COVID-19 in India: Cases dip, but deaths still rising

Family members perform the last rites of a COVID-19 victim in Jammu, on Monday evening. Pic/PTI

India adds 2,59,170 new cases and 1,761 deaths; to ramp up vaccination, Centre offers Rs 4,500-crore booster to vaccine manufacturers and plans to waive customs duty import as Oppn criticises it's ‘hollow' policy for the next phase

India's total tally of COVID-19 cases climbed to 1,53,21,089 with 2,59,170 new Coronavirus infections and the death toll increased to 1,80,530 with a record 1,761 new fatalities, the data updated at 8 am showed. Registering a steady increase for the 41st day in a row, the active cases rose to 20,31,977.

Rs 4,500 cr to vaccine makers

Looking to ramp up supplies ahead of the opening of COVID-19 vaccination to all citizens over 18 years, the Centre has approved an advance payment of about Rs 4,500 crore to manufacturers like Serum Institute of India (SII) and Bharat Biotech, sources told PTI. SII will get Rs 3,000 crore and Bharat Biotech about Rs 1,500 crore.

SII will supply 200 million doses and Bharat Biotech 90 million doses to the Centre at the pre-agreed rate of Rs 150 per dose by July. Sources said the finance ministry has relaxed rules to allow advance payment without bank guarantee to help the vaccine makers ramp up production.

Relief on import likely

The government is also likely to waive 10 per cent customs duty levied on imported vaccines in a bid to keep the cost of overseas vaccines low, sources said. "A customs duty wavier is being considered," a source aware of the matter said. Another source said a decision is likely to be made "very soon."

While Russia's Sputnik V vaccines are due to arrive this month or latest by next month, manufacturers like Moderna and Johnson and Johnson have been urged to seek emergency use approval in India.

The Centre presently levies 10 per cent customs or import duty plus a 16.5 per cent I-GST and social welfare surcharge on vaccines coming from overseas.

‘700mn doses a year'

Meanwhile, Bharat Biotech has ramped up the manufacturing capacity of its vaccine, Covaxin, to 700 million doses per annum, it said on Tuesday.

Manufacturing scale up has been carried out in a stepwise manner across multiple facilities at Hyderabad and Bangalore, the company said.

‘Situation worse in villages'

With Uttar Pradesh battling a surge in COVID-19 cases, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Tuesday claimed that health services in the state have "collapsed" and the situation is worse in villages as compared to cities.

The situation is bad not only in cities, it is worse in villages, where there is no one to hear the voice of the poor villagers, he claimed. Yadav added, "The CM, who is allergic to the work carried out during the SP's regime, is playing with the lives of the people."

The chief minister did not care about improving the health services. The SP had put forth this demand. But now as the situation is worsening, the government has decided to convert cancer hospital, Haj House, Awadh Shilpgram built during the SP's regime into COVID centres, he said.

Cong leaders, Delhi CM's wife test +ve

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday said he has tested positive for COVID-19. Senior party leader Anand Sharma has been admitted to Medanta Hospital, sources close to him told PTI. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said he is in quarantine after his wife Sunita Kejriwal tested positive. Union minister Jitendra Singh and Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao have also contracted the virus.

J&J files for trial

Johnson & Johnson on Tuesday said it has sought an approval from the India's drug regulator to conduct a bridging clinical trial of its single-dose vaccine in the country. The US Food and Drug Administration had in February approved its vaccine for emergency use.

Tomatoes for shots

Fake news, misinformation and rumours have created some hesitancy around the COVID-19 vaccines in Chhattisgarh's Bastar village. But the authorities have come up with an interesting way to encourage residents to get vaccinated - giving them tomatoes for each administered dose.

1,53,21,089
Total no. of coronavirus cases in India so far

1,80,530
Total no. of deaths due to the virus in India so far

1,31,08,582
Total no. of patients recovered and discharged in India so far

12,71,29,113
(Total no. of people vaccinated so far)

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