Coronavirus India Live Updates: Rs 23,000 crores package to be given to deal with problems that occurred during second wave, says Health Minister

The government on Thursday said it is “actively pursuing” the enhancement of Covid vaccine availability through imports and reiterated that its current focus is on purposing domestic production towards its vaccination programme.

At an online media briefing, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said India hopes that individual countries would increasingly recognise made-in-India vaccines. | Read More

Kerala records 13,772 fresh coronavirus cases, infection tally rises to 30.25 lakh: State government (PTI) 

Cabinet nod to Rs 23,123-crore package to boost emergency health infra in states to tackle Covid: Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya (PTI) 

Many collaborations underway, starting with Sputnik vaccine. There is investment in the energy sector, pharmaceuticals, agro-industries, medical devices... Collaboration in railways and waterways can make a difference to India's development: EAM S Jaishankar (ANI)

Dropping Harsh Vardhan shows the entire country's work on COVID has not been up to the mark and they have completely failed to rescue the people of this country: Karnataka Congress President DK Shivakumar on Cabinet expansion. (ANI)

Pediatric care centers will be formed in 736 districts, 20,000 ICU beds will be created under the COVID relief fund: Mansukh Mandaviya, Union Health Minister (ANI)

We have to collectively fight against COVID. The limitation period is maximum (9 months). We have to get it done quickly. State govts will have to do it quickly. Our duty is to help the state in every possible way: Mansukh Mandaviya, Union Health Minister (ANI)

Rs 23,000 crores package to be given to deal with the problems that occurred in the second wave of COVID. It will be used jointly by the Central and state governments: Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya (ANI)

Mumbai reports 540 new positive cases, 628 recoveries, and 13 deaths in the last 24 hours. Recovery rate at 96%, active cases at 7,714 (ANI)

Manipur reports 839 new COVID cases, 634 recoveries and 12 deaths in the last 24 hours

Active cases: 6,727Total recoveries: 67,212Death toll: 1,241 (ANI)

Kerala recorded 13,772 fresh coronavirus cases on Thursday, including 57 health workers, pushing the infection caseload to 30.25 lakh, while the active cases has crossed 1.10 lakh. As many as 11,414 people have been cured of the infection, taking the total recoveries to 29,00,600, the state government said. The active cases have touched 1,10,136. In the last 24 hours, 1,27,152 samples have been tested and the Test Positivity Rate (TPR) was 10.83 per cent. So far, 2.40 crore samples have been tested. The toll has mounted to 14,250 with 142 additional deaths. (PTI)

Luxembourg Prime Minister Xavier Bettel left the hospital Thursday after four days of tests and treatment for a persistent case of COVID-19 that forced him to delegate some of his work, the country's government said.The Luxembourg government said that  because of the improvement of his health,' Bettel will reclaim his full functions as prime minister on Friday. Finance Minister Pierre Gramegna had taken over some of the prime minister's duties earlier in the week.While hospitalised, Bettel, 48, was diagnosed with insufficient oxygen saturation. He also suffered from COVID-19 symptoms, including coughing, headaches and a fever.(AP)

The UK government on Thursday removed the requirement of compulsory 10-day self-isolation for international travellers who are fully vaccinated and returning from a country classified as medium COVID-19 risk from July 19. Transport Secretary Grant Shapps effectively scrapped the middle category of England's traffic light system of low as green, medium as amber and high as red, which currently applies to India. Making a statement on international travel in the House of Commons, the minister said those who have received two jabs and those aged under 18 will no longer have to self-isolate for 10 days after their return to Britain but will still have to take a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test on their second day back. "I can confirm today that from 19 July, UK residents who are fully vaccinated through the UK vaccine rollout will no longer have to self-isolate when they return to England," said Shapps. “They will still be required to take a test three days before returning, the pre-departure test, demonstrating they're negative before they travel, and a PCR test on or before day two, but they will no longer be required to take a day eight test. In essence, this means that for fully vaccinated travellers, the requirements for green and amber list countries are the same," he said. (PTI)

Goa recorded 195 new coronavirus cases and four deaths on Thursday, the state health department said. The caseload in the coastal state thus rose to 1,68,210 and death toll reached 3,086, it added. With 176 persons getting discharged from hospitals, the number of recovered patients  rose to 1,63,159. There are 1,965 active cases in the state now. As many as 4,696 samples were tested for the viral infection on Thursday, taking the number of tests conducted so far to 9,57,681. (PTI)

PM Modi has taught me one thing - face any crisis. There was a sizeable reduction of COVID patients due to 'kadha'. Homeopathy, Modi's yoga have a big role in saving patients from COVID. Opposition members take medicines from me: Munjapara Mahendrabhai, MoS, Ministry of AYUSH. (ANI)

The global vaccine distribution scheme COVAX aims to deliver 520 million COVID-19  vaccine doses to Africa this year, its director said on Thursday. Aurelia Nguyen, managing director of COVAX, told a news conference organised by the World Health Organization's Africa region that the scheme was not happy with progress supplying doses so far, but that deliveries should ramp up from September. The facility has experienced delays partly as a result of Indian export restrictions that have prevented COVAX from obtaining doses from the Serum Institute of India, one of the world's largest vaccine manufacturers, which is making shots of the vaccine developed by AstraZeneca. Nguyen said so far COVAX had delivered around 25 million doses to 44 African countries. By the end of the first quarter of 2022, COVAX now aims to supply nearly 850 million vaccine doses to the continent, which has some of the lowest COVID-19 vaccination rates worldwide. (Reuters)

Andhra Pradesh reported 2,982 fresh cases of Covid-19, while 3,461 recovered from the infection and another 27 succumbed in the 24 hours ending 9 am on Thursday. The infection count in the state has now gone up to 19,14,213, recoveries to 18,69,417 and deaths to 12,946, according to the latest bulletin. The active cases came down to 31,850, it said. East Godavari continued to report over 600 cases as it logged 616 afresh in 24 hours. (PTI)

The 2021 Southeast Asian Games to be hosted by Vietnam will be postponed to next year due to continuing COVID-19 issues in the region the SEA Games Federation announced on Thursday. In a statement released through the Olympic Council of Malaysia after a meeting in Kuala Lumpur, the SGF said that all members were in agreement that the current COVID situation in Southeast Asia had not improved enough to allow the 31st SEA Games to take place as scheduled from November 21st to December 2nd. The statement said that a new date will be determined by the SEA Games Federation Council. (AP) 

A medical expert in Jammu and Kashmir has warned against lowering the guard in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic, saying the third wave of Covid will be deadly.  Dr Muhammad Salim Khan, the head of Department of Community Medicine, said the people should follow the guidelines fixed previously in order to minimise the impact of the third wave of the pandemic.  "The third wave of Covid will be highly dangerous, fatal and can take a heavy toll of lives," Khan said.  Following a decrease in the number of positive cases with each passing day and less number of admission of Covid patients in hospitals, the effect of the second wave of COVID-19 has diminished to a large extent, he said. (PTI)

The high-level multi-disciplinary public health team sent by the Centre to monitor the COVID-19 control and containment measures in Kerala on Thursday expressed satisfaction over the mitigation methods implemented in the State. The team visited the Thiruvananthapuram General Hospital, Parippally medical college and Kolenchery General Hospital and took stock of the COVID-19 treatment facilities and held discussions with state Health Minister Veena George. "The team expressed satisfaction on the treatment given to the patients, basic facilities, and vaccination process in the state," George said. (PTI)

The UK has recorded more than 30,000 daily coronavirus infections for the first time since January, just as the British government prepares to lift all remaining lockdown restrictions in England. Government figures showed another 32,548 confirmed cases on Wednesday, the highest level since Jan. 23. For much of the spring, infections were below the 5,000 mark. But the arrival of the more contagious delta variant, first identified in India, has likely caused cases to spike. Despite the increase, the British government says it is still aiming to lift all remaining lockdown restrictions in England on July 19, a move that many scientists say is dangerous. (AP)

Sikkim reported 222 new COVID-19 cases on Thursday and one more death, as per the state Health Department bulletin. East Sikkim district registered the highest 85 new cases, followed by 79 in West Sikkim, 51 in South Sikkim and seven in North Sikkim, it said. There are 2,144 active cases in the state at present, it added. (PTI)

Drug firm Mankind Pharma on Thursday said it has received licence from the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) to manufacture and market oral 2-deoxy-D-glucose (2-DG), used for the treatment of COVID-19. 2-DG was developed by the Defence Research and Development Establishment (DRDE), Gwalior. The clinical trials were conducted by the Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Allied Sciences (INMAS), a lab of DRDO, in association with Dr Reddy's Laboratories, Mankind Pharma said in a statement. The company will manufacture the product at its facilities in Visakhapatnam and Himachal Pradesh, it added. The office of the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) on May 1 had permitted the emergency use of 2-DG as an adjunct treatment for moderate to severe COVID-19 patients, Mankind Pharma said. (PTI)

A week into an ambitious but risky plan to open the Thai resort island of Phuket to vaccinated visitors, signs were encouraging that the gambit to resuscitate the decimated tourism industry was working, even as infections elsewhere in the country surged Thursday to record highs. After seeing fewer than 5,000 foreign travelers over the first five months of the year, the island off Thailand's southwest coast, whose economy is 95% reliant on the tourist industry, welcomed 2,399 visitors during the first week of July. The so-called Phuket sandbox plan relies on a strategy of vaccinations, testing and restrictions measures that officials are hoping are strict enough to mitigate any COVID-19 threat, while still providing enough freedom for tourists to enjoy a beach vacation. In the week before the sandbox started on July 1, Phuket saw 17 new cases of the coronavirus. The numbers climbed the first week, but remained low at 27 new cases. (AP)

Taiwan on Thursday received 1.13 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine from Japan in the second such donation this year.  Once desperately lacking jabs, Taiwan has benefited from vaccine diplomacy, receiving near 5 million doses from the United States and Japan following its worst outbreak starting in May that was being driven by a more contagious delta variant of the coronavirus. Taiwan has also accused China, which claims the self-ruled island as its renegade territory, of intervening to block the delivery of vaccines. China denies it as an attempt by the island's government to shift responsibility for a recent surge. (AP)

Taiwan on Thursday received 1.13 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine from Japan in the second such donation this year.  Once desperately lacking jabs, Taiwan has benefited from vaccine diplomacy, receiving near 5 million doses from the United States and Japan following its worst outbreak starting in May that was being driven by a more contagious delta variant of the coronavirus. Taiwan has also accused China, which claims the self-ruled island as its renegade territory, of intervening to block the delivery of vaccines. China denies it as an attempt by the island's government to shift responsibility for a recent surge. (AP)

Ladakh recorded six new COVID-19 cases on Thursday which took the infection tally to 20,143, officials said. Twenty-three people recovered from the infection, taking the overall recoveries to 19,756, they said. Twenty Covid patients were discharged after recovery in Leh and three were discharged in Kargil, they said. No new death was reported in the union territory. So far, 204 people -- 146 in Leh district and 58 in Kargil district -- have succumbed to the virus, they said. Of the fresh cases, three each were reported from Kargil and Leh districts, officials said. (PTI)

Ladakh recorded six new COVID-19 cases on Thursday which took the infection tally to 20,143, officials said. Twenty-three people recovered from the infection, taking the overall recoveries to 19,756, they said. Twenty Covid patients were discharged after recovery in Leh and three were discharged in Kargil, they said. No new death was reported in the union territory. So far, 204 people -- 146 in Leh district and 58 in Kargil district -- have succumbed to the virus, they said. Of the fresh cases, three each were reported from Kargil and Leh districts, officials said. (PTI)

More than 1.83 crore balance and unutilised COVID-19 vaccine doses are still available with the states and private hospitals, the Union health ministry said on Thursday. Over 37.93 crore (37,93,56,790) vaccine doses have been provided to the states and Union territories so far and a further 23,80,000 doses are in the pipeline. Of this, the total consumption, including wastages, is 36,09,69,128 doses (according to data available at 8 am on Thursday), the ministry said. "More than 1.83 crore (1,83,87,662) balance and unutilised COVID-19 vaccine doses are still available with the states and UTs and private hospitals to be administered," it added. (PTI)

Hospital leaders in Utah are renewing their pleas for people to get vaccinated as the state experiences another surge in COVID-19 cases from the faster-spreading delta variant. State health officials told reporters Wednesday that the delta variant, first identified in India, has begun to surge in Utah over the past month and now represents about 80 per cent of cases in the state. The surge is largely occurring in unvaccinated people who are being infected and hospitalized at six times the rate of vaccinated people. According to data from Johns Hopkins University, Utah now ranks fourth in the nation for new cases per capita. Utah has averaged about 386 confirmed cases per day over the last week, nearly double the case rate the state was experiencing at its lowest point in early June. (AP)

Hospital leaders in Utah are renewing their pleas for people to get vaccinated as the state experiences another surge in COVID-19 cases from the faster-spreading delta variant. State health officials told reporters Wednesday that the delta variant, first identified in India, has begun to surge in Utah over the past month and now represents about 80 per cent of cases in the state. The surge is largely occurring in unvaccinated people who are being infected and hospitalized at six times the rate of vaccinated people. According to data from Johns Hopkins University, Utah now ranks fourth in the nation for new cases per capita. Utah has averaged about 386 confirmed cases per day over the last week, nearly double the case rate the state was experiencing at its lowest point in early June. (AP)

Mizoram logged 548 fresh COVID-19 cases on Thursday, the highest single-day spike in July so far, raising the coronavirus tally to 22,703, a senior official said. The death toll climbed to 101 as two more people succumbed to the virus, he said. The northeastern state now has 3,959 active cases, while 18,643 people have recovered from the disease. The new infections include 88 children and four Border Security Force personnel, the official said. (PTI)

Sanofi SA and GlaxoSmithKline Plc have received an approval from Indian authorities for a late-stage clinical trial of their protein-based COVID-19 vaccine candidate, the drugmakers said on Thursday.France's Sanofi and Britain's GSK in May kicked off global trials to include more than 35,000 adults to test the shot. They hope to get approvals by the end of 2021 after early-stage results showed the vaccine produces a robust immune response.The Indian arm of the studies will enrol roughly 3,000 adults between the ages of 18 years and 55 years, according to India's clinical trial registry.The assessment is expected to run for a year and the first enrolment in India is shown to have been made on Tuesday.The Indian drug regulator did not immediately respond to a request for comment. - Reuters

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal inaugurated another genome-sequencing laboratory at the Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences (ILBS) here on Thursday and said it will help detect new variants of the coronavirus and ascertain their severity. "Keeping in view the need of the future, a second genome-sequencing laboratory was inaugurated at ILBS today. These labs will help us identify new virus strains and ascertain their severity. People of Delhi will benefit a lot from this technology in the times of coronavirus," the CM tweeted in Hindi. Kejriwal had on Wednesday launched the first genome-sequencing laboratory in the national capital at the LNJP Hospital. The genome-sequencing laboratory at the state-run Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan (LNJP) Hospital will be able to sequence five to seven samples a day, with a turnaround time of about four to five days, a statement had said. - PTI

Soon after the new health minister assumed charge, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday asked whether it will change anything and there will be no vaccine shortage. "Does this mean no more vaccine shortage," he asked on Twitter, using the hashtag "#Change". The Congress has been criticising the government's vaccination policy, alleging that it is moving at a slow pace and needs to be accelerated. The BJP, however, hit back at Gandhi with its spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia alleging that the former Congress chief is "irresponsible" and is criticising for the sake of doing so. - PTI

Russia on Thursday reported 24,818 new COVID-19 cases, including 6,040 in Moscow, amid a wave of infections blamed on the infectious Delta variant.The coronavirus task force also reported 734 coronavirus-related deaths in the last 24 hours, close to a record high. Russia has confirmed 5,707,452 coronavirus cases since the pandemic began. - Reuters

Scientists have identified a novel target for a drug that can treat the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which causes COVID-19, and also help tackle a future coronavirus pandemic. The researchers at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in the US noted that scientists should prepare for a possible next coronavirus pandemic. "God forbid we need this, but we will be ready," said Karla Satchell, professor of microbiology-immunology at Feinberg School of Medicine. The team previously mapped the structure of a virus protein called nsp16, which is present in all coronaviruses. The latest study, published in the journal Science Signaling, provides critical information that could aid drug development against future coronaviruses as well as SARS-CoV-2. - PTI

British finance minister Rishi Sunak said the government was looking at changes to its COVID-19 app due to frustration among the public about the continued need for 10 days of self-isolation if it alerts them to a possible exposure to the virus.The government plans to lift capacity restrictions on pubs, restaurants and other public events on July 19 in England, despite a surge in the number of COVID infections. Businesses fear many staff and customers will need to self-isolate.From Aug. 16, people who have been fully vaccinated and children will no longer have to self-isolate after close contact with someone who tests positive for COVID-19, health minister Sajid Javid said on Tuesday.Sunak said he had spoken to Javid about people's frustrations in particular about people getting "pinged" and told to self-isolate through the mobile app after a contact with a COVID case. - Reuters

Odisha's COVID-19 tally soared to 9,32,330 on Thursday as 2,542 more people tested positive for the infection, while 57 fresh fatalities pushed the state's coronavirus death toll to 4,415, a health official said. Though there has been a decline in fresh cases, daily coronavirus fatalities continued to remain above the 50-mark since July 5. The Health Department, however, clarified that fresh fatality numbers include deaths caused earlier which are now being added to the toll after an audit. The state now has 27,580 active cases, while 9,00,282 people have recovered from the disease so far, including 2,920 in the last 24 hours. - PTI