Coronavirus updates: Maharashtra also reported less than 20,000 COVID-19 cases for the sixth consecutive on Saturday
News Updates: Maharashtra on Saturday reported 13,659 new cases, the lowest since 10 March, and 300 deaths. The caseload in the state increased to 58,19,224 and the death toll to 99,512, the health department said.
The state reported less than 20,000 cases on the consecutive sixth day on Saturday. On 10 March, the state had reported exactly the same number of daily cases — 13,659 — which began increasing afterwards.
There are 1,88,027 active cases now. The recovery rate improved to 95.01 percent from 94.86 percent a day ago, while the fatality rate was 1.71 per cent.
Karnataka has reported 13,800 fresh cases of and 365 deaths thereby taking the total infected and fatalities so far to 26,83,314 and 31,260, respectively, the Health Department said on Saturday.
The State has 2,68,275 active cases whereas the total number of people discharged stood at 23,83,758 with the recovery of 25,346 people.
Faced with a shortage of vaccines for the 18-44 age group, AAP leader and MLA Atishi said on Saturday that the Delhi government is ready to make "advance payment" for jabs.
"Today, both Covishield and Covaxin are available in private hospitals (for age group 18-44) but not in government-run hospitals and centres. The vaccine companies tell us that it is the Central Government which decides who gets how much vaccine and when," said Atishi during the vaccine bulletin.
"So, we request the Central Government to provide us with vaccines for the 18-plus (group) like they have been providing for the 45-plus. Delhi is even ready to make advance payment for the vaccines," she added.
It has been almost two weeks since the AAP government in Delhi stopped administering Covid vaccines to the 18-44 age group people due to the unavailability of doses.
Goa chief minister Pramod Sawant announced the extension of -induced lockdown in the state till 14 June, but also allowed shops selling essential items to remain open longer.
"Our Government has decided to extend the state level curfew till 7 am of 14 June 2021. Timings for essential shops as defined will be increased to 7 am to 3 pm," the Goa chief minister said on Twitter.
"In addition, shops or stores related to house or building repairs, monsoon preparedness, or rain protection and stationery items will be allowed to open," he added.
Uttar Pradesh reported 1,092 fresh cases and 120 deaths on Saturday, taking the toll from the virus in the state to 21,151, while the infection tally to 16,97,352, officials said on Saturday.
Of the 120 latest fatalities, 12 have been reported from Gorakhpur, 11 from Ayodhya, nine from Saharanpur, eight from Bareilly, seven from Lucknow and Shahjahanpur, among others, according to a health department bulletin.
The 'Corona curfew' in Himachal Pradesh has been extended till 6 am on 14 June, reports news agency ANI. The Class 12 board exams in the state have also been canceled in view of the situation, said reports.
Delhi recorded 414 new cases, the lowest in over two-and-a-half months, and 60 fatalities on Saturday, while the positivity rate dipped to 0.53 percent, according to data shared by the health department. As per the latest health bulletin, these new fatalities pushed the toll from to 24,557.
China has authorised the emergency use of Sinovac's vaccine CoronaVac for those aged between 3 and 17 years, said reports.
The Indian Medical Association on Saturday said that a total of 646 doctors have died in the second wave of as of 5 June 2021. The association also shared a list of the worst-affected states in terms of doctors' deaths.
The National Health Surveillance Agency (ANVISA) of Brazil has authorised the import of Bharat Biotech's COVAXIN vaccine for distribution and use under controlled conditions, ANI reported.
The approval, however, limits the number of doses that can be imported to the country and their usage. The Brazilian authority also authorised Russia's Sputnik V with the same conditions, reports said. The decision was taken late Friday night.
The Union Health Ministry on Saturday said that the weekly positivity rate is currently at 6.89 percent, while the daily positivity rate has declined to 5.78 percent, maintaining a trend of being less than 10 percent for 12 consecutive days.
A steady continuous increase in the national recovery rate has taken it to 93.38 percent on Saturday.
As the Delhi government is seeking to relax lockdown curbs that were enforced to stop the second wave of , Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal announced a slew of new rules.
"The private offices will be allowed to function with 50 percent staff. Group A staff of government offices will be allowed to function with 100 percent, group B with 50 percent staff."
"Lockdown will continue with more relaxation in other activities. Markets, malls to be opened on odd-even basis," he said.
"With an expected third wave of , 420 tonnes of oxygen storage capacity is being prepared. We have also spoken to Indraprastha Gas limited to produce 150 tones of oxygen," Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal said on Saturday
"Two genome sequencing labs to be set up for detection of new variants, if any," he added.
The Indian Medical Association on Saturday issued a statement saying that it is "appalled to learn of intimidation tactics by Madhya Pradesh bureaucracy against junior doctors in the state, in view of their demands for bed reservation, workplace security and stipend hike".
"IMA stands with them and demands that the state government look into their cause," the statement added.
The Union Health Ministry on Saturday said that 1,20,529 new cases were reported in the country in the last 24 hours. This is the lowest daily tally of cases since 7 April, when 1.15 lakh cases were reported.
Union Minister for Chemicals and Fertilisers DV Sadananda Gowda on Friday said an additional 9,750 vials of amphotericin-B medicines have been allocated to Karnataka. The drug is vital for treating black fungus infection, which has emerged as a post- complication among those with high diabetes.
"Additional 9,750 vials of amphotericin-B have been allocated to Karnataka today. Inclusive of today's allocation, a total of 22,460 vials of the drug have been allocated to the State till now," Gowda tweeted.
Acknowledging the receipt of amphotericin-B from the Centre, Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa told reporters in Hubballi that the drug would be dispatched to the districts based on the requirement.
Odisha on Friday cancelled its class 12 board exams in view of the pandemic while Karnataka maintained that the class 10 exams will be conducted in multiple choice questions format in the third week of July.
Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik said the safety of students is more important than the examinations. The state government has already cancelled the class 10 board examination, conducted by the Board of Secondary Education.
The Karnataka government announced that the SSLC or class 10 examination will be held in the third week of next month while cancelling the second year pre-university course (PUC) exams this year in view of the disruption caused by the pandemic.
The PUC second year students will be promoted to the next level and the grading will be based on their performance in the first PUC exam.
"The SSLC exam will have one multi-choice question paper for mathematics, science and social science and one more question paper for languages," Karnataka Primary and Secondary Education Minister S Suresh Kumar said.
The multi-choice question paper bearing 40 marks will be easy and straight and there will not be any indirect questions, he said.
Kumar said there will be a supplementary examination for those students who are affected by . The exam results will be out by August.
The exams will be conducted in 6,000 centres, which is double last year, the minister said, adding, each room will have 10 to 12 students.
Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh on Thursday announced cancellation of class 12 board examinations while the Assam government said it will take a decision after the CBSE announces modalities for marking the students.
Following the Centre's decision to cancel class 12 CBSE board exams in view of the Covid pandemic, six states--Haryana, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Goa and Uttarakhand called off their board exams on Wednesday while few others said they will take a call soon.
The Centre on Tuesday decided to cancel the CBSE class 12 board exams amid the continuing pandemic across the country with Prime Minister Narendra Modi asserting that the decision has been taken in the interest of students and the anxiety among students, parents and teachers must be put to an end. Soon after, CISCE had also announced cancellation of its board exams.
