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Coronavirus LIVE: Over 20 million vaccinated in 18-44 age group, says govt

Coronavirus live updates: India reported 152,734 fresh Covid-19 infections today, taking the caseload tally to 28,047,534. Death toll stands at 329,100. Stay tuned for corona-related news

Image BS Web Team New Delhi
Vaccination, coronavirus

Photo: Bloomberg

Coronavirus live updates: India has been witnessing a steady decline in daily cases. The country recorded 152,734 fresh Covid-19 cases in the last 24 hours, the lowest daily count in 48 days or since April 13, 2021. The daily death toll, however, remained over the 3,000-mark, with 3,128 deaths. India's total cases now stand at 28,047,534, while total fatalities are at 329,100, according to MoHFW. Test positivity rate has risen to 9 per cent. India continues to be the second worst-hit nation.

With 28,864 cases reported in the past 24 hours, Tamil Nadu is leading the state list. It is followed by Karnataka with 28,053 new infections. Kerala reported 19,894 cases. Maharashtra 18,600 cases, and Andhra Pradesh 13,400 cases. The case count was 11,284 for West Bengal.

The six most affected states by total cases are Maharashtra (5,731,815), Karnataka (2,587,827), Kerala (2,514,279), Tamil Nadu (2,068,580), Uttar Pradesh (1,690,060), and Andhra Pradesh (1,685,142).

World coronavirus update: Coronavirus cases rise unabated across the globe with 171,010,493 infected by the deadly contagion. While 153,282,581 have recovered, 3,556,328 have died so far. The US remains the worst-hit country with 34,022,118, followed by India, Brazil, France and Turkey. However, in the past seven days, India has added the highest number of fresh cases at 1,364,626, followed by the Brazil (424,161) and Argentina (217,580).
10:25 PM

Bengal's Covid-19 death toll crosses 15,500 mark

West Bengal's Covid-19 death toll on Monday crossed the 15,500 mark after 131 more people succumbed to the infection in the last 24 hours, the health department said.
 
Daily coronavirus cases rose by 10,137 mounting the states overall caseload to 13,76,377.
 
The overall number of Covid-19 fatalities is 15,541 now, the department said in a bulletin.
 
As many as 17,856 patients recovered from the disease in the last 24 hours improving the discharge rate to 92.55 per cent.
 
The overall number of people, who have recuperated from the infection, has gone up to 12,73,788.
 
Currently, the number of active cases stands at 87,048.
 
North 24 Parganas accounted for 33 deaths while Kolkata registered 28 coronavirus fatalities. The rest of the deaths were reported from several other districts, including 10 from South 24 Parganas.
 
The new positive cases included 2,376 from North 24 Parganas district and 1,324 from Kolkata, the bulletin said.
 
Since Sunday, 58,843 samples were tested for coronavirus in the state taking the total number of such examinations to 1,24,30,977.
 
10:24 PM

Gujarat doctors approach police for action against Ramdev

Prominent association representing doctors in Gujarat on Monday approached the Ahmedabad city police and sought registration of an FIR against yoga guru Ramdev for his alleged disparaging remarks against modern medicine and its practitioners.
 
Senior doctors and office-bearers of the Gujarat unit of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) and the Ahmedabad Medical Association (AMA) submitted separate applications to the Navrangpura police, seeking action against Ramdev, who is in the eye of a storm over his remarks on allopathy and vaccines.
 
They urged the police to lodge an FIR against Ramdev under relevant sections of the Epidemic Diseases Act and the Disaster Management Act (invoked in view of the Covid-19 pandemic).
 
Police said they have accepted the "memorandums" from the doctors.
 
"We have accepted the memorandums given by the IMA and the AMA. However, the issue they have raised is beyond our jurisdiction," said Deputy Commissioner of Police, Zone-1, Ravindra Patel.
 
No FIR will be lodged in the city, he said.
 
10:22 PM

Battle against COVID: J'khand extends services of retiring govt doctors by up to 10 months

Facing shortage of medicos to fight against the deadly second wave of Covid-19 in the state, Jharkhand on Monday granted one time extension of services of retiring government doctors by up to 10 months, a state government official said.
 
Chief Minister Hemant Soren gave the nod to the proposal of the Department of Health, Medical Education and Family Welfare in this regard.
 
Jharkhand is facing paucity of doctors and has only 1,597 doctors in the non-teaching cadre out of a sanctioned strength of 2,316 doctors.
 
While only 285 doctors are avaialble in the teaching category against a sanctioned strength of 591, a state government spokesperson said.
 
As per the decision, the chief minister has approved the proposal to extend the services of the state cadre health services doctors retiring between May 2021 and September 2021 to March 2022, the official said.
 
Of the total strength of the state health services doctors, 44 under the non-teaching category and 15 under teaching category are due to retire in the next one year.
 
Likewise services of those retiring between October 2021 and March 2021, have been extended by six months from the date of retirement, the spokesperson added.
 
10:22 PM

UK surge vaccinations fight variant from India

British health authorities are aiming to vaccinate 15,000 people in one day at London's Twickenham rugby stadium as part of a race to contain a fast-spreading coronavirus variant.
 
The strain, first identified in India, accounts for a majority of new cases in the UK, which is seeing a rise in infections after weeks of decline.
 
Scientists say the variant is more transmissible than even the previously dominant strain first found in the UK but current vaccines are effective against it.
 
Many scientists are urging the Conservative government to delay plans to lift social distancing and other restrictions on June 21, arguing that more people need to be vaccinated before measures can be eased safely. The government will announce its decision on June 14.
 
Three-quarters of U.K. adults have had one dose of a coronavirus vaccine, and almost half have had both doses.
 
10:21 PM

Essential and most standalone shops can operate from 7 am to 2 pm in Nagpur

All essential as well as non-essential or standalone shops, including some exceptions, will now be allowed to remain open in Nagpur in Maharashtra between 7 am and2 pm from Monday to Friday under the 'Break the Chain' initiative of the state government.
 
An order stated by Nagpur civic chief Radhakrishnan B on Monday stated that the coronavirus positivity rate in the municipal corporation limits is less than l0 per cent and the occupancy of total oxygen beds available therein is less than 40 per cent, a criterion mentioned by the state government in its order issued on Sunday.
 
The new relaxations will apply from June 1 to June 15.
 
The order stated that all the essential shops that are currently allowed to operate between 7 am and 11 am are now allowed to operate between 7 am and 2 pm.
 
Similarly,all non-essential shops (stand-alone shops not located inside shopping centres/malls) shall be allowed to operate between 7 am and 2 pm from Monday to Friday.
 
The movement of people will remain restricted till 3 pm every day except for medical and other emergencies or for home deliveries allowed under the order datedMay 13, it said.
 
10:20 PM

Brazil to host Copa America after Argentina is stripped

Brazil will host Copa America for the second consecutive time after Colombia and Argentina were stripped of hosting rights for the tournament.
 
South American soccer body CONMEBOL announced the decision on Monday hours after it ruled out Argentina amid an increase in Covid-19 cases in the country. Colombia was removed as co-host on May 20 as street protests against President Iván Duque rocked the nation.
 
CONMEBOL said on Twitter that the tournament is confirmed to take place between June 13 and July 10. Brazil is the defending champion, winning the competition in 2019 as hosts.
 
“The host cities and the fixtures will be confirmed by CONMEBOL within hours. The oldest international tournament in the world will make the whole continent cheer!” the South American body said.
 
“CONMEBOL thanks President Jair Bolsonaro and his team, and also the Brazilian soccer confederation for opening the doors of this country for the safest sporting event in the world today. South America will shine in Brazil with all its stars," the soccer body said.
 
10:20 PM

Tamil Nadu temple priests, workers to get Rs 4,000 Covid-19 assistance

About 14,000 temple workers in Tamil Nadu including priests would be provided Covid-19 relief assistance of Rs 4,000 and a pack of essential commodities including ten kg rice, the government announced on Monday.
 
In about 36,000 temples under the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department of the government, priests (Archakas and Bhattacharyas) and other workers do not get a regular monthly salary, the government said.
 
The workers and priests who depend on the visit of devotees and their contributions for their livelihood are facing a tough time in view of the lockdown due to the pandemic and it is the need of the hour to provide them relief, HR and CE Minister P K Sekar Babu said in a statement.
 
Chief Minister M K Stalin has ordered Rs 4,000 one time relief assistance, 10 kg rice, and 15 grocery items to temple workers and priests after considering representation from them seeking financial assistance, he said.
 
In total, about 14,000 workers including priests would be benefitted and the assistance programme would be rolled out on June 3, the birth anniversary of former Chief Minister M Karunanidhi, the Minister said.
 
10:05 PM

Economic impact of 2nd Covid wave not likely to be large: CEA

Chief Economic Adviser K V Subramanian on Monday said the overall impact of the second wave of Covid-19 on the country's economy is not likely to be large but cautioned about an uncertainty surrounding the pandemic going ahead.
 
He further said that given the circumstances due to the pandemic, it is difficult to forecast if the country would achieve a double digit growth in the current fiscal.
 
The Economic Survey 2020-21 released in January this year had projected GDP growth of 11 per cent during the current financial year ending March 2022.
 
Subramanian said it would be "difficult to predict exact growth number that the country may achieve as the path for pandemic still remains uncertain". Read more

Chief Economic Advisor  K V Subramanian
Chief Economic Advisor K V Subramanian

10:01 PM

Consider plea to enhance limit to avail medical scheme, Madras HC tells govt

The Madras High Court has left it to the Tamil Nadu government to consider enhancing the threshold limit for receiving Covid-19 treatment under the Chief Minister's comprehensive health scheme.
 
"Since this is a matter of policy, it is left to the state to consider whether the upward revision of the minimum threshold limit would be appropriate," the first bench of Chief Justice Sanjib Banerjee and Justice Senthilkumar Ramamoorthy said on Monday.
 
The plea appears to be reasonable, the bench said and hoped that the threshold of Rs 72,000 per year would be substantially increased to allow a larger number of families to avail of the benefit under the scheme.
 
The bench was disposing of a PIL from one D I Nathan praying for a direction to the state government to devise a scheme to bring all private nursing homes, polyclinics and hospitals under their control, admit and provide free treatment effectively to the coronavirus affected people under the scheme.
 
10:01 PM

Kroos has medical tests at German team camp after Covid-19

Toni Kroos has arrived at Germany's preparation camp for the European Championship but the Real Madrid midfielder was to undergo medical tests Monday before he can start training with his teammates.
 
Kroos was only allowed to fly to the camp in Tyrol, Austria on Sunday after 14 days of quarantine and a negative test result for the coronavirus. Madrid said on May 17 that he tested positive while already in isolation after contact with another person who recorded a positive test.
 
The 31-year-old midfielder was to give blood samples and have an electrocardiogram among other tests on Monday to see what kind of training program he needs before he joins the rest of the team. He said last week on a podcast he hosts with his brother that he had a fever.
 
Kroos will miss Germany's warm-up friendly against Denmark on Wednesday.
 
Manchester City midfielder Ilkay Gündogan and Chelsea players Kai Havertz, Antonio Rüdiger and Timo Werner will also miss the game due to their involvement in the Champions League final on Saturday.
 
Bayern Munich players Leon Goretzka and Jamal Musiala are also out of Wednesday's game in Innsbruck. Goretzka, who is scheduled to join the squad on Tuesday, tore a muscle in a game for Bayern on May 8, while Musiala has been unable to train with the squad in Tyrol due to a muscular problem.
 
8:50 PM

Coronavirus LIVE: Over 20 million vaccinated in 18-44 age group, says govt

The cumulative number of Covid-19 vaccine doses administered in the country exceeded 21.58 crore (21,58,18,547) as per the 7 pm provisional report today. Read full govt release here
8:42 PM

AirAsia India extends free cancellation, reschedule facility in lockdown-hit states

No-frills carrier AirAsia India has extended free cancellation and rescheduling facility for its flights to and from Delhi, West Bengal, Karnataka, Telangana, Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra following the extension of lockdown or strict restrictions by these states, a release said on Monday.
 
While the governments of Karnataka, Delhi and Tamil Nadu have extended the lockdown to June 7, West Bengal has extended it till June 15. Maharashtra, which was the first state in the country to impose lockdown-type restriction on April 22 amid the second wave, has also extended these curbs to June 15.
 
All AirAsia India guests who booked their flights before the announcement of the lockdown (in these states) can opt to cancel or change to another flight without incurring any change fees or cancellation charges, the airline said in a statement. (PTI)
8:30 PM

Coronavirus LIVE: CoWin doesn't collect infection history of a person, says govt

8:19 PM

Coronavirus LIVE: Mumbai sees 676 new cases

8:17 PM

Coronavirus LIVE: Maharashtra reports 15,077 new cases

Maharashtra reports 15,077 new coronavirus cases, 184 deaths, and 33,000 discharges in the last 24 hours, according to the state health department

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First Published: May 31 2021 | 6:21 AM IST