Covid LIVE: Over 3.1 mn vaccine doses administered today, says govt

Today's coronavirus numbers: Bengaluru (715 cases), Mumbai 453 cases), Chennai (209 cases), Kolkata (59 cases), Delhi (79 cases). Stay tuned for corona-related news

3:00 AM

Maharashtra records 9,558 fresh Covid-19 cases, 147 deaths

Maharashtra on Wednesday reported 9,558 new coronavirus positive cases and 147 fatalities, a drop of 24 compared to the previous day, taking the tally of infections to 61,22,893 and the toll to 1,23,857, the state health department said.
 

A total of 8,899 patients were discharged from hospitals in the last 24 hours, taking the number of recoveries in Maharashtra to 58,81,167 so far, leaving the state with 1,14,625 active cases.
 

Maharashtra's recovery rate now stands at 96.05 per cent while the Covid-19 fatality rate is 2.02 per cent and the case positivity rate 14.2 per cent, it said.

Mumbai reported 662 fresh Covid-19 cases and nine fatalities, raising the tally to 7,26,278 and the toll to 15,573.
 

Pune city municipal limits saw 459 new cases and five deaths, taking the tally to 4,96,969 and the toll to 8,404, the department said.
 

Areas under Nagpur, Pimpri-Chinchwad, Nashik, Aurangabad and Amravati municipal corporations reported 19, 310, 48, 16 and three new Covid-19 cases, respectively.
 

With 2,16,512 new tests, the number of samples tested so far for coronavirus in Maharashtra rose to 4,31,24,800.
 

Currently, 6,34,423 people are under home quarantine while 4,645 are in institutional quarantine in Maharashtra.
 

Out of the total 1,14,625 active Covid-19 cases across the state, the highest - 17,708 - are in Pune district, followed by Thane and Mumbai at 16,657 and 12,255, respectively.
 

2:59 AM

Bengal reports 982 new Covid-19 cases, 16 fresh fatalities

West Bengal's Covid-19 tally rose to 15,08,233 on Wednesday as 982 more people tested positive for the infection while 16 fresh fatalities pushed the states coronavirus death toll to 17,850, a bulletin released by the state health department said.
 

As many as 1,586 more people have been cured of the disease during the day, taking the recovery rate among coronavirus patients to 97.71 per cent.
 

The state now has 16,655 active cases, while 14,73,718 people have recovered from the disease to date.
 

Since Tuesday, 47,189 samples have been tested for Covid-19 in West Bengal.
 

Meanwhile, 1,56,346 people were inoculated during the day in the state, a health department official said.
 

2:59 AM

Ghaziabad district gets third oxygen plant

A oxygen plant with a capacity of 333 litres per minute (LMP) was inaugurated in this district of Uttar Pradesh, officials said on Wednesday.
 

Set up at the Bhojpur Primary Health Centre, the plant is the third oxygen-generating unit in the district.
 

It was jointly inaugurated by District Magistrate Rakesh Kumar Singh and Modinagar BJP MLA Manju Shivach. Chief Development Officer Asmita Lal said the unit will cater to the medical oxygen need of villages of remote areas of the district.
 

Addressing the gathering at the inauguration, District Magistrate Singh said the oxygen-generating unit has been established by M/S Dabur India Limited using the corporate social responsibility (CSR) fund.
 

Prior to this, two oxygen plants were made functional in Ghaziabad -- one inside the premises of ESIS hospital Sahibabad and the second in district combined hospital Sanjay Nagar in Ghaziabad city on July 1.
 

In view of an anticipated third of the coronavirus, beds would be increased at Bhojpur block primary health centre. In total, seven more oxygen plants would be installed in the district till August 15, the DM said.
 

11:50 PM

Study finds no traces of novel coronavirus in Ganga

A government-mandated study has found no traces of novel coronavirus in Ganga waters after dead bodied were fished out from the river in some districts of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar during the peak of the second wave, sources said Wednesday.
 

The study was conducted by the National Mission for Clean Ganga under the Jal Shakti Ministry in collaboration with the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research's (CSIR's) Indian Institute of Toxicology Research (IITR), Lucknow, the Central Pollution Control Board and the state pollution control boards.
 

The study was conducted in two phases with the samples being taken from Kannuj, Unnao, Kanpur, Hamirpur, Allahabad, Varanasi, Balia, Buxar, Ghazipur, Patna and Chhapra, the sources added.
 

“None of the samples collected had traces of SARS-CoV2,” the sources said.
 

8:45 PM

Coronavirus LIVE: Completed 1st dose vaccination to 76% state population, says Goa CM

8:00 PM

Covid LIVE: Over 3.1 mn vaccine doses administered today, says govt

Covid LIVE: Over 3.1 mn vaccine doses administered today, says govt

7:55 PM

Coronavirus LIVE: Tamil Nadu reports 3,367 new cases

Tamil Nadu reports 3,367 new coronavirus cases, 3,704 recoveries, and 64 deaths, according to the state health department

7:40 PM

No new Covid-19 cases in Mumbai's Dharavi for second time in July

For the second time this month, Mumbai's Dharavi area did not report a single new case of Covid-19, a senior official from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation said on Wednesday.

 

The slum-dominated locality has recorded 6,905 Covid-19 cases so far, of which 6,525 patients have recovered from the infection and 21 are currently undergoing treatment, the official said. Read here

7:37 PM

Coronavirus LIVE: Karnataka reports 2,743 fresh cases

Karnataka reports 2,743 fresh coronavirus cases, 3,081 patient discharges, and 75 deaths in the past 24 hours, according to the state health department

7:26 PM

Coronavirus LIVE: Variants of concern found in 174 districts, says govt

Coronavirus LIVE: Variants of concern found in 174 districts, says govt

7:19 PM

Coronavirus LIVE: Kerala reports 15,600 new cases

Coronavirus LIVE: Kerala reports 15,600 new cases, 11,629 recoveries and 148 deaths, according to the state health department

6:48 PM

Coronavirus LIVE: Uttarakhand reports 77 fresh cases in a day

5:02 PM

Control measures to be strengthened in 9 states reporting Covid surge: Govt

Ramping up testing and vaccination, healthcare infrastructure planning and effective clinical management are among the measures to be focussed upon in nine states reporting a surge in Covid-19 cases, the health ministry said on Wednesday.

 

In a letter to the states -- Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Kerala, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Odisha, Tripura and Sikkim -- the ministry has highlighted the areas of concern.

 

Stressing that there is a need to strengthen the collective efforts to curb the spread of the virus, Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan said ramping up testing and vaccination, healthcare infrastructure planning, following Covid-appropriate behaviour and effective clinical management are among the measures to be taken by these states. Read here

4:56 PM

Coronavirus LIVE: Andhra Pradesh to re-open schools from August 16, says state education minister

Coronavirus LIVE: Andhra Pradesh to re-open schools from August 16, says state education minister

4:44 PM

Covid LIVE: States to receive 120 mn vaccine doses in July, says Centre

Covid LIVE: States to receive 120 mn vaccine doses in July, says Centre

4:25 PM

Coronavirus Latest: EU's weekly virus deaths drop to lowest since October globally

The World Health Organisation says the number of coronavirus cases ticked up worldwide last week even as the weekly count of Covid-19 deaths dropped to the lowest level since October.

 

The UN health agency, in its latest weekly epidemiological report on the pandemic, also said on Wednesday that its 53-country European region reported a sharp increase - 30% - in infection incidence, while Africa registered a 23% rise in mortality from Covid-19 during the period. (AP)

3:56 PM

Pfizer, Moderna vaccines cut Covid-19 risk by 91 per cent: Study

People who receive Covid-19 vaccines by Pfizer and Moderna are up to 91 per cent less likely to develop the disease, according to a US study which also suggests that the preventives reduce the severity of symptoms and duration in those who still get an infection.

 

The research, published in the New England Journal of Medicine on June 30, is among the first to show the benefits of mRNA vaccines even among those who experience breakthrough infections -- testing positive after immunisation. Read here

3:43 PM

1MG partners with B Medical Systems for Covid-19 vaccine cold chain setup

Vaccine cold chain platform B Medical Systems has signed a collaboration agreement with digital healthcare platform 1MG for storage and transportation of Covid-19 vaccines for immunisation drives across the country. Under the agreement, B Medical Systems will support 1MG’s Covid-19 vaccination campaign across metros and Tier 1 cities. Read here

3:30 PM

Fitch cuts India growth forecast to 10%, says vaccination to help revival

Fitch Ratings on Wednesday cut India's growth forecast to 10 per cent for the current fiscal, from 12.8 per cent estimated earlier, due to slowing recovery post second wave of Covid-19, and said rapid vaccination could support a sustainable revival in business and consumer confidence.

 

In a report, the global rating agency said the challenges for banking sector posed by the coronavirus pandemic have increased due to a virulent second wave in the first quarter of the financial year ending March 2022 (FY22). Read here

3:06 PM

'Fully vaccinated people in UK won't have to self-isolate from Aug 16'

The UK's Health Secretary Sajid Javid said that people who are fully vaccinated against Covid-19 will not have to self-isolate if they are in close contact with an infected person starting from August 16 onwards.

 

Javid told lawmakers in Parliament on Tuesday that the same policy would also apply to anyone under the age of 18 from that date, reports Xinhua news agency.

 

The government would give more details later this week on self-isolation rules for international travellers, he added. Read here

2:59 PM

Odisha reports its highest single-day deaths as Covid scalps 59 more

Odisha on Wednesday reported the highest single-day Covid-19 fatality as 59 people died, taking the toll to 4,358, a Health Department official said.

 

The state also registered 2,602 new cases, pushing the tally to 9,29,788, he said.

 

There are 28,015 active cases in the state at present.

 

In the last 24 hours, 3,258 patients recovered. So far, 8,97,362 have been cured of Covid-19 in the state. Read here

2:47 PM

Delta dominant variant in US, makes up more than half of Covid-19 cases: CDC

The highly contagious Delta variant has become the dominant coronavirus strain in the US, accounting for more than 51 per cent of Covid infections in the country, according to new data released by the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.

 

The variant, also known as B.1.617.2, was first detected in India in December and is spreading quickly across the globe. In some parts of America, the delta strain accounts for more than 80 per cent of new infections, including some Midwestern states like Missouri, Kansas and Iowa.

 

It is already causing 74.3 per cent of infections in Western states, including Utah and Colorado, and 58.8 per cent of infections in Southern states like Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas and Oklahoma, according to CDC estimates.

2:32 PM

Coronavirus LIVE: Health Secretary writes to Kerala chief secy

2:11 PM

Coronavirus LIVE: Nainital HC orders Uttarakhand govt to present response on crowded tourists

1:39 PM

Coronavirus Latest: Ladakh reports 8 new Covid-19 cases, infection tally rises to 20,137

Coronavirus Latest: Ladakh reports 8 new Covid-19 cases, infection tally rises to 20,137

1:23 PM

Coronavirus LIVE: Lambda variant not reported in India so far, says report

Coronavirus LIVE: Lambda variant not reported in India so far, news agency ANI reported

1:12 PM

Seven-day average Covid-19 vaccinations at half of June 21 record

The number of daily Covid-19 vaccinations in India have fallen more than 50 per cent from the June 21 peak. From the peak of 8.7 million vaccine jabs given in a day on June 21, the daily vaccination rate has dropped to just over 4 million doses on Monday.

 

A Business Standard analysis showed that some of the populous states like Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka that had accounted for over 40 percent of June 21st’s record-setting 8.7 million vaccinations, have seen sharp decline in daily vaccinations in the days forward. The seven-day moving average number of vaccinations in Madhya Pradesh was 85 percent lower than its June peak. Similarly, Karnataka reported a 75 percent dip and Uttar Pradesh a 62 per cent dip. Read on...

1:05 PM

Union Minister Anurag Thakur is also present at 7, Lok Kalyan Marg, ahead of the Union Cabinet reshuffle

Union Minister Anurag Thakur is also present at 7, Lok Kalyan Marg, ahead of the Union Cabinet reshuffle

1:02 PM

'Shameless PM' failed to handle Covid crisis, meet vaccine demands: Mamata Banerjee

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday said the Centre has failed to meet the vaccine requirements of the state, forcing her dispensation to make purchases on its own, and described Narendra Modi as "a shameless prime minister" who has his picture pasted everywhere - from hoardings to inoculation certificates.

 

Banerjee, during her address in the Assembly, said that Bengal has received two crore shots so far, which is "very inadequate", given the state's population, and administering free doses to all under such circumstances was a challenge for her government.

 

"We have already vaccinated 2.26 crore people. And for that, we had to buy at least 26 lakh doses on our own, despite promises by the Centre that it would provide the required number of doses," she stated. Read on...

12:59 PM

Ensure people in mental health homes given Covid-19 test, vaccinated: SC

The Supreme Court Tuesday directed the Centre to ensure that people lodged in mental health establishments are tested for Covid-19 and fully vaccinated at the earliest.

 

A bench of Justices D Y Chandrachud and M R Shah took serious note of Maharashtra government's shifting patients lodged in mental health institutes to homes for beggars and asked it to discontinue the practice immediately saying it is counter-productive and runs against the provisions of Mental Health Act.

 

It noted that Additional Solicitor General Madhavi Divan, appearing for the Centre, has assured the Court that this matter (of vaccination) would be taken up with utmost priority. Read on...