Coronavirus India Updates: Over 2.7 Lakh New Cases As India Expands Vaccination Drive
Track all the news and developments around the second Covid wave in India here.
India will open up Covid-19 vaccinations to everyone above 18 years of age from May 1 as it looks to expand its inoculation drive amid a deadly second wave of the pandemic.
Under the third phase of vaccination, manufacturers will supply 50% of their monthly doses to the central government. They will be free to sell the rest to states and in the open market at pre-declared rates.
- Private hospitals will have to procure their supply exclusively from the 50% that has been set aside for the central government.
- Private vaccine providers will also have to declare their self-set rates.
- Vaccinations at government-specified centres will continue to be free of cost for healthcare workers, frontline workers and those above 45 years of age.
- Government will incetivise manufacturers to ramp-up production and invite more foreign and domestic vaccine producers.
India has vaccinated over 10 crore people in the three months since starting its inoculation drive. It plans to cover about 25 crore people by July.
Lockdown Announced In Delhi
Delhi government will impose a complete lockdown from 10 p.m. tonight to 6 a.m. on April 26 to prevent the collapse of the healthcare system.
“Delhi’s health system has been stretched to its limit, is under stress. Harsh measures will have to be taken to prevent a collapse of the health system,” Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said in a statement.
In the last 24 hours, Delhi reported around 23,500 cases, with a daily infection rate of 25,000 in the past 3-4 days.
“If 25,000 patients come every day, then the system will crumble, there's a shortage of beds,” Kejriwal said.
I don’t say that the system has collapsed but it has reached its limits.Arvind Kejriwal, Delhi Chief Minister
Essential services, food and medical services will continue to operate in the national capital. Weddings can be held with a gathering of up to 50 people, passes will be issued separately for the same.
The Delhi government will use the next six days to arrange for more beds, procure oxygen and medicines, the Chief Minister said, requesting everyone to follow the guidelines.
Kejriwal also appealed to the migrant labourers to stay put. “It's a small lockdown. Don't leave Delhi and go. I'm very hopeful that we won't need to further extend it. Government will take care of you."
A detailed order is expected shortly.
(Source: ANI)
India continued to report record number of new coronavirus cases, even as state governments ramp up restrictions amid shortage of hospital beds, critical drugs and oxygen supplies.
Nearly 2.74 lakh people tested positive for the infection in the last 24 hours, according to the Health Ministry's update at 8:00 a.m on April 19. India's total Covid-19 caseload rose to 1.5 crore, while the number of active cases surged past the 19-lakh-mark to a new record.
India has now reported more than 2 lakh daily cases for five days in a row.
Key Figures
- Total number of confirmed cases: 1,50,61,919
- Active cases: 19,29,329
- Total cured/discharged/migrated: 1,29,53,821
- Total deaths: 1,78,769
- New infections in 24 hours: 2,73,810
- Recoveries in a day: 1,44,178
- Deaths in a single day: 1,619
The number of coronavirus-linked deaths is the highest India has reported since June 17, when the single-day death toll hit 2,003 after some states reported reconciled mortality data.