Swasthya Sammelan: How Centre, state govts plan to tackle massive second Covid wave? Highlights

India is reeling under a second wave or rather 'tsunami' of coronavirus cases. Daily infection cases have been topping the 1 lakh mark for the past several days. The situation is particularly bad in states like Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh. National capital Delhi is also witnessing a precarious situation forcing the government strict restrictions. The second Covid surge is spreading much rapidly than the first one, however, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his address to the nation last week after a virtual meeting with CMs of several states, emphasised that the focus should be on small containment zones. He urged the states to focus on 'test, track, treat' and vaccination to arrest the spiralling graph. On India TV Swasthya Sammelan 2021, health ministers will discuss the best ways to deal with the crisis and contain the spread of the deadly virus.

 

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan speaks to India TV

 

09:36 pm: No shortage of vaccines in Madhya Pradesh, says CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan

Maharashtra PwD Minister Ashok Chavan speaks to India TV

07:55 pm: On wastage of vaccines, Chavan said, "who likes to waste vaccines... no one is doing it intentionally.

07:54 pm: One of our objectives is to vaccinate as many people we can

07:53 pm: No. of beds, ventilators have been increased compared to March 2021 tally. 

07: 52 pm: But we can't increase the number of beds in hospitals to match the population of Maharashtra as there is a limit as to what we can do. So if a lockdown is imposed, the situation may improve.

07:51 pm: A decision by Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on further restrictions, guidelines will be taken in 2-3 days after consultation with all the stake-holders

07:50 pm: Imposing lockdown is being considered seriously, says Ashok Chavan

07:48 pm: Maharashtra PWD Minsiter Ashok Chavan said it's a challenge to catch up with the pace the virus is spreading.

Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani speaks to India TV

06:38 pm: Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Surat and Rajkot comprise 65% of total Covid-19 cases in the state, says Gujarat CM 

06:34 pm: Won't impose lockdown in Gujarat for now, says Gujarat Chief Minister 

06:32 pm: Efforts are on to control the spread of virus, says Gujarat CM Vijay Rupani

06:30 pm: People are adjusting to post-Corona lifestyle, says Gujarat CM 

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal speaks to India TV

06:17 pm: Government should accelerate manufacturing process of vaccine

06:14 pm: Vaccine export should be stopped or curtailed, says Delhi CM 

06:13 pm: Understand problems of those whose businesses are getting affected but restrictions important to save lives, control spread of virus

06:12 pm: Lockdown will be imposed only in a condition if we realise that hospitals are falling short or fatality rate is increasing, says Delhi CM Kejriwal

06:10 pm: Hospitals should not fall short of ICU beds, ventilators, oxygen

06:09 pm: Proper hospital management has to be followed

06:07 pm: Appeal to people if you are an asymptomatic Covid-19 patient, please do not admit yourself in hospitals. Follow home isolation. 

06:05 pm: Objective to achieve maximum vaccination we can, says Delhi CM

06:04 pm: We have to prepare for our ultimate limit

06:03 pm: Some experts feel that there may be a Covid-19 strain which is spreading too fast, says Arvind Kejriwal

06:01 pm: Rising cases in Delhi a concern, says Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath speaks to India TV

05:15 pm: During the last wave, lockdown was the only option as we had little idea about how to deal with the situation. At present, lockdown is not an option. We have imposed night curfew in several districts. Covid helpdesks have been set up across the state, intense sanitisation is being carried out.

05:11 pm: The new strain of coronavirus is more infectious than the previous one. 

05:10 pm: A maximum of 100 persons will be allowed in weddings, says UP CM

05:05 pm: Lockdown not an option now, we need to save lives and livelihood, says Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath

05:04 pm: People have become careless in following Covid appropriate behaviour, says UP CM Yogi Adityanath 

05:02 pm: Awarness programmes are being run regarding Covid guidelines, says UP CM Adityanath 

05:01 pm: Sanitisation process of places is being followed strictly, says Uttar Pradesh CM

Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan speaks to India TV 

04:05 pm: Personally, I don't think there is need for a lockdown again, says Union Health Minister

04:00 pm: Russian vaccine Sputnik V will get emergency use authorisation soon.

03:53 pm: Fatality rate in India is one of the lowest in the world, says Union Health Minister

03:50 pm: There is no shortage of COVID-19 vaccines in India, says Health Minister Harsh Vardhan 

03:48 pm: 80 per cent of Covid related deaths reported from people above 45 years of age, says Union Health Minister

03:40 pm: Over 65 thousand vaccine centres are working across the country.

03:36 pm: One of the major reason behind rise in Covid cases is loss of fear in people, says Health Minister Harsh Vardhan 

03:34 pm: Want to congratulate PM Modi for 'Tika Utsav' initiative to fight Covid-19

Punjab Health Minister Balbir Singh speaks to India TV 

03:18 pm: One of our major focus is to control the spread of COVID-19 in slum areas, says Punjab health minister

03:17 pm: At least 1 to 1.15 lakh people receive COVID-19 vaccine shots everyday in Punjab, says health minister

03:14 pm: There are only 2 days of vaccine stocks left in the state, says Punjab health minister

Maharashtra Health Minister Rajesh Tope speaks to India TV 

03:02 pm: Today, people are roaming freely without any fear but they should take care of all COVID-19 protocols, says Maharashtra health minister

02:59 pm: Our entire focus is to curb the spread of coronavirus and are making more and more arrangements on an everyday basis, says Maharashtra health minister

02:58 pm: Some vaccination centres in Mumbai have to be shut down due to a shortage of coronavirus vaccines. We have already requested the Centre to send across more vaccines and this should not be politicised, says Maharashtra health minister

02:56 pm: Though we have imposed a lockdown, it is equally important for us to get ourselves vaccinated and continue to follow all COVID-19 guidelines as prescribed by the government, says Maharashtra health minister

02:54 pm: BMC has collected crores of rupees as fine from COVID-19 protocol violators and the situation brought us to lockdown today, says Maharashtra health minister

02:52 pm: The lockdown was discussed with the authorities after we noticed a continuous surge in the coronavirus cases. We understand the repercussions of lockdown, yet, we imposed it because it was important to curb the spread of COVID-19, says Maharashtra health minister

Chhattisgarh Health Minister TS Singh Deo speaks to India TV 

02:35 pm: There are restrictions for those coming from outside. If found positive, such people will have to stay under mandatory quarantine, says Chhattisgarh health minister

02:33 pm: We have increased testing across the state and have arranged for more beds at hospitals. We are especially paying attention to those who are travelling and are coming to the state from outside, says Chhattisgarh health minister

AIIMS Director Randeep Guleria speaks to India TV 

02:23 pm: There are various reasons behind the sudden spurt in cases. In January-February, when cases started to decrease people lowered their guards as they thought Coronavirus is now on its way out. People neglected Covid appropriate behaviour which is the main reason behind the sharp rise in cases

02:19 pm: COVID-19's UK variant spreads rapidly and is more infectious. In Punjab, most of the cases are of this variant

02:12 pm: There is no data to suggest that the death rate has increased in the second wave as compared to the last wave of Covid cases

02:07 pm: Hospital infrastructure and medical staff are under tremendous strain. We need to strengthen the infrastructure to manage the spread of the virus

02:02 pm: National level lockdown is not necessary. Test, Track and Treat should be our focus

01:59 pm: Vaccine doesn't protect you from infection. It will prevent serious infection and hospitalisation. Wearing a mask and following COVID-19 protocols is most important

01:53 pm: High-risk group of people such as senior citizens, healthcare workers should be vaccinated first. Vaccine manufacturing is an ongoing process. Once we have a few more vaccine candidates available, inoculation may be opened for other age groups as well

01:49 pm: Dr. Reddy's Sputnik and Cadilla vaccines will be produced in India. Production of vaccine needs specialised plants. Production would be increased in the next few months, it can't happen overnight

01:46 pm: Coronavirus is there to stay for a long time. A pandemic may turn into an endemic. The vaccine may become a regular affair, high-risk groups may have to be given shots annually

Rajasthan Health Minister Raghu Sharma speaks to India TV

01:40 pm: Lockdown is not an option. Imposing a total lockdown affects the economy badly. This time we are focusing on control the pandemic through other restrictions such as night curfew, closing schools, cinema halls, etc.

01:37 pm: Partial lockdown may be imposed in cities with over 100 cases daily.

01:33 pm: Vaccine stock in the state is running low. 

01:28 pm: We are not indulging in any kind of politics concerning vaccines. The Centre has promised to provide 4 lakh doses of vaccine today. But we need 30 lakh doses.

01:26 pm: We have requested the Centre to remove the age restriction for vaccination as several youngsters are getting infected in the second wave.

Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar speaks to India TV 

01:21 pm: Don't want to comment on what Rahul Gandhi says. Coronavirus is a worldwide pandemic and under such circumstances, narrow-minded thinking is wrong. We have provided vaccine to several small countries or our neighbouring nations as India believes in the idea of 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam' (the world is one family), says Haryana CM 

01:13 pm: Whether to open vaccination for people below 45 is a decision that the Central government take. We will abide by whatever decision the Centre takes, says Haryana CM

01:09 pm: Each person going for vaccination is registered at the particular center. We are providing vaccinations as per the need and have prioritised the process, says Haryana CM 

01:07 pm: We are not short of vaccines at any vaccination centers. We are constantly receiving enough stocks for the drive, says Haryana CM  

01:05 pm: We have already asked for the closure of schools and have identified containment zones, in our arrangements to stop the spread of COVID-19. In the future too, we will take all necessary actions required, says Haryana CM 

01:04 pm: Proper vaccinations are being given to those who are eligible, we are conducting maximum testings and are providing optimum vaccinations, says Haryana CM 

01:03 pm: We have already issued fresh orders regarding the movement and gathering of people in the wake of coronavirus, says Haryana CM on being asked if lockdown will be imposed in Haryana

01:01 pm: As far as lockdown in Haryana is concerned, we are aware of the panic situation it had created last year. Our economic and financial progress had stopped. We are not planning for a lockdown, but several other restrictions will be kept in place, says Haryana CM 

01:00 pm: The situation in Delhi deteriorated later, the coronavirus took a toll in several districts of Haryana first, says Haryana CM 

12:59 pm: It is true that the pace of coronavirus had slowed down by February, but now the pace has increased and the active cases are increasing on a daily basis. We are trying our best to curb the spread of coronavirus, says Haryana CM 

Medical Education Minister Vishvas Sarang speaks to India TV 

12:51 pm: Vaccination is going on smoothly in the state. We aim to vaccinate as many as we can following all the set protocols, says Vishvas Sarang

12:50 pm: We have given out orders to take strict actions against those found involved with the black marketing of coronavirus vaccines, says Vishvas Sarang

12:48 pm: Focus is on increasing the number of beds in government hospitals, says Vishvas Sarang

12:47 pm: Awareness is very important to curb the spread of coronavirus and wearing of face masks reduces the risk of COVID-19 to the maximum, says Vishvas Sarang

12:45 pm: We are fully prepared to tackle the situation. The government is making arrangements to ensure there is no shortage of oxygen, medicines such as Remdesivir, ventilators in the state, says Vishvas Sarang

12:44 pm: It is not possible for us to stop a death, or to hide its data. Now, we are treating suspected coronavirus patients as positive. Hence, we are probing the deaths of suspected coronavirus patients like we are testing the coronavirus victims. The government is not hiding any data on the deaths of coronavirus patients, says Vishvas Sarang

12:42 pm: We are constantly running vaccination camps and there is no shortage of vaccines, says Vishvas Sarang

12:41 pm: There is no shortage of oxygen, we agree that oxygen consumption is increasing with the rise in coronavirus cases. However, there is no shortage for the same, says Vishvas Sarang

12:39 pm: We are fully prepared to face the increasing coronavirus cases, says Vishvas Sarang

12:38 pm: Madhya Pradesh CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan has already made it clear that full lockdown is not being considered. We are not in favour of a total lockdown. However, stopping the spread of infection is also important. We expect people to follow self-discipline, says Vishvas Sarang

Delhi Health Minister Satyendra Jain speaks to India TV 

12:25 pm: More than treatment, it is important to stop the spread of the novel coronavirus. Prevention is better than care, says Delhi Health Minister

12:24 pm: We have seen a decline in the number of patients who have tested positive for coronavirus for the second time, says Delhi Health Minister

12:23 pm: It was never said that a person who is vaccinated against the coronavirus will never catch the infection. Even those who have received both the jabs need to wear face masks and follow all COVID-19 protocols, says Delhi Health Minister

12:22 pm: Vaccinations should be allowed at various camps and other centres as well and not just at laboratories and vaccination centres, says Delhi Health Minister

12:21 pm: We believe all adults should be eligible to receive the coronavirus vaccine, however, we do not have enough vaccines for such kind of drive, we need more vaccinations. As of now in Delhi, we have vaccine stock for nearly 6 days, says Delhi Health Minister

12:19 pm: Both - vaccinations and testing are equally important to stop the spread of coronavirus. We are in the process of conducting as many tests as possible, along with vaccinations, says Delhi Health Minister

12:16 pm: Almost 50 per cent of beds are occupied in Delhi today and we have doubled the number of beds at various hospitals, seeing the rising number of cases in the national capital. We are still arranging for more beds, says Delhi Health Minister

12:15 pm: This is Delhi's fourth wave, though it is the second one in the nation. Delhi is a compact area and so it is easier to monitor the situation and conduct mass testings, says Delhi Health Minister

12:13 pm: The situation is grim in Delhi as compared to last year. Earlier, one or two people from a locality used to be infected, now we are witnessing cases wherein complete families are found to be coronavirus positive, says Delhi Health Minister

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Tirath Singh Rawat speaks to India TV 

11:51 am: There is no shortage of coronavirus vaccines in Uttarakhand. For Kumbh and for Chaar Dhaam yatras too, I am sure that we will receive enough vaccines from the central government, says Uttarakhand CM

11:49 am: Temples hold religious importance and so we have not stressed on the closure of temples. People are allowed to visit temples, but as per COVID-19 protocols, says Uttarakhand CM on being asked why educational institutions have been closed, while temples are open

11:46 am: For Chaar Dhaam, I have already chaired a meeting with the concerned authorities and have asked them to ensure all COVID-19 protocols are followed; proper santisation and wearing of masks has to be ensured, says Uttarakhand CM

11:44 am: We have arranged for testings at Kumbh, our aim is to ensure the safety of those visiting the Kumbh Mela. We will take care of other COVID-19 guidelines as well, says Uttarakhand CM

11:42 am: Coronavirus cases are on a rise in Dehradun and so we have imposed a night curfew in the city. In the days to come, we will ensure all guidelines coming in from the central government are followed, says Uttarakhand CM

11:41 am: Not just Kumbh, we are also preparing well for Chaar Dhaam yatra, says Uttarakhand CM Tirath Singh Rawat 

11:39 am: As far as Kumbh Mela is concerned, we understand that the challenge is big, however, we have made arrangements for effective following of all COVID-19 protocols, says Uttarakhand CM Tirath Singh Rawat 

Bihar Health Minister Mangal Pandey speaks to India TV 

11:20 am: As of now, we do not find the need to impose a lockdown in Bihar. We are identifying cluster positive cases and are creating containment zones as per requirement, says Bihar Health Minister Mangal Pandey

11:17 am: It is wrong to say that frontline workers are not being provided masks, gloves, PPE kits, etc in the state. COVID-19 appropriate behavior must be adhered to by people, says Bihar Health Minister Mangal Pandey on reports of front line warriors not getting the necessary equipment to fight coronavirus

11:14 am: We are concerned about our people returning from Maharashtra. We are taking special measures to test them to contain the spread further. People who test positive are isolated immediately. Our aim is to break the chain of infection by testing more and more people returning to their home state. Quarantine centres at villages and block-level have been readied to test and treat people returning from other states, says Bihar Health Minister Mangal Pandey

11:11 am: Compared to other states of the country, cases in Bihar are fewer. However, the numbers are rising as we have increased testing. We are testing more than 25-30 per cent that the last phase. We are ramping up testing further. We have increased beds at Patna AIIMS and other hospitals to cater to rising COVID-19 cases. Dedicated COVID-19 hospitals will have more beds in the coming days, says Bihar Health Minister Mangal Pandey

11:09 am: People and migrant workers coming in from Maharashtra are being made to undergo COVID-19 tests in Bihar, we have to make sure that people return to their hometown safely and do not infect others, says Bihar Health Minister Mangal Pandey

11:06 am: The coronavirus cases have spiked suddenly but now we are again preparing hospitals to admit maximum patients of COVID-19, says Bihar Health Minister Mangal Pandey

11:00 am: Bihar Health Minister Mangal Pandey speaks to India on the present COVID-19 situation in India 

10:48 am: Telangana adds 3,187 new COVID-19 cases, 7 deaths push toll to 1,759

10:25 am: Delhi: People arrive at inoculation centres to receive COVID-19 vaccine as Tika (vaccination) Utsav begins today

10:21 am: Aam Aadmi Party's Raghav Chadha writes to PM Narendra Modi regarding "urgent need for vaccine universalisation and vaccine nationalism"

10:19 am: Madhya Pradesh: Gwalior observes weekend lockdown to contain the pandemic

10:15 am: India reports 1,52,879 new COVID-19 cases, 90,584 discharges, and 839 deaths in the last 24 hours, as per Union Health Ministry
Total cases: 1,33,58,805
Total recoveries: 1,20,81,443     
Active cases: 11,08,087     
Death toll: 1,69,275 
Total vaccination: 10,15,95,147

Also Read | India records 1,52,879 new COVID cases, 839 deaths; biggest single-day spike so far

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