COVID-19 Cases In India: India's overall caseload now stands at 3.23 crore (File)
The Delhi government has relaxed the 8 pm deadline for shops, markets and malls, allowing them to stay open longer, in view of the falling COVID-19 cases. The announcement came on a day the city reported 19 new coronavirus cases, its lowest single-day count this year, and no new deaths.
Meanwhile, 34,457 new cases were reported from across the country -- a marginal drop from yesterday. About 375 deaths were recorded during the 24-hour period, according to the Health Ministry.
India's drug regulator on Friday approved Zydus Cadila's three-dose COVID-19 DNA vaccine for emergency use in adults and children aged 12 years and above, bringing in the sixth vaccine authorised for use in the country.
ZyCoV-D is the world's first plasmid DNA vaccine against the coronavirus. It uses a section of genetic material from the virus that gives instructions as either DNA or RNA to make the specific protein that the immune system recognises and responds to.
Here are LIVE Updates on Coronavirus Cases:
Zydus To Produce 1 Crore Doses Per Month By October, Says Chief
Zydus Cadila, whose Covid vaccine ZyCoV-D for adults and children aged 12 years and above got approval yesterday, said Saturday it hopes to produce one crore doses per month by October.
Sharvil Patel, managing director Cadila Healthcare, said his company will produce 3-5 crore doses by December-January, adding that it will not be able to meet the government's commitment of 5 crore doses from August to December.
It is in talks with some third party companies about a production alliance, and technology transfer, said Mr Patel.
The vaccine cost, he said, will factor in new technology and delivery mechanism.
Assam To Use Voter Lists To Target 100 Per Cent Vaccination For Guwahati
The Assam government will use the voters' list and data from 1,204 polling booths across Guwahati to verify the Covid vaccination status of the city's residents and identify those who have yet to get the jab, Health Minister Keshab Mahanta said Saturday.
The government is targeting 100 per cent coverage in the state's largest city and de facto capital.
"Each polling booth has its separate list of voters... which means 1,204 voter lists will be used to contact every voter/resident of Guwahati to confirm they have been vaccinated. For this purpose, BLOs (Block Level Officers) have been assigned to each list," Mr Mahanta said.
COVID-19 India News: Bengal Reports 678 New Cases, 10 More FatalitiesWest Bengal on Saturday reported 10 more COVID-19 deaths, which took the death count to 18,356, a health department bulletin said, according to PTI. The coronavirus caseload in the state mounted to 15,42,425 as 678 more people tested positive for the infection, it said. At least 709 people were cured of the disease in the last 24 hours, taking the total recoveries to 15,14,475. The recovery rate among coronavirus patients in the state currently stands at 98.19%. West Bengal now has 9,594 active cases, the bulletin said. At least, 3,57,970 people were inoculated during the day, a health department official said.
COVID-19 India News: Tamil Nadu Reports 1,652 New Cases, 23 Deaths
Tamil Nadu on Saturday saw 1,652 new cases of COVID-19 and 23 fatalities, the Health Department said, according to news agency PTI. With these, the total number of the infected were 25,99,255 and deaths 34,686 till date, the department said. Recoveries were more than the fresh infections with 1,859 people getting discharged in the last 24 hours, aggregating to 25,45,178 leaving 19,391 active infections, a bulletin said.
COVID-19 India News: Kerala Records 17,106 New Cases, 83 DeathsKerala reported 17,106 COVID-19 cases and 83 deaths on Saturday, taking the total affected in the state to 38,03,903 and the death count to 19,428, reported news agency PTI. Health minister Veena George said 96,481 samples were tested in the last 24 hours, taking the cumulative number of specimens examined so far to 3,01,70,011. The test positivity rate stood at 17.73%. Besides, 20,846 people recuperated from the disease on Saturday, taking the total cured in the state to 36,05,480. Currently, there are 1,78,462 people under treatment in the state.
COVID-19 India News: 259 New Cases, Five Deaths Reported In MumbaiMumbai on Saturday reported 259 fresh COVID-19 cases and five fatalities while 281 patients recovered, a civic official said, according to PTI. With the new additions, Mumbai's COVID-19 tally rose to 7,40,871 and the death count to 15,946, he said. The count of recoveries in Mumbai has gone up to 7,19,662, leaving the city with 2,825 active cases.
With 34,883 new tests, the number of samples tested so far in Mumbai went up to 88,89,888, the official said. All the patients who died were above 40 years of age, he added. Mumbai's recovery rate now stands at 97 per cent while the doubling rate of cases is 2,023 days. Mumbai is free of containment zones but 24 buildings remain sealed because of the detection of positive cases.
Tamil Nadu Extends Covid Restrictions Till September 9. Here Are The RelaxationsThe Tamil Nadu government on Saturday announced
further relaxations in COVID-19 curbs while it extended the restrictions in the state till September 9. According to the new set of guidelines, theatres have been allowed to function at 50% capacity from Monday. Schools too have been allowed to resume classes from September 1 in adherence to coronavirus SOP.
COVID-19 News: Maharashtra's Nashik District Adds 118 New Cases, One Fatality
The COVID-19 caseload in Maharashtra's Nashik district rose to 4,04,604, after 118 new cases were detected on Saturday, a health official said, according to news agency PTI. The death count stood at 8,559 with one casualty during the day, while the count of recoveries reached 3,95,037, as 103 patients were discharged from hospitals, the official said. With the addition of 5,530 swab samples tested during the day, the total number of tests conducted in the district rose to 24,04,628, he added.
COVID-19 News: Delhi Administered Over 1.21 Lakh Vaccine Doses on Friday: Bulletin
A total of 1,21,318 people were vaccinated against COVID-19 in the national capital on Friday, according to the Delhi government's vaccination bulletin, reported news agency PTI. According to the bulletin issued on Saturday, 90,882 people received their first dose while 30,436 have been given the second dose of COVID-19 vaccine on Friday. The city has administered 1,22,37,895 vaccine doses so far, of which 87,77,612 were first doses and 34,60,283 second doses, it showed. As of Saturday morning, Delhi had only four days of vaccine stock left, the bulletin claimed.
COVID-19 News: Delhi Shops, Malls Can Now Stay Open Longer As Timing Curbs LiftedDelhi shops, markets and malls can now stay open longer as the government has lifted timing curbs in view of falling Covid cases. Till now, all shops could stay open till 8 PM while bars and restaurants were allowed to function till 10 PM. From Monday, all such restrictions will be lifted, the government has announced.
COVID-19 News: Delhi Records 19 New Cases, No New DeathsDelhi reported 19 new COVID-19 cases on Saturday, its lowest single-day count recorded this year. There were no new deaths for the second consecutive day; the total death count now stands at 25,079. The positivity rate has declined to 0.03%. Active cases in the capital now stand at 430.
With 48 recoveries in the last 24 hours, the total recoveries has increased to 14,11,784.
Kerala Leads States With Most Number Of Covid Cases In A Day
With 20,224 cases, Kerala leads states in most number of Covid cases daily. The state also reported 99 deaths.
34,457 Fresh Covid Cases In India, 5.7% Lower Than Yesterday
India today reported 34,457 cases, a marginal drop from yesterday. About 375 deaths were recorded during the period, according to the Health Ministry.
"Misleading": It's Government Vs LG Again On Delhi 'Oxygen Deaths' PanelDelhi Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal has rejected a proposal by the Arvind Kejriwal government to set up a committee to establish the number of people who died during the second Covid wave due to a lack of medical oxygen, and award Rs 5 lakh monetary compensation to their families, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said on Friday. Sources close to Mr Baijal's office, however, denied opposing any probe into the matter.
This is the second time Mr Baijal has dismissed a proposal of this nature; in June he refused the Delhi government permission to investigate nearly 40 deaths reported from two city hospitals.
"We sent the file to LG sahib...but he has again refused permission for an inquiry into deaths because of a lack of oxygen," Mr Sisodia said Friday evening, adding that the Lieutenant Governor had said "there is no need to form any committee".
No Deaths Due To Oxygen Shortage In State: Haryana Government Tells AssemblyNo deaths due to a lack of oxygen have been reported in Haryana during the Covid pandemic, the state government informed the assembly on Friday.
In a written reply to a question, Health Minister Anil Vij said the state has reported a total of 9,665 Covid-related deaths till August 20.
"No deaths due to a lack of oxygen has been reported in the state," Mr Vij said in his reply to a question by Congress MLA Aftab Ahmed who sought to know if anyone had died due to oxygen shortage amid the ongoing pandemic.
Ahmed asked the government to reveal the district wise deaths which occurred due to coronavirus pandemic from March 24, 2020 to July 31, 2021. He also asked the state government to disclose the district wise deaths due to lack of oxygen during the period.