<p>The Centre on Sunday announced a new high-level task force for vaccine and drug testing for Covid-19 as the total death toll from the pandemic increased to 519 and the total confirmed cases reached 16,116.</p>.<p>The main objective of the task force is to speed up national and international efforts towards vaccine development to treat Covid-19, Lav Aggarwal, joint secretary, health ministry, told reporters here.</p>.<p><strong><a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/coronavirus-news-live-updates-india-to-remain-under-lockdown-till-may-3-tally-breaches-10000-mark-toll-at-326-817763.html">Follow live updates on coronavirus</a></strong></p>.<p>The task force will be co-chaired by V K Paul, member, NITI Aayog and K Vijayraghavan, principal scientific advisor to the government and include representatives of Ayush ministry, ICMR, Department of Biotechnology, Drug Controller General of India among others.</p>.<p>The Department of Biotechnology would also act as a nodal agency “to identify the pathway for vaccine development, monitor the progress of efforts at both national and international level in this area and provide government facilitation where needed.</p>.<p><a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/coronavirus-india-update-state-wise-total-number-of-confirmed-cases-deaths-on-april-19-827186.html" target="_blank"><strong>Follow state-wise updates of coronavirus cases in India </strong></a></p>.<p>The task force would also form clinical cohorts which would focus on long term follow up of the disease and its management.</p>.<p>The government will collect bio-specimen which will form the basis for further drug and vaccine trials.</p>
<p>The Centre on Sunday announced a new high-level task force for vaccine and drug testing for Covid-19 as the total death toll from the pandemic increased to 519 and the total confirmed cases reached 16,116.</p>.<p>The main objective of the task force is to speed up national and international efforts towards vaccine development to treat Covid-19, Lav Aggarwal, joint secretary, health ministry, told reporters here.</p>.<p><strong><a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/coronavirus-news-live-updates-india-to-remain-under-lockdown-till-may-3-tally-breaches-10000-mark-toll-at-326-817763.html">Follow live updates on coronavirus</a></strong></p>.<p>The task force will be co-chaired by V K Paul, member, NITI Aayog and K Vijayraghavan, principal scientific advisor to the government and include representatives of Ayush ministry, ICMR, Department of Biotechnology, Drug Controller General of India among others.</p>.<p>The Department of Biotechnology would also act as a nodal agency “to identify the pathway for vaccine development, monitor the progress of efforts at both national and international level in this area and provide government facilitation where needed.</p>.<p><a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/coronavirus-india-update-state-wise-total-number-of-confirmed-cases-deaths-on-april-19-827186.html" target="_blank"><strong>Follow state-wise updates of coronavirus cases in India </strong></a></p>.<p>The task force would also form clinical cohorts which would focus on long term follow up of the disease and its management.</p>.<p>The government will collect bio-specimen which will form the basis for further drug and vaccine trials.</p>
