Covid LIVE: G7 calls for transparent, expert-led study on virus origins

Coronavirus live updates: ICMR will conduct a national sero survey to assess the spread of Covid-19. Stay tuned for coronavirus related news

2:28 AM

Covid lockdown extended till June 21 in Haryana

The Haryana government on Sunday extended the coronavirus lockdown by another week till June 21, while easing several restrictions.
 

Doing away with the odd-even formula, the state government allowed all shops to open from 9 am to 8 pm.
 

Restaurants and bars, including in hotels and malls, are allowed to open from 10 am to 10 pm.
 

Giving further relaxations, gyms are now allowed to open from 6 am to 8 pm with 50 per cent capacity after adopting requisite social distancing norms, regular sanitisation and Covid-appropriate behavioural norms. However, spas shall remain closed, said an official order.
 

The timings for opening of shopping malls will continue to be from 10 am to 8 pm.
 

Sports complexes, stadia have now also been permitted to open only for sports activities by following all Covid-related norms and spectators will not be allowed.
 

2:27 AM

Lockdown restrictions to be eased in 19 districts of Karnataka from June 14

Karnataka will begin the unlock process from Monday as Covid-19 cases started showing a declining trend in the state, except for 11 districts.
 

The state government had imposed stringent restrictions on April 27 to contain the spread of coronavirus cases.
 

According to a government order, the restrictions have been relaxed from 6 am to 2 pm in 19 districts instead of existing 6 am to 10 am.
 

However, Chikkamagaluru, Shivamogga, Davangere, Mysuru, Chamarajanagar, Hassan, Dakshina Kannada, Bengaluru Rural, Mandya, Belagavi and Kodagu the restrictions will be relaxed from 6 am to 10 am only as the cases are still on the higher side.
 

Even after easing restrictions, only shops selling essential commodities will be allowed to operate, the government has clarified.
 

Besides, industries can function with 50 per cent workforce by strictly adhering to Covid protocol.
 

Production units, establishments and industries engaged in garment manufacturing are permitted to function with 30 per cent of their staff strength.
 

Autos and taxis are allowed to ply with maximum two passengers.
 

The daily Covid curfew from 7 pm to 5 am and weekend curfew from 7 pm on Friday to 5 am on Monday will continue.
 

Construction activities are permitted in the state while shops dealing with construction material, especially cement and steel, outside the containment zone can do business.
 

Parks will be open from 5 am to 10 am for walkers and joggers.
 

Hotels and restaurants will be closed for dine-in and only takeaways and door delivery will be allowed.

 

2:26 AM

AstraZeneca shots have good risk-benefit profile for over 60s, says EMA official

The head of the EU drug regulator's Covid-19 task force said on Sunday that AstraZeneca's coronavirus vaccine had a favourable risk-benefit profile for all age groups and particularly for those aged over 60.
 

Italian newspaper La Stampa earlier quoted European Medicines Agency (EMA) task force chief Marco Cavaleri as saying countries should avoid giving the vaccine to people aged over 60 in addition to younger age groups, amid fears over very rare blood clotting and as alternative vaccines become available.
 

"Unfortunately my words have not been interpreted correctly in a recent interview with La Stampa," Cavaleri said in a statement to Reuters. The AstraZeneca shot "maintains a favourable benefit risk profile in all ages but particularly in the elderly above 60," he said.
 

The EMA's position is that the AstraZeneca shot is safe and can be used for all age groups over 18. However several European Union member states have stopped administering it to people below a certain age, usually ranging from 50 to 65, restricting its use to older people, due to very rare cases of blood clotting, mainly among young people.
 

10:21 PM

BMC begins vaccination drive for students bound for overseas studies

Bhubaneswar Municipal has enlisted 83 foreign-bound students in the special Covid-19 vaccination drive during which the students in the age group of 18-44 years can walk in at designated centres and get themselves inoculated free of cost, an official said.
 

Of them, 19 have already been administered both doses of Covishield vaccine at two designated centres here, an official said.
 

The others will be covered within a day or two, he said.
 

The civic body has also set up vaccination centres for the foreign-bound students at PN College, Khurda and CMC Kalyan Mandap, Gopalpur, Cuttack.
 

Though the Temple City is administering Covaxin to its citizens, a special arrangement has been made to make available Covishield vaccine for the students going to foreign universities for higher studies.
 

The students will have to produce their admission letters from their respective universities, a valid ID proof for the vaccination process, the official said.
 

The students were advised to make their requests through 1929, 24X7 Call Centre at the Bhubaneswar Operations Centre (BOC).
 

Authorities of Bhubaneswar Smart City Limited inside the BOC have designated a special desk for document verification and listing of the students, who had applied for getting the jab, before leaving the country for higher studies.
 

10:19 PM

Ministry for lies and empty slogans is Modi govt's most efficient: Rahul

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday hit out at the government alleging that its "secret ministry for lies and empty slogans" is the most efficient.
 

Gandhi has been critical of the BJP government and has accused it of engaging in just rhetoric.
 

"Which is GOI's most efficient ministry? - The secret Ministry for Lies & Empty slogans," he said on Twitter.
 

His party colleague and senior leader Jairam Ramesh also hit out at the government alleging that it has taken a different stand in the Supreme Court and at the latest G7 summit over the issue of coronavirus vaccines.
 

"To G7, He says- 'One Earth, One Health', asking for patent waiver for Covid-19 vaccines. In Supreme Court, his govt takes a completely different stance. Does not invoke compulsory licensing," he alleged on Twitter, targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
 

"One stance for the world, another in India. Why this 'anarth' (absurdity)," he asked.
 

10:18 PM

British PM wants further probe into virus origin

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson says Britain wants further investigation into the origins of the Covid-19 pandemic.
 

Speaking at the end of the Group of Seven summit in southwest England, Johnson says that while it doesn't look as if this particular disease came from a lab, the world needs to “keep an open mind.” Though the notion was once dismissed by most public health experts and government officials, the hypothesis that Covid-19 leaked accidentally from a Chinese lab is now under a new US investigation ordered by President Joe Biden.
 

The G-7 leaders endorsed calls for a “timely, transparent, expert-led, and science-based” further investigation into the origins of the coronavirus.
 

Many scientists still believe the virus most likely jumped from animals to humans.
 

8:54 PM

Goa extends curfew till June 21

The coronavirus-induced curfew in Goa was on Sunday extended till June 21 as the positivity rate in the state stood at 14 per cent, an official said.

 

The curfew was first imposed on May 9 and has been extended several times since then, as the state witnessed its positivity rate reaching a high of 51 per cent before dipping gradually to the level now, he added.

 

While essential services are exempt from the curfew, casinos, bars, restaurants, shops, river cruises, schools, colleges, educational institutions etc will remain shut, and social, sports, cultural and academic functions would be prohibited. Read here

8:44 PM

Coronavirus LIVE: 14,016 new cases in Tamil Nadu

8:39 PM

Haryana records 43 deaths, 339 fresh cases

Haryana on Sunday reported 43 Covid-related deaths taking the cumulative fatality toll to 8,992 while 339 fresh infections pushed the total case count to 7,65,861.

 

According to the health department's daily bulletin, the latest deaths include six each from Hisar and Panipat and five from Sirsa.

 

Meanwhile, among the districts, Sirsa reported 33 cases while 31 cases were from Palwal. (PTI)

8:32 PM

Coronavirus LIVE: Karnataka sees 7,810 new cases

8:20 PM

Govt invites tender for delivery of Covid jabs by drones to far flung areas

The government has invited bids for delivery of medical supplies and vaccines by drones to various parts of the country, in order to tackle supply hurdles hampering Covid vaccination programmes in far-flung areas of the country.

 

However, the tender criteria demands that an entity must be eligible to conduct Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) operations in order to become eligible. Currently, no drone companies are eligible to do BVLOS operations.

 

The tender has been called by Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), closes on 22 June. “ICMR may support in getting DGCA approval only for this activity; however a prior approval from DGCA for BVLOS will be preferred,” the tender document says. Read here

8:15 PM

Coronavirus LIVE: Jammu and Kashmir reports 774 new cases

7:51 PM

Coronavirus LIVE: Himachal Pradesh sees 237 new cases

7:47 PM

Coronavirus LIVE: Bihar reports 487 new cases

7:45 PM

Coronavirus LIVE: Telangana reports 1,280 new cases

7:41 PM

Sputnik V likely to be available at Delhi's Indraprastha Apollo Hospital from June 15

The Russian Covid-19 vaccine Sputnik V is expected to be available at Indraprastha Apollo Hospital in Delhi from June 15, sources said.

 

According to the sources, the program for Sputnik V rollout at Indraprastha Apollo Hospital will depend on the consignment received.

 

The first phase of the Sputnik V rollout by Apollo Hospitals and Dr Reddy's Laboratories had started on a pilot basis on May 17 in Hyderabad and on May 18 in Vishakhapatnam. Read here

7:29 PM

Covid recoveries in Andhra Pradesh cross 1.7 million

The total Covid-19 recoveries in Andhra Pradesh crossed the 17 lakh mark on Sunday as 12,492 patients got cured in 24 hours, even as the state reported 6,770 fresh cases of the infection.

 

Also, 58 people succumbed to coronavirus in the state in 24 hours ending 9 AM on Sunday, the latest bulletin said.

 

The total positives now rose to 18,09,844, recoveries to 17,12,267 and deaths 11,940. (PTI)

7:21 PM

Coronavirus LIVE: Widespread support at G7 Summit for India, South Africa's vaccine waiver proposal, says MEA

7:09 PM

Coronavirus LIVE: G7 calls for transparent, expert-led study on virus origins

"Strengthening transparency and accountability, including reiterating our commitment to the full implementation of, and improved compliance with, the International Health Regulations 2005. This includes investigating, reporting and responding to outbreaks of unknown origin. We also call for a timely, transparent, expert-led, and science-based WHO-convened Phase 2 Covid-19 Origins study including, as recommended by the experts’ report, in China," it said.

7:05 PM

Coronavirus LIVE: 308 new cases in Rajasthan

6:59 PM

Coronavirus LIVE: G7 sets ambitious goal of ending pandemic in 2022

"Our immediate focus is beating Covid-19 and we set a collective goal of ending the pandemic in 2022. The Covid-19 pandemic is not under control anywhere until it is under control everywhere. In an interconnected world global health and health security threats respect no borders. We therefore commit both to strengthen global action now to fight Covid-19, and to take further tangible steps to improve our collective defences against future threats and to bolster global health and health security. This includes strengthening the World Health Organization (WHO) and supporting it in its leading and coordinating role in the global health system." Read full G7 Communique here 

6:45 PM

Coronavirus LIVE: G7 commits to donating 1 billion vaccine doses

6:34 PM

Indonesia reports highest daily Covid spike since February

Indonesia on Sunday recorded 9,868 new confirmed cases of Covid-19 in the past 24 hours, marking the highest daily spike of infections since Feb. 22, the Health Ministry said.

 

The new infections brought the total tally to 1,911,358 and the death toll added by 149 to 52,879, the ministry reported.

 

An additional 4,655 recovered patients were discharged from hospitals, bringing the total number of recoveries from the pandemic to 1,745,091 in the Southeast Asian country. (PTI)

6:28 PM

Coronavirus LIVE: 420 new cases in Goa

6:21 PM

Coronavirus LIVE: Kerala reports 11,584 new cases

6:20 PM

G7 leaders discuss Wuhan lab leak theory behind Covid pandemic

World leaders gathered at the G7 Summit in Cornwall discussed the possibility that a laboratory leak in central China's Wuhan city may have a connection with the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, with the World Health Organisation (WHO) chief saying all hypotheses behind the origins of the deadly disease remain in play.

 

UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said that officials "compared notes" over the theory that the pandemic may have originated from a leak from a lab in Wuhan, calling for further investigations. However, he asserted that the UK's "best information" remained that it "jumped" from animals to humans but admitted they did not have "all the answers".

 

"That's why internationally we wanted the review to be able to go into China to get all the answers, so that we have the full picture rather than these possible, potential, plausible options, Raab told Sky News' on Sunday when asked about the issue. (PTI)

5:58 PM

Restrictions eased in eight J&K districts showing improvement in Covid situation

The Jammu and Kashmir administration on Sunday announced further easing of restrictions in eight districts showing significant improvement in the Covid-19 situation.

 

The decision to grant relaxations in Shopian, Kulgam, Ganderbal and Bandipora in Kashmir division and Poonch, Reasi, Ramban and Doda in Jammu division was taken at a meeting which focussed on total weekly new cases (per million), positivity rate, bed occupancy, case fatality rate and vaccination coverage of the targeted population, an official order said.

 

It said government and private offices can function in the eight districts without any restrictions subject to strict adherence to Covid-appropriate behaviour, while barber shops, salons and parlors are permitted to open on all days of a week, except on Saturday and Sundays. (PTI)

5:49 PM

Karnataka to conduct Covid tests for returning migrants

Migrant labourers returning to Karnataka after the Covid-19 lockdown will be tested before entering the state, Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa said on Sunday.

 

During a visit to Hassan and Shivamogga districts where they reviewed developmental works, he informed that former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda would lay the foundation stone for the Hassan Airport soon.

 

"I will instruct the health department to conduct Covid-19 tests on people/migrant labourers who will return to the state after unlock," he told reporters here. (PTI)

5:27 PM

No clarity on vaccine procurement, say private hospitals; seek proper guidelines

Several private hospitals across the country said they have no clarity on procuring Covid-19 vaccines under the new policy announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and that it has led to the vaccination being put on hold at their centres.

 

The hospitals have sought a proper mechanism and a single-window system to be put in place for procurement of vaccine doses. They also claimed that they had approached the vaccine manufacturers -- Bharat Biotech and Serum Institute of India (SII) -- and also state governments, but to no avail.

 

Meanwhile, in a recent communication to the Union health ministry, Prakash Kumar Singh, director, Government and Regulatory Affairs at SII, is learnt to have written, As per your direction, we are not accepting any further orders/payment from any private hospital in the country. We await your further direction with regard to roadmap for future supplies to private hospitals. (PTI)

5:02 PM

Coronavirus LIVE: Andhra Pradesh reports 6,770 new cases