Covid LIVE: Delhi records zero fatality, 2nd time since onset of 2nd wave

The number of people who have recuperated from the disease has surged to 30,503,166, while the case fatality rate stands at 1.34 per cent

10:08 AM

Buddha's ideas more relevant now as humanity faces Covid-19 crisis: PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Saturday that Lord Buddha's ideas are all the more relevant now as humanity faces the COVID-19 crisis and asserted that India has shown how to face even the most difficult challenge by following the path shown by the founder of Buddhism.

 

In his message at Ashadha Purnima and a Dhamma Chakra Day programme, which marks the day when Buddha gave his first sermon after attaining enlightenment, he said the world has felt the power of Lord Buddha's teachings in times of tragedy.

 

"The entire world is moving in solidarity following the teachings of the Buddha. In this, the 'care with prayer' initiative of the International Buddhist Confederation is praiseworthy," the prime minister said.

10:03 AM

India records 39,097 fresh Covid-19 cases, 546 fatalities in a day

India's tally of COVID-19 infections rose by 39,097 in a day to reach 31,332,159, while 546 more people succumbed to the viral disease during the same period taking the death toll to 420,016 on Saturday, according to Union Health Ministry data.

 

The number of active cases in the country has increased to 408,977, accounting for 1.34 per cent of the total caseload while the national COVID-19 recovery rate stood at 97.35 per cent, the data updated at 8 am showed.

 

An increase of 3,464 cases was recorded in the active COVID-19 caseload in a day.

 

9:46 AM

Indonesia, Asia's COVID-19 epicentre, considers relaxing curbs

Indonesia is suffering a devastating wave of coronavirus infections, driven by the Delta variant, but the government is already talking about relaxing social curbs enacted earlier this month - a move analysts say is largely led by economic considerations.

 

The impact of the outbreak has been brutal in Indonesia, with stories of people desperately trying to find hospital beds, oxygen and medicine for loved ones. The country's COVID-19 death toll has broken records four times this week, the latest on Friday with 1,566 deaths.

9:30 AM

Maharashtra: 280 new COVID-19 cases in Thane district; death toll grows by 11

With the addition of 280 coronavirus positive cases, the infection count in Thane district of Maharashtra has gone up to 5,42,240, an official said on Saturday.

 

These cases were reported on Friday, he said.

 

The virus claimed the lives of 11 persons, which pushed the death toll in the district to 10,955.

 

Thane's COVID-19 mortality rate is 2.02 per cent at present, he added.

 

In neighbouring Palghar district, the infection tally has risen to 1,29,069, while the death toll is 3,095, another official said.

9:23 AM

Olympics: One more athlete tests positive for COVID-19 at Games

Olympics organisers said on Saturday that one more athlete at the Tokyo Games had tested positive for COVID-19.

 

Olympics-related cases rose by 17, organisers said, bringing the total number of disclosed cases to 123.

9:23 AM

Germany's confirmed coronavirus cases rise by 1,919

The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Germany increased by 1,919 to 3,754,511, data from the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for infectious diseases showed on Saturday. 

 

The reported death toll rose by 28 to 91,520, the tally showed.

 

9:00 AM

Canada's new cases of Covid up over past week

Canada reported an average of 448 new Covid-19 cases daily on July 16-22, up 13 percent over the previous week, the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) has said.

 

As of Friday, Canada reported a cumulative total of 1,425,552 cases, including 26,535 deaths, according to CTV, Xinhua news agency reported.

 

Ontario, the most populous province with 14 million people, confirmed 192 new cases of the novel coronavirus on Friday, which came after 85 new infections on Thursday. Before that, the province reported case numbers below the 150 mark for three days.

 

Ontario's rolling seven-day average now stands at 160, up from 151 at this point last week.

8:47 AM

Global caseload tops 193.1 mn

The overall global Covid-19 caseload has topped 193.1 million, while the deaths have surged to more than 4.14 million and vaccinations soared to over 3.78 billion, according to the Johns Hopkins University.

 

In its latest update on Saturday morning, the University's Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) revealed that the current global caseload, death toll and the total number of vaccine doses administered stood at 193,165,622, 4,143,105 and 3,780,890,033, respectively.

 

The US continues to be the worst-hit country with the world's highest number of cases and deaths at 34,400,655 and 610,720, respectively, according to the CSSE.

 

In terms of infections, India follows in the second place with 31,293,062 cases.

 

The other worst countries with over 3 million cases are Brazil (19,632,443), France (6,015,469), Russia (6,002,303), the UK (5,662,838), Turkey (5,574,997), Argentina (4,827,973), Colombia (4,705,734), Italy (4,307,535), Spain (4,280,429), Germany (3,760,291), Iran (3,645,654) and Indonesia (3,082,410), the CSSE figures showed.

8:30 AM

'Incredible efficiency': Delta variant driving 83% of US cases

America's Covid-19 curve is creeping up in the wrong direction, again. The "incredible efficiency" of the Delta variant is being blamed for Covid-19 cases roaring back in more than 90 per cent of US jurisdictions with severe outbreaks in parts of the country with low vaccination coverage.

 

Unvaccinated people account for virtually all -- 97 per cent -- of Covid hospitalizations and deaths in the US, according to latest White House data. Three states -- Florida, Texas, and Missouri -- account for 40 per cent of all cases nationwide.

 

The Delta variant is spreading with "incredible efficiency" and now accounts for more than 83 per cent of the virus circulating in the United States, Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), told reporters at a White House briefing.

8:15 AM

Cuba sets new record with 7,784 Covid infections in one day

Cuba set on Friday a new record of Covid-19 infections in the last 24 hours with 7,784, for a total of 316,383 cases, the Ministry of Public Health said.

 

It also announced 66 more deaths, bringing the death toll to 2,203, Xinhua news agency reported.

 

The ministry's national director of hygiene and epidemiology Francisco Duran called on the population to reinforce health measures.

8:00 AM

Global supply chains buckle as virus variant and disasters strike

A new worldwide wave of COVID-19. Natural disasters in China and Germany. A cyber attack targeting key South African ports.

 

Events have conspired to drive global supply chains towards breaking point, threatening the fragile flow of raw materials, parts and consumer goods, according to companies, economists and shipping specialists.

 

The Delta variant of the coronavirus has devastated parts of Asia and prompted many nations to cut off land access for sailors. That's left captains unable to rotate weary crews and about 100,000 seafarers stranded at sea beyond their stints in a flashback to 2020 and the height of lockdowns.

7:45 AM

UN urges China to cooperate with WHO on probe into COVID-19 origins

The United Nations on Friday called on all member states, including China, to fully cooperate with the World Health Organization (WHO) amid Beijing's rejection of a further probe into the origins of the COVID-19.

 

"We implore all member states, including China, to cooperate fully with the World Health Organization, and if the World Health Organization believes it requires further information, we hope that they will all cooperate," UN deputy spokesperson Farhan Haq, was quoted as saying by Sputnik, in a press briefing on Friday.

 

The WHO earlier this month proposed a second phase of studies into the origins of the coronavirus in China, including audits of laboratories and markets in the city of Wuhan, calling for transparency from authorities.

7:31 AM

White House: US to buy 200M more doses of Pfizer vaccine

The federal government is buying 200 million more doses of the Pfizer coronavirus vaccine to prepare for future needs, such as boosters and shots for kids under 12.

 

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki says the Biden administration wants to have maximum flexibility to address changing conditions, and it's going to prepare for every contingency.

 

The additional doses will be delivered between this fall and spring of next year.

 

7:17 AM

US hospital donates COVID-related medical equipment to India

A hospital based in the American state of Maryland has donated Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and two continuous positive airway pressure therapy (CPAP) machines for COVID-19 relief in India, an Indian-American non-profit body has said here.

 

Sewa International, USA received the medical consignment from MedStar Foundation during a recent event in Maryland. The consignment includes N-95 equivalent masks, face shields, gloves, goggles, and full-length PPE attire, a media release said on Friday.

 

7:17 AM

German cyclist Geschke positive for virus

German cyclist Simon Geschke has been ruled out of the men's road race after testing positive for the coronavirus.

 

The German team says Geschke initially tested positive on Friday and his result was confirmed by another test later in the day.

 

Germany says fellow riders Nikias Arndt and Maximilian Schachmann are cleared to race on Saturday. The fourth rider on the team, Emanuel Buchmann, was Geschke's roommate and was waiting overnight on the result of another PCR test for the virus. Team staff tested negative.