Cyclone Tauktae claimed a total of 19 lives in Maharashtra while 37 persons were injured in cyclone-related incidents, the state disaster management authority said on Thursday evening. Deaths were reported from seven districts, it said in a report.
In an attempt to enhance the ongoing vaccination drive to fight Covid in Assam, Chief Minister Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma gave a cheque of Rs.50 crores from the CM's Relief Fund to the health minister Keshab Mahanta for the procurement of Covid-19 vaccines.
Assam has reported less than 7 per cent positivity rate of Covid cases for the last four consecutive days. The state recorded 6,573 new cases on Wednesday with a positivity rate of 6.40 per cent The state also registered 3,071 discharges and 74 deaths today. The active caseload of the state is 51,818
In view of the ongoing Covid pandemic, Gauhati High Court has directed a high-powered committee to assess based on special circumstances if women inmates living with their children could be released. As per a report by PTI, "Hearing a suo motu public interest litigation, Chief Justice Sudhanshu Dhulia and Justice Achintya Malla Bujor Barua on Wednesday instructed the Assam government and the High Court Registrar (Judicial) to place the list before the committee for deciding on the release of the prisoners".
Nagaland's COVID-19 caseload on Thursday mounted to 19,284 with the detection of 326 new cases, Health Minister S Pangnyu Phom said. The death toll in the state increased to 245 after 11 more COVID-19 patients died. The state now has 4,519 active patients, while 13,924 patients have recovered from the disease.
Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday said the city government will declare black fungus an epidemic if the need arises and urged hospitals to use steroids in COVID-19 treatment in a controlled manner. He also said dedicated centres will be set up for treatment of the fungal infection or mucormycosis at three city government-run hospitals.
In a major breakthrough, the banned outfit United Liberation Front of Asom– Independent (ULFA-I) on Thursday stated it will release abducted employees of ONGC Ritul Saikia within the next four days. The declaration was made by the outfit chief Paresh Baruah to an Assamese news channel after Chief Minister Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma urged at a press conference to release Saikia at the earliest.
West Bengal education minister Bratya Basu on Thursday said this year's state board examinations will be held once the COVID-19 crisis is contained. Mr Basu also said that officials of his department will sit for talks with senior members of board of secondary education and council of higher secondary education, and a decision would be taken in consulation with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, keeping all safety concerns in mind.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal today provided financial assistance of ₹ one crore to the family of COVID-19 warrior Sheoji Mishra, a school teacher who died of Covid last year.
Over 40 countries have supplied COVID-19 related equipment and material to India through the Indian Red Cross Society amid the surge in COVID-19 cases, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Thursday.
