Health workers wear personal protective equipment (PPE) as they prepare to carry the body of a person, who died from complications related to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), for cremation in New Delhi. (Reuters photo)Coronavirus Live News, Coronavirus cases in India today, Unlock Live Tracker: June 10, 2021 – The day India lost over 6,000 people to Covid19 infection, officially. This huge jump in the daily corona tally is the result of the key update from Bihar. After an HC-mandated audit, the Bihar officials said that those who were recorded as ‘recovered’ patients were now updated as Covid fatalities. This sort of data purging will have a massive impact on not only national Covid tallies but state-wise trends also. Question is – will we see such revision from states such as Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat. Local media has been regularly reporting about how the official records don’t match with updates from cremation/burial grounds. In case all states start updating their numbers, India may see such a spike regularly.
If we take away the Bihar impact, the daily Covid deaths stood at 2,197. The number of daily caseload also remained below one lakh mark for third consecutive day. However, we have seen a slight increase in the daily tally.
However, more important point is collective Covid responsible behaviour. Which is missing since the unlock began. Be it sabzi mandis (vegetable market) of Varanasi or bazaars of Bihar, the crowded scenes show how people have simply forgotten the horrors of the second wave of the coronavirus. With the vaccination rate still very low in comparison with the desired target, such crowding may aggravate the spread of the virus. Because remember the virus hasn’t gone anywhere. Unlocking the economy is the need of the hour yet the irresponsible behaviour on part of the public may just bring back the devastation once again! Have we not learnt our lessons yet? Follow FE Online’s coronavirus live blog to see the latest and verified updates from India and around the world:
Highlights
Russia on Thursday reported 11,699 new coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours, its highest number of daily infections since late February, taking the national tally to 5,167,949 since the pandemic began. The government's coronavirus task force said that 383 people had died, pushing the national death toll to 125,278. The federal statistics agency has kept a separate toll and has said that Russia recorded around 270,000 deaths related to COVID-19 between April 2020 and April 2021. - Reuters
Today 1 cr vaccines are produced every month. In July-Aug it'll be increased to 6-7 cr per month.We hope for 10 cr doses per month by Sept. Earlier there were 2 producers, there are 13 now & it'll be 19 by Dec. 200 cr vaccines will be available by Dec, it's our roadmap: BJP chief JP Nadda - ANI
Singapore will start a phased easing of its COVID-19 restrictions from next week, including allowing up to five people to gather from two currently, after a fall in the number of new infections, the health ministry said. The city-state had reimposed curbs on gatherings and public activities last month amid a rise in locally acquired infections and with new clusters forming. Larger gatherings will be allowed from Monday, while restaurants will be able to resume dine-in services from June 21 if infections remain under control, the ministry said. - Reuters
Singapore will review in July plans to open a travel bubble, their governments said on Thursday, after the proposal was derailed for a second time in May due to a spike of coronavirus cases in Singapore. The COVID-19 situation in Singapore has stabilised in recent weeks, its government said in a statement, noting that the number of community cases and local unlinked COVID-19 cases were showing a downward trend. It also said the situation in Hong Kong remained stable."Both governments remain strongly committed... to resuming air travel between the two regional aviation hubs and international cities in a gradual and orderly manner under a set of stringent public health protocols," Hong Kong's government said in a separate statement. - Reuters
Bulgaria plans to lift the compulsory wearing of face masks in gyms, hairdressing salons, small shops and offices where all workers are vaccinated as coronavirus infections decrease, a deputy health minister said on Thursday."We have seen a drop in new infections and given the coming summer heat, we plan to take steps to ease the wearing of masks in some indoor spaces," deputy minister Alexander Zlatanov told reporters.Bartenders in small restaurants and cafes will also be allowed to work without masks if fully vaccinated, he said.The wearing of face masks will remain obligatory in big shops, large administrative buildings and public transport.Bulgaria has seen a significant drop in new infections since the third coronavirus wave peaked in April. - Reuters
The COVID-19 pandemic has reiterated a massive interdependence among various sectors while underlining the need to ensure inter-connectedness across the sectors is reflected in policies for effective and sustainable service delivery, Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan has said. Vardhan made the remarks while addressing the first meeting of the World Health Organization High-Level Coalition on Health and Energy Platform of Action on Wednesday night through video-conference, a Health Ministry statement said. The meeting was attended by several dignitaries and national heads, and representatives of various stakeholders like World Bank, UNDP, UNHRC, the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) etc. - PTI
Puri Rath Yatra will be held this year following COVID restrictions, without the participation of devotees, only with servitors. Supreme Court guidelines, issued last year, to conduct the Rath Yatra will be followed: Odisha Special Relief Commissioner Pradeep K Jena. Only COVID-19 negative and fully vaccinated servitors will be allowed to take part in the rituals, he added. - ANI
The government on Thursday said its advice to states and union territories to obtain permission before sharing eVIN data on vaccine stocks and temperature of storage is to prevent any misuse of this information by various agencies for commercial purposes. The Health Ministry clarification comes in the wake of media reports about the Centre writing to the states and UTs, advising them not to share the data of the Electronic Vaccine Intelligence Network (eVIN) system on vaccine stocks and the temperature of vaccine storage at public forums without prior consent, and stating that it is a "sensitive information and to be used only for programme improvement". "The crucial information related to specific vaccine usage trends for multiple vaccines used in Universal Immunization Programme (UIP), and temperature related data in respect to each such vaccine, can be used to manipulate the market as well as associated research with respect to various vaccines and cold chain equipment. -PTI
Kerala and West Bengal recorded negative wastage of COVID-19 vaccines in May, saving 1.10 lakh and 1.61 lakh doses respectively, while Jharkhand reported maximum wastage of 33.95 per cent, according to government data. While Kerala reported -6.37 per cent vaccine wastage, West Bengal recorded -5.48 per cent. Chhattisgarh reported 15.79 per cent vaccine wastage while Madhya Pradesh reported 7.35 per cent. States like Punjab, Delhi, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat and Maharashtra reported 7.08 per cent, 3.95 per cent, 3.91 per cent, 3.78 and 3.63 per cent and 3.59 per cent respectively. The data showed that a total of 790.6 lakh vaccines were supplied to states and UTs in May out of which total vaccinations were 610.6 lakh while 658.6 lakh shots were utilised and the closing balance was 212.7 lakh. - PTI
Amid a surge in the demand for supplemental oxygen during the second wave of the coronavirus pandemic, a Pune-based engineering firm has developed a do-it-yourself (DIY) design for an oxygen concentrator by tweaking open-source resources to Indian conditions. Oxygen concentrators hired or purchased for home installation by coronavirus patients' families at present are mostly made by foreign companies. The government has a duty waiver on these machines given their importance in saving lives. - PTI
More than 2,000 senior citizens have died of COVID-19 so far in Maharashtra's Raigad district, an official from the district administration said on Thursday. The district has recorded 1,36,69 cases so far, of which 1,26,416 patients have recovered from the infection and 3,267 died of it, the official said. This has left the region with 6,386 active cases, he said. Of the 16,601 persons above the age of 60, who contracted the deadly infection, 2,227 have died, he said, adding that the death ratio of the elderly stood at 13.4 per cent. - PTI
Delhi & Bengal govt were reprimanded by SC for providing incorrect info about children who were orphaned or whose parents died due to COVID. This info is also not available on Bal Swaraj portal.What else do you need than this mirror, Kejriwal & Mamta?: Union Minister Prakash Javadekar - ANI
Jharkhand state government decides to cancel 10th, 12th examination, an Indian Express update says. The decision will be announced by the evening.
The Indonesian palm oil association (GAPKI) is urging palm oil plantations to tighten COVID-19 protocols in the country's top-producing province of Riau after a surge in infections in the area, an official at the industry body said.The Southeast Asian country is the world’s top producer of palm oil used in everything from soap to ice cream and fuel with exports in 2020 estimated at about $23 billion. Riau is located on Sumatra island and accounts for 3.38 million hectares (8.35 million acres), or about a fifth of the country's 16.38 million hectares of palm oil plantations. The province has seen a surge in coronavirus infections in recent weeks, reporting an average of around 522 cases per day since May 16, and ranking among the worst-hit provinces. - Reuters
Thai consumer confidence hit a record low in May, hurt by the country's latest and biggest coronavirus outbreak so far, which could cost the economy as much as 800 billion baht ($25.7 billion), the commerce ministry said on Thursday. The consumer index of the University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce fell to 44.7 in May from 46.0 in April, when an outbreak emerged that has accounted for most of Thailand's overall COVID-19 infections and deaths. A sluggish rollout of vaccines and political uncertainty had also undermined consumer confidence in drivers for an economic recovery, university president Thanavath Phonvichai told a briefing. If the outbreak can be controlled this month, the economic impact is estimated at 500 billion baht to 800 billion baht this year, he said, adding a commerce confidence index also hit a record low in May. - Reuters
A US lawmaker has urged the Biden administration to provide an ample supply of COVID-19 vaccines and medical assistance to India which is essential in the fight against the global spread of the deadly virus. ‘Given the devastation, the virus continues to cause throughout India, and the variants emerging from the region and spreading to other parts of the world, it is essential for the United States to provide an ample supply of vaccines to India,’ Congressman Lee Zeldin said. - PTI
Sri Lanka has requested Japan provide 600,000 doses of AstraZeneca vaccine in an attempt to complete administering the second dose to citizens. Sri Lanka is facing a severe shortage of AstraZeneca vaccines as the producer in the neighbouring India failed to provide the promised stock due to the crisis in that country. On Wednesday, the president's office announced that president Gotabhaya Rajapaksa requested Prime Minister of Japan Yoshiihide Suga provide 600,000 doses of AstraZeneca. - PTI
Sri Lanka has requested Japan provide 600,000 doses of AstraZeneca vaccine in an attempt to complete administering the second dose to citizens. Sri Lanka is facing a severe shortage of AstraZeneca vaccines as the producer in the neighbouring India failed to provide the promised stock due to the crisis in that country. On Wednesday, the president's office announced that president Gotabhaya Rajapaksa requested Prime Minister of Japan Yoshiihide Suga provide 600,000 doses of AstraZeneca. - PTI
The US will buy 500 million more doses of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine to share through the global COVAX alliance for donation to 92 lower income countries and the African Union over the next year, a person familiar with the matter said Wednesday. President Joe Biden was set to make the announcement Thursday in a speech before the start of the Group of Seven summit. Two hundred million doses - enough to fully protect 100 million people - would be shared this year, with the balance to be donated in the first half of 2022, the person said. - AP
It was designed as an innovative way to promote COVID-19 vaccinations, but Washington's new 'joints for jabs' programme is off to a rough start. Officials announced on Monday that the state's nearly 500 licensed marijuana retailers could begin hosting vaccine clinics and offering a single, free pre-rolled marijuana cigarette to any 21-plus adult who received a shot there. It's one of many vaccine incentives being offered in Washington, including free pints of beer, sports tickets and prize money to lure those who have been hesitant or just lazy. Washington and Colorado in 2012 were the first states to legalize the adult use of marijuana, with regulated sales beginning in 2014. The industry brought Washington close to USD 474 million in taxes in the last fiscal year. - AP
With the addition of 454 new cases of coronavirus, the infection count in Maharashtra's Thane district has gone up to 5,22,979, an official said on Thursday. Besides these new cases reported on Wednesday, the virus also claimed the lives of 21 more people, raising the death toll in the district to 9,570, he said. The COVID-19 mortality rate in Thane stood at 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 1,12,638, while the death toll has reached 2,207, another official said. - PTI
Mizoram on Thursday registered its highest single-day spike of 347 fresh COVID-19 cases, which took the tally in the state to 14,534, an official said. Of the new cases, 246 were reported from Aizawl district, followed by 50 from Kolasib, 31 from Lawngtlai and 12 from Lunglei. The remaining cases were recorded in several other districts. As many as 81 children are among the new patients, the official said. - PTI
India reports 94,052 COVID19 cases, 1,51,367 discharges & 6148 deaths (highest in one day) in last 24 hrs, as per Health Ministry Total cases: 2,91,83,121 Total discharges: 2,76,55,493 Death toll: 3,59,676 Active cases: 11,67,952 Total vaccination: 23,90,58,360 - ANI
The health ministry has released the vaccination data of last 24 hours. According to the records, as of 8 am today, India vaccinated nearly 34 lakh individuals - 33,79,261 to be exact. This takes the overall tally of inoculation to 24,27,26,693.
37,21,98,253 samples tested for COVID19, up to 9th June 2021. Of these, 20,04,690 samples were tested yesterday: Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) - ANI
Good morning and welcome to FE Online's live blog of the coronavirus pandemic. Ahead of the June 21st launch or rather relaunch of the mass vaccination drive, there's a buzz on new price negotiations between the Modi govt and the vaccine producers. An Indian Express report says that the govt may look for a fresh price band. At present, both the Serum Institute of India and the Bharat Biotech provide each dose for Rs 150 to the Centre. This procurement price may be revised, the report says. The new vaccination plan will cost Rs 50,000 crore.