Coronavirus April 24 Latest News: India’s steady uptick in new Covid cases continues on Sunday as well as the country logged 2,593 fresh coronavirus infections in the last 24 hours, the official data says. From Covid fatalities to addition in active cases, all major indicators of India’s coronavirus trajectory is showing an upward trend. Major states have brought back the mask mandate. National Capital Delhi recorded over 1,000 cases on Saturday with positivity rate nearing the critical mark of 5 per cent. In China, after Shanghai, now capital Beijing is also reporting several new Covid clusters. In Europe, situation remains grim in both France and Germany..
Here are the latest coronavirus-related news from India and around the globe:
Coronavirus Latest News Today
Mumbai on Sunday reported 73 new coronavirus positive cases, which took its overall infection count to 10,59,286, a civic official said. The death toll in the metropolis remained unchanged at 19,562 as nobody succumbed to the infection during the day, he said. On Saturday, the city had reported 72 cases. So far, 10,39,203 persons have recuperated from the infection in Mumbai, including 55 on Sunday, which took the active caseload to 521, the official added. (PTI)
Karnataka recorded 60 fresh COVID-19 cases and zero fatalities on Sunday, taking the total infections in the state to 39,46,934. For almost a month, the fatalities have stood at 40,057 due to nil COVID-19 deaths, said the state health department in a bulletin. Of the total infections, Bengaluru Urban district saw 57 while Chitradurga, Dharwad and Vijayapura reported one infection each. There were zero infections in 27 districts of the state. (PTI)
The COVID-19 tally in Madhya Pradesh reached 10,41,319 on Sunday after the detection of six cases, while the fatality count stood unchanged at 10,734, a health official said. The positivity rate was 0.07 per cent, while the recovery count rose by 13 to touch 10,30,515, leaving the state with an active caseload of 70, he said. With 7,693 samples examined during the day, the number of tests in MP went up to 2,90,39,944, he added. A government release said 11,72,68,269 COVID-19 vaccine doses have been administered so far in the state, including 2,126 on Sunday. (PTI)
COVID-19 vaccinations are at a critical juncture as companies test whether new approaches like combination shots or nasal drops can keep up with a mutating coronavirus — even though it's not clear if changes are needed. Already there's public confusion about who should get a second booster now and who can wait. There's also debate about whether pretty much everyone might need an extra dose in the fall. “I'm very concerned about booster fatigue” causing a loss of confidence in vaccines that still offer very strong protection against COVID-19's worst outcomes, said Dr Beth Bell of the University of Washington, an adviser to the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention. (AP)
Gujarat recorded 12 COVID-19 cases on Sunday, taking its tally to 12,24,245, while the death toll remained unchanged at 10,943, a state health department official said. So far, 12,13,204 persons have recovered from the infection, including 17 during the day, leaving the state with an active caseload of 98. Ahmedabad led with five cases, followed by four in Vadodara, two in Rajkot and one in Navsari, he added. A government release said 9,729 people were vaccinated against COVID-19 on Sunday, taking the total number of doses administered in the state to 10.72 crore. (PTI)
Italy reported 56,263 new COVID-19 related cases on Sunday, against 70,520 the day before, the health ministry said, while the daily number of deaths fell to 79 from 143. Italy has registered 162,688 deaths linked to COVID-19 since its outbreak emerged in February 2020, the second highest toll in Europe after Britain and the eighth highest in the world. The country has reported 16.1 million cases to date. (Reuters)
Shanghai authorities battling an outbreak of COVID-19 have erected fences outside residential buildings, sparking fresh public outcry over a lockdown that has forced much of the city's 25 million people indoors. The largest district in Beijing, meanwhile, will require everyone living or working in the area to take three COVID tests this week, and put more than a dozen buildings under lockdown, after the Chinese capital reported 22 new cases for Saturday. The district, Chaoyang, is home to 3.45 million people. In Shanghai, images of workers in white hazmat suits sealing entrances of housing blocks and closing off entire streets with green fencing – roughly two metres tall – went viral on social media, prompting questions and complaints from residents. “This is so disrespectful of the rights of the people inside, using metal barriers to enclose them like domestic animals,” said one user on social media platform Weibo. (Reuters)
Maharashtra on Sunday reported 144 fresh COVID-19 cases and two deaths, taking the tally of infections to 78,76,841 and the death toll to 1,47,834, a health official said. Both the fatalities were reported from Pune city, he said. With 95 patients being discharged after COVID-19 treatment, the overall count of recoveries in Maharashtra rose to 77,28,091 as of Sunday, leaving the state with 916 active cases. The recovery rate of Maharashtra is 98.11 per cent and the case positivity rate is 9.84 per cent, the official said. (PTI)
The Serum Institute of India has urged the Centre to use the available 10 crore doses of Covishield offered free of cost by GAVI under COVAX facility in view of rising COVID-19 cases in the country, an official source said. The Pune-based firm has written to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHF) that if these 10 crore free doses of Covishield are not taken by the Indian government timely, it will lead to wastage of the life-saving vaccines amid the pandemic outbreak. In a letter to the ministry, Prakash Kumar Singh, Director, Government and Regulatory Affairs at SII, is learnt to have stated that the firm has already supplied 14 crore doses of Covishield to the Government of India (GoI) through UNICEF under “COVAX” facility of GAVI free of cost. (PTI)
Odisha registered nine new coronavirus cases on Sunday, eight more than the previous day's count, taking the tally to 12,87,989, the health department said in a bulletin. No fatality was reported due to the disease during the day. The daily positivity rate was 0.05 per cent and the infections were detected out of 18,879 sample tests. Three children were among those who were afflicted with the disease, the bulletin added. There are 83 active Covid-19 cases while 11 patients have recovered from the diease on Sunday. The state had logged a single positive coronavirus case and no death on Saturday. (PTI)
The total number of COVID-19 cases at the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras (IIT-M), touched 60 on Sunday as against 55 a day earlier nd the Health Department has urged the district authorities to be “prudent” and not let the guard down in controlling the spread of the virus. With Tamil Nadu continuing to see an uptick in the daily cases, Chief Minister M K Stalin is scheduled to chair a meeting with Collectors and district health officials on Monday to discuss the prevalence of COVID-19 in the State, Minister for Health and Family Welfare Ma Subramanian said here on Sunday. Principal Health Secretary J Radhakrishnan, in his letter to the Collectors, called for effective administration of vaccines to eligible people, including administering of booster doses. (PTI)
Puducherry, which was maintaining a COVID-19 free record for some days, reported three new cases on Sunday that took the overall caseload in the Union Territory to 1,65,780. In a release, Director of Health G Sriramulu said the department tested 318 samples during the last 24 hours and found three fresh cases. The overall recoveries were 1,63,815 in the Union Territory. All three patients are in home quarantine, the official said. (PTI)
With several festivals coming up, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday urged people to stay alert of the coronavirus and continue to follow Covid-appropriate behaviour such as wearing masks and washing hands. In his monthly Mann Ki Baat radio broadcast, Modi said that in the coming days the festival of Eid, Akshaya Tritiya, birth anniversary of Bhagwan Parashuram and Vaishakh Budh Purnima will be celebrated. “All these festivals are festivals of restraint, purity, charity and harmony. Advance greetings to all of you on the occasion of these festivals. Celebrate these festivals with great gaiety and harmony,” Modi said. – PTI
South Africa has seen “worrying signs” of a daily spike in Covid-19 infections over the last week, Health Minister Joe Phaahla has said, as he expressed hope that an increase in the number of cases won't be disruptive enough to divert the country's vaccination programme. – PTI
Amid recent surge in Covid cases, Delhi is also witnessing consistent increase in flu-like illness. Since most of the cases are treatable at home, people are not getting the Covid tests. This means that the actual number of Covid cases in Delhi maybe much higher than what is being registered.
The Robert Koch Institute's latest updates says that Germany logged 39,179 new coronavirus infections on Sunday.
Israel has lifted an indoor mask mandate in place for nearly a year as the country's new cases of coronavirus continue to drop. The end of the masking requirement took effect Saturday night. Masks remain mandatory in hospitals, elderly care facilities and on international flights. – AP
An increase of 794 cases has been recorded in the active COVID-19 caseload in a span of 24 hours. – PTI
China's capital Beijing has gone on high alert as the situation turned ‘grim’ following the emergence of clusters of COVID-19, while the country's financial hub Shanghai reported 39 more deaths due to the virus, the highest in a day so far during the current outbreak since last month. The Chinese mainland on Saturday reported 21,796 cases, including 1,566 positive cases and the rest asymptomatic cases mostly in Shanghai, China's National Health Commission reported on Sunday. – PTI
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold a meeting with chief ministers on the emerging COVID-19 situation in the country on Wednesday through video conference, official sources said on Saturday. Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan will make a presentation on the matter, they said. With 2,527 coronavirus infections being reported in a day, India's total tally of cases rose to 4,30,54,952, while active cases have increased to 15,079, according to Union health ministry data updated on Saturday. The death toll has climbed to 5,22,149 with 33 fatalities, the data updated at 8 am stated. (PTI)
Gujarat on Saturday reported eight new COVID-19 cases (seven in Ahmedabad city and one in Vadodara), increasing its overall tally of Coronavirus infections to 12,24,233, while the death toll remained unchanged at 10,943, a health department official said. So far, 12,13,187 persons have been discharged, including three during the day, leaving the active caseload at 103, up from 98 a day earlier, he said as reported by PTI.
Puducherry continued its COVID-19 free streak with no fresh cases and zero fatalities being reported on Saturday also. – PTI
The increasing Covid cases in the country is a matter of concern. Several cases have been reported to increase in Delhi and Madhya Pradesh. Keeping this in mind, we will release the security measures very soon: Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel, in Raipur
Beijing is on alert after 10 middle school students tested positive for COVID-19 on Friday, in what city officials said was an initial round of testing. – AP
Mizoram reported 112 fresh COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, pushing the tally to 2,26,702, a health department official said on Saturday. – PTI
The major financial hub of Shanghai reported 12 new COVID-19 related deaths on April 22, up from 11 the previous day, as frustrations among residents continued to boil over amid a harsh lockdown and strict censorship online.The city, battling China's biggest coronavirus outbreak so far, recorded 20,634 new local asymptomatic infections on Friday, rebounding from 15,698 a day earlier. Total new symptomatic cases reached 2,736, up from 1,931 on April 21, official data showed. – Reuters
Taiwan will not go into a Shanghai-like lockdown to control a rise in domestic COVID-19 cases as the vast majority of those infected have no symptoms or show only minor symptoms, Premier Su Tseng-chang said on Saturday, pledging to keep opening up. Taiwan has been dealing with a spike in local cases since the start of the year, but the numbers overall remain small – 18,436 since Jan. 1 for a population of some 23 million – and just four people have died. Backed by a high vaccination rate, the government has been promoting the “new Taiwan model”, learning to gradually live with the virus and avoiding shutting down the economy, unlike in Shanghai which is in its third week of a lockdown to control the pandemic. – Reuters
Thane district of Maharashtra recorded 11 new coronavirus positive cases, which took its infection count to 7,08,953, an official said on Saturday. – PTI
