In the backdrop of the rapid rise in Covid-19 cases, the Centre on Sunday imposed a ban on export of Remdesivir injection and Remdesivir Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (API) till the Covid situation improves. There are 11.08 lakh active cases and they are steadily rising which has led to a sudden rise in demand for ‘Injection Remdesivir’ used in the Covid treatment, according to a statement from the government.

Currently, seven Indian companies are producing Remdesivir injection and Remdesivir Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (API). In a bid to provide easy access to this injection, the government has advised all the domestic makers to display on their website, details of their stockists/distributors.

The government will ensure that malpractices such as hoarding and black marketing of these injections are curbed, and for this purpose, the State health secretaries along with the drug inspectors and other officers will verify the stock. Besides, the Department of Pharmaceutical is in constant contact with the domestic manufacturers to ramp up the production of Remdesivir.

Meanwhile, Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan has written to Punjab, Chandigarh and Maharashtra to take appropriate measures to contain the spread of the pandemic. The letters have been written based on the feedback the Centre had received from the central teams deployed in these States and UTs.

The Centre has highlighted the key areas in these particular States where testing, treatment facilities, containment operations and Covid appropriate behaviour, among others, are sub-optimal. India reported the highest daily Covid-19 cases on Sunday by crossing the 1.5-lakh mark.

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Sharpest rise

This is the fifth consecutive day when the country registered the sharpest rise in the pandemic cases, pushing the Sunday tally to 1,52,879 infections till 8:00 AM.

The cumulative number of Covid-19 vaccine doses administered in the country has crossed 10 crore on Sunday with 10,15,95,147 shots given till 7 AM. A total of 35,19,987 vaccine shots were given on Sunday till 8 AM.

Meanwhile, the Maharashtra government held an urgent meeting of the State Taskforce on Covid to discuss measures to combat rising cases, including the possibility of a full lockdown for one or two weeks.

Addressing mediapersons after the meeting, State Health Minister Rajesh Tope said an appropriate decision regarding imposing a lockdown will be taken after April 14.

(With inputs from PTI)

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