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India continues to Administer Highest Average Vaccine Doses per day,India’s Cumulative Vaccination Coverage exceeds 10.85 crore with over 40 Lakh doses given in the last 24 hours
 

· The cumulative number of COVID19 vaccine doses administered in the country has crossed 10.85 Cr today as the Tika Utsav enters the third day.

• Over 40 lakh vaccination doses were administered in the last 24 hours.
• India’s total Active Caseload has reached 12,64,698. It now comprises 9.24% of the country's total Positive Cases. A net incline of 63,689 cases recorded from the total active caseload in the last 24 hours.
• The five States of Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh and Kerala cumulatively account for 68.85% of India’s total Active Cases. Maharashtra alone accounts for 44.78% of the total active caseload of the country.
• India’s cumulative recoveries stand at 1,22,53,697 today. The National Recovery Rate is 89.51%.
• 97,168 recoveries were registered in the last 24 hours.
• 879 deaths were reported in the last 24 hours.
• Thirteen States/UTs have not reported any COVID19 deaths in the last 24 hours. These are J&K (UT), Assam, Ladakh (UT), D&D & D&N, Tripura, Meghalaya, Sikkim, Nagaland, Mizoram,Manipur, Lakshadweep, A&N Islands and Arunachal Pradesh.

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Centre fast tracks Emergency Approvals for foreign produced COVID-19 Vaccines that have been granted EUA in other countries to Expand the Basket of Vaccines for Domestic Use and Hasten the Pace and Coverage of Vaccination

The matter of augmenting the Basket of Vaccines available for fighting the pandemic as well as to accelerate the pace & coverage of domestic vaccination programme was discussed in the 23rd meeting of the National Expert Group on Vaccine Administration for COVID-19 (NEGVAC) held on 11th April 2021, chaired by Dr. V K Paul, Member (Health), Niti Aayog.The NEGVAC, after comprehensive deliberation, recommended that vaccines for COVID-19, which have been developed & are being manufactured in foreign countries and which have been granted emergency approval for restricted use by USFDA, EMA, UK MHRA, PMDA Japan or which are listed in WHO(Emergency Use Listing) may be granted emergency use approval in India, mandating the requirement of post-approval parallel bridging clinical trial in place of conduct of local clinical trial as per the provisions prescribed under Second Schedule of the New Drugs & Clinical Trials Rules 2019.The Union Government, after due consideration, has accepted the recommendation of NEGVAC.This decision will facilitate quicker access to such foreign vaccines by India & would encourage imports including import of bulk drug material, optimal utilization of domestic fill and finish capacity etc., which will in turn provide a fillip to vaccine manufacturing capacity and total vaccine availability for domestic.

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The National Regulator grants Permission for Restricted Use in Emergency Situations to Sputnik-V vaccine

The approval of the vaccine in Russia along with its conditions/restrictions was also reviewed by the SEC. The SEC noted that the safety & immunogenicity data presented by the firm from the Indian study is comparable with that of the Phase III clinical trial interim data from Russia.After detailed deliberation the SEC recommended for grant of permission for restricted use in emergency situations subject to various regulatory provisions.The vaccine is indicated for active immunization to prevent COVID-19 disease in individuals of ≥ 18 years of age. The vaccine should be administered intramuscularly in two doses of 0.5 ml each with interval of 21 days. (Day 0: Component I & Day 21: Component II). The vaccine has to be stored at -18°C. The vaccine comprises of two components I & II, which are not interchangeable. After careful consideration, the recommendations of the SEC have been accepted by the Drugs Control General (India). M/s DRL will import the vaccine for use in the country.

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The Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Ministry of Science & Technologyhas announced that it has approved additional funding towards clinical studies of India's'first of its kind' mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccine - HGCO19, developed by Pune-based biotechnology company Gennova Biopharmaceuticals Ltd.

This funding has been awarded under the'Mission COVID Suraksha- The Indian COVID-19 Vaccine Development Mission'by DBT's dedicated Mission Implementation Unit at BiotechnologyIndustry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC) after multiplerounds of evaluation of all the applications that were submitted in response to the 'Request for Expression of Interest (REOI)'under Mission COVID Surakshafor the'Development of COVID-19 vaccine candidate(s)'.

DBT has been hand-holding Gennova's right from the start and has facilitated establishing Gennova's mRNA-based next-generation vaccine manufacturing platform by providing seed funding for the development of HGCO19. Gennova, in collaboration with HDT Biotech Corporation, USA,has developed theCOVID-19mRNA vaccine – HGCO19.

HGCO19 has already demonstrated safety, immunogenicity, neutralization antibody activityin the rodent and non-human primate models. The neutralizing antibody response of the vaccine in mice and non-human primates was comparable with the sera from the convalescent patients of COVID-19.mRNA vaccines are considered safe as mRNA is non-infectious, non-integrating in nature, and degraded by standard cellular mechanisms.

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INPUTS FROM PIB FIELD OFFICES

Maharashtra: In Maharashtra, 30 percent of the funds from the district planning committee will be allowed to be used in phases for corona preventive measures. Deputy Chief Minister AjitPawar  said the growing number of coronavirus infected patients is putting a strain on the health system. Yet the whole system is working on war footing. He said the next fortnight is crucial in the fight against corona. He added that the number of beds required for treatment is being increased. Beds in private hospitals have been acquired by the government. Efforts to improve oxygen supply are under way. The Deputy CM said district collectors have been given the power to control the distribution of Remedisivir injections which are useful for the treatment of Corona patients. He added that their retail sales have been banned to prevent malpractice in the sale of Remedisivir injections. Maharashtra on Monday reported a slight dip in the number of fresh cases, with 51,751 more people testing positive, taking the cumulative total to 34,58,996. The state also reported 258 more deaths taking the death toll to 58,245. The recovery rate in the state stands at 81.94 % while the case fatality rate stands at 1.68%. The state now has 5,64,746 active cases. Mumbai registered 6893 new cases of Covid-19 taking the caseload to 5,27,391. The city also reported 43 fatalities due to the virus.

Gujarat: Gujarat registered a record high of 6021 new cases and 55 deaths due to Covid-19 on Monday. The total number of people infected so far has gone up to 3,53,516. Maximum 1907 new cases have been reported from Ahmedabad city, while Surat recorded 1174 new cases. Currently there are 30,680 active patients. CM Vijay Rupani has announced complete ban on all types of public functions including religious celebrations during the month of April and May. He said that now only 50 persons will be allowed to attend wedding functions. All religious places have been asked to close the public entries till 30th April. All Government, semi government, public sector and private offices except essential services will be allowed to work with 50 percent staff or alternate day functioning. Gujarat government has urged the Centre to start DRDO covid hospital with 900 bed capacity at GMDC community hall in Ahmedabad.

Rajasthan: The Covid-19 recovery rate has taken a dip from 98.5% to 89.3% from February 1 with the state witnessing a sudden spurt in virus infections and deaths related to it. On Monday, 25 persons died in the state, an all-time high for 24 hours. For the 5th day in a row, the state also set a record single-day spike in Covid cases as 5,771 persons tested positive, taking the overall tally to 3,69,564. In 12 days of April, 133 persons lost their lives to Covid as the second wave refused to loosen its grip. With 13.9% jump in 24 hours, active cases touched a new high of 36,441. Also, the recovery rate went down below 90% for the first time in 7 months. It was 89.34% on Monday. 5771 new cases were reported on Monday. Jaipur, Jodhpur, Udaipur, Kota, Alwar, Bhilwara and Dungarpur districts are the most affected due to infection. Rajasthan reached a major COVID 19 milestone on Monday as it crossed the one crore mark in vaccine doses administered, the second highest by any state. The Health Minister of Rajasthan Dr Raghu Sharma informed that 4.70 lakh persons were vaccinated daily during the last four days. Strict action is being taken against those violating the Covid protocol. Many commercial establishments have been sealed.         Government school students in classes VI and VII will now be promoted to next class without any examination, as per the guidelines of Directorate of Secondary Education, Bikaner. The district administration has said that no procession will be held during Thursday's Gangaur festival in Jaipur due to surge in the cases. The tourism department, which organises the main procession in the Walled City, had cancelled the event almost two weeks ago. The administration has advised citizens to observe the festival while following the guidelines.

Madhya Pradesh: MP witnessed a massive surge in covid positive cases in the last 24 hours. Out of 6489 cases reported, the Bhopal figures  was  a shocking 1456 cases, Indore 923,  Gwalior 497 and Jabalpur 469. About 37 deaths were reported in the same period. The positivity rate also has jumped to 28% in Bhopal and 16.9% across the state.  Bhopal has also been brought under Corona Curfew with immediate effect in the face of fast spreading  pandemic and will be in force till 19th April. MPBSE exams  are also likely to be postponed till June. Some  exemptions  have been given for essential services. Ministers have been provided the charge of Districts for better  coordinating of covid care facilities. In a new development, Shri Akash Tripathi has replaced Sanjay Goyal as Health Commissioner. Steps have been initiated to augment the availability of oxygen and 22000 Remdesvir vials have been provided for treating the need. About 15 lakh people will be vaccinated in the next three days. A report states some of the hospitals have been wasting precious oxygen upto 30% amid short supply.

Chhattisgarh: In Chhattisgarh, 107 people died due to corona infection in the state.  Currently, about 99 thousand infected people are undergoing treatment in various hospitals or in home isolation. Covid vaccination campaign is also going on vigorously in the state. In Chhattisgarh, 44,73,200 vaccines have been given till Monday. Approximately 57 percent of the people in above 45 age group have been vaccinated. Meanwhile, due to the closure of schools in Chhattisgarh, the state government has decided that all school children will be given forty days of dry ration under the Midday Meal Scheme. Remdesivir injection supplies in the state continue unabated. Injections are being supplied to various districts and hospitals of the state in coordination with the Food and Drug Administration and the district administration. On Monday, 9100 Remdesivir injections were supplied to hospitals in the state. Services of students studying nursing will be taken for the treatment of Covid-19 patients and other medical works. For this, the Health Department has asked the Chief Medical and Health Officer of all the districts to contact the heads of nursing colleges and their subordinate institutions to ensure the services of nursing students in hospitals and covid care centers.

Goa: Goa along with rest of India had announced mass vaccination drive ‘Tika Utsav’ from April 10 to April 14. The same will now be extended in Goa to April 20. The State Health department has written to Centre requesting for additional one lakh Covid vaccine doses. Anti-Viral drug, Remdesivir manufacturing agencies in the state have been instructed by the state government to keep stock of 5,000 units of the drug to ensure that there is not shortage of the drug in Goa. State Health Ministry has also instructed FDA team to maintain sufficient inventory of the drug.

Kerala: Health Minister K.K. Shailaja has informed that the state today received two lakh more doses of Covid vaccine from the Centre. As the state government has re-imposed several restrictions amid a surge in the Covid-19 cases, authorities have appealed to the public to postpone public events if possible. Meetings and other events, if not indispensable, should be postponed by three weeks. Thrissur Pooram will be held without avoiding any customs and abiding by the Covid protocol; only adults with a Covid negative certificate will be allowed to attend Pooram. The state has completed fifty lakh vaccinations since the drive began. A total of 5,692 new Covid-19 cases were reported in Kerala on Monday. The test positivity rate was recorded at 12.53 percent.

Tamil Nadu:The State reported over 6,000 new Covid-19 cases for the second consecutive day on Monday. The State reported 6,711 cases and 19 deaths, taking the tally to 9,40,145 and death toll to 12,927. TN also vaccinated over 1.6 lakh people on the day. As per Health Department data, 1,63,935 people were vaccinated on Monday. Of them 62,106 were above the age of 60, 88,210 between the ages of 45 to 59, 9,526 were frontline workers, and 4,093 were healthcare workers. Till date Tamil Nadu has vaccinated 39,44,005 people. The Apparel Export Promotion Council (AEPC) has expressed concerns over a possible imposition of lockdown due to the resurgence in Covid cases.

Karnataka:The State has reported 9,579 fresh Covid-19 cases and 52 related fatalities, taking the total caseload to 10.74 lakh and the toll to 12,941, the Health Department said on Monday. Bengaluru Urban alone accounted for 6,387 of the fresh cases. The day also saw 2,767 patients getting discharged after recovery. Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa on Monday said the state government could impose lockdown if the necessity arises.

Andhra Pradesh: The State reported a new high of 3263 Covid infections after testing 33,755 samples taking the overall infections to 9,28,664.  The state now has 23,115 active Covid-19 cases.  The overall active cases in the state have risen to 23,115. The state, so far, has tested 1,54,63,146 samples at 2,89,572 tests per million with a positivity rate of 6.01 per cent, identifying 9,28,664 positive cases. Meanwhile, representatives of various mosques committees met in the office of the Muslim Joint Action Committee in Vijayawada and discussed the guidelines to be followed in the mosques during the month of Ramzan as a large number of devotees visit the mosques for the prayers. Representatives of mosques committees agreed to follow the Covid guidelines very strictly in the mosques during the holy month which will begin on April 14. 

Telangana:A total of 3.62 lakh doses of Covid vaccines have arrived in Hyderabad on Monday night. Out of these, 2 lakh doses are of Covaxin and the remaining 1.62 doses are of Covishield. State Governor SmtTamilisaiSoundararajan reviewed the Covid situation in the state with senior officers of the State Health Department on Monday at Raj Bhavan. Expressing satisfaction over the steps being taken by the State Government to contain the virus, the Governor asked the officials to increase the RT-PCR tests. She also suggested the officials declare the areas from where a greater number of cases being reported as micro containment zones. Quoting the official figures that about 56 percent of Covid patients in Telangana are below 40 years, the Indian Medical Association has appealed to the Central Govt to extend the vaccination programme to all above 18 years of age.

Assam: With the upsurge in the demand for COVID-19 vaccines in Assam, the State Health and Family Welfare department has sought the immediate supply of 19 lakh vaccine doses from the Centre. COVID-19 testing capacity in the State has been affected with private laboratories in Guwahati refusing to carry out RT-PCR tests at the State Government stipulated rates, saying at that cost it was not feasible. In an order on April 3, the State Government had fixed the maximum rate chargeable for RT-PCR tests at Rs 500. If the sample is collected from home, Rs 700 can be charged. RAT cost was fixed at Rs 250.

Manipur:  Manipur's COVID-19 positive tally crossed 29,500. COVID-19 active tally in Manipur rose to 103 with the report of 18 new positive cases, including four air passengers, on Monday. As per the latest information, 1618 people were vaccinated with Covid vaccine on April 11. In total, 94566 people in the state have been administered COVID-19 vaccine. Of it, 31,976 healthcare workers in the state have been vaccinated so far.

Meghalaya: Meghalaya has not faced with any shortage of the COVID-19 vaccines unlike many states in the country.As per the last status report, the state government received 2,91,860 doses of Covishield till April 8. It received 35,000 doses on January 12 followed by another 34,000 doses on January 20.Two more consignments of 1,30,500 and 69,970 doses were received on February 11 and March 3 respectively. The last consignment of 22,390 doses was received on April 5. The vaccine wastage in the state stands at 3% as on April 8.

Sikkim:  Five new cases of coronavirus were reported in the last 24 hours in Sikkim taking the state's tally of confirmed cases of COVID-19 to 6,410.  There are currently 161 active cases of  coronavirus in Sikkim.Meanwhile, 1,383 people were vaccinated for COVID-19 in Sikkim.1 ,00,656 persons have received the first dose of vaccine and 16,810 have already received their second shot. A total of 1,17,466 persons were vaccinated so far for Covid in Sikkim. Non-essential shops to remain closed on weekends, gatherings limited to 50 at a time. State Govt issues fresh notification.

Nagaland: Nagaland reports 11 new cases of COVID-19 on Monday. Active cases are 167 while total positive cases rose to 12,416. Covid Vaccine Center set up at Nagaland Civil Secretariat to facilitate vaccination of secretariat staff. CVC will function from 9.30 am to 4 pm.

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MV