India: Breaking all records in terms of impact, the nation registered 4,01,993 new infections in the past 24hours. Around 3523 deaths were reported from several states collectively.
With Social Media flourishing as a grievance’splatform, the SC on Friday warned the states and Centre on muting this information or taking action against them. The bench Justice Chandrachud said, “If citizens communicate their grievances on social media, we do not want clampdown on the information. We will treat this as contempt if any citizen is harassed if they want a bed or oxygen.”
Despite running low on vaccine vials, states like Delhi, Tamil Nadu, MP, Bengal, Rajasthan, and Maharashtra commenced the third phase of vaccination as per the schedule.
Chairing a meeting with the council of ministers, PM Modi stated that various steps were delineated to be executed in coordination with the states, augmenting medical capacities and boosting oxygen availability will also be upgraded. On Friday, the government granted emergency financial powers to armed forces to augment their efforts in the battle against COVID-19. These new powers will help them operate facilities, procure equipment and resources, and perform any required urgent tasks.
The US and Australia restricted the entry of Indian passengers on their land owing to the surge. Australia has even warned of a five-year jail term for those defying the new rule.
According to a mathematical model of a team of scientists advising the government, the second wave may peak between May 3 and May 5. “Our belief is that by next week, the daily new cases nationwide would have peaked,” M Vidyasagar, head of a government-appointed group of scientists modelling the trajectory of infections reported.
Recently polled Bengal is now under partial lockdown as the election chapter played as a super spreader event. Experts also cite the surge in the caseload is due to the Kumbh Mela that gather over 70 lakh Indians amidst the surge.