Coronavirus in India live updates: Centre, Bharat Biotech invite other companies to scale up Covaxin production

Coronavirus cases and vaccine tracker

Congress leader in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhary has asked Speaker Om Birla to allow a meeting of the parliaments “public accounts committee” to deliberate upon the government’s vaccination policy, citing the importance of the issue in view of the raging pandemic.

Demands by states for increasing vaccine quota arouse 'narrow political passion among masses': Vardhan

Amid demands by states for increasing vaccine quota, Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan on Thursday said such calls arouse "narrow political passion among the masses which harm the whole-of-government approach to tackle the pandemic".

West Bengal reports 20,839 new Covid-19 cases, 19,181 discharges and 129 deaths.

Maharashtra reports 42,582 new Covid-19 cases, 54,535 recoveries and 850 deaths in the last 24 hours.

Meghalaya CM Conrad Sangma announces extension of lockdown in East Khasi Hills district till May 24, reports PTI

Centre, Bharat Biotech willing to invite other companies to scale up Covaxin production

Amid the reports of coronavirus vaccine shortage from various states, the Central government and Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech are willing to invite other companies which want to produce COVAXIN in a bid to scale up the vaccine production, said NITI Aayog member, Dr VK Paul, on Thursday.

Goa CM Pramod Sawant said that the government will launch Covid-19 vaccination drive for the 18-45 age group on May 15.

The vaccines will be administered free of cost across Goa through 35 Govt centers. Citizens are urged to register themselves on CoWIN portal.

Madhya Pradesh records 8,419 new Covid-19 cases, 74 deaths and 10,157 recoveries in the last 24 hours

Urge Centre to directly procure vaccines from foreign companies rather than each state bidding against each other in international market: Delhi CM

Mumbai reports 1946 new Covid-19 cases, 68 deaths and 2037 recoveries in the last 24 hours

Panel will identify

- Shortcomings /gaps in ECI regulatory regime, if any, and in implementation and enforcement at the level of CEOs/ District officials.
- Need for strengthening legal/ regulatory framework enabling ECI to more effectively ensure compliance of Covid guidelines

EC has decided to set up a Core Committee headed by Secretary General, ECI to identify learning, experiences, shortcomings from recently assembly polls in Assam, Bihar, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and UT of Puducherry.

Kerala reports 39,955 new Covid-19 cases, 33,733 recoveries and 97 deaths today; active cases at 4,38,913

Bihar govt issues guidelines as the statewide lockdown gets extended till May 25

NHRC issues notice to Centre, UP and Bihar over dead bodies floating in Ganga; asks for action-taken report in 4 weeks