Indian Sub-continent

Islamabad, Apr 18 (PTI) Pakistan on Sunday reported its highest single-day coronavirus spike this year with over 6,000 new cases and about 149 deaths, as the country struggled to speed up its vaccination programme.

The previous highest surge was recorded last year on June 20 when the country reported 6,825 infections and 153 deaths.

New Delhi, Apr 18 (PTI) The Centre has sanctioned installation of 162 pressure swing adsorption (PSA) plants in public health facilities in all states, the Health Ministry said on Sunday, as demand of medical oxygen goes through the roof amid spiralling coronavirus cases in the country.

The PSA plants manufacture oxygen and help hospitals become self-sufficient in their requirement for medical oxygen, while also reducing the burden on the national grid for its supply of medical oxygen.

New Delhi, Apr 18 (PTI) Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on Sunday said Delhi has been facing a shortage of medical oxygen and the city government has requested the Centre to immediately increase its supply to the national capital.

"The quota of oxygen allocated to Delhi is turning out to be very less due to the increased consumption which is much more than the average," Sisodia, who is also the nodal minister for COVID-19 management in Delhi, tweeted.

New Delhi, Apr 18 (PTI) Amid a steep rise in coronavirus cases, senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal on Sunday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to declare a national health emergency.

The former Union minister also called on the Election Commission to declare a moratorium on election rallies in view of the sharp rise in COVID-19 cases.

"COVID-19 infections faster than recoveries. Modiji: Declare a National Health Emergency. Election Commission: Declare a moratorium on election rallies. Courts: Protect people's lives," Sibal tweeted.

New Delhi, Apr 18 (PTI) Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday cancelled all his public rallies in poll-bound West Bengal following a rapid rise in COVID-19 cases in the country.

He also advised all other politicians to think about the consequences of holding large public rallies.

"In view of the Covid situation, I am suspending all my public rallies in West Bengal. I would advise all political leaders to think deeply about the consequences of holding large public rallies under the current circumstances," he said on Twitter.

Mumbai, Apr 17 (PTI) Police authorities in Mumbai on Saturday issued an order asking its personnel to take action against people caught spitting in public.

Officials said the order states that action will be taken under section 117 of Maharashtra Police Act.

The directive is the result of a High Court order of April 7 on a PIL filed by one Asmin Bandrawala, they added.

Ghaziabad, Apr 17 (PTI) Farmers can sacrifice their lives but will not end the protest against the farm laws, said BKU national president Naresh Tikait while accusing the Centre of extending a stepmotherly treatment to them.

Addressing a monthly mahapanchayat at the Delhi's Ghazipur border here, the BKU leader alleged that even after five months of protest by them, the government is not paying any heed to their demands.

Jammu, Apr 18 (PTI) An Army personnel allegedly shot himself dead with his service rifle inside a camp in Ramban district of Jammu and Kashmir, police said on Sunday.

Sepoy Hanuman Choudhary, who was on sentry duty, shot himself at his camp in Ukhral area around midnight, a police official said.

The body has been sent to a local hospital for postmortem.

Police have started inquest proceedings, the official said, adding the motive behind his taking such an extreme step was not known immediately.

Shahdol, Apr 18 (PTI) At least six COVID-19 patients died in the ICU of a government hospital in Madhya Pradesh's Shahdol due to low pressure in medical oxygen supply, an official said on Sunday.

The incident took place at the Government Medical College Hospital here on the intervening night of Saturday and Sunday.

"Out of 62 patients admitted in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) ward of the medical college's COVID-19 centre, six patients died due to low pressure of liquid oxygen late last night," the facility's dean, Dr Milind Shiralkar, said.

New Delhi, Apr 18 (PTI) The daily coronavirus positivity rate in India in the last 12 days has doubled to 16.69 per cent, while the weekly positivity rate has increased to 13.54 per cent in the past one month, the Health Ministry said on Sunday.

India reported a record 261,500 new coronavirus cases and 1,501 deaths on Sunday, while active cases have surpassed the 18-lakh mark, the ministry data stated.