Top 10 Updates on Covid-19: Madhya Pradesh postpones vaccination for 12 to 14 year olds; India records 2,539 new infections

Coronavirus March 17 Latest News: While many states across the country recorded high number of vaccinations for this age group, Madhya pradesh postponed its vaccination drive by a week to March 22. Children in this age group will be vaccinated once frontline health workers get the training necessary, the Press Trust of India reported. The National Health Mission State Director (Vaccination) Dr Santosh Shukla told the news agency that there are nearly 30 lakh boys and girls in the 12-14 years category, and their inoculation drive will only be carried out in schools. He also added that vaccination centres were being set up in schools across the state’s 52 districts.

India began the Covid-19 vaccination drive for children in the 12-14 age group on Wednesday. According to the Union Health Ministry, 2.16 lakh doses of Biological E’s Corbevax vaccine have been administered. The Corbevax vaccine will be administered 28 days apart. As of March 1, India had 4.7 crore children in the 12-13 age group.

Here are top 10 latest updates on Coronavirus from India and around the globe:

1. Biological E has priced its Corbevax vaccine, meant for children in the 12-15 age group, at Rs 145 per dose for the government and Rs 800 per dose for private sector buyers. Along with the taxes and vaccine administering charges, the cost for the private sector would go up to Rs 990 per dose.

2. According to media reports, a new strain of Coronavirus has been reported from Isreal, the country’s health ministry informed on Wednesday. The new strain is reportedly a combination of 2 Omicron subvariants, i.e. BA.1 and BA.2.

3. With 2,539 new coronavirus infections being reported in a day, India’s total tally of COVID-19 cases rose to 4,30,01,477, while the active cases have declined to 30,799, according to the recent data updated by the Union Health Ministry on Thursday.

4. According to the official data updated at 8 am today, the death toll in India has climbed to 5,16,132 with 60 daily fatalities. The active cases constitute 0.07 per cent of the total infections, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate has further improved to 98.73 per cent.

5. The health ministry has said that more than 70 per cent of the deaths occurred due to comorbidities. “Our figures are being reconciled with the Indian Council of Medical Research,” the ministry said on its website. State-wise distribution of figures is subject to further verification and reconciliation.

6. Delhi reported 144 new Covid infections and one fatality on Thursday, reported PTI. The national capital’s positivity rate stood at 0.39 per cent, according to data shared by the health department here on Thursday. This data pertains to the cases reported on Tuesday as the Delhi government did not issue the health bulletin on Wednesday.

7. On a global level, Cambodia on Thursday dropped Covid-19 testing requirements from overseas visitors, as the country relaxed most restrictions to spur more investment and tourism. As per Reuters, the official data shows that the Southeast Asian country has vaccinated 92.31% of its population of 16 million against the coronavirus, one of the highest vaccination rates in the region.

8. South Korea recorded a record 621,328 new daily COVID-19 cases and a daily record 429 deaths, authorities said on Thursday, as the country which once took an aggressive anti-pandemic approach is set to end COVID restrictions, reported Reuters.

9. According to the World Health Organisation, the number of new coronavirus deaths reported worldwide fell by 17% in the last week while COVID-19 infections rose, reversing a decline in cases that first began in January. In a weekly report, WHO stated that there were more than 11 million new COVID-19 infections last week – about an 8% rise – and 43,000 new deaths. The number of COVID-19 deaths globally has been dropping for the past three weeks.

10. With the new surge in Covid-19 cases being reported in several countries, including China raising an alarm bell for India, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya Wednesday chaired a high-level meeting with top members of India’s Covid-19 task force and directed them to maintain a high level of alertness in the country, the Indian Express reported on Wednesday. The meeting was attended by head of India’s Covid-19 task force Dr V K Paul, AIIMS Director Dr. Randeep Guleria, ICMR Chief Dr. Balram Bhargava, Principal Scientific Advisor K Vijay Raghavan and Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan.