An worker of a Covid-19 hospital in Gandhinagar carries an oxygen cylinder on Monday. (Express Photo: Nirmal Harindran)
Madras HC slams Election Commission over Covid surge
Coming down closely on the Election Commission for “not stopping political parties” from violating Covid protocols throughout their marketing campaign rallies for Assembly polls in 4 states and an Union Territory over the past month, the Madras High Court stated Monday that homicide fees ought to most likely be imposed on the panel for being “the only institution responsible for the situation that we are in today”.
The scathing observations got here 4 days after the Calcutta High Court had censured the EC for not doing sufficient to make sure that political events had been following applicable Covid protocols amid the surging second wave.
“You have been singularly lacking any kind of exercise of authority. You have not taken measures against political parties holding rallies despite every order of this court saying ‘maintain Covid protocol, maintain Covid protocol’,” the Madras High Court noticed.
Centre asks Serum, Bharat Biotech to chop vaccine costs
The central authorities on Monday requested Serum Institute of India and Bharat Biotech to decrease the worth of their Covid-19 vaccines amid criticism from a number of states who’ve accused the businesses of profiteering from the disaster.
The problem of vaccine pricing was mentioned at a gathering chaired by Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba. The two firms at the moment are anticipated to give you revised pricing for his or her vaccines.
Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech has fastened the worth of Covaxin at Rs 600 per dose for state governments, and Rs 1,200 per dose for personal hospitals.
