With 4,03,738 new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, India continued to report more than four lakh daily coronavirus infections for the fourth day on the trot.
Top 10 Developments:
1. The cumulative national tally of the infection went up to 2,22,96,414, the union health ministry informed on Sunday morning. The country saw 3,86,444 fresh recoveries on Saturday, pushing the total number of discharges to 1,83,17,404.
2. At present, India has 37,36,648 active coronavirus cases.
3. 4,092 deaths related deaths were also registered in the last 24 hours, taking the total COVID-related death toll to 2,42,362.
4. A total of 30,22,75,471 samples had been tested up to May 8, of which, 18,65,428 were tested on Saturday, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) informed.
5. As many as 16,94,39,663 vaccination doses had been administered in the country up to May 7. The vaccination process, which started on January 16, is currently underway in the country.
6. A hospital in Gujarat’s Ahmedabad has reported a rise in the number of Covid patients with a fungal infection – mucormycosis, or black fungus, which can be fatal for transplant recipients. Similar cases have been reported from Maharashtra and Delhi.
7. As India fights a deadly second wave, an anti-Covid drug – developed by the DRDO (Defence Research and Development Organisation) – has been cleared for emergency use by the drug regulator DCGI. Clinical trial results showed a molecule present in the drug helps in faster recovery of hospitalised patients and reduces supplemental oxygen dependence.
8. The Supreme Court on Saturday formed a 12-member National Task Force to assess the availability and distribution of medical oxygen. “We expect leading experts in the country shall associate with the Task Force, as members and resource persons,” the court said in its final order.
9. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday dialled up Chief Ministers of four states – Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jairam Thakur – to discuss Covid situation with them.
10. World Health Organization’s chief scientist Soumya Swaminathan, in an interview with news agency AFP, has said the B.1.617 variant of COVID-19, which was first detected in last October, was clearly a contributing factor to the frightening Covid surge.