BackNo deaths reported from Arunachal, Tripura, Sikkim, Mizoram, Manipur in 24 hrs
The Union territories of Ladakh, Lakshadweep, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Daman and Diu, Dadra and Nagar Haveli also haven’t reported any covid-related deaths during the last 24 hours
PremiumNEW DELHI: With India facing a severe second wave of covid-19, the north eastern states of Arunachal Pradesh, Tripura, Sikkim, Mizoram, and Manipur, and the Union territories of Ladakh, Lakshadweep, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Daman and Diu, Dadra and Nagar Haveli haven’t reported any deaths over the last 24 hours.
This comes against the backdrop of the resurgence of covid cases once again catching India’s creaking healthcare system flat-footed, with reports of acute shortage of vaccines, testing kits, hospital beds and intensive care units (ICUs). Crematoria are operating round the clock as a second and more severe covid wave sweeps the country.
According to the ministry of health and family welfare, a total of 1,341 deaths were reported in the last 24 hours, with 10 states accounting for 85.83% of the new deaths.
“Maharashtra saw the maximum casualties (398). Delhi follows with 141 daily deaths," the ministry said in statement.
This comes at a time when Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik has written to to Prime Minister Narendra Modi urging him to make covid-19 vaccines available in the open market, prioritize vaccination for metros having high number of cases, and make age criteria flexible for jabs to keep the economic engines running.
“The few metropolitan cities which contribute the highest covid cases should be allowed priority vaccination and flexibility in age criteria as these are economic nerve centres of the country, and any lockdown in these areas will have an impact on the rest of the country' in terms of labour movement," Patnaik said in his 16 April communication.
There has been a clamour to inoculate younger people as well, considering the concerns about mutant strains and low uptake of vaccines. According to the 2011 census, about 18.3% of India’s population is above 45.
A total of 2,34,692 new cases were registered in the last 24 hours, with the states of Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka and Kerala accounting for 65.02% of India’s total active covid-19 cases.
“Maharashtra has reported the highest daily new cases at 63,729. It is followed by Uttar Pradesh with 27,360 while Delhi reported 19,486 new cases," the health ministry statement said.
As parts of the country reimpose lockdowns, super spreader events like political rallies and the Kumbh Mela threaten to spread covid infections to India’s villages, where testing and treatment facilities are nearly non-existent, as attendees return home. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday morning urged that the Kumbh Mela "should now only be symbolic" amid a surge in covid-19 cases.
Patnaik also wrote in his letter that “covid vaccines that have been already approved globally by credible agencies and governments may be accorded approval to increase supply."
This comes against the backdrop of the Drugs Controller General of India’s plan to give emergency authorization to foreign vaccines within three days of submission of application. The new norms follow the Union health ministry’s announcement on Tuesday to fast-track emergency authorization approvals for vaccines already approved for emergency use by regulators in US, UK, European Union and Japan, or those that have been cleared by the WHO. India also plans to import 50,000 metric tonnes (mt) of medical-grade oxygen, as local demand soars.
“Covid-19 vaccines may be made available outside the government supply chain in the open market so that willing citizens who can afford the vaccine can avail them. This will help governments to have a focused approach towards vulnerable sections of the society," Patnaik wrote.
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