Health

Toronto, Apr 23 (PTI) The Canadian government has banned all passenger flights from India and Pakistan for 30 days due to the unprecedented spike in COVID-19 cases in the region, the longest country-specific travel ban imposed by Canada.

The flight ban took effect from midnight Thursday, Transport Minister Omar Alghabra said on Thursday.

A number of countries like the UK, Australia and Singapore have banned travel to and from India due to surge in coronavirus infections.

New Delhi, Apr 23 (PTI) The All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) here has decided to discontinue contact tracing of exposed healthcare workers and quarantine of asymptomatic contacts amid the current COVID-19 situation that has led to insufficient resources and shortage of staff.

Only symptomatic healthcare workers (HCWs) will be tested and only those testing positive will be isolated and managed as per the clinical condition.

Chennai, April 22 (PTI) The Madras High Court was on Thursday informed by the Tamil Nadu government that the state had sufficient stocks of oxygen and Remdesivir vaccines and that the 'assigment' of life-saving gas to neighbouring states will not affect its position.

There was no shortage of Remdesivir vaccine, used in COVID-19 treatment, ventilators or oxygen cylinders in the state, Advocate General Vijay Narayan told the first bench of the Madras High Court, which took up the matter on its own.

Bengaluru, Apr 22 (PTI) Karnataka registered another biggest single day spike of 25,795 new cases of COVID-19, and 123 related fatalities on Thursday, taking the total number of infections to 12,47,997 and the death toll to 13,885, the Health department said.

The state had previously reported its biggest single day spike of 23,558 cases on Wednesday.

A total of over 2,41,79,169 samples have been tested so far, of which 1,62,534 were tested today.

Bengaluru Urban accounted for 15,244 new infections.

Noida (UP), Apr 22 (PTI) Two private hospitals in Uttar Pradesh's Gautam Buddh Nagar with around 600 COVID-19 patients on Thursday said they were facing a shortage of oxygen supply and they did not have enough to last them till the next day.

Meanwhile, in a statement issued late in the night, Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Deepak Ohri said admissions to such private hospitals where the number of beds has been increased but suppliers have not been able to provide oxygen as per contract have been "put on hold" for the time being.

Jammu, Apr 22 (PTI) The Jammu district administration on Thursday declared five areas micro-containment zones (MCZs) and made it mandatory for residents to get themselves tested for COVID-19, officials said.

Action, including the filing of an FIR, will be taken against anyone refusing to undergo the test, they said.

New Delhi, Apr 23 (PTI) With a record single-day rise of 332,730 new coronavirus infections, India's total tally of COVID-19 cases climbed to 16,263,695, while active cases crossed the 24-lakh (2.4 million) mark, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Friday.

The death toll increased to 186,920 with a record 2,263 new fatalities, the data updated at 8 am showed.

Thiruvananthapuram, Apr 21 (PTI): Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Wednesday said the Leftgovernment would provide the vaccine against COVID-19 free of cost for everyone in the State.

This statement comes on a day the Serum Institute of India announced a price of Rs 400 per dosefor its COVID-19 vaccine 'Covishield' for State governments and Rs 600 per dose for private hospitals.

New Delhi, Apr 21 (PTI) The Yamuna Sports Complex started functioning as COVID centre on Wednesday amid spiralling coronavirus infections and huge shortage of beds in Delhi.

The centre has a total bed capacity of 880 beds, which includes 200 beds with oxygen supply. It will be monitored by Seemapuri Subdivisional Magistrate Shailendra Kumar Singh, according to a statement.

Mumbai, Apr 21 (PTI) The Maharashtra government on Wednesday imposed several new restrictions including a ban on inter-city and inter-district travel and curbs on office attendance in an attempt to bring the spiralling coronavirus infections under control.

Central, state and local governing body offices shall function with 15 per cent attendance. But emergency services dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic will be exempted from this rule.