Coronavirus LIVE: Nearly 48,000 cases in Karnataka; positivity rate at 32%

Coronavirus live updates: Hospitals around India have been overwhelmed by a fresh wave of infections with oxygen supplies running short in medical facilities due to the sudden surge in demand.

5:00 PM

TamilNadu CM asks ministers to ensure full implementation of lockdown

TamilNadu CM M K Stalin asks ministers to ensure full implementation of lockdown, ensure oxygen is used in proper manner and wastage avoided in hospitals. Stalin also asks ministers to monitor remdesivir sale and ensure it is not sold in black market

4:55 PM

PM Modi speaks to Uttarakhand to assess Covid situation

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday spoke to Uttarakhand Chief Minister Tirath Singh Rawat and assessed the coronavirus situation in the state, which is witnessing a relentless surge in the infections.

 

Modi assured the state of of all possible help to combat the deadly virus.

 

"Prime Minister Narendra Modi called up for an update on Covid cases in Uttarakhand. I apprised him with the present situation," Rawat said in a tweet. (PTI)

4:41 PM

Central govt exported vaccines when people were scrambling for beds and oxygen: Manish Sisodia

4:40 PM

Nearly 4,200 MT Oxygen delivered by Oxygen Expresses, says govt

Overcoming all hurdles and finding new solutions, Indian Railways is continuing its journey of bringing relief by delivering Liquid Medical Oxygen(LMO) to various states across the country. So far, Indian Railways has delivered nearly 4,200 MT of LMO in more than 268 tankers to various states across the country. 68 Oxygen Expresses have already completed their journey so far. Read full govt release here

4:28 PM

Coronavirus LIVE: Gujarat Deputy CM Nitin Patel recovers from Covid-19

Gujarat Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel on Sunday said he has recovered from Covid-19 infection and got discharged from a hospital here, where he was admitted over two weeks back.

 

Patel, 64, was on April 24 admitted to Ahmedabad's U N Mehta Institute of Cardiology and Research Centre after testing positive for coronavirus. (PTI)

4:22 PM

Coronavirus LIVE: Greater Kailash Police Station starts Covi-Van facility to help senior citizens

4:17 PM

Coronavirus LIVE: Vaccines for 18-44 age group to be launched in 11 more districts, says UP CM

4:02 PM

Coronavirus LIVE: Kerala govt issues fresh guidelines to improve patient care during pandemic

3:44 PM

Thailand confirms 2,101 new Covid-19 cases

Thailand confirmed 2,101 new Covid-19 cases and 17 more fatalities on Sunday amid the country's most severe coronavirus outbreak, according to the Center for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA).

 

Of the new cases, 2,086 were domestic infections while 15 others were imported, CCSA spokesman Taweesin Visanuyothin said at a daily news briefing.

 

The capital Bangkok continued to have the highest number of infections, with 980 new cases detected during the past 24 hours. (PTI)

3:35 PM

Australia's borders to remain closed indefinitely: PM

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Sunday announced that the country's borders will remain closed indefinitely for the rest of the world to protect Australians from the deadly outbreaks of Covid-19 strains.

 

Australia's borders were slammed shut in March last year as the coronavirus spread across the world. Only citizens and permanent residents have been allowed to enter the country under some strict Covid-19 border rules.

 

On April 27, Australia suspended all direct passenger flights from India with immediate effect until May 15 due to the "very significant" spike in Covid-19 cases there.

 

According to media reports here, Morrison said he "doesn't see an appetite" for Australia opening to the world at the moment, and that he intended to be cautious. (PTI)

3:24 PM

Coronavirus: Puducherry records highest ever daily deaths

The Union territory of Puducherry recorded the highest single day Covid-19 fatality count on Sunday with 26 deaths, while the addition of 1,633 cases pushed the caseload to 71,709, the health department said.

 

The 26 deaths took the toll in the UT to 965. The previous high was 19 deaths on May 8. Read here

 

3:11 PM

Odisha govt allocates Rs 60 lakh to feed stray animals during lockdown

Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Sunday sanctioned Rs 60 lakh from Chief Minister Relief Fund (CMRF) to feed stray animals during the ongoing Covid-19 lockdown in five municipal corporations, 48 municipalities and 61 Notified Area Councils (NACs).

 

Earlier in the day, the Odisha government decided to prioritise the vaccination of 18 to 44 age group people in the five municipal corporations of the state where the positivity rate of Covid-19 infection is relatively high. (ANI)

3:03 PM

Coronavirus LIVE: Delhi sees over 13,000 cases, positivity rate dips to 21.67%

2:57 PM

Coronavirus LIVE: Bihar CM says his govt is taking all necessary steps to beat virus

2:47 PM

Variant accelerating India's virus explosion, says WHO top scientist Soumya Swaminathan

A Covid-19 variant (B.1.617) spreading in India is more contagious and may be dodging vaccine protections, contributing to the country's explosive outbreak, the World Health Organization's chief scientist said Saturday.

 

In an interview with AFP, Soumya Swaminathan warned that "the epidemiological features that we see in India today do indicate that it's an extremely rapidly spreading variant". (AFP)