Germany to start easing COVID-19 lockdown next week

Germany will start easing some coronavirus restrictions from next week, according to draft plans to be discussed by national and regional leaders on Wednesday, amid mounting public frustration over lockdowns and pressure to revive the economy, Reuters reports.

Govt says it has plenty of vaccine shots for its own people 

The government assured Indians on Tuesday that there were plenty of COVID-19 vaccines for the country even though it has sent quantities overseas, Reuters reported.

It also urged states not to horde supplies. India needs to crank up the pace of immunisation at home as it has so far inoculated more than 12 million people. It wants to vaccinate 300 million people - a fifth of its population - against the virus by August.

Merck to help produce rival J&J's COVID-19 vaccine

COVID-19 vaccination phase 2: MapmyIndia will help you locate nearest centre

The second phase of the COVID-19 vaccination is underway and there are long queues already at the centres. But there are many who are clueless about the vaccination centres. MapmyIndia has rolled out an option for people to locate the nearest centre to their homes.

People can either download the MapmyIndia Move app or visit the website to search for a nearest vaccination centre. CLICK on this link for how to locate nearest centre:

Sweden heading into third wave of pandemic

Sweden appeared headed into a third wave of the pandemic, the country's health agency said on Tuesday, as it tightened crowd restrictions for shops amid a recent rise in new COVID19 cases and a rapid spread of virus variants considered more infectious, Reuters reported.

3 more tested positive for COVID19 in PSL: PCB

Three more -- two foreign players and one support staff member -- have tested positive for COVID19 in the ongoing Pakistan Super League but the cricket Board on Tuesday insisted the tournament would continue on schedule.  Pakistan Cricket Board's Director of Media Sami Burney did not name the three people whose COVID19 infection came a day after Australian legspinner Fawad Ahmed tested positive, leading to his isolation.

PCB's bio-bubble policy under scanner after Australia's Fawad Ahmed tested positive for COVID

The Board, though, has made it clear the tournament would be completed on schedule by March 22. The media questioned the PCB's claim of implementing a strict bio-secure bubble for the team players and officials, their families and other stakeholders in the competition.

Uday Kotak takes first shot of COVID-19 vaccine 

Kotak Mahindra Bank MD and CEO Uday Kotak on Tuesday took the first shot of COVID-19 vaccine. "Happy to share that I took the first shot of the vaccine this morning. Smooth and no pain," Kotak said in a tweet sharing his photograph while being administered the vaccine. Prime Minister Narendra Modi too took his first shot of vaccine, Bharat Biotech's Covaxin, on Monday.

WHO chief scientist Soumya Swaminathan says India exhibited capacity to innovate, manufacture COVID vaccines

Speaking at the Global Bio-India 2021, she said the fight against the coronavirus pandemic is at a very critical junction now as cases have suddenly gone up, particularly in Europe and America.

Maharashtra has enough doses of vaccines: Health official

Maharashtra has a stock of over 44 lakh doses of Covishield and COVAXIN vaccines, enough to inoculate people eligible for taking the shots in the state, a senior health official said on Tuesday. The vaccination drive in the country was expanded from Monday to include people above 60 years of age and those aged between 45 and 59 who have co-morbidities. Asked whether there will be any shortage of doses in Maharashtra as the vaccination drive is being scaled up, state immunisation officer Dr Dilip Patil said.

US downplays possibility of sharing COVID-19 vaccines with Mexico

The Biden administration on Monday downplayed the prospect of sharing coronavirus vaccines with Mexico, saying it is focused first on getting its own population protected against a pandemic that has killed more than 500,000 Americans. The remarks by White House press secretary Jen Psaki came before a video conference between Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador and US President Joe Biden, in which the Mexican leader was expected to ask the United States to consider sharing some of its COVID-19 vaccine supply. "The administration's focus is on ensuring that every American is vaccinated. And once we accomplish that objective, we're happy to discuss further steps," Psaki said at a White House news conference. Biden told reporters that the two leaders would discuss the issue at the meeting's outset. But an official statement released after the meeting ended made no mention of vaccine distribution. Biden has predicted the United States will have enough supply by late July to inoculate all Americans.

AP Guv receives COVID-19 vaccine shot

Andhra Pradesh Governor Biswabhusan Harichandan and First Lady Suprava Harichandan on Tuesday got the COVID-19 vaccine administered as the process for inoculating those above 60 years of age began in the state. The First Citizen and the First Lady drove to the Government General Hospital in Vijayawada and got inoculated. "All eligible (persons) should get vaccinated. Covid-19 has to be rooted out not only of the state but also the country," the Governor said on the occasion. He recalled that coronavirus shook the entire world for over a year now. "The vaccination was simple. I didn't feel like I was injected. I am feeling well," Harichandan said. The state health department made arrangements for the COVID-19 vaccination in 432 government and 92 private hospitals for citizens above 60 years and those in the 45-59 age group with comorbidities. The state received an additional six lakh doses of the vaccine on Monday.

Farooq Abdullah gets first dose of COVID-19 vaccine

National Conference president Farooq Abdullah, who is Lok Sabha member from Srinagar, on Tuesday got his first dose of COVID-19 vaccine at a hospital here, officials said. Abdullah, 85, was given the first dose of the vaccine at the Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences, Soura, the officials said. Omar Abdullah, son of the NC president, took to Twitter to thank the doctors and other staff at the hospital for administering the vaccine to his father. "Thank you to the doctors, nurses and staff at SKIMS, Srinagar. Today my 85-year-old father & my mother had their first COVID jab. My father has a number of health issues including being on immunosuppressants for a kidney transplant. If he can get the vaccine, you should as well," Omar tweeted. The Jammu and Kashmir government on Monday said it has completed vaccination of 70 percent health workers and 57 percent front line workers in the union territory with no reported case of any serious adversity.

Chavan slams Centre for letting pvt hospitals charge for COVID-19 vaccine

Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan on Tuesday questioned the Centre's decision to let private hospitals charge people for COVID-19 vaccine in the phase-II of the immunisation drive that began on Monday. Last week, the government had announced that people above the age of 60 and those over 45 years suffering from co-morbidities can avail the vaccine for free at government facilities and for Rs 250 at private hospitals. According to a statement issued by his office, Chavan said in phase-I of the drive, the Union government had procured 1.65 crore doses of the vaccine at a cost of Rs 210 per dose. As per the February 1 budget speech delivered by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Rs 35,000 crore had been earmarked for the vaccination drive, the former Maharashtra chief minister said. In this amount, at the cost of Rs 210 per dose, more than 1.5 billion doses can be procured and 75 crore people can be inoculated twice, covering almost the entire adult population of the country, he said. "If budgetary provisions have been made, why charge common people (at private hospitals)?" the statement quoted Chavan as saying. The former Union minister further pointed out that countries including the US, UK and Canada were providing free vaccines to their citizens either through insurance schemes or by budgetary provisions. "I demand that all beneficiaries of Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (Ayushman Bharat) be given free COVID-19 vaccines," Chavan said.

Japan receives 3rd batch of Pfizer vax

Japan has received its third batch of the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine, with the shipment containing up to 526,500 doses developed by US pharmaceutical giant and its German partner BioNTech. So far, Japan has received half of the 2.66 million doses it expects to receive in March as its vaccination campaign has expanded to include more healthcare workers, reports Xinhua news agency. The government has planned to begin inoculating 4.7 million healthcare workers from this week onwards, followed by 36 million people aged 65 and older who are next in line to be vaccinated from April 12. Those with pre-existing health conditions and workers at elderly care facilities will be vaccinated before the inoculation drive for the general population begins, the government has said.

Global Covid-19 caseload tops 114.4 mn

The total number of global Covid-19 cases has topped 114.4 million, while the deaths have surged to more than 2.53 million, according to the Johns Hopkins University. In its latest update on Tuesday morning, the University's Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) revealed that the current global caseload and death toll stood at 114,417,054 and 2,537,563, respectively. The US is the worst-hit country with the world's highest number of cases and deaths at 28,659,784 and 514,333, respectively, according to the CSSE.

Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan:

We've been administered Covaxin. This vaccine will work as 'Sanjeevani'. Hanuman Ji crossed India to get it, but this 'Sanjeevani' is available at your nearby pvt. & govt facility. We've paid Rs 250 for it, those who can afford should pay.

US CDC warns against ruining Covid progress

Rochelle Walensky, Director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), has warned that the country was at risk of losing its recent progress in the battle against the Covid-19 pandemic if states roll back health measures. "I am really worried about reports that more states are rolling back the exact public health measures we have recommended to protect people from Covid-19," she said in a statement on Monday. "At this level of cases with variants spreading, we stand to completely lose the hard earned ground we have gained," Xinhua news agency quoted the CDC chief as further saying. After weeks of tumbling case numbers, new infections are on the rise again, about 2 per cent more this past week compared to the previous week, according to Walensky.

US rolls out Johnson & Johnson's Covid-19 vaccine

The United States started rolling out Johnson & Johnson's Covid-19 vaccine to states, after the single-dose vaccine got green light from regulators to be administered to people 18 and older. Trucks carrying the vaccines are en route to states and sites that have been seeking more doses to curb the pandemic, Xinhua news agency reported. The shipments are expected to reach states and vaccination sites as early as Tuesday, according to the Joe Biden administration. Johnson & Johnson prepared four million doses for initial shipment, and expected to ship more than 20 million doses by March, according to the company.

29 new cases of coronavirus in Pondy, tally rises to 39,763

Puducherry clocked 29 fresh COVID-19 cases during the last 24 hours ending 10 am on Tuesday, raising the aggregate to 39,763. There was no fresh fatality and the toll remained 669. The new cases were spread over Puducherry and Karaikal regions (eight cases each) and the Mahe region accounted for remaining 13 cases. Director of the Department of Health and Family Welfare Services, S Mohan Kumar said in a release that of the total 39,763 cases, 174 were active, while 38,920 patients were discharged so far after recovery. As many as 6.31 lakh samples were tested so far and it was found that 5.87 lakh were negative. The fatality and recovery rates were 1.68 percent and 97.88 percent respectively.