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By: Express Web Desk | Bengaluru, Chennai, Kolkata, Mumbai, New Delhi |Updated: April 23, 2021 2:32:54 pm
A sreengrab of the meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Chief Ministers on Friday. (ANI)
Coronavirus India Live Updates: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, during his meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday, highlighted the crippling oxygen crisis in hospitals in the capital. āPeople are in major pain due to oxygen shortage. We fear that a big tragedy is looming large and a national plan is needed to deal with situation. I request with folded hands that the PM gives direction to CMs to ensure smooth movement of oxygen tankers coming to Delhi,ā he said. He added that the Centre should take over all oxygen plants and every truck should be accompanied by an escort vehicle of the Army.
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India recorded over 3 lakh cases for the second straight day on Friday, clocking 3,32,730 cases in the last 24 hours, the Union Health Ministry informed. With this, Indiaās trend of registering the worldās highest daily tally continues, pushing the countryās total infection count to 16,263,695 cases. As many as 2,263 people also died of Covid-19 in the last 24 hours, mounting the coronavirus death toll to 186,920.
Amid this surge, a fire at a Covid-19 hospital in Vasai on Friday claimed the lives of at least 13 patients. The fire broke out in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of Vijay Vallabh Hospital, which is treating Covid-19 patients. The started in the air conditioning unit of the hospitalās ICU, where as many as 17 patients were admitted at the time. The incident occurred after 3 am and within 5 minutes, the Vasai Virar Corporation fire brigade reached the spot.
In Delhi, at least 25 critically ill patients who were on high flow oxygen at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital died in the last 24 hours, sources at the hospital said. The hospital, one of the biggest private ones in the national capital, said on Thursday morning that it was running dangerously low on oxygen and had only about an hourās supply left. Another source said, āVentilators and Bipap have not been working effectively. We had to resort to manual ventilation in ICUs and emergency department.ā There are over 700 Covid-19 patients admitted in the hospital.
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14:32 (IST)23 APR 2021
15,000 vials of Remdesivir reach Raipur
15,000 vials of Remdesivir reached Raipur airport today, says Chhattisgarh Health Minister TS Singh Deo. "It has been sent to the CGMSC godown for counting and storage. Distribution of the same will follow immediately, later in the day," he added. (ANI)
15,000 vials of Remsdesivir reached Raipur airport today, says Chhattisgarh Health Minister TS Singh Deo
"It has been sent to CGMSC godown for counting and storage. Distribution of the same will follow immediately, later in the day," he adds pic.twitter.com/x1xpRlSFlRā ANI (@ANI) April 23, 2021
14:17 (IST)23 APR 2021
Oxygen tanker headed from Panipat to Sirsa goes missing, police files FIR
A tanker carrying liquid oxygen, which was travelling from Panipat to Sirsa in Haryana, has gone missing after which police have registered a case and launched investigations. Panipat police said on Friday a case has been lodged on the complaint of district drug controller.
After being filled with liquid oxygen from Panipat plant on Wednesday, the truck had left for Sirsa, but it did not reach the destination, Station House Officer (SHO), Matlauda, Panipat, Manjeet Singh said. "We are investigating the matter," he said. The demand for medical oxygen has escalated due to a surge in coronavirus cases. (PTI)
14:15 (IST)23 APR 2021
Second train carrying Oxygen departs for Lucknow, to reach tomorrow: Railway Ministry
Second Oxygen special train for Lucknow with loaded tankers of oxygen departed from Bokaro in the afternoon and is likely to reach tomorrow: Ministry of Railways. (ANI)
14:03 (IST)23 APR 2021
Modi holds meeting with oxygen manufacturers
Prime Minister Narendra Modi holds meeting via video conference with oxygen manufacturers in the country. (ANI)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi holds meeting via video conference with oxygen manufacturers in the country pic.twitter.com/uaEVJxWVSE
ā ANI (@ANI) April 23, 2021
13:55 (IST)23 APR 2021
West Bengal's oxygen being diverted to UP: Mamata Banerjee
Our oxygen has been diverted to Uttar Pradesh. The supply chain is being manupulated by BJP states. Where will we get ouroxygen from? West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee. (ANI)
13:47 (IST)23 APR 2021
Rahul Gandhi blames Centre for shortage of oxygen causing deaths of Covid patients
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, while slamming the Centre over the present Covid-19 situation around the country, said, āCorona can cause a fall in oxygen level but itās oxygen Shortage and lack of ICU beds which is causing many deaths. GOI, this is on you.ā
Corona can cause a fall in oxygen level but itās #OxygenShortage & lack of ICU beds which is causing many deaths.
GOI, this is on you.ā Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) April 23, 2021
13:44 (IST)23 APR 2021
Harbajan Singh to provide mobile Covid-19 testing lab in Pune
Cricketer Harbajan Singh has offered to set up a mobile laboratory for Covid-19 testing in Pune. The lab will be pressed into service on Saturday.
āIndian cricketer Harbajan Singh had approached us a few days ago and offered help to contain the Covid-19 surge. The mobile lab for Covid-19 testing will start at Vadgaonsheri tomorrow,ā said state BJP chief Chandrakant Patil.
The mobile laboratory will be operated by city-based diagnostics company Mylab Discovery Solutions, he said, adding this would increase the testing capacity in the city. (Read Ajay Jadhav's report)
13:32 (IST)23 APR 2021
Provide vaccine to states at same rate as Centre: Bhupesh Baghel to PM Modi
Provide vaccine to the states at the same rate as the Central govt. Please provide an action plan for vaccine availability to the states for running vaccination drive for those above 18 years of age from May 1: Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel
12:43 (IST)23 APR 2021
'Can't cite law and order problems when country needs oxygen': SC on Vedanta's plea to make Sterlite plant operational
Vedanta Limited's plea to make Sterlite plant in Tamil Nadu operational for manufacturing medical oxygen: Supreme Court says canāt cite law and order problems alone when country needs supplies. Suggests state can manufacture it. Tamil Nadu to file affidavit by Monday on what it proposes to do.
Vedanta Ltd plea to make Sterlite Plant in Tamil Nadu operational for manufacturing medical oxygen. SC says canāt cite law & order problems alone when country needs supplies. Suggests state can manufacture it. TN to file affidavit by Monday what it proposed to do. @IndianExpress
ā Ananthakrishnan G (@axidentaljourno) April 23, 2021
12:33 (IST)23 APR 2021
States should get Covid vaccines at same rate as Centre: Delhi CM to PM Modi
State govts should get Covid-19 vaccines at similar rates as Central govt: Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal in PM's meet on coronavirus situation. (PTI)
12:29 (IST)23 APR 2021
Jharkhand govt announces free Covid-19 vaccine for people above 18 years
Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren said his government will provide Covid-19 vaccine to people above 18 years of age for free.
Sorenās statement came after the Centre announced a āliberalisedā policy making all adults above 18 years of age eligible to get inoculated from May 1 and allowing state governments and private hospitals to purchase vaccines from
manufacturers.
Opposition parties alleged that the policy implies that the central government has abdicated its responsibility to provide free vaccines to citizens between the age group of 18 and 45 years. (PTI)
12:26 (IST)23 APR 2021
SC allows Harish Salve to withdraw himself as amicus curiae in suo motu case related to national plan on Covid
Harish Salve refers to criticism by some lawyers on being appointed amicus curiae in Covid-related matter in Supreme Court. 'I don't want case to be decided under shadow that I knew CJI Bobde,' he said, while adding that he wanted to withdraw from the suo motu case related to national plan on Covid-19 management.
The Top Court allows him to do so. (PTI)
12:02 (IST)23 APR 2021
Huge shortage of oxygen in Delhi, CM Arvind Kejriwal informs Modi
There's a huge shortage of oxygen in Delhi. Will people of Delhi not get oxygen if there are no oxygen-producing plants here? Please suggest whom should I speak to in the Central government when an oxygen tanker destined for Delhi is stopped in another state: Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal during meeting with PM Narendra Modi.
There's a huge shortage of oxygen in Delhi. Will people of Delhi not get oxygen if there is no oxygen-producing plant here? Please suggest whom should I speak to in Central Govt when an oxygen tanker destined for Delhi is stopped in another state?: Delhi CM in meeting with the PM pic.twitter.com/bYWmwJaWZO
ā ANI (@ANI) April 23, 2021
11:48 (IST)23 APR 2021
10 states account for 75 per cent of new Covid-19 cases: Health Ministry
Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Karnataka, Kerala, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat and Rajasthan reported 75.01 per cent of the new Covid-19 cases registered in the alst 24 hours, the Union Health Ministry said on Friday.
India added a record 3,32,730 new coronavirus cases in a span of 24 hours, taking the country's infection tally to 1,62,63,695, according to the ministry data updated on Friday. Maharashtra has reported the highest daily new cases at 67,013. It is followed by Uttar Pradesh with 34,254 fresh infections, while Kerala reported 26,995 new cases, the ministry said. India's active case count has reached 24,28,616 and now comprises 14.93 per cent of the country's total infections. A net increase of 1,37,188 cases was recorded in the total active Covid-19 cases in a day.
Five states ā Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka and Kerala ā cumulatively account for 59.12 per cent of India's total active cases. (PTI)
11:46 (IST)23 APR 2021
West Bengal Health Secretary to hold meeting with DMs over Covid-19 situation
West Bengal Home Secretary to hold a video conferencing with all DMs today regarding emerging issues related to Covid-19, with special focus on oxygen supply chain management. (ANI)
11:10 (IST)23 APR 2021
France stands beside India in Covid-19 fight: Emmanuel Macron
"I want to send a message of solidarity to the Indian people, facing a resurgence of Covid-19 cases. France is with you in this struggle, which spares no one. We stand ready to provide our support," says French President Emmanuel Macron. (ANI)
10:56 (IST)23 APR 2021
PM Modi chairs meeting with CMs of states having high caseload
Prime Minister Narendra Modi chairs a meeting with the Chief Ministers of states having high Covid-19 caseload. (ANI)
Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi chairs a meeting with the Chief Ministers of high burden states, over the prevailing #COVID19 situation pic.twitter.com/u91CKrGOLJ
ā ANI (@ANI) April 23, 2021
10:49 (IST)23 APR 2021
MK Stalin distributes Covid-19 kits in Chennai
DMK president MK Stalin distributes Covid-19 kits, including a mask, hand sanitiser, and soaps, among people in Chennai. (ANI)
Tamil Nadu: DMK president MK Stalin distributes #COVID19 kit - containing a mask, hand sanitiser, and soaps - among the people in Chennai. 'Kadha' was also distributed among them. pic.twitter.com/VT0AF7RhDq
ā ANI (@ANI) April 23, 2021
10:36 (IST)23 APR 2021
Ensure uniformity in price of Covid-19 vaccines: Mayawati to Centre
BSP supremo Mayawati on Friday demanded that the Centre formulate a national policy to ensure uniformity in prices of Covid-19 vaccines.
The Centre should also ensure supply of oxygen to hospitals, the former Uttar Pradesh chief minister said. "The price of Covid-19 vaccine is not uniform and different rates have been fixed for the Centre, states and private hospitals. The Centre should intervene in this matter and formulate a national policy and implement it to bring uniformity in the vaccine prices," Mayawati said in a tweet in Hindi. (PTI)
10:06 (IST)23 APR 2021
Reliance to roll its own vaccination drive from May 1 for employees and kin
Reliance will roll out its own vaccination programme, R-Surakshaa, across all locations for thier employees and eligible family members above 18 years of age from May 1, the company informed via a statement. (ANI)
Reliance will roll out our own vaccination programme, R-Surakshaa, across locations for all our employees and eligible family members above the age of 18 years, effective May 1: Reliance Industries Limited pic.twitter.com/bh2U9Atb5R
ā ANI (@ANI) April 23, 2021
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A Covid-19 patient outside LNJP hospital in New Delhi on Thursday. (Express Photo: Tashi Tobgyal)
With four of the states worst hit by Covid battling a critical shortfall between demand and supply of oxygen in their hospitals, Prime Minister Narendra Modi told officials during a high-level meeting Thursday to ramp up production and the Union Home Ministry ordered all states to strictly abide by its distribution plan amid reports of some seizing supplies meant for others.
As the country reported a record 3,14,835 new cases ā the highest single-day figure for any country since the pandemic began ā and 2,104 deaths in the last 24 hours, figures obtained by The Indian Express show that Delhi, UP, Gujarat and Haryana face severe shortfalls (see chart) in the supply of oxygen.
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman Thursday said the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic will not affect the institutional reforms, including the disinvestment plans outlined in the Budget, although the focus right now was to take steps towards meeting the āimmediate requirement of saving livesā.
Speaking at the first of a series of online, agenda-setting debates organised by The Indian Express and Financial Times, the Finance Minister said the situation in 2020 (when a nationwide lockdown was announced) and the situation now are very different. āMicro containment zones would be the way forward (now),ā she said.
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