Category: NATIONAL NEWS

The All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) here has decided to discontinue contact tracing of exposed healthcare workers and quarantine of asymptomatic contacts amid the current COVID-19 situation that has led to insufficient resources and shortage of staff. Only symptomatic healthcare workers (HCWs) will be tested and only those testing positive will be isolated and managed as per the clinical condition. The decisions were taken at a COVID-19 review meeting held under the chairmanship of AIIMS Director Dr Randeep Guleria on Thursday. “In view of the current situation of…

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 Looking to ramp up supplies ahead of the opening of Covid-19 vaccination to all citizens over 18 years of age, the government has approved a payment of about Rs 4,500 crore as advance to vaccine makers like Serum Institute of India (SII) and Bharat Biotech against future supplies, sources said. SII will supply 200 million doses and Bharat Biotech is to supply another 90 million doses to the government by July at a pre-agreed rate of Rs 150 per dose. Sources said the finance ministry has relaxed rules to allow…

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 Union Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar on Wednesday said India will raise its climate ambitions but not under pressure, and that it will not allow anybody to forget their historical responsibility. He also said that India is suffering because of the mistakes of others and “is not responsible for climate change that is happening”. Javadekar made the remarks during a speech after a meeting with French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian at the French Embassy. The minister said the collaboration between India and France will go “deep and deeper”, as Prime…

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India hit a new coronavirus infection record with 1,68,912?new cases, the highest single-day rise so far, taking the total tally of cases to?1,35,27,717, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Monday The national COVID-19 recovery rate has fallen below 90 per cent The active cases have surpassed?the 12-lakh mark, while the?death toll increased to?1,70,179?with 904 daily new fatalities, the highest since October 18,?2020, the data updated at 8 am showed Registering a steady increase for the 33rd day in row, the active cases have increased to?12,01,009?comprising 8.88?per cent…

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Describing the incident of firing in Cooch Behar as a “genocide”, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Sunday said the Election Commission has restricted the entry of politicians in the district for 72 hours as it seeks to “suppress facts”. The TMC supremo, while addressing a press meet here, claimed that central forces “sprayed bullets aiming at the torso of the victims” in Sitalkuchi area, when the fourth phase of polling was underway in the state. “There was genocide at Sitalkuchi. I would like to visit Sitalkuchi by April…

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The daily rise in new coronavirus infections in India remained above 90,000 for the third consecutive day taking the nationwide COVID-19 tally of cases to 1,26,86,049, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Tuesday. A total of 96,982 cases have been reported in a span of 24 hours, while the death toll increased to 1,65,547 with 446 daily new fatalities, the data updated at 8 am showed. India on Monday recorded an all-time high of 1,03,558 single day new coronavirus infections in a span of 24 hours. Registering…

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Union Home Minister Amit Shah attended a wreath-laying ceremony here on Monday to pay homage to the security personnel who lost their lives in a gun-battle with Naxals in Chhattisgarh’s Bastar region. Twenty two security personnel were killed and 31 others injured in the gunfight with Naxals between Jonaguda and Tekalguda villages along the border of Sukma and Bijapur districts on Saturday. After arriving in Chhattisgarh’s Jagdalpur town from Delhi, Shah reached the Police Lines here, where the mortal remains of 14 security personnel were kept in coffins draped with…

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 In the wake of an alarming spike in COVID-19 cases, the Mumbai civic body on Sunday said it has decided to make more beds operational in medical facilities treating patients of the viral infection in the city. On Saturday, the city reported 9,108 new cases of coronavirus, the highest spike in a single day. “We have operationalised an additional 3,000 beds in dedicated COVID-19 health care centres and dedicated COVID-19 hospitals under the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM) in last seven days,” civic commissioner I S Chahal said in…

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More than 36.7 lakh COVID-19 vaccine doses were administered in the last 24 hours, the highest single-day coverage till now, the Union Health ministry said on Friday. Of the 36,71,242 vaccine doses, 33,65,597 beneficiaries were vaccinated across 51,215 sessions for the first dose and 3,05,645 beneficiaries received the second dose of vaccine, the Health ministry said in a statement. The ministry said this is the highest single-day vaccine coverage till now. Cumulatively, more than 6.87 crore (6,87,89,138) vaccine doses have been administered through 11,37,456 sessions, as per the provisional report…

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Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Ministers Amzad Basha and Dharmana Krishnadas and Andhra Pradesh Assembly Secretary Balakrishnamacharyulu were also present at the swearing-in ceremony. Six newly elected members of the Legislative Council of Andhra Pradesh took oath in the state assembly on Thursday. Andhra Pradesh Legislative Council Chairman MA Sharif administered the oath of office to the newly elected MLCs, Karimunnisa, Duvvada Srinivasa Rao, Shaik Mohammad Iqbal, Balli Kalyana Chakravarthy, C Ramachandraiah, and Shaik Sabji. While Karimunnisa, Duvvada Srinivasa Rao, Shaik Mohammad Iqbal, Balli Kalyana Chakravarthy, C Ramachandraiah were elected to…

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