When you go back to normal life, presuming all is well and Indian immune system, Masala-stuffed food habits have helped them, the virus makes a come back.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi directed the Revenue Department to ensure seamless and quick custom clearance of oxygen procurement and supply-related equipment, the statement said.
On April 23, India recorded 332,730 new coronavirus cases. This was the highest one-day tally anywhere globally for the second day in a row.
Expectations of a V-shaped economic recovery in financial year 2021-22 has now taken a beating as the country is swamped by the second wave surge in Covid19 patients and fatalities due to the killer virus and also lack of adequate oxygen supplies.
The government on Saturday waived off basic customs duty and health cess on imported oxygen and related equipment for three months, with immediate effect.
The items include medical grade oxygen, oxygen cannister, storage tanks, filling systems, containers, transport tanks, oxygen generators and ventilators with nasal canula. Besides, it was decided that basic customs duty on import of covid vaccines should also be waived off with immediate effect for three months, a statement said.
Just in one week, India's rise in Covid19 cases has been huge. On April 17, the total number of New Cases was 261,394. But this has jumped up to 346,786 (new cases) on April 23.
Our deepest prayers and complete solidarity to the government and people of India in this most difficult period of the pandemic. Praying and hoping for quick relief and recovery. - Bhutan Foreign Minister, Tandi Dorji
India reports 3,46,786 new Covid19 cases and 2,624 deaths. Health Ministry says, 2,19,838 discharges in the last 24 hours.
Total cases: 1,66,10,481
Total recoveries: 1,38,67,997
Death toll: 1,89,544
Active cases: 25,52,940
Total vaccination: 13,83,79,832
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| Mumbai Bandh |
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Saturday that, the crisis thrown by the pandemic is 'bigger' than last year's. "I have this confidence that if someone is going to emerge victorious first in this fight against the coronavirus, then it is going to be India's villages, the leadership of these villages... The people of the villages have always shown the way and will show the way," Modi said addressing a ceremony on Panchayati Raj Diwas in presence of RD Minister Narendra Singh Tomar and also some Chief Ministers.
The second wave crisis started about a month back on March 26. On March 26, India saw 59,118 new coronavirus infections in a day, the highest single day rise in calendar year 2021.
The death toll on October 18 (2020) had increased to 1,60,949 with 257 daily new fatalities. Altogether 61,871 new infections were recorded in a span of 24 hours on October 18.
India has recorded 346,786 new cases overnight into Saturday and India and a million (10 lakh) infections in three days.
The Government of India has plunged into quick actions to checkmate the oxygen shortage crisis.
For long, Brazil was the global Covid disaster zone as the pandemic was raging out of control, but lately, the focus has now zeroed in on India. The vast sub-continent now faces a tsunami of infection.
The Indian story of the 'second wave' of the pandemic revolves around some vital pillars. People's negligence and indifference, socializing in large numbers without masks, and not maintaining the minimum social distance.
The central government and other stakeholders ignored warnings of a second wave.
"It is sad. Nobody seemed to care".
Would it be wrong to suggest that a sharp drop in cases by January had made the people indifferent and virtually lulled the national conscience into a false sense of safety ?
Or the second wave is actually a UK Variant virus and its magnitude was not anticipated?
Delhi experienced 24,331 new COVID19 cases and 348 deaths in last 24 hours. There were 23,572 recoveries as well. In Maharashtra, Pune district alone reported 9,810 fresh cases and 137 fatalities.
Defence Ministry sources said Indian Air Force will airlift 23 mobile oxygen generating plants from Germany to deal with the challenge several states including national capital Delhi reeled under an acute shortage of medical oxygen.
Each plant will have a capacity to produce 40 litres of oxygen per minute and 2,400 litres every hour.
Meanwhile, experts say Delhi has landed into such a difficult spot as the surge in Covid19 cases in the capital is due to prevalence of the "UK variant".
Sujeet Singh, director of the National Centre for Disease Control, said on Friday that the UK Variant virus and its prevalence in genomes sequenced in the city nearly doubled to 50 per cent from the second to the last week of March.
Besides, 415 cases of the UK strain of coronavirus found in genomes sequenced in Delhi, there were over 20 cases of the South African variant too.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a meeting with leading oxygen manufacturers across the country via video conferencing on Friday.
The UK variant was found in 28 per cent of samples in the second week of March. In the last week of the month, 50 per cent of samples had this variant, Singh said. In Delhi, there are primarily two types of variants — B.1.617 and the UK strain — found in the genome sequenced samples, the NCDC director said.
The B.1.617 variant of coronavirus is also known as the double mutant strain.
Delhi records 348 deaths amid severe oxygen shortage, 24,331 new cases
Several states are recording high number of cases and fatalities too.
Madhya Pradesh reported 13,590 fresh #COVID19 positive cases, 10,833 recoveries, and 74 deaths on April 23.
Assam reported 2,384 new COVID19 cases and and 12 deaths in a day on Friday.
Haryana records 11,854 new COVID19 cases, 60 deaths and 6,334 recoveries in the last 24 hours
In Delhi, at least 25 Covid-19 patients at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital died over 24 hours and the lives of several others were in risk zone as the demand for oxygen got more frantic.
It is understood that “low pressure oxygen” was the likely cause of the deaths in Ganga Ram Hospital,a high-profile hospital in the city.
Karnataka records 26,962 new #COVID19 cases and 190 fatalities in the last 24 hours; case tally at 12,74,959 and active cases at 2,14,311
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| What's their future, at the end of the tunnel ? |
How much the common people who grew indifference to the seriousness of the problem are actually responsible? Or it's the central government and the Election Commission who allowed the massive crowd gathering rallies ?
Why the Kumbh was allowed ? Did the need for expanding the vaccination drive fail?
What about the state governments, Health is a state subject after all?
World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said "The situation in India is a devastating reminder of what the virus can do".
Reuters report says: "India recorded the world's highest daily tally of 314,835 coronavirus infections on Thursday, with the second wave of the pandemic crushing its weak health infrastructure.
In Delhi alone, where hospitals are running out of medical oxygen supplies, the daily rise is over 26,000.
People losing loved ones in the Indian capital, where 306 people have died of COVID-19 in the last 24 hours, are turning to makeshift facilities that are undertaking mass burials and cremations as crematoriums come under pressure."
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