Covid-19 top developments: Complete lockdown in West Bengal; PM Modi, health minister hold meetings | India News
As India’s health infrastructure reels under the second wave of Covid-19, several states have imposed lockdowns to arrest the spread. Here are the top developments:
Recoveries outnumber new Covid cases; active cases down by 31,091
For the fourth time in the last five days, India’s daily Covid-19 recoveries outnumbered new cases, taking the total recoveries to 2,04,32,898, the Union health ministry said on Saturday. The number of people who recovered from the infection in the last 24 hours was 3,53,299, while the number of new cases recorded in the same period was 3,26,098, according to ministry data updated at 8 am. The national recovery rate stands at 83.83 per cent, it said.
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For the fourth time in the last five days, India’s daily Covid-19 recoveries outnumbered new cases, taking the total recoveries to 2,04,32,898, the Union health ministry said on Saturday. The number of people who recovered from the infection in the last 24 hours was 3,53,299, while the number of new
West Bengal government announces complete lockdown till May 30
West Bengal chief secretary announces additional restrictions in view of the surge in Covid cases in the state starting from Saturday till May 30. Some of the highlights of the restrictions announced so far are:
- All private offices, schools, colleges will remain closed.
- Bazaars, markets, shops selling vegetables, fruits, milk, bread only remain open from 7-10 am.
- Sweets shops to remain open between 10 am to 5 pm.
- Local trains, metro services, interstate bus/train services, inland waterways to remain closed.
- All political, cultural and religious assemblies are banned.
- All industries apart from essential commodities and Covid-related products will be restricted.
- Intra-state goods trucks movement restricted except for essential supplies.
- Private cars, taxis, auto movement to be restricted unless travelling to and from hospitals, diagnostic centres, etc.
- Banks will be functional from 10 am to 2 pm.
- Marriage functions allowed with only 50 people.
- Funeral to be allowed with a maximum of 20 people.
- Tea gardens have been kept outside the purview of the restrictions but with only a 50 per cent workforce.
- All outdoor activities between 9 pm to 5 am including the movement of the public will be prohibited apart from essential services.
- If these guidelines are not followed, then cases of the Disaster Management Act will be given.
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PM Modi reviews Covid situation, vaccination drive
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday chaired a high-level meeting on the Covid-19 situation and the ongoing vaccination drive. Government sources said top officials from different ministries attended the meeting. Modi has been holding regular review meetings on the pandemic situation and taking measures as he spearheads the drive to curb the second wave of a surge in infections.
Harsh Vardhan to hold video meet with 4 CMs on Covid
Union health minister Harsh Vardhan will be holding a meeting with health ministers of Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat on the Covid-19 situation and progress on the vaccination drive in these states around 3 pm on Saturday.
At 3 PM today, I’ll be holding a VC with Health Ministers of #UttarPradesh, #AndhraPradesh, #MadhyaPradesh &… https://t.co/APsj2ZBG2w
— Dr Harsh Vardhan (@drharshvardhan) 1621054574000
Uttar Pradesh is on top with 13,85,855 Covid cases reported so far in the state followed by Andhra Pradesh (11,75,843), Gujarat (6,09,031) and Madhya Pradesh (6,05,423).
The health minister will hold the meeting hours after attending a high-level virtual meeting on the Covid-19 situation in the country chaired by PM Modi.
Corona’s impact is going down in Delhi: Arvind Kejriwal
The national capital reported a significant drop in Covid-19 cases with just 6,500 new cases in the last 24 hours, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal informed on Saturday.
While addressing a press conference here, he said Delhi’s positivity rate had also dipped to 11 per cent. “Corona’s impact is going down in Delhi. 1,000 ICU beds have been set up within 15 days, our doctors and engineers have set an example. I thank them,” he said.
In the last week, new cases in Delhi have remained below the 20,000 mark with CM Arvind Kejriwal saying that Delhi’s positivity rate had also dipped to 11 per cent.
Cases in Delhi have been steadily declining over the past week. The ongoing wave peaked on April 21 last month, when nearly 28,395 fresh cases we reported in 24 hours.
In the last week, new cases have remained below the 20,000 mark. Delhi has been under a lockdown since April 19 in view of surge in Covid-19 infections. The lockdown has been extended till May 17.
Haryana declares black fungus as notified disease
Mucormycosis aka black fungus has been declared as a notified disease in Haryana. Now doctors will report to the CMOs of the districts when a black fungus case is detected. The senior doctors of the Postgraduate Institute Rohtak will conduct a video conference with all doctors who have been handling corona cases and will talk about its treatment, said Haryana home minister Anil Vij.
India remains hugely concerning: WHO
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, World Health Organisation (WHO) director-general said in a press briefing said that India remains hugely concerning, with several states continuing to see a worrying number of cases, hospitalizations and deaths.
WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesussaid that the second year of the Covid-19 pandemic is set to be far more deadly than the first.
Tedros said that WHO is responding and has shipped thousands of oxygen concentrators, tents for mobile field hospitals, masks and other medical supplies. “And we thank all the stakeholders who are supporting India,” he said.
However, it’s not only India that has emergency needs, he said. Nepal, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand and Egypt are just some of the countries that are dealing with spikes in cases and hospitalizations.
(With inputs from agencies)
