Coronavirus LIVE: Maharashtra reports 13,659 new cases, 54 deaths in a day

Coronavirus live updates: Pakistan would receive the first batch of the AstraZeneca vaccine made by the Serum Institute of India by mid-March and the rest of it is expected to arrive by June

Coronavirus LIVE UPDATES: India reported 17,921 fresh Covid-19 cases on Wednesday pushing the overall tally to 11,262,707, according to Health Ministry. The death toll from the deadly infection jumped to 158,063. 

Pakistan would get a total of 16 million free doses of Oxford-AstraZeneca's Covid-19 vaccine, being manufactured in India, through the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation (Gavi) for inoculating 45 million people, officials told Public Accounts Committee (PAC), according to The Express Tribune. The PAC was informed on Thursday (local time) that the country was relying mostly on free doses being provided by the Gavi to inoculate the citizens against the coronavirus as the Chinese-made vaccine CanSino would cost USD 13 or around Pakistani Rs 2,000 per person.

World coronavirus update: The global tally of coronavirus cases stands at 118,143,312. While 93,827,318 have recovered, 2,621,012 have lost their lives. Meanwhile, the US continues to be the worst-hit country with 29,800,212 cases.

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2:58 AM

West Bengal reports 241 new Covid-19 cases, 2 fresh deaths

West Bengal's Covid-19 tally rose to 5,77,267 as 241 more people tested positive for the infection while two fresh fatalities pushed the death toll to 10,283, the health department said on Wednesday.
 

The two deaths were due to the comorbidities where Covid-19 was incidental, it said.
 

The state now has 3,127 active Covid-19 cases, while 5,63,857 people have recovered from the disease.
 

The Covid-19 recovery rate in the state is 97.68 per cent.
 

The state has so far tested 87,48,775 samples for Covid-19 including 18,272 samples in the last 24 hours, it said.
 

Meanwhile, 1,44,322 people received the Covid-19 vaccine on Wednesday, the health department added.
 

2:57 AM

US Congress OKs $1.9T virus relief bill in win for Biden, Dems

A Congress riven along party lines approved a landmark $1.9 trillion Covid-19 relief bill Wednesday, as President Joe Biden and Democrats claimed a triumph on a bill that marshals the government's spending might against twin pandemic and economic crises that have upended a nation.
 

The House gave final congressional approval to the sweeping package by a near party line 220-211 vote precisely seven weeks after Biden entered the White House and four days after the Senate passed the bill without a single Republican vote. GOP lawmakers opposed the package as bloated, crammed with liberal policies and heedless of signs the crises are easing.
 

Most noticeable to many Americans are provisions to provide up to $1,400 direct payments this year to most adults and extend $300 per week emergency unemployment benefits into early September. But the legislation goes far beyond that.
 

The measure addresses Democrats' campaign promises and Biden's top initial priority of easing a one-two punch that first hit the country a year ago. Since then, many Americans have been relegated to hermit-like lifestyles in their homes to avoid a disease that's killed over 525,000 people — about the population of Wichita, Kansas — and plunged the economy to its deepest depths since the Great Depression.
 

2:56 AM

Fauci: US virus shots ramping up toward immunity

The nation's top infectious disease expert says the US could see significant steps toward a return to the pre-pandemic normal, even before the country reaches coronavirus herd immunity.
 

Dr. Anthony Fauci says best estimates when enough people are immune to end the outbreak range between 70-85% of the population -- a figure expected to be attained by late summer or early fall.
 

He says as the pace of vaccination ramps up and the most vulnerable to the virus are protected, some government restrictions could be lifted.
 

Said Fauci: “You don't have to wait until you get full herd immunity to get a really profound effect on what you can do.” CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky cautioned only about 10% of the population is fully vaccinated, but her agency anticipated loosening federal guidelines as more people receive shots.
 

12:29 AM

Assam reports 22 new Covid-19 cases

Assam reported 22 new Covid-19 cases on Wednesday, pushing the coronavirus tally in the state to 2,17,726, the National Health Mission (NHM) said.
 

The Covid-19 death toll remained at 1,096 as no fresh fatality was reported during the day. The overall positivity rate stood at 3.12 per cent against total testing of 69,80,144 samples so far.
 

The state currently has 286 active Covid-19 cases, while 2,14,997 people have recovered from the disease, including 18 on Wednesday, the NHM said in its daily bulletin.
 

The NHM further said that a total of 4,15,945 people have so far received the first dose of Covid-19 vaccine across the state, while 68,623 people got the second dose. 
 

12:28 AM

Covid-19: Punjab records 17 deaths, over 1400 new cases

Punjab on Wednesday reported 1,422 fresh coronavirus cases, pushing the infection tally to 1,92,040.
 

Seventeen more fatalities took the death toll from the disease to 5,978 in the state, according to a medical bulletin.
 

The number of active cases also increased from 8,522 on Tuesday to 9,402 on Wednesday.
 

A total of 496 coronavirus patients were discharged after recovering from the infection, taking the number of cured persons to 1,76,660, according to the bulletin.

There are 20 critical patients who are on ventilator support, while 176 are on oxygen support, the bulletin said.
 

A total of 52,63,900 samples have been collected for testing so far in the state, it said.
 

Meanwhile, Chandigarh reported 87 more cases, taking the infection count to 22,589, according to a medical bulletin.
 

The death of a 55-year-old man took the death toll in the union territory to 357.
 

The number of active cases rose from 778 on Tuesday to 816 on Wednesday, according to the bulletin.
 

A total of 48 patients were discharged after they recovered from the infection, taking the number of cured persons to 21,416.
 

A total of 2,72,059 samples have been taken for testing so far and of them, 2,48,501 tested negative while reports of 138 samples were awaited.
 

12:28 AM

Biden to sign signature Covid relief bill on Friday

US President Joe Biden plans to sign his signature $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package on Friday, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said on Wednesday.
 

The comments came ahead of the expected final passage of the measure in US House of Representatives on Wednesday. The White House is moving "full speed ahead" on the implementation of the bill, which includes $1,400 checks for most Americans, Psaki said.

10:27 PM

Rising cases matter of concern, no plans to impose lockdown: Pune Mayor

10:11 PM

Mumbai records 1,539 new coronavirus cases, highest since October

Mumbai on Wednesday recorded 1,539 new Covid-19 cases, the highest number of infections since October last year, an official from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation said. With this, the city's Covid-19 tally has reached 3,37,123, the official said.

 

According to the latest data from the civic body, five fatalities were reported in the city in the last 24 hours, raising the toll to 11,511.

 

This is the first time since October 21, 2020 that Mumbai's single-day count has crossed the 1,500 mark. Read more

8:44 PM

LIVE: Karnataka reports 760 new coronavirus cases

Karnataka reports 760 new coronavirus cases, 331 recoveries and 6 deaths in the last 24 hours

8:32 PM

Covid-19: Sena MP calls for vaccination of religious leaders

Shiv Sena leader Priyanka Chaturvedi on Wednesday wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in which she called for framing of guidelines for COVID-19 vaccination of religious leaders and saints in India.

 

In the letter, also addressed to Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan, the Shiv Sena Rajya Sabha member and party spokesperson said most of the religious heads and saints are senior citizens and are not able to get vaccinated since they may not have Aadhaar card or are not techno-savvy to get themselves registered for it.

7:31 PM

57 school students test Covid positive at Tirumala

At least 57 students of a TTD-run vedic school at Tirumala have tested positive for the coronavirus.

 

"TTD management has shifted the students immediately to SVIMS (Sri Venkateswara Institute of Medical Sciences) super specialty hospital at Tirupati for better treatment," said a Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) official on Wednesday.

 

However, the students were mandated to carry along with them the Covid negative test report, after the resumption of the classes.

 

The vedic school run by the TTD reopened for classes post Covid lockdown when all the students returned with their Covid negative reports.

7:20 PM

188 fresh Covid-19 cases in Rajasthan

The total number of Covid-19 cases in Rajasthan surged to 3,22,078 on Wednesday with 188 fresh infections, according to a health department bulletin.

 

No fresh deaths were recorded in the state. The death toll stands at 2,789, the bulletin said.

 

Of the fresh cases, Jaipur reported 32, Udaipur 27, Kota 24, Jodhpur 17, Bhilwara 13, Ajmer 12, Banswara 10 and Rajsamand eight, it said.

6:06 PM

2,475 fresh Covid-19 cases and 4,192 recoveries reported in Kerala today

2,475 fresh Covid-19 cases and 4,192 recoveries reported in Kerala today

6:02 PM

69 new Covid-19 cases in Odisha, tally at 337,929

Odisha's Covid-19 tally mounted to 337,929 on Wednesday as 69 more people tested positive for the infection, a health department official said.

 

Of the new cases, 41 were reported from quarantine centres and 28 detected during contact tracing.

 

Sundargarh district recorded the highest number of fresh cases at 14, followed by Cuttack (11) and Mayurbhanj (8).

5:53 PM

90 per cent new cases of Mumbai in the past two months in housing societies only: BMC

90 per cent new cases of Mumbai in the past two months in housing societies only, strict action to be taken against violators, says Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation