Coronavirus LIVE: 17,518 new Covid cases in Kerala; 6,753 in Maharashtra

A decline of 3,881 cases was recorded in the active COVID-19 caseload in a span of 24 hours

8:46 PM

Can't be sure that Delta variant by itself can give rise to third Covid wave: Govt

The Delta variant of SARS-CoV-2 has been shown to be more transmissible than other variants of concern, however, it cannot be speculated that this variant by itself can give rise to a third wave of COVID-19 in the country, Lok Sabha was informed on Friday.

 

The surge in cases is also dependent on available susceptible population, including a host of pharmaceutical and non-pharmaceutical interventions like vaccination, Minister of State for Health Bharati Pravin Pawar said in a written reply. READ ON...

8:41 PM

India’s cumulative Covid vaccination exceeds 42.75 crore-mark

8:17 PM

Only marginal difference in purchase price of Covishield, Covaxin for Centre: MoS Health

The Centre is purchasing Covishield and Covaxin doses at the rate of Rs 205 and Rs 215 per dose, respectively, and there is only a marginal difference in the purchase price of the two vaccines for the government, the Lok Sabha was informed on Friday.

 

In a written reply, Minister of State for Health Bharati Pravin Pawar also said that the government is not facing any difficulty in procuring and arranging vaccines for states and Union territories (UTs).

 

In fact, the Government of India has been supplying vaccines free of cost to the states/UTs for administration to prioritised beneficiaries as recommended by the National Expert Group on Vaccine Administration for COVID-19 (NEGVAC).

8:15 PM

Covid impact: More women have exited formal employment in India than men

On May 31, preliminary Gross domestic product (GDP) data released by the ministry of statistics and planning indicated that the Indian economy had contracted 7.3 per cent in 2020-21. While the GDP data do indicate the extent to which Covid-19 and resultant lockdowns had impacted the economy, they do not portray the extent of the disruption.

 

Covid-19 has exacerbated the rich-poor divide — an Oxfam report highlights that Indian billionaires increased their wealth by 35 per cent during lockdown last year — but it has also set the country back in terms of female empowerment. READ MORE...

8:00 PM

1,705 new Covid-19 cases, 30 deaths in Karnataka

Karnataka on Friday reported 1,705 new COVID-19 cases and 30 deaths, taking the tally to 28,91,699 and the toll to 36,323. The day also saw 2,243 discharges, continuing to outnumber the fresh cases, taking the total number of recoveries in the state so far to 28,31,226.

 

Out of 1,705 new cases reported on Friday, 400 were from Bengaluru Urban, as the city saw 781 discharges and only three deaths, the health department said in a bulletin.

 

The total number of active cases in the state is 24,127.

7:41 PM

Hopeful that all 18-plus beneficiaries will be vaccinated by Dec: Govt

The pace of COVID-19 vaccination across India is amongst the fastest in the world and in view of the evolving nature of the pandemic, it is expected that all beneficiaries aged 18 years and above will be vaccinated by December 2021, the Lok Sabha was informed on Friday.

 

Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, in a written reply, said while there have been instances of vaccine wastage in states and Union territories (UTs), but extra doses have also been extracted from a given vial according to the Co-WIN portal. READ MORE...

7:28 PM

Manipur records 1,284 new Covid cases, 15 deaths and 1,725 recoveries in a day

7:23 PM

Covid vaccines in India required to be stored within 2-8 deg C range: Govt

COVID-19 vaccines, currently being used in the country, are required to be stored within the temperature range of two to eight degrees Celsius, Union Minister Bharati Pravin Pawar informed Lok Sabha on Friday.

 

In a written reply, the minister of state for health also said that there are 296 walk-in coolers and 57,640 ice-lined refrigerators in the country.

 

These are sufficient to meet the vaccine requirement of both COVID-19 vaccination as well as routine immunisation, Pawar said. READ MORE...

7:14 PM

Coronavirus LIVE: Karnataka reports 1,705 new cases

Karnataka reports 1,705 new cases, 30 deaths and 2,243 recoveries today; active caseload at 24,127, according to the state health department

7:02 PM

States floated global tenders for vaccines but none materialised into procurement: Mandaviya

Some states had floated global tenders for Covid-19 vaccines in May but none of these materialised into procurement, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya informed Lok Sabha on Friday.

 

Multiple and repeated demands were made by states and union territories to the government of India that they be allowed to procure vaccines directly and administer them as per their requirements, and such global tenders were placed by them in May 2021, Mandaviya said in a written reply.

 

"However, none of the tenders floated by any state government materialised into procurement of Covid vaccines from any vaccine manufacturers, including offshore manufacturers," he said.

 

Later on, many states communicated to the government of India that they were facing difficulties in managing the funding and logistics of direct procurement of Covid vaccines. (PTI)

6:54 PM

Decline in Covid vaccine doses during implementation of liberalised vaccination strategy: Govt

During the implementation of "Liberalized Pricing and Accelerated National Covid-19 Vaccination Strategy" from May 1 to June 20, the total number of doses administered declined with states saying they faced difficulties in managing the funding and logistics of direct procurement of vaccines, the Lok Sabha was informed on Friday.

 

The total number of doses administered declined from 8.99 crore in April to 6.10 crore in May, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said in a written reply.

 

States through multiple communications intimated that they were facing difficulties in managing the funding and logistics of direct procurement of vaccines, he said.

 

This in turn had an impact on the total number of doses administered, he said.

 

Multiple states had repeatedly demanded that they be allowed to procure vaccines directly and administer them as per their requirements, he said. (PTI)

6:23 PM

Coronavirus LIVE: Kerala reports 17,518 fresh cases in a day

5:52 PM

Coronavirus LIVE: Himachal Pradesh to re-open schools for Classes 10-12 from Aug 2

5:31 PM

Railways lost 2,903 employees due to coronavirus: Ashwini Vaishnaw

The Railways has lost 2,903 employees due to Covid-19, minister Ashwini Vaishnaw informed Parliament on Friday. In a written reply in the Rajya Sabha, he said settlement of dues has been made with families of deceased Railway employees in 2,782 cases. Read here

5:25 PM

Coronavirus LIVE: Andhra Pradesh sees 1,747 fresh cases in last 24 hours

Andhra Pradesh reports 1,747 fresh coronavirus cases, 2,365 recoveries, and 14 deaths in the past 24 hours.