COVID-19: Delhi eases curbs from today. Shops, restaurants, malls to reopen (File)
India reported 70,421 new COVID-19 cases and 3,921 new deaths today. The daily case count has been on a downward trajectory. The country has so far reported a total of 2,95,10,410 cases and 3,74,305 deaths.
India's daily test positivity rate - number of positive cases identified per 100 - continues to decline. For the seventh straight day, it was below the 5 per cent mark at 4.71.
With coronavirus numbers in Delhi dropping to a three-month low, all market activities are allowed from today, but with certain restrictions as part of the phased unlock plan of the Delhi government.
Weekly markets have also been allowed but with 50 per cent vendors and only one market per day will function in each municipal zone. Salons can open but spas will remain shut.
Government offices can open with full capacity, private offices with 50 per cent capacity. Delhi Metro and buses will run at 50 per cent capacity.
Schools, colleges and educational institutions will remain shut.
Here are the Live Updates on India Coronavirus (Covid-19 Cases) Cases:
World Health Organization warns coronavirus quicker than distribution of vaccinesThe World Health Organization warned that Covid-19 was moving faster than the vaccines, and said the G7's vow to share a billion doses with poorer nations was simply not enough. Global health leaders also warned the pledge was too little, too late, with more than 11 billion shots needed.
"I welcome the announcement that G7 countries will donate 870 million (new) vaccine doses, primarily through Covax," World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told journalists. "This is a big help, but we need more, and we need them faster. Right now, the virus is moving faster than the global distribution of vaccines. More than 10 thousand people are dying every day... these communities need vaccines, and they need them now, not next year."
Maharashtra Records 8,129 New COVID-19 cases, Lowest In Over 3 MonthsMaharashtra on Monday reported 8,129 new COVID-19 cases, the lowest single-day count since March 2, taking the state's tally to 59,17,121, while 200 more deaths pushed the fatality count to 1,12,696, the health department said.
Two jabs mostly prevent hospitalisation with Delta variant: UK bodyTwo doses of Covid-19 vaccines are "highly effective" in preventing hospital admission with the Delta variant, Public Health England said on Monday. Scientists said two jabs of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine stopped the need for in-patient treatment in 96 percent of cases. With a double dose of the Oxford/AstraZeneca shot, the rate was 92 percent, PHE added.
The findings were published as Britain grapples with a surge in coronavirus cases, most of which were of the Delta strain, which first emerged in India.
Over 25.87 crore Covid vaccine doses administered in IndiaThe total number of COVID-19 vaccine doses administered in the country has gone past 25.87 crore, the Union health ministry said. It said 20,99,621 beneficiaries in the 18-44 age group received the first dose, while 1,16,326 got the second dose of the vaccine on Monday.
Cumulatively, 4,34,35,032 people in the 18-44 age group have received the first dose while 8,33,808 have received the second dose across the country since the start of the third phase of the vaccination drive against the viral disease.
Taj Mahal to reopen as COVID-19 restrictions easedThe Taj Mahal in Agra, Uttar Pradesh, will reopen on Wednesday, the government said, two months after it was shut as a deadly surge in coronavirus infections swept the country. The Taj Mahal was shut down in March last year as India imposed one of the world's strictest lockdowns at the start of the pandemic.
Covid-19 precautions mean visitors would not be allowed to touch the shining marble mausoleum, an Archaeological Survey of India official said. "All Covid-appropriate precautions are being taken," the official told AFP. "Visitors will have to step on a sponge-like platform which will act as a sanitiser for shoes."
20 per cent of Delhi's 18-44 age group population vaccinated against COVID-19: AAP MLA AtishiTwenty per cent of people in the 18-44 age group in Delhi have been vaccinated against COVID-19 despite the inoculation centres for this category remaining closed for several days due to the non-availability of doses, AAP MLA Atishi said. She, however, said the city is again facing a shortage of vaccines and some of the inoculation centres for the 18-44 age group will be shut on Tuesday.
"So far, 20 per cent of Delhi's young population has been vaccinated (one dose) despite the inoculation centres remaining closed for many days due to the shortage of doses," Atishi said during an online briefing.
Uttar Pradesh records 74 new Covid deaths, 339 new casesWith 74 more Covid fatalities in Uttar Pradesh, the death count in the state rose to 21,858, while 339 fresh cases pushed the infection tally to 17,02,937, according to a health bulletin. Of the new deaths, 10 were reported from Bareilly, eight from Gorakhpur, seven each from Meerut and Bhadohi and five from Jhansi, among others.
Twenty-three fresh COVID-19 cases were reported from Lucknow, 17 from Meerut, 15 each from Muzaffarnagar, Sultanpur and 10 from Shamli, among others, the bulletin said. In the past 24 hours, as many as 1,116 COVID-19 patients were discharged from hospitals, taking the total number of recoveries to 16,72,968.
Centre to provide over 96,490 Covid vaccine doses to states in next 3 daysMore than 1.40 crore COVID-19 vaccine doses are still available with the states and Union Territories to be administered and over 96,490 vaccine doses are in the pipeline and will be received by them within the next three days, the Union Health Ministry said.
Over 26.68 crore (26,68,36,620) vaccine doses have been provided to states and Union Territories so far. Of this, the total consumption, including wastage, is 25,27,66,396 doses, the ministry said.
850 oxygen plants being set up in various districts from PM Cares: DRDO chiefAs many as 850 oxygen plants are being set up in various districts from the PM Cares Fund, DRDO chief C Satheesh Reddy said, as India emerges from the second wave of coronavirus which caused a major medical oxygen crisis across the country.
Mr Reddy said that the DRDO was prepared to provide all kinds of support including more "flying hospitals" when the need arises in the fight against coronavirus, a DST statement said.
Jharkhand records 2 COVID-19 fatalities; New cases plunge to 154Jharkhand recorded two COVID-19 deaths during the last 24 hours showing signs of recovery, while 154 new cases took the count to 3,43,458, a health department bulletin said. Capital Ranchi and adjoining Ramgarh districts saw one death each.
Total active cases in the state fell to 3,395 while the total death tally stands at 5,084.
Delhi records 131 new COVID-19 cases, 16 deathsDelhi recorded 131 new COVID-19 cases, the lowest since February 22, and 16 fatalities while the positivity rate dropped to 0.22 per cent, according to a health department bulletin. Delhi had recorded 128 cases on February 22. The 16 new deaths are the lowest since April 5, when 15 people had died due to the disease.
With the positivity rate remaining below 1 per cent for two weeks, the Delhi government has announced the partial lifting of curbs on restaurants and weekly markets from today.
Britain set to delay full lifting of coronavirus restrictionsBritain is widely expected to delay the full lifting of coronavirus restrictions due to a surge of infections caused by the Delta variant.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson is due to announce the government's next step of its roadmap out of stay-at-home measures, after easing began in March. He is expected to announce a delay at a news conference on Monday evening, as media reported that senior ministers had agreed to postponing the lifting. The BBC reported that most current rules will stay in place until July 19.
Special Vaccination Centre Set Up In Delhi For People Going Abroad For Studies, WorkThe Delhi government on Monday started a special vaccination centre in the city for students, athletes and people who have to travel abroad for work, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said.
Mr Sisodia had on Sunday announced that those travelling abroad for these specific reasons can get their second dose of Covishield vaccine at this particular centre after a gap of just 28 days.
The centre has been set up at the Navyug School on Mandir Marg.
Bangladesh Extends Border Closure With India Till June 30Bangladesh on Sunday extended border closure with India till June 30 as the COVID-19 situation in neighbouring districts of the country continued to deteriorate.
The decision for extending the closure of border areas was taken during an inter-ministerial meeting on June 13, a top official of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs told Dhaka Tribune.
Earlier on April 26, Bangladesh shut down its border with India for two weeks, which was later extended twice - on May 8 and then on May 29 - in light of the severe crisis in India due to the second wave of the pandemic.
Maharashtra Updates Covid Numbers With Delayed Data To 1.08 Lakh DeathsOver the past few days, Maharashtra has been revising its Covid death numbers to reflect data that came in with some lapse of time. This exercise over the past 12 days has resulted in the state's overall pandemic-related mortality zooming by over 8,800 to 1.08 lakh now.
This massive data reconciliation exercise since June 1 has seen deaths being reported with a delay from Pune, Thane, Nagpur, Nashik, Aurangabad, Ahmednagar, and Yavatmal. Of these, the first three alone reported 1,368, 1,167, and 503 updates, a government statement said.
Overall, the highest single-day highest reconciled data was on Friday at 2,213, according to the statement.
Coronavirus News: Maharashtra Updates Covid Numbers With Delayed Data To 1.08 Lakh DeathsOver the past few days, Maharashtra has been revising its Covid death numbers to reflect data that came in with some lapse of time. This exercise over the past 12 days has resulted in the state's overall pandemic-related mortality zooming by over 8,800 to 1.08 lakh now.
Read here.
Coronavirus News: 459 new coronavirus cases in Chhattisgarh, six deaths
Chhattisgarh's COVID-19 tally mounted to 9,86,963 on Sunday as 459 people tested positive for the infection, while six fresh fatalities took the count to 13,317, PTI reported.