India’s tally of COVID-19 cases stands above 10.9 million, while more than 10.6 million people have recovered from the deadly virus.
- As many as 13,993 new COVID-19 cases and 101 deaths were reported in the country in the last 24 hours, the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) said on Saturday. With the new cases, the coronavirus tally in the country has reached 1,09,77,387 including 1,43,127 active cases and 1,06,78,048 discharges. The death toll has mounted to 1,56,212 with the loss of 101 more lives due to the virus in the last 24 hours.
- As per the Health Ministry, 1,04,49,942 vaccine doses were given through 2,20,877sessions till Friday evening. “This includes 62,95,903 health care workers who have taken the first dose and 7,56,942 health care workers who have taken the second dose, along with 33,97,097 frontline workers who were administered the first dose,” it said.
- 41 persons have been hospitalized and 34 people have died after receiving the COVID-19 vaccination in the country.
- The total number of samples tested up to Friday was 21,02,61,480, according to the Indian Council of Medical Research. The ICMR also said that 7,86,618 samples were tested on February 19.
- Maharashtra reported 6,112 new cases of coronavirus infection while 44 more succumbed to the disease on Friday, as per the state government Health Department data.
- The Hyderabad-based Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CSIR-CCMB) said there is emerging evidence that coronavirus variant N440K is spreading “a lot more” in southern states in the country. Scientists from CSIR-CCMB, in a recent publication, have presented an exhaustive analysis of over 5,000 coronavirus variants in India and how they have evolved over the course of the pandemic.
- India and South Africa have called for an urgent waiver of the World Trade Organization (WTO) Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) on intellectual property related to COVID-19 prevention, containment, or treatment, stated a prestigious medical journal in its recent issue.
- The report said: The Lancet COVID-19 Commission supports the emergency waiver of TRIPS in all circumstances that would facilitate the rapid scale-up of production and distribution of life-saving COVID-19 vaccines and therapeutics, noting that it is in the interest not only of LMICs but also of the entire world to suppress the pandemic as rapidly as possible.”
- As Mumbai is witnessing a surge in COVID-19 cases in the past few days and the current situation is “worrisome”, the state government has deployed marshals to enforce mask-wearing and social distancing at public and religious places, said Mumbai Mayor Kishori Pednekar on Friday.
- Goa Health Minister Vishwajit Rane on Friday warned of strict action in case COVID-19 cases continue to increase in the state. “We have been discussing this issue with the Chief Minister. We have to analyze if the trend continues in Maharashtra.