The government on Thursday removed export curbs on Remdesivir injection and its active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) amid declining COVID-19 cases in the country.
You can track coronavirus cases, deaths and testing rates at the national and State levels here. A list of State Helpline numbers is available as well.
Here are the latest updates:
Centre extends COVID-19 restrictions till March 31
The Ministry of Home Affairs has once again extended the COVID-19 guidelines issued under the Disaster Management Act, till March 31.
With a substantial decline in case positivity and in the number of active cases in the country, States and UTs are re-opening the activities. In view of the overall improved situation, there is a need to follow a risk assessment based approach on the opening of economic activities, Home Secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla wrote in a letter to the States.
Accordingly, after a careful analysis of the local situation, relaxation in various activities may be considered, such as social/sports/entertainment/academic/cultural/religious/festival related gatherings; night curfew; operations of public transport; shopping complexes, cinema halls, gyms, spas, restaurants and bars; opening of schools, colleges, offices, and other commercial activities, the letter added. - Vijaita Singh
India records 302 fresh COVID-19 fatalities
India logged 13,166 new coronavirus infections, taking the total tally of COVID-19 cases to 4,28,94,345, while the active cases declined to 1,34,235, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Friday.
The death toll climbed to 5,13,226 with 302 fresh fatalities, the data updated at 8 am stated.
The daily COVID-19 cases have remained less than one lakh for 19 consecutive days. The active cases comprise 0.31% of the total infections, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate has further improved to 98.49%, the ministry said. A reduction of 14,124 cases has been recorded in the active COVID-19 caseload in a span of 24 hours.
CDC to significantly ease pandemic mask guidelines Friday
The Biden administration will significantly loosen federal mask-wearing guidelines to protect against COVID-19 transmission on Friday, according to two people familiar with the matter, meaning most Americans will no longer be advised to wear masks in indoor public settings.
The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention on Friday will announce a change to the metrics it uses to determine whether to recommend face coverings, shifting from looking at COVID-19 case counts to a more holistic view of risk from the coronavirus to a community. Under current guidelines, masks are recommended for people residing in communities of substantial or high transmission — roughly 95% of U.S. counties, according to the latest data. -AP
EU watchdog approves Moderna Covid jab for children six to 11
The European Union’s drug watchdog Thursday approved Moderna’s anti-Covid shot for children aged six to 11, the second vaccine to be approved for younger children in the 27-member bloc.
“The EMA’s human medicines committee (CHMP) has recommended granting an extension of indication for the Covid-19 vaccine Spikevax to include use in children aged 6 to 11,” the Amsterdam-based European Medicines Agency said in a statement.
The jab, developed by US-based pharmaceutical company Moderna, has already been approved for adults and children aged 12 and above. -AFP
Canada approves first domestic COVID-19 vaccine
Canadian health authorities approved Thursday the first domestic Covid-19 vaccine, Quebec City-based biopharmaceutical firm Medicago and its partner GlaxoSmithKline announced.
This comes after more than 90% of Canadian adults have already received two jabs of other vaccines, but about half of the population has yet to get a booster shot.
Calling Health Canada’s approval of its Covifenz vaccine “a significant milestone for Canada in the fight against the pandemic,” Medicago chief executive Takashi Nagao said the company was already “manufacturing doses to start fulfilling its order.” -AFP
Indian Army donates 1 lakh doses of COVID-19 vaccines to Nepal Army
The Indian Army on Thursday gifted one lakh doses of India-made anti-COVID-19 vaccines to the Nepal Army as part of the efforts of the two militaries to enhance bilateral cooperation.
The vaccines were handed over by Lt Gen PN Ananthanarayanan, President Gorkha Brigade, to Lt Gen Bal Krishna Karki, VCOAS of the Nepali Army.
Lt Gen Ananthanarayanan lauded the gallantry and commitment of the gorkha soldiers in the Indian Army and expressed his commitment to serve the Gorkha community. -PTI
Govt. to exchange with private hospitals COVID-19 vaccines with longer expiry period
The Directorate of Public Health (DPH) and Preventive Medicine has instructed all deputy directors of health services (DDHS) and the city medical officer of the Greater Chennai Corporation to review the COVID-19 vaccine availability in all vaccination centres and exchange vials with shorter expiry from private COVID-19 Vaccination Centres (PCVC) with vials having longer expiry available with the Government COVID-19 Vaccination Centres (GCVC).
In a circular issued in line with a letter from the Union Health Ministry, the DPH said that regular review on the status of vaccines available with PCVCs should be conducted either in person or entry in Co-WIN portal to know about vaccines with shorter expiry period.
PWD to complete establishing ICU beds for COVID-19 patients
The Public Works Department will soon complete the setting up of intensive care unit beds in various hospitals across the State as part of Emergency Covid Response Plan Phase II.
Officials said the work was in full swing to build nearly 2,096 ICU beds with oxygen support in nearly 255 government tertiary care hospitals, including 37 district and 116 taluk hospitals across the State.
