Cases hit 4 lakh for the first time, new high

India makes global record for new infections as vaccination drive for 18+ begins amidst severe shortage

India witnessed the highest spike of 4,01,999 fresh cases of COVID-19 and 3,523 fatalities in the last 24 hours.

It is the first time that India has crossed the four lakh figure in a day. For the last nine days, over three lakh COVID-19 cases were being reported, while over 3,000 casualties have been reported for the past four days. On Friday, India witnessed 3,498 deaths, the second highest fatality figure in a day. 

Gujarat sees 14K new cases

Gujarat’s COVID-19 tally reached 5,67,777 with 14,605 fresh cases on Friday, while the death toll also jumped to 7,183 with 173 more succumbing.

In April, Gujarat registered 2,60,079 cases at an average of 8,669 cases daily. With a decline in recoveries compared to new cases, the rate of recovery fell to 73.72 per cent, with active cases at 1,42,046. 

K’taka’s highest one-day spike

Karnataka reported an all-time high single-day spike of 48,296 cases in the last 24 hours, including a staggering 26,756 infections in Bengaluru alone, the state health bulletin said on Friday. “With 48,296 new cases registered on Thursday, the state’s COVID-19 tally shot up to 15,23,142, including 3,82,690 active cases, while recoveries increased to 11,24,909 with 14,884 discharged during the day,” said the bulletin.

Rajasthan curbs extended

The lockdown restrictions in Rajasthan have been extended till May 17 with new guidelines where guests in a marriage party has been reduced to 31. Announcing the guidelines late on Friday night, the home department termed it as Red Alert Public Discipline Fortnight in which new norms are far stricter than in the Public Discipline Fortnight announced from April 28 to May 3. Weekend curfew will continue. During this period, no one will be able to go out between noon and 5 pm, and those caught roaming will be institutionally quarantined till they test negative.

Telangana stops vax

Telangana reported 7,754 new COVID-19 cases and 51 deaths during the last 24 hours. The number of cases has been on the decline for the last few days as the authorities brought down the daily testing to less than one lakh.

However, vaccine shortage forced health authorities  to stop the vaccination programme on Saturday and Sunday. On a day when phase 3 of the COVID-19 immunisation for those between 18-44 years was scheduled for a roll out across the country, Telangana had to stop vaccination even for those above 45 years. 

Vax for 18 above in six states

India on Saturday started the third phase of the vaccination drive covering those above the age of 18 years. However, the exercise began mainly in six states: Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat and Odisha. All other states and Union Territories (UTs) have deferred vaccination for the age group of 18-44 by a few days due to vaccine shortage. Even in these six states, the drive is “token”, limited to just a few districts. States are reporting shortage contrary to the Centre’s report available till yesterday that more than 79 lakh doses are still available with them.

Drought leaves vegetable growers high and dry in Himachal

Vegetable growers in the state are facing losses. Pic/IANS

Vegetable growers in Himachal Pradesh are sowing crops, but reaping despair. Last year it was the nationwide lockdown owing to the Coronavirus pandemic and this time, drought has left them high and dry. “Owing to scanty rainfall from January to end of March, crops have been severely hit in the entire area,” Nasib Singh Thakur, a marginal vegetable grower in Kandaghat tehsil in Solan district, said. He said almost 60 per cent of the crops in Rabi season like peas, cabbage, capsicum, beans, cauliflower and cucumber are damaged due to long spells of drought from December onwards. “In this season during last year, we had left so much food on farms to just rot in the fields owing to the lockdown. This time, hostile weather took a heavy toll on the crops,” another vegetable grower CD Verma of Jubbarhatti village, on the outskirts of the state capital, said.

1,91,64,969
Total No. of cases in the country as of Saturday

2,11, 853
Total no. of deaths due to the virus in India

1,56,84,406
Patients recovered and discharged in India by Saturday

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