Pressure grows for new national lockdown as India breaks global record with 400k daily cases
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who has so far resisted imposing nationwide restrictions, is worried about a backlash over livelihoods
People receive oxygen support for free at a Gurudwara Sikh temple in Ghaziabad
Credit: DANISH SIDDIQUI /Reuters
India’s most senior opposition politician, Rahul Gandhi, has demanded a nationwide lockdown, as pressure grows on Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, with India reporting a global record of 412,626 new daily cases on Wednesday.
Thousands of Indians are dying outside hospitals and in their homes due to oxygen and bed shortages. The residents of major Indian cities, like and Delhi, are also having to turn to the black market to procure essential drugs, due to shortages.
HCL Enterprise, which has companies like HCL Technologies, HCL Infosystems and HCL healthcare, said today that it is extending support to Covid-19 care facilities in NCR to bolster the State’s efforts to manage the large number of infections in the National Capital. HCL’s support includes assistance in the form of more than 500 hospital beds at various facilities such as the Commonwealth Games Village, Holy Family Hospital, Sama Hospital and Lok Nayak Hospital in New Delhi; and Government Institute of Medical Sciences, Greater Noida Authority, said a company statement. At the Commonwealth Games Village (CWG), in partnership with the Government of Delhi and Doctors for You, HCL has also supported the import and installation of an oxygen plant for the facility which can provide continuous oxygen supply directly to the beds. The CWG Covid facility which was shut in December 2020, due to fall in Covid cases, has been restarted on April 18, 2021.
ISLAMABAD: The pandemic on Wednesday claimed another nine lives in the twin cities as the capital reported five and Rawalpindi four deaths.
However, positive cases in both the cities kept declining as Islamabad saw 204 cases and the Rawalpindi district 112.
Officials of the capital administration said out of the total 909 beds allocated for Covd patients in 16 hospitals in capital, 452 beds have been occupied and the occupancy rate is 49.72pc.
Similarly, out of total 128 ventilators allocated for the patients in 13 hospitals 58 are occupied, hence the occupancy rate is 45.31pc.
Pindi, Islamabad see decline in positive cases
They said though there was no let-up in casualties as five more lost battle against Covid-19, positive cases kept declining as 204 new cases were reported on Wednesday.
Spread of Covid in rural India deepens crisis
Daily cases, deaths break previous records; evidence suggests epidemic moving towards eastern states
Mortuary workers load the body of a person, who died from the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), to an ambulance for cremation, at a hospital in New Delhi, India May 5, 2021. Photo: Reuters/Adnan Abidi Agencies Agencies
Hopes that India s deadly second wave of Covid-19 was about to peak were swept away yesterday as it posted record daily infections and deaths and as the virus spread from cities to villages across the world s second-most populous nation.
India reported a record 412,262 new cases in the past 24 hours and a record 3,980 deaths. Covid-19 infections have now surged past 21 million, with a total death toll of 230,168, health ministry data show.
Lowest case tally for capital in 10 days
Rawalpindi reports six Covid deaths, 120 new cases
PHOTO: REUTERS
ISLAMABAD/RAWALPINDI:
The federal capital has registered a gradual decline in new cases of the novel coronavirus. District Health Officer (DHO) Dr Zaeem Zia stated on Tuesday that 283 cases were reported in the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) in a span of 24 hours, lowest in last 10 days.
The rate of positive cases in the city has been recorded at 7.87 per cent in a span of 24 hours. In the said time,3,596 tests were conducted in Islamabad while two patients died in the city on Tuesday, the health official said.