Coronavirus LIVE: Maharashtra reports 13,659 new cases, 54 deaths in a day

Coronavirus live updates: Pakistan would receive the first batch of the AstraZeneca vaccine made by the Serum Institute of India by mid-March and the rest of it is expected to arrive by June

2:58 AM

West Bengal reports 241 new Covid-19 cases, 2 fresh deaths

West Bengal's Covid-19 tally rose to 5,77,267 as 241 more people tested positive for the infection while two fresh fatalities pushed the death toll to 10,283, the health department said on Wednesday.
 

The two deaths were due to the comorbidities where Covid-19 was incidental, it said.
 

The state now has 3,127 active Covid-19 cases, while 5,63,857 people have recovered from the disease.
 

The Covid-19 recovery rate in the state is 97.68 per cent.
 

The state has so far tested 87,48,775 samples for Covid-19 including 18,272 samples in the last 24 hours, it said.
 

Meanwhile, 1,44,322 people received the Covid-19 vaccine on Wednesday, the health department added.
 

2:57 AM

US Congress OKs $1.9T virus relief bill in win for Biden, Dems

A Congress riven along party lines approved a landmark $1.9 trillion Covid-19 relief bill Wednesday, as President Joe Biden and Democrats claimed a triumph on a bill that marshals the government's spending might against twin pandemic and economic crises that have upended a nation.
 

The House gave final congressional approval to the sweeping package by a near party line 220-211 vote precisely seven weeks after Biden entered the White House and four days after the Senate passed the bill without a single Republican vote. GOP lawmakers opposed the package as bloated, crammed with liberal policies and heedless of signs the crises are easing.
 

Most noticeable to many Americans are provisions to provide up to $1,400 direct payments this year to most adults and extend $300 per week emergency unemployment benefits into early September. But the legislation goes far beyond that.
 

The measure addresses Democrats' campaign promises and Biden's top initial priority of easing a one-two punch that first hit the country a year ago. Since then, many Americans have been relegated to hermit-like lifestyles in their homes to avoid a disease that's killed over 525,000 people — about the population of Wichita, Kansas — and plunged the economy to its deepest depths since the Great Depression.
 

2:56 AM

Fauci: US virus shots ramping up toward immunity

The nation's top infectious disease expert says the US could see significant steps toward a return to the pre-pandemic normal, even before the country reaches coronavirus herd immunity.
 

Dr. Anthony Fauci says best estimates when enough people are immune to end the outbreak range between 70-85% of the population -- a figure expected to be attained by late summer or early fall.
 

He says as the pace of vaccination ramps up and the most vulnerable to the virus are protected, some government restrictions could be lifted.
 

Said Fauci: “You don't have to wait until you get full herd immunity to get a really profound effect on what you can do.” CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky cautioned only about 10% of the population is fully vaccinated, but her agency anticipated loosening federal guidelines as more people receive shots.
 

12:29 AM

Assam reports 22 new Covid-19 cases

Assam reported 22 new Covid-19 cases on Wednesday, pushing the coronavirus tally in the state to 2,17,726, the National Health Mission (NHM) said.
 

The Covid-19 death toll remained at 1,096 as no fresh fatality was reported during the day. The overall positivity rate stood at 3.12 per cent against total testing of 69,80,144 samples so far.
 

The state currently has 286 active Covid-19 cases, while 2,14,997 people have recovered from the disease, including 18 on Wednesday, the NHM said in its daily bulletin.
 

The NHM further said that a total of 4,15,945 people have so far received the first dose of Covid-19 vaccine across the state, while 68,623 people got the second dose. 
 

12:28 AM

Covid-19: Punjab records 17 deaths, over 1400 new cases

Punjab on Wednesday reported 1,422 fresh coronavirus cases, pushing the infection tally to 1,92,040.
 

Seventeen more fatalities took the death toll from the disease to 5,978 in the state, according to a medical bulletin.
 

The number of active cases also increased from 8,522 on Tuesday to 9,402 on Wednesday.
 

A total of 496 coronavirus patients were discharged after recovering from the infection, taking the number of cured persons to 1,76,660, according to the bulletin.

There are 20 critical patients who are on ventilator support, while 176 are on oxygen support, the bulletin said.
 

A total of 52,63,900 samples have been collected for testing so far in the state, it said.
 

Meanwhile, Chandigarh reported 87 more cases, taking the infection count to 22,589, according to a medical bulletin.
 

The death of a 55-year-old man took the death toll in the union territory to 357.
 

The number of active cases rose from 778 on Tuesday to 816 on Wednesday, according to the bulletin.
 

A total of 48 patients were discharged after they recovered from the infection, taking the number of cured persons to 21,416.
 

A total of 2,72,059 samples have been taken for testing so far and of them, 2,48,501 tested negative while reports of 138 samples were awaited.
 

12:28 AM

Biden to sign signature Covid relief bill on Friday

US President Joe Biden plans to sign his signature $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package on Friday, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said on Wednesday.
 

The comments came ahead of the expected final passage of the measure in US House of Representatives on Wednesday. The White House is moving "full speed ahead" on the implementation of the bill, which includes $1,400 checks for most Americans, Psaki said.

10:27 PM

Rising cases matter of concern, no plans to impose lockdown: Pune Mayor

10:11 PM

Mumbai records 1,539 new coronavirus cases, highest since October

Mumbai on Wednesday recorded 1,539 new Covid-19 cases, the highest number of infections since October last year, an official from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation said. With this, the city's Covid-19 tally has reached 3,37,123, the official said.

 

According to the latest data from the civic body, five fatalities were reported in the city in the last 24 hours, raising the toll to 11,511.

 

This is the first time since October 21, 2020 that Mumbai's single-day count has crossed the 1,500 mark. Read more

8:44 PM

LIVE: Karnataka reports 760 new coronavirus cases

Karnataka reports 760 new coronavirus cases, 331 recoveries and 6 deaths in the last 24 hours

8:32 PM

Covid-19: Sena MP calls for vaccination of religious leaders

Shiv Sena leader Priyanka Chaturvedi on Wednesday wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in which she called for framing of guidelines for COVID-19 vaccination of religious leaders and saints in India.

 

In the letter, also addressed to Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan, the Shiv Sena Rajya Sabha member and party spokesperson said most of the religious heads and saints are senior citizens and are not able to get vaccinated since they may not have Aadhaar card or are not techno-savvy to get themselves registered for it.

7:31 PM

57 school students test Covid positive at Tirumala

At least 57 students of a TTD-run vedic school at Tirumala have tested positive for the coronavirus.

 

"TTD management has shifted the students immediately to SVIMS (Sri Venkateswara Institute of Medical Sciences) super specialty hospital at Tirupati for better treatment," said a Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) official on Wednesday.

 

However, the students were mandated to carry along with them the Covid negative test report, after the resumption of the classes.

 

The vedic school run by the TTD reopened for classes post Covid lockdown when all the students returned with their Covid negative reports.

7:20 PM

188 fresh Covid-19 cases in Rajasthan

The total number of Covid-19 cases in Rajasthan surged to 3,22,078 on Wednesday with 188 fresh infections, according to a health department bulletin.

 

No fresh deaths were recorded in the state. The death toll stands at 2,789, the bulletin said.

 

Of the fresh cases, Jaipur reported 32, Udaipur 27, Kota 24, Jodhpur 17, Bhilwara 13, Ajmer 12, Banswara 10 and Rajsamand eight, it said.

6:06 PM

2,475 fresh Covid-19 cases and 4,192 recoveries reported in Kerala today

2,475 fresh Covid-19 cases and 4,192 recoveries reported in Kerala today

6:02 PM

69 new Covid-19 cases in Odisha, tally at 337,929

Odisha's Covid-19 tally mounted to 337,929 on Wednesday as 69 more people tested positive for the infection, a health department official said.

 

Of the new cases, 41 were reported from quarantine centres and 28 detected during contact tracing.

 

Sundargarh district recorded the highest number of fresh cases at 14, followed by Cuttack (11) and Mayurbhanj (8).

5:53 PM

90 per cent new cases of Mumbai in the past two months in housing societies only: BMC

90 per cent new cases of Mumbai in the past two months in housing societies only, strict action to be taken against violators, says Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation

5:53 PM

BMC aims for around 100,000 vaccination every day

After Centre's approval for 24×7 vaccination at private centers, BMC aims for around 100,000 vaccination every day. With current timing of 8-12 hour shifts for vaccination around 35,000-40,000 people are getting vaccinated every day.

5:26 PM

370 fresh Covid-19 cases in Delhi, highest in nearly two months

Delhi recorded 370 new coronavirus cases on Wednesday, the highest daily count in nearly two months, even as the positivity rate rose to 0.52 per cent, according to data shared by the Health Department.

 

The death toll rose to 10,931 with three more fatalities, the latest health bulletin issued by the Delhi Health Department stated.

 

Delhi had recorded 320 new Covid-19 cases and four deaths due to the disease on Tuesday, breaching the 300-mark again after a gap of two days.

5:24 PM

LIVE: Andhra Pradesh reports 120 new coronavirus cases

Andhra Pradesh reports 120 new coronavirus cases, 93 recoveries, and one death in the last 24 hours, according to the state health department.

4:43 PM

EU-UK relations take a new dip over 'vaccine ban' comments

Relations between the European Union and recently departed Britain took another diplomatic dip on Wednesday when the EU envoy in London was summoned to explain comments that Britain had issued a vaccine export ban.

 

The United Kingdom was so irate about Tuesday's comments from European Council President Charles Michel that Britain had imposed an outright ban on the export of vaccines," that it called in the ambassador for a morning meeting.

 

A British government statement said that it has not blocked the export of a single Covid-19 vaccine. Any references to a UK export ban or any restrictions on vaccines are completely false.

 

The spat comes against a background that the Covid-19 vaccination drive in Britain is seen as a huge success while that in the 27-nation bloc has been a major failure. The United Kingdom has given about 35 per cent of its adults a vaccine shot while the EU is further back with 9.5 per cent.

4:20 PM

Wide resistance to vaccines plagues Ukraine's Covid-19 fight

After receiving its first shipment of coronavirus vaccine, Ukraine found itself in a new struggle against the pandemic persuading its widely reluctant people to get the shot.

 

Although infections are rising sharply, Ukrainians are becoming increasingly opposed to vaccination: an opinion poll released earlier this month by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology found 60% of the country's people don't want to get vaccinated, up from 40% a month earlier. The nationwide poll of 1,207 had a margin of error of 2.9 percentage points.

 

The resistance appears to be rooted in longstanding suspicion of vaccines dating back to the Soviet era, amplified by politicians' allegations about low-quality vaccines, corruption scandals and misinformation spread through social media. Even more surprisingly, the reluctance still appears even among those highest at risk who administer lifesaving drugs to others every day: medical workers.

4:01 PM

ICICI Bank to bear cost of Covid-19 vaccination for employees

ICICI Bank on Wednesday announced that it will cover the cost of inoculating about 1 lakh employees of the bank and their families against coronavirus.

 

The bank will provide Covid-19 vaccination for its employees and their immediate family members free of cost, it said in a release.

 

The initiative is aimed at safeguarding the lives of its employees and their dependent family members from the Covid-19 pandemic, said the lender, as also a humble gesture to appreciate the dedication, perseverance and passion portrayed by the employees to ensure seamless services to millions of customers during the pandemic.

3:36 PM

Higher airborne pollen levels linked with increased Covid-19 risk: Study

Higher concentration of airborne pollen is associated with increased novel coronavirus infection rates, according to a study that used data from 31 countries across five continents.

 

Researchers at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) and the Helmholtz Zentrum Munchen in Germany noted that people in high-risk groups can protect themselves by watching pollen forecasts and wearing dust filter masks.

 

The team collected data on airborne pollen concentrations, weather conditions and SARS-CoV-2 infections, taking into consideration the variation of infection rates from one day to another, and the total number of positive tests.

3:27 PM

6 states account for over 80% of fresh Covid-19 cases

Six states -- Maharashtra, Kerala, Punjab, Karnataka, Gujarat and Tamil Nadu -- accounted for 83.76 per cent of the17,921 cases of Covid-19 reported in the country in a day, the Union Health Ministry said on Wednesday.

 

India's tally of active Covid-19 cases stood at 1.84 lakh and comprised 1.64 per cent of the total infections, according to the ministry's data.

 

The total number of tests conducted in India so far has crossed 22 crore and the daily positivity rate stood at 2.43 per cent. Maharashtra continued to report the highest daily new cases at 9,927, followed by Kerala with 2,316 cases and Punjab 1,027 fresh instances of the infection.

2:53 PM

Maharashtra forms 7-point action plan to contain spread of Covid-19

To check the spike in Covid-19 cases, the Maharashtra health department has come up a seven- point action plan, including testing of close contacts, fast contact-tracing, mass testing in hot-spots and audit of deaths.

 

All district administrations have been directed to act upon these points immediately, as per a letter dated March 3 of the health department's principal secretary Dr Pradeep Vyas.

1:30 PM

Celebrating 75 years of Independence, aiding COVID-19 vaccination drive: PM Modi's to-do list for BJP MPs

Prime Minister Narendra Modi briefed the BJP MPs on the government's plans to celebrate 75 years of the nation's Independence during the Bharatiya Janata Party parliamentary party meeting on Wednesday. The Prime Minister told the MPs that the celebrations, inspired by the Dandi march, will begin from March 12, the day when Mahatma Gandhi launched a non-violent protest against the British monopoly on the production of salt. The celebrations will begin from Sabarmati Ashram in Gujarat. PM Modi said that the Union Ministry of Culture has identified 75 places where the celebration will be held. He also asked the MPs to be present in their respective states to be able to participate in these celebrations. He also asked the MPs to aid in the ongoing COVID-19 vaccination drive being held across the country.

1:15 PM

Central observer for Assam polls tests positive for Covid

A central observer of the Election Commission of India (ECI) for Assam polls has tested positive for COVID-19 after his arrival in Jorhat district, a senior official said on Wednesday. Jorhat Deputy Commissinoer Roshni Aparanji Korati said the ECI appointed general observer Manjeet Singh Brar tested positive on Tuesday on arrival in the district. "He is stable and under home isolation at one of his friend's place. A medical team is monitoring his health parameters and there is nothing to worry," she added.

1:04 PM

Seychelles to open up to the world from March 25

Seychelles, the Indian Ocean island destination has announced that it will be welcoming visitors from across the globe, irrespective of their vaccination status, as from March 25, 2021. The announcement was made by the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Tourism, Sylvestre Radegonde, at the Seychelles Tourism Board (STB) conference room at Botanical House following the Tourism Task Force Committee meeting. Visitors will now only be required to present a negative PCR test taken 72 hours prior to departure. There will be no quarantine requirement nor restriction on movement upon entry into Seychelles. Additionally, the minimum stay in establishments upon arrival will no longer be applicable.

12:48 PM

Iran to begin Covid inoculation with domestic vax

Iran will begin its Covid-19 vaccination program for the country's general population using the domestic jab, COV-Iran Barekat, an top official said. "We have a big potential in the mass production of this vaccine, and after the next two to two and a half months, we will not have any concerns about stocks of Covid-19 vaccines," Xinhua news agency quoted Mohammad Mokhber, head of the Headquarters for Executing the Order of the Imam Khomeini (HEOIK), as saying on Tuesday. Speaking during the unveiling of a mobile hospital in Tehran, the official said the vaccination program is expected to be launched in May.

12:30 PM

Madurai to impose Rs 200 fine on those not wearing masks

The Madurai district administration on Tuesday has ordered the imposition of a fine of Rs 200 on those not wearing masks in public places. A press release issued by the Madurai district collector reminded the people that the curfew has been extended till March 31 in Tamil Nadu. "As the second wave of COVID-19 is likely to form in Madurai, The Madurai district administration has ordered to impose a fine of 200 rupees on those who do not wear masks in public places," read the press release.

 

12:14 PM

Restaurants are big beneficiaries of COVID-19 relief bill

Restaurants devastated by the coronavirus outbreak are getting a lifeline from the pandemic relief package that's awaiting final approval in the House. The bill passed by the Senate on Saturday a dds money to the Paycheck Protection Program and provides indirect help to small businesses in general through stimulus payments and unemployment benefits. But restaurants got the biggest share of direct help: USD 28.6 billion in grants for restaurants whose revenue fell in 2020 as a result of the pandemic.