Coronavirus LIVE: Maharashtra records 8,293 new Covid-19 cases, 62 deaths

Coronavirus LIVE updates: Globally, more than 114.3 million people have been infected by the virus and the death toll stands at 2,536,694

Coronavirus LIVE updates: India's Covid-19 tally climbed to 11,096,731 on Sunday with 16,752 new infections, the highest in the last 30 days, according to Union Health Ministry data. The death toll mounted to 157,087 with 113 fresh fatalities. The country had recorded 18,855 new infections on January 29.

India continues to be second-most-affected globally, and ranks 13th among worst-hit nations by active cases. The five most affected states by total cases are Maharashtra (2,130,000), Kerala (1,052,000), Karnataka (949,636), Andhra Pradesh (889,585), and Tamil Nadu (850,096). The number of beneficiaries vaccinated against Covid-19 has reached 14.2 million under the countrywide inoculation programme.

India will start the next stage of vaccinating those above 60 years of age and those above 45 with comorbidities, such as diabetes and heart ailments, from March 1. 

World coronavirus update: Coronavirus cases rise unabated across the globe, with more than 114.3 million infected by the deadly contagion. While 89,920,391 have recovered, 2,536,694 have died so far. The US remains the worst-hit country with 29,202,824, followed by India, Brazil, Russia and the United Kingdom. However, it terms of the total number of active cases, US tops the charts, followed by France, UK, Brazil and Belgium.

ALSO READ: Covid-19 vaccination drive 2.0 begins tomorrow: All you need to know

Stay tuned for the latest coronavirus-related news.

8:57 PM

Maharashtra reported 8,293 new Covid-19 cases, 3,753 recoveries

8:46 PM

582 new Covid-19 cases reported in Punjab today

8:27 PM

Karnataka reported 521 new Covid-19 cases, 350 recoveries

8:27 PM

Manipur reports 2 new Covid-19 cases and 13 recoveries

7:07 PM

CoWin vaccine registration for seniors, 45 yrs and above with co-morbidities opens tomorrow 9 am

Next phase of vaccination drive for age-appropriate population groups will commence tomorrow; it will open at 9:00 am, citizens will be able to register and book an appointment for vaccination, anytime and anywhere, using the COWIN 2.0 portal or through other IT applications: GOvernment of India, according to ANI

6:45 PM

Government releases guidance note for COWIN 2.0

Government releases guidance note for COWIN 2.0; "the number of doses planned to be administered decided by respective State/UT Government for a Vaccination Cycle. Total vaccination slots for a vaccination cycle should not exceed the target number of Doses". (ANI)

6:43 PM

Delhi govt to vaccinate senior citizens, 45 yrs with co-morbidities from tomorrow

The third phase of Covid-19 vaccination will begin in Delhi tomorrow for those who are above 60 years of age, and those with co-morbidities who are in the age group of 45-59 years: Delhi Health Department (ANI)

6:41 PM

3,254 new COVID19 cases, 15 deaths reported in Kerala today

6:26 PM

Andhra Pradesh reports 117 new Covid-19 cases taking total cases to 889,916

5:42 PM

Covid-19: Aurangabad's case count crosses 50,000-mark

The coronavirus infection count in Aurangabad district of Maharashtra crossed the 50,000-mark with the addition of 297 cases, an official said on Sunday, according to PTI. The case count now stands at 50,110, the district official said. The number of active cases in the district till Saturday night was 1,917, he said. The virus claimed the lives of two persons, which took the death toll to 1,266, the official said. A total of 69 patients were discharged from various facilities post-recovery, which took the count of such persons to 46,927.

4:53 PM

Delhi reports 197 new Covid-19 cases, 168 recoveries

4:26 PM

South Korea reports 356 new Covid-19 cases, 89,676 in total

South Korea reported 356 more cases of COVID-19 as of midnight Saturday compared to 24 hours ago, raising the total number of infections to 89,676, ANI reported. The daily caseload was down from 415 in the previous day, but it hovered above 100 since Nov. 8 owing to small cluster infections in Seoul and its surrounding Gyeonggi province as well as imported cases. Of the new cases, 117 were Seoul residents and 139 were people residing in Gyeonggi province.

 

Twenty-two cases were imported from overseas, lifting the combined figure to 7,046. Eight more deaths were confirmed, leaving the death toll at 1,603. The total fatality rate stood at 1.79 percent. A total of 364 more patients were discharged from quarantine after making full recovery, pulling up the combined number to 80,697. The total recovery rate was 89.99 percent, as per ANI copy.

3:57 PM

LIVE: Punjab minister found positive by state health department, tests negative at PGIMER

A day after his COVID-19 test by the state health department came back positive, Punjab Jails Minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa tested negative for the disease at PGIMER here on Sunday, leaving him "surprised", according to PTI. A test at a private lab also found the minister negative for the contagion. It is mandatory for all MLAs and concerned Punjab Assembly officials to get themselves tested for COVID-19 ahead of the Budget Session starting from Monday, as per PTI.

 

Randhawa's samples were collected by the state health department from the MLA Hostel here on February 25. Before the test report came, the minister again got himself tested at a private lab here on February 27. While the state health department test came back positive, the private lab found him negative for coronavirus on Saturday, Randhawa said, PTI reported.

 

Later in the evening, he went to the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) for a third test, which also came back negative. Randhawa said he was "surprised" by the report of the test conducted by the health authorities as his other two tests came back negative. He said he has shared his reports with the state health minister and other senior officials, as per PTI.

3:15 PM

LIVE: Curfew imposed in Hingoli from March 1-7 amid Covid surge

In the wake of a rise in daily COVID-19 cases in Hingoli, the local administration has decide to impose curfew in the district from March 1 to 7.

A total of 46 new COVID-19 cases were found on Saturday in Hingoli, located in the state''s Marathwada region, raising its tally to 4,083, as per official figures, according to PTI.

 

Hingoli Collector Ruchesh Jayvanshi in an order issued on Saturday evening said the curfew will come into force from 7 am on Monday and continue till March 7 midnight. Schools, colleges, religious places and function halls shall remain closed during the period, while banks will operate only for administrative work, said the order, PTI copy said.

 

 

Bank officials are instructed to carry their identity cards while travelling to their workplace, it said. Milk shops will be allowed to operate from 9 am to 5 pm. Medical stores are also permitted to remain open during the curfew period, said the order. Government offices will continue to work, it said. The administration has also allowed continuation of highway maintenance operations, and works related to the departments of health, electricity, telephone, water drainage and sanitation, as per PTI.

 

 

2:18 PM

Active case count hits zero, Arunachal turns coronavirus-free

Arunachal Pradesh became a coronavirus-free state on Sunday with the three active cases recovering from the disease, a senior health official said. The total caseload in the northeastern state remained at 16,836, while the number of recoveries stood at 16,780, State Surveillance Officer Lobsang Jampa said, according to PTI. No fresh Covid-19 case was reported in the past 24 hours, he said, A total of 56 people have so far died due to the contagion in the state. Arunachal Pradesh’s recovery rate and positivity rate are at 99.66 percent and zero percent, respectively, the official said, PTI reported.

 

Altogether, 4,05,647 samples have been tested, including 312 on Saturday, Jampa said. Meanwhile, State Immunisation Officer (SIO) Dimong Padung said 32,325 health and frontline workers have received vaccine shots in the state thus far. The health department has been carrying out the inoculation drive four days a week – Monday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, as per PTI report.