Coronavirus India Updates, Sept 13: Seven big states urged to ensure adequate oxygen availability in all healthcare facilities

India Coronavirus Update: At present, there are 9,73,175 active cases of Covid-19 in the country, comprising 20.47 per cent of the total caseload, the health ministry data stated.

Coronavirus India Updates: The Centre on Sunday urged Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Telangana, Gujarat, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh to ensure adequate oxygen availability in all healthcare facilities and unrestricted intra and inter-state movement of oxygen cylinders because of the coronavirus pandemic. The Union Health Ministry held a virtual meeting where Union Health Secretary, Secretary DPIIT and Secretary Pharmaceuticals participated.

Hospitals and institutions have long-term tender/contract agreement for supply of oxygen with manufacturers, which need to be honoured. Hence, states must not impose restrictions on free movement of oxygen, the statement underlined.

With 94,372 new cases in the past 24 hours, India’s coronavirus tally rose to 47,54,356 on Sunday, while 1,114 deaths pushed the total death toll to 78,586, according to Union Health Ministry data. At present, there are 9,73,175 active cases of Covid-19 in the country, comprising 20.47 per cent of the total caseload, the health ministry data stated. The case fatality rate has further dropped to 1.65 per cent.

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India’s Covid-19 tally had crossed the 20-lakh mark on August 7, 30 lakh on August 23 and it went past 40 lakh on September 5. According to the ICMR, a cumulative total of 5,62,60,928 samples have been tested up to September 12.

Punjab reports highest single-day spike of 2,628 new COVID-19 cases

Punjab on Sunday reported the highest single-day spike of 2,628 fresh COVID-19 cases, taking the infection tally to 79,679 in the state, while the death toll reached 2,356 with 68 more fatalities, according to a medical bulletin.

Eleven deaths were reported from Amritsar, 10 from Patiala, six each from Bathinda and Jalandhar, five from Ludhiana, four from Kapurthala and three each from Fazilka, Hoshiarpur, Mohali, Pathankot and Sangrur. Two fatalities each were reported from Rupnagar, Moga, Mansa and one each from Barnala, Faridkot, Gurdaspur, SBS Nagar and Tarn Taran, the bulletin said.

Health Minister Harsh Vardhan offers to take first vaccine shot to allay concerns over safety

Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan Sunday said if needed, he will be the first person to take the vaccine that will be made available in India to drive away any kind of apprehensions that the public might have regarding the safety of the vaccine. He was answering questions and taking note of the suggestions sent to him by people across the country on social media.

Delhi records 4,235 coronavirus cases; over 4,000 infections reported for 5th straight day

Delhi recorded 4,235 coronavirus cases on Sunday, taking the tally to over 2.18 lakh, while the death toll mounted to 4,744 with 29 new fatalities, authorities said. This is the fifth successive day when over 4,000 coronavirus cases were recorded in the national capital.

According to a Delhi government health bulletin issued this evening, 29 fresh fatalities were recorded in the past 24 hours.
A total of 56,656 tests — 10,116 RT-PCR/CBNAAT/TrueNat and 46,540 rapid antigen tests — were conducted during the period, it said. The positivity rate in the last 24 hours stands at 7.48 per cent, while the cumulative positivity rate stands at 10.20 per cent.

COVID-19 treatment accounted for 11 pc of health insurance claims in April-Aug: Study

Treatment for COVID-19 accounted for as much as 11 per cent of the total health insurance claims paid by insurance companies during the first five months of the current financial year, says a research conducted by Policybazaar.com. The research further revealed that 89 per cent of health insurance claims during April 1, 2020 and August 31, 2020 were for other major illnesses, including cancer, heart problems, kidney and treatment. (PTI)

Amid high demand, tempo with oxygen cylinders stolen in Pune

A tempo with seven oxygen cylinders meant for supply in hospitals amid the coronavirus outbreak was stolen in Pune’s Chakan area, the police said on Sunday. The complainant runs a business of transporting such cylinders and had parked the vehicle outside his house on Thursday night from where it went missing a few hours later, Inspector Balaji Sontake of Mhalunge post said. “We have registered a theft case and efforts are on to trace the tempo and nab the accused who stole it,” PTI quoted an official as saying.

Stress, self-injuries and suicide: India battles mental health crisis as COVID tally spikes

Hemmed inside their homes for months on end as a pandemic raged outside, millions of people are emerging timorously into a world that has drastically changed — an uneasy adjustment process resulting in a spectrum of mental health issues ranging from depression to that final step, suicide.

The dread of contracting the disease combined with the realisation that the incidence of COVID-19 spiralled instead of being contained in the lockdown and that the days of suspending life as they knew it could extend indefinitely has been profoundly disturbing for many.

Add to this new normal, ill-health, joblessness, financial crises and the everyday stresses that people anyway had to deal with and the COVID-19 tunnel stretches dark and seemingly endless with no light at the end of it. “This prolonged uncertainty has led people to feel a lot more anxious. So people who were on a mild anxiety spectrum earlier have moved to moderate and severe anxiety. When anxiety gets severe, the kinds of behaviour of self harm increase,” said Arvinder Singh, psychologist, psychotherapist and director of the Ashoka Centre for Well-Being in New Delhi.

Goa extends Rs 50 lakh insurance cover to health workers

Goa chief minister Pramod Sawant on Sunday said an insurance cover of Rs 50 lakh has been extended to all health workers at the forefront of the battle against Covid-19, reported PTI.

The insurance cover is provided under the central government’s flagship Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana.

“Insurance cover of Rs 50 lakh has been extended to all health workers in Goa,” Sawant said in a tweet.

The scheme is funded throught the National Disaster Response Fund, operated by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

Doctors, nurses, paramedics, sanitation workers and a few others working in hospitals under the central and state governments will be covered under the insurance scheme, the Union government earlier said.

Retail inflation to come down with easing of lockdowns: CEA

Attributing the rise in inflation to supply-side frictions, Chief Economic Advisor KV Subramanian exuded confidence that retail inflation will come down in the days ahead with the easing of lockdowns, PTI reported.

Retail inflation rose 6.93 per cent in July, according to government data, mainly driven by rising prices of food items like vegetables, pulses, meat and fish.

“If you look at inflation…it’s primarily because of those supply-side frictions, but as lockdowns are actually being reduced, these frictions should basically go down,” he said.

Delhi govt directs 33 private hospitals to reserve 80 per cent ICU beds for Covid-19 patients

Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain said on Sunday the city government has instructed 33 big private hospitals in the national capital to reserve 80 per cent of ICU beds for Covid-19 patients, amid a shortage of such beds at some facilities, reported PTI.

Delhi has been witnessing a surge in novel coronavirus cases from the last week of August.

Delhi recorded its highest single-day jump of 4,321 new Covid-19 cases on Saturday, taking the city’s tally to over 2.14 lakh, authorities said. It was the fourth day in a row that over 4,000 fresh cases were recorded in Delhi.

“Yesterday, we instructed 33 private hospitals to reserve 80 per cent of their ICU beds for coronavirus patients. This has been done since issues were being faced with regards to ICU beds in some private hospitals. I also held a video conference over this and an order has been issued in this regard,” he told reporters.

Jain said there are sufficient number of ICU beds in state-run and Centre-run hospitals, and also said there are sufficient number of other beds in hospitals.

Telangana records over 2,200 cases

Telangana reported 2,216 new Covid-19 cases, pushing the infection count in the state to 1,57,096, while 11 fatalities took the toll to 961 on Sunday, PTI quoted the state government as saying. The active cases in the state stood at 31,607 after cumulative recoveries of 1,24,528, a bulletin providing data as of 8 pm on September 12 stated.

Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) accounted for the highest number of cases with 341, followed by 210 cases in Rangareddy, 148 in Medchal Malkajgiri, 126 in Nalgonda, 119 in Karimnagar, 105 in Khammam and 102 in Warangal Urban. The case fatality rate stood at 0.61 per cent as against the national rate of 1.65 per cent.

Oxygen shortage: Several districts in Maharashtra plan own plants

As a sudden shortage of medical oxygen hits several states due to a spike in Covid-19 patients, several Maharashtra districts are now in the process of installing their own oxygen generation plants to cut dependence on suppliers.

District collectors are working to set up their own oxygen plants in Osmanabad, Beed, Nandurbar and Pimpri Chinchwad. More districts are set to issue tender for oxygen plants.

Dr Archana Patil, additional director in the public health department, said 14 districts have already installed an oxygen plant, 16 others are in process of setting up. “We have also created a district-level committee of FDA, health and transport to look into oxygen demand and smoothen supply. This committee will resolve any shortage issue hospitals are facing,” Patil said.

Social, political events responsible for surge in cases in Agartala: Study

A study conducted by the state government said that social events and political rallies have led to a rise in Covid-19 cases in Tripura capital after the lockdown was withdrawn on August 5, reported PTI.

The survey, carried out by the administration of West Tripura district of which Agartala is a part, showed that the Covid-19 tally started rising from August 17.

“The lockdown was lifted on August 5. We found that the Covid-19 caseload was increasing from August 17, and a sharp growth was noticed from August 26.

“Many social functions, including 3,000 weddings and some pujas, and political rallies took place in the district after the lockdown restrictions were withdrawn,” West Tripura District Magistrate Sailesh Kumar Yadav said on Saturday.

Former CPI(M) MLA dies Thangavelu of Covid-19

Former CPI (M) MLA K Thangavelu died of Covid-19 at a private hospital here on Sunday, PTI quoted party sources as saying. He was admitted to the hospital a couple of days ago and died without responding to treatment, they said. He had represented Tirupur South assembly constituency in 2011-16.

No oxygen shortage in Pune hospitals: FDA

The oxygen produced in Pune is enough to meet the district’s daily demand, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said on Saturday.

“As of now, there is no shortage of medical oxygen for hospitals in Pune district. We are also catering to oxygen demand from hospitals in neighbouring districts, in western Maharashtra and Marathwada,” S V Pratapwar, assistant commissioner of FDA, told The Indian Express on Saturday.

An average of 350 metric tonne of oxygen for refilling cylinders, and 229 metric tonne liquid oxygen to fill tanks in big hospitals, is produced every day, said an FDA official.