Covid LIVE: Kerala sees 11,699 new cases, 58 deaths in last 24 hrs

Coronavirus LIVE updates: Cases in Kerala saw a weekly fall of 8.7% while Maharashtra logged a decrease of 6.8%. Delhi reported 29 Covid-19 cases in the last 24 hours. Stay tuned for corona updates

1:39 AM

Over 2.05 lakh Covid vaccine doses administered in Delhi on Monday

Over 2.05 lakh COVID-19 doses were administered in the national capital on Monday, taking the cumulative number of such shots given to beneficiaries so far to 1,73,76,933, according to the Co-WIN portal. Out of over 1.73 crore doses, 55,36,562 were second doses, it said.

 

Only 21,887 vaccine doses were administered on Sunday, including 12,369 second doses. The number of vaccine doses was low on Sunday since most of the government vaccination centres are shut on Sunday, according to the government's vaccination bulletin.

 

On Monday morning, three days of vaccine stocks were left in Delhi, including 2,40,530 doses of Covaxin and 4,41,770 doses of Covishield. Nearly 1,215 government vaccination centres are operational in the national capital, with the capacity of administering over 3.39 lakh doses.

1:31 AM

State Dept spokesman tests positive for COVID-19 after UNGA

State Department spokesman Ned Price has tested positive for COVID-19 and will be self-quarantining for the next 10 days.

 

Price, who is vaccinated, said he tested positive for coronavirus on Monday morning after returning from New York, where he attended the annual UN General Assembly meeting with Secretary of State Antony Blinken last week. Price said his symptoms were relatively mild.

 

After experiencing symptoms for the first time this morning, I tested positive for COVID-19 shortly thereafter, & will now quarantine for the next 10 days, Price said in a tweet. I'm feeling under the weather but am grateful for the protection from severe illness offered by safe and effective vaccines.

 

Jalina Porter, a deputy State Department spokesperson, said Blinken tested negative for COVID on Monday morning.

 

In New York, Price attended numerous events with Blinken, including meetings with foreign ministers and senior officials from more than 60 countries. Blinken and Price were part of a large U.S. delegation to the General Assembly that included dozens of senior diplomats. There were no other reports of positive tests in the delegation.

 

Blinken is due to travel to Pittsburgh later this week for an U.S.-EU trade and Technology conference and then next week to Europe, California and Mexico. There was no indication that either trip might be postponed.

12:31 AM

Assam reports eight COVID-19 deaths, 412 new cases

The COVID-19 death toll in Assam rose to 5,851 on Monday after eight more people succumbed to the infection during the day, a National Health Mission bulletin said. The northeastern state had on Sunday registered five COVID deaths.

 

At least 412 new COVID-19 cases were recorded on Monday, 216 more than the previous day, pushing the caseload to 6,01,031, it said.

 

Currently, the state has 3,240 active cases.

 

The current death rate is 0.97 per cent and the number of COVID-19 positive patients dying due to other causes is 1,347. Kamrup (Metro) reported three COVID-19 fatalities during the day while Baksa, Barpeta, Jorhat, Kokrajhar, and Sonitpur reported one death each.

11:43 PM

Covid-19 pandemic cut life expectancy by most since World War II

Recovery tracker: Improvement in power, freight volumes and revenue

 

The Covid-19 pandemic reduced life expectancy in 2020 by the largest amount since World War II, according to a study published on Monday by Oxford Univer­sity, with the life expectancy of American men dropping by more than two years.

 

Life expectancy fell by more than six months compared with 2019 in 22 of the 29 countries analysed in the study, which spanned Europe, the United States and Chile. There were reductions in life expectancy in 27 of the 29 countries overall. READ MORE...

 

11:04 PM

Chhattisgarh records 27 new cases, no fresh death

Chhattisgarh's COVID-19 tally rose to 10,05,269 on Monday after 27 new infections came to light, while no fresh death due to the infection was reported in the state, a health department official said.

 

The state's COVID-19 death toll remained unchanged at 13,564, he said. The number of recoveries rose to 9,91,423 after 11 people were discharged from hospitals, while 19 others completed their home isolation during the day, the official said. The state now has 282 active cases. 

10:28 PM

India's COVID-19 vaccination coverage crosses 86 crore

The cumulative number of COVID-19 vaccine doses administered in the country crossed 86 crore, with over 1 crore doses given on Monday, the Union health ministry said. The daily COVID-19 vaccination in the country had crossed 1 crore for the first time on August 27.

 

The daily vaccination tally for Monday is expected to increase with the compilation of the final reports for the day by late night , the ministry said.

 

The vaccination exercise as a tool to protect the most vulnerable population groups in the country from COVID-19 continues to be regularly reviewed and monitored at the highest level, it said.

10:19 PM

Mumbai logs 377 new COVID-19 cases; seven die

The financial capital on Monday reported 377 new coronavirus positive cases and seven fatalities, taking the tally of infections to 7,41,617 and the toll to 16,091, a civic official said.

 

After a gap of five days, Mumbai's daily count of COVID-19 cases dipped below the 400-mark, while it logged seven fatalities for the second time in this month, after September 12. A total of 334 patients were discharged from hospitals, taking the number of recoveries so far in Mumbai to 7,18,336, the official said, adding Mumbai is now left with 4,702 active cases.

 

With 30,692 new tests, the cumulative number of samples examined in Mumbai went up to 102,47,664, the official said. On Sunday, 39,198 tests were conducted in Mumbai. The number of buildings sealed due to COVID-19 cases in Mumbai now stands at 52. The city is free of containment zones in slums and chawls since mid-August this year, the official added.

 

Mumbai's average recovery rate stands at 97 per cent while the average doubling rate of cases has dipped to 1,189 days. The average growth rate of cases stood at 0.06 per cent for the period between September 20 to September 26, the official said.

9:56 PM

Gujarat reports 21 new cases of COVID-19, zero death; vaccine coverage tops 6 crore

Gujarat's coronavirus tally rose to 8,25,872 on Monday with the addition of 21 new cases, while no fresh death due to the infection was reported in the state, the health department said.

 

The state also achieved the milestone of administering more than 6 crore doses of coronavirus vaccines. Gujarat's tally of COVID-19 deaths remained unchanged at 10,082, said the department in a release. As many as 30 patients were discharged from hospitals during the day, raising the number of recovered cases in the state to 8,15,648, it said. 

9:41 PM

Biden getting COVID-19 booster shot after authorisation

President Joe Biden will receive his COVID-19 booster shot on Monday, days after federal regulators recommended a third dose of the Pfizer vaccine for Americans age 65 or older and approved them for others with preexisting medical conditions and high-risk work environments. The White House said Biden, 78, would deliver remarks and receiving the additional dose at 1 p.m. Monday.

 

Biden got his first shot on December 21 and his second dose three weeks later, on January 11, along with his wife, Jill Biden. It was not immediately clear whether the first lady would also receive the booster dose on Monday.

 

Speaking on Friday after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration authorised the Pfizer booster, Biden told reporters, I'll be getting my booster shot. It's hard to acknowledge I'm over 65, but I'll be getting my booster shot.

 

Vice President Kamala Harris, 56, received the Moderna vaccine, for which federal regulators have not yet authorised boosters but they are expected to in the coming weeks.

9:22 PM

Tamil Nadu reports 1,657 new COVID-19 cases, 19 deaths

Tamil Nadu on Monday logged 1,657 new Coronavirus positive cases, maintaining its downward graph. With this, the infection count has touched 26,58,923. With 19 deaths due to the infection, the death toll has now risen to 35,509. On Sunday, the State had recorded 1,694 fresh COVID-19 cases.

 

According to a bulletin from the State health department, with 1,662 COVID-19 positive patients discharged following treatment today, the cumulative recoveries stand at 26,06,153. The number of active cases including isolation as of today remain at 17,261.

9:00 PM

Himachal Pradesh sees 209 new Covid-19 cases

Himachal Pradesh recorded 209 fresh COVID-19 cases on Monday, raising the infection tally to 2,18,523, a health official said.

No coronavirus-related death was reported on Monday and the death toll from the pandemic stands at 3,653 people in the state.

8:52 PM

Telangana logs 216 new Covid-19 cases, two deaths

Telangana on Monday logged 216 new COVID-19 cases, pushing the tally to 6,65,284, while the death toll rose to 3,914 with two more fatalities.

The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) accounted for the most number of cases with 61, followed by Karimnagar (20) and Peddapalli (12) districts, a state government bulletin said, providing details as of 5.30 PM today.

8:39 PM

Madhya Pradesh reports 8 new Covid-19 cases, zero death

The COVID-19 tally in Madhya Pradesh rose to 7,92,504 on Monday with the addition of eight new cases, while no fresh death due to the infection was reported in the state, a health department official said.

The death toll remained unchanged at 10,518, he added. 

8:17 PM

Jammu and Kashmir reports 118 Covid recoveries, 117 new cases

Covid recoveries and new cases almost matched each other in J&K on Monday with 118 recoveries and 117 new cases reported during the last 24 hours.

Officials said that 14 recoveries and 55 cases were reported from the Jammu division and 104 recoveries and 62 cases from the Kashmir division.

As many as 32 students studying in private educational institutions in Rajouri district of Jammu division were among new Covid cases reported on Monday.

8:03 PM

Covid-19 vaccination key for revival of tourism sector: Union minister

Union Tourism Minister G Kishan Reddy on Monday said his ministry is in talks with various stakeholders for the recovery of the tourism sector that has been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, and stressed that vaccination is key for its revival.

On the occasion of World Tourism Day, the tourism ministry organised a conference on "Tourism for Inclusive Growth" here. Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla was the chief guest at the event.

Noting that the tourism sector was the worst-hit by the pandemic, Reddy said, "The government has taken various measures for its revival and recovery, including five lakh free VISAs for foreign tourists."

7:59 PM

Goa records 50 new Covid-19 cases, zero death, 106 recoveries

Goa's coronavirus caseload went up by 50 and reached 1,76,145 on Monday, while no fresh death due to the infection was reported in the state, a health department official said.

The death toll remained unchanged at 3,303, he said.

The number of recovered cases in the state rose to 1,71,980 after 106 patients were discharged from hospitals in the last 24 hours, the official said. Goa now has 862 active cases.

7:42 PM

Tamil Nadu reports 1,657 new cases, 1,662 recoveries

7:24 PM

Nashik reports 76 new Covid-19 cases, 2 deaths, 163 recoveries

The count of COVID-19 cases in Nashik district of Maharashtra rose to 4,08,154 with the addition of 76 new patients on Monday, officials said.

The coronavirus infection claimed two more lives which took the death toll in the district to 8,626, they said.

7:08 PM

Karnataka reports 504 new Covid-19 cases

6:30 PM

Puducherry sees steep fall in new Covid-19 cases

The Union Territory of Puducherry witnessed a steep fall in the number of new cases of Covid-19 during the last 24 hours ending 10 AM on Monday, taking the overall tally to 1,26,127, according to the Department of Health.

Director of the department G. Sriramulu said the number of new cases reported on Sunday was 78 and it fell to 37 today. The cases were identified at the end of examination of 3,619 samples and were spread over Puducherry (28), Karaikal (7), and Mahe (2). Yanam, an enclave of Puducherry in Andhra Pradesh, did not report any new case today.

The Director said the active cases were 866 of which 124 were in hospitals and 742 in home isolation.

6:25 PM

Pfizer to soon submit data on Covid vax for kids aged 5-11

Pfizer is soon expected to submit data to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regarding safety of its mRNA Covid vaccine for children ages 5 to 11, media reports said.

"It's a question of days, not weeks," Pfizer chief executive Albert Bourla said on ABC's "This Week."

While the FDA has the authority to approve the vaccines for children, Bourla said Pfizer will be ready to manufacture a vaccine specifically for children.

6:20 PM

Kerala clocks 11,699 fresh Covid cases, 58 deaths

Kerala on Monday recorded 11,699 fresh COVID-19 cases and 58 deaths, which took the caseload to 46,41,614 and death toll to 24,661.

The number of people who recovered from the infection since Sunday was 17,763 which brought the total recoveries to 44,59,193 and the number of active cases to 1,57,158, an official press release said.

As many as 80,372 samples were tested in the last 24 hours, the release said.

6:02 PM

After Moderna chief, now Pfizer says Covid will end in a year

The world will return to normal life as Covid-19 will end in a year, Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla has said, while stressing the need for annual Covid jabs.

"Within a year I think we will be able to come back to normal life," Bourla was quoted as saying in an interview on ABC's "This Week."

However,"I don't think that this means that the variants will not continue coming, and I don't think that this means that we should be able to live our lives without having vaccinations," Bourla said. "But that, again, remains to be seen."

5:40 PM

Delhi records 32 Covid-19 cases; positivity rate 0.06 per cent

The national capital recorded 32 COVID-19 cases and zero daily deaths due to the disease on Monday, while the positivity rate stood at 0.06 per cent, data shared by the health department showed.

Delhi has recorded only three fatalities due to the infection in September so far.

With the new cases, the overall infection tally in the city climbs to 14,38,746. Over 14.13 lakh patients have recovered from the disease, and the death toll stands at 25,085.

5:29 PM

HC stays order asking Delhi govt to decide on giving rent for poor during Covid-19

The Delhi High Court Monday stayed an order directing the AAP government to decide and formulate a policy on the implementation of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's announcement that if a poor tenant was unable to pay rent during the COVID-19 pandemic, the state would pay it.

A bench of Chief Justice DN Patel and Justice Jyoti Singh issued notice on the Delhi government's appeal against the order passed by a single judge, who also held that a Chief Minister's promise to citizens is enforceable in nature.

The bench said that irreparable loss would be caused to the appellant if an order of stay is not passed.

5:13 PM

China defends visa curbs against stranded Indians, says it's appropriate' to combat Covid-19

China on Monday defended its visa curbs which have prevented thousands of stranded Indians from returning to Beijing, saying they are "appropriate" to control the spread of COVID-19 and do not target India alone, but are applied to even Chinese citizens coming back from overseas.

Responding to questions on Indian ambassador to Beijing Vikram Misri's criticism of China's prolonged stringent travel restrictions, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying also ruled out the easing of the curbs in the near future.

5:07 PM

Mizoram CM's sister dies of Covid=10, state's positivity rate at 32%

Mizoram Chief Minister Zoramthanga's elder sister Lalvuani died of COVID-19 at a hospital on Monday.

Lalvuani, 88, died while undergoing treatment at the Zoram Medical College (ZMC) near Aizawl.

"It is with deep sorrow that I announce the demise of my beloved elder sister Lalvuani (88-years) this morning at 11:30 am," the chief minister tweeted.

4:54 PM

Andhra Pradesh reported 618 fresh cases of coronavirus

Andhra Pradesh reported 618 fresh cases of coronavirus on Monday and six fatalities.

In 24 hours ending 9 am on Monday, 1,178 infected people recovered, a health department bulletin said.

The total COVID-19 positives touched 20,47,459, recoveries 20,20,835 and deaths 14,142, it said.

4:25 PM

Bengaluru City Police Commissioner extends Covid-induced restrictions till Oct 11

4:08 PM

Delhi HC seeks Centre's stand on plea seeking taking Covaxin instead of Covishield as second dose

The Delhi High Court on Monday sought the Centre's stand on a petition filed by a cancer patient seeking direction to authorities concerned to allow him to take COVID-19 vaccine Covaxin as the second dose instead of Covishield, which was administered to the petitioner as the first dose.

Justice Rekha Palli issued notice to the Centre asking it to file a reply and listed the matter for October 28.