Covid LIVE: Maharashtra sees 6,910 new cases in a day; 1,904 in Tamil Nadu

Coronavirus LIVE updates: India records 30,093 new Covid-19 cases in the last 24 hours. Delhi records 36 cases, lowest in 2021. Stay tuned for corona-related news

11:59 PM

Delhi Covid vaccine stock to last less than one day: Bulletin

Delhi has less than a day's stock of coronavirus vaccines left, with nearly 30,000 doses administered on July 19, according to a bulletin issued on Tuesday. The national capital, as on Tuesday morning, had a balance stock of 2,63,170 coronavirus vaccines, out of which 1,95,290 doses are of Covishield and 67,880 of Covaxin, data shared by the government showed.

 

However, only 20 per cent of the Covaxin stock is to be used, since its stock is limited and has irregular delivery cycles, it noted.

 

Only 25,986 doses were administered on Monday, of which 16,704 were first doses and 9,282 second doses. As many as 93,83,468 vaccine doses have been administered in the national capital till date, including 22,25,292 are second doses. Delhi's current vaccination capacity stands at 47,605 doses per day.

11:50 PM

Easing of lockdown one of reasons for second Covid surge in India: Govt

Easing of lockdown combined with pandemic fatigue, lack of community adherence to Covid appropriate behaviour and evolution and circulation of more transmissible variants of SARS-CoV-2 viruses all played a part in the second surge that India witnessed during April to May, the government told Rajya Sabha Tuesday.

 

A number of central teams deployed to states and union territories during February to May pointed out lack of adherence to Covid appropriate behaviour and sub-optimal efforts at containment in certain geographies, Minister of State for Health Bharati Pravin Pawar said in a written reply to a question on the reasons for rise in COVID-19 cases in April-May across the country. READ ON...

11:44 PM

Would be wise to open primary schools first before opening secondary schools: ICMR

Amidst the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the Indian Council of Medical Research on Tuesday suggested to reopen primary schools first before secondary schools in India.

 

Addressing a press conference today, ICMR Director-General Dr Balram Bhargava said, "We know clearly that children can handle viral infections much better than adults. Antibody exposure is also similar in children as adults. Some Scandinavian countries didn't shut their primary schools in any COVID waves."

 

"Once India starts considering, it will be wise to open primary schools first before opening secondary schools. All the support staff whether it be school bus drivers, teachers and other staff in the school need to be vaccinated", said ICMR chief.

11:30 PM

No shortage of Covid-19 vaccines, no delay in placing orders: Govt

There has been no shortage of Covid vaccines and the government has been providing free supply of vaccines to states and union territories for inoculating prioritised beneficiaries, Rajya Sabha was informed on Tuesday.

 

Also, there has been no delay in placing orders with domestic vaccine manufacturers, rather advance orders of vaccines are placed with Serum Institute of India and Bharat Biotech for supply of COVID-19 vaccines, Minister of State for Health Bharati Pravin Pawar said in a written reply. READ MORE...

11:16 PM

Children can handle viral infection much better than adults: ICMR DG

11:00 PM

Two UP villages achieve 100% first vaccine dose target

Two villages here have witnessed considerable progress in the fight against Covid with all the residents above the age of 18 having received the first jab of the vaccine against the virus, authorities said on Tuesday.

 

At the villages Kharela and Nota in Jhansi all residents, who are eligible for the vaccine, have been administered the first dose, they said.

 

"All 310 eligible beneficiaries of Kharela village have received the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccines. On the directions of the state government, the district administration has managed to successfully help its villagers in overcoming their vaccine hesitancy," Jhansi District Magistrate (DM) Andre Wamsi told PTI.

11:00 PM

Two UP villages achieve 100% first vaccine dose target

Two villages here have witnessed considerable progress in the fight against Covid with all the residents above the age of 18 having received the first jab of the vaccine against the virus, authorities said on Tuesday.

 

At the villages Kharela and Nota in Jhansi all residents, who are eligible for the vaccine, have been administered the first dose, they said.

 

"All 310 eligible beneficiaries of Kharela village have received the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccines. On the directions of the state government, the district administration has managed to successfully help its villagers in overcoming their vaccine hesitancy," Jhansi District Magistrate (DM) Andre Wamsi told PTI.

10:53 PM

Tamil Nadu reports 1,904 new Covid cases, 30 deaths in last 24 hours

10:47 PM

Process to receive WHO pre-qualification for Covaxin on: Govt

Of the two vaccines presently being procured for the ongoing COVID-19 vaccination, Covishield manufactured by the Serum Institute of India (SII) has received the WHO pre-qualification, while the process of pre-qualification for Bharat Biotech's Covaxin is going on, the government informed Parliament on Tuesday.

 

In a written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha, Minister of State for Health Bharati Pravin Pawar said the application for pre-qualification is submitted by the manufacturer directly to the World Health Organization (WHO).

 

In response to a question on when the WHO approval for Covaxin is expected, the minister said the data required for approval was submitted by Bharat Biotech International Limited to WHO on July 9.

10:32 PM

Health Minister spoke in Rajya Sabha on Covid-19 situation in India

10:27 PM

India's pandemic death toll could be close to 5 mn, shows US study

India's excess deaths during the COVID-19 pandemic could be as high as 4.9 million, a new study shows, providing further evidence that millions more may have died from coronavirus than the official tally.

 

The report by the Washington-based Center for Global Development, co-authored by India's former chief economic adviser Arvind Subramanian, included deaths from all causes since the start of the pandemic through June this year.

 

India's official tally of more than 414,000 deaths is the world's third highest after the United States and Brazil, but the study adds to growing calls from experts for a rigorous nationwide audit of fatalities. READ ON...

10:12 PM

'Sorry state of affairs': SC raps Kerala govt for easing curbs for Bakrid

The Supreme Court on Tuesday termed wholly uncalled for the Kerala government's relaxations for Bakrid in areas with high COVID-19 positivity rate and said giving in to pressure from traders discloses a sorry state of affairs.

 

Pressure groups of all kinds, religious or otherwise, cannot in any manner interfere with the most precious Fundamental Right to Life of all the citizens of the country, the apex court said.

 

It directed the Kerala government to give heed to Article 21 (protection of life and personal liberty) of the Constitution and follow the law laid down in its orders passed in Uttar Pradesh Kanwar Yatra matter. READ MORE...

9:58 PM

Centre, states should work as team to combat Covid, rise above politics: PM Modi

With some opposition parties including the Congress skipping an all-party meeting on the COVID-19 management, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday called for the Centre and states to work together as a team and rise above politics to combat the pandemic.

 

Speaking at the meeting called by the central government, Modi said India is in a better position than many other countries in terms of the ratio of the population hit by the disease but underlined the need to remain vigilant as he cited the resurgence of the infection in some countries like the UK, sources said.

 

He said vaccines from more companies are likely to be available in some time and spoke about the push being given by the government to vaccination. READ ON...

9:45 PM

NEGVAC in talks with offshore manufacturers for import of Covid jabs: Govt

The National Empowered Group on Vaccine Administration against Covid-19 is in regular talks with offshore manufacturers, including Moderna, for importing Covid vaccines, but the exact number of doses to be imported and their manner of allocation have not been finalised yet, the government informed Parliament on Tuesday.
 

In a written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha, Minister of State for Health Bharati Pravin Pawar said as on July 16, a total of 2.61 lakh doses of the Sputnik V vaccine have been administered in the country. READ ON...

9:38 PM

48 million vaccine jabs given in tribal districts till July 15: Govt

A total of 4.81 crore doses of Covid vaccine have been administered in 176 identified tribal districts across 25 states till July 15, the government has informed Lok Sabha.

 

The Centre, however, said it does not maintain "centralised data on COVID-19 mortality with urban, rural, tribal breakup".

 

Replying to a question, Minister of State for Tribal Affairs Renuka Singh Saruta said, "The COVID-19 vaccination drive does not make any discrimination on the basis of gender, socio-economic class or residence, etc." READ MORE...

9:28 PM

West Bengal reports 752 coronavirus cases, 992 recoveries, and 10 deaths in a day

West Bengal reports 752 coronavirus cases, 992 patient discharges, and 10 deaths in a day

 

Active cases: 12,509

Total discharges: 14,89,069

Total deaths: 18,021

9:10 PM

Maharashtra's Covid-19 toll jumps by 3,500 on old deaths

A reconciliation of earlier data resulted in Maharashtra's Covid-19 cumulative death toll shooting up by a staggering 3,509 with the day's fatalities standing at 147, though recoveries crossed 6 million, health officials said here on Tuesday.

 

With this, the state's deaths have shot up sharply from 1,27,097 on Monday to 1,30,753 on Tuesday, and the new addition of 3,509 has overtaken the previous peak daily death toll declaration of 2,771 on June 13.

 

The state's total infections have now touched 62,29,596, the highest in the country, with the daily cases having touched the top peak of 68,631 (April 18) even as the state remains on high alert for the possible 'third wave'. The state's death rate has worsened from 2.04 per cent to 2.09 per cent while the number of active cases remained below 1 lakh and stands at 96,375 now.

8:58 PM

Manipur reports 1,127 new Covid cases, 17 deaths in last 24 hours

8:57 PM

Delta variant of coronavirus accounts for 83% of US cases, says CDC

Health officials say the delta variant of the coronavirus continues to surge and accounts for an estimated 83 per cent of US COVID-19 cases.

 

That's a dramatic increase from the week of July 3, when the variant accounted for about 50 per cent of genetically sequenced coronavirus cases.

 

The best way to prevent the spread of COVID-19 variants is to prevent the spread of disease, and vaccination is the most powerful tool we have, said Dr Rochelle Walensky, director if the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, during a US Senate hearing Tuesday. READ MORE...

8:33 PM

Karnataka sees 1,464 new Covid-19 cases, reports 29 deaths today

Karnataka reported 1,464 new COVID-19 cases and 29 deaths on Tuesday, taking the total number of infections to 28,86,702 and the toll to 36,226. The day also saw 2,706 discharges, continuing to outnumber the fresh cases, taking the total number of recoveries in the state so far to 28,24,197. Bengaluru Urban topped the list of cases, with 352 infections, as the city saw 1,110 discharges. The total number of active cases in the state is 26,256. READ MORE...

8:22 PM

No vaccination session will be held in Mumbai tomorrow due to non-availability of Covid vaccines

8:18 PM

No reason to hide Covid deaths; effort is to vaccinate all at earliest: Health Minister

Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Tuesday put up a staunch defence of the Modi government's handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, and said vaccine production in the country is increasing and the effort is to inoculate all adults at the earliest.

 

Replying to a short duration discussion on the health crisis and the vaccination policy in Rajya Sabha, the minister said a package of over Rs 23,000 crore has been approved for strengthening the health infrastructure, including setting up 2.4 lakh medical beds and 20,000 ICU beds, with a special focus on paediatric care to handle any possible third wave of the pandemic.

 

Asked by Derek O'Brien of the TMC if the target of vaccinating all by December 21, 2021, would be achieved, he said, "Our effort is to vaccinate all at the earliest."

 

"The work done by the vaccine sector in India is unprecedented.... There is no need to raise a question. We will have to trust our scientists. I trust our scientists and indigenous companies," Mandaviya said.

8:04 PM

Maharashtra reports 6,910 new Covid cases

7:49 PM

No deaths due to lack of oxygen were specifically reported by states: Govt

No deaths due to lack of oxygen were specifically reported by states and UTs during the second COVID-19 wave, the government informed Rajya Sabha on Tuesday.

 

But there was an unprecedented surge in demand for medical oxygen during the second wave and it peaked at nearly 9000 MT compared to 3095 MT in the first wave following which the Centre had to step in to facilitate equitable distribution among the states, it said.

 

Responding to a question on whether a large number of COVID-19 patients died on roads and hospitals due to acute shortage of oxygen in the second wave, Minister of State for Health Bharati Praveen Pawar noted that health is a state subject and states and UTs regularly report the number of cases and deaths to the Centre. READ ON...

7:35 PM

India's seroprevalance increases to 67.6%, shows ICMR study

7:11 PM

Several steps taken to enhance manufacturing of vaccines: Union Health Minister

The government has taken several steps to enhance manufacturing of COVID-19 vaccines in India, Parliament was informed on Tuesday.

 

The Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) has granted permission to Serum Institute of India, Bharat Biotech International and Panacea Biotec to manufacture COVID-19 vaccine for restricted use in emergency situation, Minister of Chemicals and Fertilizers Mansukh Mandaviya said in a written reply to Lok Sabha.

 

While Serum has been granted permission to manufacture ChAdOx1 nCoV- 19 vaccine, Bharat Biotech International has been given the go-ahead for whole virion inactivated coronavirus vaccine and Panacea Biotec for Gam-COVID-Vac combined vector vaccine (SPUTNIK-V).

7:01 PM

Meeting on Covid situation underway

6:40 PM

Andhra Pradesh reports 2,498 fresh coronavirus cases

Andhra Pradesh reports 2,498 fresh coronavirus cases,  2,201 recoveries, and 24 deaths in the past 24 hours. 

 

Active cases: 23,843

Total recoveries: 19,07,201

Death toll: 13,178

6:35 PM

16,848 fresh coronavirus cases in Kerala, TPR rises close to 12%

Kerala on Tuesday recorded 16,848 fresh COVID-19 cases, pushing the infection caseload to 31,87,716, with the Test Positivity Rate (TPR) climbing close to 12 per cent after remaining around the 10 per cent mark for several weeks.

 

The number of people who have succumbed to the virus rose to 15,512 with 104 more deaths, a state government release said.

 

As many as 12,052 people have been cured of the infection, taking the total recoveries to 30,45,310 and the number of active cases to 1,26,398, the release said. Malappuram accounted for most number of cases (2752), followed by Thrissur (1929), Ernakulam (1901), Kozhikode (1689), Kollam (1556), Palakkad (1237), Kottayam (1101) and Thiruvananthapuram (1055).

6:12 PM

India's daily Covid positivity rate at 1.68%, less than 3% for 29 consecutive days