LIVE: Delhi govt fixes maximum price for RT-PCR tests in pvt labs at Rs 300

Rapid antigen test to detect Covid to be done at Rs 100, says govt

10:01 PM

Over 160.32 crore Covid vaccine doses administered in India: Govt

The cumulative COVID-19 vaccine doses administered in the country crossed 160.32 crore on Thursday, according to the Union health ministry.

 

At a press conference, Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan said 94 per cent of India's adults have received the first dose of COVID-19 vaccine, while 72 per cent are fully vaccinated.

 

He said 52 per cent of adolescents in the 15-18 age group have received the first dose with Andhra Pradesh topping the list with 91 per cent, followed by Himachal Pradesh at 83 per cent and Madhya Pradesh at 71 per cent.

9:51 PM

Gujarat logs highest-ever 24,485 COVID-19 cases; 13 die, active tally tops 1 lakh

Gujarat on Thursday recorded 24,485 new cases, the highest single-day spike so far, pushing up its tally above the 10-lakh mark, while 13 patients succumbed to infection, the state health department said.

 

With these additions, the state's COVID-19 tally rose to 10,01,563 cases, while the death toll increased to 10,199, said a health department release. The latest surge in new cases also pushed up the state's active tally above the 1- lakh mark, said the release. Ahmedabad city recorded the highest number of infections - 9,837 - during the day, followed by 2,981 in Surat city, 2,823 in Vadodara city, 1,333 in Rajkot city and 728 in Surat district. 

9:26 PM

Mumbai's COVID-19 cases drop to 5,708; 12 die, active tally at 22,103

Mumbai on Thursday reported 5,708 new coronavirus cases, 324 less than the previous day, and 12 fresh fatalities, while 15,440 more patients recovered from the infection, the city civic body said.

 

With fresh additions, the financial capital's COVID-19 tally rose to 10,23,707, while the death toll jumped to 16,500, a Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) bulletin said. The daily COVID-19 cases in the city dipped for the second consecutive day and dropped below the 6,000-mark after a two-day gap. Mumbai reported 324 fewer cases as compared to Wednesday, but the daily fatalities remained the same.

9:18 PM

Kerala govt imposes fresh restrictions to contain rising COVID cases

The Kerala government on Thursday imposed fresh restrictions in the state as a preventive measure to contain the rising number of COVID-19 cases.

 

A high-level COVID review meeting, chaired by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan virtually from the United States, decided that only essential services should be allowed on the next two Sundays --January 23 and 30.

 

The meeting also decided to allow working women with children below the age of two, cancer patients and seriously ill persons to work through the work from home system.

 

It directed institutions including businesses, malls, beaches, and other tourist places like theme parks, to ensure no gatherings take place and operate strictly adhering to COVID-19 protocols.

8:46 PM

The positivity rate in Maharashtra is 23.5%: Tope

8:45 PM

28,561 new Covid cases in Tamil Nadu

8:14 PM

Gujarat reports 24,485 fresh Covid cases

7:52 PM

Delhi govt fixes maximum price for the RT-PCR test at private laboratories at Rs 300

7:26 PM

Mumbai reports 5,708 new Covid cases

6:53 PM

47,754 new Covid cases in Karnataka

6:42 PM

62 more cases of Omicron variant confirmed in Kerala today

6:41 PM

12,306 new Covid cases in Delhi

6:09 PM

Kerala sees another big spike, reports 46,387 new cases

5:19 PM

Andhra Pradesh reports 12,615 new Covid cases

4:48 PM

94% of India's adults have been administered 1st dose of Covid vaccine

4:27 PM

Vaccines have remained beneficial in India: DG ICMR

4:25 PM

Maharashtra, Karnataka, 4 other states are among states of concern, says govt

3:21 PM

Bhagwant Mann to contest from Dhuri

2:49 PM

Total Covid vaccine doses administered in India cross the 1.6 bn-mark: Mandaviya

2:05 PM

Schools in Maharashtra to reopen for Classes 1-12 from Monday

1:22 PM

Bhim Army chief to contest against Adityanath

Bhim Army chief Chandra Shekhar Aazad will contest against Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in Gorakhpur Sadar in the assembly elections, said multiple reports Thursday. This will also be Azad's first election.

12:51 PM

First sentencing in Delhi riots, convict gets 5 years in prison

A court in Delhi on Thursday sentenced Dinesh Yadav to five years in prison, making him the first person convicted in connection with communal riots that swept the national capital in February 2020. Yadav was convicted last month for being a member of an unlawful assembly and rioting, and taking part in robbing and burning down the house of a 73-year-old woman, NDTV reported.

 

12:16 PM

AAP leader Bhagwant Mann to contest election from Dhuri seat: ANI

Bhagwant Mann, the Aam Aadmi Party’s chief ministerial candidate in Punjab, will contest election from Dhuri in Sangrur district, reports ANI quoting sources.

12:05 PM

OneWeb, Hughes to provide satellite broadband services in India

OneWeb, a company backed by Bharti Group, and satellite service provider Hughes Network Systems have signed a strategic six-year distribution agreement to provide satellite broadband services across India, said the two sides on Thursday. Services in India will be provided by Hughes and Bharti Airtel joint venture Hughes Communications India.

11:08 AM

FDI flows to India slip 26 pc in 2021: UN report

Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) flows to India in 2021 were 26 per cent lower, mainly because large M&A deals recorded in 2020 were not repeated, a UN trade agency has said. The UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) Investment Trends Monitor published on Wednesday said global foreign direct investment flows showed a strong rebound in 2021, growing 77 per cent to an estimated $1.65 trillion, from $929 billion in 2020, surpassing their pre-Covid level, said PTI.

10:14 AM

India Omicron count rises to 9,287

India’s tally of coronavirus variant Omicron increased to 9,287 on Wednesday, said the health ministry. Active Covid-19 cases now comprise 5.03 per cent of the total infections, while the national recovery rate has decreased to 93.69 per cent.

9:35 AM

Worldwide coronavirus cases cross 335.29 million

More than 335.29 million people have been reported to be infected by the coronavirus globally and 5,909,045 have died, according to a Reuters tally. Infections have been reported in more than 210 countries and territories since the first cases were identified in China in December 2019.

9:10 AM

India logs 317,532 new Covid cases

India's recorded 317,532 new cases of Covid-19 in the last 24 hours, says the health ministry.

8:51 AM

Covid-19: Beijing flare-up worsens

China’s capital found a Covid-19 cluster among cold chain workers, the latest sign the country is seeing more infections resulting from a controversial claim of transmission through contaminated goods. 

8:50 AM

A million vaccine shots tossed in Indonesia on short expiry date

More than a million Covid-19 vaccine shots expired in Indonesia before they could be given out, as most of them were donated with a short shelf life.

 

Of the 1.1 million doses that were thrown out, about 98% were donated just one to three months away from expiry, Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin said in parliament on Wednesday.