tests-after-10-days-of-home-isolation-in-mild-cases-new-guidelines-383204" hreflang="en">No need for tests after 10 days of home isolation in mild cases: New guidelines</a>

"All countries with significant production should resume covid vaccine export," said European Sources but explained, "everyone understands India needs to make sure its citizen" get vaccinated and nobody "will be pressuring PM Modi" to start export right now.

Other key focus areas will resilient supply chains, with a special focus on medical supply chains, artificial intelligence, supercomputing, with sources describing India as "truly a powerhouse on the digital partnership".

On Indo Pacific, the EU is keen to "reinforce" its position, given that just a few weeks ago European Council had approved the conclusions on the EU's Indo-Pacific strategy. The human right remains another area of discussion under the India and EU human rights dialogue. &nbsp;

"We respect India as a secular democracy and human rights part of the political dialogue between India And EU," said European government&nbsp;sources.

After a gap of eight years, India and the European Union (EU) will resume talks on a "comprehensive" free trade agreement, a key outcome of the India-EU leaders meeting that will take place virtually on Saturday.

After a gap of eight years, India and the European Union (EU) will resume talks on a "comprehensive" free trade agreement, a key outcome of the India-EU leaders meeting that will take place virtually on Saturday. The summit that takes place around 5 pm IST will see Indian PM along with Heads of State or Government of all the 27 EU Member States present. With a focus on a "balanced, ambitious" FTA pact, European sources called the resumption of FTA talks a "breakthrough". Other key outcomes will be on connectivity partnership that will "bring region, people" much together. This is the second time the EU will have such a partnership with any country — the first was Japan. Also read | Lessons for India: How Europe, US tackled COVID-19 second and third waves The summit was to happen in Portugal for which Indian PM Modi's visit was scheduled, but the visit was postponed due to the covid crisis in India. Portugal is the President of the Council of the European Union and the virtual India-EU Leaders meet is being hosted by Portugal PM António Costa. A release by the Ministry of External Affairs said, "The India-EU Leaders' Meeting is an unprecedented opportunity for discussion with all the leaders of the EU Member States. It is a significant political milestone and will further build on the momentum witnessed in the relationship since the 15th India-EU Summit in July 2020." Also read | Pope hails 'tireless' work of Indian medics in his message to India This is the second time this format of one world leader and all 27 EU member states is meeting, the first was with US President in March this year. PM will also participate in a meeting of the European Council as a special invitee at the invitation of the President of the European Council Charles Michel. "The meeting on Saturday will be between two natural partners. World's second largest democracies that share values, have converging interest, and support multilateralism. We need to demonstrate a democratic and open model is the most capable and able to address the challenges of the world," said, European sources on India EU meet on Saturday. Also read | Coronavirus in India: Australian state of Victoria sends aid worth $31 million to India Vaccines will be another key focus as the virtual summit, with a waiver on intellectual property rights on covid vaccines to be part of the discussion. After the US announced its support to waiver to intellectual property on covid vaccine patent, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has said that the block is ready to have a discussion on the subjects. EU has been exporting a large number of vaccines, something which helps the world. India, too, had recently sent vaccines to more than 90 countries under its vaccine outreach programme. India had paused the outreach as the second wave of covid crisis wreaks havoc in the country. Also read | No need for tests after 10 days of home isolation in mild cases: New guidelines "All countries with significant production should resume covid vaccine export," said European Sources but explained, "everyone understands India needs to make sure its citizen" get vaccinated and nobody "will be pressuring PM Modi" to start export right now. Other key focus areas will resilient supply chains, with a special focus on medical supply chains, artificial intelligence, supercomputing, with sources describing India as "truly a powerhouse on the digital partnership". On Indo Pacific, the EU is keen to "reinforce" its position, given that just a few weeks ago European Council had approved the conclusions on the EU's Indo-Pacific strategy. The human right remains another area of discussion under the India and EU human rights dialogue. "We respect India as a secular democracy and human rights part of the political dialogue between India And EU," said European government sources.

India-EU virtual summit: Talks on FTA to resume, focus on dealing Covid crisis

With a record 4,14,188 new coronavirus infections being reported in a day, India's total tally of COVID-19 cases climbed to 2,14,91,598, while the active cases crossed the 36-lakh mark, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Friday.

The death toll has increased to 2,34,083 with 3,915 fatalities being reported in a span of 24 hours, the data updated at 8 am showed.

Registering a steady increase, the active cases have increased to 36,45,164 comprising 16.96 per cent of the total infections, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate has dropped to 81.95 per cent.

The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 1,76,12,351, while the case fatality rate was recorded at 1.09 per cent, the data stated.

India's COVID-19 tally had crossed the 20-lakh mark on August 7,30 lakh on August 23, 40 lakh on September 5 and 50 lakh on September 16. It went past 60 lakh on September 28, 70 lakh on October 11, crossed 80 lakh on October 29, 90 lakh on November 20 and surpassed the one-crore mark on December 19.

India crossed the grim milestone of 2 crore on May 4. According to the ICMR, 29,86,01,699 samples have been tested up to May 6 with 18,26,490 samples being tested on Thursday.

The 3,915 new fatalities include 853 from Maharashtra, 350 from Uttar Pradesh,335 from Delhi, 328 from Karnataka, 212 from Chhattisgarh, 195 from Tamil Nadu, 177 from Haryana, 161 from Rajasthan, 154 from Punjab, 151 from Uttarakhand, 133 from Jharkhand, 123 from Gujarat and 117 from West Bengal.

A total of 2,34,083 deaths have been reported so far in the country including 73,515 from Maharashtra, 18,398 from Delhi, 17,212 from Karnataka, 14,974 from Tamil Nadu, 14,501 from Uttar Pradesh, 11,964 from West Bengal, 9,979 from Punjab and 9,950 from Chhattisgarh.

The health ministry stressed that more than 70 per cent of the deaths occurred due to comorbidities.

"Our figures are being reconciled with the Indian Council of Medical Research," the ministry said on its website, adding that state-wise distribution of figures is subject to further verification and reconciliation. 
&nbsp;

With a record 4,14,188 new coronavirus infections being reported in a day, India's total tally of COVID-19 cases climbed to 2,14,91,598, while the active cases crossed the 36-lakh mark, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Friday.

With a record 4,14,188 new coronavirus infections being reported in a day, India's total tally of COVID-19 cases climbed to 2,14,91,598, while the active cases crossed the 36-lakh mark, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Friday. The death toll has increased to 2,34,083 with 3,915 fatalities being reported in a span of 24 hours, the data updated at 8 am showed. Registering a steady increase, the active cases have increased to 36,45,164 comprising 16.96 per cent of the total infections, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate has dropped to 81.95 per cent. The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 1,76,12,351, while the case fatality rate was recorded at 1.09 per cent, the data stated. India's COVID-19 tally had crossed the 20-lakh mark on August 7,30 lakh on August 23, 40 lakh on September 5 and 50 lakh on September 16. It went past 60 lakh on September 28, 70 lakh on October 11, crossed 80 lakh on October 29, 90 lakh on November 20 and surpassed the one-crore mark on December 19. India crossed the grim milestone of 2 crore on May 4. According to the ICMR, 29,86,01,699 samples have been tested up to May 6 with 18,26,490 samples being tested on Thursday. The 3,915 new fatalities include 853 from Maharashtra, 350 from Uttar Pradesh,335 from Delhi, 328 from Karnataka, 212 from Chhattisgarh, 195 from Tamil Nadu, 177 from Haryana, 161 from Rajasthan, 154 from Punjab, 151 from Uttarakhand, 133 from Jharkhand, 123 from Gujarat and 117 from West Bengal. A total of 2,34,083 deaths have been reported so far in the country including 73,515 from Maharashtra, 18,398 from Delhi, 17,212 from Karnataka, 14,974 from Tamil Nadu, 14,501 from Uttar Pradesh, 11,964 from West Bengal, 9,979 from Punjab and 9,950 from Chhattisgarh. The health ministry stressed that more than 70 per cent of the deaths occurred due to comorbidities. "Our figures are being reconciled with the Indian Council of Medical Research," the ministry said on its website, adding that state-wise distribution of figures is subject to further verification and reconciliation.

India logs 414,000 new COVID-19 cases in new grim record; death toll at 234,083

New Delhi has made four strategic moves: a successful TRIPS waiver, an unofficial ban on Huawei, customer restrictions on Amex and a potential trade deal with the European Union.

The deals involve four different sectors - all of them aimed at keeping India's place intact in the global order with efforts aimed at upholding national interest even in times of adversity.

The story began on April 23 as the Reserve Bank of India imposed restrictions on two financial services giants: the American Express banking corp or Amex and and Diners Club International Ltd. Both were barred from signing up new customers on their credit card networks because they flouted rules and refused to store financial data in India.

The RBI's decision does not impact existing customers but it will go a long way in stopping data breaches and financial scams, not to mention make other credit card issuers follow the rules.

On May 4, came the second big step in the telecom sector. India quarantined China's fastest horse in the 5G race - Huawei. The department of telecommunications barred Huawei from the upcoming 5G&nbsp;trials for the obvious reason - cybersecurity.

The risk Huawei poses to telecom sectors globally has long been established as&nbsp;countries like Australia, Japan, US, UK, Czech Republic and Sweden have already banned or restricted Huawei. They have accused the Chinese telecom giant of serving as a vector for Chinese espionage.

India's decision was a long time coming and it hurts Huawei's prospects in a market that is as big as China's.&nbsp;

The third big strategic win came on May 5 after&nbsp;the European Union announced that it will revive stalled trade talks with India with India-Eu summit to be held on May 8th, if an agreement is reached not only will India benefit in securing a resilient medical supply chain, it will also pull the European Union away from China which is its biggest competitor in the Indo-Pacific.

The EU has already rejected plans to ratify a trade deal with Beijing. Reports say it's only a matter of time before it signs one with New Delhi.

Finally, on May 6, came the fourth big strategic win in the health sector as the Biden administration announced its support to India's proposal with the lifting of patent protections to help produce more vaccines globally.

The Indian embassy in Washington led by ambassador Taranjit Singh Sandhu was joined by South African embassy officials in pushing the US lawmakers and the World Trade Organisation for a temporary waiver with Washington voicing its support.

It shouldn't be long before a global consensus is reached. 14 days, four strategic wins in four different sectors - India has shown how national interest can be upheld even in times of adversity.

New Delhi has made four strategic moves: a successful TRIPS waiver, an unofficial ban on Huawei, customer restrictions on Amex and a potential trade deal with the European Union.

New Delhi has made four strategic moves: a successful TRIPS waiver, an unofficial ban on Huawei, customer restrictions on Amex and a potential trade deal with the European Union. The deals involve four different sectors - all of them aimed at keeping India's place intact in the global order with efforts aimed at upholding national interest even in times of adversity. The story began on April 23 as the Reserve Bank of India imposed restrictions on two financial services giants: the American Express banking corp or Amex and and Diners Club International Ltd. Both were barred from signing up new customers on their credit card networks because they flouted rules and refused to store financial data in India. The RBI's decision does not impact existing customers but it will go a long way in stopping data breaches and financial scams, not to mention make other credit card issuers follow the rules. On May 4, came the second big step in the telecom sector. India quarantined China's fastest horse in the 5G race - Huawei. The department of telecommunications barred Huawei from the upcoming 5G trials for the obvious reason - cybersecurity. The risk Huawei poses to telecom sectors globally has long been established as countries like Australia, Japan, US, UK, Czech Republic and Sweden have already banned or restricted Huawei. They have accused the Chinese telecom giant of serving as a vector for Chinese espionage. India's decision was a long time coming and it hurts Huawei's prospects in a market that is as big as China's. The third big strategic win came on May 5 after the European Union announced that it will revive stalled trade talks with India with India-Eu summit to be held on May 8th, if an agreement is reached not only will India benefit in securing a resilient medical supply chain, it will also pull the European Union away from China which is its biggest competitor in the Indo-Pacific. The EU has already rejected plans to ratify a trade deal with Beijing. Reports say it's only a matter of time before it signs one with New Delhi. Finally, on May 6, came the fourth big strategic win in the health sector as the Biden administration announced its support to India's proposal with the lifting of patent protections to help produce more vaccines globally. The Indian embassy in Washington led by ambassador Taranjit Singh Sandhu was joined by South African embassy officials in pushing the US lawmakers and the World Trade Organisation for a temporary waiver with Washington voicing its support. It shouldn't be long before a global consensus is reached. 14 days, four strategic wins in four different sectors - India has shown how national interest can be upheld even in times of adversity.

How India secured four major strategic victories in 14 days amid pandemic

India's numbers are going from bad to worse with over 412,000 new COVID-19 cases now, which is the highest number of new infections India has reported in a single day.

There have been close to 4,000 deaths - another grim record. The total fatalities in India have now crossed the 230,000 mark. There are 3.5 million active cases which is the second-highest in the world.

As many as 12 states have more than 100,000 positive patients. However, the recoveries remain steady with more than 329,000 patients recovered in the last 24 hours.

In all, more than 17 million people have recovered since last year. Experts say the peak might be weeks away, India is now bracing for a third wave.

Around the world, the pandemic is playing out in cycles. There is a first wave, then a lull. Then comes a second wave and a sudden explosion of cases.

The West has been through it. In April last year, the United States was reporting more than 32,000 cases, then the curve flattened but in July new infections climbed up again.

At its peak, the US was reporting more than 70,000 cases in July 2020 which is almost double the number of cases compared to the first wave. After this, America's numbers kept going up during&nbsp;the third wave.

By January this year, the US was reporting almost 300,000 cases a day as new infections increased nine times, the same was with fatalities.

During the first wave in April 2020, the US reported more than 2,000 deaths and by January 2021, that's around the peak of the third wave, America was reporting around 4,000 deaths in a day.

The deaths doubled by the third wave. The pandemic is on the retreat in America, thanks to an aggressive vaccination campaign and by the end of last month, new cases in the US had declined by as much as 26 per cent.

Now people can take off their masks in less crowded places.

In April last year, Europe was reporting around 35,000 new cases a day.

It was the first wave and by November 2020, Europe was gripped by the second wave as new infections zoomed past 300,000. It was the highest number of daily infections that Europe reported during the pandemic.

In April last year, Europe reported about 3,000 deaths per day and by the end of November, they crossed 6,000. In January 2021, Europe reported around 7,000 deaths per day. Now, Europe too is taming the virus with restrictions lifted in the last 14 days.

New cases in the European Union countries have dropped by almost 30 per cent. Both America and Europe control targeted lockdowns and aggressive vaccination.

India too needs a mix of both. As of today, at least 21 states and Union Territories have imposed restrictions that cover 81 per cent of the country's population.

So India's numbers are not the worst in the world but what's making India's surge scary&nbsp;are the shortages and they are far from over.

Now with the threat of a third wave looming, India needs to ramp up its infrastructure quickly, not just for adults but also for children.

Citizens below 18 years of age make up 30 per cent of India's population. India must start thinking about vaccinating them.

India's numbers are going from bad to worse with over 412,000 new COVID-19 cases now, which is the highest number of new infections India has reported in a single day.

India's numbers are going from bad to worse with over 412,000 new COVID-19 cases now, which is the highest number of new infections India has reported in a single day. There have been close to 4,000 deaths - another grim record. The total fatalities in India have now crossed the 230,000 mark. There are 3.5 million active cases which is the second-highest in the world. As many as 12 states have more than 100,000 positive patients. However, the recoveries remain steady with more than 329,000 patients recovered in the last 24 hours. In all, more than 17 million people have recovered since last year. Experts say the peak might be weeks away, India is now bracing for a third wave. Around the world, the pandemic is playing out in cycles. There is a first wave, then a lull. Then comes a second wave and a sudden explosion of cases. The West has been through it. In April last year, the United States was reporting more than 32,000 cases, then the curve flattened but in July new infections climbed up again. At its peak, the US was reporting more than 70,000 cases in July 2020 which is almost double the number of cases compared to the first wave. After this, America's numbers kept going up during the third wave. By January this year, the US was reporting almost 300,000 cases a day as new infections increased nine times, the same was with fatalities. During the first wave in April 2020, the US reported more than 2,000 deaths and by January 2021, that's around the peak of the third wave, America was reporting around 4,000 deaths in a day. The deaths doubled by the third wave. The pandemic is on the retreat in America, thanks to an aggressive vaccination campaign and by the end of last month, new cases in the US had declined by as much as 26 per cent. Now people can take off their masks in less crowded places. In April last year, Europe was reporting around 35,000 new cases a day. It was the first wave and by November 2020, Europe was gripped by the second wave as new infections zoomed past 300,000. It was the highest number of daily infections that Europe reported during the pandemic. In April last year, Europe reported about 3,000 deaths per day and by the end of November, they crossed 6,000. In January 2021, Europe reported around 7,000 deaths per day. Now, Europe too is taming the virus with restrictions lifted in the last 14 days. New cases in the European Union countries have dropped by almost 30 per cent. Both America and Europe control targeted lockdowns and aggressive vaccination. India too needs a mix of both. As of today, at least 21 states and Union Territories have imposed restrictions that cover 81 per cent of the country's population. So India's numbers are not the worst in the world but what's making India's surge scary are the shortages and they are far from over. Now with the threat of a third wave looming, India needs to ramp up its infrastructure quickly, not just for adults but also for children. Citizens below 18 years of age make up 30 per cent of India's population. India must start thinking about vaccinating them.

Lessons for India: How Europe, US tackled COVID-19 second and third waves

American civil rights activist Rev Jesse Jackson has announced plans to personally talk to US President Joe Biden and urge him to send 60 million AstraZeneca vaccine doses to India as the South Asian country battles a covid crisis.

His request has come as the AstraZeneca vaccine has not been approved by the US and expected to not get a nod from the Biden administration anytime soon.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/covid-second-wave-in-india-a-tragedy-says-us-surgeon-general-dr-vivek-murthy-383432" hreflang="en">Covid second wave in India a tragedy, says US Surgeon General Dr Vivek Murthy</a>

“They are human beings. As the wind blows, if we don't stop it today, it'll spread around the world,” Jackson said.

He decided to make this request as Biden had said he intends to give the AstraZeneca vaccine shots to other countries who are in need of it.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/india-sets-yet-another-record-with-over-414000-new-covid-19-cases-death-toll-stands-at-234083-383383" hreflang="en">India sets yet another record with over 414,000 new COVID-19 cases; death toll stands at 234,083</a>

Jackson believes mass vaccination programmes seem to be the only way India can come out of this coronavirus crisis. Other Indian-Americans have also shared Jackson’s sentiments.

“It is everyone's duty to help India flatten this COVID-19 surge as we live in a world that cannot be separated by borders,” said Dr Vijay Prabhakar, the chairman of American Association of Multiethnic Physicians.

Some experts have also raised concerns about a steep increase in covid death toll in the country. “Based on the current projections some of the models are suggesting, there may be 1 million deaths by the end of August. As we know, that would be a tragic humanitarian crisis,” said Dr Srinivas Reddy, the trustee of Chicago Medical Society.

American civil rights activist Rev Jesse Jackson has announced plans to personally talk to US President Joe Biden and urge him to send 60 million AstraZeneca vaccine doses to India as the South Asian country battles a covid crisis.

American civil rights activist Rev Jesse Jackson has announced plans to personally talk to US President Joe Biden and urge him to send 60 million AstraZeneca vaccine doses to India as the South Asian country battles a covid crisis. His request has come as the AstraZeneca vaccine has not been approved by the US and expected to not get a nod from the Biden administration anytime soon. Also read | Covid second wave in India a tragedy, says US Surgeon General Dr Vivek Murthy “They are human beings. As the wind blows, if we don't stop it today, it'll spread around the world,” Jackson said. He decided to make this request as Biden had said he intends to give the AstraZeneca vaccine shots to other countries who are in need of it. Also read | India sets yet another record with over 414,000 new COVID-19 cases; death toll stands at 234,083 Jackson believes mass vaccination programmes seem to be the only way India can come out of this coronavirus crisis. Other Indian-Americans have also shared Jackson’s sentiments. “It is everyone's duty to help India flatten this COVID-19 surge as we live in a world that cannot be separated by borders,” said Dr Vijay Prabhakar, the chairman of American Association of Multiethnic Physicians. Some experts have also raised concerns about a steep increase in covid death toll in the country. “Based on the current projections some of the models are suggesting, there may be 1 million deaths by the end of August. As we know, that would be a tragic humanitarian crisis,” said Dr Srinivas Reddy, the trustee of Chicago Medical Society.

American civil rights activist Rev Jesse Jackson urges Biden to give AstraZeneca vaccine to India

In his first move as the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, MK Stalin has signed five orders that are aimed at fulfilling some of his poll promises and COVID-19 relief measures.&nbsp;

As per the government, at the cost of INR 4153.39 cr to the state exchequer, INR 2,000 would be provided in the month of May as COVID-19&nbsp;relief for rice-card holders, which covers about 2.07cr families. This is the first installment of the COVID-19&nbsp;aid that was announced as a poll promise.&nbsp;

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/kamal-haasans-political-party-makkal-needhi-maiam-crumbles-sees-multiple-resignations-383333" hreflang="en">Kamal Haasan’s political party Makkal Needhi Maiam crumbles, sees multiple resignations</a>

In another measure announced to fulfill a poll promise, Aavin, the state-run milk producers union, has been asked to slash prices of milk by 3 rupees per litre in their retail outlets. This will be effective from May 16.&nbsp;

Stalin has also implemented free travel (without tickets) for all women including those pursuing higher education, working in government institutions and also in&nbsp;ordinary buses. The government would pay INR 1,200cr to the State Transport Corporation as a subsidy.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/mk-stalins-cabinet-to-have-33-ministers-his-son-not-included-only-2-women-383254" hreflang="en">MK Stalin’s cabinet to have 33 ministers; his son not included, only 2 women</a>

The state government would bear the costs of treatment for COVID-19&nbsp;patients incurred in private hospitals under the Chief Minster’s Healthcare scheme.

He has also signalled the formation of a new department headed by an IAS officer to solve the issues faced by the people. Stalin had collected grievances from people across the state during his tours and assured people of resolving them within 100 days of coming to power. This initiative would be called “Chief Minister in your Constituency”.&nbsp;

COVID-19 is expected to be the major challenge for the new administration, as experts predict that handling the situation over the next two months would be crucial for Tamil Nadu.&nbsp;

After being sworn in at the Raj Bhavan by Governor Banwarilal Purohit, Stalin headed for his late father and former Chief Minister M.Karunanidhi’s residence in Gopalapuram to pay his respects.

He turned emotional and was consoled by his sister Selvi.

At Raj Bhavan during the oath-taking, Stalin’s wife Durga too turned emotional on hearing her husband saying "I Muthuvel Karunanidhi…."&nbsp;while being administered the oath.

&nbsp;

In his first move as the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, MK Stalin has signed five orders that are aimed at fulfilling some of his poll promises and COVID-19 relief measures.

In his first move as the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, MK Stalin has signed five orders that are aimed at fulfilling some of his poll promises and COVID-19 relief measures. As per the government, at the cost of INR 4153.39 cr to the state exchequer, INR 2,000 would be provided in the month of May as COVID-19 relief for rice-card holders, which covers about 2.07cr families. This is the first installment of the COVID-19 aid that was announced as a poll promise. Also read | Kamal Haasan’s political party Makkal Needhi Maiam crumbles, sees multiple resignations In another measure announced to fulfill a poll promise, Aavin, the state-run milk producers union, has been asked to slash prices of milk by 3 rupees per litre in their retail outlets. This will be effective from May 16. Stalin has also implemented free travel (without tickets) for all women including those pursuing higher education, working in government institutions and also in ordinary buses. The government would pay INR 1,200cr to the State Transport Corporation as a subsidy. Also read | MK Stalin’s cabinet to have 33 ministers; his son not included, only 2 women The state government would bear the costs of treatment for COVID-19 patients incurred in private hospitals under the Chief Minster’s Healthcare scheme. He has also signalled the formation of a new department headed by an IAS officer to solve the issues faced by the people. Stalin had collected grievances from people across the state during his tours and assured people of resolving them within 100 days of coming to power. This initiative would be called “Chief Minister in your Constituency”. COVID-19 is expected to be the major challenge for the new administration, as experts predict that handling the situation over the next two months would be crucial for Tamil Nadu. After being sworn in at the Raj Bhavan by Governor Banwarilal Purohit, Stalin headed for his late father and former Chief Minister M.Karunanidhi’s residence in Gopalapuram to pay his respects. He turned emotional and was consoled by his sister Selvi. At Raj Bhavan during the oath-taking, Stalin’s wife Durga too turned emotional on hearing her husband saying "I Muthuvel Karunanidhi…." while being administered the oath.

Tamil Nadu: MK Stalin signs five orders on poll promises, COVID-19 relief on day 1

Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa on Friday said a lockdown to curb the rise in COVID-19 cases could be inevitable if people do not cooperate.

"People are not following the Janata Curfew properly. They are not abiding by our warnings. Hence, lockdown could be inevitable," he told reporters near Annamma Devi Temple here ahead of a crucial meeting later Friday in view of the alarming rise in coronavirus cases.

According to him, the government will finalise in a day or two about the stringent measures required to control Covid.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="India sets yet another record with over 414,000 new COVID-19 cases; death toll stands at 234,083">India sets yet another record with over 414,000 new COVID-19 cases; death toll stands at 234,083</a>

"If people wish that stringent measures should not be taken, then people should cooperate by wearing masks and maintaining social distancing," the Chief Minister said.

Otherwise, strong measures will become necessary, he added.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="COVID-19: 14 days of lockdown in Karnataka starting April 27 night">COVID-19: 14 days of lockdown in Karnataka starting April 27 night</a>

Regarding the oxygen crisis, Yediyurappa said he has been trying to resolve the issue honestly.

To a question on Covid patients and their relatives coming to the CM's house and Vidhana Soudha seeking a hospital bed, he said this was improper and people should stop it.

"I won't say it is wrong to voice their woes. I understand their sufferings and I am trying to resolve their problems because we are pro-people," the Chief Minister said.

He said people should avoid coming to CM House or Vidhana Soudha as the officials would get in touch with them.

The Chief Minister hailed Bengaluru South MP Tejasvi Surya for exposing the hospital bed scam in which the beds reserved for Covid&nbsp;patients in private hospitals were blocked by a few people and allotted for a bribe.

"Tejasvi Surya had obtained the list (of scamsters) after much effort and brought the irregularities in allotment of bed to the Covid&nbsp;patients to the notice of the government," Yediyurappa said.

He, however, took a dig at Congress MLA and former minister B Z Zameer Ahmed Khan for speaking ill of Tejasvi Surya.

Yediyurappa was referring to the expose`by the young MP and BJP Yuva Morcha president Tejasvi Surya who claimed that 4,065 hospital beds were blocked and allotted for a bribe in the city.

During the live expose, Surya read out the names of 17 Muslims, who were deployed at the Covid war room, seeking their credentials.

The Basavanagudi BJP MLA Ravi Subramanya, who accompanied Surya, asked the officials whether they have converted the Covid War Room into a Madrassa.

Taking strong exception to framing only Muslims, Khan said in a video message in social media as to why Surya did not see anyone else other than Muslims.

"There were 205 employees of Crystal Company, who were deployed in the Covid&nbsp;War Room on contract basis but you singled out only 16 Muslims. How fair is this It shows how venomous you are, Tejasvi Surya," Khan said.

Khan even claimed that only one person, Mohammed Zaid was assigned with the task of bed allotment while others were given different jobs.

The Covid cases in Karnataka have increased at an alarming proportion.

The state is reporting about 50,000 cases daily and has about 5.5 lakh active cases.

The daily fatalities too were exceeding 300.

Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa on Friday said a lockdown to curb the rise in COVID-19 cases could be inevitable if people do not cooperate. "People are not following the Janata Curfew properly.

Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa on Friday said a lockdown to curb the rise in COVID-19 cases could be inevitable if people do not cooperate. "People are not following the Janata Curfew properly. They are not abiding by our warnings. Hence, lockdown could be inevitable," he told reporters near Annamma Devi Temple here ahead of a crucial meeting later Friday in view of the alarming rise in coronavirus cases. According to him, the government will finalise in a day or two about the stringent measures required to control Covid. Also read: India sets yet another record with over 414,000 new COVID-19 cases; death toll stands at 234,083 "If people wish that stringent measures should not be taken, then people should cooperate by wearing masks and maintaining social distancing," the Chief Minister said. Otherwise, strong measures will become necessary, he added. Also read: COVID-19: 14 days of lockdown in Karnataka starting April 27 night Regarding the oxygen crisis, Yediyurappa said he has been trying to resolve the issue honestly. To a question on Covid patients and their relatives coming to the CM's house and Vidhana Soudha seeking a hospital bed, he said this was improper and people should stop it. "I won't say it is wrong to voice their woes. I understand their sufferings and I am trying to resolve their problems because we are pro-people," the Chief Minister said. He said people should avoid coming to CM House or Vidhana Soudha as the officials would get in touch with them. The Chief Minister hailed Bengaluru South MP Tejasvi Surya for exposing the hospital bed scam in which the beds reserved for Covid patients in private hospitals were blocked by a few people and allotted for a bribe. "Tejasvi Surya had obtained the list (of scamsters) after much effort and brought the irregularities in allotment of bed to the Covid patients to the notice of the government," Yediyurappa said. He, however, took a dig at Congress MLA and former minister B Z Zameer Ahmed Khan for speaking ill of Tejasvi Surya. Yediyurappa was referring to the expose`by the young MP and BJP Yuva Morcha president Tejasvi Surya who claimed that 4,065 hospital beds were blocked and allotted for a bribe in the city. During the live expose, Surya read out the names of 17 Muslims, who were deployed at the Covid war room, seeking their credentials. The Basavanagudi BJP MLA Ravi Subramanya, who accompanied Surya, asked the officials whether they have converted the Covid War Room into a Madrassa. Taking strong exception to framing only Muslims, Khan said in a video message in social media as to why Surya did not see anyone else other than Muslims. "There were 205 employees of Crystal Company, who were deployed in the Covid War Room on contract basis but you singled out only 16 Muslims. How fair is this It shows how venomous you are, Tejasvi Surya," Khan said. Khan even claimed that only one person, Mohammed Zaid was assigned with the task of bed allotment while others were given different jobs. The Covid cases in Karnataka have increased at an alarming proportion. The state is reporting about 50,000 cases daily and has about 5.5 lakh active cases. The daily fatalities too were exceeding 300.

Covid in India: Karnataka chief minister says lockdown inevitable if people do not cooperate with curbs

The CoWIN system is introducing a new feature of four-digit security code from May 8 to minimise data entry errors about vaccination status that would subsequently reduce inconvenience caused to citizens, the health ministry said.

It has been noticed in some instances that citizens who had booked their appointment for COVID-19 vaccination through the CoWIN portal but did not actually go for vaccination on the scheduled date have received SMS notification that a vaccine dose has been administered to them, it said.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="13.2 million Indians register for third phase of vaccinations but unable to book slots">13.2 million Indians register for third phase of vaccinations but unable to book slots</a>

Upon examination, it has been found to occur largely on account of the vaccinator wrongly marking the citizen as vaccinated, an instance of data entry error by the vaccinator, it stated.

"In order to minimize such errors and the subsequent inconvenience caused to the citizens, the CoWIN system is introducing a new feature of four-digit security code in the CoWIN application from May 8.

"Now, after verification, if the beneficiary is been found eligible, before administering the vaccine dose, the verifier/vaccinator will ask the beneficiary about his four-digit code and then enter the same in the CoWIN system to correctly record the vaccination status," the ministry said in its statement.

This new feature will be applicable only for citizens who have done an online booking for a vaccination slot. 
The four-digit security code will be printed in the appointment acknowledgement slip and will not be known to the vaccinator. The code will also be present in the confirmation SMS sent to beneficiary after successful booking of an appointment.

The appointment acknowledgement slip can also be saved and shown from the mobile.

This will ensure that for those citizens who have booked an online appointment, the data entries regarding vaccination status of a citizen are recorded correctly, the ministry said in a statement.

This will also reduce the opportunities of impersonation and wrongful use of flexibilities provided in CoWIN for facilitating vaccination coverage.

The ministry advised the citizens must carry a digital or physical copy of their appointment slip and the registered mobile phone with appointment confirmation SMS, so that the security code can be furnished for easy completion of vaccination recording process.

Citizens must provide the security code to the vaccinator as the digital certificate will be generated only after the vaccination record has been updated with the security code. Citizen should get a confirmation SMS after the process has been successfully completed.

The confirmation SMS indicates that the vaccination process has been completed successfully and the digital certificate has been generated. If one does not get the confirmation SMS, one should get in touch with the vaccinator or the vaccination centre in-charge, the ministry said.

The CoWIN system is introducing a new feature of four-digit security code from May 8 to minimise data entry errors about vaccination status that would subsequently reduce inconvenience caused to citizens, the health ministry said.

The CoWIN system is introducing a new feature of four-digit security code from May 8 to minimise data entry errors about vaccination status that would subsequently reduce inconvenience caused to citizens, the health ministry said. It has been noticed in some instances that citizens who had booked their appointment for COVID-19 vaccination through the CoWIN portal but did not actually go for vaccination on the scheduled date have received SMS notification that a vaccine dose has been administered to them, it said. Also read: 13.2 million Indians register for third phase of vaccinations but unable to book slots Upon examination, it has been found to occur largely on account of the vaccinator wrongly marking the citizen as vaccinated, an instance of data entry error by the vaccinator, it stated. "In order to minimize such errors and the subsequent inconvenience caused to the citizens, the CoWIN system is introducing a new feature of four-digit security code in the CoWIN application from May 8. "Now, after verification, if the beneficiary is been found eligible, before administering the vaccine dose, the verifier/vaccinator will ask the beneficiary about his four-digit code and then enter the same in the CoWIN system to correctly record the vaccination status," the ministry said in its statement. This new feature will be applicable only for citizens who have done an online booking for a vaccination slot. The four-digit security code will be printed in the appointment acknowledgement slip and will not be known to the vaccinator. The code will also be present in the confirmation SMS sent to beneficiary after successful booking of an appointment. The appointment acknowledgement slip can also be saved and shown from the mobile. This will ensure that for those citizens who have booked an online appointment, the data entries regarding vaccination status of a citizen are recorded correctly, the ministry said in a statement. This will also reduce the opportunities of impersonation and wrongful use of flexibilities provided in CoWIN for facilitating vaccination coverage. The ministry advised the citizens must carry a digital or physical copy of their appointment slip and the registered mobile phone with appointment confirmation SMS, so that the security code can be furnished for easy completion of vaccination recording process. Citizens must provide the security code to the vaccinator as the digital certificate will be generated only after the vaccination record has been updated with the security code. Citizen should get a confirmation SMS after the process has been successfully completed. The confirmation SMS indicates that the vaccination process has been completed successfully and the digital certificate has been generated. If one does not get the confirmation SMS, one should get in touch with the vaccinator or the vaccination centre in-charge, the ministry said.

Covid in India: 4-digit security code in CoWIN from May 8 to minimise data entry error about vaccination status

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