Twelve Republican lawmakers have urged the Biden administration to not support a proposal by India and South Africa to the World Trade Organisation to temporary waive some Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) rules amid the coronavirus pandemic.

If the US gives up intellectual property rights, it will harm innovation and production, and result in fewer people getting vaccinated, the 12 influential Congressmen said in a letter to US Trade Representative Katherine Tai on Tuesday.

The letter is in response to the proposal in this regard by 60 developing countries, led by India and South Africa.

"The United States should continue to oppose the request by India, South Africa, and other nations to waive certain portions of the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) for all members of the World Trade Organisation (WTO)," the letter said.

Spearheaded by Congressmen Jim Jordan and Darrell Issa, the lawmakers said the requested waiver is extraordinarily broad and unnecessary to accomplish the goal of giving as many people as possible access to vaccines and treatment for COVID-19.

They claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi pressed President Joe Biden to support the waiver during a phone call in early May.

Among other signatories to the letter are Steve Chabot, Louie Gohmert, Matt Gaetz, Mike Johnson, Tom Tiffany, Thomas Massie, Dan Bishop, Michelle Fischbach, Scott Fitzgerald and Cliff Bentz.

"The justification for the waiver rests on an incorrect assumption that IP rights are a significant bottleneck to the widespread availability of COVID-19 vaccines and treatments, the letter said.

"The waiver's sponsors have presented no convincing evidence to support this assertion. Instead, the sponsors mainly just point out that relevant IP rights exist and speculate that those rights could serve as a barrier to access to COVID-19 vaccines and treatments - not that IP rights have actually blocked or significantly hindered their availability, it added.

If anything, the examples of IP 'disputes' cited by the waiver sponsors generally demonstrate that IP rights have not prevented the involved parties from supplying vaccines and other medicines, the letter said.

Respect for intellectual property rights has been a cornerstone of the US trade policy for decades and should not be set aside lightly, the Republican Congressmen said.

"Although some flexibility may be warranted in emergency situations, the waiver of TRIPS IP protections requested by India, South Africa, and other countries would do little to improve public health during this critical period in the COVID-19 pandemic. The scope of the requested waiver is overbroad and unjustified in light of the economic harm it would cause and the negligible benefits it would provide, they said in the letter.

"Existing aspects of TRIPS and global public health initiatives, along with the existing actions of key IP rights holders and innovators, make the waiver unnecessary. While considerable work can still be done to improve access to COVID-19 medicines and other innovations, that work can be done without the drastic step of suspending IP rights, and significant progress has already been made to address the real obstacles hampering the global COVID-19 response, they said.

The lawmakers argued that relevant intellectual property rights have been successfully licensed to expand access to COVID-19 innovations while maintaining IP protections. For example, the Serum Institute of India has secured licenses to produce multiple vaccines, including Astrazeneca and Novavax vaccines.

South Africa's Aspen Pharmacare has secured a license to produce the Johnson &amp; Johnson vaccine.

Several vaccine makers have licensed direct competitors to increase vaccine manufacturing capacity.

Moderna has announced that it would not seek to enforce any of its COVID-related patents against other vaccine makers for the rest of the pandemic and has pledged to license its COVID-19 vaccine patents.

Gilead has licensed nine generic pharmaceutical manufacturers (including in India) to produce its COVID-19 therapeutic drug remdesivir for 127 countries, most of which are developing nations.

Moreover, TRIPS already allows countries to impose compulsory licenses to access vital IP rights, and no country has availed itself of that capability to date for COVID-19 vaccines or treatments, the lawmakers noted.

The proposed waiver is not limited to patents on vaccines or treatments for COVID-19 - the waiver would also gut protections for copyrights, industrial designs (e.g., textile patterns or other ornamental designs), and trade secrets. The waiver's supporters have only offered vague, unsubstantiated explanations for how waiving IP protections for copyrights or industrial designs would lead to improved vaccine or therapeutics availability, they said.

It is also unclear how a waiver of TRIPS obligations would provide more access to trade secrets and proprietary technologies, which are confidential by definition and typically closely guarded, they said.

"Gifting away our technological leadership and competitive advantage at a time when the US economy remains vulnerable would be irresponsible and send the wrong message to millions of American taxpayers. The damage would extend beyond even the considerable value of COVID-19 vaccines and medicines, also endangering the far greater value of the jobs and economic growth promised by these IP rights and the advanced technologies they represent," the Republican Congressmen said in the letter.

Twelve Republican lawmakers have urged the Biden administration to not support a proposal by India and South Africa to the World Trade Organisation to temporary waive some Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) rules amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Twelve Republican lawmakers have urged the Biden administration to not support a proposal by India and South Africa to the World Trade Organisation to temporary waive some Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) rules amid the coronavirus pandemic. If the US gives up intellectual property rights, it will harm innovation and production, and result in fewer people getting vaccinated, the 12 influential Congressmen said in a letter to US Trade Representative Katherine Tai on Tuesday. The letter is in response to the proposal in this regard by 60 developing countries, led by India and South Africa. "The United States should continue to oppose the request by India, South Africa, and other nations to waive certain portions of the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) for all members of the World Trade Organisation (WTO)," the letter said. Spearheaded by Congressmen Jim Jordan and Darrell Issa, the lawmakers said the requested waiver is extraordinarily broad and unnecessary to accomplish the goal of giving as many people as possible access to vaccines and treatment for COVID-19. They claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi pressed President Joe Biden to support the waiver during a phone call in early May. Among other signatories to the letter are Steve Chabot, Louie Gohmert, Matt Gaetz, Mike Johnson, Tom Tiffany, Thomas Massie, Dan Bishop, Michelle Fischbach, Scott Fitzgerald and Cliff Bentz. "The justification for the waiver rests on an incorrect assumption that IP rights are a significant bottleneck to the widespread availability of COVID-19 vaccines and treatments, the letter said. "The waiver's sponsors have presented no convincing evidence to support this assertion. Instead, the sponsors mainly just point out that relevant IP rights exist and speculate that those rights could serve as a barrier to access to COVID-19 vaccines and treatments - not that IP rights have actually blocked or significantly hindered their availability, it added. If anything, the examples of IP 'disputes' cited by the waiver sponsors generally demonstrate that IP rights have not prevented the involved parties from supplying vaccines and other medicines, the letter said. Respect for intellectual property rights has been a cornerstone of the US trade policy for decades and should not be set aside lightly, the Republican Congressmen said. "Although some flexibility may be warranted in emergency situations, the waiver of TRIPS IP protections requested by India, South Africa, and other countries would do little to improve public health during this critical period in the COVID-19 pandemic. The scope of the requested waiver is overbroad and unjustified in light of the economic harm it would cause and the negligible benefits it would provide, they said in the letter. "Existing aspects of TRIPS and global public health initiatives, along with the existing actions of key IP rights holders and innovators, make the waiver unnecessary. While considerable work can still be done to improve access to COVID-19 medicines and other innovations, that work can be done without the drastic step of suspending IP rights, and significant progress has already been made to address the real obstacles hampering the global COVID-19 response, they said. The lawmakers argued that relevant intellectual property rights have been successfully licensed to expand access to COVID-19 innovations while maintaining IP protections. For example, the Serum Institute of India has secured licenses to produce multiple vaccines, including Astrazeneca and Novavax vaccines. South Africa's Aspen Pharmacare has secured a license to produce the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. Several vaccine makers have licensed direct competitors to increase vaccine manufacturing capacity. Moderna has announced that it would not seek to enforce any of its COVID-related patents against other vaccine makers for the rest of the pandemic and has pledged to license its COVID-19 vaccine patents. Gilead has licensed nine generic pharmaceutical manufacturers (including in India) to produce its COVID-19 therapeutic drug remdesivir for 127 countries, most of which are developing nations. Moreover, TRIPS already allows countries to impose compulsory licenses to access vital IP rights, and no country has availed itself of that capability to date for COVID-19 vaccines or treatments, the lawmakers noted. The proposed waiver is not limited to patents on vaccines or treatments for COVID-19 - the waiver would also gut protections for copyrights, industrial designs (e.g., textile patterns or other ornamental designs), and trade secrets. The waiver's supporters have only offered vague, unsubstantiated explanations for how waiving IP protections for copyrights or industrial designs would lead to improved vaccine or therapeutics availability, they said. It is also unclear how a waiver of TRIPS obligations would provide more access to trade secrets and proprietary technologies, which are confidential by definition and typically closely guarded, they said. "Gifting away our technological leadership and competitive advantage at a time when the US economy remains vulnerable would be irresponsible and send the wrong message to millions of American taxpayers. The damage would extend beyond even the considerable value of COVID-19 vaccines and medicines, also endangering the far greater value of the jobs and economic growth promised by these IP rights and the advanced technologies they represent," the Republican Congressmen said in the letter.

Covid-19: 12 Republican lawmakers urge Biden admin to not support India's proposal at WTO

Amid the devastating COVID-19 crisis in the country, the Indian Air Force (IAF) has transported as many as 180 empty cryogenic oxygen containers and other relief material like oxygen cylinders, oxygen plant equipment, essential medicines and hospital equipment.&nbsp;

The Airlift of the IAF's RAMT (Rapid Action Medical Team) and medical officers and personnel of the Indian Navy has also been undertaken.&nbsp;

A total of eight C-17, four IL-76, ten C-130, and 20 An-32 aircraft, as well as Mi-17V5 and Chinook helicopters, have been employed by the IAF and have together clocked over 360 hours of flying.

The country is currently witnessing a catastrophic COVID-19 wave. Over the last few weeks, hospitals have repeatedly flagged shortages in medical supplies including medical oxygen. As many as 3,57,229 new COVID-19 cases, 3,20,289 discharges and 3,449 deaths were reported in the country on Tuesday, the Union Health Ministry informed.

The total cases stand at 2,02,82,833, while 1,66,13,292 recoveries have been reported so far. The death toll stands at 2,22,408. There are currently 34,47,133 active cases in the country.

Amid the devastating COVID-19 crisis in the country, the Indian Air Force (IAF) has transported as many as 180 empty cryogenic oxygen containers and other relief material like oxygen cylinders, oxygen plant equipment, essential medicines and hospital equipment.

Amid the devastating COVID-19 crisis in the country, the Indian Air Force (IAF) has transported as many as 180 empty cryogenic oxygen containers and other relief material like oxygen cylinders, oxygen plant equipment, essential medicines and hospital equipment. The Airlift of the IAF's RAMT (Rapid Action Medical Team) and medical officers and personnel of the Indian Navy has also been undertaken. A total of eight C-17, four IL-76, ten C-130, and 20 An-32 aircraft, as well as Mi-17V5 and Chinook helicopters, have been employed by the IAF and have together clocked over 360 hours of flying. The country is currently witnessing a catastrophic COVID-19 wave. Over the last few weeks, hospitals have repeatedly flagged shortages in medical supplies including medical oxygen. As many as 3,57,229 new COVID-19 cases, 3,20,289 discharges and 3,449 deaths were reported in the country on Tuesday, the Union Health Ministry informed. The total cases stand at 2,02,82,833, while 1,66,13,292 recoveries have been reported so far. The death toll stands at 2,22,408. There are currently 34,47,133 active cases in the country.

COVID-19 crisis: Over 180 cryogenic oxygen containers transported by Indian Air Force

Several families in the US find themselves separated from their loved ones more than 13,000 kms away across two continents as the Biden administration’s ban on travellers from India in view of the unprecedented second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in the country has come into effect.

In some cases, the main earning member of the family has been left stranded in India, with no way to rejoin their spouses and kids in the US while in some other instances, mothers have been separated from their young children as one of the unintended consequences of the travel ban announced by President Joe Biden last week.

The proclamation signed by Biden on April 30 came into effect on May 4.

Certain categories of students, academics, journalists and individuals have been exempted from the ban, according to the US State Department.

The travel ban is for an indefinite period given the major outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in India.

Some of these people say that they are now stuck in India for an indefinite period as the American consulates have also been shut down. “My husband who has been on H-1B since 2008 had to travel to India on April 17 to be with his dying father and to perform last rites. Since then, the US embassy in India has been closed. Although he has an approved H-1B visa, he needs visa stamping on his passport and also to attend an in-person interview at the US mission in Delhi,” Neha Mahajan, co-founder of Skilled Immigrants in America, said.

“I am here with our two daughters who miss their dad during this extremely hard time for the family in the middle of this pandemic,” she said.

Nashville-based Payal Raj said that she has no idea when and how will she get back from India to be with her nine-year-old child. “The bans are specifically targeted towards non-immigrants and their families and looking at the history of other country’s bans, this could go on for months or even a year.

“There are thousands of people stuck with heart-breaking stories of coming here to attend to dying parents and then getting stuck due to the bans and not able to go back to their kids and spouses,” Raj told PTI from India.

Abhinav Amresh finds himself stranded in Mumbai away from his kids because the US Consulate in Mumbai has been shut down as a result of which he cannot get his H-1B visa stamped.

The next available appointment that he is now getting is for September. Unless his visa is stamped, he cannot return to the US. “The kids have never been away from their father for so long and the passing of their beloved grandmother and even their dad being away is already putting them under a lot of stress. My wife and I are primary caregivers for the kids and share all household responsibilities. Also, I am the main driver at home to bring groceries, take kids to their doctor (they have a visit and vaccination due) and all regular things,” Amresh said.

The whole situation is becoming very stressful, he said. “My only question to the authorities is - despite the exceptions in the travel ban, there are many people like me with young US citizen kids who had to travel on family emergencies but do not have a valid visa stamping. How can they come back to the US and unite with their family? This is a humanitarian crisis and child rights issue and if travel ban means visa ban then why not say so,” he said.

Utkarsha Hazarnis, who has been in the US since 2013 and now stranded in India as his visa cannot be stamped due to the closure of the US consulate, urged the Biden administration to take active steps for those who have jobs in the US and are currently stuck in India.

“Active measures and alternatives should be worked on to help such cases,” he said.

He had travelled to India to see his ailing father in Mumbai.

Another Indian-American, who requested anonymity, said that she has no clue when the consulates would open. “We have no clue when this proclamation will end. We are not able to meet our families due to the fear of getting stuck over there in India. Of course, nobody is stopping us now, but we bought a house here. Our kids are studying here for five years… This is not an easy situation for us to handle,” she said.

Hemanth Modadugu was supposed to travel to India for H-1B stamping and get married in May 2020. However, he had to cancel. He left the US for India in April. “I left Seattle on April 24. I reached Doha and within the next 10 minutes, I received an email that all visa appointments are cancelled. I cannot return to the US without stamping. So, I continued my journey to India. Even if I had a hint of appointment cancellation while in the US, I would have tried to cancel my trip,” he said.

“Now, on top of visa appointment cancellation, we received the news of a travel ban. Why leave H-1B visa holders or those who came to India for stamping from exemptions?” Hemanth asked.

The new travel restrictions have been imposed for an indefinite period and will require another presidential proclamation to end it. India is struggling with an unprecedented second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic with more than 3,00,000 daily new coronavirus cases being reported in the past week.

According to Indian health ministry data on Wednesday, a record 3,780 fresh COVID-19 fatalities were registered in a single day in India, taking the death toll to 2,26,188, while 3,82,315 new coronavirus infections were recorded.

With the fresh cases, the total tally of COVID-19 cases in the country climbed to 2,06,65,148.&nbsp;

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

Several families in the US find themselves separated from their loved ones more than 13,000 kms away across two continents as the Biden administration’s ban on travellers from India in view of the unprecedented second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in the country has come into effect. In some cases, the main earning member of the family has been left stranded in India, with no way to rejoin their spouses and kids in the US while in some other instances, mothers have been separated from their young children as one of the unintended consequences of the travel ban announced by President Joe Biden last week. The proclamation signed by Biden on April 30 came into effect on May 4. Certain categories of students, academics, journalists and individuals have been exempted from the ban, according to the US State Department. The travel ban is for an indefinite period given the major outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in India. Some of these people say that they are now stuck in India for an indefinite period as the American consulates have also been shut down. “My husband who has been on H-1B since 2008 had to travel to India on April 17 to be with his dying father and to perform last rites. Since then, the US embassy in India has been closed. Although he has an approved H-1B visa, he needs visa stamping on his passport and also to attend an in-person interview at the US mission in Delhi,” Neha Mahajan, co-founder of Skilled Immigrants in America, said. “I am here with our two daughters who miss their dad during this extremely hard time for the family in the middle of this pandemic,” she said. Nashville-based Payal Raj said that she has no idea when and how will she get back from India to be with her nine-year-old child. “The bans are specifically targeted towards non-immigrants and their families and looking at the history of other country’s bans, this could go on for months or even a year. “There are thousands of people stuck with heart-breaking stories of coming here to attend to dying parents and then getting stuck due to the bans and not able to go back to their kids and spouses,” Raj told PTI from India. Abhinav Amresh finds himself stranded in Mumbai away from his kids because the US Consulate in Mumbai has been shut down as a result of which he cannot get his H-1B visa stamped. The next available appointment that he is now getting is for September. Unless his visa is stamped, he cannot return to the US. “The kids have never been away from their father for so long and the passing of their beloved grandmother and even their dad being away is already putting them under a lot of stress. My wife and I are primary caregivers for the kids and share all household responsibilities. Also, I am the main driver at home to bring groceries, take kids to their doctor (they have a visit and vaccination due) and all regular things,” Amresh said. The whole situation is becoming very stressful, he said. “My only question to the authorities is - despite the exceptions in the travel ban, there are many people like me with young US citizen kids who had to travel on family emergencies but do not have a valid visa stamping. How can they come back to the US and unite with their family? This is a humanitarian crisis and child rights issue and if travel ban means visa ban then why not say so,” he said. Utkarsha Hazarnis, who has been in the US since 2013 and now stranded in India as his visa cannot be stamped due to the closure of the US consulate, urged the Biden administration to take active steps for those who have jobs in the US and are currently stuck in India. “Active measures and alternatives should be worked on to help such cases,” he said. He had travelled to India to see his ailing father in Mumbai. Another Indian-American, who requested anonymity, said that she has no clue when the consulates would open. “We have no clue when this proclamation will end. We are not able to meet our families due to the fear of getting stuck over there in India. Of course, nobody is stopping us now, but we bought a house here. Our kids are studying here for five years… This is not an easy situation for us to handle,” she said. Hemanth Modadugu was supposed to travel to India for H-1B stamping and get married in May 2020. However, he had to cancel. He left the US for India in April. “I left Seattle on April 24. I reached Doha and within the next 10 minutes, I received an email that all visa appointments are cancelled. I cannot return to the US without stamping. So, I continued my journey to India. Even if I had a hint of appointment cancellation while in the US, I would have tried to cancel my trip,” he said. “Now, on top of visa appointment cancellation, we received the news of a travel ban. Why leave H-1B visa holders or those who came to India for stamping from exemptions?” Hemanth asked. The new travel restrictions have been imposed for an indefinite period and will require another presidential proclamation to end it. India is struggling with an unprecedented second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic with more than 3,00,000 daily new coronavirus cases being reported in the past week. According to Indian health ministry data on Wednesday, a record 3,780 fresh COVID-19 fatalities were registered in a single day in India, taking the death toll to 2,26,188, while 3,82,315 new coronavirus infections were recorded. With the fresh cases, the total tally of COVID-19 cases in the country climbed to 2,06,65,148.

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

Preparing for a third wave of the Covid-19 pandemic which is expected to hit kids, the BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and Maharashtra government are gearing up by setting up Pediatric Covid Care Wards in the city and elsewhere, officials said here on Tuesday. 
 
Taking an early initiative, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray last week directed all district collectors and municipal commissioners in the state to be ready for the Covid third onslaught which may also hit children in a big way. 
 
Tourism Minister Aditya Thackeray who is Guardian Minister of Mumbai Suburban District has held discussions with BMC Mayor Kishori Pednekar, Additional Municipal Commissioner Sanjeev Jaiswal and other top officials in this regard. 
 
Among other things, he suggested to the BMC to create separate Pediatric Covid Care Wards anticipating the next wave and the demographics it may target. 
 
"Since last year, our jumbo covid care centres also have units of Covid +ve dialysis and maternity care as well. As the virus mutates and targets different age groups, our response to it must actively mutate as well," said Aditya Thackeray. 
 
As per the latest health data of the Public Health Department, nearly two-thirds of the state`s infections reported now are in age groups below 50, with the highest new cases reported in the 31-40 age (22.09 per cent), 41-50 years (18.15 per cent), 21-30 age (17.51 per cent). 
 
Children in the 0-10 years account for 3.04 percent, and older children-and teens in the 10-20 years are more than double at 6.80 percent, of the state`s new cases, giving rise to huge concerns as the situation is vastly different from the 2020 first Covid-19 hit. 
 
The Pediatric Covid Care Ward is slated to come up at the NESCO Jumbo Covid Care Centre in Goregaon east suburb of Mumbai - and 700 beds are expected to be added. 
 
This would include 300 for a dedicated Pediatric Covid Care Ward comprising Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) and Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) with a capacity of 25 beds each to cater to the infants who maybe hit. 
 
Apart from that, the BMC is planning to build four oxygen plants and maintain of adequate stock of medicines like Remdesivir and Tocilizumab injections, masks, PPE kits, etc. 
 
"In the 2020 first wave, mostly the adult and senior citizens were affected. In the current second wave (from February 2021) young men/women and children are also getting affected. We have to be alert for the third wave Also we have to account for the fact that the vaccination drive has not yet been opened for the under-18 age groups," a senior BMC official expressed his concerns, requesting anonymity. 
 
Besides, wide-ranging consultations shall be held with the Covid-19 Task Force, medical experts and other stakeholders, on the strategies that need to be adopted for the third wave, likely to slam the state around July, as warned by Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar recently.

Preparing for a third wave of the Covid-19 pandemic which is expected to hit kids, the BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and Maharashtra government are gearing up by setting up Pediatric Covid Care Wards in the city and elsewhere, officials said here on Tuesday.

Preparing for a third wave of the Covid-19 pandemic which is expected to hit kids, the BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and Maharashtra government are gearing up by setting up Pediatric Covid Care Wards in the city and elsewhere, officials said here on Tuesday. Taking an early initiative, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray last week directed all district collectors and municipal commissioners in the state to be ready for the Covid third onslaught which may also hit children in a big way. Tourism Minister Aditya Thackeray who is Guardian Minister of Mumbai Suburban District has held discussions with BMC Mayor Kishori Pednekar, Additional Municipal Commissioner Sanjeev Jaiswal and other top officials in this regard. Among other things, he suggested to the BMC to create separate Pediatric Covid Care Wards anticipating the next wave and the demographics it may target. "Since last year, our jumbo covid care centres also have units of Covid +ve dialysis and maternity care as well. As the virus mutates and targets different age groups, our response to it must actively mutate as well," said Aditya Thackeray. As per the latest health data of the Public Health Department, nearly two-thirds of the state`s infections reported now are in age groups below 50, with the highest new cases reported in the 31-40 age (22.09 per cent), 41-50 years (18.15 per cent), 21-30 age (17.51 per cent). Children in the 0-10 years account for 3.04 percent, and older children-and teens in the 10-20 years are more than double at 6.80 percent, of the state`s new cases, giving rise to huge concerns as the situation is vastly different from the 2020 first Covid-19 hit. The Pediatric Covid Care Ward is slated to come up at the NESCO Jumbo Covid Care Centre in Goregaon east suburb of Mumbai - and 700 beds are expected to be added. This would include 300 for a dedicated Pediatric Covid Care Ward comprising Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) and Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) with a capacity of 25 beds each to cater to the infants who maybe hit. Apart from that, the BMC is planning to build four oxygen plants and maintain of adequate stock of medicines like Remdesivir and Tocilizumab injections, masks, PPE kits, etc. "In the 2020 first wave, mostly the adult and senior citizens were affected. In the current second wave (from February 2021) young men/women and children are also getting affected. We have to be alert for the third wave Also we have to account for the fact that the vaccination drive has not yet been opened for the under-18 age groups," a senior BMC official expressed his concerns, requesting anonymity. Besides, wide-ranging consultations shall be held with the Covid-19 Task Force, medical experts and other stakeholders, on the strategies that need to be adopted for the third wave, likely to slam the state around July, as warned by Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar recently.

Covid in India: 3rd wave may hit kids, Mumbai prepares pediatric wards

India on Tuesday reported 3,57,229 new case, taking the overall case count past the 2 crore mark to 2,02,82,833.&nbsp;

Further, with 3,449 fresh fatalities, the national covid death toll rose to 2,22,408, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Tuesday.

Maharashtra, Karnataka and Delhi are among 10 states that account for 71.71 per cent of the 3,57,229 new COVID-19 cases in the country. India's daily positivity rate now stands at 21.47 per cent.

The ministry said that Maharashtra has reported the highest daily new cases at 48,621. It is followed by Karnataka with 44,438 while Uttar Pradesh reported 29,052 new cases.

Kerala, Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh are among the other states in the list of 10.

Maharashtra, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Kerala, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Bihar and Haryana cumulatively account for 81.41 per cent of India's total active cases, the ministry said.

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 1.50 crore on April 19.

According to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), 29,33,10,779 samples have been tested up to May 3 with 16,63,742 samples being tested on Monday.

Only the US, with more than 3.3 crore cases so far, has recorded a higher count. Brazil is in the third spot with fewer than 1.5 crore cases.&nbsp;

The Indian government has, to date, provided nearly 16.69 crore vaccine doses to states/UTs free of cost. Over 75 lakh vaccine doses are still available with states/UTs for use.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

India on Tuesday reported 3,57,229 new case, taking the overall case count past the 2 crore mark to 2,02,82,833. Further, with 3,449 fresh fatalities, the national covid death toll rose to 2,22,408, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Tuesday.

India on Tuesday reported 3,57,229 new case, taking the overall case count past the 2 crore mark to 2,02,82,833. Further, with 3,449 fresh fatalities, the national covid death toll rose to 2,22,408, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Tuesday. Maharashtra, Karnataka and Delhi are among 10 states that account for 71.71 per cent of the 3,57,229 new COVID-19 cases in the country. India's daily positivity rate now stands at 21.47 per cent. The ministry said that Maharashtra has reported the highest daily new cases at 48,621. It is followed by Karnataka with 44,438 while Uttar Pradesh reported 29,052 new cases. Kerala, Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh are among the other states in the list of 10. Maharashtra, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Kerala, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Bihar and Haryana cumulatively account for 81.41 per cent of India's total active cases, the ministry said. 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 1.50 crore on April 19. According to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), 29,33,10,779 samples have been tested up to May 3 with 16,63,742 samples being tested on Monday. Only the US, with more than 3.3 crore cases so far, has recorded a higher count. Brazil is in the third spot with fewer than 1.5 crore cases. The Indian government has, to date, provided nearly 16.69 crore vaccine doses to states/UTs free of cost. Over 75 lakh vaccine doses are still available with states/UTs for use. (With inputs from agencies)

COVID-19 in India: 10 states account for 71% of total cases

Lieutenant Governor of Delhi Anil Baijal on Sunday asked concerned departments and agencies to submit an action plan concerning the availability of hospital beds, medicines, medical oxygen as well as increasing the capacity of crematoriums and graveyards amid a surge in COVID-19 cases in the national capital.

"Lt Governor has sought further advise from concerned departments and agencies concerning the availability of key medicines, beds, medical oxygen and augmentation of capacities at crematoriums and graveyards, to address the ongoing problems being faced by people," LG office said in a tweet from its official handle.

The LG has also asked the departments and agencies of the Delhi government to submit a quantifiable action plan that could be monitored while addressing the problems due to shortages.

"LG has also suggested that the possibility of reemploying recently retired Doctors and other paramedical staff, where ever required, be looked into to address shortages," he added.

A massive surge in COVID-19 cases in the national capital has resulted in shortages of hospital beds, medical oxygen and medicines for patients.&nbsp;

Meanwhile, Delhi`s new COVID-19 cases slightly dipped on Sunday to 20,394 but the city saw 407 deaths in the last 24 hours. This is the second consecutive day when Delhi saw more than 400 deaths.

The total count of cases in the city has gone up to 11,94,946 including 92,290 active cases and 10,85,690 recoveries. The death toll has gone up to 16,966.

Lieutenant Governor of Delhi Anil Baijal on Sunday asked concerned departments and agencies to submit an action plan concerning the availability of hospital beds, medicines, medical oxygen as well as increasing the capacity of crematoriums and graveyards amid a surge in COVID-19 cases in the national capital.

Lieutenant Governor of Delhi Anil Baijal on Sunday asked concerned departments and agencies to submit an action plan concerning the availability of hospital beds, medicines, medical oxygen as well as increasing the capacity of crematoriums and graveyards amid a surge in COVID-19 cases in the national capital. "Lt Governor has sought further advise from concerned departments and agencies concerning the availability of key medicines, beds, medical oxygen and augmentation of capacities at crematoriums and graveyards, to address the ongoing problems being faced by people," LG office said in a tweet from its official handle. The LG has also asked the departments and agencies of the Delhi government to submit a quantifiable action plan that could be monitored while addressing the problems due to shortages. "LG has also suggested that the possibility of reemploying recently retired Doctors and other paramedical staff, where ever required, be looked into to address shortages," he added. A massive surge in COVID-19 cases in the national capital has resulted in shortages of hospital beds, medical oxygen and medicines for patients. Meanwhile, Delhi`s new COVID-19 cases slightly dipped on Sunday to 20,394 but the city saw 407 deaths in the last 24 hours. This is the second consecutive day when Delhi saw more than 400 deaths. The total count of cases in the city has gone up to 11,94,946 including 92,290 active cases and 10,85,690 recoveries. The death toll has gone up to 16,966.

COVID-19: Delhi Lt Governor seeks action plan to address shortage of hospital beds, oxygen

As COVID-19 cases continue to rise across the country, the Punjab government on Sunday issued that no one will be allowed to enter the state without a negative COVID-19 test result or a vaccine certificate.&nbsp;

In a set of new guidelines to curb the spread of the virus, the state government further said that all non-essential shops would be closed till May 15.&nbsp;

"Nobody to enter the state whether by air, rail or road without either a COVID negative report or vaccination certificate. In addition, all non-essential shops will continue to remain closed till May 15," the order said.&nbsp;

It added, "The daily night curfew from 6 pm to 5 am and a weekend curfew from 6 pm on Friday till 5 am on Monday will continue. RT-PCR testing of road and streetwise vendors to be carried out."&nbsp;

In the last 24 hours, Punjab reported 7,327 fresh COVID-19 cases, 5,244 discharges, and 157 deaths, the state health department informed. There are currently 60,108 active cases. The total number of discharges stands at 3,15,845 while the death toll is at 9,317.

As COVID-19 cases continue to rise across the country, the Punjab government on Sunday issued that no one will be allowed to enter the state without a negative COVID-19 test result or a vaccine certificate.

As COVID-19 cases continue to rise across the country, the Punjab government on Sunday issued that no one will be allowed to enter the state without a negative COVID-19 test result or a vaccine certificate. In a set of new guidelines to curb the spread of the virus, the state government further said that all non-essential shops would be closed till May 15. "Nobody to enter the state whether by air, rail or road without either a COVID negative report or vaccination certificate. In addition, all non-essential shops will continue to remain closed till May 15," the order said. It added, "The daily night curfew from 6 pm to 5 am and a weekend curfew from 6 pm on Friday till 5 am on Monday will continue. RT-PCR testing of road and streetwise vendors to be carried out." In the last 24 hours, Punjab reported 7,327 fresh COVID-19 cases, 5,244 discharges, and 157 deaths, the state health department informed. There are currently 60,108 active cases. The total number of discharges stands at 3,15,845 while the death toll is at 9,317.

No entry in Punjab without negative COVID-19 test or vaccination certificate

The Communist Party of China (CPC) mocked India over the deadly coronavirus, which began in Wuhan last year, wreaking havoc in the country.&nbsp;

An account on Chinese microblogging site Weibo, which was linked to the Chinese Communist Party, posted a now-deleted photo over the weekend of China launching a rocket, alongside an image of bodies being cremated in India.&nbsp; 
 
The account on Weibo, China’s Twitter-equivalent, shared two images side-by-side of a rocket launch in China and a cremation ground in India, adding a message: “China lighting a fire, India lighting a fire”. 
 
Several social media users expressed shock and anger at the insensitivity of the post.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Someone apparently thought it was a good idea to make fun of the latest Covid-19 outbreak in India? An acct affiliated with CCP Central Political and Legal Affairs Commission posted this on Weibo. Caption: When China sets things on fire vs when India does it. <a href="https://t.co/cJTXT9Lbws">pic.twitter.com/cJTXT9Lbws</a>
— Mengyu Dong (@dong_mengyu) <a href="https://twitter.com/dong_mengyu/status/1388486756052480006?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 1, 2021</a></blockquote>
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“We hope everyone gives attention to the Chinese government and mainstream public opinion supporting India's fight against the epidemic,” China's foreign ministry said in response to a request for comment.&nbsp;

The novel coronavirus outbreak, which originated in Wuhan, China, has expanded to touch every corner of the globe. Millions of people around the world have been sickened and hundreds of thousands of others have died.

(With inputs from agencies)

The Communist Party of China (CPC) mocked India over the deadly coronavirus, which began in Wuhan last year, wreaking havoc in the country. An account on Chinese microblogging site Weibo, which was linked to the Chinese Communist Party, posted a now-deleted photo over the weekend of China launching a rocket, alongside an image of bodies being cremated in India.

The Communist Party of China (CPC) mocked India over the deadly coronavirus, which began in Wuhan last year, wreaking havoc in the country. An account on Chinese microblogging site Weibo, which was linked to the Chinese Communist Party, posted a now-deleted photo over the weekend of China launching a rocket, alongside an image of bodies being cremated in India. The account on Weibo, China’s Twitter-equivalent, shared two images side-by-side of a rocket launch in China and a cremation ground in India, adding a message: “China lighting a fire, India lighting a fire”. Several social media users expressed shock and anger at the insensitivity of the post. Someone apparently thought it was a good idea to make fun of the latest Covid-19 outbreak in India? An acct affiliated with CCP Central Political and Legal Affairs Commission posted this on Weibo. Caption: When China sets things on fire vs when India does it. pic.twitter.com/cJTXT9Lbws — Mengyu Dong (@dong_mengyu) May 1, 2021 × “We hope everyone gives attention to the Chinese government and mainstream public opinion supporting India's fight against the epidemic,” China's foreign ministry said in response to a request for comment. The novel coronavirus outbreak, which originated in Wuhan, China, has expanded to touch every corner of the globe. Millions of people around the world have been sickened and hundreds of thousands of others have died. (With inputs from agencies)

China mocks India’s COVID-19 crisis, deletes post after backlash

Germany on Monday suspended the use of the Astra Zeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine, over new reports of dangerous blood clots in connection with the shot.

The Health Ministry said the decision was taken as a "precaution" and on the advice of Germany's national vaccine regulator, the Paul Ehrlich Institute, which called for further investigation of the cases.

"After new reports of thromboses of the cerebral veins in connection with the vaccination in Germany and Europe, the PEI considers further investigations to be necessary," said the German health ministry. 
 
AstraZeneca Update: EU faces vaccine shortage, supplies to be blamed

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"The European Medicines Agency EMA will decide whether and how the new findings will affect the approval of the vaccine," it added.

Denmark, Iceland and Norway have already stopped administering the shot while Italy has banned the use of a batch of AstraZeneca doses as a precaution after an unconfirmed number of people developed blood clots.

Meanwhile, the World Health Organization appealed to countries not to pause vaccination campaigns after two more European nations and one in Asia joined handfuls which have suspended the use of AstraZeneca's Covid-19 vaccine over safety fears.

The WHO said its advisory panel was reviewing reports related to the shot and would release its findings as soon as possible. But it said it was unlikely to change its recommendations, issued last month, for widespread use, including in countries where the South African variant of the virus may reduce its efficacy.

AstraZeneca's shot was among the first and cheapest to be developed and launched at volume since the coronavirus was first identified in central China at the end of 2019 and is set to be the mainstay of vaccination programmes in much of the developing world. The virus has killed more than 2.7 million people.

(With inputs from agencies)

Germany on Monday suspended the use of the Astra Zeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine, over new reports of dangerous blood clots in connection with the shot. The Health Ministry said the decision was taken as a "precaution" and on the advice of Germany's national vaccine regulator, the Paul Ehrlich Institute, which called for further investigation of the cases.

Germany on Monday suspended the use of the Astra Zeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine, over new reports of dangerous blood clots in connection with the shot. The Health Ministry said the decision was taken as a "precaution" and on the advice of Germany's national vaccine regulator, the Paul Ehrlich Institute, which called for further investigation of the cases. "After new reports of thromboses of the cerebral veins in connection with the vaccination in Germany and Europe, the PEI considers further investigations to be necessary," said the German health ministry. AstraZeneca Update: EU faces vaccine shortage, supplies to be blamed "The European Medicines Agency EMA will decide whether and how the new findings will affect the approval of the vaccine," it added. Denmark, Iceland and Norway have already stopped administering the shot while Italy has banned the use of a batch of AstraZeneca doses as a precaution after an unconfirmed number of people developed blood clots. Meanwhile, the World Health Organization appealed to countries not to pause vaccination campaigns after two more European nations and one in Asia joined handfuls which have suspended the use of AstraZeneca's Covid-19 vaccine over safety fears. The WHO said its advisory panel was reviewing reports related to the shot and would release its findings as soon as possible. But it said it was unlikely to change its recommendations, issued last month, for widespread use, including in countries where the South African variant of the virus may reduce its efficacy. AstraZeneca's shot was among the first and cheapest to be developed and launched at volume since the coronavirus was first identified in central China at the end of 2019 and is set to be the mainstay of vaccination programmes in much of the developing world. The virus has killed more than 2.7 million people. (With inputs from agencies)

Germany suspends AstraZeneca jabs over reported clot risks: Health Ministry

According to sources, India will first Vaccinate 10 million healthcare workers and 20 million front-line workers. According to sources, the information was presented by India's Health Ministry at an all-party meeting today.

India to Vaccinate 10 million health workers

India has a sixth of the world's population and a sixth of the reported cases. However, it accounts for only 10% of the world's deaths from the virus, and its case fatality rate or CFR.

Coronavirus: India's fatality rate remains the lowest in the world

A team of doctors from the Delhi-based All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA) under the AYUSH Ministry has found that Ayurveda interventions like Ayush kwatha and Fifatrol tablets can be effective in treatment of mild to moderate cases of COVID-19 infection in a "very short period" with "complete regression of symptoms".

Use of four Ayurveda interventions-- Ayush kwatha, Sanshamanivati, Fifatrol tablets and Laxmivilasa rasa not only improved the condition of COVID-19 patient but also turned the rapid antigen test negative within six days of treatment, according to a case report published in the journal of AIIA -- ''Ayurved Case Report'' in October.

Presently, there is no specific cure for the disease that has infected over 44.7 million people and claimed 1.17 million lives world over.

Citing the case of a 30-year-old male health worker infected with coronavirus, the report said his infection was managed with Samshamana therapy that included oral administration of Ayush kwatha, Sanshamani vati, Fifatrol tablets, and Laxmivilasa rasa.

The patient, a resident of Delhi, after testing positive for COVID-19 was advised home quarantine.He reported with predominantly moderate symptoms of the infection, and the management approach was personalised and holistic in nature incorporating diet, lifestyle, and Samshamana aushadha (pacifying treatment) along with Satvavajaya chikitsa (psychotherapy).

"The mentioned treatment plan was effective in the symptomatic relief (fever, dyspnea, anorexia, fatigue, anosmia, and dysgeusia) as well as in the resolution of viral load, as the patient tested negative in the RAD for COVID-19 within six days of intervention and RT-PCR test was also done on day 16, which was reported negative," the study said.

Herbal drug Fifatrol developed by AIMIL Pharmaceutical helps fight infection, flu and cold. It has immunity strengthening herbs like guduchi, sanjeevini ghanvati, daruharidra, apamarga, chirayata, karanja, kutaki, tulsi, godanti (bhasam), mrityunjaya rasa, tribhuvana kriti rasa and sanjivani vati.

Ayush Kwatha is a combination of four medicinal herbs commonly used in every Indian kitchen - basil leaves (tulsi), cinnamon bark (dalchini), Zingiber officinale (sunthi), and krishna marich (Piper nigrum).

Sanshamani Vati (also called guduchi ghana vati) is an ayurvedic herbal formulation used for all types of fevers.

Laxmivilas Ras is a traditional herbomineral medicine that mainly contains Abhrak Bhasma and cures cough, cold and rhinitis. It soothes the throat and sinuses.

The report has been authored by Dr Sisir Kumar Mandal, Dr Meenakshi Sharma, Dr Charu Sharma, Dr Shalini Rai and Dr Anand More from the AIIA.

"The present case study proved the efficacy of Ayurveda interventions in mild-to-moderate case of COVID-19 infection in a very short period with complete regression of symptoms," the report said.

“The treatment was personalised, holistic, and purely based on Ayurvedic principles, and no conventional medicines were used. With this case study, it can be inferred that Ayurveda has vast potential to address COVID-19 and such other pandemics; a large sample-sized, multi-center randomized and controlled clinical studies are the need of the hour," the report added.

A team of doctors from the Delhi-based All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA) under the AYUSH Ministry has found that Ayurveda interventions like Ayush kwatha and Fifatrol tablets can be effective in treatment of mild to moderate cases of COVID-19 infection in a "very short period" with "complete regression of symptoms".

A team of doctors from the Delhi-based All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA) under the AYUSH Ministry has found that Ayurveda interventions like Ayush kwatha and Fifatrol tablets can be effective in treatment of mild to moderate cases of COVID-19 infection in a "very short period" with "complete regression of symptoms". Use of four Ayurveda interventions-- Ayush kwatha, Sanshamanivati, Fifatrol tablets and Laxmivilasa rasa not only improved the condition of COVID-19 patient but also turned the rapid antigen test negative within six days of treatment, according to a case report published in the journal of AIIA -- ''Ayurved Case Report'' in October. Presently, there is no specific cure for the disease that has infected over 44.7 million people and claimed 1.17 million lives world over. Citing the case of a 30-year-old male health worker infected with coronavirus, the report said his infection was managed with Samshamana therapy that included oral administration of Ayush kwatha, Sanshamani vati, Fifatrol tablets, and Laxmivilasa rasa. The patient, a resident of Delhi, after testing positive for COVID-19 was advised home quarantine.He reported with predominantly moderate symptoms of the infection, and the management approach was personalised and holistic in nature incorporating diet, lifestyle, and Samshamana aushadha (pacifying treatment) along with Satvavajaya chikitsa (psychotherapy). "The mentioned treatment plan was effective in the symptomatic relief (fever, dyspnea, anorexia, fatigue, anosmia, and dysgeusia) as well as in the resolution of viral load, as the patient tested negative in the RAD for COVID-19 within six days of intervention and RT-PCR test was also done on day 16, which was reported negative," the study said. Herbal drug Fifatrol developed by AIMIL Pharmaceutical helps fight infection, flu and cold. It has immunity strengthening herbs like guduchi, sanjeevini ghanvati, daruharidra, apamarga, chirayata, karanja, kutaki, tulsi, godanti (bhasam), mrityunjaya rasa, tribhuvana kriti rasa and sanjivani vati. Ayush Kwatha is a combination of four medicinal herbs commonly used in every Indian kitchen - basil leaves (tulsi), cinnamon bark (dalchini), Zingiber officinale (sunthi), and krishna marich (Piper nigrum). Sanshamani Vati (also called guduchi ghana vati) is an ayurvedic herbal formulation used for all types of fevers. Laxmivilas Ras is a traditional herbomineral medicine that mainly contains Abhrak Bhasma and cures cough, cold and rhinitis. It soothes the throat and sinuses. The report has been authored by Dr Sisir Kumar Mandal, Dr Meenakshi Sharma, Dr Charu Sharma, Dr Shalini Rai and Dr Anand More from the AIIA. "The present case study proved the efficacy of Ayurveda interventions in mild-to-moderate case of COVID-19 infection in a very short period with complete regression of symptoms," the report said. “The treatment was personalised, holistic, and purely based on Ayurvedic principles, and no conventional medicines were used. With this case study, it can be inferred that Ayurveda has vast potential to address COVID-19 and such other pandemics; a large sample-sized, multi-center randomized and controlled clinical studies are the need of the hour," the report added.

Ayurveda interventions can be effective in treatment of mild to moderate cases of COVID-19: AIIA

The National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has recently warned Delhi is likely to report around 15,000 Covid-19 cases daily in winter.

India: COVID-19 cases top 7 million mark | India Top news | Corona news

The testing capacity in the country has been ramped up at a significant pace to reach over 7.7 crores in October from just one in January this year, according to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) on Sunday.

The MoHFW also said that the increased pace of testing has led to "early identification, prompt isolation, and effective treatment of COVID-19 cases. These have eventually resulted in a sustained low Fatality Rate."

"India has scaled up its testing capacity from one in January to more than 7.7 cr in October. With progressively falling positivity rate, testing has worked as an effective tool to limit the spread of COVID-19 infection," a tweet by the MoHFW read.

As per the MoHFW, 7,78,50,403 tests for COVID-19 were conducted in the country on October 3 which marks a new high.

Further the positivity rate in the country is at 8.32 per cent currently, as per the Health Ministry.

With an increase of 1,069 deaths reported on Saturday, the COVID-19 toll surpassed 1 lakh in India, according to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW).

With the latest increase, the COVID-19 toll in the country now stands at 1,00,842.

Meanwhile, the country reported 79,476 new cases, taking the tally of people infected with coronavirus to 64,73,545, the Ministry said.

The total COVID-19 count includes 9,44,996 active cases and 54,27,707 cured, discharged, or migrated cases.

Meanwhile, the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said that India has maintained the top global ranking with maximum recoveries of COVID-19 patients and it has one of the lowest mortality rates in the world.

The recovery rate of COVID-19 patients now stands at 83.84 per cent and the total recoveries have surpassed the 54 lakh mark.

The testing capacity in the country has been ramped up at a significant pace to reach over 7.7 crores in October from just one in January this year, according to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) on Sunday.

The testing capacity in the country has been ramped up at a significant pace to reach over 7.7 crores in October from just one in January this year, according to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) on Sunday. The MoHFW also said that the increased pace of testing has led to "early identification, prompt isolation, and effective treatment of COVID-19 cases. These have eventually resulted in a sustained low Fatality Rate." "India has scaled up its testing capacity from one in January to more than 7.7 cr in October. With progressively falling positivity rate, testing has worked as an effective tool to limit the spread of COVID-19 infection," a tweet by the MoHFW read. As per the MoHFW, 7,78,50,403 tests for COVID-19 were conducted in the country on October 3 which marks a new high. Further the positivity rate in the country is at 8.32 per cent currently, as per the Health Ministry. With an increase of 1,069 deaths reported on Saturday, the COVID-19 toll surpassed 1 lakh in India, according to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW). With the latest increase, the COVID-19 toll in the country now stands at 1,00,842. Meanwhile, the country reported 79,476 new cases, taking the tally of people infected with coronavirus to 64,73,545, the Ministry said. The total COVID-19 count includes 9,44,996 active cases and 54,27,707 cured, discharged, or migrated cases. Meanwhile, the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said that India has maintained the top global ranking with maximum recoveries of COVID-19 patients and it has one of the lowest mortality rates in the world. The recovery rate of COVID-19 patients now stands at 83.84 per cent and the total recoveries have surpassed the 54 lakh mark.

India scales up testing capacity from 1 in January to over 7.7 cr in October: Health ministry

India on Friday reported 96,424 new cases of the coronavirus disease – a global record high – taking the cumulative tally past 5.21 million mark.

India becomes second nation after US to record 5 Million plus cases

The country saw a hike of more than 90,000 cases for the first time as 90,633 new cases COVID-19 cases were reported in the last 24 hours

WION Dispatch: For first time, over 90,000 cases reported in India in a day

Monday’s addition took Pune’s total case count to 1,75,105, leaving behind Delhi’s 1,74,748, as per figures from the state Public Health department till August

India: 69,921 COVID-19 cases in last 24 hours

Coronavirus cases in India recorded the highest daily jump of 77,266 covid infections on Friday

COVID-19: India records world's highest spike of 77,266 cases in a day

India's COVID-19 caseload went past 29 lakh with a single-day spike of 69,652 infections, while the recoveries increased to 21, 58,947 on Friday, according to the Union Health Ministry data.

The total cases of coronavirus infections mounted to 29, 05,824, while the death toll climbed to 54,849 with 983 new fatalities being reported in a day, the data updated at 8 am showed.

According to the Union Health Ministry, Testing in India has steeply increased to more than 9 lakh tests per day. This is bolstered with all States/UTs testing more than 140 tests/day/million population as advised by WHO (World Health Organization).

Meanwhile, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has lauded various steps taken by authorities in Gujarat to contain the spread of coronavirus in the state, said a top government official on Thursday.&nbsp;

And to spread awareness about the coronavirus pandemic, Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan on Thursday launched a first-of-its-kind, interactive video game and two new promotional videos urging people to adhere to key COVID-19-appropriate behaviours.

(With inputs from agencies)

India's COVID-19 caseload went past 29 lakh with a single-day spike of 69,652 infections, while the recoveries increased to 21, 58,947 on Friday, according to the Union Health Ministry data.

India's COVID-19 caseload went past 29 lakh with a single-day spike of 69,652 infections, while the recoveries increased to 21, 58,947 on Friday, according to the Union Health Ministry data. The total cases of coronavirus infections mounted to 29, 05,824, while the death toll climbed to 54,849 with 983 new fatalities being reported in a day, the data updated at 8 am showed. According to the Union Health Ministry, Testing in India has steeply increased to more than 9 lakh tests per day. This is bolstered with all States/UTs testing more than 140 tests/day/million population as advised by WHO (World Health Organization). Meanwhile, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has lauded various steps taken by authorities in Gujarat to contain the spread of coronavirus in the state, said a top government official on Thursday. And to spread awareness about the coronavirus pandemic, Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan on Thursday launched a first-of-its-kind, interactive video game and two new promotional videos urging people to adhere to key COVID-19-appropriate behaviours. (With inputs from agencies)

Coronavirus: Spike of 68,898 cases, 983 deaths reported in India, in the last 24 hours

With a spike of 64,553 cases and 1,007 deaths, the coronavirus tally in the country rose to 24,61,191 while death toll crossed 48,000-mark.

India has recorded a spike of 64,553 cases and 1,007 deaths in the past 24 hours on Friday. The coronavirus tally in the country has increased to 24,61,191 including 6,61,595 active cases.&nbsp;

The number of people who have improved has increased to 17,51,556. &nbsp;The death toll, on the other hand, has mounted to 48,040 deaths, according to the Ministry of Health &amp; Family Welfare website.

It can be seen that India's cumulative coronavirus caseload makes it the third worst-hit country in the world after the United States and Brazil. However, the government maintains that the situation across the country is improving as more number of people are getting cured.

At present, India's recovery rate is over 70 per cent while the death rate stands at 1.95 per cent, among the lowest across the globe.

India had tested 8,48,728 samples for Coronavirus taking the total number of testing to 2,76,94,416, India Council of Medical Research (ICMR) said in a statement.

(With inputs from agencies)

With a spike of 64,553 cases and 1,007 deaths, the coronavirus tally in the country rose to 24,61,191 while death toll crossed 48,000-mark. India has recorded a spike of 64,553 cases and 1,007 deaths in the past 24 hours on Friday.

With a spike of 64,553 cases and 1,007 deaths, the coronavirus tally in the country rose to 24,61,191 while death toll crossed 48,000-mark. India has recorded a spike of 64,553 cases and 1,007 deaths in the past 24 hours on Friday. The coronavirus tally in the country has increased to 24,61,191 including 6,61,595 active cases. The number of people who have improved has increased to 17,51,556. The death toll, on the other hand, has mounted to 48,040 deaths, according to the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare website. It can be seen that India's cumulative coronavirus caseload makes it the third worst-hit country in the world after the United States and Brazil. However, the government maintains that the situation across the country is improving as more number of people are getting cured. At present, India's recovery rate is over 70 per cent while the death rate stands at 1.95 per cent, among the lowest across the globe. India had tested 8,48,728 samples for Coronavirus taking the total number of testing to 2,76,94,416, India Council of Medical Research (ICMR) said in a statement. (With inputs from agencies)

India tally crosses 24 lakh-mark with 64,553 new cases in last 24-hours

India's COVID-19 tally mounted to 23, 96,637 on Thursday with a record single-day increase of 66,999 cases, while the number of patients who have recovered from the disease surged to 16,95,982, pushing the recovery rate to 70.77 per cent in the country, according to the Union health ministry.

The death toll due to COVID-19 climbed to 47,033 with 942 people succumbing to the disease in the last 24 hours, health ministry data updated at 8 am showed.

On Wednesday, it conducted 830,391 tests. India at present is the third-worst-hit country with 2,395,471 cases.

The case fatality rate in the country has declined to 1.96 per cent.

There are 6, 53,622 active COVID-19 cases in the country presently, which account for 27.27 per cent of its total caseload.

At the global front, the total number of confirmed coronavirus cases globally reached 20,807,726 on Thursday, according to Worldometer. However, this number represents only the status of infection as captured through testing, as only lab-confirmed infections are counted as confirmed cases. This implies the true extent of the coronavirus pandemic’s spread could only be gauged by testing a lot.

(With inputs from agencies)

India's COVID-19 tally mounted to 23, 96,637 on Thursday with a record single-day increase of 66,999 cases, while the number of patients who have recovered from the disease surged to 16,95,982, pushing the recovery rate to 70.

India's COVID-19 tally mounted to 23, 96,637 on Thursday with a record single-day increase of 66,999 cases, while the number of patients who have recovered from the disease surged to 16,95,982, pushing the recovery rate to 70.77 per cent in the country, according to the Union health ministry. The death toll due to COVID-19 climbed to 47,033 with 942 people succumbing to the disease in the last 24 hours, health ministry data updated at 8 am showed. On Wednesday, it conducted 830,391 tests. India at present is the third-worst-hit country with 2,395,471 cases. The case fatality rate in the country has declined to 1.96 per cent. There are 6, 53,622 active COVID-19 cases in the country presently, which account for 27.27 per cent of its total caseload. At the global front, the total number of confirmed coronavirus cases globally reached 20,807,726 on Thursday, according to Worldometer. However, this number represents only the status of infection as captured through testing, as only lab-confirmed infections are counted as confirmed cases. This implies the true extent of the coronavirus pandemic’s spread could only be gauged by testing a lot. (With inputs from agencies)

India's COVID-19 tally nears 24-lakh mark with record spike of 66,999 cases; over eight lakh tests carried out in last 24 hours

India on Wednesday reported a single-day spike of 60,963 cases and 834 deaths in the last 24 hours, according to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

With this, the Covid-19 tally rises to 23, 29,639 including 643948 active cases, 1639600 recovered/discharged/migrated and 46091 deaths.

According to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), 2, 60, 15,297 samples tested up to 11th August 2020 for COVID19. Of these, 7, 33,449 samples were tested yesterday.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday stressed on the need to increase coronavirus testing in Gujarat because of the "high positivity rate" prevailing in the state. 
 
(With inputs from agencies)

India on Wednesday reported a single-day spike of 60,963 cases and 834 deaths in the last 24 hours, according to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. With this, the Covid-19 tally rises to 23, 29,639 including 643948 active cases, 1639600 recovered/discharged/migrated and 46091 deaths.

India on Wednesday reported a single-day spike of 60,963 cases and 834 deaths in the last 24 hours, according to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. With this, the Covid-19 tally rises to 23, 29,639 including 643948 active cases, 1639600 recovered/discharged/migrated and 46091 deaths. According to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), 2, 60, 15,297 samples tested up to 11th August 2020 for COVID19. Of these, 7, 33,449 samples were tested yesterday. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday stressed on the need to increase coronavirus testing in Gujarat because of the "high positivity rate" prevailing in the state. (With inputs from agencies)

India reports 60,963 fresh cases in last 24-hours, inches towards 23.3 lakh-mark

India's COVID-19 tally reached 23,29,639 today, with 60,963 cases being reported in a day. Recoveries rose to 15,83,490 according to the Union Health Ministry data.

India's COVID-19 tally rises to 2,329,639 | Over 56k patients cured in a day

India's supply of antiviral drug remdesivir and generic equivalents is stabilising after shortages of the vital COVID-19 medicine at hospitals, according to a top executive at one of the country's big drugmakers, Cipla Ltd.

Remdesivir, made by U.S.-based Gilead Sciences Inc, has been in high demand globally, and a handful of companies including Cipla are authorised to make and sell generic versions in 127 developing nations.

Cipla's launch of remdesivir in late June, along with subsequent launches by others, has helped ease supply bottlenecks in India, Cipla's Global Chief Financial Officer, Kedar Upadhye, told Reuters.

"Of late, some of the complaints for supplies, and the number of panicky calls that I used to get, have come down dramatically," Upadhye said. "Looks like things have settled."

COVID-19 cases in India, the world's third-worst hit country, have surged in the past month, with new infections topping 50,000 daily.

Yet while hospitals previously reported they were struggling to get their hands on the drug, leading to black market sales, Mr Upadhye said the indications from his supply chain were that pressure had eased.

That suggested severe cases had not surged as much as the overall numbers, he said.

Government data at the end of July showed about 0.3% of the country's active coronavirus patients were on ventilators, while 1.6% on intensive care unit support and 2.3% on oxygen support.

Severe cases likely amounted to under 3% of all infections, said Giridhara Babu, an epidemiologist at the Public Health Foundation of India.

India, one of the world's biggest producer of generic drugs, recommends remdesivir for moderate to severe COVID-19. Doctors also use other drugs, including favirpiravir, another antiviral approved for the disease.

Cipla, which is also free to export the drug, supplies it in South Africa and plans to expand access to "several sub-Saharan African countries", it has said.

India had previously blocked exports of another drug, hydroxychloroquine, used by some doctors in treating the disease. The ban has since been lifted.

Cipla declined to comment on the number of vials of remdesivir it had shipped so far, but said it had started making the drug at a plant in Goa in western India to ramp up production.

India's supply of antiviral drug remdesivir and generic equivalents is stabilising after shortages of the vital COVID-19 medicine at hospitals, according to a top executive at one of the country's big drugmakers, Cipla Ltd.

India's supply of antiviral drug remdesivir and generic equivalents is stabilising after shortages of the vital COVID-19 medicine at hospitals, according to a top executive at one of the country's big drugmakers, Cipla Ltd. Remdesivir, made by U.S.-based Gilead Sciences Inc, has been in high demand globally, and a handful of companies including Cipla are authorised to make and sell generic versions in 127 developing nations. Cipla's launch of remdesivir in late June, along with subsequent launches by others, has helped ease supply bottlenecks in India, Cipla's Global Chief Financial Officer, Kedar Upadhye, told Reuters. "Of late, some of the complaints for supplies, and the number of panicky calls that I used to get, have come down dramatically," Upadhye said. "Looks like things have settled." COVID-19 cases in India, the world's third-worst hit country, have surged in the past month, with new infections topping 50,000 daily. Yet while hospitals previously reported they were struggling to get their hands on the drug, leading to black market sales, Mr Upadhye said the indications from his supply chain were that pressure had eased. That suggested severe cases had not surged as much as the overall numbers, he said. Government data at the end of July showed about 0.3% of the country's active coronavirus patients were on ventilators, while 1.6% on intensive care unit support and 2.3% on oxygen support. Severe cases likely amounted to under 3% of all infections, said Giridhara Babu, an epidemiologist at the Public Health Foundation of India. India, one of the world's biggest producer of generic drugs, recommends remdesivir for moderate to severe COVID-19. Doctors also use other drugs, including favirpiravir, another antiviral approved for the disease. Cipla, which is also free to export the drug, supplies it in South Africa and plans to expand access to "several sub-Saharan African countries", it has said. India had previously blocked exports of another drug, hydroxychloroquine, used by some doctors in treating the disease. The ban has since been lifted. Cipla declined to comment on the number of vials of remdesivir it had shipped so far, but said it had started making the drug at a plant in Goa in western India to ramp up production.

India's shortage of Remdesivir is easing, says producer Cipla 

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