Health

New Delhi, Apr 30 (PTI) India saw 386,452 new coronavirus infections in a span of 24 hours, the highest single-day rise so far, pushing the total tally of COVID-19 cases to 18,762,976, while active cases crossed the 31-lakh mark, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Friday.

The death toll increased to 208,330 with 3,498 daily new fatalities, the data updated at 8 am showed.

Panaji, Apr 30 (PTI) People stayed indoors and streets wore a largely deserted look on Friday as a four-day-long lockdown came into force in Goa to bring down the rising COVID-19 cases in the coastal state.

The COVID-19-related curbs came into force at 9 pm on Thursday and will remain applicable till 6 am on Monday (May 3).

The state government has said all essential services would be allowed to function during the period.

Delhi; 30 April 2021 (UMMN): In an online meeting with Indian ambassadors and high commissioners spread around the world, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Thursday said that the negative narrative about PM Modi’s incompetence in handling 2nd wave of deadly Covid-19 pandemic must be countered.

GENEVA, April 28 (Xinhua) -- As the number of COVID-19 cases worldwide has been on the increase for the ninth consecutive week, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Wednesday that India alone accounted for 38 percent of all infections -- or 2,172,063 new cases -- recorded in the seven-day period that ended on April 25.

The surge in India is understood to be fueled by the new COVID-19 variant dubbed as the "double mutant" and scientifically identified as B1617. It was "detected at increasing prevalence" among the new cases in the country, according to the WHO.

28 Apr 2021; MEMO: Turkey signed an agreement to receive 50 million doses of the Russian Sputnik V vaccine over six months starting in May, the country's health minister said Wednesday, Anadolu reports.

Fahrettin Koca told a press conference that the vaccine supply was getting harder to reach out to for the next two months but that they expect an abundance of vaccines afterward.

Dehradun, Apr 29 (PTI) The Chardham Yatra to the four famous Himalayan shrines in Uttarakhand, which was scheduled to begin next month, has been postponed in view of the massive surge in COVID-19 cases.

Announcing this here on Thursday, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Tirath Singh Rawat said conducting the yatra amid the raging pandemic is not possible.

However, the portals of the four Himalayan temples known as Chardham will open as scheduled, he said.

However, they will open only for priests to perform regular prayers and not for devotees, he said.

Jaipur, Apr 29 (PTI) Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Thursday said he has tested positive for COVID-19.

The 69-year-old Congress leader had isolated himself on Wednesday after his wife Sunita had tested positive.

"My COVID-19 test report too came positive today. I have no symptoms, and I am feeling fine. I will continue working while in isolation, following COVID-19 protocols," the chief minister said in a tweet in Hindi.

New Delhi, Apr 28 (PTI) Serum Institute of India (SII) -- the maker of the most used COVID-19 vaccine in the country -- on Wednesday announced a cut in price of the jab it plans to sell to states to Rs 300 per dose from the earlier Rs 400.

This follows widespread criticism of its pricing policy as it had sold the initial doses of Covishield to the central government at Rs 150 per dose.

SII's CEO Adar Poonawalla took to Twitter to announce the "philanthropic" gesture.

New Delhi, Apr 28 (PTI) Switzerland on Wednesday said it is sending oxygen concentrators, ventilators and other medical equipment to India to help it deal with the "challenging times" arising out of the coronavirus pandemic.

The Swiss Embassy in India said the material will be distributed with the support of the Indian Red Cross Society.

"Switzerland through the Swiss humanitarian aid will send medical supplies to India. This will include oxygen concentrators, ventilators and other medical equipment," the embassy said.

MOSCOW, April 27 (Xinhua) -- The novel coronavirus could be associated with a leak from a U.S. biological laboratory, said Vyacheslav Volodin, chairman of Russia's lower parliament house the State Duma, on Tuesday.

"There was a leak from one of those laboratories that they have opened around the world. It would be right if the government of the Russian Federation raises the issue (of responsibility for the COVID-19 outbreak)," Volodin told a session of the Council of Legislators.