Across India, on Wednesday, a total of 2,15,133 people were vaccinated till 6 p.m. and in last 24 hours, one person who is suffering from Anaphylaxis has been hospitalised at JIPMER, Puducherry and is stable.
You can track coronavirus cases, deaths and testing rates at the national and State levels here. A list of State Helpline numbers is available as well.
Here are the latest updates:
Vaccinations
India fastest in world to reach 70 lakh vaccinations in 26 days: Ministry
India has become the fastest country in the world to finish 70 lakh vaccinations against COVID-19 in 26 days. And 17 States/UTs reported no COVID-19 deaths in the past 24 hours and the country had the lowest active cases per million population globally, the Union Health Ministry said on Thursday
“It took 27 days for the U.S. and 48 days for the U.K. to reach the same vaccination figures. India is also the fastest to touch the six million mark a few days back. As on February 11, till 8 a.m., more than 70 lakh (70,17,114) beneficiaries have received the vaccination under the countrywide exercise,’’ said the Ministry.
Maharashtra
Mobile labs for COVID-19 testing to soon be available in Maha: CM
Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Thursday said mobile laboratories for COVID-19 testing will soon be made available across the state.
Speaking at the launch of three laboratory vans for COVID-19 testing, Thackeray said these mobile laboratories can carry out 3,000 tests per day and reports would be available in 24 hours.
Tests will be conducted at the mobile labs for Rs 499, said Mumbai municipal commissioner I S Chahal who was present on the occasion. – PTI
Vaccine
AstraZeneca working to adapt vaccine to new strains
AstraZeneca said on Thursday it’s working with the University of Oxford to adapt its COVID-19 vaccine to protect against new strains of the virus as public health officials raise concerns about mutations that may make the virus more resistant to existing vaccines.
The Anglo-Swedish drugmaker worked with Oxford to develop one of the first COVID-19 vaccines authorized for widespread use. AstraZeneca said it hopes to cut the time needed to produce large amounts of any new vaccine to between six and nine months.
The comments came as Astra-Zeneca said fourth-quarter net income rose to $ 1.01 billion from $ 313 million in the same quarter a year earlier. Drug sales increased 11 % to $ 7.41 billion, driven by a 24 % increase in cancer treatments. – AP
Maharahtra
RT-PCR test must for travellers from Kerala
The Maharashtra government has made RT-PCR test mandatory for travellers from Kerala, which has been reporting a high number of COVID-19 cases, to check the spread of the viral infection in the western state, an official said on Thursday.
Kerala’s active cases touched 64,390 on Wednesday, the highest in the country.
The southern state also reported 5,980 fresh COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, as per official figures.
The decision of compulsory RT-PCR test for travellers from Kerala has come into effect from Wednesday, Maharashtra’s secretary for relief and rehabilitation (additional charge), Anoop Kumar, told PTI.
Kerala has been reporting a high number of COVID-19 cases and its active cases are as high as 64,000, he noted.
“As a precautionary measure, the Maharashtra government has decided to make the RT-PCR test mandatory for travellers from Kerala,” the official said.
The test has to be done 72 hours before the commencement of travel, he added.
Similar tests have been already made mandatory for travellers from Delhi, Goa, Gujarat and Rajasthan since November last year.
National
India records 12,923 fresh cases, 108 more fatalities
India’s COVID-19 tally has climbed to 1,08,71,294 with 12,923 fresh cases reported in a day, while the number of recoveries has surged to 1,05,73,372, the health ministry said on Thursday.
The death toll in the country due to the viral disease has gone up to 1,55,360 with 108 more people succumbing to it, according to the ministry’s data updated at 8 am.
The number of people who have recuperated from the disease has surged to 1,05,73,372, which translates to a national COVID-19 recovery rate of 97.26 per cent, while the case fatality rate stands at 1.43 per cent.
The country currently has 1,42,562 active COVID-19 cases, which account for only 1.31 per cent of its total caseload, the data stated.
Delhi
Delhi to add 82 more vaccination sites today
The Delhi government on Wednesday said it will add 82 more vaccination sites across the city from Thursday, taking the total to 265.
The announcement came on a day when a total of 14,743 beneficiaries — healthcare and front-line workers — took the COVID-19 vaccination in a single day, the highest so far. There were seven Adverse Events Following Immunisation (AEFI), said a government spokesperson.
National
Threat of second wave of COVID-19 still exists: Experts
Although there has been a marked slowdown in the new COVID-19 cases reported daily, experts say it is too early to heave a sigh of relief. The threat of a second wave still persists and the next four weeks are crucial, they say.
While a second wave was expected in January, Karnataka has so far not seen a new outbreak. But, this does not mean that there will not be another surge in cases.
Andhra Pradesh
Kanaka Durga temple manages to tide over COVID crisis
Sri Durga Malleswara Swamyvarla Devasthanam, also known as Kanaka Durga temple, here is not immune to ‘COVID-19 impact.’ But, the temple administration, apparently, managed to escape from it. The temple administration has managed to deposit ₹4 crore as a fixed deposit despite steep fall in revenues.
According to information, Kanaka Durga temple revenues plummeted to mere ₹45.90 crore (from April to December 2020) compared to ₹122.88 crore during the corresponding period in 2019 financial year. The temple witnessed the ‘worst phase’ of the pandemic in June last. The temple received just ₹64 lakh, which was the lowest income of any month in 2020. It was not even one tenth of last financial year’s corresponding month income of ₹10.70 crore.
Tamil Nadu
Vaccination for health staff to come to a close on Feb. 22
Vaccination against COVID-19 for healthcare workers will come to a close on February 22, after which they will be moved to the general public category and will be relegated to the age-appropriate group in it.
The COVID-19 vaccination drive was launched in the State on January 16 with two vaccines — Covishield and Covaxin.
Telangana
Vaccine for 50-plus, those with co-morbidities in March
People in Telangana who are aged above 50 years and those below 50 years with co-morbidities would receive COVID-19 vaccine next month. “Vaccination for people above 50 years, and those below 50 years with co-morbidities will begin from March first or second week,” said Director of Public Health G. Srinivasa Rao.
(With inputs from our Correspondents and agencies)
