Coronavirus News LIVE Updates: After Uttarakhand and UP, Delhi Cancels Kanwar Yatra, Says Report

Kanwar Yatra | The Uttarakhand government has already called off the Kanwar Yatra citing fears expressed by experts of a possible third wave of the pandemic and the risk posed by such gatherings. The yatra goes on till the first week of August and sees thousands of Shiva devotees called kanwariyas' travelling mostly on foot from neighbouring states, including Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Delhi to collect water from the Ganges in Haridwar.

Delhi Cancels Kanwar Yatra | The annual Kanwar Yatra in Delhi has been cancelled amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The Delhi government's decision comes a day after the Uttar Pradesh government announced the cancellation of this year's yatra.  

Four Million Covid Deaths | The coronavirus has killed at least 4,086,242 people since the outbreak emerged in China in December 2019, according to a tally from official sources compiled by AFP at 1000 GMT on Sunday. The United States is the worst-affected country with 608,898 deaths from 34,069,082 cases, followed by Brazil (541,266 deaths) and India (413,609). 

The WHO says up to three times more people have died directly or indirectly as a result of the pandemic than official figures suggest.

Olympic Outbreak | Organisers have detected two infected athletes in the Olympic Village shortly after a staff member tested positive, five days before the opening of the Games in Japan. They are from "the same country and the same sport", a spokesman for the organising committee said on Sunday, without giving further details.

Punjab | Department of Forests and Wildlife Preservation has announced the reopening of Chhatbir Zoo and four small zoos at Ludhiana, Bathinda, Patiala and Neelon from July 20, with strict adherence to COVID appropriate behaviour.

Andhra Pradesh reports 2,974 fresh COVID-19 cases, 3,290 recoveries, and 17 deaths in the past 24 hours. 
Active cases: 24,708
Total recoveries: 19,02,256
Death toll: 13,132

Kerala reports 13,956 new COVID cases, 13,613 recoveries and 81 deaths today.
Active cases: 1,25,041
Death toll: 15,350

Punjab | Administration under Congress has been problematic. Covid deaths were highest in the state. Vaccines were also exploited. Instead of solving problems, be it Covid or farmers, Congress is busy fighting for positions in Delhi: Harsimrat Kaur Badal, Shiromani Akali Dal

Farmers' Protest | In view of COVID-19 guidelines, Delhi Police advises farmers to reconsider their protest plan near Parliament, says can't give permission now.

Haryana Extends Restrictions Till July 26 | Haryana government extends COVID restrictions till July 26 with more relaxations. Restaurants and bars are allowed to open from 10 am to 11pm with 50% of the seating capacity following COVID protocols from July 19.

IMA Opposes Easing of Norms in Kerala | Indian Medical Association (IMA) calls Kerala Govt's decision to ease COVID restrictions on the occasion of Eid al-Adha as 'unwarranted and inappropriate at this time of medical emergency'; urges state govt to withdraw the order.

READ | Nod to Cinema Halls, Reduced Night Curfew as Karnataka Eases Covid-19 Curbs

The Karnataka government on Sunday further relaxed the COVID-19 related lockdown norms, allowing cinema theatres to open and reduced the duration of night curfew by one hour from July 19.

UK PM, Finance Minister Exposed to Covid, Confined to Office Work | British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his finance minister Rishi Sunak will be limited to working from their offices and subject to daily COVID-19 testing after being identified as a contact of someone who tested positive for the virus. Health minister Sajid Javid on Saturday said he had tested positive for COVID-19.

Portable Theatres Become COVID-19 Vaccination Centres in Delhi | From entertaining hundreds as a travelling theatre to re-inventing itself as a coronavirus facility amid the intense second wave, the portable cinema hall has now been transformed into vaccination centre for inoculating people against the infection. The travelling theatre was established to take cinema to rural and interior parts of the country in 2015 and has since showcased different films..

READ | New Study Suggests Covid-19 Virus Piggybacks Only Black Carbon Emission

A new study conducted by Pune-based Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology suggests that COVID-19 virus piggybacks only black carbon emitted during biomass burning and not all PM2.

Covid-19: Punjab Records 118 More Infections, 4 Deaths | Punjab on Saturday reported 118 fresh cases of coronavirus, raising the infection tally to 5,98,248, while four more fatalities pushed the death toll to 16,224, according to a medical bulletin. The four deaths were reported from Bathinda, Hoshiarpur, Sangrur and SBS Nagar. The death toll also includes five deaths that were not reported earlier, as per the bulletin. The number of active cases is 1,153, it stated. Bathinda reported 20 fresh infections, followed by 17 in Jalandhar and 11 in Ferozepur, as per the bulletin.

Over 41.99 crore COVID-19 vaccine doses have so far been provided to states and Union territories, and more than 2.56 crore jabs are available with them and private hospitals, the health ministry said on Sunday. In a statement, the ministry said 15,75,140 more doses are in the process of being supplied.

READ | Mask-less Crowds in Shimla Finally Catch Attention of Authorities, Tourists Restricted on Ridge, Mall Road

Images of mask-less tourists crowding hill stations have finally woken up authorities from their slumber, with the administration in Shimla deciding to impose restrictions to curb the influx of those…

Arunachal Pradesh Reports 475 New Covid-19 Cases, 2 More Deaths | Arunachal Pradesh continued to register a surge in COVID-19 cases as 475 more people tested positive for the infection, pushing the tally to 42,564, a senior health official said here on Sunday. The COVID-19 death toll in the frontier state increased to 201, as two more persons succumbed to the infection on Saturday, State Surveillance Officer (SSO) Dr Lobsang Jampa said. The Capital Complex Region recorded the highest number of fresh cases at 129, followed by Namsai (51), West Kameng (48), Lower Subansiri (33), East Siang (26), Lohit (25), Siang (24), Papumpare (23) and Changlang (19). 

Cong Leader Criticises Kerala Govt Move to Ease Restrictions on Bakrid | Congress leader and party’s national spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi has criticized Kerala government’s move to ease restrictions in the state for three days due to Bakrid and called it deplorable act of the state government.

Deplorable act by Kerala Govt to provide 3 days relaxations for Bakra eid celebrations especially because it's one of the hot beds for Covid-19 at present. If Kanwar Yatra is wrong, so is Bakra Eid public celebrations.

— Abhishek Singhvi (@DrAMSinghvi) July 17, 2021

Olympics-Athletics-Australia Training Camp Locked Down After Covid Scare | Australia's entire athletics team for the Tokyo Olympics was quarantined in their rooms on Saturday at their pre-Games training camp in Cairns following a COVID-19 scare. An inconclusive test had been returned by an unnamed official who travelled from Melbourne but subsequent tests have so far been negative, the Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) confirmed on Sunday. Athletes have since been permitted to compete in a warm-up event after being kept in their rooms from around midday on Saturday until late that evening.

Punjab Village Residents Claim Covid-19 Toll Underreported | A family in Mansa’s Akkanwali village in Punjab says that they lost five members of Coronavirus in two weeks in May. But the official records show that Akkanwali village recorded only two deaths. The villagers said that four out of seven brothers, died between May 7-24, suspected of Covid-19 and were admitted to hospital due to the low oxygen supply. Another family member, the wife of the younger brother also suspected to have Covid-19 and died of it. But only the names of two people figured in the government data as Covid victims.

India reports 41,157 new Covid-19 cases, 42,004 recoveries, and 518 deaths during the last 24 hours.

Active cases: 4,22,660
Total discharges: 3,02,69,796
Death toll: 4,13,609

Total vaccination: 40,49,31,715.

Covid-19: Punjab Records 118 More Infections, 4 Deaths | Punjab on Saturday reported 118 fresh cases of coronavirus, raising the infection tally to 5,98,248, while four more fatalities pushed the death toll to 16,224, according to a medical bulletin. The four deaths were reported from Bathinda, Hoshiarpur, Sangrur and SBS Nagar. The death toll also includes five deaths that were not reported earlier, as per the bulletin. The number of active cases is 1,153, it stated. Bathinda reported 20 fresh infections, followed by 17 in Jalandhar and 11 in Ferozepur, as per the bulletin.

Sarojini Nagar's Export Market Closed for 'Grossly' Violating Covid-19 Norms | The Export Market at Sarojini Nagar here will remain closed until further orders for "grossly" violating COVID-19 norms, according to an official order issued on Saturday. The order issued by Sub Divisional Magistrate (Vasant Vihar) Ankur Prakash Meshram said an inspection carried out by him at the market on Saturday found it "extremely crowded with COVID-19 norms being grossly violated and no social distancing being followed at all".

India reports 41,157 new cases in last 24 hours. Active Caseload currently at 4,22,660.

Odisha reported 2,215 new Covid-19 cases, 2,400 recoveries, and 66 deaths yesterday.

Active cases: 21,289
Total recoveries: 9,27,926
Death toll: 5,058

READ | Two Athletes Test Positive for Covid-19 in Olympic Village: Officials

A day after an unidentified person tested positive for Covid-19 in the Olympic Village, Tokyo 2020 officials confirmed two atheles have contracted the virus.

Over 40 Crore Covid Vaccine Doses Administered in Country: Govt | The cumulative number of COVID-19 vaccine doses administered in the country has gone past 40 crore with over 46.38 lakh doses given on Saturday, according to the Union health ministry. A total of 21,18,682 beneficiaries in the age group of 18-44 years received the first dose, while 2,33,019 were administered the second dose of the vaccine on Saturday, the ministry said. "India's cumulative COVID vaccination coverage has surpassed 40 crore (40,44,67,526)," according to a provisional report compiled at 7 pm. 

Jharkhand reports 61 new Covid-19 cases and 64 recoveries in the last 24 hours. 

Active cases: 337
Total recoveries: 3,41,192
Death toll: 5,120