Covid-19 cases dip in India as 25,404 new cases and 339 deaths have been reported in the country in the last 24 hours, Kerala recorded 15,058 new covid-19 cases, 28,439 recoveries and 99 deaths in the last 24 hours.
75-crore mark in vaccination milestone achieved as covid-19 cases dip
Apart from good news that covid-19 cases dip, India has achieved another milestone. In its fight against Coronavirus infection, the country has crossed the 75-crore mark in vaccination, the fastest among the world to achieve the feat. However, at this rate, India will be able to cover 43% of its population by the end of the year. India needs to vaccinate at least 60 of its population to avoid the impending Covid-19 third wave, as per experts. According to estimates, India requires 12 million doses per day to achieve the target. Now, India has the most partly immunized people in the world. The country has administered 60% of its eligible adult population with the first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine while 19% have received both doses, according to data from the Union Health Ministry.
Meanwhile, India has been reporting below 30,000 new Covid-19 cases for the past two days. New infections have fallen drastically and now hovering around 35K for the past few days.
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Fears over second jab complacency grow
Despite covid-19 cases dip, vaccine hesitancy and growing complacency over the second dose might make it difficult for India to achieve its December target of vaccinating all above 18 years. India has administered the last 10 crore jabs in just 13 days. The supply of vaccines has improved. Any laxity during the ongoing festive season might reverse India’s gain in its fight against the Coronavirus pandemic.
Thane has reported 249 new cases of coronavirus, taking the infection tally in the Maharashtra district to 5,54,893, an official said on Tuesday. These new cases were reported on Monday, he said. Eight more people also died due to the viral infection, which pushed the fatality toll in the district to 11,351, he said, adding that the COVID-19 mortality rate in Thane stood at 2.04 per cent. In neighbouring Palghar district, the COVID-19 case count has gone up to 1,35,147, while the death toll has reached 3,272, another official said. Despite statewise different count, the covid-19 cases dip has much to show about India’s performance on the pandemic front.
Haryana on Monday did not report any fatality due to COVID-19, even as 121 fatalities were added to the health department’s daily bulletin, with a senior health official saying this was done after the conclusion of a “death audit” by a committee with regards to these deaths. He also said he hoped that that the covid-19 cases dip would show more progress. Until Sunday, COVID-19 related deaths were 9,686, according to the health department’s bulletin. However, another bulletin on Monday showed the cumulative COVID-19 death toll in the state at 9,807. According to the bulletin on Monday, “The outcome of certain COVID-19 cases is under investigation with the state Covid Review Committee.” The outcome of 121 cases has been declared as “Covid deaths” out of the total under investigation positive cases by the state death audit committee, said the bulletin.
Meanwhile new local COVID-19 infections more than doubled in China’s southeastern province of Fujian, health authorities said on Tuesday, prompting officials to quickly roll out measures including travel restrictions to halt the spread of the virus. The National Health Commission said 59 new locally transmitted cases were reported for Sept. 13, up from 22 infections a day earlier. All of them were in Fujian.In just four days, a total of 102 community infections have been reported in Fujian, a province bordered by Zhejiang to the north and Guangdong to the south. The infections come ahead of the week-long National Day holiday starting on Oct. 1, a major tourist season. The last domestic outbreak in late July to August disrupted travel, hitting the tourism, hospitality and transportion sectors. Fujian’s outbreak began in Putian, a city of 3.2 million, with the first case reported on Sept. 10. Preliminary tests on samples from some Putian cases showed patients had contracted the highly transmissible Delta variant. The virus has since spread south to the scenic coastal city of Xiamen, which reported 32 new cases of community transmission for Sept. 13 compared with just one infection a day earlier. Even here there were doubts about covid-19 cases dip. But they hoped that the covid-19 cases dip would go on the path of progression.
Medicines from the Sky
The ministry of civil aviation (MoCA) and directorate general of civil aviation (DGCA) on Monday granted permission to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay (IIT-B) to deliver vaccines using drones in Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Manipur and Nagaland.
ICMR and IIT-B have been given conditional exemption from Drone Rules 2021 for conducting experimental ‘Beyond Visual Line of Sight’ vaccine delivery in Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Manipur, and Nagaland up to a height of 3,000 meters using drones. IIT-B has received drone use permission for research, development and testing of drones in its premises.
This exemption to ICMR and IIT-B, subject to the terms and conditions of airspace clearance, would be valid for one year from the date of approval.
Union civil aviation minister, Jyotiraditya Scindia, had launched the first of its kind ‘Medicines from the Sky’ project at Vikarabad in Telangana on September 11, under which drugs and vaccines will be delivered using drones. MoCA notified the liberalised Drone Rules, 2021 in August easing drone operations in the country.