Covid LIVE: Kerala sees 17,681 new cases, 208 deaths in last 24 hrs

Coronavirus live updates: Russian president tests negative; India plans to increase financial support for children who lost their parents to Covid-19.

1:44 PM

West Bengal govt extends Covid restrictions till Sept 30

1:19 PM

EU official warns of 'pandemic of the non-vaccinated'

The pace of vaccination against Covid-19 must be quickened across the globe to avert "a pandemic of the non-vaccinated", the European Union's chief executive said on Wednesday in her annual policy speech. "The next year will be another test of character," said Ursula von der Leyen about the bloc, according to Reuters.

 

12:40 PM

Delhi schools to stay shut for junior students

Schools in Delhi will stay closed for students up to Class 8 to prevent Covid-19 infections, PTI reported quoting an order by the city’s Disaster Management Authority. Public fairs and exhibitions will be allowed from September 16.

 

12:31 PM

Sputnik's single-dose vax gets DCGI nod for Phase-III trials in India

The Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) has granted permission for the conducting of the Phase III bridging trials of Sputnik Light on the Indian population. The Sputnik Light is a single-dose Covid-19 vaccine of the Russian vaccine Sputnik.

 

The nod comes after a recent study published in the medical journal The Lancet said that Sputnik Light showed 78.6 to 83.7 per cent efficacy against Covid-19, significantly higher than most two-shot vaccines.

 

The Subject Expert Committee of the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) in July had refused to grant emergency-use authorisation to Sputnik-Light, ruling out the need for the conduct of the phase III trial of the Russian vaccine in the country.

 

12:30 PM

Pondy sees 124 new COVID-19 cases, 2 deaths

Puducherry clocked 124 fresh coronavirus infections during the last 24 hours ending 10 a.m. on Wednesday, raising the overall tally to 1,25,063.

 

The fresh cases were identified at the end of examination of 5,345 samples and they were spread over Puducherry 87, Karaikal 29, Mahe and Yanam regions four each. Two more patients hailing from Puducherry succumbed to the viral infection, raising the toll to 1,825. 

 

12:28 PM

Arunachal’s single-day recoveries overtake new infections

Arunachal Pradesh recorded 65 new cases of Covid-19 overnight to take its total to 53,872. As many as 69 people recovered from the disease in 24 hours, PTI reported quoting a civil servant. Deaths due to Covid increased to 271 when a 42-year-old patient died in Lower Subansiri district.

 

11:52 AM

Singapore reports 837 new Covid-19 cases

There were 755 new cases reported in the community on Tuesday, the Ministry of Health (MOH) said in its daily update.

 

This is the highest in more than a year, the Straits Times reported.

 

There were also 77 cases among dormitory residents and five imported ones, bringing the total to 837 new Covid-19 cases.

 

A new cluster with 10 cases has also surfaced at All Saints Home in Jurong East.

11:44 AM

China tightens lockdowns in west coast

China tightened lockdowns and increased orders for mass testing in cities along its east coast Wednesday amid the latest surge in Covid cases. Checks have been set up in toll stations around the city of Putian in Fujian province, with a dozen of them closed entirely, the AP reported.

11:32 AM

Mizoram reports 1,185 new cases

Mizoram reported on Wednesday 1,185 new cases of Covid-19, taking its total to 74,068. At least 240 children, five Central Reserve Police Force employees and a health worker were among the newly infected people, PTI reported. The Covid death toll rose to 246 as two more fatalities were reported in 24 hours.

11:21 AM

China imposes local lockdowns as COVID-19 cases surge

China tihtened lockdowns and increased orders for mass testing in cities along its east coast Wednesday amid the latest surge in COVID-19 cases.

 

Checks have been set up in toll stations around the city of Putian in Fujian province, with a dozen of them closed entirely.

 

The nearby cities of Xiamen and Quanzhou have also restricted travel as the delta variant spreads through the region.

10:59 AM

India produced the largest amount of social media misinformation on Covid

India produced the largest amount of social media misinformation on Covid-19 due to its internet reach and users' lack of internet literacy, a new study has said. India (15.94 per cent), the US (9.74 per cent), Brazil (8.57 per cent) and Spain (8.03 per cent) are the four most misinformation-affected countries, PTI said quoting the study.

10:41 AM

Mizoram reports 1,185 new Covid cases, 2 more fatalities

Mizoram on Wednesday reported 1,185 new COVID-19 cases, 317 less than the previous day, with the tally increasing to 74,068, a bulletin said.

 

At least 240 children, five Central Reserve Police Force personnel and a health worker were among the newly infected people, it said.

 

The death toll rose to 246 as two more fatalities due to the infection was reported in the last 24 hours, the bulletin issued by the Information and Public Relations Department said.

10:30 AM

Chinese mainland reports 50 new locally transmitted Covid-19 cases

The Chinese mainland on Tuesday reported 50 new locally transmitted Covid-19 cases, all in Fujian Province, the National Health Commission said in its daily report on Wednesday.

 

Also reported were 23 new imported cases, including 13 in Yunnan, four in Guangdong, two in Shanghai, and one each in Tianjin, Zhejiang, Fujian and Henan.

 

One new suspected case arriving from outside the mainland was reported on Tuesday in Shanghai, and no new deaths related to Covid-19 were reported, the commission said.

10:21 AM

India active cases less than 2% of total infections: Govt

India active cases—patients under treatment for Covid-- declined to 351,087 and comprise 1.05 per cent of total infections, said the health ministry on Wednesday. The national Covid-19 recovery rate is 97.62 per cent.

9:56 AM

Andaman and Nicobar record 8 new cases

Andaman and Nicobar Islands recorded eight new cases of Covid-19 in 24 hours to take its total to 7,592, PTI reported quoting a civil servant. No new deaths were reported, keeping fatalities at 129.