Pandemics are large-scale outbreaks of infectious disease that can greatly increase morbidity and mortality over a wide geographic area and cause significant economic and social issues.

A pandemics’ economic fallout has had a devastating and disproportionate impact on the rights of low income people , who were already struggling. Country’s strict lockdown may save many lives but it also snatches many livelihoods. Millions do not get paid in lockdown. Price of foods increase during pandemic. Number of extremely poor people increase day by day.

When outbreaks begin, the poor are also more likely to have already been suffering from malnutrition and immunosuppressive conditions, which can increase susceptibility to infectious diseases.

Pandemics can cause enormous economic damage as workers fall sick, people avoid markets and public places , and quarantines and disease control measures reduce travel. It carries particular risks for poor households, whose livelihoods are already precarious.

Proper actions that bring growth, remove inefficiencies and empower people reinforce strategies to reduce poverty from pandemics.

India has administered more than 18 crore 44 lakh doses of Covid-19 vaccine in the country so far. These include over 96 lakh 58 thousand Healthcare Workers who have taken the 1st dose and more than 66 lakh 52 thousand Health care workers who have taken the 2nd dose.

Over one crore 44 lakh Frontline Workers have taken the 1st dose and more than 82 lakh front line workers have taken the 2nd dose. The Ministry said, more than five crore 46 lakh people above 60 years have taken the 1st dose and more than one crore 79 lakh citizens have taken the 2nd dose.
 
Health Ministry said that more than 14 lakh 79 thousand beneficiaries were inoculated with Covid-19 vaccine doses yesterday. Out of which more than 12 lakh 42 thousand beneficiaries were vaccinated for 1st dose and more than two lakh 36 thousand beneficiaries received 2nd dose.

The Ministry said, more than six lakh 63 thousand beneficiaries of the age group 18 to 44 years received their first dose of COVID vaccine yesterday and cumulatively over 59 lakh 32 thousand across 36 States and Union Territories. The Liberalised and Accelerated Phase-3 Strategy of Covid-19 Vaccination has come into force from 1st of this month.

Centre has dropped plasma therapy from Covid treatment protocol. Covid National Task Force yesterday released new clinical guidelines for management of mild, moderate and severe Covid cases. Plasma therapy does not find a mention under the new guidelines. The decision came on the basis of recommendations of experts from AIIMS, ICMR-COVID-19 National Task Force, and Joint Monitoring Group of Union Health Ministry.
 
Members of the ICMR-National Task Force for COVID-19 met on Friday to deliberate upon the effectiveness of plasma therapy which gained momentum last year just during the onset of the pandemic. However, in the recent meeting, all members of the task force were in favour of removing the use of convalescent plasma from the Clinical Guidance for Management of Adult COVID-19 patients citing its ineffectiveness and inappropriate use in several cases. Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has said that they will issue an advisory on the matter soon.
 
The plasma therapy, which includes transfusion of COVID-19 antibodies from the blood of a recovered patient to the one being treated, has not been found effective in reducing the progression to severe disease nor has a decrease in the fatality rate been observed. The development comes just days after a group of medical practitioners wrote Principal Scientific Advisor K Vijay Raghavan cautioning against the ‘irrational and non-scientific use’ of convalescent plasma for COVID-19. 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will interact with field officials from states and districts today to converse about their experience in handling the COVID -19 pandemic. Many of these districts have seen a huge surge in cases and widespread infection.
 
Through their interaction with the Prime Minister, the officials will share some best practices in addition to suggestions and recommendations for continuing country’s ongoing battle against COVID-19, especially in semi-urban and rural areas. Officials from Karnataka, Bihar, Assam, Chandigarh, Tamil Nadu, Uttarakhand, MP, Goa, Himachal Pradesh and Delhi will take part in the meeting.
 
The battle against COVID-19 across various States and Districts is being led at the cutting edge by field level officials. Many of them have shown great initiative and come out with imaginative solutions. A better appreciation of such initiatives will help towards developing effective response plan, targeted strategy implementation and support necessary policy interventions.

Extremely severe cyclonic storm Tauktae has weakened into a ‘very severe cyclonic storm’ after hitting Gujarat coast. Tauktae has now crossed the Gujarat coast and lies overland. India Meteorological Department (IMD) said, Tauktae with winds gusting up to 185 km per hour began making landfall on the Gujarat coast last night.
 
Apart from Gujarat, the Tauktae also forced governments in coastal areas of Maharashtra, Kerala and Goa to issue s to its citizens and concerned authorities. Dadar and Nagar Haveli & Daman and Diu have also been put on high . Armed forces and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) have been carrying out evacuation operations.
 
Earlier yesterday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to Chief Ministers of Goa, Gujarat and Maharashtra assuring the Centre’s assistance in rescue operations and other relief measures.
 
Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani held a meeting with officials of the coastal districts of Valsad and Gir Somnath at the State Control Room in Gandhinagar.
 
Towns and villages plunged into darkness due to power outages and several trees and electric poles were uprooted in areas near Gujarat’s coast. Authorities snapped power supply in many areas of the worst affected coastal districts of Gir Somnath, Amreli, Junagadh, and Bhavnagar as a precautionary measure.
 
Electric supply to over 23 lakh consumers in western Maharashtra was impacted because of the Tauktae cyclonic storm. Supply to over 56 per cent of the consumers in Palghar, Thane, Kolhapur, Pune, Sindhudurg, Ratnagiri and Raigad districts has been restored. Gusty winds reaching the speed of 114 kmph and heavy showers lashed Mumbai and its neighbouring areas yesterday, uprooting trees and disrupting local train services in the metropolis.
 
 
 AIR Ahmedabad correspondent reports that coastal areas of Gir Somnath, Bhavnagar and Amreli districts are receiving heavy rainfall with high velocity of wind.
   
Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani closely monitored the entire process of landfall from the state emergency operation center in Gandhinagar. He also spoke to the concerned district collectors and asked them to ensure all possible steps to save the human lives.
 
A widespread power outage was reported from Rajula and Jafrabad taluka of Amreli district and Kodinar and Una in Gir Somnath district. The power supply has been disrupted in the coastal districts of Saurashtra due to high-velocity winds and rain. Vehicular traffic has also come to a halt due to uprooted trees falling on highways.
 
The maximum impact of the cyclonic storm was witnessed in Porbandar, Junagadh, Gir Somnath, Amreli and Bhavnagar districts of Saurashtra. Earlier, more than 2 lakh persons had been evacuated and shifted to the safer places in the coastal districts of Gujarat. About 50 teams of NDRF are engaged in rescue and relief works in the coastal areas of Gujarat.