Modi's Covid-19 meet with CMs highlights: Punjab CM urges Centre to review immunisation strategy

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is meeting all chief ministers today amid a surge in Covid-19 cases in several states, which has forced them to impose restrictions on movement of people to check further spread of the virus. India reported nearly 29,000 new Covid-19 cases in the last 24 hours, hitting a new high for the year. Follow DH for live updates.

Review Covid-19 immunisation strategy: Punjab CM to Centre over rise in Covid cases

Amid rising coronavirus cases in Punjab, Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Wednesday urged the Centre to review its Covid-19 immunisation strategy and vaccinate all age groups in selected areas.

During a virtual interaction of Prime Minister Narendra Modi with chief ministers over the pandemic situation and the ongoing vaccination drive, Singh sought occupation-based immunisation.

PM Modi says quick steps needed to stop second Covid-19 peak

India needs to take quick and decisive steps soon to stop an emerging second "peak" of Covid-19 infections, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Wednesday.

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PM Modi asks Karnataka to focus on 3 districts, including Bengaluru, to curb spread of Covid-19

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday directed the state government to focus on three districts— Bengaluru Urban, Kalaburagi, Bidar and chalk out separate action plans to contain the rising Covid-19 cases and prevent the possible surge of second wave in Karnataka.

In a video conference with all the states’ CMs, Modi directed the state government to scale up testing and vaccination drive across the state. According to CM Yediyurappa, Bengaluru alone reported a positivity rate of 1.65% in the last three days.

CM Yediyurappa revealed that the PM has directed the state government to strictly enforce the Covid rules in all places especially the public gatherings. - DHNS

Pandemic showed how impacts can quickly spread across globe, it also showed how world can come together to fight common threat: PM Modi

Covid-19 has taught that in an interdependent world, no country is immune to effect of global disasters: PM Modi

PM Modi calls for ramping up testing in smaller towns, cautions against spread of coronavirus in villages

We don't have to bring the public into panic mode. We don't have to bring a situation where there is an atmosphere of fear. We have to free the people from difficulties by taking some precautions and initiatives: PM Modi - ANI

It is a matter of contemplation that why is there less testing in some areas: PM Modi

It is a matter of contemplation that why is there less testing in some areas. Why is there less vaccination in these areas? I think it's a time of test for good governance. Our confidence should not turn into overconfidence. Our success should not turn into negligence: PM Modi

We have to ensure that the vaccine that is produced early is used first so as to prevent avoidable wastage from expiry of the vaccine: PM Modi

Local administrations need to set up micro containment zones to curb spread of Covid-19: PM Modi

We have to identify why vaccines are being wasted, and there needs to be a monitoring system so no vaccine is wasted: PM Modi

Today in India more than 96% of the cases have recovered. India is one of those countries where the fatality rate is one of the lowest: PM Narendra Modi

It is imperative to trace every contact of an infected person and keep RT-PCR testing percentage above 70%: PM Modi

We have to stop a second wave of Covid-19 in India, says PM Modi during interaction with chief ministers

PM Narendra Modi speaks at interaction with chief ministers

Gehlot addresses meeting with PM

What happened in the meeting?

States request more vaccine doses for those above 45: media reports

Karnataka CM B S Yediyurappa attends PM’s video conference

Narendra Modi promised to vaccinate people of Bihar after coming to power, during elections. But did they provide vaccines? No, they did not, they lied: West Bengal CM and TMC leader Mamata Banerjee - ANI

Mayawati demands free coronavirus vaccine for poor

Bahujan Samaj Party supremo Mayawati called for providing coronavirus vaccine to the poor free of charge, ahead of a meeting between the prime minister and chief ministers on the pandemic situation and the ongoing inoculation drive on Wednesday.

In a tweet in Hindi, Mayawati said that if the coronavirus vaccination is expedited by the central and state governments as a national policy, it would be better. "The BSP once again appeals to the Centre and state governments to make the vaccine free for families of poor," she said in another tweet. -PTI

Should you be concerned about AstraZeneca Covid-19 jab?

Millions of people in dozens of countries have received the AstraZeneca Covid vaccine with few reports of ill effects, and its prior testing in tens of thousands of people found it to be safe.

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PM Narendra Modi meets with chief ministers on Covid-19 situation

The meeting of PM Narendra Modi with all the Chief Ministers, over rising cases of Covid-19 and the ongoing vaccination drive, is underway via video-conferencing - ANI

Five states account for over 70% of new Covid-19 infections: Ministry of Health

Maharashtra, Punjab, Karnataka, Gujarat and Tamil Nadu continue to report a high number of daily Covid-19 cases, accounting for 71.10 per centof the 28,903 new infections, the Union Health Ministry said on Wednesday.

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Odisha logs 82 new Covid-19 cases, tally surges to 3,38,405

Odisha's Covid-19 caseload on Wednesday mounted to 3,38,405 after 82 more people tested positive for the infection, a health department official said.

The new cases were detected in 20 of the state's 30 districts, with 48 reported from different quarantine centres and the remaining 34 local contact cases.

Mayurbhanj district recorded the highest of 11 new cases followed by Khurda (9), Bargarh and Sundergarh (7 each).

Odisha's coronavirus death toll remained at 1,918 as no fresh fatality was reported since March 13, he said. - PTI

Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath skips PM-CMs meet on Covid-19 situation

1,271 new Covid-19 cases in Aurangabad, 7 more deaths

With the addition of 1,271 new cases of coronavirus, the tally in Maharashtra's Aurangabad district has gone up to 60,100, an official said on Wednesday.

Besides these new cases reported on Tuesday, seven more people also succumbed to the viral infection, raising the death toll in the district to 1,351, he said.

So far, 52,073 people have recovered from the infection, while there are 6,676 active Covid-19 cases in the district at present, he said. - PTI

Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel likely to skip PM-CMs meet on Covid-19: Media reports

Amit Malviya slams Mamata Banerjee for skipping PM-CMs meet on Covid-19

Governance has never been Mamata Banerjee’s priority. She has always chosen confrontation over co-operation with the Center, and that has kept West Bengal back! How could a Chief Minister not make time to discuss Corona pandemic and vaccine related issues! Skewed priorities? - Amit Malviya.

TMC Supremo and WB CM Mamata Banerjee to not attend meeting with the Prime Minister citing campaign

Not at expense of Indians: Harsh Vardhan on Covid-19 vaccine export as Centre faces heat

A total of 5.94 crore doses of Indian-made Covid-19 vaccine has been exported to 72 countries till March 15 but it is in no way being sent at the expense of the people of India, Health Minister Harvardhan informed Rajya Sabha on Tuesday.

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Odisha govt urges NTA to hold NEET UG 2021 exam in all 30 districts of state

The Odisha government has urged the National Testing Agency (NTA) to conduct the All- India NEET UG 2021 examinations in all the 30 districts of the state instead of selected seven cities.

The request was made by Additional Chief Secretary, Health and Family Welfare, P K Mohapatra in view of the Covid-19 pandemic situation still prevailing in the state.

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Odisha School & Mass Education Department has promoted all the students from standard 1 to 8 to the next higher class without examination for the academic session 2020-21, in view of the Covid-19 pandemic - ANI

Maharashtra, Punjab, Karnataka, Gujarat and Tamil Nadu continue to drive up India’s Active Cases - Ministry of Health

Maharashtra: 1,359 new Covid-19 cases reported in Thane, six more deaths

Thane has added 1,359 new cases of coronavirus, raising the infection count in the Maharashtra district to 2,78,928, an official said on Wednesday.

The virus also claimed the lives of six more persons, pushing the death toll in the district to 6,349, he said.

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More than 21 lakh vaccine doses given in the last 24 hours - Ministry of health

Covid-19 positivity rate has increased to 4.3% with 54% of total cases from Indore & Bhopal: Madhya Pradesh CM Chouhan - ANI

73-yr-old woman dies 2 hrs after taking Covid-19 vaccine in Ramanagar

A 73-year woman who was administered a Covid-19 vaccine on Tuesday afternoon died two hours after receiving the jab.

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Over 3.48 cr Covid-19 vaccine doses administered in country: Centre

The cumulative number of Covid-19 vaccine doses administered in the country has crossed 3.48 crore with 19,11,913 people inoculated on Tuesday till 7 pm, the Union health ministry said.

The beneficiaries include 75,01,590 healthcare workers (HCWs) who were given the first dose, 45,40,776 HCWs who received the second dose, 75,91,670 frontline workers (FLWs) who were administered the first dose and 16,28,096 FLWs who got the second dose.

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States and UTs which did not report any death from Covid-19 in the last 24 hours

15 states/UTs have not reported any Covid-19 deaths in last 24 hours. These are Assam, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Uttarakhand, Lakshadweep, Sikkim, Meghalaya, Dadra & Nagar Haveli & Daman & Diu, Nagaland, Tripura, Ladakh, Manipur, Mizoram, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, and Arunachal Pradesh: Health Ministry. - ANI

All gardens and parks in Ahmedabad to remain closed from tomorrow till further orders, due to increasing cases of Covid-19. Kankaria Lake and Zoo will also remain closed - ANI

12% of Karnataka's frontline workers receive 2nd Covid-19 vaccine dose

Karnataka hasvaccinated12% of itsfrontlineworkerswith theseconddoseof thevaccine. Districtslike Mandya, Ramanagar, Davanagere, Chikkaballapur and Dharwad have given theseconddoseto 3.1%, 3%, 4.8%, 5.7%, and 5.9% respectively.

The district health officials said not only those who have completed a 28-day period after the firstdosebut also those who have completed 42 days after the firstdose are eligible and hence, have time to get theseconddose.

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Covid-19: Punjab class 10, 12 board exams postponed by a month

The Punjab School Education Board on Monday announced the postponement of the final exams of classes 10 and 12 by about a month in the wake of rising Covid-19 cases in the state.

The exams of class 10 will now start from May 4 instead of April 9, the date which was earlier scheduled, according to a statement issued by the PSEB.

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India reported 26,291 new Covid-19 cases on Monday, the highest single-day spike in 85 days even as Nagpur imposed a week-long lockdown to check the surge in cases, while Latur and Ahmedabad ordered night curfew to contain the spread of the virus

PM Modi is scheduled to meet chief ministers of all states through video conferencing at 12:30 pm to discuss the Covid-19 situation and seek feedback on the vaccination drive

Pune sees fresh curbs in light of rise in Covid-19 cases; schools to be shut till March 31

More cities continue to come under restrictions in Maharashtra as the February-March surge in Covid-19 cases threatens to disrupt the normalcy like the previous year.

In India’s worst-affected district of Pune, the government decided to shut schools till March 31 and shut hotels, restaurants, and bars after 10 pm even as the night-restrictions will continue.

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Pune's Covid-19 status in number

The number of Covid-19 cases in Pune district increased by 3,574 in the last 24 hours to reach 4,43,822, an official said on Tuesday.

The toll rose by 12 during the period to touch 9,440, while 677 people got discharged, he said.

Areas under Pune Municipal Corporation accounted for 1,925 of the new cases, while Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation saw 894 cases and the rest were in rural and cantonment areas, he added.

The district's caseload comprises 2,21,210 cases in Pune city, 1,15,648 in Pimpri Chinchwad and 1,06,964 in rural and cantonment areas, the official said. - PTI.

Health Minister Harsh Vardhan, CM Chouhan discuss healthcare issues in Maharashtra

Burdi flyover wears a deserted look during a complete lockdown, imposed by authorities due to surge in coronavirus cases, in Nagpur. Credit: PTI photo.

Night curfew in Bhopal, Indore from March 17 as Covid-19 surges

In view of a surge in coronavirus cases in Madhya Pradesh, the state government announced night curfew in Bhopal and Indore city areas from Wednesday, an official said.

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Centre asks Maharashtra to brace for worst-case scenario amid Covid-19 surge

With Maharashtra reporting a171 per centjump in Covid-19 cases in the last month, the Union Health Ministry has asked the state administration to give a big boost to surveillance and contact tracing besides accelerating the vaccination drive with a special focus on the eight most affected districts.

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First patient with S Africa variant of Covid-19 confirmed in Delhi

A 33-year-old man, currently admitted at LNJP Hospital here, has become the first confirmed case of Covid-19 caused by the South Africa variant of the novel coronavirus in Delhi, sources said on Tuesday.

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Hopes of Covid-19 herd immunity wane as surveillance systems collapse in Bengaluru

With Covid-19 cases surging in the state, hopes of herd immunity are waning even as fears of reinfection are growing. On top of this, the government's surveillance systems have collapsed.

"The problem is acute in Bengaluru," said Munish Moudgil, Director of the State Covid War Room.

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Week-long lockdown begins in Nagpur, top cop visits main roads

A week-long lockdown with strict curbs came into force in Nagpur on Monday to contain the rise in Covid-19 cases and officials warned of stern action against those violating the protocols here in Maharashtra.

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Karnataka crosses 1,000-mark in daily Covid-19 cases for the first time in three months

For the first time in three months, Karnataka on Tuesday reported 1,135 cases of Covid-19 infection, with Bengaluru alone adding 710 new cases.

The last time Karnataka saw the numbers crossing the 1,000 mark was on December 25, when the state reported 1,005 Covid-19 cases.

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Maharashtra on Tuesday reported over 17,000 Covid-19 cases, a new high for the state this year

As fresh cases continued to rise in Punjab, the state education department has postponed Class 10 and Class 12 examinations that were scheduled to begin from April 9 and March 22 respectively

According to the Health Ministry, Maharashtra, Punjab, Karnataka, Gujarat and Tamil Nadu continue to report a surge in daily cases of Covid-19, accounting for 78.41% of the new cases

Congress slams Modi govt for Covid-19 vaccine exports as infections soar

Congress on Tuesday hit out at Prime Minister Modi's government for exporting nearly twice the number of coronavirus vaccine doses than immunisations conducted at home, despite a surge in infections.

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Maharashtra govt imposes fresh restrictions to curb spread of Covid-19

In a massive clampdown, the Maharashtra government on Monday night asked all officesin the state to compulsorily run with only 50 per cent attendance except for health and essential services.

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India's Covid-19 status in numbers

Total cases: 1,14,38,734

Total recoveries: 1,10,45,284

Active cases: 2,34,406

Death toll: 1,59,044

India records nearly 29,000 new Covid-19 cases, highest spike this year

India on Wednesday saw a spike of28,903 Covid-19 infections, the highest since December 12, 2020, taking the nation'scase tally to 1,14,38,734, according to the latest Union Health Ministry data.

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PM Modi to meet CMs on Wednesday as Covid-19 cases surge

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will meet all chief ministers on Wednesday amid a surge in Covid-19 cases in several states, forcing them to impose restrictions on movement of people to check further spread of the virus.

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