COVID-19 cases in India: Total active cases have dropped by 40,981 and now stands at 10,80,690 (File)
India on Saturday morning reported 84,332 new COVID-19 cases, lowest in 70 days, and 4,002 deaths in the last 24 hours. As per the latest health ministry update, 24,96,00,304 people have been vaccinated so far in the country, with 34,33,763 taking the jab in the last 24 hours. The total active cases have dropped by 40,981 and now stands at 10,80,690.
The country saw 1,21,311 recoveries during past one-day period with 2,79,11,384 people having recovered in total. The recovery rate has increased to 95.07 per cent, a government release pointed out.
The country's weekly positivity rate is currently at 4.94 per cent while the daily positivity rate is 4.39 per cent, remaining below the 10 per cent mark for 19 consecutive days.
Tamil Nadu is among the bottom five states in terms of vaccinating its population against coronavirus. So far, the state has inoculated only nine per cent of its seven-crore population with the first dose of the vaccine. This has put the state right at the bottom of the list of states with low vaccination percentage along with UP, Assam, Bihar and Jharkhand.
Here are the live updates on coronavirus (COVID-19) cases:
Punjab finance minister seeks zero tax on Covid-related itemsSeeking zero tax on Covid-related items, Punjab Finance Minister Manpreet Singh Badal said the GST Council should stop acting like a "ruler of yesteryears", according to a statement. The other alternative is to charge 0.1 per cent, which is well within the powers of the GST Council, and this measure should be in place till the pandemic is over, he stated.
"Don't end COVID-19 exemptions in August 2021," said Mr Badal, adding that he along with other finance ministers representing the Congress opposed the imposition of the GST on COVID-related items.
Targeted "vaccinations" after Delta coronavirus variant found in France
Health authorities in eastern France are conducting "targeted vaccinations" over the weekend after four cases of the highly transmissible Covid-19 Delta variant, first detected in India, were confirmed in the Rhine School of Arts in Strasbourg. The school has been shut, more than 100 people tested and authorities have set aside some 200 vaccine doses for students and restaurant and bar workers in the neighbourhoods thought to be affected, according to regional health authorities.
British PM hints at delay to full lifting of coronavirus curbsBritish Prime Minister Boris Johnson gave his strongest hint yet that a plan to lift all coronavirus restrictions would be delayed, due to concern over the spread of a new variant. The Delta variant, which first emerged in India, has caused a surge in Covid cases in Britain, throwing into doubt government plans to ease curbs from June 21.
Speaking on the sidelines of the G7 leaders' summit in Cornwall in southwest England, PM Johnson said the spread was a matter of "serious, serious concern". Reports have indicated the government is expected to announce a delay of up to four weeks to the final date for unlocking.
More than five million Covid cases in Africa: ReportMore than five million people have contracted the Covid-19 virus in Africa since it emerged in China in late 2019, data compiled by AFP from official sources showed Saturday. A total of 5,008,656 cases of the coronavirus have been reported in 54 countries and territories, including almost 109,800 in the past seven days, for a daily average of 15,680.
More than 134,000 people have died, and the daily average of around 320 represents an increase of 16 percent from the comparable figure a week ago.
Moscow announces "non-working week" as coronavirus surgesMoscow mayor Sergei Sobyanin on Saturday announced a "non-working" week in the Russian capital, with non-essential workers told to stay home, as Covid-19 cases hit a six-month high. The decision marks a change of tone for Russian authorities, with President Vladimir Putin repeatedly insisting that Russia has handled the pandemic better than most countries.
"During the past week the situation with the spread of the coronavirus infections has sharply deteriorated," Sobyanin said on his website as the city registered 6,701 daily infections, the highest number since December last year.
Saudi allows 60,000 vaccinated residents on hajj, bars foreigners againSaudi Arabia announced Saturday it will allow 60,000 residents vaccinated against Covid to perform this year's hajj, but Muslims from abroad will be barred for a second straight year. The hajj -- a must for able-bodied Muslims at least once in their lives -- typically packs millions of pilgrims into congested religious sites and could be a major source of contagion amid the coronavirus pandemic.
This year it would be "open for nationals and residents of the kingdom, limited to 60,000 pilgrims", the hajj ministry said, quoted by the official Saudi Press Agency. The pilgrimage, scheduled to be held in July, would be limited to those who have been vaccinated and are aged 18-65 with no chronic illnesses, it said.
Delhi Records 213 New COVID-19 Cases, Lowest In Over 3 MonthsDelhi recorded 213 new coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours, the lowest in more than three months, bringing the overall caseload to 14,30,884. The national capital also recorded 28 deaths due to COVID-19 which took the total death count to 24,800.
Italy limits AstraZeneca Covid vaccine to over-60sItaly said Saturday it would restrict the AstraZeneca vaccine to the over-60s, with younger people who have already received one dose to complete the cycle with an mRNA jab. The change follows an improvement in coronavirus infection rates in Italy, which has been devastated by the pandemic but will next week lift restrictions in much of the country following a sharp decline in cases.
The EU's medicine agency in April drew a link between rare blood clots and AstraZeneca jabs but stressed that the benefits of the vaccines outweighed the risks. "The changed epidemiological situation has led to a reassessment of the risk-benefit ratio for age groups less at risk of severe forms of Covid-19," the Italian government's Technical and Scientific Committee (CTS) said.
G7 leaders outline pandemic pact, target Russia and ChinaBritain on Saturday acclaimed a "historic" action plan by G7 nations to prevent future pandemics, as the elite group showcased US-led unity against China and Russia at its first in-person summit in almost two years. The "Carbis Bay Declaration" -- named after the seaside town in Cornwall, southwest England, where US President Joe Biden and other leaders are meeting this weekend -- comprises a series of health policy commitments.
The collective steps include slashing the time taken to develop and license vaccines, treatments and diagnostics for any future disease to under 100 days, while reinforcing global surveillance networks. It will be formally published on Sunday, alongside the G7's final communique.
Top Scientific Body Gets Nod For Clinical Trials Of Colchicine For COVID-
The Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) has given approval to the CSIR and Laxai Life Sciences Private Limited to conduct clinical trial of Colchicine on COVID-19 patients, according to a statement on Saturday.
Ram Vishwakarma, the advisor to the CSIR Director General, said Colchicine in combination with standard care will be an important therapeutic intervention for COVID-19 patients with cardiac co-morbidities and also for reducing pro-inflammatory cytokines, leading to faster recovery.
Claims Of Hacking Co-WIN System, Data Leak Is Baseless: Health Ministry
The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Saturday rubbished the claims of so-called miscreants of hacking the Co-WIN system and data leak.
The ministry said the matter of the alleged hacking of the Co-WIN system has now been investigated by the Computer Emergency Response Team of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MietY).
Pakistan Reports 1,194 New Cases, 57 More Deaths
Pakistan has recorded 1,194 new COVID-19 cases and 57 deaths, the country's National Command and Operation Center (NCOC) informed on Saturday.
24 Crore Covid Vaccine Doses Administered In India So Far: Government
24 Crore Covid Vaccine Doses Administered In India So Far
A healthcare worker administers a dose of Covishield to a shepherd man during a vaccination drive in south Kashmir's Anantnag district. Over 24 crore people have taken jab so far, according to the government.
US Tells Johnson & Johnson Millions Of Vaccine Doses From Troubled Plant Can't Be Used
The US Food and Drug Administration said Friday it had told Johnson & Johnson that millions of doses of Covid vaccine produced at a troubled plant can't be used because of possible contamination issues.
In a statement, the FDA said "several" batches of vaccine manufactured at the Emergent BioSolutions facility in the city of Baltimore are not suitable for use. Each batch is known to correspond to several million doses.
'Corona Mata' Temple Comes Up In UP's Pratapgarh DistrictCOVID-19 India News: A 'Corona Mata' temple has come up under a neem tree at a village in Pratapgarh district of Uttar Pradesh, reported news agency ANI. "Villagers collectively decided and set up the temple with the belief that praying to the deity would definitely offer respite to people from coronavirus," a villager was quoted as saying.
Arunachal Pradesh Records 358 New Covid Cases, 5 More Deaths
COVID-19 Updates: Arunachal Pradesh's COVID-19 tally rose to 30,850 as 358 more people tested positive for the infection while five new fatalities pushed the coronavirus death count to 138, a senior health official said on Saturday, according to news agency PTI. The fresh coronavirus deaths were reported from Changlang, Namsai, Tawang and East Siang districts and all the patients were undergoing treatment at various health facilities, State Surveillance officer Dr Lobsang Jampa said.
Kurung Kumey district recorded the highest number of fresh infections at 59 followed by the Capital Complex region (54), Changlang (43), Namsai (30), West Kameng (24), Longding (23), East Kameng (22), Lohit (19) and Papumpare at 14.
No Need To Panic Over Dose Interval of Covishield, Says Centre
The government Friday said there is no need to panic on the need for an immediate change in the dosage interval of Covishield vaccine, underlining that reducing the time gap requires proper scientific study in the Indian scenario.
In the context of some media reports quoting recent studies that it would be better to shorten the gap between two doses of Covishield vaccine, in light of the variants in circulation, Dr V K Paul, member (Health) at NITI Aayog, said there is a need to balance such concerns. (Read full story
here)
Over 6.5 Lakh Vaccinated Against Covid In Jammu
The COVID positivity rate has dropped to 1.6 per cent, while recovery rate has crossed 92 per cent in Jammu district, said Deputy Commissioner Anshul Garg on Friday, reported news agency ANI.
During the weekly press briefing, the Deputy Commissioner said that recoveries continue to outnumber the daily new cases and the decreasing trend in positive cases continues. "As recovery rate is better than rate of new active cases, the bed occupancy has also reduced."
356 Cases Of Black Fungus In Uttarakhand
Dehradun reported 21 new cases of Black Fungus and six deaths on July 10, informed the state Health Department, reported news agency ANI.
With this, the total number of Black Fungus patients in Dehradun district has gone up to 319, while the cumulative black fungus cases in Uttarakhand now stand at 356 with 56 deaths.
At least 220 patients are undergoing treatment at AIIMS, Rishikesh. So far 31 patients with Black Fungus infections have recovered.