JOIN USCoronavirus news highlights: Telangana forms committees from state to mandal level for Covid-19 vaccine distribution
1,204 new coronavirus cases in Gujarat, 12 deaths
Gujarat reported 1,204 new Covid-19 cases on Saturday, raising its tally to 2,26,508, the state health department said.
With 12 fatalities, Covid-19 death toll in the state reached 4,160, it said.
Recoveries outnumbered new cases, with 1,338 patients gettingdischarged from hospitalon Saturday. The number of recovered cases thus rose to 2,08,867, said the department in its release.
The state's recovery rate improved to 92.21 per cent.
Total 60,423 tests were conducted for the virus in the last 24 hours at the rate of 929.58 tests per day per million population.
Gujarat Covid-19 figures are as follows: Positive cases 2,26,508, new cases 1,204, death toll 4,160, recovered: 2,08,867, active cases 13,481 and people tested so far 86,13,587.
(PTI)
Telangana govt forms committees from state to mandal level for Covid-19 vaccine distribution
Gearing up for distribution of Covid-19 vaccine when it is made available, the Telangana government has constituted committees at the state, district and mandal levels for planning and execution, with priority to high risk groups, followed by others.
The committees would undertake a structured review of all aspects related to preparedness and implementation of Covid-19 vaccination, a Government Order said.
The Terms of Reference (ToR) of the committee, during the preparatory phase, include ensuring active engagement of "line departments" for various activities related to the vaccine introduction as and when it is made available, among others.
The various ToR of the panel include oversight on overall micro planning and other operational aspects of Covid-19 vaccine introduction.
(PTI)
Free Covid-19 vaccine for all in Kerala: CM Vijayan
Covid-19 vaccinewill be made available free of cost to all people in Kerala, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said on Saturday.
No one will be charged for the vaccine. This is the stand of the government," he told reporters at Kannur.
Kerala is the latest to announce free of cost Covid-19 vaccine for its people. States, including Tamil Nadu and Madhya Pradesh, have already made a similar announcement.
The Centre on Tuesday said three Covid-19 vaccines, developed by Bharat Biotech, Serum Institute of India and Pfizer, are under active consideration of India's drug regulator and there is hope that early licensure is possible for all or any of them.
Five vaccine candidates are under different phases of clinical trials in the country. Vijayan said the quantity of the vaccine that would be allotted to the state by the Centre was not yet known.
"The fact is that the number of Covid-19 cases are decreasing, which is a matter of relief. However, it needs to be seen if the local body polls, two phases of which are over, would contribute to increase in cases.
That will be known only in the days to come," he said. If the cases do not increase,this trend (of cases declining) will continue, the chief minister added. Kerala on Saturday recorded 5,949 Covid-19 cases and 32 deaths, taking the caseload to 6.64 lakh and the toll to 2,594. The active cases stood at 60,029.
Ladakh records another Covid-19 death, 41 new cases
Ladakh recorded one more fatality linked to the novel coronavirus and 41 new cases in the past 24 hours, bringing the death toll to 123 and the infection tally to 9,112, officials said on Saturday.
The new fatality was reported from Leh, pushing the death toll from the pandemic to 80 in the district, while the remaining 43 were registered in Kargil district, the officials said.
Of the fresh Covid-19 cases, 35 were registered in Leh and six in Kargil, they said.
The recovery count in the Union Territory of Ladakh rose to 8,189 after 17 more patients were discharged in Leh, the officials said. They said the number of active Covid-19 cases in Ladakh stands at 800 -- 683 in Leh and 117 in Kargil.
(PTI)