Covid LIVE: Govt suggests night curfew to Kerala, Maha in areas of high TPR

Coronavirus India update: Kerala recorded 31,445 fresh Covid-19 cases and 215 fatalities in a day. Meanwhile, Maharashtra reported 5,031 cases and 216 deaths. Stay tuned for corona-related news

1:11 AM

Assam adds 562 Covid cases, 11 more deaths

Assam's COVID-19 tally increased to 5,86,940 on Thursday as 562 more people tested positive for the disease in the state, the National Health Mission (NHM) said. The state reported 11 more deaths due to the disease, it said. Two deaths each were reported from Golaghat, Jorhat, and Kamrup Metropolitan, and one each from

 

Barpeta, Cachar, Lakhimpur, Sonitpur, and Tinsukia districts. With these, the toll has climbed to 5,618.

 

The NHM said 1,347 more COVID-19 patients have died, but the government's Death Audit Board has not included them in the toll as the patients suffered from other ailments too.

11:42 PM

Expense on R&D for Covid-19 drugs, vax, devices will count as CSR

Research and development of new vaccines, drugs and medical devices related to Covid-19 by companies in the normal course of business will be regarded as corporate social responsibility (CSR) for three financial years, till FY22-23, the ministry of corporate affairs (MCA) said through a document.

 

While activities in the normal course of business do not qualify as CSR, the exception regarding R&D for Covid drugs and vaccines is only for companies that collaborate with organisations mentioned in the item (ix) of Schedule VII in the Companies Act.

 

These organisations include the Indian Institute of Technology, National Laboratories and auto­nomous bodies established under the Department of Atomic Energy, Indian Council of Medical Research and Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, among others. read on...

11:16 PM

DDMA likely to take decision on reopening of schools in Delhi in Friday meeting

The Delhi Disaster Management Authority in its meeting on Friday is expected to discuss and take a decision on reopening of schools here in view of an improved COVID-19 situation, official sources said.

 

The authority's meeting, which will be attended by Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal and Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, will discuss the report of a committee that has recommended opening of schools in a phased manner, starting with students of senior classes, from next month, they said.

 

The panel's suggestion on reopening schools came in the wake of a marked improvement in the COVID-19 situation in Delhi, following a recent brutal second wave of the infection, which claimed many lives, with the shortage of oxygen at hospitals across the city adding to the woes.

10:05 PM

Himachal Pradesh sees three more deaths due to Covid, 269 new cases

Three more people died from the coronavirus in Himachal Pradesh on Thursday, while 269 fresh cases pushed the state's infection tally to 2,12,727, a health official said. Two people died due to COVID-19 in Kangra and one in Shimla, the official said.

 

So far, the infection has killed 3,566 people in the state.

 

Meanwhile, 247 more patients recovered from the infection, the health official said. The number of active COVID-19 cases now stands at 2,077, he said. The overall recoveries so far have reached 2,07,063, the official added.

9:18 PM

UNICEF to provide India with 160 million syringes for vaccination against COVID-19

UNICEF India has signed a USD 15 million agreement with COVID-19 relief initiative Crypto Relief to procure an estimated 160 million syringes to support India in its inoculation drive, according to a statement.

 

Under the agreement, UNICEF India will procure re-use prevention (RUP) syringes from manufacturers across the world through a global tendering process. To maintain quality, only WHO pre-qualified manufacturers will be asked to participate in the tender.

 

Based on the global tender results, UNICEF will place orders with eligible bidders across the globe. The syringes are expected to be delivered between September 2021 and January 2022, the UN body said in the statement.

 

"India's COVID-19 vaccination drive is one of the largest in the world aiming to vaccinate over 994 million people above the age of 18 years. In this massive endeavour, as many syringes as vaccines are required to keep up the fight to contain the pandemic," said Dr Yasmin Haque, UNICEF India Representative.

 

"We are bringing UNICEF's expertise in procuring and delivering syringes to support India to fast-track vaccinations. Containing the pandemic will also help prevent the disruptions children are facing in education, in accessing health, routine immunization and nutrition services, along with ensuring safety and protection concerns," she added.

8:55 PM

73 new cases take Sikkim's Covid tally to 29,597

At least 73 more people tested positive for COVID-19 in Sikkim in the last 24 hours, taking the tally in the state to 29,597, a health department bulletin said on Thursday, PTI reported.

The death toll remained at 367 as no new fatality due to the infection was reported during the period, it said.

Of the new cases, 41 were registered in East Sikkim district, 18 in West Sikkim, nine in South Sikkim and five in North Sikkim.

8:46 PM

Mumbai: Cyber cafe operator booked for issuing fake Covid-19 negative certificates

An offence has been registered against the operator of a cyber cafe in Mumbai for allegedly issuing fake COVID-19 certificates to people, an official said on Thursday, PTI reported.

According to the norms, travellers need to undergo an RT-PCR test and carry a COVID-19 negative certificate for air travel and train journeys in a few states.

Based on a tip-off, the crime branch's unit-1 sent a dummy customer to the cyber cafe in Bhendi Bazaar locality of south Mumbai on Wednesday evening, the official said.

8:33 PM

Govt suggests night curfew to Kerala, Maha in areas of high TPR

8:17 PM

Tamil Nadu reports 1559 new cases

7:59 PM

Covid-19: 101 fresh cases recorded in J-K

Jammu and Kashmir recorded 101 fresh cases of the coronavirus on Thursday, which took the tally to 3,24,647, while no fresh death was reported in the Union Territory in the last 48 hours, officials said, according to PTI.

Out of the fresh cases, 17 were from the Jammu division and 84 from the Kashmir division, they said.

Srinagar district recorded the highest number of 35 cases followed by 16 cases in Budgam district, the officials said.

7:53 PM

Delhi reports 45 new cases

7:17 PM

Maha: Nashik sees 97 new Covid-19 cases; two fatalities

At least 97 patients tested positive for coronavirus in Maharashtra's Nashik district on Thursday, raising the tally of infections to 4,04,965 in the region, a health official said, PTI reported.

Two persons died of the infection during the day, while 68 were discharged from hospitals, taking the toll to 8,568 and the count of recoveries to 3,95,433, the official said.

Of the total number of COVID-19 cases reported so far, 2,29,266 were from Nashik city, 1,53,477 from other parts of the district, 12,613 from Malegaon and 5,693 were patients from outside the district who were undergoing treatment here, the administration has stated.

7:16 PM

WHO: Covid-19 vaccination triples in Africa but still low

COVID-19 vaccinations in Africa tripled over the past week, though protecting even 10% of the continent by the end of September remains a very daunting task," the Africa director of the World Health Organization said Thursday, AP reported.

Meanwhile, the continent saw 248,000 new confirmed cases over the past week, with at least 28 countries seeing a surge in infections driven by the delta variant.

"This is a preventable tragedy if African countries can get fair access to the vaccines, Matshidiso Moeti told reporters.

7:15 PM

Karnataka reports 1,213 new cases

6:46 PM

Common antidepressant cut hospitalisations in Covid patients

Fluvoxamine -- a low-cost and safe drug typically used in forms of depression and related disorders -- has the potential to reduce the cytokine storm in Covid-19 patients, finds a study, IANS reported.

The study led by a team of international researchers from Canada, the US, and Brazil examined 1,472 patients who were randomly assigned to receive fluvoxamine or placebo. Patients were older than 50 years of age or had a known risk factor for developing severe Covid -19 disease.

The drug resulted in approximately a 30 per cent reduction in the primary outcome. The proportion of patients observed in an emergency room foA less than 6 hours or admitted to hospital due to Covid was lower for the fluvoxamine group compared to placebo.

6:44 PM

Some evacuees from Afghanistan have tested positive for Covid-19: Govt

Some of those evacuated from Afghanistan have tested positive for COVID-19 and they have been isolated and are being treated, the government said on Thursday, PTI reported.

 

Responding to a question at a press conference, Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan said, "Whoever lands (in India) they are given anti-polio vaccine because wild polio is still prevalent in Afghanistan and Pakistan. We have also made arrangement that all of their RT-PCR tests are done and some of them have tested positive."

 

He said over 400 people have been evacuated from Afghanistan so far.

6:44 PM

Goa records 92 new Covid-19 cases; four more casualties

Goa on Thursday recorded 92 new cases of coronavirus that raised the tally of infections to 1,73,526, an official from the state health department said, PTI reported.

With the addition of four casualties during the day, the toll reached 3,191, while the count of recoveries rose to 1,69,385, as 71 patients were discharged from hospitals, the official said.

The coastal state currently has 950 patients undergoing treatment for the infection, he said.

6:14 PM

Kerala reports 30,007 new cases

6:12 PM

Vaccination for mothers who have kids aged under 12 years being prioritised in WB: Mamata

6:09 PM

Africa's Covid-19 third wave stabilises as vaccine levels rise - WHO

A third wave of COVID-19 infections in Africa has stabilised with 248,000 cases reported in the last week, the World Health Organization said on Thursday, while vaccines administered over the same period tripled to 13 million compared to the previous week, Reuters reported.

5:43 PM

Karnataka CM seeks more Covid vaccines from Centre

Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj S Bommai on Thursday met Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya and requested him to supply more doses of Covid vaccine to the state, PTI reported.

In the meeting, Bommai also updated the Union minister on measures taken to control spread of the Covid pandemic, according to the CMO office.

5:42 PM

Genomics can help in a big way in healthcare, fight against Covid: Rajnath Singh

Genomics would be a major area in the 21st century and help in a big way in healthcare, the fight against COVID-19, increasing productivity and contributing to fighting challenges like climate change, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said on Thursday, PTI reported.

He said that through COVID genome sequencing, the part of the genome which is not changing frequently can be identified and it will help in vaccine development.

He noted that while Information Technology (IT) played an important role in the 1990s in strengthening the country's economy, genomics would be a major area in the 21st century and play a crucial role in the country's and societal development.

5:41 PM

No provision for taking a third dose of Covid vaccine: Govt to Kerala HC

5:14 PM

Over 10 mn people fully vaccinated against Covid in Rajasthan: Health minister

Over one crore people have been administered both doses of Covid vaccine in Rajasthan, state Health Minister Raghu Sharma said on Thursday, PTI reported.

With this, 20 per cent of the target population in the state has been fully vaccinated, he said.

"A total of 4, 12, 67,359 beneficiaries have been vaccinated in the state. Of them, 3, 12, 58,116 have been given the first dose and 1,00,09,243 beneficiaries have received both doses," the minister said.

5:13 PM

Bengaluru civic body allows business establishments to operate

After months of closure due to COVID-19 pandemic, commercial establishments in the city will see the light of the day as the Bengaluru civic body permitted them to operate with several riders, including testing at regular intervals and vaccination of the staff, PTI reported.

5:13 PM

Kerala Health Minister cautions against spread of Covid-19 in homes

Kerala Health Minister Veena George on Thursday cautioned against the increased indoor transmission of COVID-19 at homes and urged people to strictly abide by the directives of the government to keep the disease at bay, PTI reported.

Quoting a recent study by the health department, she said 35 per cent of people in the state were found to have been infected with the disease from home.

4:49 PM

'Reduction in gap between 2 Covishield doses being considered'

4:45 PM

September, October key in controlling pandemic due to festivals: Govt

4:43 PM

Important to wear masks even after vaccination: Govt

4:29 PM

41 districts reporting weekly positivity rate of more than 10%: Govt