Coronavirus LIVE: Maharashtra reports 6,218 new cases, 51 deaths in a day

Coronavirus live updates: With 2,100,884, Maharashtra is the worst-hit state, followed by Kerala (1,034,657), Karnataka (948,149), Andhra Pradesh (889,298), and Tamil Nadu (848,275)

10:35 PM

Madhya Pradesh reports 248 new Covid-19 cases, 200 recoveries

10:11 PM

Made in India vaccines arrive in Kyiv, Jaishankar says glad to facilitate vaccine campaign

9:48 PM

Case registered after 10,000 people gathered near Pohradevi temple despite warnings: Washim police

9:47 PM

Crowd gathers as Sanjay Rathod's convoy reaches Pohradevi temple in Maharashtra

8:46 PM

Kerala logs 4,034 fresh Covid-19 cases, 14 deaths

Kerala reported 4,034 new COVID-19 cases and 14 related deaths on Tuesday taking the tally of affected in the state to 10,41,252 and the toll to 4,119. Health Minister K K Shailaja said 69,604 samples were tested in the state in the last 24 hours and the test positivity rate was 5.80 per cent.

 

The state has tested1,11,37,843 samples so far. Shailaja said a 72-year old person was found infectedwith the new strain of the virus from the UK.

8:25 PM

Over 1.19 crore healthcare and frontline workers vaccinated against Covid-19: Govt

The cumulative number of COVID-19 vaccine doses administered to healthcare and frontline workers in the country has crossed 1.19 crore, the Union health ministry said on Tuesday.

 

A total of 1,19,07,392 vaccine doses have been administered through 2,53,434 sessions till 6 pm on Tuesday, according to a provisional report.

 

The beneficiaries include 64,71,047 healthcare workers (HCWs) who have taken the first dose, 13,21,635 HCWs who have taken the second dose and 41,14,710 frontline workers (FLWs) who have taken the first dose. While the countrywide vaccination drive was rolled out on January 16, the vaccination of FLWs started from February 2.

7:40 PM

Jammu and Kashmir reports 94 Covid-19 cases, tally rises to 126,019

Jammu and Kashmir on Monday recorded 94 new COVID-19 cases which took its tally to 1,26,019 while one more fatality pushed the death toll to 1,955, officials said. Of the fresh cases, 72 were reported from the Kashmir division and 22 from the Jammu division, they said.

 

Srinagar district recorded the highest number of fresh cases at 40, including 32 travellers. Jammu district was second on the list with 10 fresh infections, according to the officials.

 

While seven districts did not report any new cases, 11 reported fresh infections in single digits. The latest fatality was reported from the Kashmir division of the union territory, the officials said. There are 766 active cases in Jammu and Kashmir. So far, 1,23,298 patients have recovered, they said.

7:16 PM

Two new variants of SARS-CoV-2 not reason for surge in cases in Maharashtra, Kerala: Govt

Two variants of SARS-CoV-2 -- N440K and E484K -- have been detected in Maharashtra and Kerala but there is no reason to believe presently on the that they are responsible for the surge in cases in some districts in these two states, the Centre said on Tuesday.

 

One of the two variants has also been detected in Telangana.

 

Addressing a press conference here, NITI Aayog Member (Health) V K Paul said that 187 people have tested positive for the UK strain of SARS-CoV-2 in the country so far, while six people have detected with the South Africa variant. Also, one person has tested positive for the Brazil variant strain.

6:54 PM

145 new coronavirus cases in Delhi; positivity rate 0.25%

Delhi recorded 145 fresh COVID-19 cases and two new fatalities on Tuesday, while the positivity rate stood at 0.25 per cent, authorities said. With this, the toll from the coronavirus infection has grown to 10,903. On Monday, 128 cases and one death were registered.

 

No death due to COVID-19 was recorded in Delhi on February 17, the third time single-day fatality count stood nil in this month.

 

On February 9 too, no fatality due to COVID-19 was registered in the national capital, first time this month, and after a gap of nearly nine months. No death from COVID-19 was recorded on February 13 as well, the second time in February when the single-day fatality count was nil. On Tuesday, Delhi recorded 145 fresh COVID-19 cases, while the positivity rate stood at 0.25 per cent, authorities said, adding the infection tally in the city rose to 6,38,173 according to the latest health bulletin issued by the city government.

6:40 PM

Andhra Pradesh Covid-19 tally goes up to 889,409 with 70 new cases

Andhra Pradesh reported 70 fresh COVID-19 cases, 84 recoveries and one death in the 24 hours ending 9 am on Tuesday. With the addition of the new infections, the tally went up to 8,89,409,according to the latest bulletin.

 

Recoveries rose to 8,81,666,while the toll mounted to 7,168, it said. The active cases now stood at 575, it added. Chittoor once again reported the highest number of 18 new cases while all other districts added less than 10 each. Visakhapatnam reported one COVID-19 fatality in a day.

6:19 PM

Covid-19 vaccination: With 15% doses wasted, states up their game

A month into the world’s largest vaccination drive, as the country prepares to enter the third phase of nationwide inoculation, which will entail giving the jab to those aged over 50, the states are trying to reduce vaccine wastage.

 

According to industry estimates, around 15 per cent of the vaccines have been wasted sofar — the result of low turnouts. States such as Tripura, which have seen a high turnout, have wasted fewer vaccines.

 

“Tripura has had a high turnout of over 75 per cent for vaccination, and thus it has been able to limit waste. It is almost down to zero wastage now,” said a state official. READ MORE...

5:56 PM

Punjab orders fresh curbs on indoor, outdoor gatherings as Covid-19 cases rise

The Punjab government on Tuesday ordered curbs on both indoor and outdoor gatherings from March 1 and authorised deputy commissioners (DCs) to impose night-curfew in COVID-19 hotspots in their districts if needed. Chairing a virtual review meeting of the COVID-19 situation in Punjab, Chief Minister Amarinder Singh issued orders to limit indoor gatherings to 100 people and outdoor events to 200 attendees from March 1, an official statement said.

 

He also directed that face masks and social distancing norms be strictly enforced, it said.

 

The move comes amid growing concerns over an upswing in the number of coronavirus cases in the state. Singh authorised DCs to adopt micro-containment strategies and impose night-curfews in COVID-19 hotspots if needed, and directed the police to ensure that people wear masks. The chief minister said a decision on reducing occupancy in cinema halls will be taken after March 1.

5:49 PM

Coronavirus LIVE: Six people detected with South African strain, says govt

5:08 PM

Restriction on indoor gathering to 100 and outdoor to 200 from March 1 in Punjab

4:50 PM

39 students, five employees of a hostel test positive for coronavirus in Maharashtra

As many as 39 students and five employees of a hostel tested positive for coronavirus in Maharashtra's Latur city, an official said on Tuesday. At least 360 students who live in the hostel underwent COVID-19 test, of which 39 from Classes 9 and 10 have contracted the infection, health officer Mahesh Patil of the Latur Municipal Corporation said.

 

The infected students are from Classes 9 and 10, he said. Sixty teaching and non-teaching staff work on the hostel premises, and of these 30 underwent the test and five are infected, he said.

4:31 PM

Covid LIVE: Vijayan writes to PM on Karnataka curbing inter-state movement

4:05 PM

Odisha's Covid-19 tally rises to 336,767 with 62 new cases

Odisha's COVID-19 caseload mounted to 3,36,767 on Tuesday as 62 more people tested positive for the infection, a health department official said. Of the fresh cases, 37 were reported from quarantine centres and 25 detected during contact tracing.

 

Sambalpur district recorded the highest number of new cases at 12, followed by Khurda and Cuttack at seven each. Kandhamal and Nabarangpur districts have turned "coronavirus free" as no active case exists there, the official said. The state's COVID-19 death toll remained unchanged at 1,914 as no fresh fatality was reported since Friday last week. Fifty-three other coronavirus patients have died in the state due to comorbidities.

3:38 PM

Sri Lanka orders 13.5 mn AstraZeneca doses, likely to drop Chinese vaccines

Sri Lanka has ordered 13.5 million Oxford AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccines in addition to the 500,000 doses gifted by India, and the country may not use Chinese vaccines in the second phase of immunisation, a government spokesman said on Tuesday.

 

Ramesh Pathirana, who is also the Minister of Plantations, said Sri Lanka is likely to go only with the AstraZeneca vaccines for the second phase of vaccination as the Chinese and Russian vaccines are not ready yet.

 

"The Chinese vaccine has not submitted the papers relating to phase three trials, said Pathirana.

3:20 PM

Russia records 11,823 Covid-19 cases, 417 deaths in past day

Russia has logged 11,823 new COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours, down from 12,604 the day before, taking the overall tally to 4,189,153, the coronavirus response center said on Tuesday.

 

"Over the past day, 11,823 coronavirus cases were confirmed across 84 regions, including 1,312 cases (11.1 percent) that were detected actively, with people showing no clinical symptoms," the center said.

 

Russia's cumulative case count has now reached 4,189,153, with the rate of increase at 0.3 percent.

2:58 PM

Six States account for 84.62% of new coronavirus deaths

2:25 PM

India's Covid-19 active caseload falls below 1.5 lakh; no fresh deaths in 21 states, UTs

India's tally of active COVID-19 cases fell below the 1.5-lakh mark on Tuesday and was pegged at 1,47,306, comprising1.34 per cent of the total caseload, the Union Health Ministry said, highlighting 21 states and UTs have not reported fresh fatalities in a 24-hour-period.

 

A total of10,584 new infections and 13,255 recoveries were recorded in a span of 24 hours, leading to a net decline of 2,749 cases in the total active caseload, it said.

 

India's daily positivity rate remains below three per cent, the ministry noted. The country reported 78 new COVID-19 fatalities on Tuesday, the health ministry said, as it underlined that a steady decline is being observed in the number of daily new deaths.

1:47 PM

Covid-19 test mandatory for people arriving in Uttarakhand from five states

The Uttarakhand government on Tuesday issued an order to make the COVID-19 test mandatory for people coming from Maharashtra, Gujarat, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh in the wake of a surge in coronavirus cases in these states.

 

"Due to the rise in COVID19 cases in Maharashtra, Gujarat, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, travellers from these states have to undergo testing on arrival in Uttarakhand at state borders, railway stations and Dehradun airport," said Dehradun District Magistrate.

 

The decision was taken in face of a sudden rise in the number of Covid-19 cases in several states.

12:58 PM

Maharashtra CM to hold meeting with BMC to review Covid-19 situation

Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray is set to hold a meeting on Tuesday with Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) Commissioner and officials, to review the COVID-19 situation in the state.

 

This meeting comes amid the rising number of COVID-19 cases in the state which has alarmed government officials. 5,210 more patients tested positive for COVID-19 in Maharashtra, State Health Minister Rajesh Tope informed on Monday evening. Read on...

12:11 PM

How 'vaccine diplomacy' is helping some countries bolster their soft power

The Covid-19 pandemic has given rise to various new, repurposed or newly popular terms. The newest entry to the pandemic lexicon might be “vaccine diplomacy”, with some countries using their jabs to strengthen regional ties and enhance their own power and global status.

 

In early February, half a million doses of the Chinese Sinopharm Covid-19 vaccine arrived in Pakistan, before soon also reaching 13 other countries including Cambodia, Nepal, Sierra Leone and Zimbabwe. The Chinese ambassador to Pakistan declared it a “manifestation of our brotherhood”, a sentiment echoed by the Pakistani government. Russia has similarly used its own Sputnik V vaccine to win friends and support, providing access to countries as yet unable to start their own vaccination programmes. Read on...

11:42 AM

Punjab CM to review Covid-19 situation with health experts, officers today

Punjab Chief Minister Captain (retired) Amarinder Singh will review the Covid-19 situation in the state with health experts and senior officers on Tuesday.

 

The review process will take place at 3 pm today.

 

Taking to Twitter, Raveen Thukral, Media Advisor to Punjab CM, said: "Punjab CM @capt_amarinder to review the #COVID19 situation in the state with health experts and senior officers at 3 pm today."

 

Punjab has recorded 148 new Covid-19 cases, 15 deaths and 225 recoveries during the last 24 hours, according to the latest update by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) today. 

11:24 AM

India detects 24,000 mutations in 7,000 variants of Covid

The genetic diagnostic laboratories in India have detected over 24,000 mutations in the strains of SARS-CoV-2 in the last one year, news agency IANS reported, quoting officials.

 

The officials added that the mutations have been detected in around 7,000 variants of the novel coronavirus which are under circulation in the country.

 

"We have detected around 24,300 mutations in 7,000 variants of the virus currently under circulation," an official who is a key member of National Task Force for Covid-19 informed.

 

The information was also corroborated by contacts working at laboratories which are part of Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomic Consortia (INSACOG) set-up by the Union Health Ministry in December last year in the backdrop of the emergence of a newly identified variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus in the UK, South Africa and some other parts of the world.

10:55 AM

Punjab CM to review Covid situation

Punjab CM Captain Amarinder Singh to review the Covid situation in the state with health experts and senior officers today

10:27 AM

Mexico begins application of Chinese Sinovac vaccine

Mexican health authorities began to vaccinate older adults with a Covid-19 vaccine developed by Chinese pharmaceutical company Sinovac, after a shipment of doses arrived on February 20.

Mexico's government designated the first shipment of the Sinovac vaccine to arrive in Ecatepec, a city in central State of Mexico that lies on the outskirts of the capital Mexico City, Xinhua news agency reported on Wednesday.

Early in the day, brigades of healthcare workers began to administer the vaccine to hundreds of residents aged 60 and over who went to the Las Americas cultural and sports centre to get vaccinated.

"The first call was very important because it lets us know there is interest on the part of the citizens and, above all, that they are hopeful this issue can now be eradicated from our population," Ecatepec Mayor Fernando Vilchis told reporters at the vaccination site.

10:22 AM

India reports 10,584 new Covid cases

9:59 AM

One new Covid-19 case in Andamans; tally at 5,015

The COVID-19 caseload in Andaman and Nicobar Islands rose to 5,015 as one more person has tested positive for the disease in the Union Territory, a health department official said on Tuesday.

The fresh case was detected during contact tracing, he said.

"The new patient was diagnosed with the disease on Monday after a gap of four days. Andaman and Nicobar Islands did not report any fresh case between February 18 and 21, which was encouraging," the official said.

The overall COVID situation is under control in the archipelago as the local administration has been strict to ensure that health safety protocols are followed to contain the spread of the disease, he said.