Coronavirus live updates: Only two states -- Maharashtra and Kerala -- contribute to 72 per cent of active cases of Covid-19, says health ministry. Global Covid cases have crossed 110-million mark.

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	<strong>Coronavirus live updates: </strong>India registered 11,795 fresh Covid-19 cases of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19). Active cases in India stand at 137,866, while the caseload tally has risen to 10,937,106. The country continues to be second-most-affected globally, and ranks 17th among worst-hit nations by active cases. Over 8.8 million Covid-19 vaccine doses have been administered till now, the health ministry said.</div>
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	Maharashtra&#39;s daily count remains above 3,000 for the eight straight day. Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray warned that if people did not follow social distancing and wear mask, another lockdown may follow. The five most affected states by total cases are Maharashtra (2,067,643), Kerala (1,007,019), Karnataka (945,638), Andhra Pradesh (888,899), and Tamil Nadu (845,575).</div>
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	<strong>World coronavirus update: </strong>Coronavirus cases rise unabated across the globe, with 110,018,241 infected by the deadly contagion. While 84,832,619 have recovered, 2,428,130 have died so far. The US remains the worst-hit country with 28,378,979, followed by India, Brazil, Russia and the United Kingdom. However, it terms of the total number of active cases, US tops the charts, followed by France, UK, Brazil and Belgium.</div>

LIVE: India will provide 200,000 vaccine doses to UN Peacekeepers, says EAM

Business Standard

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Russia-Ukraine War

The year 2022 is coming to an end and a lot has happened that shaped the world in the year. Let's have a look at some of these significant events

In February 2022, Russia attacked Ukraine&amp;#39;s capital, Kyiv, from the north in an attempt to overthrow President Volodymyr Zelensky&amp;#39;s government. In the months following, artillery bombardment and street fighting continued, with Russia seizing multiple cities.

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After a slew of scandals in his term spanning three years, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson resigned from office in July. Johnson was succeeded by Liz Truss, who took over the office in September.
						
						But after 45 days in the office, she resigned, becoming the shortest-serving PM in UK history. Her budgetary plans, at the centre of which were tax cut plans, had crashed the markets, making her lose the confidence of almost all her own MPs.
						
						In the days that followed, Rishi Sunak took over as Britain&amp;#39;s 57th prime minister and vowed to fix the mistakes made by his predecessor, Liz Truss.

Russia Invades Ukraine

In April, protests began in the nation following a sharp rise in food and fuel costs. Thousands demanded the resignation of now-ousted President Gotabaya Rajapaksa. The people faced long power cuts daily and shortages of basics, including fuel and food. Sri Lanka&amp;#39;s doctors said they were nearly out of life-saving medicines.
						
						Rajapaksa&amp;#39;s government was being blamed for the chronic mismanagement of the country&amp;#39;s finances. In July, protestors stormed Rajapaksa&amp;#39;s home, pushing him to flee the nation before resigning from office.

UK&amp;#39;s political crisis

In September, 22-year-old Iranian girl Mahsa Amini died after being detained for allegedly violating Iran&amp;#39;s laws requiring women to wear a headscarf. Authorities said she died of illness, but her family claimed she fell into a coma after being mistreated by the police. Sources said the police beat Amini with a baton and banged her head against a vehicle. At her funeral on September 17 in Saqez, women protested by ripping off their hijabs. Protests sparked by her demise have since roped in ethnic minorities and even school children. Thousands of women since then have been showing solidarity by cutting their hair and burning their hijabs in public.
						
						Now, the unrest has spread beyond a women&amp;#39;s right to a movement that is calling for an end to theocratic rule. The protests are now the most broadly supported movement in Iran in over four decades.

Sri Lanka economic crisis

In October, Chinese President Xi Jinping was handed a historic third term in office. He became the first leader of the ruling Communist Party after party founder Mao Zedong to get a third term in power.
						
						This came as China&amp;#39;s economy was running out of steam after decades of high growth. Many expect Xi&amp;#39;s third term may see China revert to more old-school economic management, focusing on shoring up the heavy industry and continuing a crackdown on big tech.

Uprising mounts again in Iran

In a historic first, rich countries agreed to pay for losses and damages caused by climate change. For 30 years, developing nations have been calling for developed countries to compensate for the costs of climate disasters caused by climate change. And rich nations that caused the pollution resisted the demand. But this changed in 2022.

Chinese President Xi Jinping starts record third term in power

In 2022, inflation was rising worldwide, with food and energy prices hitting record highs. The hike was mainly driven by pent-up consumer demand after the pandemic and Russia&amp;#39;s invasion of Ukraine. As the pandemic waned, people wanted to return to normalcy and spend more. This led to companies demanding higher prices. Companies also hired more to serve the pent-up demand. They had to increase wages to attract workers and raise prices to compensate for that.

A landmark deal UN Climate Change Conference (COP27)

In September, Queen Elizabeth II, Britain&amp;#39;s longest-serving monarch, died at 96 after reigning for 70 years. Many said her death would mark a turning point for commonwealth nations as many may disassociate themselves.

The global economy at crossroads

In October, Brazil&amp;#39;s former president, Luiz In&amp;aacute;cio Lula da Silva beat Jair Bolsonaro in the country&amp;#39;s closest presidential race in history. Silva&amp;#39;s win marked Latin America&amp;#39;s shift to the left and pointed to an extraordinary comeback for a man in jail for corruption three years ago.

Queen Elizabeth II dies

In October, billionaire Elon Musk closed his $44 billion deal to buy Twitter after months of dilly-dallying, drama and a lawsuit. The Tesla owner&amp;#39;s Twitter takeover is also one of the biggest tech acquisitions of all time. May fear that Musk&amp;#39;s takeover may turn the social media giant into a hotbed of hate speech.
					
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Government rushes virus gene-mapping as mutations spread

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	The US is scrambling to expand DNA mapping of coronavirus samples taken from patients to identify potentially deadlier mutations that are starting to spread around the country.<br />
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	On Wednesday, the White House announced a scaled up push by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and by a US Army biodefense institute. But the more significant action is on Capitol Hill, where a House bill headed for floor debate would provide $1.75 billion for genomic sequencing.<br />
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	&ldquo;I don&#39;t think this is going to be a light switch; I think its going to be a dial,&rdquo; CDC head Dr. Rochelle Walensky told reporters, as she described the effort.<br />
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	The US now maps only the genetic makeup of a minuscule fraction of positive virus samples, a situation some experts liken to flying blind. It means the true domestic spread of problematic mutations first identified in the United Kingdom and South Africa remains a matter of guesswork.<br />
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	Such ignorance could prove costly. One worry is that more transmissible forms such as the UK variant could move faster than the nation&#39;s ability to get the vaccine into Americans&#39; arms.<br />
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	&ldquo;You&#39;ve got a small number of academic and public health labs that have been basically doing the genomic surveillance,&rdquo; said David O&#39;Connor, an AIDS researcher at the University of Wisconsin. &ldquo;But there is no national coherence to the strategy.&rdquo; The CDC is trying to shepherd those efforts and align them with the government&#39;s own expanded commitment. Officials said Wednesday the administration will spend $200 million for the CDC to increase genomic sequencing to about 25,000 samples a week, or triple the current level.<br />
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Odisha reports 75 new Covid-19 cases, over 500,000 inoculated so far

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	Odisha&#39;s Covid-19 caseload on Wednesday went up to 3,36,397 after 75 more people tested positive for the virus, a health department official said.</div>
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	The state also registered recovery of 88 patients taking the total number of cured people to 3,33,788, which is 99.22 per cent of the caseload.<br />
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	The state&#39;s case fatality ratio (CFR) stands at 0.56 per cent while its positivity rate remains at 4.16 per cent, he said.<br />
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	Meanwhile, 5,03,614 health care workers and frontline workers were vaccinated for Covid-19 till 6 pm on Wednesday.<br />
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	Of the 13,230 targeted beneficiaries, 10,919 received jabs on Wednesday which is 82.5 per cent, the official said.<br />
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	Of the 75 new cases detected in 17 of the state&#39;s 30 districts, 46 were reported from different quarantine centres while 29 are local contact cases.</div>
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	The state&#39;s coronavirus death toll remained unchanged at 1,912 as no new fatality has been reported since Tuesday, he said.<br />
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Covid-19: 29,071 more vaccinated in Maharashtra; 7,065 get 2nd dose

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	As many as 29,071 beneficiaries, most of them frontline workers, received the first dose of COVID-19 vaccines in Maharashtra on Wednesday, while 7,065 health professionals were administered the second dose, the state government said. With this, 7,77,506 people have received vaccine doses in the state since January 16, when the inoculation drive against COVID-19 was launched in Maharashtra along with the rest of the country, an official statement said.</p>
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	Out of the 29,071 beneficiaries, 21,112 were frontline workers and 7,959 healthcare workers,&quot; it said. Though Mumbai has inoculated 91,451 healthcare workers with the first dose, the city saw only 649 people turning up till Wednesday to receive the second shot (which is being given since Feb 15), the statement said.</p>

Chhattisgarh sees 311 new Covid-19 cases, 5 more deaths

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	Chhattisgarh&#39;s COVID-19 tally rose to 3,09,934 on Wednesday with 311 fresh cases while the death toll climbed to 3,788 as five more people succumbed to the disease, an official said. While one fatality occurred on Wednesday, three patients died on Tuesday and another the day before, he said. The number of recoveries in the state reached 3,03,137 after nine more people were discharged from various hospitals and 164 others completed their home isolation.</p>
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	The number of active cases in the state stands at 3,009, the official said. With 118 new cases, Raipur district&#39;s caseload mounted to 54,859, including 799 deaths. Among other districts, Durg recorded 66 new cases and Surguja 16, he said.</p>

Delhi reports 134 new Covid-19 cases, 75 recoveries

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		Delhi reports 134 new COVID19 cases, 75 recoveries and no deaths today, as per Delhi Government<br />
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		Total cases: 6,37,315<br />
		Total recoveries: 6,25343<br />
		Death toll: 10,894<br />
		Active cases: 1,078 <a href="https://t.co/dlZzt8tRMf">pic.twitter.com/dlZzt8tRMf</a></p>
	&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1362086480303153153?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 17, 2021</a></blockquote>
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Aviation ministry releases updated SOP for international passengers arriving in India

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		&quot;To reduce the risk of importation of mutant strains of SARS-CoV-2, SOP for international passengers arriving in India have been updated; new SOP will be in effect on 23:59 hrs on 22nd Feb&quot;: Ministry of Civil Aviation <a href="https://t.co/mEvXqs7KZt">pic.twitter.com/mEvXqs7KZt</a></p>
	&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1362063241703133186?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 17, 2021</a></blockquote>
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At UNSC, Dr S Jaishankar calls for cooperation within framework of COVAX

At UNSC, S Jaishankar calls for cooperation within framework of COVAX, which is trying to secure adequate vaccine doses for poorest nations

India will provide 200,000 doses of Covid-19 vaccine to UN Peacekeepers as gift: Dr S Jaishankar

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	India will provide 200,000 doses of Covid-19 vaccine to UN Peacekeepers as gift: EAM Dr S Jaishankar</div>
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Coronavirus LIVE: Kerala reports 4,892 new Covid-19 cases in past 24 hours

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	Kerala logged 4,892 new COVID-19 cases, including 24 health workers, and 16 deaths, taking the total caseload to 10.16 lakh and the toll to 4,032 on Wednesday. A total of 69,953 samples were tested and the test positivity rate was 6.99 per cent, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said</div>
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	The tally of COVID-19 cases rose to 10,16,848. A total of 1,07,71,847 samples have been tested so far.</div>
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	&quot;Out of those infected today, 90 reached the state from outside while 4,497 contracted the disease through their contacts. The source of infection of 281 persons are yet to be traced.</div>

Coronavirus latest update: 46 new cases in Goa

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	Goa on Wednesday reported 46 fresh coronavirus cases, taking the tally in the state to 54,369, a state health department official said. The death toll reached 786 after two more patients succumbed to the virus during the day, he said. With 39 people being discharged during the day, the total number of recoveries in the state went up to 53,074. Goa has 509 active COVID-19 cases, the official said.</div>
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	&quot;With 1,625 new tests, the total number of samples tested for coronavirus in Goa until now rose to 4,76,682,&quot; he added.</div>
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	The official said that till date 4,76,682 samples have been tested.</div>

Tamil Nadu reports 454 new Covid-19 infections, six more fatalities

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	Tamil Nadu on Wednesday reported 454 new COVID-19 cases and six more fatalities, taking the tally to 8,46,480 and the toll to 12,438, the health department said. Recoveries outnumbered new infections with 462 people getting discharged, taking the cumulative number to 8,29,850, leaving 4,192 active cases.</div>
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	Chennai accounted for the most number of cases at 147, taking the total in the city to 2,33,779. The state capital also accounted for a little over one-third of the COVID-19 fatalities at 4,127 deaths. Five of the deceased had pre-existing morbidities.</div>

Healthcare workers' first vaccine dose coverage of less than 50% in 8 States/UTs: Govt

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		<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IndiaFightsCorona?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#IndiaFightsCorona</a>:<br />
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		Health Care Workers 1st dose coverage of less than 50% in 8 States/UTs.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Unite2FightCorona?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Unite2FightCorona</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LargestVaccinationDrive?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LargestVaccinationDrive</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/We4Vaccine?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#We4Vaccine</a> <a href="https://t.co/zL3d6JLhLZ">pic.twitter.com/zL3d6JLhLZ</a></p>
	&mdash; #IndiaFightsCorona (@COVIDNewsByMIB) <a href="https://twitter.com/COVIDNewsByMIB/status/1362034080888463363?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 17, 2021</a></blockquote>
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UK to begin world-first human trials to study Covid-19

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	The UK is to begin the world&#39;s first COVID-19 human trials to study the impact of the deadly virus on a healthy body&#39;s immune system, after receiving the approval of the country&#39;s clinical trials ethics body on Wednesday.</div>
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	The initial study is intended to help scientists understand how the immune system reacts to the virus that causes COVID-19, and identify factors that influence how it is transmitted -- including how a person who is infected sheds infectious virus particles into the environment.</div>
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	The study will involve up to 90 carefully selected healthy adult volunteers being exposed to the virus in a safe and controlled environment. Our eventual aim is to quickly test which vaccines and treatments work best in beating this disease, said Chief Investigator Dr Chris Chiu, from the Department of Infectious Diseases at Imperial College London.</div>

4,892 new coronavirus cases and 16 deaths in last 24 hours in Kerala

4,892 new coronavirus cases, 4,832 recoveries and 16 deaths have been confirmed in the last 24 hours in Kerala.

No data on efficacy of India's Covid-19 vaccines against South African, Brazilian variants: Scientists

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	Preliminary research shows the two vaccines against COVID-19 approved in India are effective against the UK variant of the novel coronavirus but there is no data on their efficacy against the South African and Brazilian mutants detected in the country. On Tuesday, the Health ministry said four people were detected with the South Africa variant of SARS-CoV-2 and one tested positive for the Brazil variant, a first for India, prompting scientists to stress the need for more data and studies so the country&#39;s vaccine programme can be tailored to evolving exigencies.</div>
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	The number of people who have tested positive for the UK variant in the country has climbed to 187, officials added.</div>
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	The vaccines currently approved for emergency use in India are Covishield, from the Oxford-AstraZeneca stable manufactured by Pune&#39;s Serum Institute of India, and Covaxin, developed by Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech in collaboration with the Indian Council of Medical Research and the National Institute of Virology (NIV).</div>

Vaccine should be available in open market by year-end: AIIMS director

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	Dr Randeep Guleria, director, All India Institute Of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), received his second dose of Covid vaccine here on Wednesday after a month of taking the first shot.</div>
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	Dr Guleria said the vaccine will be available in open market only when prime targets-people to be vaccinated-are covered and there&#39;s equivalence of supply-demand.&nbsp;</div>
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	&quot;Hopefully there&#39;d be such situation by year-end or before that. Then there would be likelihood of vaccine to come to open market,&quot; he said. Guleria, who is also the member of National Task Force on Covid-19, has not reported any major side-effects following the first jab, officials said. <a href="https://www.business-standard.com/article/current-affairs/vaccine-should-be-available-in-open-market-by-year-end-aiims-director-121021700856_1.html" target="_blank"><strong>READ ON...</strong></a></div>

Function halls under scanner amid rise in Covid-19 cases in Maharashtra

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	In light of the rise in COVID-19 cases in Maharashtra, local authorities have been instructed to crackdown on function halls where the number of guests are beyond the permissible limits, an official said on Wednesday. According to the police, as many as 50 guests are allowed to attend indoor events, while 200 can participate in outdoor functions.</div>
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	Divisional commissioner Sunil Kendrekar said authorities in eight districts of Aurangabad division have been asked to reach out to function halls in the region to check if the number of guests are within the permissible limits. If the number of people is found beyond limit, the administration will register an offence against the establishments, the official said.</div>
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	&quot;The administration should monitor function halls and check the number of persons present during functions. If the number is found beyond limit and COVID-19 guidelines are flouted, the administration will serve a notice and if the practise continues, an offence will be registered and the premises will be sealed,&quot; he said.</div>

DATA STORY: 97.33% of all Covid cases in India have now recovered

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	With 276,943 more vaccinations across India on Tuesday, the total count of those inoculated reached 8,999,230. The count of recovered coronavirus cases across India, meanwhile, reached 10,644,858 &ndash; or 97.33 per cent of total caseload &ndash; with 11,833 new cured cases being reported on Wednesday. India&rsquo;s recovery rate has inched up to 97.33%, while fatality rate remains unchanged at 1.43%. <a href="https://www.business-standard.com/article/current-affairs/data-story-97-33-of-all-covid-cases-in-india-have-now-recovered-121021700782_1.html" target="_blank"><strong>READ MORE HERE...</strong></a></div>

Delhi AIIMS Director Dr Randeep Guleria receives second dose of Covid-19 vaccine shot

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		Delhi: AIIMS Director Dr Randeep Guleria receives the second dose of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/COVID19?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#COVID19</a> vaccine shot. <a href="https://t.co/3NnXMBvASg">pic.twitter.com/3NnXMBvASg</a></p>
	&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1361969669066817543?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 17, 2021</a></blockquote>
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Mumbai Mayor hits the streets, orders people to wear masks

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	As the state apparently hurtles towards a second lockdown, Mumbai Mayor Kishori Pednekar on Wednesday took to the streets and with folded hands, appealed to the people to follow all Covid-19 protocols in public interest.</div>
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	Reiterating her warnings since Tuesday, Pednekar said that nearly 60 percent of the people are violating Covid-19 protocols like not wearing face-masks, maintaining physical distancing and cleanliness.</div>
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	&quot;I appeal to you all Do not force the government to impose another lockdown. Please maintain all protocols very strictly Its in your hands to avoid another lockdown,&quot; the Mayor appealed.</div>

LIVE: India will provide 200,000 vaccine doses to UN Peacekeepers, says EAM

Coronavirus live updates: Only two states -- Maharashtra and Kerala -- contribute to 72 per cent of active cases of Covid-19, says health ministry. Global Covid cases have crossed 110-million mark.

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