The Telangana government on Tuesday extended the ongoing lockdown to contain the spread of COVID-19 by another 10 days. There have been relaxations made from 6 AM to 6 PM every day from June 9 to 19.
Independent MLA and RTI activist Akhil Gogoi on Tuesday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to reconsider the proposal to e-auction two defunct paper mills of state-owned Hindustan Paper Corporation. In a letter to Modi, Gogoi said the government should instead revive and modernise the two units of Nagaon Paper Mill and Cachar Paper Mill.
Assam on Tuesday registered 3,948 fresh cases of Covid-19 with a sharp decline in the positivity rate of 2.96 per cent. The active caseload stood at 49,158 and the overall caseload count was pushed to 4,42,694. Moreover, 43 deaths were reported and 3,419 recovered patients were discharged.
The Union Health Ministry issued revised new guidelines on prices of Covid-19 vaccines in private hospitals on Tuesday fixing Covishield shot at Rs 780, Covaxin jab at Rs 1,410, and Rs 1145 per Sputnik V dose. The statement also showed the 5 per cent GST rates imposed on the vaccine doses: Rs 30 for Covishield, Rs 60 for Covaxin and Rs 47.40-47 for Sputnik V.
AIIMS Director Dr. Randeep Guleria on Tuesday said that there is no available data in India or globally that showed that subsequent waves of Covid-19 pandemic will affect children severely. Dr. Guleria cited that 60% to 70% of the children who got infected and got admitted to hospitals during the second wave in India, had either comorbidities or low immunity; healthy children recovered with mild illness without need for hospitalization.
Left parties on Tuesday demanded the government withdraw 25 per cent reservation of vaccines for the private sector, alleging that it was a "licence" to loot. The Communist Party of India (Marxist), in a statement, said people will reject the "condemnable" effort by the prime minister to level false charges against the state governments and shift the responsibility to them.
As India continues to grapple with the raging second wave of the Covid pandemic, the Central Government placed orders for the procurement of Covid-19 vaccines from both the Serum Institute of India and Bharat Biotech. NITI Aayog, Member-Health, Dr. V.K.Paul said that the government has placed an order to purchase 25 crore doses of Covishield and 19 crore doses of Covaxin.
As students continue to run a social media campaign on #CancelAssamBoardExams demanding the cancellation of the examination, state Education minister Ranoj Pegu on Tuesday said that discussions are underway if the HSLC and HS examinations could be conducted in August this year.
Assam received 50,000 doses of Covaxin for citizens 45 years and above, Health Minister Keshab Mahanta informed on Tuesday. Recently, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma stated that Assam will receive 19 lakhs vaccine in the month of June and that 30-35 lakhs vaccines will be received by the state in July.
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Tuesday announced that the corona curfew in the state has been extended till June 15 with certain relaxations. 46 districts in Madhya Pradesh reported a Covid positivity rate less than 1 per cent on Monday, prompting the Shivraj administration to relax the restrictions.