Coronavirus India Updates: India’s Recoveries Drop As Total Virus Tally Moves Closer To 91 Lakh

Global Update:

Globally, cases crossed 58 million leaving over 1.4 million dead.

California reported record infections for the second consecutive day as total U.S. cases surpassed 12 million. France's pace of new cases slowed down to the lowest level in a month. Spain’s campaign to vaccinate its population against Covid-19 will begin in January and will be voluntary, El Confidencial reported, citing Health Minister Salvador Illa.

Track news and developments around the Covid-19 outbreak in India, here.

High-level central teams have been deputed to Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Himachal Pradesh to support them in Covid-19 response and management.

These states have been either reporting a rise in the number of active cases -- those who are hospitalised or are in home isolation under medical supervision, or demonstrating a rise in the daily new cases of coronavirus infections, the Union Health Ministry said on Sunday.

Earlier, high-level teams were sent to Haryana, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Manipur and Chhattisgarh.

"These three-member teams will visit districts reporting a high number of Covid-19 cases and support the state efforts towards strengthening containment, surveillance, testing, infection prevention and control measures, and efficient clinical management of the positive cases," the ministry said. "The central teams shall also guide in effectively managing the challenges related to timely diagnosis and follow up."

Source: PTI

Major Indian airports will provide flexible slots and separate temperature-controlled zones while air cargo operators would run multiple flights in a short time span to transport Covid-19 vaccines that are expected to become available in India early next year.

The Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport in Mumbai is the "largest pharma gateway in the country" and it will provide flexible slot allocation for ad hoc freighter operations for transportation of Covid-19 vaccines, a spokesperson of the airport told PTI.

A slot is a date and time at which an aircraft is permitted to depart or arrive at an airport.

The CSMIA will provide "round the clock green channel with dedicated truck docks, X-Ray machine, ULD (unit load device) buildup workstation" and key account managers will be deployed for "round the clock monitoring of vaccine operations", the spokesperson said.

On the topic of Covid-19 vaccine transportation, a spokesperson of air cargo operator Blue Dart -- which has six Boeing 757 freighter aircraft in its fleet -- told PTI that the company's air capability "has various scalability options including charters as well as variable timing options".

A spokesperson of the Delhi international Airport, said there are two cargo terminals with capacity to handle over 1.5 lakh million tonnes per annum and they have "state-of-the-art temperature-controlled zones with separate cool chambers ranging from +25C to -20C, which would be extremely conducive for distribution of Covid-19 vaccines".

IndiGo, when asked about vaccine transportation planning, told PTI, "In line with our business model and cost leadership strategy, we are happy to evaluate the shipment of the Covid-19 vaccines onboard our aircraft and will promise to contribute to the best of our abilities."

An Air India spokesperson said the airline "is hoping and would definitely be a part of any plan of 'bringing the vaccine' as well as transport it within the country."

A spokesperson of the Hyderabad international airport, said it also has temperature-controlled zones for vaccine transportation.

Source: PTI

The government is exploring the modalities of emergency authorisation and usage of anti-coronavirus vaccines pending completion of phase-three clinical trial and regular licensure.

The issue of advance purchase commitment for vaccines, including pricing, was also discussed in a recent meeting attended by NITI Aayog Member (Health) Vinod Paul, Principal Scientific Advisor to the government K VijayRaghavan and Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan.

Source: PTI