Coronavirus LIVE: Up to 40 guests allowed to attend weddings in Karnataka

Coronavirus live updates: World braces for a new wave of Covid-19 infections; air passenger numbers rise in India as country eases travel restrictions.

Coronavirus live updates: India logged on Friday 51,667 new Covid-19 infections to take its total case load to 3,01,34,445, said the health ministry after collating data over past 24 hours. The country recorded 1,329 deaths from the disease to take total fatalities to 3,93,310.

India's test positivity rate (positive cases identified for every 100 tests) continues to fall. For the 18th straight running, it is below the 5 per cent-mark at 2.98 per cent. WHO’s criteria, published in May 2020, say a positivity rate of less than 5 per cent is one indicator that the infection is under control in a place.

India vaccinated more than 8 million people earlier this week but even this unprecedented pace may not be fast enough for a country just emerging from a devastating second wave to head off a third one, experts say. As more states lift lockdowns, the average number of passengers travelling per day has tripled from a low of 42,000 in May to 125,000, from the third week of June onwards.

World coronavirus update: The world is bracing for a new wave of Covid-19 infections, as the coronavirus pandemic has infected more than 175 million people and killed more than 3.8 million globally since late January, the Bloomberg Tracker said. Romania will have to destroy about 35,000 doses of AstraZeneca’s vaccine that expire on June 30 because of little interest from citizens to get the shot. Singapore said it plans to give a first Covid-19 vaccine shot to most of its population by July after securing more supplies.

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

2:48 AM

Mumbai to remain in level 3 of Covid-19 curbs

Mumbai will continue to be in category 3 of the Maharashtra government's five-level unlock plan that seeks to ease coronavirus-induced curbs as per infection positivity rate and oxygen bed occupancy numbers, the BMC said on Friday.
 

While announcing the decision, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) also said the metropolis has had an average positivity rate of 3.96 per cent and oxygen bed occupancy of 23.04 per cent over the last two weeks.
 

The decision came hours after the state government amended its five-level unlock plan implemented earlier this month and announced state-level trigger for imposing restrictions in administrative units irrespective of weekly positivity rate and oxygen bed occupancy percentage.
 

State-level trigger means that irrespective of the weekly positivity rate and oxygen bed occupancy, level 3 restrictions will continue in administrative units till the district disaster management authority takes a call to withdraw them, according to a state government notification.
 

The state's move was driven by detection of cases of the Delta plus variant of Covid-19, considered highly infectious, in Maharashtra.
 

Delta plus cases have been found in Ratnagiri, Jalgaon and some other districts of the state, requiring stricter curbs, the notification said.
 

2:48 AM

76% people aged 45 yrs and above received one dose of Covid-19 vaccine in Mizoram: Official

Seventy-six per cent of people in the age group of 45 years and above have received the first dose of Covid-19 vaccine in Mizoram, an official said on Friday.
 

The inoculation drive has been accelerated across the state, amid the second wave of the coronavirus infection, National Health Mission (NHM) Director Dr Eric Zomawia said.
 

"As many as 76 per cent of people in the age group of 45 years and above have been administered the first dose of Covishield vaccine till Thursday as against the national average of 43 per cent," Zomawia told PTI.
 

The national average for vaccination in the 18-44 years group is 11 per cent, while Mizoram has already immunised 41 per cent of people in this age bracket, he said.
 

The population size of the 45 years and above category is estimated at around 2.64 lakh in the state and the same in the 18-44 age group is about 5.10 lakh, Zomawia said.
 

The state now has "enough stock of vaccine", and 82,220 more doses are expected to arrive here by next week, he said.
 

2:47 AM

Nagaland reports 130 new Covid-19 cases, two more deaths

Nagaland on Friday reported 130 new Covid-19 cases, which pushed the tally in the state to 24,759, a health department official said.
 

At least 127 people were cured of the disease during the day, taking the total number of recoveries to 22,072, State Nodal Officer for Integrated Disease Surveillance Project Dr Nyanthung Kikon said in a bulletin.
 

The recovery rate among coronavirus patients in the state stands at 89.15 per cent, he said.
 

Two more fatalities due to the infection were reported in Kohima district, raising the death toll to 481, the official said.
 

Nagaland currently has 1,508 active cases, and 698 Covid-19 patients have migrated to other states so far.
 

Mon reported the highest number of fresh cases at 37, followed by Dimapur at 31, Paren at 20, Mokokchung at 13 and Kohima at 11.
 

The state has conducted 2,20,061 sample tests for Covid-19.
 

State Immunisation Officer Dr Ritu Thurr said 4,48,621 doses of Covid-19 vaccines have been administered to 3,91,728 people till Thursday. 
 

10:10 PM

Maintain vigil over Delta plus variant of virus: Karnataka CM to officials

Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa on Friday instructed officials to maintain vigil over the 'Delta Plus' variant of coronavirus, especially in border districts and subject those arriving in the state from Maharashtra and Kerala to tests.

 

Yediyurappa held a meeting with senior Ministers and officials today to review the Covid-19 situation in the state.
 

"The Delta Plus situation in the state as of now is under control and instructions have been given to maintain strict vigil about the virus," the CMO said in a statement.
 

Noting that a greater number of Delta Plus variant virus infections are being reported in neighboring Maharashtra, it said directions have been put on border districts on alert.
 

Instructions have also been given to maintain strict vigil on those arriving in the state from Maharashtra and Kerala, by subjecting them to Covid tests, the statement said.
 

Expressing concern over the intensity of the second wave not declining in Maharashtra and Kerala, it said people have been requested to follow all the precautionary measures with relaxing of restrictions in the state.
 

The government has also instructed the authorities to identify malnourished children and provide them nutritious food and medical care that is required.
 

Earlier in the day Health Minister K Sudhakar said there are two cases of Delta plus variant in the state, one in Bengaluru and the other in Mysuru, both with mild symptoms.
 

10:09 PM

Third wave of coronavirus unlikely to be as severe as second wave: Study

A third wave of Covid-19 -- if it occurs -- is unlikely to be as severe as the second wave given the extent of spread of coronavirus infections that has already taken place in the country, according to a study.
 

The study, based on mathematical modelling analysis published in the Indian Journal of Medical Research (IJMR), highlights that the emergence of a third wave of coronavirus could be substantially mitigated by the expansion of vaccination.
 

Presenting a vaccine ramp-up scenario where 40 percent of the population has received two doses within three months of the second wave peak, and further that the effect of vaccination is (conservatively) to reduce severity of to infection by 60 percent, the study said it illustrates how vaccination could substantially reduce the overall burden during the possible third wave.
 

"Plausibility of a third wave of Covid-19 in India: A mathematical modelling based analysis" has been authored by Sandip Mandal, Balram Bhargava and Samiran Panda from the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), and Nimalan Arinaminpathy from the Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, MRC Centre for Global Infectious Disease Analysis, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, London, UK.
 

8:44 PM

40 pharma firms showed interested to produce 2-DG drug: ASG

The Madras High Court was told on Friday that 40 pharmaceutical firms had shown interest in manufacturing 2-deoxy-D-Glucose (2-DG) an adjunct drug used in Covid-19 treatment.

 

The anti-Covid-19 therapeutic application of 2-DG has been developed by the Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Allied Sciences (INMAS), a leading laboratory of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), in collaboration with Hyderabad-based Dr Reddy's Laboratories.

 

Additional Solicitor General R Sankaranarayanan made the submission before the second bench of Justices N Kirubakaran and T V Tamilselvi on a PIL petition from D Saravanan of Chennai. (PTI)

8:38 PM

80% of eligible population in Tripura received one dose of vaccine

Nearly 80 per cent of the total eligible population in Tripura has received at least the first dose of a Covid-19 vaccine, a senior official said here on Friday.

 

The state has received 24.9 lakh vaccine doses so far, of which 2.10 lakh is yet to be administered, Siddhartha Shiv Jaiswal, director, National Health Mission, said.

 

"As on June 24, a total of 18.31 lakh people have received the first shot, which is around 80 per cent of the total eligible population," Jaiswal said during a press meet. (PTI)

8:35 PM

Coronavirus Latest: MP sees 50 cases, 22 deaths, 198 recoveries

Madhya Pradesh on Friday recorded 50 new Covid-19 cases, which took its tally to 7,89,611, while 22 deaths pushed the toll to 8,871, an official said.

 

A total of 30 out of 52 districts of the state did not report a single coronavirus case in the last 24 hours, the official pointed out.

 

He said 198 people were discharged from hospitals, which took the recovery count to 7,79,630, leaving the state with 1,110 active cases, including 299 in Bhopal and 195 in Indore. (PTI)

8:18 PM

Coronavirus LIVE: Karnataka govt allows marriages with not more than 40 people

8:00 PM

Coronavirus LIVE: Tamil Nadu govt extends lockdown till July 5

7:41 PM

Odisha reports first case of Delta Plus variant

Odisha on Friday reported its first case of Delta Plus variant in Deogarh district, a day after Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik urged people not to lower their guard against coronavirus.

 

The National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) informed the Odisha government about the detection of the state's first case of Delta Plus variant in Deogarh district, Directorate of Medical Education and Training (DMET) Chief Professor CBK Mohanty said.

 

The Delta Plus variant, also described as the 'variant of concern', spreads more easily. (PTI)

7:32 PM

Coronavirus LIVE: Karnataka sees 3,310 fresh cases in last 24 hours

7:28 PM

Vaccination in Delhi: Special Cowin sessions for homeless people without identity cards

Without an identity proof or a mobile phone, 46-year-old Sunil Thakur waited for four hours to get vaccinated at a special inoculation centre set up for homeless people at Yamuna Pushta Night Shelter here, while people who came from places like Baghpat and Ghaziabad and had IDs got jabs within minutes.

 

"Confusion marred the pace of the vaccination drive for homeless people. Nobody knew how to register such people without an identity card or mobile number," an officer at the vaccination centre said.

 

The Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board organised the vaccination camp in association with the office of the district magistrate (Central Delhi) the Centre for Holistic Development. (PTI)

7:01 PM

Sikkim reports 130 new cases, 1 more death

Sikkim on Friday reported 130 new cases, which took the tally in the state to 19,811, a health department bulletin said.

 

The death toll rose to 299 as one more patient succumbed to the disease in the last 24 hours, it said.

 

Of the new cases, 73 were registered in East Sikkim, 35 in South Sikkim, 21 in West Sikkim and one in North Sikkim. (PTI)

6:25 PM

Have cancelled Class 12 board exam, will declare results by July 31: Andhra tells SC

Andhra Pradesh government on Friday told the Supreme Court that it has cancelled Class 12 examination which was to be conducted by the state board and would declare results of internal assessment by July 31.

 

A bench of Justices A M Khanwilkar and Dinesh Maheshwari was informed by senior advocate Dushyant Dave, appearing for Andhra Pradesh, that he had discussed the matter with the chief minister on Thursday and the state government has decided to cancel the exam.

 

The apex court had on Thursday told Andhra Pradesh government that it was not convinced of the precautionary measures suggested by the state for holding Class 12 board exams amid the pandemic and had said unless satisfied that there will be no fatality due to Covid-19, it will not allow them. (PTI)