Coronavirus Cases in India: The recovery rate is 97.38 per cent. (File)
India recorded more than 30,000 fresh COVID-19 cases, while its active caseload is more than 4,00,000 today, according to Union health ministry data.
India recorded 30,549 new coronavirus infections that pushed its tally of COVID-19 cases to 3,17,26,507 while the number of deaths climbed to 4,25,195 with 422 deaths in the last 24 hours, the data updated at 8 am showed.
The active cases have increased to 4,04,958 and comprise 1.28 per cent of the total infections. The national COVID-19 recovery rate is 97.38 per cent, it stated. The daily positivity rate is 1.85 per cent. The weekly positivity rate was recorded at 2.39 per cent, the ministry data stated.
Delhi on Tuesday reported 50 new coronavirus cases and four deaths, according to data shared by the health department. According to the department, Delhi now has 519 active cases, which is the lowest this year.
Meanwhile, as the government struggles to ramp up the production of Covid shots to meet its target of vaccinating all adults by the year-end, the supply of Bharat Biotech's Covaxin has been slowed down because the first few batches at the company's newest facility in Bengaluru were not of the right quality, a top government adviser has said.
In an exclusive interview to NDTV, Covid task force member NK Arora admitted that the government was banking on a much sharper rise in the production of Covaxin - one of the two main vaccines in use in India - but was set back because of the quality issues at what is the company's biggest plant globally.
Here are the LIVE updates on India coronavirus (COVID-19) cases:
COVID-19 Live Updates: India's Vaccination Coverage Crosses 48 Crore: Centre
India's cumulative COVID-19 vaccination coverage has crossed the 48-crore mark, as per the 7 pm provisional report, reported news agency ANI. According to the Union Health Ministry, over 51.51 lakh vaccine doses have been administered on Tuesday, and over 17.33 crore vaccine doses were administered in the age group of 18-44. Five states - Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh - have administered more than one crore cumulative doses of COVID-19 vaccine in the age group of 18-44 years.
COVID-19 India News: Nagaland Reports 68 New Cases, 3 More Deaths
Nagaland's COVID-19 tally rose to 28,072 on Tuesday as 68 more people tested positive for the infection, a health bulletin said, reported news agency PTI. Three fresh fatalities were reported during the day, taking the coronavirus death count in the state to 577. Ninety-nine more patients were cured of the disease during the day, taking the total number of recoveries to 25,437. The recovery rate among coronavirus patients in the state has marginally improved to 90.61% from 90.47% on Monday. The state now has 1,261 active cases and 797 COVID-19 patients have migrated to other states, the bulletin said. Nagaland has tested 2.67 lakh samples for the infection, and altogether, 6, 21,800 people have been inoculated till Monday.
COVID-19 India News: Kerala Reports 23,676 New Cases, 148 More Deaths
Kerala recorded 23,676 new COVID-19 cases and 148 deaths in the last 24 hours, reported news agency ANI. According to the state bulletin, 15,626 people recovered in the 24-hour period, taking the cumulative recoveries to 32,58,310. At present, the total active cases in the state are 1,73,221. As many as 1,99,456 samples were tested in the last 24 hours and a positivity rate of 11.87% was recorded. A total of 17,103 people have died due to Covid so far in the state.
Telangana Village "Covid-Resilient" After All Residents Get First DoseA citizens' collective has said that all eligible residents of a village in Telangana have been administered the first dose of coronavirus vaccine making the hamlet "Covid-resilient".
Project Madad, a collective of doctors and volunteers from India and the Indian diaspora working together to provide COVID-19 education and healthcare assistance to rural India, said it has developed a model to make India's villages Covid-resilient.
In coordination with the government, Project Madad has achieved a Covid-resilient village -- Rajannapet in Sircilla district of Telangana -- it said.
Covid Negative Report Must For Air Travellers Arriving In Chhattisgarh
The Chhattisgarh government on Tuesday made it mandatory for passengers arriving in the state by air to produce a negative RT-PCR report of COVID-19 test conducted within 96 hours of boarding the flight, officials said.
A circular containing fresh guidelines for air passengers arriving in the state was issued by the General Administration Department to all Divisional Commissioners, Inspector General of Police (IGPs), Collectors and Superintendents of Police (SPs) as a part of preventive measures to deal with a possible third wave of COVID-19, they said.
50 New Covid Cases In Delhi In 24 Hours, Active Cases Lowest This Year
Delhi on Tuesday reported 50 new coronavirus cases and 4 deaths, according to data shared by the health department.
According to the health department, Delhi now has 519 active cases, which is the lowest this year.
With the new cases, the overall tally of the national capital rose to 14,56,451. In last 24 hours, 65 patients have recovered from the disease taking the overall count to 14,10,874.
So far, 25,058 have died due to the virus in the city.
Covishield, Covaxin Monthly Production To Be 120, 58 Million Doses Respectively: Centre
The monthly production capacity of Covishield is projected to be increased to more than 120 million doses and of Covaxin to around 58 million doses by December, the government told Rajya Sabha today, citing information from the COVID-19 vaccine manufacturers.
Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya was responding to a question on the current capacity to manufacture Covaxin and Covishield in the country, and the expected capacity going forward from August to December 2021.
"As communicated by the manufacturers, the monthly vaccine production capacity of Covishield is projected to be increased from 110 million doses per month to more than 120 million doses per month and the production capacity of Covaxin is projected to be increased from 25 million doses per month to around 58 million doses per month," the minister said in a written reply.
Rajya Sabha MP Seeks govt intervention to address Gulf countries' entry curbs
Rajya Sabha member M V Shreyams Kumar on Tuesday met External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and sought the government's intervention to address the issue of Indian expatriates facing problems due to entry restrictions imposed by various Gulf countries.
In a letter to the minister, Kumar expressed concerns that thousands of Indian expatriates are in great danger of losing jobs and business in Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries since those nations, except Qatar, have banned flights from India and have also imposed certain entry restrictions.
Many Indians, including those from Kerala, had returned home due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Bangladesh to vaccinate 10 million in seven days
Bangladesh extended its strict lockdown on Tuesday and announced plans to vaccinate at least 10 million people in a week as the country battles a major Covid-19 surge.
The vaccination drive from August 7 will be led by tens of thousands of health workers at 14,000 health centres, senior minister A.K.M Mozammel Haque said.
"More than 10 million people will be vaccinated in a week. Elderly people, workers and shopkeepers will be given the priority," Haque said.
Health ministry spokesman Maidul Islam Prodhan said there was enough stock to inoculate 12 million people following the arrival of vaccines from China and the US under the Covax initiative.
The minister also said that the nationwide lockdown in place since July 1 -- except for a religious festival in mid-July -- would be extended until August 10.
Shops and public transport will resume from next week, but only vaccinated shopkeepers and transport workers would be allowed out of their homes to work, Haque said.
Bangladesh has so far reported some 1.3 million cases and some 21,160 deaths -- figures experts said are a gross undercount.
Government's Big Caution: 8 States Show Rise In R-Factor
The pandemic is "still raging" in the country and eight states have shown a rise in the R-factor, the government said today, calling it a "significant problem".
As many as 44 districts have reported a high case positivity and the Delta-driven second wave is still not over, warned VK Paul, who heads the government's Covid task force.
Eighteen districts showed an increasing trend in cases in the last four weeks, according to the government.
"Delta variant is a dominant problem. The pandemic is still raging and the second wave is persisting in our own country," Dr Paul said, expressing concern about the R-factor or the reproductive rate of a virus, which indicates how fast it is spreading.
₹ 5.05 Crore Approved For Families Of 101 Journalists Who Died Of Covid: CentreThe Central government has approved Rs 5.05 crore as financial assistance to the dependents of a total of 101 journalists who died due to COVID-19, Rajya Sabha was informed Monday.
In a written reply to a question, Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting (I&B) Anurag Thakur told the Upper House that the government undertook "a special drive" for providing financial assistance to the families of the journalists who died due to the viral disease.
53.67 Lakh Covid Vaccine Jabs On Monday, Total Crosses 47.78 CroreThe cumulative number of Covid-19 vaccine doses administered in the country has surpassed 47.78 crore with more than 53.67 lakh jabs being administered Monday, the Union Health Ministry said.
It said that on Monday 27,76,234 jabs were administered as the first dose and 4,82,253 as the second in the age group 18-44 years, according to the 7 pm provisional data.
Cumulatively, 15,99,07,360 people in the age group 18-44 years across all states and union territories have received their first doses and total 93,86,280 their second since the start of phase-3 of the vaccination drive on May 1.
Germany To Offer Covid Booster Shots From SeptemberGermany will start offering Covid booster shots from September and make it easier for 12-to-17 year olds to get a jab, the health ministry said Monday, amid concerns about the spread of the Delta variant.
Health Minister Jens Spahn and his 16 regional peers agreed after talks that the elderly and at-risk should receive a booster shot, citing concerns over "a reduced or rapidly declining immune response" among some groups.
US Hits Joe Biden's Covid Vaccination Goal A Month LateThe United States on Monday hit President Joe Biden's goal of administering at least one dose of a Covid vaccine to 70 percent of adults almost a month late, as the newest wave of infections pushed hospitalizations to levels seen last summer.
Biden's administration had initially targeted Independence Day on July 4 to reach the goal and declare victory over the worst of the pandemic.
China's Wuhan to test 'all residents' as Covid returns
Authorities in Wuhan on Tuesday said they would test its entire population for Covid-19 after the central Chinese city where the coronavirus emerged reported its first local infections in more than a year.
The city of 11 million is "swiftly launching comprehensive nucleic acid testing of all residents", senior Wuhan official Li Tao said at a press conference on Tuesday.
Authorities announced on Monday that seven locally transmitted infections had been found among migrant workers in the city, breaking a year-long streak without domestic cases after it squashed an initial outbreak with an unprecedented lockdown in early 2020.
China has confined the residents of entire cities to their homes, cut domestic transport links and rolled out mass testing in recent days as it battles its largest coronavirus outbreak in months.
China reported 61 domestic cases on Tuesday as an outbreak of the fast-spreading Delta variant reached dozens of cities after infections among airport cleaners in Nanjing sparked a chain of cases that have been reported across the country.
Coronavirus Live Updates: 229 new COVID-19 cases in Thane, 8 more deaths
Thane has reported 229 new coronavirus cases, raising the infection count in the Maharashtra district to 5,45,280, an official said on Tuesday.
These new cases were recorded on Monday, he said.
The virus also claimed the lives of eight more people, which took the death toll in the district to 11,047, he said, adding that the COVID-19 mortality rate in Thane stood at 2.02 per cent.
In neighbouring Palghar district, the COVID-19 case count has gone up to 1,33,410, while the death toll has reached 3,203, another official said.
Just In| 30,549 fresh COVID-19 cases in India, 24% lower than yesterday
Update| Delhi reported 51 new COVID-19 cases, 95 recoveries and zero deaths on Monday, August 2.
Jammu and Kashmir Government sets up rapid antigen testing facility at entrance of Srinagar's Mughal Garden
Jammu and Kashmir Government has set up a rapid antigen testing facility at the entrance of Mughal Garden in Srinagar to ensure the safety of all who enter.
The garden has recently reopened for tourists on July 7 on a 5-day week basis after the number of COVID-19 cases in the Union Territories saw a decline. Now that the situation in the UT is improving, has also lifted the weekend restriction for the Mughal Garden.
The Mughal gardens are famous and attract a good number of visitors, both locals and outsiders, every day. This makes it of utmost importance for the authorities to ensure the safety of the people, and hence the government has set up on spot testing Covid testing facilities at the entrance of Mughal Garden where the visitors are allowed to enter the garden only after proper testing. Paramedical staff from the Health Department, along with officials of the Floriculture Department, has been monitoring the process properly.
COVID-19 Latest News: New Zealand PM Takes Covid Test After Reporting SickNew Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has taken a COVID-19 test after picking up a "seasonal sniffle" from her three-year-old daughter, the government spokesman said on Tuesday, according to news agency Reuters. Ardern will step back from her duties for the day due to the sickness and the deputy Prime Minister Grant Robertson will take on the responsibilities, the spokesman said. New Zealand is largely free of coronavirus and has had no cases in the community since February.