RNI NO.: DELENG/2005/15351 MILLENNIUMPOST.IN REGD. NO.: DL(S)-01/3420/2018-20 PUBLISHED FROM DELHI | KOLKATA VOL.16, ISSUE 231 | Saturday, 21 August, 2021 | New Delhi | Pages 12 | Rs 3.00 No Half Truths City: Pg 3 Nation: Pg 5 Film: Pg 12 Self-reliant: Delhi govt’s medical O2 EAM holds talks with Qatari Hollywood’s biggest stars’ production promotion policy notified FM in Doha on Afghanistan salaries revealed in the OTT era 36,571 NEW INFECTIONS, 540 FRESH FATALITIES IN 24 HOURS Rise above compulsions, winning 2024 election Active Covid cases at lowest in 150 days ultimate goal: Sonia Breakthrough infections in India show a high proportion of Delta variant of SARS-CoV2 Mamata urges Oppn leaders to form a core committee to fight BJP OUR CORRESPONDENT a growth advantage over the Delta parent lineage, it noted. NEW DELHI: Daily corona- According to INSACOG OUR CORRESPONDENT virus cases have seen a signifi- (the Indian SARS-CoV2 cant plunge since the second Genomics Consortium), 61 NEW DELHI: In a major wave which peaked in May. samples of Delta Plus variants political move aimed at build- India logged 36,571 new coro- have been detected in the coun- ing a consensus to make a navirus infections, taking the Highlights try so far. ‘united force’ to take on BJP total tally of COVID-19 cases » Active cases have de- “Delta variant is the major in 2024 general elections, to 3,23,58,829 on Friday, while clined to 3,63,605 and VOC in India at this time. Con- the Congress on Friday held the national recovery rate comprise 1.12 per cent of tinuing outbreaks across India a meeting of all like-minded improved to 97.54 per cent. The the total infections are attributable to Delta, a sus- Opposition parties. death toll climbed to 4,33,589 ceptible population, reduced The meeting, which was with 540 fresh fatalities. » The number of people vaccine effectiveness in block- chaired by Congress president Also, the active cases have who have recuperated ing transmission, and oppor- Sonia Gandhi, is an attempt declined to 3,63,605, the low- from the disease surged tunities for transmission,” the to give a ‘legitimate shape’ to est in 150 days, and comprise to 3,15,61,635 INSACOG said. a united Opposition force to 1.12 per cent of the total infec- There has been a concern take on the BJP as in total 19 tions, the lowest since March » Of the 30,230 samples whether increasing vaccina- Opposition parties, including 2020. Over 57 crore jabs have of Variants of Concern tion breakthroughs in India are TMC, NCP, DMK, Shiv Sena, been administered in the coun- and Variants of Inter- because of a new variant, the JMM and Left, were pres- Opposition to try so far, the Health Ministry est sequenced by the INSACOG said. ent in the meeting. Surpris- hold joint protests said on Friday. INSACOG, 20,324 were It also cited an example of ingly, Aam Aadmi Party didn’t Breakthrough infections the UK. With a population of attend the meeting. across country from of coronavirus cases com- A health worker checks body temperature of a traveler at a railway station in Mumbai, on Friday PTI of Delta about 6.7 crore, the UK has At the meeting, Sonia prise a very high proportion reported about 18 lakh cases Gandhi urged Opposition September 20-30 of the Delta variant, said the the INSACOG, 20,324 were of and 1.2 lakh vaccination break- parties to “plan systemati- INSACOG, a genome sequenc- Delta, it said. throughs with Delta since April cally” for the 2024 national a government that believes ing government consortium of DCGI approves Zydus Cadila’s 3-dose The Delta variant is cur- 2021. “Thus, vaccination break- election and “rise above com- in the values of the Freedom laboratories. rently driving the pandemic throughs are common dur- pulsions” to work unitedly as Movement and in the prin- The continuing COVID- vaccine for all above 12 years of age across several countries with ing Delta outbreaks and are there was no other option. ciples and provisions of our 19 outbreaks across India are China and Korea seeing new expected in India as well,” it “We all have our compul- Constitution. attributable to the Delta vari- MPOST BUREAU an immune response, which plays a vital role highs. Korea has reported that said. sions, but clearly, a time has Hailing the Opposition ant, a susceptible population in protection from the disease as well as viral the new surge is due to Delta Meanwhile, the daily posi- come when the interests of unity in Monsoon Session, and reduced vaccine effective- NEW DELHI: Indigenously developed Zydus clearance, it said. plus K417N mutation. tivity rate was recorded at 1.94 our nation demand that we Gandhi said, “The session was ness in blocking transmission, Cadila Covid vaccine ZyCoV-D has received The government’s Department of Bio- The Delta variant resulted per cent. It has been less than rise above them,” the Congress marked by the determined the INSACOG added. approval for Emergency Use Authorisation technology (DBT) also said that the “plug- in a deadly second wave in three per cent for the last 25 president said at the meet. unity that all Opposition par- However, vaccination con- from the Drug Controller General of India and-play” technology on which the plasmid the country between March days. “The 2024 polls is ‘the ties demonstrated for over 20 tinues to be very effective in and it will be administered to people 12 years DNA platform is based can be easily adapted to May that wreaked havoc on The weekly positivity rate ultimate goal’. This is a chal- days in both the houses. We reducing severe disease and and above, the Department of Biotechnology to deal with mutations in the virus, such as the health infrastructure, over- was recorded at 1.93 per cent. lenge, but together we can functioned in a coordinated death, and public health mea- said on Friday. those already occurring. whelming hospitals. It infected It has been below three per cent and must rise to it because manner with daily discussions sures to reduce transmission This is the world’s first DNA-based vaccine The vaccine has been developed in part- lakhs and killed thousands. for the last 56 days, according there is simply no alterna- among our floor leaders.” and inoculation remain critical, against the Coronavirus, and this three-dose nership with the DBT under Mission COVID In India, new cases of AY.1, to the ministry. tive to working cohesively “It was entirely due to the the INSACOG stressed in its vaccine when injected produces the spike Suraksha, the department said. AY.2, AY.3 (Delta Plus) are The number of people who together,” Gandhi said. Opposition parties that the latest bulletin dated August 16. protein of the SARS-CoV-2 virus and elicits Continued on P4 being seen in July samples from have recuperated from the The Congress president Constitutional Amendment “As of now, sequencing of Maharashtra at a frequency of disease surged to 3,15,61,635, further urged Opposition Bill was passed to restore the vaccination breakthroughs in about 1 per cent. However, at while the case fatality rate parties to begin to plan with long-standing rights of states India is also showing a very ant. Investigations for any INSACOG said. Variants of Concern and Vari- this time none of these sub- stands at 1.34 per cent, the the single-minded objec- to identify and notify OBCs. high proportion of Delta vari- new variants are ongoing,” the Of the 30,230 samples of ants of Interest sequenced by lineages has been found to have data stated. tive of giving to our country Continued on P4 Destructive, terror forces DEATHS DUE TO OXYGEN SHORTAGE Rajiv Gandhi’s farsighted policies are not permanent: Modi L-G again rejects proposal for panel to probe helped build modern India Rahul Gandhi ‘Need to develop spiritual tourism sector’ Deputy CM Manish Sisodia asks what does Centre want to hide OUR CORRESPONDENT OUR CORRESPONDENT been no deaths due to lack of to oxygen shortage in Delhi’s SOMNATH: Prime Minister Nar- oxygen, he added. hospitals.” In today’s endra Modi on Friday said that NEW DELHI: The Lieutenant However, sources in the The Delhi government had destructive forces and people who Governor once again rejected L-G office said the statements sought an investigation into paper follow the ideology of creating the Delhi government’s pro- made by Sisodia are “mislead- the gross mismanagement of empires through terror can domi- posal to form a committee to ing, to say the least” and that oxygen by the Central Gov- ... nate for some time, but their exis- investigate the deaths due to “neither the L-G nor the gov- ernment, whether deliberate City tence is not permanent as they lack of oxygen. The develop- ernment of India has said the or unintentional, so that in the cannot suppress humanity forever. ment irked the cabinet min- deaths due to oxygen shortage future such mistakes can be 57 NEW CASES & 0 DEATHS 3 He also said it was Indian peo- isters in the state government should not be probed”. rectified. ple’s spiritual bent of mind that kept with Deputy Chief Minister They said a high-level “The Central Government Nation the country united for centuries, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurates Manish Sisodia alleging that committee constituted on the is fully responsible for the and called for the need to develop the move is to cover up the directions of the Supreme mismanagement of oxygen.