NEW DELHI, Nov 19:
Noting that it is natural to prioritise COVID-19 vaccine distribution, Health Minister Harsh Vardhan on Thursday said healthcare workers and people aged above 65 will be early recipients when a vaccine becomes available.
Addressing a webinar organised by the FICCI FLO on ‘The Shifting Healthcare Paradigm During and Post-Covid’, Vardhan said COVID-19 vaccine will be available in the next few months and it is estimated that by July-August 400-500 million doses will be made available for 25-30 crore people.
“It is natural the vaccine distribution would have to be prioritised. As you know the healthcare workers who are corona warriors they will be prioritised, then people who are above 65 years of age they have been prioritised, then those from 50-65 years of age have been prioritised,” he said.
“Then those below 50 years who have other diseases. It is all being decided by experts with a scientific point of view. We have made a very detailed, meticulous plan on this. What we would have to do in March-April next year, we have started planning for it from now only,” Vardhan added.
The minister said one can protect oneself from this deadly virus with small precautions like wearing a good quality mask properly, maintaining social distance and taking care of hand-hygiene.
India’s coronavirus caseload mounted to 89,58,483 on Thursday with 45,576 infections being reported in a day, while the death toll climbed to 1,31,578 with 585 new fatalities.
The phase-3 trial of the Oxford vaccine of the Serum Institute is almost near completion, while the phase-3 clinical trial of the indigenously-developed vaccine candidate of the Bharat Biotech and the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has already started.
Dr Reddy’s Laboratories will soon start the combined phase-2 and phase-3 clinical trials of the Russian COVID-19 vaccine, Sputnik V, in India. Also, the Biological E Limited has started early phases 1 and 2 human trials of its COVID-19 vaccine candidate.
Pfizer Inc. And BioNTech SE said their vaccine candidate was found to be more than 95 per cent effective in preventing COVID-19, while Moderna on Monday said its vaccine candidate against COVID-19 found it to have an efficacy of 94.5 per cent. (PTI)

NEW DELHI, Nov 19:
India will see an investment of Rs 10,000 crore in the next three years in setting up of LNG stations, a fuel that promises to revolutionalise long-haul transport with reduced cost and lesser emissions, Oil Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said on Thursday.
Liquefied natural gas (LNG), which is supercooled natural gas, is favoured by long-haul buses and trucks due to its higher energy density than CNG, its ability to give a 600-800 km run on a single fill, and it being 30-40 per cent cheaper than diesel.
So far, India uses petrol, diesel, CNG and auto-LPG as fuels to run automobiles. LNG is a new fuel that can be dispensed from outlets similar to petrol pumps, and is used not just in long long-haul buses and trucks but also in running mining equipment, as bunker fuel, and rail locomotives.
LNG will reduce the cost of operation as well as reduce carbon emissions, Pradhan said at the launch of construction of the first 50 LNG dispensing stations.
“In the next three years, Rs 10,000 crore will be spent on setting up of 1,000 LNG stations in the private and public sector,” he said.
LNG as a fuel, he said, is poised to bring a transformational change in the way transportation happens.
“There are around 10 million trucks in the country. If we are able to convert even 10 per cent of them (10 lakh), imagine the savings it will bring considering the fact that LNG is up to 40 per cent cheaper than diesel,” he said. LNG as a fuel has almost zero carbon emissions and 85 per cent lesser NOx emissions, he said.
The initial 50 LNG stations are being set up on the Golden Quadrilateral highways connecting four metros of Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkatta.
“In times to come, there will be an LNG station at every 200-300 km on the GQ and on all major highways,” he said.
Promoting LNG as a fuel is part of the government’s push to raise the share of natural gas in its energy basket to 15 per cent by 2030 from the current 6.2 per cent. Greater use of environmentally friendly natural gas will bring carbon emissions down.
“We have been working on a well thought of strategy for a gas-based economy.
“Expansion of city gas networks, laying of trunk pipelines, building LNG (import) terminals, raising of domestic production fo gas, simplification of tax structure and a uniform and simple tariff structure are all part of that plan,” he said.
The initial 50 LNG stations would be set up in one year, he said.
Pradhan said 20-25 million standard cubic meters per day-equivalent LNG will be consumed in the transportation sector.
“LPG is going to be priced cheaper. If we buy LNG (from abroad), it will reduce our dependence on crude oil. Will lower demand from the world’s third-largest importer, crude oil prices will soften, thus helping us,” he said.
India is 85 per cent dependent on imports to meet its crude oil needs while it imports about half of its gas needs.
With LNG being cheaper than diesel by 30-40 per cent, use of the new fuel in long-haul transportation, as well as sectors such as mining, would help cut logistics cost and have a positive impact on inflation, he said.
Of the initial 50 LNG stations being set up, state-owned Indian Oil Corp (IOC) will set up the maximum 20 outlets. Hindustan Petroleum Corp Ltd (HPCL) and Bharat Petroleum Corp Ltd (BPCL) would set up 11 each, while gas utility GAIL would put up six outlets and Petronet LNG Ltd the remaining two.
Gujarat, which houses almost two-thirds of India’s current LNG import capacity, would see the maximum number of LNG stations at 10. Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu, which too have LNG terminals, would each house 8 LNG stations, while Andhra Pradesh will get 6, Karnataka 5, Kerala 3, Odisha 1, Telangana 2, Haryana 1, Rajasthan 3, Uttar Pradesh 2 and Madhya Pradesh 1.
Pradhan said shifting trucks to LNG from liquid fuel will lead to savings and cut in emissions too.
Oil Secretary Tarun Kapoor said LNG is a clean fuel, convenient and bit cheaper than other fuels. “It is very appropriate for long-distance transportation.”
The first trial of LNG as fuel started in 2015 by IOC and Tata Motors. Thereafter, first LNG-run bus was launched in 2016 and now, the fuel use is attaining commercial scale, he said. (PTI)

NEW DELHI, Nov 19:
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday announced hiking fines for not using face masks from Rs 500 to Rs 2,000 and increasing the number of beds for COVID-19 patients at hospitals amid a massive COVID-19 surge here.
He also appealed to the people not to celebrate Chhath at ponds and other water bodies in the city.
The Chief Minister said the Delhi Government was implementing from November 19 its decision to reserve 80 per cent of ICU beds in private hospitals for COVID-19 patients.
Private hospitals have also been directed to increase the percentage of non-ICU COVID-19 beds from 50 per cent to 60 per cent, he said in a virtual briefing.
Kejriwal said he met Lt Governor Anil Baijal to apprise him of various steps being taken by the Government to check COVID-19, and added that the fine for not wearing masks has been raised from Rs 500 to Rs 2,000.
Arrangements are being made for over 1,400 ICU beds, including 663 in Delhi Government hospitals and 750 at a Central Government facility, the chief minister said, adding around 7,500 normal and 446 ICU beds are currently available for COVID-19 patients in Delhi.
The hospitals have also been asked to postpone non-critical planned surgeries for the time being, he said.
The chief minister said he received assurance of cooperation from various political parties at an all-party meeting on the COVID-19 situation in Delhi. He said that he urged them to distribute face masks to save people from the infection.
Saying that there should be no politics over COVID-19, he appealed to people not to go to water bodies to perform Chhath Puja and instead celebrate the festival at home.
Even if one COVID-19 infected person enters the water during Chhath Puja, all others might get infected by the virus, the Chief Minister said.
The Delhi Government is being forced to restrict Chhath Puja celebrations at riverbanks, ponds and other public places due to the threat of the infection, he said. (PTI)

NEW DELHI, Nov 19:
The Congress on Thursday paid rich tributes to former prime minister Indira Gandhi on her birth anniversary with Rahul Gandhi saying the whole country still gives the example of her impressive leadership.
Born on 19 November, 1917, Indira Gandhi served as Prime Minister from 1966 to 1977 and then again from 1980 until her assassination in 1984.
“A trailblazer, a visionary, a true leader and a great daughter of our motherland, Indira Gandhi was much more than a Prime Minister to our citizens; she was the revitalising strength in their quest for greatness & prosperity. Today, we pay a proud tribute to India’s Indira,” the Congress tweeted from its official Twitter handle.
In a tweet in Hindi, Rahul Gandhi also paid tributes to Indira Gandhi, calling her an efficient prime minister.
“The whole country still gives the example of her impressive leadership, but I always remember her as my beloved grandmother. Her teachings inspire me constantly,” the former Congress chief said.
Rahul Gandhi also paid floral tributes to Indira Gandhi at her memorial ‘Shakti Sthal’ here.
Congress’ chief spokesperson and party general secretary Randeep Surjewala also paid rich tributes to Indira Gandhi on her 103rd birth anniversary.
“Known as the Iron lady across the world, the one with determination, courage and amazing ability, the first and only woman Prime Minister of India, Indira Gandhi. My tributes to her on her birth anniversary,” he said.
The Indian Youth Congress marked her birth anniversary by distributing blankets to the poor and needy in Delhi.
“Celebrating birth anniversary of Iron Lady Late Indira Gandhi with poor & needy by distributing blankets to save them from biting cold of Delhi,” IYC president Srinivas B V tweeted.
In a tweet paying tribute to Indira Gandhi, Mahila Congress said, “We pay our deepest homage to the embodiment of Shakti, Former PM Indira Gandhi.”
“Her unflinching dedication and determination towards the nation’s progress and her indomitable courage to overcome the most difficult circumstances serves as an inspiration to us,” the Mahila Congress said. (PTI)