advertisement
India's "Oxygen Express" train made its first run on Thursday, 22 April, from Rashtriya Ispat Nigam (RINL) in Visakhapatnam to Maharashtra.
Meawhile, Delhi, on Thursday, reported 306 deaths due to COVID-19 - the highest number of single day fatalities. Delhi also recorded over 26,000 cases during the same period. With this, the positivity rate has risen to 36.24 per cent.
India on Thursday, reported 3,14,835 fresh COVID-19 cases – the highest one-day spike so far and also the world’s biggest daily spike.
As many as 2,104 COVID fatalities and 1,78,841 discharges in 24 hours were recorded, as per the Union Health Ministry. The total case tally has now reached 1,59,30,965 with 22,91,428 active patients and 1,84,657 deaths. The total number of recoveries, meanwhile, stands at 1,34,54,880.
The same day, Maharashtra announced a series of stricter restrictions to combat the alarming surge in COVID cases. These curbs will come into effect from 8 pm on Thursday and will remain in force till 7 am on 1 May.
Amid the COVID surge in Uttar Pradesh, its capital Lucknow is now reportedly facing a shortage of oxygen cylinders. Notices have been put up in at least two hospitals declaring the lack of medical oxygen and patients have been asked to visit other centres.
1,710 doses of COVID-19 vaccine, including 1,270 of Covishield and 440 of Covaxin have been stolen from PPC centre at Civil Hospital in Jind. Some files have been stolen as well.
The police is probing the matter.
Saroj Hospital on Thursday moved Delhi HC seeking immediate supply of oxygen to treat seriously ill COVID-19 patients. The matter will be heard at 3 pm.
Haryana Minister Anil Vij announced on Thursday that all shops will remain closed from 6 pm onward in Haryana from tomorrow. All non-essential gatherings are banned, anybody holding any function within the prescribed limit will have to seek permission from the concerned Sub-Divisional Magistrate.
As polling continues in North 24 Parganas’ Khardaha constituency, TMC candidate Kajal Sinha has tested positive for COVID-19. He has been admitted to the Beleghata ID hospital and is presently in ICU.
The Ministry of Home Affairs released an order stating that no restriction shall be imposed on the inter-state movement of Medical Oxygen.
Bihar Health Minister Mangal Pandey announced on Thursday that availability of oxygen and Remdesivir have been increased.
He said, “We are also increasing beds in hospitals. We are doing more testing at bus stands and railway stations. Our aim is to protect our frontline workers.”
Taking to Twitter DCW Chiarperson Swati Maliwal, shared that her grandfather passed away “waiting for emergency support in front of Sharda Hospital Greater Noida”.
“Some devotees who came back from Pakistan after celebrating Baisakhi have tested positive for COVID. As per health department's instructions, all of them will be quarantined,” Bibi Jagir Kaur, president, SGPC informed, as per ANI
To review the oxygen supply situation in the country, Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired a meeting on Thursday to discuss ways to boost its availability. Officials briefed him on efforts undertaken in last few weeks.
Uttarakhand Governor Baby Rani Maurya on Thursday, 22 April, called Director of AIIMS, Rishikesh and District Magistrate, Dehradun to take stock of the COVID-19 situation, reported ANI, citing the Raj Bhawan.
Raj Bhawan further informed that the AIIMS director said all ICU beds are occupied in the hospital. DM, Dehradun said there is no shortage of O2 in the district.
With ever increasing need for medical oxygen, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik speaks to PM Narendra Modi extending all necessary cooperation including ramping up oxygen production to help out states that urgently require it, reported PTI.
Earlier, in the day even Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal thanked Naveen Patnaik for assuring complete support to Delhi in facilitating lifting of Delhi’s quota of oxygen from Orissa
Uttarakhand on Thursday reported 3,998 new COVID-19 cases and 19 deaths. Total case tally rises to 1,38,010.
In view of the rising COVID-19 cases in Uttarakhand, all offices in the state, except those for essential services, will be closed for three days from 24 till 26 April.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will review the COVID-19 situation in an internal meeting, tomorrow at 9 am. After which, at 10 am, he will interact with the Chief Ministers of high burden states. At 12:30 pm, a virtual meeting with leading oxygen manufacturers in the country will be held.
In a statement, self-styled godman Nithyananda announced that devotees from India would not be allowed to enter his island ‘Kailasa’. In the statement, Nithyananda said that it was not just Indians but also travellers from Brazil, European Union and Malaysia who were banned from entering the island. The decision was made in view of the rising COVID-19 cases across the world.
Ministry of Home Affairs announced on Thursday that an adequate number of medical officers and para-medical staff will be provided to manage 500 oxygenated beds in Sardar Patel COVID centre in Delhi’s Chhattarpur.
Director General of ITBP, Surjeet Singh Deswal said that they will start operations as soon as the Delhi government will be ready and provide the officers with complete infrastructure.
Serum Institute of India (SII) has not contracted all its production of COVID Vaccine to the Centre till 25 May, the Government, informed in a circular.
Further, SII said that the State Governments are free to procure COVID vaccine doses from the vaccine manufacturers as per the Liberalised Pricing and Accelerated National Covid-19 Vaccination Strategy.
The Haryana government on Thursday announced several restrictions to control the spread of coronavirus, including closure of shops by 6 pm and a ban on all non-essential gatherings.
Taking to Twitter, Haryana Health Minister Anil Vij said:
Free vaccination will be provided to all above the age of 18 years after 5 May: Trinamool Congress (TMC) has quoted West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee as saying.
Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) and Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) have granted conditional exemption to Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) for conducting feasibility study of COVID-19 vaccine delivery using drones in collaboration with IIT Kanpur.
Amid rising COVID19 cases, Kathmandu's Pashupatinath Temple to remain closed from Thursday, 22 April, until further notice, reported ANI, citing the temple's statement.
Around 1,500 personnel of Delhi Police force have tested positive so far amid the prevailing second wave of COVID-19, reported ANI, citing Delhi Police.
“The arrangement of makeshift COVID Hospital in Delhi's Radha Soami Satsang Beas (RSSB) is in full swing. As per the orders of DM south, beds will be available at the earliest”, said Vivek, in-charge, Civil defence at RSSB, Bhati Mines, as per ANI.
Maharashtra has reported 67,013 new COVID-19 cases, 62,298 recoveries and 568 deaths in the last 24 hours.
Total cases: 40,94,840
Active cases: 6,99,858
Total recoveries: 33,30,747
Gujarat has reported 13,105 fresh COVID cases, 5,010 recoveries, and 137 deaths in the last 24 hours
Total cases: 4,53,836
Active cases: 92,084
Total recoveries: 3,55,875
Death toll: 5,877
Kerala reports 26,995 new COVID19 cases, 28 deaths in last 24 hours; total active cases: 1,56,266
The UAE has banned travel from India for 10 days from Sunday amid the worsening COVID-19 situation in the country, the Gulf News reported.. Further, passengers who have transited through India in the last 14 days are also, as per the report, not permitted to board from any other point to the UAE.
Roll On Roll Off (RORO) Oxygen Express with loaded seven tankers will leave from a steel plant in Vizag for Maharashtra shortly.
Punjab reports 5,456 fresh COVID-19 cases, 3,657 discharges, and 76 deaths
Total cases: 3,19,719
Total cured cases: 2,70,946
Active cases: 40,584
Death toll: 8,189
Jiytender Khatkar, DSP, Jind (Haryana) has informed ANI that at approximately 12:30 pm, an unidentified man came to a tea stall and gave a bag to an old man.
1,710 stolen doses of Covid vaccines were reportedly recovered from the bag.
“The probe is underway. No arrest has been made yet,” DSP Jind said.
Pune district reports 9,841 fresh COVID19 cases, 115 fatalities and 9,186 recoveries in the last 24 hours.
Active cases: 1,01,916
Total cases: 7,63,194
Total recoveries: 6,49,565
Death toll: 11,882
Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar, on Thursday, 22 April, said:
“For last two days, we're facing problems with oxygen supply. 162 MT O2 has been assured to Haryana. 12 stations will supply 480 MT O2 to Delhi. We've started building two temporary hospitals. Supply centres are requested to give O2 as per the allocation.”
Delhi has reported 26,169 new COVID-19 cases, 306 deaths and 19,609 recoveries in the last 24 hours
Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla has written to all states and UT on seamless supply and transport of Remdesivir, asking authorities to personally monitor.
Col Aman Anand, PRO, Indian Army, has informed ANI that the Army will add 400 beds over next one week to its exclusive COVID19 facility at Base Hospital in Delhi Cantonment.
“It has created an additional 250 bedded COVID Care facility in Cantt for serving personnel,” Col Anand further said.
“More than 1,900 police personnel had tested positive for COVID-19 during the first wave. Now that the entire police force (25,000) has received both jabs of vaccine, only 300 have tested positive for the virus so far in the second wave,” Uttarakhand DGP Ashok Kumar was quoted as saying by ANI.
Delhi, on Thursday, 22 April, reported 306 deaths due to COVID-19 - the highest number of single day fatalities. Delhi also recorded over 26,000 cases during the same period. With this, the positivity rate has risen to 36.24 per cent.
India's "Oxygen Express" train made its first run on Thursday, 22 April, from Rashtriya Ispat Nigam (RINL) in Visakhapatnam to Maharashtra.
"Seven empty tankers from...Maharashtra reached Rashtriya Ispat Nigam, Visakhapatnam, early morning today. Liquid medical oxygen (LMO) has been filled in the tankers since morning," the railways said in a statement.
(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)