J&K to provide Corona vaccine free to all above 18 years of age

Jammu and Kashmir government will provide Covid-19 vaccine free of cost to all above 18 years of age. Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha said that the union territory administration will bear the cost of vaccine procurement from the manufacturer.  Sinha expressed gratitude to the Prime Minister for announcing a liberalised vaccine policy, making all above 18 years of age eligible for inoculation from May 1. The LG asked concerned officials to constitute a Vaccine Logistics Team for ensuring hassle-free procurement and availability of Covid-19 vaccines in the UT. 

-In Jharkhand, Chief Minister Hemant Soren inaugurated the COVID Circuit online and flagged off ambulances for Ranchi district Corridor and East Singhbhum district Corridor to serve the Corona infected patients having high demand for oxygen-supported beds for better treatment. The State Government is providing this facility free of cost and patients will be allotted oxygen supported beds in adjacent nearby districts on need basis if there is unavailability of such beds in these Corridors. The two corridors of Ranchi circuit comprises of Ranchi, Gumla, Simdega, Lohardaga, Khunti, Ramgarh and Latehar districts, while the East Singhbhum circuit comprises of Jamshedpur, Seraikela Kharsawan and Chaibasa districts which have recently seen a high demand for oxygen supported beds. Patients can call toll free number 104 or on Ranchi control room centre on 0651-2211144 and Jamshedpur centre at 0657-2440111, and mobile number 8987510050 to get admitted to the hospital in their nearest district. The state government has increased the oxygen beds in the state from 2,500 to 10,000 in the last 20 days. Meanwhile, Chief Minister Hemant Soren has appealed to the people of the state to not panic and be patient. 

-Bharat Biotech has announced the cost of COVAXIN for State governments and Private Hospitals. It will cost 600 rupees per dose for State Governments and 1200 rupees per dose for Private Hospitals. The price of vaccine for export is 15 to 20 dollars.

-Election Commission has decided to deploy 653 companies of central forces for the seventh phase of Assembly elections in West Bengal. 34 constituencies spread over five districts will go to polls in this phase on Monday. Out of five districts going to the polls in the seventh phase, three districts — Malda, Murshidabad and South Dinajpur — share borders with Bangladesh. Deployment of forces in these three bordering districts is far more than in the other two districts, indicating that the poll panel is trying to plug infiltration attempts during the elections. The move is aimed to preventing any kind of violence during the polling and ensuring free, fair and peaceful voting.

-Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan has said that Centre is continuously supporting States and Union Territories in ramping up treatment Infrastructure through all possible resourses. He visited the Sardar Patel COVID Care Centre at Chhatarpur, New Delhi. The Minister oversaw the restarting of the COVID Care Centre and addition of 500 oxygenated beds.Dr Harsh Vardhan said, the present facility will heavily ease the burden on Delhi’s existing health infrastructure to deal with the unprecedented surge of daily new COVID-19 cases. He was informed that the capacity will be augmented to one thousand in another week and thereafter swiftly to accommodate two thousand beds. The Chhatarpur Centre is being adequately equipped with medical facilities which include ten Dedicated Basic Care Life Support Ambulances, X-Ray, Oxygen Cylinders and Pulse Oxymeters along with other medical equipment. The Sardar Patel COVID Care Centre has been developed at Radha Soami Satsang Beas in Chhatarpur, as part of coordinated efforts of the Centre through DRDO and ITBP to augment the COVID clinical treatment infrastructure in New Delhi. ITBP has already dispatched a team of 40 well qualified medical doctors who will be joined by a team of 120 expert paramedics.

-Sri Lankan police on Saturday arrested a muslim leader and member of parliament in connection with the 2019 Easter Bombings, in which nearly 270 people were killed. The lawmaker Rishad Bathiudeen and his brother Reyaj Bathiudeen were arrested in Colombo.Police said, the brothers were arrested for allegedly aiding and abetting the suicide bombers. It said, they have not yet been officially charged but were arrested based on direct evidence and also circumstantial and scientific evidence.Rishad is a former Cabinet minister who currently leads an opposition party in Sri Lanka's Parliament. Bathiudeen’s lawyer called the arrests politically motivated.Two local Muslim groups claiming allegiance to IS are said to be behind simultaneous blasts at two Roman Catholic churches, a Protestant church and three tourist hotels.The arrests came three days after the head of Sri Lanka’s Roman Catholic Church, Cardinal Malcolm, accused the government of allowing investigations to stall.