Covid LIVE: RT-PCR must for those arriving in India from 7 more nations

Coronavirus updates: India reported on Thursday 47,092 new Covid-19 infections in the past 24 hours: the biggest single-day rise in two months.

1:24 AM

Bengal logs 695 new COVID-19 cases, 13 fresh fatalities

West Bengal's COVID-19 tally rose to 15,49,978 on Thursday as 695 more people tested positive for the infection, while 13 fresh fatalities pushed the state's coronavirus toll to 18,472, a health bulletin said.

 

Of the fresh fatalities, five deaths were reported from Nadia district, and three from North 24 Parganas.

 

The state now has 8,734 active cases, while 15,22,772 people have recovered from the disease to date, including 749 in the last 24 hours. The recovery rate among coronavirus patients now stands at 98.24 per cent. West Bengal has thus far tested 1,70,79,421 samples, including 40,270 in the last 24 hours, the bulletin said. As many as 5,75,886 people have been inoculated in the state, of whom 4,21,97,811 have received the first dose, a health department official said.

11:11 PM

Africa's COVID-19 cases surpass 7.81 million

The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Africa reached 7,816,222 as of Thursday afternoon, the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) said.

 

The Africa CDC, the specialized healthcare agency of the African Union, said the death toll from the pandemic across the continent stands at 197,150. And 6,983,155 patients across the continent have recovered from the disease so far.

 

South Africa, Morocco, Tunisia and Ethiopia are among the countries with the most cases in the continent, according to the agency.

 

In terms of the caseload, southern Africa is the most affected region, followed by the northern and eastern parts of the continent, while central Africa is the least affected region in the continent.

10:36 PM

New Covid variant C.1.2 may be more infectious, evade vaccines: Task force

A new variant of coronavirus - C.1.2 - which has been detected in South Africa and some other countries, could be more infectious than earlier strains and may evade vaccines, said an infectious diseases consultant who is also a member of the Maharashtra COVID-19 task force on Thursday.

 

Dr Vasant Nagvekar, an infectious diseases consultant with a Mumbai hospital and a member of the government task force on COVID-19, said the new variant also has mutation rate that is nearly "twice as fast" as the rate of other variants.

 

It requires more detailed study as we know very little about it, he said. "A new SARS-CoV-2 variant, C.1.2, just identified in South Africa and other countries with concerns that it could be more infectious and evade vaccines. What sets this variant apart is the speed at which it is mutating. This variant is changing and mutating at a rapid rate which are seen in many variants of concern and variants of interest," he said in a statement. SARS-CoV-2 is the virus which causes COVID-19. Masking, vaccination and avoiding major gatherings are precautions that need to be taken, Nagvekar said. If one experienced symptoms associated with coronavirus, then that person should immediately get tested and opt for early treatment based on diagnostic result, he said.

9:25 PM

Cumulative Covid vaccine doses administered in India cross 67 crore: Health ministry

The cumulative COVID-19 vaccine doses administered in the country has crossed 67 crore on Thursday, the Union health ministry said. More than 64.70 lakh (64,70,901) vaccine doses were administered on Thursday, according to the 7 pm provisional report.

 

The daily vaccination tally 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 underlined.

9:08 PM

Mumbai logs over 400 covid cases for second day; count of sealed buildings up

Mumbai reported 441 new COVID-19 cases on Thursday, the second straight day of more than 400 infections, and three fresh fatalities, while over 200 patients recovered from the disease, a senior civic official said.

 

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) official said with these additions, the tally of COVID-19 cases surged to 7,45,012, while the death toll jumped to 15,984. The case doubling rate dropped to 1,446 days from 1,479 in the last 24 hours, indicating a steady rise in coronavirus infections. The financial capital has logged over 400 new COVID-19 cases for the second consecutive day. Also, the number of sealed buildings has increased to 47 from 32 on Wednesday, indicating spread of infections in residential apartments.

Mumbai has reported a marginal rise in new coronavirus infections, but a drop in fatalities as compared to September 1, when it had registered 416 cases and four deaths. The city has been witnessing a steady rise in COVID-19 infections from the day after reporting 190 cases on August 16, which was the lowest daily count since April 2020.

8:52 PM

Telangana: 313 new Covid-19 cases, two deaths

Telangana on Thursday reported 313 new COVID-19 cases, taking the tally to 6,58,689, while the death toll rose to 3,878 with two more fatalities, PTI reported.

The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) accounted for the most number of cases with 77, followed by Warangal Urban (28) and Karimnagar (21) districts, a state government bulletin said, providing details as of 5.30 PM on Thursday. 

8:51 PM

About 80% teaching, non-teaching school staff have got at least 1st Covid jab: MoE officials

Around 80 per cent teaching and non-teaching staff employed in schools across the country have received at least the first dose of COVID-19 vaccine, Education Ministry officials said on Thursday, PTI reported.

"Among the variety of factors that will contribute to the reopening of schools across the county, vaccination of teachers will have a big contribution. The ministry is rigorously following up with the state governments.

"The initial feedback from the states and UTs is very positive and we have seen in most of the states almost 80 per cent and more teaching and non-teaching staff have received either one or both the doses of COVID-19 vaccines," a senior ministry official said.

8:50 PM

Madhya Pradesh sees 11 new Covid-19 cases; active infections at 91

With 11 new COVID-19 cases reported on Thursday, the tally of infections in Madhya Pradesh reached 7,92,197, an official from the state health department said, PTI reported.

The count of recoveries rose to 7,81,590, while the toll stood at 10,516, as no new casualties were reported during the day, the official said.

The central state is now left with 91 active cases, he said.

8:26 PM

Mumbai reported 441 new cases

8:25 PM

Tamil Nadu reports 1,562 new cases

7:58 PM

Amid fear of new Covid strains, RT-PCR test compulsory for those arriving from 7 more nations

Amid fear of new COVID-19 strains, RT-PCR test is compulsory for passengers arriving from seven more countries, including South Africa, Bangladesh and China, the Centre said on Thursday, PTI reported.

 

In a letter to all states and Union territories (UTs), the government said considering reports of new mutations in SARS-CoV-2 and rising number of Variants of Concern (VOCs) and Variants of Interest (Vols) globally, seven countries have been added in the list of countries whose travellers will have to get another RT-PCR test done upon landing at Indian airports apart from the one they need to get before embarking on the flight.

 

These seven countries are South Africa, Bangladesh, Botswana, China, Mauritius, New Zealand and Zimbabwe.

7:57 PM

Maharashtra reports 4,342 new cases

7:56 PM

Karnataka reports 1,240 new cases

7:38 PM

Visas for foreign nationals stranded in India extended till Sep 30

7:28 PM

J&K reports 89 fresh Covid cases, no death

Jammu and Kashmir recorded 89 new coronavirus cases on Thursday, taking the number of infections to 3,25,618, officials said, according to PTI.

Of the fresh cases, 16 were from the Jammu division and 73 from Kashmir division, they added.

Srinagar district recorded the highest number of 48 cases followed by 11 in Budgam district.

7:28 PM

Over half of India's adult population received at least 1 dose of Covid vaccine: Govt

More than half of India's adult population has received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine and 16 per cent have got both, the Union government said on Thursday as the cumulative number of doses administered in the country crossed 66 crore, PTI reported.

In Sikkim, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, and Himachal Pradesh all the adult population have got at least one dose of vaccine, Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan said at a press conference.

About ramping up of daily vaccinations, he said 18.38 crore doses were given in August during which 59.29 lakh doses were administered daily. The average daily vaccination in the last seven days of August has been 80.27 lakh.

7:26 PM

Britain to give third Covid-19 vaccine doses to immunosuppressed

Britain will give severely immunosuppressed people a third dose of COVID-19 vaccine to increase their chances of generating a better immune response, although officials stressed the offer was separate from any broader booster vaccine programme, Reuters reported.

 

7:00 PM

Delhi hospital uses rare element to save lungs of Covid patient

Doctors at the Artemis Hospital here used a rare element to save the lungs of a 47-year-old patient who was infected with Covid-19, IANS reported.

Kumari Ranjana, a professor of mathematics, was suffering from one of the worst forms of Covid complication involving abnormal presence of air in the chest, around the heart and tissues under the skin, due to leakage from the lungs.

She was treated using a rarely-used element called surfactant in the lungs.

6:59 PM

Rajasthan has lowest active caseload at 81 infections

6:57 PM

Moderna seeks FDA nod for booster shot

6:41 PM

Thailand cites positive results from Sinovac-AstraZeneca vaccine formula

Thailand's health ministry said on Thursday that its COVID-19 vaccine regimen of China's Sinovac (SVA.O) followed by British-developed AstraZeneca (AZN.L) was safe and successfully boosted immunity among its first 1.5 million recipients, Reuters reported.

6:39 PM

With only 81 Covid cases, Rajasthan becomes least active state

With just 81 active Covid cases, Rajasthan on Thursday became the least active state in the country, IANS reported.

Expressing pleasure over the development, Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot said, "It is a matter of great happiness that in the last one month, no one has died due to Covid in the state."

However, he urged people to remain cautious.

6:39 PM

Granules India gets licence from DRDO to manufacture and market Covid-19 drug

Drug firm Granules India on Thursday said it has received licence from Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO) to manufacture and market COVID-19 treatment drug, 2- Deoxy-D-Glucose (2-DG), PTI reported.

Developed by DRDO, 2-DG has been granted permission by Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) for emergency use as adjunct therapy in moderate to severe COVID-19 patients, Granules India said in a filing to BSE.

"Granules is working closely with DRDO team to launch the product in India at the earliest," it added.

 

6:12 PM

Coronavirus vax cuts risk of long Covid, breakthrough infections: Lancet

People who got fully vaccinated against the infectious coronavirus disease are nearly 50 per cent less likely to experience long Covid than unvaccinated people who get infected with the virus, according to a large-scale study published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases journal, IANS reported.

The study, led by King's College London, found that of more than 1.2 million adults who received at least one dose of either the Pfizer-BioNTech, Oxford-AstraZeneca, or Moderna vaccine, between December 2020 and July 2021, fewer than 0.5 per cent reported a breakthrough infection more than 14 days after their first dose.

Among adults who received two vaccine doses, fewer than 0.2 per cent experienced a breakthrough infection more than seven days after their second dose.

6:09 PM

Kerala sees 32,097 new cases, 188 deaths in last 24 hrs

5:36 PM

Gehlot stresses on need to follow Covid protocol in schools, colleges

Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Thursday stressed on ensuring strict adherence of the standard operating procedures (SOP) related to the pandemic in educational institutions, PTI reported.

If the SOP and protocol were not followed then there would be a danger of infection among youths, he said.

Studies in schools for Classes 9 to 12 resumed on Wednesday. Government and private schools have opened after more than four months for these classes.

5:35 PM

Punjab earmarks Sundays for second doses at all vaccination centres

5:34 PM

Delhi reports 39 fresh cases

5:10 PM

Karnataka govt revises Covid protocol for travellers from Kerala

The Karnataka government has revised its COVID-19 protocol for people coming from Kerala, exempting a set of people from mandatory seven days institutional quarantine, PTI reported.

It had earlier stated that all those coming from Kerala have to be under institutional quarantine for seven days in view of the alarming rise in COVID cases.

The revised protocol exempted constitutional functionaries, healthcare professionals and their spouses from institutional quarantine.

5:08 PM

Andhra Pradesh reports 1,378 new cases