A woman receives a dose of Covishield, Mumbai, April 11, 2021. Photo: Reuters/Francis Mascarenhas
Key figures
April 19, 2021, 9:20 am:
* New cases over last 24 hours – 2.74 lakh
* New deaths over last 24 hours – 1,620
* Total number of active cases – 19.23 lakh
* Cumulative cases – 1.50 crore
* Cumulative deaths – 1.78 lakh
* Total vaccine doses administered – 12.26 crore
Key events
* As hospitals and industrial units mobilise to deliver more medical oxygen to tens of thousands of COVID-19 patients, it appears the Indian government could have made the situation more manageable if it hadn’t wasted time.
* Union health secretary Rajesh Bhushan has said the Centre is withdrawing a insurance cover of Rs 50 lakh for healthcare workers who lose their lives on frontline, COVID-19 duty. (India Today)
* India’s total positivity rate and weekly average rate have both reached all-time highs, 16.7% (one out of six) and 14.3% respectively. In Chhattisgarh Delhi and Goa, nearly out of three are testing positive; in Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra, it’s one out of four. (Hindustan Times)
* India should desist from triumphalism and not rush to declare victories over the novel coronavirus in future. (BBC)
* The WHO is following the B.1.617 variant of concern, colloquially called the “double mutant” and spreading through India. Technical lead officer Maria Van Kerkhove has said it is similar to mutations that increase transmission and reduce neutralisation, “possibly stunting the ability of vaccines to curb them”. (Bloomberg)
* Home minister Amit Shah told Times Now that Ramzan can’t happen if those observing it can’t follow COVID-appropriate behaviour. He also said this is why the government had to appeal to make the Kumbh Mela an event with “symbolic attendance” – after no fewer than 28 lakh people gathered in Haridwar without any protections from the disease and thousands of attendees started testing positive. (Times of India)