LIVE: India achieves highest-ever vaccination with 9 mn doses in a day

Coronavirus LIVE updates: As fear of third-wave looms over India, Kerala records 30,007 fresh Covid-19 cases in the last 24 hours. Maharashtra reported 5,108 cases. Stay tuned for corona updates

11:27 PM

Many schools in Delhi welcome AAP govt's decision to reopen schools from Sep 1

A majority of schools in the national capital are in favour of the Delhi government's decision to reopen the educational institutions from September 1 and are already making arrangements to ensure students are safe and all COVID-19 protocols are followed.

Few schools, however, pointed out that their staff are not fully vaccinated yet or that they have running Covid facilities which might be needed during the possible third wave. Few school principals also pointed out that as per the internal surveys of parents conducted by them, they are still reluctant to send their wards for physical classes.

9:59 PM

DCGI finds first mRNA vaccine safe, gives nods for Phase 2/3 trials

The Drug Controller General of India has approved the Phase 2 and 3 clinical trials of India's first Covid-19 mRNA vaccine.

Pune-based pharma major Gennova Biopharmaceuticals Ltd is developing the nation's first mRNA-based Covid-19 vaccine. 

9:26 PM

US Covid vaccination site opens for arriving Afghans

The US government has launched a mass COVID-19 vaccination site for arriving Afghans near Dulles International Airport, where thousands fleeing the Taliban are now arriving daily, a senior administration official said Friday.

The site was set up by the Federal Emergency Management Agency and already has begun administering vaccinations to the Afghan evacuees.

9:16 PM

Tamil Nadu posts 1,542 Covid-19 infections, 21 fatalities

Tamil Nadu on Friday registered 1,542 fresh COVID-19 cases, taking the overall case count to 26,08,748, while the toll soared to 34,835 with 21 people succumbing to the deadly virus.

9:09 PM

Mumbai adds 364 new Covid-19 cases, 5 deaths

Mumbai reported 364 new COVID-19 cases and five fresh fatalities on Friday, while 214 patients recovered from the infection, a senior civic official said.

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) official said with these additions, the tally of COVID-19 cases climbed to 7,42,765, while the death toll jumped to 15,968. On the third consecutive day, Mumbai reported over 300 COVID-19 cases. However, it witnessed a marginal dip in the daily COVID-19 cases and fatalities as compared to Thursday, when the city had recorded 397 cases, this month's highest, and seven deaths. The financial capital of the country had reported 343 cases on Wednesday. The marginal dip in the daily COVID-19 cases could be because of a drop in number of tests.

7:32 PM

9 mn vaccines until now - and still counting: Mandaviya

7:11 PM

No one had died in Kerala due to a lack of oxygen: CM

3:24 PM

Kerala to continue with Sunday lockdown

3:22 PM

Delhi: Classes for std 9th-12th will begin from Sept 1

3:00 PM

Nearly 600 mn vaccine doses provided to states/UTs: Centre

1:12 PM

US plans Covid-19 booster shots at six months instead of eight: Report

US health regulators could approve a third Covid-19 shot for adults beginning at least six months after full vaccination, instead of the previously announced eight-month gap, the Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday.
 

Approval of boosters for three Covid-19 shots being administered in the United States include those manufactured by Pfizer and partner BioNTech SE. Moderna and Johnson & Johnson are expected in mid-September, the report said, citing a person familiar with the plans.

 

Pfizer and BioNTech have already started the application process for the approval of its booster shot in people 16 and older, saying it spurs a more than three-fold increase in antibodies against the coronavirus. Read on...

12:59 PM

Blood clot risk much higher from Covid-19 than after vaccination: Study

The risk of developing adverse events such as blood clots is considerably higher after infection with the SARS-CoV-2 virus than after immunisation with Pfizer and AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccines, according to a large UK study published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ) on Friday.

 

The team led by researchers at the University of Oxford in the UK conducted the study on thrombocytopenia -- a condition with low platelet counts -- and thromboembolic events or blood clots following Covid-19 vaccination with Oxford-AstraZeneca and Pfizer-BioNTech preventives.

 

Some of these events have led to restricted use of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine, known as Covishield in India, in a number of countries.

12:23 PM

Expense on R&D for Covid-19 drugs, vax, devices will count as CSR

Research and development of new vaccines, drugs and medical devices related to Covid-19 by companies in the normal course of business will be regarded as corporate social responsibility (CSR) for three financial years, till FY22-23, the ministry of corporate affairs (MCA) said through a document.

 

While activities in the normal course of business do not qualify as CSR, the exception regarding R&D for Covid drugs and vaccines is only for companies that collaborate with organisations mentioned in the item (ix) of Schedule VII in the Companies Act.

 

These organisations include the Indian Institute of Technology, National Laboratories and auto­nomous bodies established under the Department of Atomic Energy, Indian Council of Medical Research and Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, among others. Read on...

11:47 AM

New coronavirus variants reducing vaccine effectiveness, stay cautious: Gehlot

Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Thursday appealed to the people to stay alert and follow all coronavirus-related guidelines to reduce the risk of infection.

 

He said the delta variant of the virus has reduced the efficacy of Covid-19 vaccine and in some countries, booster doses are being administered.

 

"Due to the low availability of the Covid vaccine and the decrease in the effectiveness of the Covid vaccine due to new variants of the corona, the possibility of a third wave increases. Therefore it is very important that utmost care is taken. The Government of India should also make preparations by sharing experience with other countries," Gehlot tweeted.

 

He said more than four crore beneficiaries in the state have been vaccinated at least one dose. Of them, more than one crore have received both the doses.

 

"We all have to be alert in view of the possibility of third wave of the coronavirus. The state government has set up a genome sequencing lab in SMS Hospital to test new variants," the chief minister said.

11:37 AM

Talks over TAPI pipeline gather steam with Taliban at the helm

With the Taliban spokespersons in Afghanistan talking favourably on the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) pipeline, expectations of it coming closer to India have grown. The TAPI pipeline is among the three transnational pipelines that have been on the drawing board for long.

 

These can assist in India's quest for a gas-based economy, even though transnational pipelines are difficult to plan and harder to implement.

 

“The TAPI project had regained steam a few years ago, but there has been an eerie silence from India on this front lately. It seems the government wants to see if the Taliban are really serious about this project and what form of governance they adopt. Whether they want and are eligible to do business with India is something that requires a wait-and-watch approach,” a former Indian government official told Business Standard. Read on...

11:23 AM

Institutional quarantine must for coronavirus patients in Nagpur

In view of the rising number of Delta plus variant cases in Maharashtra, the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) on Thursday made institutional quarantine or hospitalisation mandatory for every patient testing positive for coronavirus in the city.

 

Municipal commissioner Radhakrishnan B has issued an order regarding this and directed all zone commissioners to put patients testing coronavirus positive under institutional quarantine or ensure their hospitalization, a NMC release said. The release said though coronavirus cases are under control in Nagpur, threat of the Delta plus variant, considered highly infectious, persists in the city. "Patients testing coronavirus positive can be suspected patients of the Delta plus variant. Hence, this measure is being taken to stop its spread," the NMC said. So far, Maharashtra has reported more than 100 Delta plus cases. Meanwhile, Nagpur on Thursday registered 6 new Covid-19 infections, while the city has 75 active cases, officials said.

11:22 AM

China to meet economic targets with virus curbs: President Xi Jinping

President Xi Jinping said China will strive to hit key economic and social development targets set for this year, even as authorities maintain an aggressive approach to containing Covid-19.

 

In a front page article in the People’s Daily Thursday, Xi said China should push for high-quality development and better coordinated policies around development and safety. He was speaking during a visit to Chengde in the northern province of Hebei this week where he visited several projects including a farm and an elderly care facility. Read on...

11:02 AM

US plans Covid-19 booster shots at six months instead of eight: Report

Strongly condemning the terrorist strikes in Afghanistan's capital Kabul, India has told the UN Security Council that these attacks reinforce the need for the world to stand unitedly against terrorism and all those who provide sanctuaries to terrorists.

 

Two suicide bombers and gunmen attacked crowds of Afghans flocking to Kabul's airport on Thursday, killing at least 60 Afghans and 13 US troops.

 

Let me begin by strongly condemning the terrorist attack in Kabul. We extend our heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims of this terrorist attack, India's Permanent Representative to the UN and President of the Security Council Ambassador T S Tirumurti said on Thursday.

10:56 AM

Reliance Life Sciences gets Subject Expert Committee's nod for trials of proposed Protein subunit vaccine

Reliance Life Sciences gets Subject Expert Committee's nod for Phase 1 trials of proposed Protein subunit vaccine against Covid-19.

 

10:30 AM

The hybrid work revolution after Covid-19 is already transforming economies

Even in the 19th century, workers were beginning to resent the grind of office life.

 

“You don’t know how wearisome it is to breathe the air of four pent walls without relief, day after day,” British essayist Charles Lamb wrote in a letter to poet William Wordsworth back in 1822, railing against his toil in the East India Company’s office in Leadenhall Street, London.

 

For the last 17 months, however, Lamb’s modern successors have mostly worked from home, liberated from what he termed “official confinement.” Today’s white-collar staff are living through a radical transformation of professional life, one economists say is already beginning to jump-start economic productivity and accelerate innovation. Read on...

10:05 AM

Total number of samples tested up to August 26 is 514,954,309 including 1,824,931 samples tested yesterday

9:11 AM

The hybrid work revolution after Covid-19 is already transforming economies

Even in the 19th century, workers were beginning to resent the grind of office life.

 

“You don’t know how wearisome it is to breathe the air of four pent walls without relief, day after day,” British essayist Charles Lamb wrote in a letter to poet William Wordsworth back in 1822, railing against his toil in the East India Company’s office in Leadenhall Street, London.

 

For the last 17 months, however, Lamb’s modern successors have mostly worked from home, liberated from what he termed “official confinement.” Today’s white-collar staff are living through a radical transformation of professional life, one economists say is already beginning to jump-start economic productivity and accelerate innovation.

8:43 AM

Mizoram reports 905 new Covid-19 cases, 4 deaths

Mizoram reported 905 fresh COVID-19 cases and four deaths in the last 24 hours, the Department of Information and Public Relations (DIPR), Mizoram informed on Thursday.

 

The state's positivity rate stands at 9.08 per cent.

 

The number of cumulative cases in the state has mounted to 55,756 including 48,080 recoveries and 206 deaths. There are 7,470 active cases of COVID-19 in the state.

 

7:54 AM

Coronavirus LIVE updates: Recovery rate in UP stands at 98.6%, positivity rate recorded at 0.01%

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Thursday informed that the daily positivity rate in the state was 0.01 per cent and the overall recovery rate was 98.6 per cent.

 

The UP CM asked for strict and effective implementation of Covid-19 induced night curfew in the state, given the fact that Covid cases were rising sharply again in some states.

 

He asked police to begin relaying warnings by blaring hooters before 10 pm every night.

 

While addressing a Covid review meeting on Thursday, Yogi Adityanath said: "UP has been maintaining control over the Covid situation fairly well and in view of rising cases in other states, we must not let our guard down. Everyone must follow Covid-19 appropriate behaviour, ensure the usage of masks and social distancing. The police should issue a warning ahead of time through hooters so that the shops are closed by 10 pm. People should not roam on the streets unnecessarily."

 

Talking about the state's current Covid status, the Uttar Pradesh CM said that as many as 2,16,629 Covid tests were conducted in the last 24 hours.

7:50 AM

Kashmir-based NGO ready to combat potential third wave of Covid-19

As experts have warned that the third wave of Covid-19 is imminent, a Kashmir-based NGO is all set to fight the virus.

 

In order to fight the potential third wave of coronavirus, which is expected to peak in October, the NGO, Athrout, has procured a large quantity of medical equipment such as oxygen concentrators, ventilators to provide to the needy for free.

 

The NGO, which also runs a dialysis centre, had played an active role during the second wave of COVID-19 by setting up oxygen plants at hospitals and providing free ambulances to the Kashmir people. The NGO provided medicines for free during the second wave. It has also set up a retail chemist shop and gives medicines at a discounted rate to the needy.

 

The NGO has acquired experts and procured the latest medical equipment to combat the potential third wave.

7:45 AM

State govts should explore possibility of imposing night curfew in high positivity areas: Union home secy

Union Home Secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla on Thursday chaired a meeting through video conferencing to review the steps taken by the state governments of Kerala and Maharashtra for checking the spread of Covid-19. During the meeting, the overall management of the Covid-19 situation in Kerala and Maharashtra was discussed.

 

"The Union Home Secretary reviewed the efforts being made by the state governments to contain the spread of infections and observed that more efforts would be required to arrest the increase in infections," said a statement issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs.

 

Bhalla suggested that the state governments should explore the possibility of placing night curfew in areas of high positivity.

 

The state governments were advised that they should continue with their vaccination programmes and in case they required more vaccines, the same would be provided to the extent possible.

7:44 AM

Coronavirus global update: Germany reports 12,626 new Covid cases

Daily Covid-19 infections in Germany continued to rise as 12,626 new cases were registered within one day, 4,226 more than a week ago, the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) said on Thursday.

 

The Covid-19 incidence in Germany in the past seven days reached 66.0 per 100,000 citizens on Thursday, up from 61.3 the previous day and 44.2 a week ago, according to the RKI, Xinhua news agency reported.

 

"We are again in the exponential growth of infections and also serious illnesses," Christian Karagiannidis, president of the medical association DGIIN, told the Rheinische Post on Thursday.

7:39 AM

Coronavirus global update: Russia records 19,630 daily Covid infections

Russia confirmed 19,630 new coronavirus cases over the past 24 hours, taking the nationwide tally to 6,824,540, the official monitoring and response centre said on Thursday.

 

The country reported a record 820 daily deaths, taking the nationwide death toll to 179,243. The number of recoveries increased by 19,661 to 6,092,818, Xinhua news agency reported.

 

Meanwhile, Moscow, Russia's worst-hit region, reported 1,712 new cases, taking the city's total to 1,560,501.

7:37 AM

Coronavirus global update: Covid-19 cases in Brazil rise by 31,024, tally reaches over 20.67 million

The number of confirmed Covid-19 cases in Brazil has increased by 31,024 to 20,676,561 within the past 24 hours, the national Ministry of Health said on late Thursday.

 

According to the ministry, the death toll has risen by 920 to 577,565 people within the same period of time. More than 19.6 million patients have recovered since the start of the outbreak.

 

A day earlier, the country confirmed 30,671 new coronavirus cases, with 903 fatalities.

 

7:19 AM

Over 14mn fully vaccinated against Covid in Morocco

Over 14mn fully vaccinated against Covid in Morocco