Maharashtra, Delhi Report Highest Ever Rise in COVID-19 Cases
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Maharashtra and Delhi recorded their highest ever single-day surge in COVID-19 cases on Sunday, as per government data.
While Delhi reported 25,462 cases and 161 deaths in the last 24 hours, Maharashtra logged 68,631 infections and 503 fatalities.
Meanwhile, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has written to PM Narendra Modi requesting supply of 5.4 crores more vaccine doses, steady supply of Remdesivir and Tocilizumab medicines and supply of oxygen as soon as possible.
Former Prime Minister of India, Dr Manmohan Singh also wrote to PM Modi suggesting measures to tackle the COVID-19 surge across India.
India reported 2,61,500 fresh COVID cases in the last 24 hours – the highest single-day spike ever – pushing the country’s overall COVID tally to 1,47,88,109, according to the Health Ministry data released on Sunday.
A total of 1,493 deaths were reported in the last 24 hours.
India’s total active caseload has reached 16,79,740.
Several states have already imposed curfews and movement restrictions.
The cumulative number of COVID-19 vaccine doses administered in the country touched 12.25 crores.
Night Curfew in Tamil Nadu, Starting 20 April
The Tamil Nadu government, noting a spike in COVID-19 cases, on Sunday announced a statewide night curfew and complete lockdown on Sundays across the state.
The night curfew will come into effect from10 pm to 4 am starting 20 April. Sunday curfew will be implemented from next Sunday.
Delhi Reports 25,462 New COVID Cases
Delhi, on Sunday, reported 25,462 fresh COVID cases (positivity rate - 29.74%), 20,159 recoveries, and 161 deaths in the last 24 hours.
Active cases: 74,941
Total recoveries: 7,66,398
Death toll: 12,121
Case Registered Against Delhi Hospital For Discrepancy in Hospital Bed Data
A case was registered against Mata Chanan Devi Hospital based in Janak Puri, Delhi after the hospital officials told a team of govt officers that no bed was available for COVID-patients but showed 93 beds as available on Delhi COVID patient portal, reported ANI, citing Delhi Police.
Maharashtra Reports 68,631 Fresh COVID Cases
Maharashtra, on Sunday, reported 68,631 fresh COVID cases, 45,654 discharges, and 503 deaths in the last 24 hours.
Active cases: 6,70,388
Total discharges: 31,06,828
Death toll: 60,473
Siliguri Metropolitan Police Commissioner Devendra Pratap Singh Test COVID Positive
Siliguri Metropolitan Police Commissioner Devendra Pratap Singh tested positive for COVID-19, reported ANI. He is presently in home isolation.
Karnataka Reports 19,067 New COVID Cases
Karnataka reports 19,067 new COVID-19 cases, 4,603 discharges and 81 deaths.
Total positive cases: 11,61,065
Total discharges: 10,14,152
Total deaths: 13,351
Active cases: 1,33,543
Kerala Reports 18.257 New COVID Cases
Kerala reports 18,257 new COVID19 cases, 4565 recoveries, and 25 death.
Death toll stands at 4929 while 11,40,486 patients have recovered, so far.
Union Health Ministry Asks States to Ensure Movement Curbs Don't Hurt Vaccination Drive
Union Health Ministry has written to States/UTs to ensure that the movement restriction imposed by them for COVID-19 control does not adversely impact the Vaccination exercise, by restricting access of beneficiaries to the COVID vaccination centres, reported ANI.
Railway Board Accepts Maha Govt's Request for Transportation of Liquid Medical Oxygen
Railway Board accepts a request by Maharashtra government for transportation of liquid medical oxygen on cryogenic tankers
Deputy CM Manish Sisodia Visits DRDO's Upcoming COVID Hospital
Delhi Deputy CM Manish Sisodia visits DRDO's upcoming COVID hospital near the airport. DRDO set up this facility within five days, informed the Delhi Government.
The Delhi Government, further, as per ANI said: “With this center, 250 ICU beds with ventilators will be added for critically ill patients from tomorrow.”
Railways Getting Ready to Transfer Liquid Medical Oxygen: Govt
Indian Railways is getting fully ready to transport Liquid Medical Oxygen (LMO) and Oxygen Cylinders across the key Corridors, informed the ministry of railways.
Green Corridor are also being created for fast movement of Oxygen Express Trains, said the ministry.
After completion of technical trials, empty tankers will be moved from Kalamboli/Boisar, Railway stations in and near Mumbai, and sent to Vizag and Jamshedpur/Rourkela/Bokaro, for loading of liquid medical oxygen tankers
Northern Railways' 463 COVID Isolation Coaches Available on Demand From States: GM Gangal
Northern Railways has 463 COVID isolation coaches across its network. They're available on demand from states, reported PTI, citing GM Ashutosh Gangal.
Furthet the GM said: “Won't charge anything from states for COVID isolation coaches. Health ministry guidelines have no provision for levying fee.”
WB CM Writes to PM Modi For More Vaccine Doses, Medicines, Oxygen
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has written to PM Narendra Modi requesting supply of 5.4 crores more vaccine doses, steady supply of Remdesivir and Tocilizumab medicines and supply of oxygen as soon as possible.
Delhi Govt Advises Hospitals Providing COVID Treatment to Reserve At Least 80% ICU, Ward Beds For COVID Patients
Delhi government has directed nursing homes/private hospital providing COVID treatment to reserve at least 80% of ICU and ward beds for COVID patients and display revised bed capacity on COVID data management portal.
Ex Haryana CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda, Wife Test COVID Positive
Former Haryana CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda has said that he and his wife have tested positive for COVID-19. They have, as per ANI, been admitted to Medanta hospital.
"Currently, all our parameters are normal," Hooda said.
Former PM Dr Manmohan Singh Writes to PM Narendra Modi on COVID Management
Former Prime Minister of India, Dr Manmohan Singh on Sunday, 18 April wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, suggesting measures to tackle the COVID-19 surge across India.
"The key to our fight against COVID19 must be ramping up the vaccination effort. We must resist the temptation to look at the absolute numbers being vaccinated, and focus instead on the percentage of the population vaccinated," he wrote.
Will Not Hold Any Major Rally: TMC's Bhawanipur Candidate
State minister and candidate for the prized Bhawanipur seat Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay said on Sunday that he, too, would desist from organising any major rally in view of the increasing COVID-19 cases.
Delhi CM Kejriwal Writes to PM Modi for Help
Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal wrote to PM Modi on Sunday about the COVID-19 situation in Delhi and asked for further assistance. He reiterated his requests from earlier in the day and appealed for more hospital beds.
“There are 10,000 beds in Delhi, including that of the central government out of which, 1,800 beds are currently reserved for COVID-19. I request the Centre to allot 7,000 of 10,000 beds in view of severe rise COVID-19 cases,” the CM wrote.
He also requested PM Modi to increase the ICU beds in the DRDO facility to 1,000 instead of 500.
PM Modi Reiterates Importance of Masks, Urges 'Do Gaj Doori' in Review Meeting
PM Modi urged people to ensure 'do gaj ki doori' (social distancing) and reiterated the importance of wearing masks in our fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. He made the statement while chairing a meeting with top officials, local administration and doctors about the COVID-19 situation in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh.
Delhi HC to Take Up "Extremely Urgent Matters" Filed in 2021
In view of an upsurge in COVID-19 cases in the NCT of Delhi, Delhi High Court, with effect from 19 April, will take up extremely urgent matters filed in the year 2021 only, the court informed through an office order.
Coronavirus Positivity Rate Doubled to 16.69% in Just 12 days: Centre
The daily coronavirus positivity rate in India has doubled to 16.69 percent from 8 percent in just the last 12 days, while the weekly positivity rate has increased to 13.54 percent in the past month, the Health Ministry said on Sunday.
GoI Writes to Central Ministries, its PSUs for Hospital Beds
The government of India wrote to all Central Ministries and the PSUs under them on Sunday and asked them to dedicate their hospital beds for COVID-19 Management in States/UTs.
“These Hospitals/Blocks should have separate entry and exit points for the management of COVID19 cases, to provide treatment services including specialised care for the confirmed COVID19 cases,” the letter from health secretary Rajesh Bhushan said.
Details of such dedicated hospitals/blocks to be also provided to the public, the order said.
Railways Converted its Coaches Into COVID-19 Care Coaches
The Indian Railways has converted its coaches into COVID-care coaches, ANI reported. At present, 4,002 converted coaches are available with Railways in its 16 zones and can be made available for the state governments on request, the report added.
Around 25,000 COVID-19 Cases Reported in Delhi in Last 24 hours: CM
Chief Minister of Delhi Arvind Kejriwal said on Sunday that the state had reported around 25,000 cases in the last 24 hours taking the positivity rate to above 30 percent.
“There are 10,000 beds in Delhi, including that of the central government out of which, 1,800 beds are currently reserved for COVID-19. I request the Centre to allot 7,000 of 10,000 beds in view of severe rise COVID-19 cases,” the CM said.
Less than 100 ICU beds are vacant in Delhi hospitals now and the situation worsening every moment, the CM added.
“We will add over 6,000 high-flow oxygen beds will in the next 2-3 days at Yamuna Sports Complex. Commonwealth Games Village and some schools too will be turned into COVID centres and the COVID facility at Radha Soami Satsang Beas will be reopened,” he said.
Ladakh Records Highest Single-Day Spike in 2021
Ladakh recorded 362 fresh cases, its highest single-day spike in 2021 which took the tally to 12,071 while a fresh coronavirus death pushed the toll to 133 in the Union Territory.
Rahul Gandhi Cancels All Rallies in West Bengal
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday, 18 April, announced that he will be suspending all his political rallies in West Bengal because of the rise in COVID-19 cases in the state and the country.
“In view of the COVID situation, I am suspending all my public rallies in West Bengal. I would advise all political leaders to think deeply about the consequences of holding large public rallies under the current circumstances,” Gandhi said on Twitter.
April Session for JEE-Mains 2021 Postponed
Engineering entrance exam JEE-Mains that was scheduled from 27 April to 30 April has been postponed due to the recent surge in COVID-19 cases, education Minister Dr Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank announced on Sunday.
The dates of JEE (Main) – 2021 April session will be announced later on and at least 15 days before the examination, he said.
Yogi Govt to Slap NSA Against 3 Remdesivir Hoarders
The Yogi Adityanath government has decided to invoke the provisions of the stringent National Security Act (NSA) against three persons who were arrested in Kanpur, carrying 265 Remdesivir injection vials.
Police commissioner Asim Arun said that no illegal activity would be tolerated in this time of crisis and would invite the strictest punishment.
"It is a crime against humanity and we will invoke NSA against the three persons arrested with Remdesivir injections on Thursday," he said.
Telangana Reports 5,093 New Cases on Sunday
Telangana on Sunday, 18 April reported 5,093 new cases, 1,555 recoveries and 15 deaths.
Uttarakhand State Board Exams for Class 10 Cancelled
Uttarakhand Education Minister Arvind Pandey on Sunday said that in view of rising COVID19 cases, state board examinations for Class 10 have been cancelled and that for Class 12 have been deferred, ANI reported.
Remdesivir Production Doubled: Health Minister Assures Support to States
Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan on Sunday said that the ministry had decided to double the production and supply of Remdesivir and will be providing all possible support to all states to fight COVID-19.
The health minister said that temporary hospitals will be set up to increase the number of ICU beds. He said that additional ventilators will be provided by GoI to the states of Maharashtra, UP, Jharkhand, Gujarat, MP and Chhattisgarh. COVID-19 vaccine supplies of small states will be replenished every seven days and that for bigger states will be done every four days.
He also said that the production of Covaxin will be increased 10 time by September 2021.
Actors Arjun Rampal, Neil Nitin Mukesh Test Positive for COVID-19
Bollywood actors Arjun Rampal and Neil Nitin Mukesh are the latest celebrities to have tested positive for COVID-19. The actors revealed the news on their social media handles and said that they were under home quarantine.
PM Modi to Chair a Review Meeting at 11 AM for Varanasi, UP
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will chair a meeting at 11 am to review the COVID-19 situation in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, PMO said. The meeting will be attended by top officials, local administration and doctors who are involved in fighting COVID in Varanasi.
Kumbh Returnees in Delhi Told to Quarantine at Home for 14 days
All Delhi residents who will be returning from the Kumbh Mela in Haridwar have been asked to mandatorily quarantine for 14 days by the Delhi government. The order said, “All Delhi residents, who visited Haridwar's Kumbh from 4 April till today or will be travelling today up till 30 April, are required to upload details (viz name, address in Delhi, contact number, ID proof, date of departure from Delhi & arrival here) on the link at Delhi government portal.”
DRDO to Reopen COVID-19 Facility Near Delhi Airport
With COVID-19 cases rising rapidly in Delhi, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has decided to reopen a medical facility near the Delhi airport. The facility will start operations with 250 beds by Monday.
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