Beneficiaries wait to receive a dose of COVID-19 vaccine at a vaccination centre in Kochi. (PTI Photo)Coronavirus Third Wave India Highlights, Coronavirus Statistics India Live Updates: Amid renewed concerns over the third wave of Covid-19 infections, India reported a slightly higher number of new coronavirus cases on Friday. The health ministry bulletin released today morning says that 44, 230 fresh Covid cases have been detected in India in the last 24 hours. The number of corona deaths has gone down below 600 with 555 new fatalities registered in the last 24 hours, the health bulletin says. Today’s number of infections is the highest figure that India has seen in this month since July 7. A very minute uptick in the number of active cases has been observed with 4,05,155 infections in the country. The recovery rate remains static at 97.38 per cent.
While the Covid vitals seem to be ok and well under control, the situation is a way bit alarming in Southern states. Not only Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu have also reported a sharp surge. Amid all this, the national vaccination drive has seen a lukewarm response. The Centre says that around 52 lakh Covid vaccine doses have been administered in the last 24 hours.
Now let’s talk about Kerala. Kerala – God’s own country – has become the epicentre of India’s fresh Covid surge. More than half of the total number of new coronavirus cases are being reported from Kerala. After getting a rebuke from the Supreme Court for its Bakrid relaxations, Kerala has decided to enforce total lockdown this weekend. The increase in the ‘R’ factor also meant that the rate of infection is reaching the red zone. While the first two waves saw the worst impact in Maharashtra, is Kerala going to face a similar situation during the probable third wave of Covid infections?
Well, if one looks at the current Covid tally, one may think like that. But one look at the latest national serosurvey shows that the picture is quite different. After last weeks main findings, the Narendra Modi government has released the stat-wise breakup of the national serosurvey. The findings show that Kerala, which reports half of the total new caseload, has just 44 per cent population exposed to coronavirus. Whereas Madhya Pradesh’s stat stands at 79 per cent. This essentially means things – a: Since the lesser number of people have been infected, this would mean that a larger group is vulnerable to the infection. Hence surge in new cases. b: Kerala is detecting and reporting coronavirus cases at a much faster pace than other states. An Indian Express report says that previous serosurveys had shown that nationally, one in 26 cases were detected. This figure was one in five in Kerala.
Stay with us as we bring the latest updates related to coronavirus pandemic from India and around the world:
Highlights
The national capital recorded 63 fresh COVID-19 cases and three deaths due to the disease on Friday, while the positivity rate stood at 0.09 per cent, according to data shared by the health department here. The three new fatalities has pushed the death toll to 25,052, according to the latest bulletin. No death due to COVID-19 was recorded in Delhi on Thursday, while 51 fresh cases were reported with a positivity rate of 0.08 per cent, according to official data. This was the third time, since the starting of the second wave of the pandemic in the national capital that zero fatality had been logged in a day. (PTI)
Certain myths and misinformation surrounding the COVID-19 vaccines, including the jabs causing infertility in men and women, have been promptly addressed by the Union government, the Lok Sabha was informed on Friday. In a written reply to a question, Minister of State for Health Bharati Pravin Pawar said the National Covid Vaccination Drive is progressing at a steady pace and the rate of vaccination has improved significantly from 2.35 lakh doses per day in January to 39.89 lakh doses per day in June. (PTI)
Israeli health authorities began administering coronavirus booster shots Friday to people over 60 who've already received both does of a vaccine, in a bid to combat a recent spike in cases. The decision was announced Thursday by the Israeli prime minister, Naftali Bennet, making Israel the first country to offer a third dose of a Western vaccine to its citizens on a wide scale. "Israel is a pioneer in going ahead with the third dose for older people of the age of 60 and above," Bennet said during Friday's launch. (PTI)
A Jharkhand village - Haradag Khurd in Garhwa district- has been put on high alert post detection of as many as 21 COVID-19 positive villagers in a short span of two days after return of migrant workers from Madhya Pradesh, officials said. All 21 including eight children in the age group of 2 and 12 years have been admitted to Sadar Hospital, Garhwa and their all contacts have been isolated. Among the returnees from a Madhya Pradesh colliery area where delta variant of the contagion has been detected one worker was found positive initially and its suspected villagers might have caught infection from him. (PTI)
The Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) in Maharashtra has sent notices to several city-based hospitals, asking them to refund the excessive amounts charged by them from COVID-19 patients for their treatment. The civic body said that the collective excess amount charged by such facilities stood at more than Rs 1.14 crore. If the hospitals fail to return the amount, they may lose their registration, the TMC warned them. (PTI)
The Serum Institute of India (SII) said on Friday it had partnered with an industry body to expand the reach of COVID-19 shots in India's countryside as it had "plenty of supply" of the AstraZeneca drug.India has reported more than 31.5 million coronavirus infections in the world, the most after the United States, with 423,217 deaths.While some 452 million vaccine doses have been administered, the pace of inoculations in rural areas, where two-thirds of India's 1.35 billion people live, has lagged that of urban centres.SII, the world's largest vaccine maker, will be working with the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), which has set up vaccination camps in smaller towns and rural areas."While SII has manufactured the vaccine at scale within a short period of time, it is essential that all stakeholders work together towards carrying out the inoculations," CEO Adar Poonawalla said about its version of the AstraZeneca drug known as Covishield. - Reuters
Health Department has made arrangements in villages as well as in cities but we need cooperation from people. COVID (cases) has just reduced, it hasn't ended. People need to continue following COVID protocols to prevent the third wave of COVID: Haryana Health Minister Anil Vij - ANI
Amid a possible third wave of COVID-19, the Gautam Buddh Nagar Health Department has asked Noida and Greater Noida residents to alert it about people coming from nine high-risk states, including Kerala and Maharashtra. A communication in this regard was issued by district's Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Dr Sunil Sharma to all resident welfare associations (RWAs) and housing societies on Thursday. The communique stated that Uttar Pradesh has been able to keep the rate of COVID-19 transmission lower than many states due to a lot of efforts and there is a need to keep the rate low as precaution against rise in cases of the virus. - PTI
Seventy cases of coronavirus Delta Plus variant were found in genome sequencing by INSACOG, a grouping of 28 laboratories involved in the task, Union Science and Technology Minister Jitendra Singh said on Friday. In a written response to a question in the Lok Sabha, he said so far, 58,240 samples of SARS-CoV2 have been sequenced in the country and of these, 46,124 were analysed. A majority of these samples -- 17,169 -- were of Delta variant, Singh said. The Delta variant of SARS-CoV2 was behind the deadly second wave in the country that killed thousands and infected lakhs from March to May. It is also driving the pandemic in different parts of the world. This variant of coronavirus was first detected in India. There were 4,172 cases of the Alpha variant, followed by 217 of Beta and just one of Gamma. - PTI
The Delhi High Court Friday sought Yoga guru Ramdev's stand on a lawsuit against him by several doctors' associations for allegedly spreading misinformation by his statements against allopathy amid the COVID-19 pandemic which purportedly amounts to public nuisance. Justice Hari Shankar granted a week's time to Ramdev to file his response and said that he would not grant leave for institution of the proceedings in the absence of a reply. ‘Public nuisance has some consequences on the defendant. It is open to the defendant (Ramdev) to say that there is no case. Can't say that I won't give him an opportunity,’ the judge said. - PTI
The coronavirus-induced suspension of scheduled international passenger flights has been extended till August 31, aviation regulator DGCA said on Friday. "However, international scheduled flights may be allowed on selected routes by the competent authority on a case-to-case basis," the Directorate General of Civil Aviation added. Scheduled international passenger services have been suspended in India since March 23, 2020, due to the coronavirus pandemic. But special international flights have been operating under the Vande Bharat Mission since May 2020 and under bilateral "air bubble" arrangements with selected countries since July 2020. (PTI)
The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the need of creating vigilance and awareness on zoonotic diseases, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Friday said. He made the remarks while virtually inaugurating the Whole Genome Sequencing National Reference Laboratory for Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) and BSL 3 Laboratory on the 112th Annual Day of the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC). Congratulating NCDC for its contributions, Mandaviya said that India has performed better than many other countries in fighting the pandemic, a Health ministry statement stated. He said new dimensions have been added today in the legacy of 112 years of achievements of NCDC and encouraged it to strive for further innovations so that not only India but the whole world can benefit from its work. Scientists, doctors, officers and staff of NCDC should collectively chart out goals they want to achieve in the coming years, he said. - PTI
Nepalese citizens entering India through the three main border bridges in the district will now have to undergo a rapid antigen test on arrival before they are allowed to proceed further, a senior official said on Friday. "We took the decision after the corona negative reports carried by some of the Nepalese migrants from their country were found to be fake," Pithoragarh's Chief Medical Officer HC Pant said. Nepalese citizens were allowed to enter India through the border bridges at Jhoolaghat, Dharchula and Jauljibi last month if they carried along with them a negative corona test report issued by medical authorities in Nepal. However, when some of the corona test reports shown by the Nepalese citizens at the border were found to be fake, we decided to conduct our own rapid antigen tests on every incoming Nepalese migrant, before permitting them on Indian soil." Pant said. - PTI
Puducherry logged 90 fresh coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours pushing the overall tally to 1,20,815, a senior official of the Department of Health said on Friday. A 65-year old woman succumbed to the virus as the death toll in the union territory rose to 1,793, Director of Health Department S Mohan Kumar said here. The Puducherry region accounted for 53 new cases followed by Karaikal (18), Mahe (14) and Yanam (5). The 90 fresh cases were identified at the end of the examination of 5,317 samples, he said. The number of active cases stood at 979 with 189 patients in hospitals and the remaining 790 in home isolation. The Health department Director said while 82 patients recovered and were discharged in the last 24 hours, the overall recoveries stood at 1,28,043. - PTI
Amid rising Covid cases in Karnataka, new state chief minister Basavaraj Bommai on Friday said there is a need to tighten the borders and take measures to put in place compulsory testing to stop the spread of the virus. Bommai, who is on his first visit to Delhi as CM, also said the state government will further strengthen the state health infrastructure to combat the current wave. Speaking to reporters before meeting Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, the Karnataka CM said he was here to meet the PM, the party chief and other Union ministers to thank and seek their blessings. On rising Covid cases in Karnataka, Bommai said he has spoken to district collectors of Dakshin Kannada, Chamarajanagar, Mysuru, and Kodagu in this regard. "We have to tighten our borders. We have to make compulsory testing and vaccination," he said. After the Delhi visit, Bommai said will hold a video conference with district collectors and health officials of Dakshin Kannada, Chamarajanagar, Mysuru, and Kodagu as well as Chikkamangaluru and Udupi. - PTI
Hundreds of thousands of COVID-19 vaccine doses have been saved from the trash after U.S. regulators extended their expiration date for a second time, part of a nationwide effort to salvage expiring shots to battle the nation's summer surge in infections. The Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday sent a letter to shot maker Johnson & Johnson declaring that the doses remain safe and effective for at least six months when properly stored. The FDA's move gives the shots an extra six weeks as public officials press more Americans to get inoculated. Similar efforts are happening in multiple states as public health officials try to ensure that soon-to-expire shots are put into arms before they must be discarded. The surge in infections is largely due to the highly contagious delta variant of the coronavirus, which has spread rapidly, particularly among unvaccinated people. Inoculation rates have climbed only slightly after a steep fall from their April peak. - AP
With coronavirus deaths rising in Myanmar, allegations are growing from residents and human rights activists that the military government, which seized control in February, is using the pandemic to consolidate power and crush opposition. In the last week, the per capita death rate in Myanmar surpassed those of Indonesia and Malaysia to become the worst in Southeast Asia. The country's crippled health care system has rapidly become overwhelmed with new patients sick with COVID-19. Supplies of medical oxygen are running low, and the government has restricted its private sale in many places, saying it is trying to prevent hoarding. But that has led to widespread allegations that the stocks are being directed to government supporters and military-run hospitals. At the same time, medical workers have been targeted after spearheading a civil disobedience movement that urged professionals and civil servants not to cooperate with the government, known as the State Administrative Council. - AP
The Bombay High Court on Friday directed the Union government to approve the proposed plan of action of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to re-vaccinate those citizens, who had fallen victim to several fake anti-coronavirus vaccination camps in different parts of the city a few months ago. A bench of Chief Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice G S Kulkarni directed the Centre to approve the Mumbai civic body's plan of action, "with or without modifications, within seven days" from now. The directions came after senior counsel Anil Sakhre, who appeared for the BMC, told the HC that it had re-vaccinated 161 of the 2,053 people, who had fallen victim to such fake camps. - PTI
COVID-19: Yuzvendra Chahal and K Gowtham test positive in Sri Lanka - ANI
Brazil plans to cancel a contract signed in March for 10 million doses of Russia's Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine, Health Minister Marcelo Queiroga has said, as the South American nation struggles with one of the worst outbreaks in the world.Queiroga said the move was due to lapsed deadlines in the registration process with Brazilian health regulator Anvisa.He added that Brazil's national immunization program does not currently need the Russian vaccine, though that could change if Anvisa licenses Sputnik V. - Reuters
Gilead Sciences Inc has posted higher-than-expected second-quarter earnings, helped by strong demand for its COVID-19 antiviral treatment, Veklury, but sales of its flagship HIV drugs lagged as the pandemic continued to limit visits to doctors.Gilead shares, which closed at $69.83, were down 2% in after hours trading.The biotechnology company's total revenue for the quarter rose 21% from a year earlier to $6.2 billion, slightly higher than the average analyst estimate of $6.07 billion, according to Refinitiv data.Sales of HIV medicines, which have stalled during the coronavirus pandemic, fell 2% to $3.9 billion.Gilead Chief Commercial Officer Johanna Mercier on a conference call with analysts said HIV sales in Europe have begun to recover, but U.S. demand has been slower. - Reuters
Japan's government on Friday proposed states of emergency through Aug. 31 in three prefectures near Olympic host Tokyo and the western prefecture of Osaka, as COVID-19 cases spike to records, overshadowing the Summer Games.Existing states of emergency for Tokyo - its fourth since the pandemic began - and southern Okinawa island should also be extended to Aug. 31, Economy Minister Yasutoshi Nishimura, who is spearheading Japan's pandemic response, told a panel of experts in announcing the proposed expansion.Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga is expected to formally announce the move later on Friday after the experts approved it. - Reuters
Sydney's poorest neighbourhoods on Friday braced for military enforcement of the city's toughest and longest lockdown of the COVID-19 pandemic as the infection numbers held persistently high five weeks since restrictions began.With the city of 5 million people ordered to stay home amid an outbreak of the highly transmissable Delta variant, authorities outlined even tighter restrictions for the worst affected suburbs, including mandatory testing and mask-wearing outdoors.From Monday, some 300 Australian army personnel will help police door-knock people who have tested positive to the virus to ensure they are isolating, New South Wales police commissioner Mick Fuller said at a televised news conference. - Reuters
The COVID-19 tally of Andaman and Nicobar Islands rose to 7,534 on Friday as three more people tested positive for the infection, a health bulletin said. The archipelago now has 10 active cases, while 7,395 people have recovered from the disease and 129 patients have succumbed to the infection to date. The administration has tested over 4.38 lakh samples for COVID-19, and inoculated over 2.92 lakh people, of whom over 92,000 have received both doses. After a dip in fresh infections, local MP Kuldeep Rai Sharma wrote a letter to Chief Secretary Jitendra Narain on Thursday evening requesting him to reduce the quarantine period from 10 days to 3 days for people visiting Swaraj Dweep, Shaheed Dweep and Little Andaman Islands. "In the entire North and Middle Andaman region, the quarantine period has been reduced to three days for the convenience of the public and to boost economic activities but the quarantine period for Swaraj Dweep, Shaheed Dweep and Little Andaman Islands has not been reduced. - PTI
There has been a spurt of COVID cases in Kerala & we have 3 border districts. We've talked to Dy Commissioners to be on alert & make stringent measures. They've been asked to prepare medical facilities. I'll have a detailed meeting once I go back: Karnataka CM Basavaraj Bommai - ANI
The Tokyo Games organisers on Friday announced 27 new COVID-19 cases linked with the Olympics, including three athletes, the highest daily count so far. The three athletes include US pole vaulter Sam Kendricks, a two-time world champion, who on Thursday pulled out of the Games after testing positive for the virus. The 27 cases, bringing the cumulative Games-related total to 220, comprise 18 residents of Japan and nine from overseas. Of the daily total, two athletes and a Games-related official were staying in the Olympic village. The highest daily figure in Games-related cases came a day after Tokyo reported 3,865 new infections, hitting a record for the third straight day, and the nationwide single-day count topped 10,000 for the first time. - PTI
Thailand received its first batch of 1.5 million doses of Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines donated by the U.S. government on Friday, as the Southeast Asian country battles its biggest COVID-19 outbreak to date.Since April, Thailand has been tackling a surge in infections driven by the highly contagious Delta variant of the coronavirus, pushing hospitals in the capital Bangkok to the brink. The country's COVID-19 task force reported 17,345 new cases and 117 new deaths on Friday,"Our government noticed how quickly the Delta variant has been spreading in this country and the severe conditions that are being faced right now by your health workers," U.S. Charge d'Affaires in Thailand Michael Heath told a news conference.The United States will send another one million doses of COVID-19 vaccine in addition to the batch that was received on Friday, he added.Thailand's vaccine drive has so far depended on Sinovac and AstraZeneca vaccines and faced delays since it began last month. Just 5.6% of the country's 66 million population been fully vaccinated so far. - Reuters
Indian Railways to transport third Oxygen Express carrying 200 MT Liquid Medical Oxygen (LMO) in 10 containers from Tata in Chakradharpur Division under South Eastern Railway to Benapole, Bangladesh - ANI
India reported on Friday 44,230 new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, government data showed.The nationwide tally of infections reached 31.57 million, according to the health ministry.The country reported 555 deaths overnight, taking the overall tally to 423,217 fatalities, data showed. - Reuters
Amid rising cases of coronavirus in Kerala, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday appealed to people in the state to follow all safety measures and guidelines. Kerala reported over 22,000 coronavirus cases for the third day in a row on Thursday. The Central government is sending a six-member team to Kerala to aid the state's ongoing efforts in COVID-19 management. "Rising cases of Coronavirus infections in Kerala are worrying," Gandhi said. "I appeal to our brothers and sisters in the state to follow all safety measures & guidelines. Please take care," the MP from Kerala's Wayanad said in a tweet. - PTI
China reported on Friday 64 new coronavirus cases in the mainland for July 29, compared with 49 cases a day earlier, the health authority said.The National Health Commission said in a statement 21 of the new infections were local cases, compared with 24 the previous day. There were no new deaths.A majority of the local cases were reported in Jiangsu province, the authority said.The province's capital city of Nanjing is currently facing an outbreak of the delta variant that surfaced earlier this month.The official Xinhua news agency reported that the source of the outbreak was inadequately protected airport staff who were cleaning planes after international flights.Authorities have since conducted mass testing in the city, and closed the airport on Tuesday.Two cases of the virus were also reported in Hunan province. One case was reported in Beijing. - Reuters
The small South Pacific island nation of The Federated States of Micronesia has mandated that its adult population be inoculated against COVID-19 in an effort to continue to prevent the pandemic reaching its shores.The Federated States of Micronesia, with a population just over 113,000 and covering more than 600 islands, has not recorded any locally acquired COVID-19 cases after it shut its international borders to prevent the spread of the virus.In a statement issued late on Thursday, the Pacific island nation said everyone over 18 years will have to receive a COVID-19 vaccine."The [Federated States of Micronesia] still has so much work to do to conquer the pandemic," said the country's President David Panuelo said.Other Pacific island countries also shut their borders but some have now experienced an outbreak of COVID-19.I - Reuters
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte on Friday approved the imposition of lockdown measures in the capital region, in a bid to contain the spread of the Delta coronavirus variant and to shield the country's medical system.The Manila capital region, an urban sprawl of 16 cities home to more than 13 million people, will be placed under the tightest quarantine curbs from Aug. 6 to 20, Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said in a televised address. "While it is a painful decision, this is for the good of all."The lockdown will prevent people leaving their homes, except for essential shopping, while indoor and al fresco dining is banned.The highly transmissible Delta variant, first detected in India, has spread rapidly across much of Southeast Asia.The Philippines also extended a ban on travellers coming from 10 countries including India, Indonesia, Thailand, and the United Arab Emirates to Aug. 15.Already battling the second-worst coronavirus outbreak in Asia, the Philippines has so far recorded over 1.57 million confirmed COVID-19 cases and more than 27,000 deaths. - Reuters
President Joe Biden on Thursday urged local governments to pay people to get vaccinated against COVID-19, and set new rules requiring federal workers to provide proof of vaccination or face regular testing, mask mandates and travel restrictions.The measures are Biden's latest attempt to spur reluctant Americans to get vaccinated as the Delta variant of the coronavirus surges nationwide, infecting unvaccinated people in particular.The United States lags other developed countries in vaccination rates, despite having plenty of free vaccines on hand. White House efforts to urge the hesitant to get vaccinated have hit a wall of anti-vaccine sentiment, misinformation, and political division.Biden's decision to require millions of federal workers and contractors to show proof of vaccination is a departure from a previous opposition to so-called vaccine passports. - Reuters
A discussion on the COVID-19 pandemic has been listed in the business schedule of Lok Sabha for today. According to the revised order paper for Friday, N K Premchandran and Vinayak Raut will "raise a discussion on the situation arising out of COVID-19 pandemic in the country and various aspects related to it." Rajya Sabha held a discussion on the pandemic in the beginning of the Monsoon session. The government put up a staunch defence of its handling of the coronavirus pandemic in the Upper House of Parliament. Lok Sabha has witnessed daily disruptions by opposition members over the Pegasus row and farmers' issues. - PTI
The AYUSH Ministry on Thursday denied giving any approval to a COVID-19 treatment protocol developed by NICE and said the network's claim was "baseless and misleading". The ministry issued a statement, saying some misleading claims have been made by a naturopathy-related network NICE (Network of Influenza Care Experts)and have been published by some media platforms. "The main claim is regarding developing a protocol of treatment of COVID-19 that has been approved by the Ministry of AYUSH. The claimant has unethically and misleadingly attributed Ministry of AYUSH's approval to it," it stated. "The Ministry of AYUSH strongly denies all such claims of NICE and considers the publication of related news as completely misleading and baseless," the statement read. The AYUSH Ministry clarified that the agency, NICE, "has not submitted any application for the so called protocol to it. - PTI
In the face of rising regional COVID-19 infection numbers, the nation's capital is returning to mandatory indoor mask requirements, regardless of vaccination status. Washington, DC, Mayor Muriel Bowser says the new regulations will kick in on Saturday and apply to everyone over age 2. ‘I know that DC residents have been very closely following the public health guidelines, and they will embrace this,’ Bowser said on Thursday. ‘We will continue to do what is necessary to keep DC safe.’ The announcement didn't come as a surprise considering rising local infection numbers and fresh guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which now encourages vaccinated people to wear masks indoors in areas classified as having ‘substantial community transmission’ levels. - AP
Hospital admissions of coronavirus patients continue to soar in Florida with at least two areas in the state surpassing the previous peaks of last summer's surge, prompting calls by local officials for the governor to declare an emergency. A large hospital system in Jacksonville said its hospitals were at maximum capacity, its emergency centers also at a critical point as the state grappled with the new and more infectious delta variant of the COVID-19 virus. In Brevard County, two hospitals began setting up treatment tents at its emergency departments. And at a Fort Lauderdale park, a long line of cars snaked around a testing site, recalling the first weeks of the pandemic last year. - AP
The ruling Democrats are forcing the vaccinated Americans to wear masks because of a study in India on a vaccine that has not even been approved in the US, according to a top Republican leader. Every time the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) releases a new guidance, not only does it contradict the information they've already released but it punishes Americans who have already done everything they were asked to do, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy told reporters at a news conference here on Thursday.- PTI
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