Covid LIVE: Haryana schools to reopen for Classes 4, 5 from Sep 1

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Coronavirus updates: India recorded a massive spike of 37,593 new Covid-19 cases and 648 deaths in the past 24 hours, taking its tally to 32,512,366 and the death toll to 435,758. Coronavirus in India may be entering some kind of stage of endemicity where there is low or moderate level of transmission going on, Chief Scientist of the World Health Organisation Dr Soumya Swaminathan said.

The endemic stage is when a population learns to live with a virus. It's very different from the epidemic stage when the virus overwhelms a population.

World coronavirus update: Covid-19 is continuing to spread around the world, with 213,948,124 confirmed cases and 4,463,919 deaths across nearly 200 countries recorded since China reported its first cases in December 2019. The US remains the worst-hit country with 38,966,376 cases, followed by India, Brazil, Russia and France. 

To read updates from our yesterday's blog, click here

11:13 PM

Chhattisgarh reports 52 COVID-19 cases, zero death; active tally below 650

Chhattisgarh's COVID-19 tally rose to 10,04,282 on Wednesday with the addition of 52 new cases, while no fresh fatality due to the infection was reported in the case, a health department official said.

 

The death toll remained unchanged at 13,555, he said. The day also saw the discharge of 29 patients from various hospitals, while 49 others completed their home isolation, taking the number of recovered cases to 9,90,100, the official said. The state now has 627 active cases. Raipur district reported 8 new infections, taking the caseload to 1,57,857, including 3,139 deaths.

9:42 PM

Bengal reports 10 more COVID-19 deaths, 708 fresh cases

West Bengal's COVID-19 death toll climbed to 18,393 with 10 more fatalities, while 708 fresh cases pushed the tally to 15,44,817, a bulletin released by the health department said on Wednesday. The state now has 9,185 active cases, and 15,17,239 patients have recovered from the disease so far, including 730 since Tuesday, it said.

 

The single-day fatalities include four deaths in Nadia and North 24 Parganas districts. Kolkata and North 24 Parganas reported the highest number of new cases (89 each), the bulletin said.

 

A total of 1,67,73,319 samples have been tested in West Bengal for COVID-19 thus far, it added.

9:14 PM

Samples from Indore show presence of Delta plus variant of COVID-19

The genome sequencing of samples collected from two COVID-19 patients who have since recovered has revealed that they had been infected with the Delta plus variant, a health official from Madhya Pradesh's Indore city said on Wednesday.

 

The samples collected from a 35-year-old woman and a 42-year-old man were sent to the Delhi-based National Center for Disease Control in July and the report had arrived recently, said Dr Amit Malakar, nodal officer for prevention of COVID-19.

 

These were the first Delta plus cases reported in the district, which had earlier seen cases of Delta variant, the official said, adding that both patients have recovered from the infection and have been vaccinated.

8:51 PM

Nagaland: 49 fresh cases push Covid-19 tally to 29,718

Nagaland's COVID-19 tally rose to 29,718 on Wednesday as 49 more people tested positive for the infection, while a fresh fatality pushed the death toll to 612, a health bulletin said, PTI reported.

Dimapur district registered the highest number of new cases at 24, followed by Mokukchung (11), and Kohima (nine).

The death of a COVID-19 patient was reported from Peren district during the day, it said.

8:36 PM

Haryana schools to reopen for Classes 4, 5 from Sep 1

8:32 PM

India administered about 6.6 million vaccine doses today

8:18 PM

Maha govt launches special mission for Covid-19 widows

The Maharashtra government has launched a special mission for women from poor families who have lost their husbands to coronavirus infection which aims to provide a bunch of services under one roof, PTI reported.

"The new programme- 'Mission Vatsalya'- has been designed for widows, especially from rural areas who come from poor backgrounds and deprived sections. Due to the death of the sole breadwinner in their families, their hardship is increased. Considering these all aspects, a bunch of 18 benefits, schemes, and services will be provided to these widows under one roof," Women and Child Development (WCD) Minister Yashomati Thakur said on Wednesday.

7:52 PM

125 fresh cases reported in J-K

Jammu and Kashmir recorded 126 fresh cases of the coronavirus on Wednesday, taking the tally to 3,24,546, while no fresh death was reported in the Union Territory in the last 24 hours, officials said, PTI reported.

Out of the fresh cases, 26 were from the Jammu division and 100 from the Kashmir division, they said.

The officials said that Srinagar district recorded the highest number of 51 cases followed by 12 cases in Budgam district.

7:52 PM

Goa reports 77 Covid-19 cases, one death

Goa recorded 77 new coronavirus infections and one death on Wednesday, a health department official said, PTI reported.

The caseload in the state rose to 1,73,434 while the death toll reached 3,187.

The number of recovered patients rose to 1,69,314 with 75 persons getting discharged from hospitals on Wednesday.

7:49 PM

Brazil to give Covid-19 booster shots to elderly and vulnerable

Brazil will give booster shots of a COVID-19 vaccine to immunosuppressed or vulnerable people and citizens over the age of 80, beginning on Sept. 15, Brazilian Health Minister Marcelo Queiroga said, Reuters reported.

7:29 PM

Sri Lanka to issue digital Covid vaccination cards

Sri Lanka will issue a digital Covid vaccination card to those fully inoculated from mid-September onwards, IANS reported.

Health Minister Keheliya Rambukwella said that 75 per cent of people over 30 years of age are to be vaccinated by the first week of September and from September 15 onwards, a digital card would be issued to those who have taken both the doses.

Earier this month, Army Commander General Shavendra Silva, who also the heads of the National Operations Centre for the Prevention of Covid-19 Outbreak, had announced that the government is planning to make vaccination certificate mandatory for those visiting public places, using public transport or those crossing provinces.

7:25 PM

Swiss gov't examines introducing Covid-19 certificates in most indoor spaces

6:55 PM

Karnataka reports 1,224 new cases

6:41 PM

Covid expert panel chief says let's pray Covid 3rd wave does not affect K'taka

Dr Devi Shetty, Chairman of the Covid Expert Committee in Karnataka, stated on Wednesday that it is difficult to say how the third wave of Covid-19 will affect the state and when it will come. "Let's pray Covid third wave does not enter Karnataka," he stated, IANS reported.

He was speaking after the launch by Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai of the Volvo Vaccine Bus jointly organised by Narayana Hrudayalaya and the Volvo Group of India.

"The committee has submitted its report to the government on a Covid third wave. It is expected that the Covid third wave might affect the state in October. We should pray that it should not come. However, it is coming," he said.

6:22 PM

Kerala sees 31,445 new cases, 215 deaths in a day; TPR at 19%