Here are the top 5 news updates of May 19, 2021:
US pharmaceutical giant Johnson and Johnson has joined hands with Biological E Limited (Telangana-based pharma company) for the manufacturing of the COVID-19 vaccine, said an official statement. The company's vaccine named, Janssen COVID-19 vaccine is currently approved for use in the United States, the European Union and other nations including Thailand and South Africa. On April 5, the company had said it is in discussion with the Government of India to soon begin bridging clinical trials in the country for its single-dose COVID-19 vaccine Janssen.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi today conducted an aerial survey of the Cyclone Tauktae affected areas of Gujarat and Diu. He conducted an aerial survey of areas such as Una, Diu, Jafarabad, and Mahuva. Tauktae stands to be the strongest storm to impact Gujarat since 1998 as it battered parts of the state and left behind a trail of destruction along the coast, uprooting electric poles and trees, and damaging several houses and roads, before weakening, officials said on Tuesday. The Cyclone has also impacted the weather conditions in several parts of Northern India including Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan and Delhi where rainfall was witnessed today.
Amid uncertainty over the availability of supply of vaccines, the Maharashtra Government has floated an expression of interest for the procurement of 5 crore COVID 19 vaccine doses. The Public Health Department officer clarified it is not a tender but an EoI to know the stock, price, supply schedule from global vaccine producers approved by the World Health Organisation and United States Food and Drug Administration. The government's move came a day after the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation was forced to extend time limit by a week due to lack of response for its tender for the supply of 1 crore COVID-19 vaccine doses.
With over 5100 volunteers and 3800 help centres, the Rashtriya Sayamsevak Sangh (RSS) has been actively working amid the coronavirus pandemic. According to the organisation they have set up 17,300 beds at isolation and COVID-19 care centers. Sunil Ambekar, Akhil Bharatiya Prachar Pramukh of RSS, said volunteers have initiated many things including, isolation centers for patients with possibility of COVID-19 infection and care centers for infected patients, helpline number for assistance, online medical advice, blood donation, plasma donation, helping with funerals, counselling, oxygen supply and ambulance service, distribution of food and masks, help with vaccination campaign and vans to take bodies of the deceased for the last rites.
Equity benchmark Sensex tumbled 291 points today, weighed by losses in index majors HDFC twins, ICICI Bank and Kotak Bank amid a negative trend in global markets. Profit booking at higher levels to led to the decline in benchmark indices, analysts said. Giving up the 50,000 mark, the 30-share BSE index ended 290.69 points or 0.58 per cent lower at 49,902.64. Similarly, the broader NSE Nifty fell 77.95 points or 0.52 per cent to 15,030.15.
