· India’s Cumulative Vaccination Coverage exceeds13.23 Crore · More than 22 Lakh Vaccine Doses administered in the last 24 hours · 5 States account for 60% of India’s total Active Caseload · More than 1.78 Lakh Recoveries in the last 24 hours · Oxygen Expresses getting prepared to leave with Liquid Medical Oxygen (LMO) from Visakhapatnam and Bokaro today for Maharashtra and UP respectively.

 

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PRESS INFORMATION BUREAU

MINISTRY OF INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

 

 

 

 

 

India’s Cumulative Vaccination Coverage exceeds 13.23 Crore; More than 22 Lakh Vaccine Doses administered in the last 24 hours

 

The cumulative number of COVID19 vaccine doses administered in the country hascrossed13.23 Cr today as part of the world’s largest vaccination drive.Cumulatively, 13,23,30,644vaccine doses have been administered through 19,28,118 sessions, as per the provisional report till 7 am today.These include 92,19,544HCWs who have taken the 1st dose and 58,52,071HCWs who have taken the 2nd dose.

As on Day-96 of the vaccination drive (21^st April, 2021), 22,11,334vaccine doses were given.15,01,704 beneficiaries were vaccinated across 35,499 sessions for 1^st dose and 7,09,630 beneficiaries received 2^nd dose of vaccine.

3,14,835new cases were registered in the last 24 hours.Ten States including Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Karnataka,Kerala,Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Gujarat andRajasthan reported  75.66% of the new cases.Maharashtra has reported the highest daily new cases at 67,468. It is followed by Uttar Pradesh with 33,106 while Delhi reported 24,638 new cases.

India’s total Active Caseload has reached 22,91,428. It now comprises 14.38% of the country's total Positive Cases. A net incline of 1,33,890 cases recorded from the total active caseload in the last 24 hours.The five States of Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka and Kerala cumulatively account for 59.99% of India’s total Active Cases.

India’s cumulative recoveries stand at 1,34,54,880 today. The National Recovery Rate is 84.46%.1,78,841 recoveries were registered in the last 24 hours.

The National Mortality Rate has been falling and currently stands at 1.16%.2,104 deaths were reported in the last 24 hours.

Nine States/UTs have not reported any COVID19 deaths in the last 24 hours. These are Ladakh (UT), D&D & D&N, Tripura, Sikkim, Mizoram, Lakshadweep, Nagaland, A&N Islands and Arunachal Pradesh.

For details: https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1713356

 

PM holds a high level meeting on oxygen supply and availability
 

PM NarendraModi chaired a high-level meeting to review the oxygen supply across the country and discuss ways and means to boost its availability. The officials briefed him on the efforts undertaken in the last few weeks to improve the supply of oxygen.

PM spoke about the need to work rapidly on multiple aspects: increasing production of oxygen, increasing the speed of distribution & using innovative ways to provide oxygen support to health facilities.

PM was informed that an elaborate exercise is being done in co-ordination with the states to identify their demand for oxygen and ensure adequate supply accordingly. PM was briefed on how oxygen supply to states is steadily increasing. Against the present demand from 20 states of 6,785 MT/ day of Liquid Medical Oxygen, Government of India has from 21st April, allocated 6,822 MT/ day to these states.

It was noted that in the last few days, availability of Liquid Medical Oxygen has been increased by about 3,300 MT/ day with contributions from private and public steel plants, industries, oxygen manufacturers as well as through prohibition of supply of oxygen for non-essential industries.

Officers informed the PM that they are working together with the states to operationalize the sanctioned PSA oxygen plants as soon as possible.

PM directed the officials to ensure that oxygen supply to various states happen in a smooth, unhindered manner. He spoke about the need to fix responsibility with the local administration in cases of obstruction. He also asked ministries to explore various innovative ways to increase production & supply of oxygen.

For details:https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1713393

PM cancels West Bengal tour due to high-level meetings to review COVID-19 situation
 

The Prime Minister will chair high-level meetings to review the prevailing COVID-19 situation tomorrow.

ShriModi Tweeted "Tomorrow, will be chairing high-level meetings to review the prevailing COVID-19 situation. Due to that, I would not be going to West Bengal."

For details: https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1713420

 

Oxygen Expresses getting prepared to leave with Liquid Medical Oxygen (LMO) from Visakhapatnam and Bokaro today for Maharashtra and UP respectively
 

The Indian Railway is running Oxygen Express trains in response to its fight against Covid-19. The first Oxygen Express with Liquid Medical Oxygen(LMO) tankers is going to start its journey for Mumbai from Visakhapatnam tonight. Tankers filled with LMO at Visakhapatnam are being transported through Ro-Ro service of Indian Railways.

Another Oxygen Express started its journey from Lucknow to Bokaro via Varanasi to fulfil the requirements of Medical Oxygen in Uttar Pradesh. For the movement of the train, a green corridor was created between Lucknow to Varanasi. The distance of 270 Km was covered by the train in 4 hours 20 minutes with an average speed of 62.35 kmph.

Transportation of Oxygen through Trains is faster over long distances than road transport. Trains can run 24 hours in a day but a truck drivers need to take halts etc.

It may please be noted that to facilitate loading/unloading of tankers in/from flat wagons, a ramp is required. Also, due to restrictions of height of Road Over Bridges (ROBs) and Over Head Equipment (OHE) at certain locations, out of the various specifications of road tankers, the model of road tanker T 1618 with height of 3320 mm was found feasible to be placed on flat wagons (DBKM) with height of 1290 mm.

For details:https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1713395

 

Union Government allocates supply of Remdesivir to 19 States/UTs with High Burden of COVID cases

Various steps have been taken by Government of India to address the emerging issues for effective management of the recent unprecendented spike in COVID19 cases across various States and UTs. These pro-active measures taken by the Union Government under a ‘whole of government’ are also being regularly reviewed and monitored at the highest level.

The escalation of serious COVID19 patients in hospitals for effective clinical management has also resulted in anincrease in the demand of Remdesivir. While the States have been advised to promote judicious use of the drug which is listed as an Investigational Therapy by the Health Ministry, they have also been advised to take action against possible hoarding and black marketing of the drug.

Keeping in mind the sudden surge in demand in the country for Remdesivir Injection required for Covid-19 therapy, the manufacturing capacity of domestic Remdesivir manufacturers has been ramped up. All support is being extended to manufacturers by the government in this endeavour. The production capacity is being ramped up from current level of 38 lakh vials per month to 74 lakh vials per month, and 20 additional manufacturing sites have been approved. Export of Remdesivir has also been prohibited on 11th April,2021 in order to shore up domestic supplies.

To further address reports of shortages in certain regions of the country and facilitate smooth inter-state supply of Remdesivir, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in coordination with Department of Pharmaceuticals has made an interim allocation of Remdesivir for 19 States/UTs for the period up to 30th April, 2021.

For details: https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1713329

 

Finance Minister Smt. NirmalaSitharaman assures industry of Government’s support; Industry should wait & watch to assess the situation
 

Union Minister for Finance & Corporate Affairs Smt. NirmalaSitharaman, yesterday urged the industry to wait and watch for next few days to assess the situation amid the second wave of COVID-19 pandemic. The Finance Minister also assured the industry of full government support.

Addressing the FICCI National Executive Committee Members through virtual mode, Smt. Sitharaman said that with the Prime Minister’s address to the nation, along with the new vaccination guidelines and with the five-fold strategy adopted in handling the COVID-19 cases — i.e., test, track, treat, COVID-19 protocols and vaccination — there will be a sense of reassurance.

“With all these steps, we should hope to see a positive change in the way the second wave of COVID-19 pandemic is moving. Industry is watching out and I would want you (industry) to keenly observe what is going on and we are together with the industry in (fighting) this (pandemic). I am sure all of us together will understand how best to now ramp-up and sustain the growth momentum which all of us are keen to see between the last quarter and this quarter,” Smt. Sitharaman added.

Smt. Sitharaman further stated that sectors like hospitality, aviation, travel, tourism and hotels faced great difficulty since the start of COVID-19 pandemic. “We have extended the Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme (ECGLS 2.0) for these sectors and I will ensure the efficiency with which it was performing last year shall perform even for the aviation and tourism sector,” the Finance Minister said.

For details: https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1713304

 

INPUTS FROM PIB FIELD OFFICES

 

Maharashtra: In Maharashtra, according to the prison authorities, 246 inmates in 47 prisons across the state have contracted the virus. Stringent curbs will be imposed in the State from 8 PM tonight to contain the spread of Covid-19. The imposition of these restrictions comes at a time when Maharashtra recorded more than 67 thousand cases and 568 deaths on Wednesday. It is for the second time in less than a week the state has logged above 67 thousand cases of corona. Maharashtra health minister Rajesh Tope said that the state government is gradually heading towards imposing a stricter lockdown. He said non-essential inter-district movement of people will not be allowed under any circumstance.

Gujarat: In Gujarat, for the first time in Wednesday, more than 12 thousand new cases were reported and 121 people died. The number of active cases has increased to 76,500.Corona patients who have arrived in 108 ambulances outside the 1200 bed hospital of Ahmedabad Civil Hospital Campus have now started primary treatment even before they reach the hospital. The team of medical staff of the hospital has started taking care of such patients, in which oxygen to antibiotics are also started. It is named Treatment on Wheels.

Madhya Pradesh: About 3.32 crore 18-plus age group in the state will get free vaccine.Chief Minister ShivrajChauhan held a virtual cabinet meeting in which 14 Ministers were allocated state level responsibilities for controlling infection. He appealed to labour not to go out in search of employment, as state will provide all help including free ration.CM also announced that the public sector Bina Refinery in the state will provide oxygen to the state hospitals. The Refinery has also decided to set up a 1000 bed hospital there to overcome the oxygen transportation bottleneck. MP had 13107 new infections in the day. Bhopal had 1729 new cases. Bhopal District administration has launched the ‘GharGharKundiKhatkao’ drive to encourage people for covid vaccination to increase footfalls at inoculation centres.

Chhattisgarh: Chhattisgarh ranks second in vaccination of Covid-19 health care workers and has given the first dose of vaccine to 90 percent of the state's registered health care workers. In the period of ongoing lockdown, In the last four days, 56,323 new corona infected patients have been identified in Chhattisgarh, while 57,908 patients have  recovered during this period. However, the number of deaths from corona infection is still a concern. In the last four days, 699 people have died due to corona infection in Chhattisgarh.

Rajasthan:  With 14,622 Covid-19 cases on Wednesday, Rajasthan registered a record daily rise for the sixth straight day that pushed the state's cumulative tally to 4,53,407. The total number of deaths in the state climbed to 3,330 as 62 more people succumbed to the disease. The number of active cases in the state stood at 96,366. The State Government has announced summer vacations for all Government and private schools from April 22 to June 6. The move comes in the wake of the pandemic situation.

Goa: The state government on Wednesday imposed various restrictions including night curfew till April 30 from 10 pm to 6 am banning people’s movement but allowing movement of those engaged in running essential services. Goa government has restricted at 50 per cent of capacity the entry to casinos, restaurants, pubs, gyms, cinema halls and theatres. The government also decided to shut swimming pools, schools, colleges and disallowed congregations of any kind. Goa Government is roping in more suppliers for medical oxygen.

Kerala:Covid restrictions have been tightened in the state from today. Crowds are not allowed in public places.  The state logged highest single day spike of confirmed 22,414 Covid-19 cases with TPR shooting up to 18.41%. State Health Minister K.K. Shylaja said six guidelines have been issued for the planning and execution of Covid vaccination drive. A total of 63,625 first dose and 39,711 second dose of vaccine were given till noon today. So far altogether 64,29,758 doses of Covid vaccines have been given in the state.

 

Tamil Nadu:Covid cases in Tamil Nadu touched a new high of 11,681 infections and 53 deaths on Wednesday, with five districts, Chennai, Chengalpattu, Tiruvallur, Kancheepuram, and Coimbatore, accounting for over 50 per cent of the day’s caseload. The number of active cases in the State is now 84,361 and Covid death tally reached 13258. The state vaccinated 73,461 people on Wednesday. Till yesterday, a total of 49,65,949 have been vaccinated across the State of which 42,23,499 have received the first dose and 7,42,450 received their second dose. With just 10 days to go, Chief Electoral Officer SatyabrataSahoo said that the announcement of election results on May 2 will be delayed slightly, owing to the safety protocols being followed in view of the pandemic.

 

Karnataka:As per Covid bulletin released by the State Government, New Cases Reported: 23558; Total Active Cases: 176188; New Covid Deaths: 116; Total Covid Deaths: 13762. Around 60,248 were vaccinated yesterday with a total of 74,60,493 have been vaccinated in the state till now. The Karnataka government Wednesday began operating a war room in Bengaluru to look into the supply of medical oxygen and Remdesivir at hospitals in Bengaluru. The city police are set to strictly enforce the newly enacted guidelines for corona control. Health Minister Dr. K.  Sudhakar said, according to current demand and consumption estimates, 1,500 metric tonnes of oxygen is needed and arrangements are being made accordingly.

 

Andhra Pradesh:The State reported 9716 new cases and 38 deaths on a single day, while 3359 got discharged during the last 24 hours. Total cases: 9,86,703; Active cases: 60,208; Deaths: 7510; Discharges: 9,18,985. A special drive is being organised across the state today for those who need to take a second dose of the Covid vaccine.  A total of 49,68,504 doses of Covid vaccine have been administered in the state as on Wednesday, which include 42,57,224 first dose and 7,11,280  second dose. Meanwhile, the first Oxygen Express from Mumbai has arrived at RashtriyaIspat Nigam Limited (RINL) the corporate entity of Vizag Steel in Visakhapatnam in the early hours of today. The seven empty cryogenic tankers with a total carrying capacity of more than 100 tonnes of Liquid Medical Oxygen (LMO) will take nearly 20 to 24 hours to complete the process of filling, weighing and completing safety checks as per protocol before it chugs off to Maharashtra to meet the medical exigencies of Covid patients.

 

 

 

Telangana:   In the interim allocation of 11 Lakh anti-viral drug Remdesivir injections to 19 states/Union Territories by the Central Government till 30th April, Telangana has been allocated 21,551 injections. To ensure the public have access to information related to availability of hospital beds dedicated to Covid-19 patients, the State government on Wednesday started posting the real-time availability of hospital beds in government and private hospitals across Telangana on the website https://health.telangana.gov.in. In the wake of sharp rise in Covid cases, the State Govt has decided to set up 50 more Covid Care Centres having 4,837 beds across the state to treat the patients with mild symptoms. A total of 1,04,770 people of all categories received first dose and 18,035 second dose of Covid vaccine yesterday (Wednesday) in the state. Now, the cumulative number of people received first dose stands at 29,73,323 and second dose at 4,18,167. Meanwhile, a total of 5,567 new daily Covid cases and 23 fatalities have been reported yesterday in the state taking the cumulative number of positive cases in the state to 3,73,468 and deaths to 1,899. Now, the number of Active cases in the state stands at 49,781.

 

Assam:Assam will give free vaccine to everyone in the age-group 18-45 years. Funds collected for Assam ArogyaNidhi (Rs 118 Crore) last year will be utilized for procurement of vaccine. A total of 1,665 new Covid-19 cases were recorded in Assam on Wednesday at a positivity rate of 2.68 per cent. Kamrup(metro) district saw the highest number of 674 new cases. Five deaths have been reported during the day. The Assam Health Department has sought two crore doses of vaccines from Bharat Biotech International and Serum Institute under the liberalized COVID vaccine procurement policy.Assam health Minister HimantaBiswaSarma said that in case the daily case rate in Guwahati Metro touches 1000, the district administration has been authorized to take a decision to close down educational institutions & hostels.

Manipur:Manipur recorded two more deaths in the last 24 hours to take the death tally to 380 while 92 more persons tested positive for the virus during the same period.
The number of persons who have received the vaccination shot is 1,13,651 so far.

Meghalaya: The Meghalaya government has decided to step up vaccination drive on a war footing.The target is to vaccinate all the 6.5 lakh eligible beneficiaries within a week or ten days.The state aims to complete the vaccination of all 6.5 lakh of its citizens above 45 years of age against covid-19 by next month Chief Minister Conard K Sangma informed today.
So far 1.88 lakh Covid jabs have been administered. With 192 cases reported on Wednesday, the state now has 1,021 active cases of COVID-19.Three more deaths on Wednesday pushed the number of fatalities to 157.

Sikkim: 50 new Covid cases reported in Sikkim. The State’s active Covid case tally is now 536.

Tripura:Negative covid report 72 hours prior to journey must for people entering Tripura. If the test report is not available upon arrival, the person will be tested at the entry point.Highest single day surge of 92 cases of Covid-19 has been reported in the state and this is the highest figure of this second wave.

Nagaland:Nagaland detected 97 new Covid cases on Wednesday. Active cases are 347 while tally rises to 12,747.Kohima DC says no lockdown or vehicle restriction in the state capital for now. Night curfew imposed in Dimapur, main markets to open on alternate days.

Punjab: The total number of patients tested Positive is 314269. Number of active cases is 38866. Total Deaths reported is 8114. Total COVID-19 Vaccinated with 1st dose (Healthcare + Frontline Workers) is 527972. Total COVID-19 Vaccinated with 2nd dose (Healthcare + Frontline Workers) is 156138. Total above 45 Vaccinated with 1st dose is 1865948. Total above 45 Vaccinated with 2nd dose is 93329.

 

Haryana: Total Number of Samples found positive till date is 381247. Total active COVID-19 patients is 55422. Number of deaths is 3528. Cumulative coverage of vaccination is 3386492.

 

Chandigarh: Total Lab confirmed COVID-19 cases is 35770. Total number of Active Cases is 4125. Total number of COVID-19 deaths till date is 423.

 

Himachal Pradesh: Total number of patients tested Covid positive till date is 81102. Total number of Active Cases is 10793. Total deaths reported till date is 1223.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

MV/AP

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