VRGR '%&((!1#VCEB R BP A"'!#$#1!$"$#$%T utqBVQWBuxy( 1 * G ! #$ H $ H H &()& *+,- A/; #$% =9&&'6: A) 1 )! -2/8&! 25+9 #2/37 C1&'*//1*& @%1);*&) )*& )%;31%@&1% 3)&@% 1%B +B)&+)%%1 *&*)D1E@)/*)*&/1FB !" . / 0+/ 010*2 " *03- 5 $ %'( $) P ! &121/3* 35,726 new infections and 166 Covid deaths in 24 hours, ith 46 districts in 12 highest since last October. " '/')) WStates contributing 71 Struggling to arrest the per cent of the Covid-19 cases fresh surge in Covid-19 cases, he first phase of Bengal and 69 per cent of related the Maharashtra Government &121/3* TAssembly elections con- deaths, the Centre on Saturday on Saturday announced a ban cluded on Saturday amid attributed the surge to people’s on holding of all types of gath- erum Institute of India’s reports of sporadic violence laxity in following social dis- erings, including political and S(SII) new Covid-19 vac- with little more than 82 per tancing norms and called for religious, a day before new cine, Covovax, is likely to hit cent voter turnout, said offi- stringent action, including curbs on assembly of more the Indian market by cials, adding the elections were effective containment and con- than five persons in night will September this year. by far peaceful. tact tracing for at least 14 days come into force. Chief Executive of SII, Long queues of voters were in a row at the Covid-19 The State had 2,82,451 which also manufactures being inoculated to the people seen at many booths through- hotspots, to break the chain of active cases as on Friday. Covishield vaccine, Adar in India under the nationwide out the five districts till evening. transmission. The country has seen the Poonawalla said on Saturday vaccination programme East Midnapore recorded a Total 61,573 cases were sharpest rise in weekly Covid- that the company has begun launched on January 16. turnout of 80.51 per cent while reported from across the coun- 19 cases and fatalities since the phase 2 and 3 clinical tri- The phase 2 and 3 bridg- in neighbouring West try in last 24 hours, while May 2020 ie 7.7 per cent and als for Covovax and hoped to ing study for Covovax has Midnapore it was 80.12 per Maharashtra alone reported 5.1 per cent respectively. And launch the vaccine by begun at one of the four clin- cent. Jhargram witnessed a it has been noted that one September. ical trial sites in Pune on polling of 80.55 per cent where- -./012234564& infected person could spread “Covovax trials finally Thursday, and soon enrol- as voter turnout in Purulia was Covid-19 to an average of 406 begin in India; the vaccine is ment of participants is to start a tad low at 77.07 per cent, fol- * O other individuals in a 30-day made through a partnership at other sites, the SII said. lowed by Bankura where about 5 67 778 window without restrictions with (US’) Novavax and Serum On 30 January, after the !" 79.90 per cent voters had exer- + 9:: which could be reduced to just Institute of India... Hope to announcement of the first cised their voting rights. ; 9< 75 15 by decreasing physical expo- launch by September 2021!” interim efficacy data by Incidents of violence were chairman, recently joined the our polling agent and were giv- block president Ram Govind ! sure to 50 per cent and to a fur- Poonawalla tweeted on Novavax, the CEO of the reported from Salboni region of BJP like his elder brother and ing false votes… This angered Das and his wife, a panchayat =8 >7: ther 2.5 (average) by decreas- Saturday. world’s largest vaccine manu- West Midnapore and Sabajpur their father Sisir Adhikari, the the TMC goons and they van- pradhan, as my arrival to the ing physical exposure to 75 per Presently SII manufac- facturer had said that it hopes of South Contai seat in East local MP. dalised my car and beat up my area failed their plans to rig cent. tured Covishield and Bharat to launch the vaccine by June. Midnapore district where the “I had rushed to a booth driver,” he said. polling, Adhikari said. Continued on Page 4 Biotech Ltd’s Covaxin are Continued on Page 4 vehicle of Soumendu Adhikari, after receiving complaints that The attack was carried out At Salboni former Bengal #; the youngest brother of BJP the TMC men had driven out under the leadership of TMC Minister and CPI(M) candidate 9< leader Suvendu Adhikari, was was Sushanto Ghosh twice +7?7?>$> vandalised and his driver badly attacked and heckled by alleged 8$9 beaten up by alleged Trinamool Trinamool men when he tried ) $% & Congress supporters. to stop them from capturing ! Soumendu, a former TMC booths. @ leader and Contai Municipality &121/3* Continued on Page 4 ' voter turnout of 77 per Acent was recorded in Assam on Saturday in the first " #R R phase of Assembly elections in the State, the Election Commission said. % *+ Voting was held in 47 seats in Assam in this phase with a &121/3* total of 81 lakh electorate reg- istered across 11,537 polling % eports of Covid-19 re- stations. There are total 21,825 !# Rinfection despite vaccina- L polling stations. On Saturday, ## " " '/')) tion have started trickling in M ! a total of 582 cases of Model from various parts of the coun- # Code of Conduct violations engal Chief Minister try. Two health workers in $ were reported through the BMamata Banerjee on Mathura district in Uttar cVIGIL app from Assam out of Saturday attacked Prime Pradesh on Saturday reported which 423 were disposed of by the Covid-19 pandemic. Minister Narendra Modi alleg- testing positive for coronavirus 4.30 pm. Till date, 97.31crore As a major push in con- ing that he has politicised his despite having been adminis- # !" %& has been seized in Assam (as ducting free and fair elections, Bangladesh visit at a time when tered both doses of the anti- ' against a total seizure of 16.58 live monitoring and webcasting elections are being held in this Covid vaccine. of the Covishield vaccine on “Vaccination has been going on )**+ crore in 2016 Assembly polls). mechanism for more than 50 part of the border. Similarly, Director of January 16, 2021. After a 28- in a big way across the coun- ! The poll panel said it had per cent of polling stations, Mamata said, “He (PM) is $( ( Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate day gap, he reportedly took a try for decades. Vaccination is ! laid great emphasis on ensur- including critical and vulner- going to Bangladesh during the Institute of Medical Sciences second shot on February 13. not always 100 per cent effec- ing transparent and vigilant able polling booths, were put in elections and issuing state- ) * !" (SGPGI), Lucknow, Professor Earlier, another doctor tive,” they said. !% - $ mechanisms for conducting place to ensure safe and secure ments on Bengal... it is a vio- Radha Krishan Dhiman, has posted at Shyama Prasad According to experts, low elections that are free of atmosphere in polling areas. lation of MCC.” going to Bangladesh with an tested positive for the infection. Mukherjee Civil Hospital in immunity of the beneficiary inducement and intimidation. The Commission, state Reminding how the visa of intent to influence a section of Prof Dhiman, who has taken Lucknow, Nitin Mishra, shared and high virus load suppress- The number of polling sta- chief electoral officers, district a Bangla actor acting in Bengali voters — residing in Bengal — both doses of vaccine against that he had tested positive ing antibodies could also be ! )-.+/)) tions had increased as the election officers and the tele serials was cancelled — at when the elections are taking coronavirus, shared on days after taking the second factors behind someone testing & 0! number of voters per polling observers could watch live BJP’s behest — during 2019 place here … why should your Facebook recently that he and dose of vaccination. positive for Covid-19 even ! station was reduced from 1,500 streaming and keep a close Lok Sabha polls, after he joined visa not be cancelled? We will his wife, Dr Praveena, were Experts said that the suc- after taking both shots against + to 1,000 keeping social dis- watch on these polling booths a TMC rally, Mamata said, raise the issue with the EC. infected two days ago. cess rate of vaccines varies the virus. +# $ tancing norms in mind due to in Assam. “You (Prime Minister) are Continued on Page 4 He had taken the first dose from 70 to 75 per cent. Continued on Page 4 " Q R%" & R ( ) * mation technology and sports. appreciation for the coopera- "P “India and Bangladesh tion extended by Bangladesh in &121/3* signed MoUs in key sectors security related matters. -(. such as disaster management, He also reiterated India’s ealth Minister Satyendar sports and youth affairs, trade, “sincere and continued efforts” HJain on Saturday dismissed technology and more. These to conclude the Teesta water- any possibility of imposing will add strength to our devel- sharing agreement in consul- another lockdown in Delhi, ! opment partnership and ben- tation with stakeholders. saying it was not a solution to "/!0 efit the people of our nations, “The two leaders directed check the spread of the coron- especially the youth,” he said. their respective Ministries of avirus that is again surging. Ministry of External Water Resources to work Jain said, “As of now, there Affairs Spokesperson Arindam towards an early conclusion of is no possibility of another Bagchi said that the two lead- the Framework of Interim lockdown.