Covid19 Coronavirus LIVE News: Two doses of vaccine prevented 95% of deaths during second wave, says Dr VK Paul; Tamil Nadu govt extends lockdown till July 31

Karnataka reports 1806 fresh COVID cases, 2748 discharges, and 42 deaths in the past 24 hours. Active cases: 31,399Total discharges: 28,12,869Death toll: 36,079 (ANI)

The Tripura government has imposed a weekend curfew on Saturday and Sunday and extended the existing day curfew in Agartala Municipal Corporation and 11 other towns or Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) from July 19 to July 23 after reviewing the Covid-19 situation.

The weekend curfew will be in force from 6 am on July 17 to 6 am on July 19. | Read More

Daily coronavirus deaths in Russia have hit another record, with the authorities reporting 799 deaths. It's the fourth straight day of record number of deaths. On Friday, officials reported 25,704 new coronavirus cases. Daily new infections in Russia have soared from around 9,000 in early June to more than 25,000 last week. 

Officials blamed the surge on the spread of the delta variant and a sluggish vaccine uptake that has remained lower than in many Western countries. As of Tuesday, 28.6 million Russians -- or just 19.5 per cent of the 146 million population -- have received at least one shot of a vaccine.

Russia's state coronavirus task force has reported more than 5.9 million confirmed coronavirus cases and a total of 146,868 confirmed deaths in the pandemic. However, reports by Russia's state statistical service Rosstat, which tallies coronavirus-linked deaths retroactively, reveal much higher numbers. (AP)

Tamil Nadu government extends lockdown till July 31 with few more relaxations (ANI)

The Uttar Pradesh government will give Rs 30 lakh as compensation to the family of the each of its over 2,000 employees, half of them teachers, who died due to Covid during the panchayat polls duty. Earlier, the state government had claimed that only 74 government employees, including three teachers, had died during the poll duty.

The Uttar Pradesh Prathamik Shikshak Sangh had released a list of 1,621 primary schoolteachers and other staff, claiming that they died after contracting COVID-19 while performing election duty between April 15 and May 5. The decision came after the government revised it norms. A senior official said of the Rs 600 crore sanctioned for it, the Department of Panchyati Raj released Rs 300 crore to the State Election Commission for disbursement. (PTI)

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy on Friday again demanded that the Centre take back unused Covid-19 vaccine stocks from private hospitals and reallot them to the state for better use. Taking part in the videoconference with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the Covid-19 situation, along with other Chief Ministers, Jagan said the private hospitals in AP could so far administer only 4,20,209 doses of the vaccine against their allotment of over 17.71 lakh doses.

"In reality, the private hospitals are not vaccinating fully to their capacity. Whatever these people are earmarked and whatever they are not able to proceed with, if that quota (of vaccines) is re-allotted to the state government, it would help us in doing a better job," the Chief Minister told the Prime Minister. He said 1,76,70,642 persons could be vaccinated in the state so far though the Centre allocated 1,68,46,210 doses of coronavirus vaccine. (PTI)

The Union Territory of Ladakh has become the first centrally administered territory to complete 100% vaccination with at least one dose of the Covid-19 vaccine for its eligible population. According to reports, it has also vaccinated the entire ‘guest population’, including hotel workers, migrant labourers, and Nepalese citizens who earn their livelihood in the region, reports said.

While Ladakh has a low population, the achievement is no mean feat considering its arduous terrain, extreme weather patterns, and isolated population centres. According to reports citing official data, 89,404 eligible people from all the eligible age groups, including 18-44 years, were administered the first dose. The second jab was administered to 60,936 people. The administration also vaccinated 6,821 Nepalese citizens living in Ladakh. The Union Territory achieved this feat barely three months after beginning the third phase of the vaccination drive.  | Read More

Two doses of COVID-19 vaccine administered to high-risk police personnel were successful in preventing 95 per cent deaths due to coronavirus in the Delta variant-driven second wave, according to an ICMR study.

The study, presented by NITI Aayog member (Health) Dr V K Paul, was conducted in Tamil Nadu to see the vaccine effectiveness in preventing COVID-19 deaths. | Read More

The national capital recorded 66 new COVID-19 cases and one death on Friday, while the positivity rate dropped to 0.09 per cent, according to data shared by the health department here. The single new fatality has pushed the death toll to 25,023, according to the latest bulletin. On Thursday, Delhi had logged 72 cases and one death, with a positivity rate of 0.10 per cent. (PTI)

The Bombay High Court on Friday said it was not satisfied with the Maharashtra government's progress on framing guidelines for door-to-door vaccination against COVID-19 for senior citizens and bed-ridden persons. A division bench of Chief Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice G S Kulkarni said it expects the government to frame the guidelines by July 20. Advocate General Ashutosh Kumbhakoni told the court that information was sought from the public across the state via social media on bed-ridden persons who wish to get the jab at their residence. (PTI)

Schools in Haryana reopened after almost three months only for Classes 9 to 12 on Friday amid strict COVID-19 protocols, with many students saying online education, although necessitated by the pandemic, is not a substitute to classroom teaching. The students also expressed happiness at being able to return to school after a gap of nearly three months. Educational institutes in the state were closed for physical teaching in April when COVID-19 cases were on a rise. (PTI)

Gujarat govt managed the COVID crisis well. Treatment, tracking, and testing need to be in place to contain the spread. Likewise, it's important to speed up vaccination as well. Soon, the State will reach 3 crore vaccination target: PM Modi

The number of cases of long-term COVID-19 reported at a leading private facility here in the wake of the second wave of the coronavirus pandemic is four times the corresponding figures recorded last year, hospital authorities said on Friday. Long Covid is a condition where people who have recovered from the infection are still exhibiting symptoms far longer than usually expected. Delhi had been reeling under a brutal second wave of the pandemic that is sweeping the country, claiming a massive number of lives daily, with the recent oxygen supply shortage issue at various hospitals, adding to the woes. The worst phase was the months of April and May. (PTI)

Forty-seven districts across 12 states and UTs reported over 10 per cent COVID-19 positivity rate for the week ending July 15, the government said on Friday. Just 73 districts recorded more than 100 cases daily in the week ending on July 14, it said. The slow decline in number of coronavirus daily cases is a warning for the country that the situation is currently under control but it can deteriorate if Covid appropriate behaviour not followed, the government said. (PTI)

Pune and some other districts will not witness immediate relaxation of coronavirus restrictions as the positivity rate in these areas has not declined much, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar said on Friday. Speaking to reporters after a COVID-19 review meeting here, Pawar, who is also the guardian minister for Pune, said the government has decided to continue the level three restrictions in the district. The state government has devised five levels of restrictions, the fifth level being the harshest, depending on the severity of the pandemic in a given area. (PTI)

Pune and some other districts will not witness immediate relaxation of coronavirus restrictions as the positivity rate in these areas has not declined much, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar said on Friday. Speaking to reporters after a COVID-19 review meeting here, Pawar, who is also the guardian minister for Pune, said the government has decided to continue the level three restrictions in the district. The state government has devised five levels of restrictions, the fifth level being the harshest, depending on the severity of the pandemic in a given area. (PTI)

The Eiffel Tower is reopening Friday for the first time in nine months even though the French government introduced new virus rules this week aimed at taming the fast-spreading delta variant. (PTI)

One dose of vaccine was able to reduce the mortality rate by 82%. Two doses of vaccine were successful in preventing 95% of deaths due to COVID-19 during the second wave: Dr VK Paul, Member-Health, Niti Aayog

At least 328 children have lost one or both parents to COVID-19 infection in Maharashtra's Raigad district so far, a senior official said on Friday. District Collector Nidhi Choudhary said a task force was established in the district to trace children who have lost one or both parents to the disease. As per the information collected by the district authorities, at least 14 children have been orphaned, while 314 have lost a parent to COVID-19 infection. (PTI)

People who exhibit over five symptoms of SARS-CoV-2 infection in the first week are more likely to develop long COVID, irrespective of their age or gender, according to a review of studies. In long COVID, patients experience prolonged symptoms extending sometimes for months. The review, published in the Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine (JRSM) on Thursday, summarised current research on symptom prevalence, complications and management of long COVID. The researchers from the University of Birmingham in the UK noted that pooled prevalence data in the review highlights the ten most common symptoms of long COVID. These are fatigue, shortness of breath, muscle pain, cough, headache, joint pain, chest pain, altered smell, diarrhoea and altered taste, they said. - PTI

A senior U.S. health official who signed a sweeping order for masks to be worn on nearly all forms of public transport said they were a key tool in preventing COVID-19 transmission even as some lawmakers call for ending the rules.Marty Cetron, director for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) Division of Global Migration and Quarantine, told Reuters Thursday the agency's "current position" is the mandate should not be lifted."Masks are really powerful and we should make sure they're part of our arsenal," Cetron said in an interview. "We mask not just to protect ourselves - we mask because it's the way we take care and express our concern for each other. - Reuters

Malaysia will hold bilateral talks with Thailand to seek assurances there will be no disruption to the supply of AstraZeneca vaccines manufactured in its Southeast Asian neighbour, a Malaysian minister said on Friday.Malaysia will also consider ramping up the supply of vaccines developed by China's Sinovac if there are shortages of the AstraZeneca vaccine, Science Minister Khairy Jamaluddin told a news conference. - Reuters

For the first time in 16 months, Madhya Pradesh's Indore has recorded just one case of coronavirus in the last 24 hours, an official said on Friday. Amid preparations for the third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic and the ongoing vaccination drive, the daily count of infections has gradually declined in Madhya Pradesh. ‘In the last 24 hours, we have tested 8,923 samples and among them only one was found positive for the infection,’ nodal officer for COVID-19 Dr Amit Malakar said. This is for the first time in 16 months that Indore, which was earlier one of the worst affected districts in the pandemic, has recorded just one case in 24 hours, he said. - PTI

The UK is "not out of the woods yet" with the coronavirus pandemic and the number of people hospitalised with the deadly virus could reach quite scary numbers" if the trend is sustained, England's Chief Medical Officer has warned. Professor Chris Whitty also said that people should approach the end of most restrictions from Monday with caution. Whitty said that the number of people in hospital with COVID-19 is doubling around every three weeks and could hit "quite scary numbers" if that trend is sustained. He urged the public to take things ‘incredibly slowly’ as the so-called July 19 ‘Freedom Day’ from legal lockdown restrictions approaches. "I don't think we should underestimate the fact that we could get into trouble again surprisingly fast," he told a webinar hosted by the Science Museum on Thursday. - PTI

Odisha on Friday reported 2,070 new COVID-19 cases, which took the tally to 9,49,929, while 64 more fatalities pushed the toll to 4,925, a senior health department official said. Of the 2,070 new cases, 1,195 were reported from quarantine centres, and the rest detected during contact tracing, the official said. Khurda district, of which state capital Bhubaneswar is part, recorded the maximum number of new cases and fatalities at 446 and 22 respectively. Other districts which reported more than 100 fresh cases include Cuttack at 319, Balasore at 176, Jajpur at 136 and Puri at 109. -PTI

Govt of Andhra Pradesh issues precautionary guidelines for Eid-ul-Azha (Bakrid on July 20/21) celebrations stating that prayers shall not be performed in Eidgahs or at open places, and should be offered in the Masajits with 50% occupancy to avoid large congregations.

A Nigerian delegate to the Olympics became the first visitor to the Tokyo Games admitted to hospital with COVID-19, broadcaster TV Asahi said on Friday, as Japan battles to stem rising local infections a week before the event.The individual, a non-athlete in their 60s, tested positive on Thursday evening at the airport with mild symptoms but was hospitalised because of age and pre-existing conditions, the broadcaster said, without giving details.On Friday, the Australian Olympic Committee said that tennis player Alex de Minaur, ranked 15th in the world, had tested positive prior to his departure for the Games, becoming the latest athlete to have the virus shatter his Olympics dream."We're very disappointed for Alex," Australia's chef de mission, Ian Chesterman, told reporters. - Reuters

Mizoram's COVID-19 caseload on Friday jumped to 26,207 as 456 more people, including over 100 children tested positive for the infection, a health department official said. The state also reported one more COVID-19 fatality, which took the death toll to 117, he said. The 456 new cases were reported from various districts with Aizawl reporting the highest at 271, followed by Kolasib at 62 and Lunglei district at 58. - PTI

Incoming passengers vaccinated with both doses of COVID19 vaccine will have to undergo a mandatory COVID test upon arrival at the airports and railway stations in Assam: State government - ANI

Britain on Friday said there had been 36,800 new cases of the Delta variant in the week to July 14, compared to 54,268 new cases reported the previous week.The total number of cases of the variant reported was 253,049, a 17% increase from last week. - Reuters

Jharkhand reported 54 new COVID- 19 cases in the last 24 hours, which pushed the tally to 3,46,533, a health department bulletin said on Friday. The COVID-19 death toll remained at 5,120 as no new fatality due to the contagion was reported in the last 24 hours, it said. Of the 54 new cases, Bokaro reported 14 cases followed by eight cases from East Singhbhum and six cases from Lohardaga. No new COVID-19 case was reported from Chatra, Garhwa, Giridih, Godda, Jamtara, Khunti, Pakur, Simdega and West Singhbhum districts. - PTI

Russia on Friday reported 799 coronavirus-related deaths, the most in a single day since the pandemic began and the fourth day in a row it has set a record.Russia is in the grip of a surge in cases that authorities have blamed on the contagious Delta variant and the slow rate of vaccinations. The coronavirus task force confirmed 25,704 new COVID-19 infections in the last 24 hours.It said the official national COVID-19 case tally now stood at 5,907,999. It said the national death toll had risen to 146,868.The federal statistics agency has kept a separate count and said Russia recorded around 290,000 deaths related to COVID-19 from April 2020 to May 2021. - Reuters

Hungary will offer the option of taking a third dose of a COVID-19 vaccine from Aug. 1 and will make coronavirus vaccines mandatory for all healthcare workers, Prime Minister Viktor Orban told state radio on Friday.Orban said doctors will decide which vaccine people should take as a third dose, and it should come at least 4 months after the second shot, unless doctors advise otherwise.Hungary, a country of 10 million, has been among the fastest countries in the European Union to inoculate the public, as the only EU state to widely deploy Russian and Chinese vaccines before they received approval from the bloc's regulator. - Reuters

Coronavirus outbreaks involving Olympic teams in Japan have turned small-town hotels into facilities on the frontline of the pandemic battle, charged with implementing complex health measures to protect elite athletes and a fearful public.Infections have hit at least seven teams arriving in Japan barely a week out from the July 23 opening ceremony and after host city Tokyo reported its highest daily tally of new COVID-19 infections since late January. - Reuters

South Korean graduate student Kim Hyun-jin sits with her thumbs flailing away at the screen of her phone, hoping to land a click on an online map that will get her the leftover coronavirus vaccine that someone in her Seoul neighbourhood missed.But after 10 days of "mad clicking," Kim, 32, has come away with nothing as vaccines are scarce amid a surge in new COVID-19 cases that started last week and is setting daily records."It's like war," Kim said, showing a map on her phone that shows no vaccines are available in southern Seoul. "It never comes up no matter how madly you click, and I'm angry and hopeless, wasting my time."Kim is one of many young South Koreans who feel unfairly singled out by authorities as the main driver of its worst-ever COVID-19 outbreak because of their social activities, even as the government prioritises vaccine distribution to older, more vulnerable people. - Reuters

A heat-tolerant COVID-19 vaccine formulation developed by the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) Bengaluru has proven effective against all current SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern, according to a study in animals. The research, published in the ACS Infectious Diseases journal on Thursday, showed the vaccine formulations by IISc-incubated biotech start-up Mynvax triggered a strong immune response in mice. The formulation also protected hamsters from the virus and remained stable at 37 degrees Celsius up to a month, and at 100 degrees Celsius for up to 90 minutes, the researchers said. The team, including researchers from Australia's Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), noted that most vaccines require refrigeration to remain effective. - PTI

The Supreme Court on Friday ordered that prisoners, who were released by the high powered committees (HPCs) of states during the second wave of COVID-19 following its direction, will not be asked to surrender until further orders. A special bench headed by Chief Justice N V Ramana also asked the HPCs of states to file within five days the norms being adopted by them in implementing its May 7 orders on release of prisoners for decongesting jails. The top court also asked the National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) to file a report after getting details from states' HPCs about the norms followed by them. - PTI

• Country has fought Covid pandemic with mutual cooperation and united efforts: PM Narendra Modi at meeting with six CMs.
• pprehensions about third wave of coronavirus being expressed; number of cases in some states remain matter of concern: Prime Minister Modi.
• Rise in Covid cases in Maharashtra, Kerala matter of grave concern for country: Prime Minister Narendra Modi. 
• PM Narendra Modi calls on states seeing rising Covid cases to take proactive measures to rule out any chance of third wave.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi stresses on 'Test, Track, Treat and Tika (vaccine)'  strategy to deal with Covid. - PTI

No beds, medicines running low and hospital wards prone to fire -  Iraq's doctors say they are losing the battle against the coronavirus. And they say that was true even before a devastating blaze killed scores of people in a COVID-19 isolation unit this week. Infections in Iraq have surged to record highs in a third wave spurred by the more aggressive delta variant, and long-neglected hospitals suffering the effects of decades of war are overwhelmed with severely ill patients, many of them this time young people. Doctors are going online to plea for donations of medicine and bottled oxygen, and relatives are taking to social media to find hospital beds for their stricken loved ones. - AP