While the Centre has said that over 1 crore doses are available with the states, major players such as Odisha and Maharashtra have either shut down the vaccine centres or are operating it for fewer hours due to shortage of vaccine stocks. (Reuters file photo)Coronavirus Cases in India Today, New Coronavirus Variant Delta Plus Symptoms Updates: After a brisk start of the new vaccination programme on June 21st last month, the Narendra Modi government is eyeing for gigantic 12 crore Covid jabs in the month of July. Meanwhile, the World Health Organization has said that at least 10 per cent population of each country must be vaccinated against novel coronavirus by September. In what can be the gamechanger for India, another desi vaccine is up for DCGI’s emergency use nod. Zydus Cadila’s ZyCoV-D is the world’s first ‘needle-less’, three dose Covid vaccine. It is first plasmid DNA Covid vaccine. Cadila Healthcare MD Sharvil Patel said that in case the DCGI approves ZyCoV-D, the company will be able to produce 1 crore vaccine doses per month from August onwards and 5 crore doses by December this year.
Here are the latest Covid-related news from India and around the globe:
Highlights
Meghalaya's COVID-19 caseload on Friday increased to 50,575 as 485 more people tested positive for the infection, while five fresh fatalities pushed the north-eastern states coronavirus death toll to 849, a health official said. All five fatalities are from the East Khasi Hills district. The state now has 4,652 active COVID-19 cases, while 45,074 people have recovered from the infection so far, including 365 in the last 24 hours, Health Services director Aman War said. (PTI)
Maharashtra reports 8,753 new COVID cases, 8,385 discharges, and 156 deaths in the past 24 hours Active cases: 1,16,876Total discharges: 58,36,920Recovery rate: 96.01% (ANI)
The head of the World Health Organisation says the world is in "a very dangerous period" of the COVID-19 pandemic, noting the more contagious delta variant is identified in nearly 100 countries. At a press briefing on Friday, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the delta variant, first found in India, is continuing to evolve and mutate, and it is becoming the predominant COVID-19 virus in many countries. "I have already urged leaders across the world to ensure that by this time next year, 70% of all people in every country are vaccinated," he said, adding that would effectively end the acute phase of the pandemic. (AP)
The Delhi High Court Friday said it will hear on July 12, a plea by doctors challenging imposition of cost and certain adverse observations made by the court while dismissing their petition seeking to postpone the Foreign Medical Graduate Examination (FMGE) screening test due to the prevailing COVID-19 situation in the country. A vacation bench of Justices C Hari Shankar and Subramonium Prasad said there was no justification for taking up the matter now and listed it before the roster bench on July 12. "You are only challenging the costs and adverse observations, let it come before the roster bench," the court said. Petitioner, Association of MD Physicians, has filed an appeal challenging a single judge's June 11 order imposing a cost of Rs 25,000 and making certain remarks while dismissing the petition seeking to postpone the exam which was scheduled for June 18. (PTI)
Goa reports 183 new #COVID cases, 285 recoveries and 2 deaths in the last 24 hours.Active cases: 2,174Total recoveries: 1,61,867Death toll: 3,062 (ANI)
India on Friday said it expects that its CoWIN vaccination certificate would be recognised by the European Union on a reciprocal basis for travel and it is in touch with member states of the bloc over this issue. Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said the European Union has now instituted what is called an EU digital COVID certificate for exempting restrictions on the movement of vaccinated people. "Our expectation is that Indians who have been vaccinated through our domestic vaccination programme would be treated at par with those vaccinated in the EU and the CoWIN vaccination certificate would be recognized by the EU on a reciprocal basis," he said at an online media briefing. "As you are aware, such CoWIN vaccination certificates can be authenticated on the CoWIN website itself. We are in touch with the EU member states in this regard for reciprocal acceptance," Bagchi said, noting that a number of EU countries have already taken "positive steps" in this direction. His remarks came a day after sources said nine European nations are accepting Covishield vaccines for travel to their countries. (PTI)
Pakistan received 2.5 million doses of the Moderna vaccine from the United States on Friday, easing pressure on Islamabad in overcoming the shortage of COVID-19 vaccines. According to a US embassy statement, the vaccines were delivered to the Pakistani people in partnership with the COVAX global vaccine initiative, UNICEF, and the government of Pakistan. It says this donation was part of the 80 million doses the United States was sharing with the world, "delivering on our pledge to facilitate equitable global access to safe and effective vaccines, which are essential to ending the COVID-19 pandemic". (AP)
Minister of State for Ports, Shipping & Waterways and Minister of State for Chemicals & Fertilizers Shri Mansukh Mandaviya on Friday visited Serum Institute of India's vaccine manufacturing plant in Pune to get further acquainted with the vaccination production and to review the production of Covid-19 vaccines . Secretary, Department of Pharmaceuticals, Ms S. Aparna was also present.
Sikkim reported 111 new COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours, pushing the caseload to 20,777, a health department bulletin said on Friday. The coronavirus death toll in Sikkim remained at 308 as no more fatality was reported in the past 24 hours, it said. South Sikkim registered 58 new cases, followed by East Sikkim (41), South Sikkim (11) and North Sikkim (1) districts. Sikkim now has 2,062 active COVID-19 cases, while 253 patients have migrated to other states, and 18,154 people have recovered from the disease. (PTI)
Uttarakhand reports 109 #COVID19 cases, 108 recoveries and 2 deaths today.Active cases: 1,864Total recoveries: 3,25,361Death toll: 7,327 (ANI)
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Telangana on Friday reported 858 new COVID-19 cases, taking the tally to over 6.25 lakh, while the toll stood at 3,678 with nine more deaths. The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) accounted for the highest number of cases with 107 followed by Khammam (81) and Nalgonda (64) districts, a state government bulletin said. The number of active cases was12,726. The total number of cases in the state stood at6,25,237, while with1,175people being cured, the total recoveries are at6,08,833. Over 1.08 lakh samples were tested on Friday. (PTI)
Delhi recorded two more COVID-19-related deaths and 93 new cases on Friday with a positivity rate of 0.13 per cent, according to a health department bulletin. The national capital had recorded four COVID-19-related deaths and 91 cases on Thursday with a positivity rate of 0.12 per cent. As many as 407 patients recovered in the last 24 hours as the recoveries again outnumbered the new cases. With the fresh cases on Friday, Delhi's COVID-19 caseload has increased to 14,34,374. The death toll stands at 24,983, it said, adding that the case fatality rate is 1.74 per cent. The national capital had recorded 94 Covid cases at a positivity rate of 0.12 per cent and six fatalities on Wednesday. (PTI)
State level curfew extended till 7 am, 12 July 2021. Shops can remain open from 7 am to 6 pm. Saloons and outdoor sports complex/stadiums may also open: Goa CM, Pramod Sawant (ANI)
Two Indian nationals, who are also permanent residents in Singapore, were charged by a court here on Friday for breaching the government set conditions of the Stay-Home Notices that was served to them when they arrived in the country in March. Suresh Naidu Bojanki, 37, and Bharati Tulshiram Choudhari, 47, were charged for acting in a manner likely to spread the contagious coronavirus, The Straits Times newspaper reported. The two had met on a flight to Singapore but allegedly breached the conditions of their Stay-Home Notices (SHN) at Oasia Hotel to meet in one of their rooms after midnight, the report said. Bojanki is also facing an additional charge of failing to wear a mask outside his place of residence. (PTI)
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and German Chancellor Angela met on Friday with COVID-19 travel restrictions high on the agenda as cases of the highly transmissible Delta variant surge in Britain. The meeting, hosted at Johnson's Chequers country residence on what will be Merkel's last trip to Britain as chancellor, was officially aimed at deepening relations. However, Johnson is also seeking to argue that Britain's advanced vaccine programme should permit its citizens to travel abroad more widely this year - something a hard-hit travel industry says it needs to survive after more than a year of pandemic restrictions. (Reuters)
The COVID-19 reproduction "R" number in England is estimated to have fallen to between 1.1 and 1.3, the government's latest weekly estimate said, with the daily growth rate of infection also estimated to be slightly lower. An R value between 1.1 and 1.3 means that, on average, every 10 people infected will infect between 11 and 13 other people. Last week, it was estimated between 1.2 and 1.4.The daily growth rate of infections was estimated between 2% and 5%, compared with 3% and 5% last week. (Reuters)
The Gujarat High Court on Friday turned down the state government's proposal to reduce the penalty for not wearing a mask in public amid the coronavirus outbreak from Rs 1,000 at present to Rs 500 saying some form of deterrence must remain to stem the spread of the virus. When Advocate General Kamal Trivedi insisted on a reduction in the fine amount, the High Court bench comprising Justices Bela Trivedi and Bhargav Karia said the court will decide on this request once 50 per cent of the state's population is vaccinated against COVID-19. The special bench was hearing a suo motu PIL along with a set of connected petitions regarding the coronavirus situation in the state. During Friday's virtual hearing, advocate general Trivedi said the state government had increased the fine from Rs 500 to Rs 1,000 following an HC directive a few months back. (PTI)
Uttar Pradesh reported 133 COVID-19 cases and a single fatality on Friday, pushing the state's infection tally to 17,06,384 and the death toll to 22,616. The lone death was reported in Etawah, the state government said in a statement. Eleven cases each were reported from Lucknow and Allahabad, nine from Varanasi, seven from Ghaziabad and six from Gorakhpur among others. A total of 228 more COVID-19 patients have recovered from the disease in the state, taking their number to 16,81,208 so far. The count of active COVID-19 cases in the state now stands at 2,560, the statement said. (PTI)
The Vatican's bioethics academy and the World Medical Association called Friday for an all-out effort to combat vaccine hesitancy and correct the "myths and disinformation" that are slowing the fight against the coronavirus. In a joint statement, the groups said some vaccine reluctance in poorer countries is rooted in historical inequalities and suspicions of Western pharmaceutical companies. But they said "a more pernicious form" of hesitancy is being driven by fake news, myths and disinformation about vaccine safety, including among religious groups and some in the medical community. They demanded that "all relevant stakeholders exhaust all efforts to ... confront vaccine hesitancy by sending a clear message about the safety and necessity of vaccines and counteracting vaccine myths and disinformation". (AP)
Odisha reported 3,222 new COVID-19 cases and 46 more deaths on Friday, a Health Department official said. The state has so far reported 9,16,109 cases, while the toll reached 4,109, he said. Nine of the latest deaths were reported from the Khurda district. Puri, Sundergarh and Nayagarh reported four deaths each, followed by three deaths each in Cuttack, Dhenkanal, Ganjam, Kendrapara and Sambalpur. Of the new cases, 1,838 were detected in the quarantine centres while the rest 1,384 were local contact cases. Cuttack district recorded the highest number of new cases at 619, followed by Khurda (422) and Jagatsinghpur (212). (PTI)
Union Health Ministry approves the vaccination of pregnant women against #COVID19. Pregnant women may now register on CoWIN or walk-in to the nearest COVID Vaccination Centre (CVC) to get themselves vaccinated, says the Ministry (ANI)
DCGI has the application of Zydus Cadila. It is undergoing a process of evaluation by the Subject Expert Committee. We're hoping to hear a positive response. It will be a moment of pride as it is a unique technology. It'll give a push to our vaccine program: VK Paul, Niti Aayog (ANI)
The government on Friday stressed on vaccination and following COVID-19 protocols as it noted that the second wave of the pandemic is not over yet. Addressing a press conference on the pandemic situation, an official said people cannot and should not lower their guard. Seventy-one districts reported Covid case positivity rate of more than 10 per cent in the week from June 23 to 29, the government said, adding that the second wave of COVID-19 is not over. (PTI)
Further easing the coronavirus curbs, the Uttar Pradesh government has allowed the opening of gymnasiums, cinema halls, multiplexes and sports stadiums at 50 per cent of their capacity from Monday. A government spokesperson said on Friday that Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath announced the relaxations in view of improving Covid situation in the state. Under the new guidelines, which will come into effect from 7 am on July 5, all gymnasiums, cinema halls, multiplexes and sports stadiums will be allowed to open between 7 am and 9 pm five days a week with strict compliance of Covid-19-appropriate behaviour, the spokesman said. However, these will be allowed to operate at 50 per cent of their capacity, the CM said at a Covid review meeting, according to the spokesperson. The gyms in containment zones will remain closed. (PTI)
Andhra Pradesh reported 3,464 new COVID19 cases and 25 deaths in the past 24 hours; active caseload at 37,323 (ANI)
We are in talks with Johnson & Johnson regarding their single-dose vaccine. Their vaccine is being produced outside. As per the plan, this vaccine will also be produced in Hyderabad's Bio E: Dr VK Paul, Member-Health, Niti Aayog (ANI)
There are 56 Delta AY.1 (Delta A Plus) cases in 12 states: Dr VK Paul, Member-Health, Niti Aayog to ANI (ANI)
India has administered over 34 crore doses (of COVID vaccine), maximum across the world. This is followed by the US with 32.8 crore doses & the UK with 7.79 crore doses: Lav Agarwal, Joint Secretary, Health Ministry (ANI)
There are 71 districts with a positivity rate of over 10%: Lav Agarwal, Joint Secretary, Health Ministry (ANI)
Nearly 80 per cent healthcare workers, 90 per cent frontline workers have been administered both doses of COVID-19 vaccine in India: Govt (PTI)
There has been a decline of 86% in active cases since the peak. Under the continued focus of clinical management, the recovery rate, which was at 81.1% on May 3rd, is now at around 97%: Lav Aggarwal, Joint Secretary, Health Ministry (ANI)
we have noted a decline of 13% in COVID-19 cases as compared to the last week. On average, we are reporting 46,000 cases (daily) in the country: Luv Aggarwal, Joint Secretary, Health Ministry (ANI)
The Centre on Friday deputed multi-disciplinary teams to Kerala, Arunachal Pradesh, Tripura, Odisha, Chhattisgarh and Manipur in view of the high number of COVID-19 cases being reported by these states. Teams will be supporting the states in their efforts to carry out a targeted Covid response and management, and effectively tackling the pandemic, a Union Health Ministry statement said. The two-member high level team to these states comprises a clinician and a public health expert, the statement said.
The teams will visit the states immediately and monitor the overall implementation of COVID-19 management, especially in testing, including surveillance and containment operations; Covid Appropriate Behaviour and its enforcement; availability of hospital beds, sufficient logistics including ambulances, ventilators, medical oxygen etc., and COVID-19 vaccination progress. The teams will monitor the situation and also suggest remedial actions, the statement said. | Read More
People living in the national capital and in states such as Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Tamil Nadu are more likely to contract COVID-19 due to prolonged exposure to high concentration of PM 2.5, according to a new pan-India study.
Sixteen major cities, including Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore, Kolkata, Pune, Ahmedabad, Varanasi, Lucknow and Surat, reported the highest number of COVID-19 cases, and PM2.5 emissions are also higher in these areas due to fossil fuel-based anthropogenic activities, it said.
PM2.5 refers to fine particles which penetrate deep into the body and fuel inflammation in the lungs and respiratory tract, leading to the risk of having cardiovascular and respiratory problems, including a weak immune system. (PTI)
The cumulative COVID-19 vaccine doses administered in the country crossed 34 crore on Friday, the Union Health Ministry said. A total of 9,41,03,985 persons in the age group of 18-44 across all states and UTs have received their first dose and 22,73,477 received the second dose, it said.
The ministry said 34,00,76,232 vaccine doses were administered as per the provisional report till 7 am, with over 42 lakh (42,64,123) doses being given in a span of 24 hours. On Day-167 of the vaccination drive (July 1, 2021), out of the total 42,64,123 vaccine doses that were given, 32,80,998 beneficiaries were vaccinated for the first dose and 9,83,125 beneficiaries received the second dose of vaccine, it said. | Read More
Russia registered a record number of daily COVID-19-related deaths on Friday amid a surge in cases across the world's largest country that the authorities blame on the infectious Delta variant.The government's coronavirus taskforce said 679 people had died in the last 24 hours, the highest figure confirmed in a single day since the pandemic began.It also reported 23,218 new infections in the last 24 hours, including 6,893 in Moscow.The Russian capital, the epicentre of the outbreak throughout the pandemic, is racing to repurpose hospitals to treat an influx of patients, Anastasiya Rakova, the city's deputy mayor, said."Now, with this explosive growth in infections, this (hospital) capacity is no longer enough and we will additionally add other hospitals again to combat the virus, as fast as possible, I hope," Russian news agencies quoted Rakova as saying."(But) we'll do everything possible not to declare a lockdown," she said. - Reuters
Tokyo Olympics organisers will not insist on allowing spectators "at all costs", the head of the Games organising committee said on Friday, amid concerns about a fresh wave of COVID-19 infections three weeks before the sports extravaganza begins.Polls show many Japanese oppose holding the Olympics given warnings from health experts that it could unleash another wave of infections. Delayed by a year due to the pandemic, the Games are scheduled to start on July 23."It's not that we want to organise the Olympics with spectators at all costs," Tokyo 2020 organising committee President Seiko Hashimoto told a news conference.She said the organisers wanted to press ahead with preparations to ensure the event could be held in a "safe and secure manner" that would restore the public's trust.Having decided to ban overseas spectators, the organisers have capped the number of domestic spectators at 10,000 per venue for the Games, or 50% of capacity, despite medical experts saying no spectators would be the "least risky" option.Prime Minister Yoshihide said on Thursday that having no spectators remained a "possibility". - Reuters
The Delhi High Court Friday said it will hear on Jul 12, a plea by doctors challenging imposition of cost and certain adverse observations made by the court while dismissing their petition seeking to postpone the Foreign Medical Graduate Examination (FMGE) screening test due to the prevailing COVID-19 situation in the country. A vacation bench of Justices C Hari Shankar and Subramonium Prasad said there was no justification for taking up the matter now and listed it before the roster bench on July 12. ‘You are only challenging the costs and adverse observations, let it come before the roster bench,’ the court said. - PTI
The cumulative COVID-19 vaccine doses administered in the country crossed 34 crore on Friday, the Union Health Ministry said. A total of 9,41,03,985 persons in the age group of 18-44 across all states and UTs have received their first dose and 22,73,477 received the second dose, it said. The ministry said 34,00,76,232 vaccine doses were administered as per the provisional report till 7 am, with over 42 lakh (42,64,123) doses being given in a span of 24 hours. On Day-167 of the vaccination drive (July 1, 2021), out of the total 42,64,123 vaccine doses that were given, 32,80,998 beneficiaries were vaccinated for the first dose and 9,83,125 beneficiaries received the second dose of vaccine, it said. The ministry said 24,51,539 vaccine doses were administered as first dose and 89,027 vaccine doses as second dose in the age group 18-44 on Thursday. - PTI