New Delhi [India], March 5 (ANI): Delhi reported 312 new COVID-19 cases, 312 recoveries and three deaths in the last 24 hours, according to the Delhi health department on Friday.
With this, the total cases in the national capital have mounted to 640,494 including 1,779 active cases and 6,27,797 total recoveries.
However, the total number of deaths has escalated to 10, 918 including the new deaths.
As many as 16,838 new COVID-19 cases and 113 deaths were reported in India in the last 24 hours, the Union Health Ministry informed today.
With 13,819 new discharges, the cumulative recoveries reached 1,08,39,894.
The country’s coronavirus tally has reached 1,11,73,761 including 1,76,319 active infections while the death toll has mounted to 1,57,548.
Meanwhile, the cumulative number of COVID-19 vaccine doses administered in the country has crossed 1.90 crores today. (ANI)

New Delhi [India], March 5 (ANI): Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare informed that the cumulative number of COVID-19 vaccine doses administered in the country has crossed 1.90 crores on Friday.
The countrywide vaccination drive was rolled out on January 16, 2021, and the vaccination of the frontline workers (FLWs) started on February 2, 2021. The next phase of COVID-19 vaccination has commenced from March 1, 2021, for those who are over 60 years of age and for people aged 45 and above with specified co-morbid conditions.
“A total of 1,90,40,175 vaccine doses have been given, as per the provisional report till 7 pm today,” read the press release by the Ministry.
These include 68,96,529 healthcare workers (HCWs) who have taken the first dose and 32,94,612 HCWs who have taken the second dose, 62,94,755 FLWs (first dose), 1,23,191 FLWs (second dose), 21,17,862 beneficiaries more than 60 years old and 3,13,226 beneficiaries aged 45 and above with specific co-morbidities.
On the other hand, six States, Maharashtra, Punjab, Haryana, Gujarat, MP and Delhi, have reported high daily new cases in the last 24 hours. 84.44 per cent of the new cases reported in the last 24 hours (16,838) are from these six States.
Eighteen States/Union Territories have not reported any COVID-19 deaths in the last 24 hours. These are Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Chandigarh, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Daman and Diu, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Ladakh (UT), Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Odisha, Puducherry, Sikkim, Tripura and Uttarakhand. (ANI)

New Delhi [India], March 5 (ANI): The Delhi Police has lost 32 of its own ‘corona warriors’ while discharging their duties during the COVID-19 pandemic last year.
According to Delhi Police data, Constable Amit Kumar, 21, and Sub-Inspector Karambir Singh, 59, who was on the verge of retirement, were among the casualties in the fight against the virus.
The total infections in Delhi Police have touched 7,603 with the recovery of 7,315 personnel so far.
As the lockdown seemed to immediately halt all movement and operations, ensuring the supply of essential commodities, emergency movement if people for medical purposes and unforeseen circumstances, movement of people for essential services, specific needs of senior citizens and more were undertaken by the police.
Police pickets were set up throughout the city to check for non-essential movement of people, which was further augmented by sending patrol parties on foot, motorcycles and vans to enforce complete lockdown.
After the creation of containment zones and difficulties in admission to hospitals, more police personnel were deployed to enforce physical restrictions. The Delhi Police was the first to start a Helpline on telephone number 23469526 to listen and resolve grievances through direct intervention.
On March 24, 2020, an order was issued establishing a dedicated 24X7 Helpline Centre under the supervision of a senior officer assisted by sufficient staff. The police personnel went far beyond their call of duty in not only enforcing the lockdown but also providing relief measures to the hungry, shelter to the stranded and succour to the helpless, according to data.
The Delhi Police also took note of law and order implication from families who were unable to feed themselves and started engaging with all entities for an organised food network in the national capital. In several parts of the city, community kitchens were started by the police to feed the hungry.
The police also issued movement passes for those engaged in the supply of essential services/goods and also for an extreme personal emergency. Thus the complete chain of supplies that had frozen with the onset of lockdown was revived.
The Delhi Police managed the issue of migrant labourers tactfully who were keen to leave the city to their native places due to lack of employment during to loss of employment. The police shifted hem to nearby shelter homes and ensured a regular supply of food and ration to them.
A Senior Citizens Cell at Police Headquarters was activated that provided help to older people, while Delhi Police personnel volunteered in reuniting the members of the families who were stranded in other cities and unable to come home due to the lockdown.
A campaign titled ‘Delhi Police – Dil Ki Police’ was launched to signify change and a large number of people and celebrities appreciated their efforts in the war against COVID-19.
The Ayurraksha Project was launched with the help of the Ministry of AYUSH titled ‘Corona se Jung – Delhi Police ke Sang’ to build immunity among 82,000 personnel with a 60-day treatment by administering immune-boosting Ayurveda Medicine. (ANI)

Srinagar (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], March 5 (ANI): The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday summoned former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti in a money laundering case, an ED official told ANI.
As per the official, Mufti has been asked to appear before the investigating agency on March 15.
In December 2020, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president alleged that several of her peers and family members were being baselessly investigated by Central agencies, and added that if the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) wanted to fight her they should do so politically.
“The BJP is not fighting me politically. I want to tell the BJP that you have so much power, so many members in parliament, and you form the government. If you want to fight me, do it politically. Not through the National Investigation Agency (NIA), Enforcement Directorate (ED) or the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). Put your feet on the ground and fight,” she had said while addressing the media here.
She had also alleged that Central agencies were investigating her father’s tomb. “What will you get from these raids? What do I have? If I had anything you wouldn’t be going to my father’s tomb,” she had said. (ANI)

Amaravati (Andhra Pradesh) [India], March 5 (ANI): Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on Friday launched the AP Fact Check website and Twitter account at his camp office in Andhra Pradesh’s Amaravati.
Speaking on the occasion, Reddy said, “Malicious propaganda was being spread in the media and on social media and that the government was condemning this false propaganda as AP fact check platforms with evidence.”
The platform will show how the false campaign has been shown with evidence and will bring the true facts to the people’s attention.
Further speaking on the launch, the CM said, ‘Authorities should also take action against malicious propaganda. We need to identify where this malicious campaign originally started and take legal action.”
“No one has the right to deliberately damage the reputation of an individual, the reputation of a system. No one has the right to corrupt systems with personal intentions. No one should do things that mislead systems,” he added. (ANI)

Mohali (Punjab) [India], March 5 (ANI): Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Friday trashed the Bharatiya Janata Party’s allegation of Congress-ruled states rejecting COVAXIN and termed it ‘a complete lie’ and ‘part of the ruling party’s false and politically motivated propaganda.’
The CM was responding to a question during an informal media interaction after taking the first shot of the COVID-19 vaccine at Civil Hospital in Mohali.
Categorically denying the charge, he slammed the BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra’s claim that Punjab, along with other Opposition-ruled states, had expressed doubts and refused to accept the vaccination.
When asked how he was feeling after the COVID-19 vaccine jab, Singh said, “He was in ‘Chardi Kalan’ and was feeling absolutely fine.”
An official of the Punjab Health Ministry later disclosed that the state had received 1.34 lakh COVAXIN doses, of which 2500 had already been administered.
The CM, in response to another question on the slow pace of vaccination in the state, said the media was contributing to scaring the people. He urged the media to spread awareness about the importance and efficacy of vaccines.
Admitting that COVID cases in Punjab were on the rise, having crossed 1000 after more than a month, Captain said, “It was a matter of concern. Our government was keeping a close watch on the situation.”
He also blamed the casual and carefree attitude of the people of Punjab for the resurgence in cases.
He further appealed to the people to strictly adhere to all COVID-19 safety norms, including wearing masks and social distancing, and not let their guard down. (ANI)