Coronavirus LIVE: Delhi adds 53 cases, lowest since April 15 last year

Coronavirus LIVE updates: India on Saturday recorded 42,766 new Covid cases. Stay tuned for corona-related news

1:19 AM

Haryana extends lockdown till July 19, but allows slew of relaxations including for students

The Haryana government on Sunday extended till July 19 the lockdown in the state to curb the spread of the coronavirus, but allowed a slew of relaxations, including for students.
 

According to an order issued by Chief Secretary Vijai Vardhan, in exercise of powers under the provisions of the Disaster Management Act, 2005, "the Mahamari Alert-Surakshit Haryana is extended for another week, that is from July 12 (5 am onwards) to July 19 (till 5 am) in the state of Haryana." Through the order the state government also allowed several relaxations.
 

Universities and colleges are allowed to open for students for doubt clearing classes, practical classes in laboratories, practical examinations and offline exams with strict adherence of requisite social distancing norms and other guidelines, the order stated.
 

Hostels in universities and colleges are allowed to open only for those students who are appearing in examinations, it said.
 

Gatherings in weddings, funerals, in open spaces have been increased while cinema halls and spas have been allowed to open.
 

1:19 AM

Chhattisgarh sees 188 new Covid-19 cases, 3 deaths

Chhattisgarh's Covid-19 tally mounted to 9,97,973 on Sunday as 188 more people tested positive for the infection, while three fresh fatalities pushed the toll to 13,478, a health official said.
 

The number of recoveries reached 9,79,711 after 42 people were discharged from various hospitals while 221 others completed their home isolation stay during the day. The number of active cases in Chhattisgarstands at 4,784, the official informed.
 

Raipur district reported 15 new cases taking the caseload to 1,57,413, including 3,133 deaths. Sukma district recorded 24 new cases, Bijapur 18 and Bastar 17, he said.
 

With 22,479 samples tested on Sunday, the total number of tests in Chhattisgarh went up to 1,06,48,645.
 

Over 1.05 crore shots of vaccines against Covid-19 have been administered to people in all categories in Chhattisgarh till Saturday. A total of 86,94,804 people received the first jab while 18,68,283 of them administered the second dose as of Saturday, officials said.
 

Chhattisgarh's coronavirus figures are as follows: Positive cases 9,97,973, new cases 188, death toll 13,478, recovered 9,79,711, active cases 4,784, tests today 22,479, total tests 1,06,48,645.
 

1:18 AM

Covid-19: Five more deaths in UP, 125 fresh cases

With five more Covid-19 deaths, the toll in Uttar Pradesh has risen to 22,698, while the tally of cases has climbed to 17,07,350 with 125 fresh coronavirus infections in the state, the government said on Sunday.
 

Of the fresh deaths, two were reported from Gorakhpur, while one death each was reported from Jhansi, Mirzapur and Jaunpur, the Uttar Pradesh government said in a statement.
 

Out of the 125 new cases, 20 were reported from Sultanpur, while six cases were reported each from Lucknow, Prayagraj and Varanasi.
 

In the past 24 hours, 134 Covid-19 patients have recovered from the disease, and been discharged. This has pushed the total number of recoveries to 16,83,058.

Active Covid-19 cases in the state stand at 1,594, the statement said.
 

In the past 24 hours, more than 2.40 lakh samples in the state have been tested, it said. 
 

1:17 AM

South Africa extends tight Covid-19 restrictions for another 14 days

South Africa extended tight Covid-19 rules on Sunday for another 14 days, maintaining restrictions that include a ban on gatherings, a curfew from 9 p.m. to 4 a.m. and a prohibition on the sale of alcohol.
 

The country, the worst-hit on the African continent in terms of recorded cases and deaths, is in the grip of a third wave of infections driven by the more infectious Delta coronavirus variant.
 

"Our health system countrywide remains under pressure," President Cyril Ramaphosa said in a televised address to the nation.
 

Early this month South Africa recorded a new record of over 26,000 daily cases, stretching hospitals to breaking point.
 

Ramaphosa moved the country to the fourth level of a five-tier restriction scale in late June as infections climbed, promising to review the restrictions after two weeks.
 

On Sunday he said the cabinet had decided to maintain "adjusted alert level 4" for another 14 days, although restaurants would be able to serve food on their premises again subject to strict health protocols. Gyms would also be allowed to reopen under certain conditions.
 

Ramaphosa added that a government advisory committee was working on how soon to bring Sinovac's CoronaVac vaccine into the Covid-19 immunisation programme.
 

7:47 PM

Uttarakhand reports 42 new Covid-19 cases

7:44 PM

Karnataka reports 1,978 new Covid-19 cases

7:15 PM

Goa govt allows reopening of gyms at 50% capacity

The Goa government on Sunday extended till July 19 the coronavirus-induced statewide curfew, but announced further relaxations as part of which it allowed gyms to reopen and operate at 50 per cent of their capacity. The government had last week allowed social, political, cultural gatherings, marriages and other congregations of up to 100 people or 50 per cent of the venue capacity.

7:02 PM

Kerala reports 12,220 cases, 97 deaths

Kerala on Sunday recorded 12,220 fresh COVID-19 cases, pushing the infection caseload to 30,65,336, while the toll rose to 14,586 with 97 more deaths. Recoveries outnumbered fresh cases with 12,502 people getting cured, taking the total number to 29,35,423, a state government release said. The number of active cases stood at 1,14,844.

6:41 PM

Delhi adds 53 cases, lowest since April 15 last year

Delhi on Sunday reported 53 COVID-19 cases, the lowest since April 15 last year, and three more deaths while the positivity rate dropped to 0.07 per cent, according to data shared by the health department. The national capital has recorded 14,35,083 coronavirus cases since the pandemic started last year. Over 14.09 lakh patients have recovered so far. The death toll stands at 25,015. On Saturday, the city had recorded 76 COVID-19 cases with a positivity rate of 0.19 per cent and one death.

6:18 PM

Covid-19 toll crosses 13,000 mark in Andhra Pradesh

The gross Covid-19 toll crossed the 13,000 mark in Andhra Pradesh as 16 deaths were reported on Sunday, the lowest in a day in over three months. The state reported 2,665 fresh cases of coronavirus and 3,231 recoveries in 24 hours ending 9 am on Sunday. A health department bulletin put the total positives so far at 19,22,843, recoveries at 18,81,161 and toll 13,002. The active cases slid further to 28,680, it added.

5:45 PM

Schools & colleges in Puducherry to reopen on July 16: CM

After months of closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic, schools and colleges in Puducherry will reopen on July 16"Colleges will reopen on July 16. Schools would also reopen partially and classes for ninth to 12th standards alone would resume that day," Chief Minister N Rangasamy said on Sunday. He was speaking to reporters after submitting to Lt Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan, the list of portfolios for allocation to his newly inducted five ministerial colleagues.

5:18 PM

Sikkim reports 144 new Covid-19 cases, 2 more deaths

Sikkim's Covid-19 caseload jumped to 22,307 as 144 more people tested positive for the infection in the last 24 hours, while two new fatalities pushed the death toll to 315, a health department bulletin said on Sunday. Of the 144 new cases, East Sikkim district reported 106 cases followed by South Sikkim (26) and West Sikkim district (12), it said. The Himalayan state now has 2,267 active Covid-19 cases, while 19,467 people have recovered from the disease, the bulletin said.

4:30 PM

Face masks in enclosed spaces will be expected' beyond July 19: UK minister

The government will issue guidance stating that people will still be "expected to wear masks in indoor, enclosed places" even after all legal lockdown restrictions are lifted from July 19, UK Vaccines Minister Nadhim Zahawi said on Sunday.

 

The senior Cabinet minister also expressed confidence that the British Prime Minister Boris Johnson will be able to confirm the July 19 timeline for the last stage of his lockdown easing roadmap on Monday despite a surge in infections, as hospitalisations remain low amid the mass vaccination drive.

 

"I think it is important that we remain cautious and careful and the guidelines that we will set out tomorrow will demonstrate that, including guidelines that people are expected to wear masks in indoor, enclosed spaces," Zahawi told Sky News'.

4:18 PM

Israel strikes Pfizer deal for new vaccine batch

Israel's prime minister says the country has struck a deal with Pfizer to receive a fresh batch of coronavirus vaccines in August to help with its drive to vaccinate teenagers. Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said at the start of the weekly Cabinet meeting that the agreement to advance delivery of new vaccines to August 1 to ensure from this moment a continuous supply of vaccines in the state of Israel.

3:52 PM

No fresh fatality in Puducherry; 145 new cases push

The union territory of Puducherry added 145 new COVID-19 cases while no fresh fatality was recorded in the last 24 hours, Director of Health and Family Welfare Services S Mohan Kumar said on Sunday. This was the first time that no coronavirus related fatality was reported in a single day after more than six months, he said. The death toll stood at 1,769 as of July 10. The 145 fresh cases were detected at the end of the examination of 5,821 samples during the last 24 hours ending 10 AM Sunday, he added.

3:33 PM

Chinese province reports 12 new locally transmitted Covid cases

China's Yunnan province reported 12 new locally transmitted Covid-19 confirmed cases, all in the city of Ruili, the local health commission said Sunday. The cases were all found in the all-inclusive nucleic acid testing in Ruili, the commission said. The province also registered four imported confirmed cases and two asymptomatic carriers, reports Xinhua news agency. Three of the confirmed cases were from Sri Lanka and the other one was from Myanmar. By the end of Saturday, there were 136 confirmed cases in hospitals in Yunnan, including 50 locally transmitted cases.

3:15 PM

No total lockdown in Itanagar for now

The Arunachal Pradesh government has turned down the request for a week-long total lockdown in the state capital from July 12 but suggested a slew of measures to check the spike in COVID-19 cases. In a letter to Chief Secretary Naresh Kumar, Capital Deputy Commissioner Talo Potom on Saturday sought approval for a total lockdown for a week from Monday, citing the rise in COVID-19 cases. He said that in view of the rise in the cases in the Capital region, the administration convened a meeting on Friday with all the stakeholders, who recommended total lockdown as per the suggestion of the Health Department to contain the spread of the virus.

2:38 PM

CEOs expect swifter recovery post 2nd Covid wave: CII Poll

Top corporates in the country anticipate a faster economic recovery from the impact of the second wave of Covid-19. A CII CEOs Poll of 119 corporate heads showed that about 59 per cent of the CEOs polled expect the recovery in sales to be better than in the first wave for their companies, while 46 per cent of them expressed a similar trend for their respective industry sectors.

2:22 PM

19 new Covid cases in Ladakh; 35 more patients recover

Nineteen new cases of coronavirus were reported in Ladakh, raising its tally to 20,186, while 35 more patients were cured of the infection, officials said on Saturday. All the 19 persons who returned positive for COVID-19 are from Leh district, the health department officials said. No death due to COVID-19 was reported in the union territory in the past 24 hours, they said.

2:06 PM

Adityanath govt hid Covid-19 death figures in UP: Akhilesh Yadav

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Sunday accused the Uttar Pradesh government of hiding the COVID-19 death figures, and claimed the state government did not want to give the statistics as it did not want to help the people. He also highlighted the issue of teachers dying during panchayat poll duty in the state.

1:48 PM

Odisha logs record 65 COVID-19 fatalities, 2,282 new cases

Odisha on Sunday registered 65 COVID-19 fatalities, the highest-ever in a single day, pushing the toll to 4,599, while 2,282 new cases raised the tally to 9,39,752, a health department official said. Fourteen fresh fatalities were reported from Khurda district, of which state capital Bhubaneswar is a part, six each from Puri, Keonjhar and Bargarh, five each from Angul and Mayurbhanj, four from Nayagarh and three from Sundargarh, Kendrapara and Ganjam.

1:25 PM

One in 10 Covid-19 patients had persistent symptoms in Singapore: Study

One in 10 recovered COVID-19 patients in Singapore had persistent symptoms six months after their initial infection, a study led by the National Centre for Infectious Diseases (NCID) has found.

 

In this condition known as "long COVID", they continued to experience symptoms, most commonly a lingering cough and shortness of breath, long after recovering from COVID-19. Other symptoms included persistent fatigue, dizziness and insomnia, but these were not frequently observed, The Straits Times reported on Saturday, citing the study by the country's top infectious disease body which is focusing on COVID-19 treatment. READ MORE...

1:06 PM

Kerala observes weekend lockdown

People in Kerala continued to observe a full weekend lockdown on Sunday amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

 

Visuals from Thiruvananthapuram showed quiet, deserted roads. In some parts, police personnel approached people on the street who had ventured out of their homes despite the lockdown.

 

The weekend lockdown had been imposed in the state earlier in April when the second COVID wave hit, in order to tackle the worrying rise in COVID-19 cases. Months later, the state is still recovering from the wave, with daily cases hovering between 10,000 to 15,000 for the last few weeks.

12:37 PM

India maintains steady vaccination; adds 41,506 cases in a day

India on Sunday reported a net reduction of 915 in active coronavirus cases to take its count to 454,118. India’s share of global active coronavirus cases now stands at 3.79 per cent (one in 26). The country is fourth among the most affected countries by active cases. On Saturday, it added 41,506 cases to take its total caseload to 30,837,222 from 30,795,716 — an increase of 0.1%. And, with 895 new fatalities, its Covid-19 death toll reached 408,040, or 1.32 per cent of total confirmed infections. READ MORE...

12:16 PM

Auditoriums, assembly halls in schools and educational institutions in Delhi to function with 50% capacity

Auditoriums, assembly halls in schools and educational institutions in Delhi to function with 50 per cent capacity for educational training: DDMA

12:15 PM

Odisha reports 2,282 new coronavirus cases

Odisha reported 2282 new COVID-19 cases, 3120 recoveries and 65 deaths in the last 24 hours, informed the state health department on Sunday.

 

With this, the cumulative count in the state stands at 939752 including 909639 recoveries, 4599 deaths and 25461 active cases.

 

Out of fresh Covid cases reported, 1315 people got infected in quarantine, while 967caught the infection from local contacts. One of the worst-hit districts of the state is Khurda, which has reported 592 new cases in the last 24 hours, which is the highest among other 31 districts of the states. As per the government data, the state has tested 14568487 samples so far.

12:02 PM

Covid pandemic: Shimla continues to receive tourists from neighbouring states

11:48 AM

States to borrow close to Rs 2 trillion to mobilise funds for Covid relief

With the pandemic pushing up the need to spend more towards Covid relief measures, states have lined up massive borrowing plan for the second quarter of current financial year.

 

In all, states and union territories expect to borrow Rs 1,92,091 crore from the markets during July-September quarter. The Reserve Bank of India, in consultation with the State Governments/Union Territories (UTs) has drawn up the borrowing calendar for the quarter where bonds will be issued to mobilise funds on a weekly basis.

 

As per the states' borrowing calendar, Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra, the two of the country's largest states with higher population would have maximum borrowings of Rs 25,000 crore and Rs 22,500 crore respectively during the quarter. READ MORE...

11:40 AM

Sputnik V gives 90% protection against Delta strain: Scientist

Viral vector and mRNA vaccines, including Russia's Sputnik V, provide enough protection against the new Delta strain of the coronavirus, Head of the Novosibirsk State University's Laboratory and corresponding member of the Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS) Sergey Netesov told Sputnik.

 

"According to data from the UK, the US and other countries, mRNA and vector vaccines, including our Sputnik V, protect against it [the Delta variant], albeit to a lesser extent, but they do protect against it. They offered 95 per cent protection against the initial strain and now they give 90% protection against the 'delta' variant," Netesov said.

 

He added that the vaccines already developed should be used as they are quite effective.

11:22 AM

States, private hospitals have over 1.44 crore unutilised vaccine doses: Centre

More than 1.44 crore balance and unutilised Covid-19 vaccine doses are still available with the states, UTs and private hospitals to be administered, the Union Health Ministry said on Sunday.

 

Over 38.60 crore vaccine doses have been provided to states and UTs so far through all sources and a further 11,25,140 doses are in the pipeline.

 

Of this, the total consumption including wastage is 37,16,47,625 doses, according to data available at 8 am. The new phase of universalisation of COVID-19 vaccination commenced from June 21.