A health worker administers a dose of Covishield, Serum Institute of India's version of the AstraZeneca vaccine to a woman in Ahmedabad. (AP Photo)Coronavirus cases in India, Covid19 Live, Unlock Latest News June 9 Live Updates: What’s the cost of vaccinating India’s billion? An Indian Express report puts the number at Rs 50,000. This is also a conservative estimate. As the nation moves to the next phase of the Covid battle, the economic cost of the pandemic is something that the authorities must deal with. While the cost of the vaccination drive is the immediate concerns, other factors such as providing food grain supply to the economically backward class till Diwali will also put a strain on the national exchequer. The RBI has already spoken about the contraction of the Indian economy. Given the challenges related to the contagion, the world will be closely watching how the second-most populous country on the planet stages a turnaround. As the cities return to normalcy with the new unlock process, here are the latest corona updates from India and around the world:
Highlights
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Goa on Wednesday reported 456 fresh coronavirus positive cases and 16 deaths, taking the tally to 1,60,740 and the toll to 2,877, a health department official said. A total of 549 patients were discharged during the day, raising the count of recoveries in Goa to 1,52,073, the official said, adding the state is now left with 5,790 active cases. (PTI)
Delhi reports 337 new cases, 36 deaths and 752 recoveries in the last 24 hours. Positivity rate at 0.46%. The number of active cases is 4,511. (ANI)
World Trade Organisation member states agreed on Wednesday to intensify talks toward improving access to COVID-19 products, as developing nations push for a proposal to ease patent and other legal protections on coronavirus vaccines - and some wealthier countries remain stiffly opposed. (PTI)
In view of safety and well-being of students due to Covid pandemic, all pending JKBOSE Examinations session 2020-21 (Regular/Private) for final exams of class XI and XII across JKUT for which examination/results are awaited, are cancelled: Office of LG of J&K (ANI)
Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Wednesday inaugurated a 500-bed Covid hospital, established by Defence Research and Development Organisation's (DRDO) at Khonmoh here. After creating a makeshift hospital in Jammu, this is the second 500-bed hospital established by the DRDO in the union territory in the last 17 days. (PTI)
With opposition parties in Goa seeking a probe into unreported COVID-19 deaths in some private hospitals, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Wednesday said all such fatalities that occurred in the state were recorded by authorities. The Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) had demanded the resignation of state Health Minister Vishwajit Rane after it came to light that private hospitals didn't report at least 67 COVID-19 fatalities from the period between August 2020 to May 2021. These deaths were added to the state's record on Monday evening. (PTI)
The Nagaland government on Wednesday announced an extension of the ongoing Covid-related lockdown till June 18 with easing of some restrictions. The decision was taken by the states High Powered Committee on COVID-19 at a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio two days before the current lockdown was to end, state minister Neiba Kronu said. This will be the third extension of the lockdown in the state. (PTI)
France is back in business as a tourist destination after opening its borders Wednesday to foreign visitors from the United States, Britain and elsewhere who are inoculated against the coronavirus with vaccines approved by the European Union's medicines agency. France's acceptance of only the Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson vaccines means tourism is likely to be slow to pick up from China and other countries that use vaccines not approved by the European Medicines Agency. (PTI)
Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga says he is aiming to have everyone in the country vaccinated by November, a target he set with a general election scheduled for later this year. Suga called vaccines 'a trump card' of anti-virus measures and said Wednesday: "I want vaccines to be given by the October-November period to all the people who want to be vaccinated."
The Jharkhand government on Wednesday extended COVID-related lockdown-like restrictions till June 16 with some relaxations, an official said. This is the fifth time that the curbs, first imposed in the state on April 22 for a week, were extended. The ongoing measures were scheduled to end on June 10. The decision was made at a meeting of the state disaster management authority chaired by Chief Minister Hemant Soren. (PTI)
Meghalaya on Wednesday reported 448 new COVID-19 cases, pushing the coronavirus tally to 39,983, a senior health department official said. The COVID-19 death toll jumped to 694 as 16 more people succumbed to the infection, Health Services Director, Aman War said. (PTI)
Telecom operator Reliance Jio has started providing information regarding vaccine availability through WhatsApp chatbot, along with other customer services, according to a company source. The new service enables people to look for COVID-19 vaccine availability, without the hassle of one-time password to refresh the session. (PTI)
Clinical parameters of two COVID-19 patients improved significantly within 12 hours of administering monoclonal antibody therapy, doctors at Ganga Ram Hospital said on Wednesday. Dr Pooja Khosla, Senior Consultant, Department of Medicine, SGRH, said a 36-year-old healthcare worker with high-grade fever, cough, muscle pain, severe weakness and leucopenia (reduction in the number of white blood cells) was administered REGCov2 (Casirivimab and Imdevimab) on Tuesday, day 6 of the disease. (PTI)
Police have booked 13 people from Delhi, including three women, for violating Covid norms by gathering at a party here, officials said on Wednesday. Acting on a tip-off, the local expressway police raided the party being held at a farmhouse in Sector 135 on Tuesday evening, Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (Noida) Ranvijay Singh said. (PTI)
Shipping containers modified into emergency mobile medical units that can help treat COVID-19 patients were formally put into service at the Kilpauk Medical college here on Wednesday. Each of the 'repurposed shipping containers' can hold seven beds along with life-saving devices, and are easy to transport and erect. The containers are built with corrugated metal sheets and can be customised easily to be used as 'quarantine centres' and isolation wards in hospitals, Rajasthan Cosmo Club, which put together the units, said in a release. - PTI
Speaking in indoor spaces without wearing a mask poses the greatest risk of spreading SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, to others, a study has found. The research, published in the Journal of Internal Medicine on Tuesday, describes how different sized respiratory droplets emitted while speaking have a range of sizes, and can carry different amounts of virus. According to the researchers of the study, the most concerning droplets are those of intermediate size that remain suspended in air for minutes. These droplets can be transported over considerable distances by air currents, they noted. - PTI
Free rice in return for a COVID-19 jab, and as much as 20 kg. The prospect turned out to be lucrative enough to dispel rumours around vaccination among villagers of an administrative circle in Arunachal Pradesh, as over 80 of them turned up on foot for the inoculation within days of the announcement of the sop. The brainchild of Circle Officer Tashi Wangchuk Thongdok of Yazali in Lower Subansiri district, the offer of free rice for those getting vaccinated in the 45-plus age group was launched on Monday and is valid till Wednesday. "We are constantly trying to work out strategies to improve vaccination coverage in the circle and in the district. - PTI
The Goa government on Wednesday announced that it will host "Tika Utsav 3.0", a vaccination festival across the state to inoculate maximum population in the age group of 18 to 44 years against COVID-19. Speaking to reporters after chairing a state Cabinet meeting, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said, “Through Tika Utsav 3.0, we will be able to vaccinate everyone in the 18-44 age category in the state. We have witnessed a good response to the Tika Utsavs that were held in the past." The state government has held two "Tika Utsavs" in the past involving all panchayats and municipal councils. - PTI
For the second straight day, Puducherry registered an increase in number of daily cases of coronavirus with 642 infections reported on Wednesday, while the fresh deaths fell during the same period. In the last 24 hours, the COVID aggregate rose to 1,10,748 with 642 new cases. The new fatalities however fell to four, taking the toll to 1,648. Director of Health Department S Mohan Kumar noted that the number of active cases were 6,853. This was also less than the Tuesday's figure of 7,149. - PTI
More than 1.33 crore COVID-19 vaccine doses are still available with states and union territories and over 3 lakh doses are in the pipeline and will be received by them within the next three days, the Union health ministry said on Wednesday. Over 25 crore vaccine doses have been provided to states and UTs so far, through the government of India (free of cost channel) and through direct state procurement category. Of this, the total consumption, including wastage, is 23,74,21,808 doses (according to data available at 8 am on Wednesday), the ministry said. "A total of 1,33,68,727 COVID-19 vaccine doses are still available with states and UTs to be administered. - PTI
Karnataka Revenue Minister R Ashoka on Wednesday indicated that the state may go for unlocking in four to five phases after June 14, as the COVID-19 induced lockdown comes to an end. "Keeping the number of deaths and new cases in mind and aimed at bringing down the COVID infections further, lockdown will not be relaxed at one go. Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai, Health Minister K Sudhakar and I have held detailed discussions with the Chief Minister in this regard," Ashoka said. Speaking to reporters here he said, lockdown will be relaxed in phases, most probably it may be done in four to five phases. - PTI
As far as 3rd wave is concerned, we've already got instructions to make paediatric wards with minimum 100 beds in each COVID centre. BKC has discharged 26,000 COVID patients so far & no mucormycosis case has been notified among them yet: Dr Rajesh Dere,BKC Jumbo Covid centre Dean - ANI
As India wages a battle against COVID-19, a science foundation promoted by eminent scientists, academics and management professionals hopes to soon fund a project aimed at contributing to India's response to future pandemics. "Within the next few weeks we hope to announce the first project to be funded which is of relevance to India's ability to mount an effective response to future pandemics," said CEO of Ignite Life Science Foundation (ILSF), Swami Subramaniam but did not share further details. - PTI
Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Wednesday attacked the Yogi Adityanath dispensation over the reported "mock drill" at a private hospital in Agra in which oxygen supply was allegedly cut off for five minutes, and asked if the Uttar Pradesh government will bring out the truth and punish those guilty. The Agra administration on Tuesday ordered a probe after a video clip surfaced in which the owner of a private hospital there was purportedly heard saying that he conducted a "mock drill" in which oxygen supply was cut off for Covid patients for five minutes. In the video which went viral on social media, the owner of the hospital is also heard saying that bodies of some patients started turning blue after the oxygen supply was cut off. - PTI
Arunachal Pradesh's COVID-19 caseload rose to 30,000 as 304 more people tested positive for the infection, a senior health official said here on Wednesday. The COVID-19 death toll in the northeastern state climbed to 126 with one more person succumbing to the infection on Monday, the official said. A 27-year-old woman from the Capital Complex Region died at the Dedicated Covid Hospital (DCH) at Chimpu, near here on Monday, due to acute respiratory distress syndrome with Covid Pneumonia, State Surveillance Officer (SSO) Dr Lobsang Jampa said. - PTI
The southern China metropolis of Guangzhou has ordered the closure of cinemas, theatres, nightclubs and other indoor entertainment venues as authorities seek to contain the country's latest coronavirus outbreak. The controls announced Wednesday are even stricter in parts of the city where the risk of infection is categorized as high or moderate. Guangzhou has isolated several neighbourhoods where cases have been detected and barred people from leaving the city or the surrounding province of Guangdong unless absolutely necessary. - PTI
Ladakh reported 72 fresh cases of COVID-19, taking the overall virus tally to 19,330, officials said on Wednesday. The union territory has recorded a total of 195 COVID-related deaths with 141 in Leh district and 54 in Kargil district, while 18,194 patients have recovered from the infection since the outbreak of the pandemic last year. Of the new cases, the officials said 64 persons tested positive in Leh and eight others in Kargil. They said 142 patients were discharged during the past 24 hours, bringing down the number of active cases to 941 with 776 in Leh and 165 in Kargil. - PTI
Bahujan Samaj Party supremo Mayawati on Wednesday welcomed the Centre's announcement on free vaccines to all above 18 years of age, but called it a "delayed decision". She asked the central government to stay away from politics and focus on vaccinating the public against coronavirus. "After the second wave of coronavirus proved to be very lethal, the Centre's decision of 'free' vaccination for all from June 21 is a late but appropriate step. The BSP has been demanding it from the beginning. Now this work needs to be done with great diligence," Mayawati said in a tweet in Hindi. She said intensive vaccination is the only solution to the COVID-19 pandemic. - PTI
Vaccine beneficiaries can now correct errors in their COVID-19 inoculation certificate themselves on the CoWIN portal. The government has added a new feature to the CoWIN platform for making corrections in COVID-19 vaccination certificates, Vikas Sheel, Additional Secretary, Union Health Ministry, said on Wednesday. "Now you can make corrections to your name, year of birth and gender on your Cowin vaccination certificates if inadvertent errors have come in. Go to http://cowin.gov.in and Raise an Issue," a tweet on the Aarogya Setu's Twitter handle said. Cumulatively, 23,90,58,360 COVID-19 vaccine doses have been administered so far under the nationwide vaccination drive in the country. - PTI
Andaman and Nicobar Islands reported 23 new COVID-19 cases, pushing the tally in the union territory to 7,154, a health department official said on Wednesday. The COVID-19 death toll rose to 125 as two more persons succumbed to the infection in the last 24 hours, the official said. Of the 23 new cases, 14 were detected during contact tracing while nine were airport arrivals. - PTI
The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Germany increased by 3,254 to 3,705,942, data from the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for infectious diseases showed on Wednesday. The reported death toll rose by 107 to 89,491, the tally showed. - Reuters
The pandemic has bolstered the use of gadgets in an average U.S. household to 25 connected devices, up from 11 in 2019, including laptops, smartphones, streaming devices, smart TVs, headphones and gaming consoles, according to a Deloitte report. The home has become the center of activities with children learning and playing games online and adults working from home, juggling video calls, shopping digitally and conducting doctors' appointments virtually. "The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic was like a time machine that suddenly propelled us tens of years into the future," said Paul Silverglate, vice chairman at Deloitte, the multinational professional services company. "It has changed how we interact with our connected devices, ultimately helping consumers, healthcare providers, education professionals, technology innovators and others adapt, innovate and thrive in our daily lives," he said. Fitness has surfaced as a key theme in the Deloitte survey with 58% households having a smartwatch or fitness tracker, while 14% of the device owners bought their fitness gadgets after the start of the pandemic. - Reuters
Singapore has reported its 34th death due to COVID-19, taking its toll from the pandemic beyond the 33 casualties recorded during the 2003 Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) outbreak.The city-state was one of the worst-hit countries by SARS outside mainland China, based on numbers of infection and death, according to the World Health Organization's data.SARS, a previously unknown infectious disease, is believed to have emerged from the wet markets of China's Guangdong province before spreading into major cities. Globally, as many as 774 people died in the epidemic that reached nearly 30 countries.While the current pandemic death toll has exceeded Singapore's death toll from the SARS outbreak, the city-state still has one of the world's lowest COVID-19 fatality rates. - Reuters
The Hong Kong team behind celebrity humanoid robot Sophia is launching a new prototype, Grace, targeted at the healthcare market and designed to interact with the elderly and those isolated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Dressed in a blue nurse's uniform, Grace has Asian features, collar-length brown hair and a thermal camera in her chest to take your temperature and measure your responsiveness. She uses artificial intelligence to diagnose a patient and can speak English, Mandarin and Cantonese. "I can visit with people and brighten their day with social stimulation ... but can also do talk therapy, take bio readings and help healthcare providers," Grace told Reuters as she stood next to her "sister", Sophia, in creator Hanson Robotics' Hong Kong workshop. Grace's resemblance to a healthcare professional and capacity for social interaction is aimed at relieving the burden of front-line hospital staff overwhelmed during the pandemic, said founder David Hanson. - Reuters
Mizoram on Wednesday reported 203 new COVID-19 cases, pushing the state's tally to 14,196, an official said. At least 3,214 samples were tested in the last 24 hours, taking the positivity rate to 6.31 per cent, he said. Of the fresh cases, Aizawl district reported the highest 158 infections, followed by Lunglei district at 24 and Kolasib district at 11, he said. Fifty-two children were among the newly-infected people, the official said. - PTI
The COVID-19 tally in Maharashtra's Thane district has gone up to 5,22,477 with the addition of 394 new cases of the viral infection, an official said on Wednesday. These new cases were reported on Tuesday, he said. The virus also claimed the lives of 36 more people, pushing the death toll in the district to 9,549. The COVID-19 mortality rate in Thane is 1.82 per cent, he added. Details of recovered and under-treatment patients were not provided by the district administration. In neighbouring Palghar district, the COVID-19 case count has gone up to 1,12,451, while the death toll has reached 2,199, another official said. - PTI