Covid LIVE: Gujarat allows schools to re-open for classes 9-11 from July 26

Coronavirus news: An 11-year-old boy has died in Delhi from bird flu; Joe Biden expresses frustration over slowing vaccination in US.

8:39 PM

Covid LIVE: Gujarat allows schools to re-open for classes 9-11 from July 26

8:27 PM

EU pledges 200 million Covid vaccine doses to poor countries

The European Union said Thursday it will donate more than 200 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines to middle and low-income countries before the end of the year.

 

That's double the initial amount that the 27-nation bloc had planned to deliver, mainly through COVAX, the U.N.-backed program to provide shots to poorer parts of the world.

 

European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen said the EU takes its responsibility in helping the world fight the virus, everywhere. Vaccination is key that's why it is essential to ensure access to COVID-19 vaccines to countries worldwide."

8:14 PM

Telangana reports 648 new Covid cases, three deaths and 696 recoveries in a day

Telangana reports 648 new Covid cases, three deaths and 696 recoveries in the last 24 hours.

 

Active cases: 9,857

Total cases: 6,39,369

Death toll: 3,774

8:09 PM

Russia in talks with Kerala govt for Sputnik V vaccine plant

Covid-19 vaccine Sputnik V could soon be manufactured in India by Russian firms. The Russian authorities are in talks with the Kerala government for scouting land to set up an international manufacturing site for the vaccine, developed by the Gamaleya Centre.

 

“Talks are on between the Russian government and Kerala regarding the setting up of a manufacturing unit of Sputnik V in our state,” Kerala Industries Minister P Rajeeve told Business Standard. “Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation (KSIDC) is spearheading the talks. The initial plan is to submit a letter of intent, and KSIDC is preparing a draft," he added. READ MORE...

8:02 PM

1,653 new coronavirus cases, 31 deaths in Karnataka

Karnataka reported 1,653 new cases of COVID-19 and 31 deaths, taking the caseload to 28,89,994 and death toll to 36,293, the health department said on Thursday. Active cases were now at 24,695. The day also saw 2,572 discharges, pushing the total number of recoveries to 28,28,983.

 

Bengaluru Urban recorded 418 new cases, as the city saw 1,162 discharges and 3 deaths.

 

Belagavi and Kolar recorded four deaths each, Bengaluru Urban and Dakshina Kannada (3), Bagalkote, Chamarajanagara, Dharwad, Hassan and Shivamogga (2), followed by others.

7:46 PM

Himachal Pradesh reports 115 new Covid cases, 119 recoveries and two deaths in the last 24 hours

Himachal Pradesh reports 115 new Covid cases, 119 recoveries and two deaths in the last 24 hours

Active cases: 935

Total positive cases: 2,04,800

Death toll: 3493

7:35 PM

41.78 crore vaccine doses administered so far under Nationwide Vaccination Drive in India

7:29 PM

Arunachal districts with high Covid positivity rate asked to take additional measures

The Arunachal Pradesh government Thursday called for adoption of additional measures like extension of curfew hours in nine districts which have recorded coronavirus positivity rate of more than 10 per cent in the past week.

 

Health and Family Welfare Principal Secretary Dr Sharat Chauhan in an order said that after reviewing the COVID-19 situation in the districts, the State Health Task Force (SHTF) advised adoption of the additional measures to contain the spread of the virus.

 

Among the nine districts, Kurung Kumey recorded a coronavirus positivity rate of 21.1 per cent in the past week, followed by the Capital Complex Region (15.9), Tawang and Kamle with 13.1 per cent, Lohit (12.9), Siang (12.2), Longding (11.9), Kra Daadi (10.7) and Dibang Valley with ten per cent respectively.

7:16 PM

Chancellor Angela Merkel says German Covid rise worrying, urges vaccination

Chancellor Angela Merkel said Thursday that new coronavirus infections in Germany are once again rising at a worrying pace. She appealed to reluctant citizens to get vaccinated and urged compatriots more enthusiastic about the jabs to help persuade others.

 

Germany's infection rate remains very low compared with some other European countries. But it has been rising steadily since it bottomed out at 4.9 new weekly cases per 100,000 residents on July 6.

 

The rise is being fueled by the more contagious delta variant, which is now dominant. On Thursday, the infection rate stood at 12.2. The figures are rising with worrying momentum, Merkel told reporters in Berlin. We have exponential growth.

7:02 PM

Karnataka reports 1,653 fresh Covid cases, 2,572 discharges, and 31 deaths in the past 24 hours

Karnataka reports 1,653 fresh Covid cases, 2,572 discharges, and 31 deaths in the past 24 hours.

 

Active cases: 24,695

Total discharges: 28,28,983

Death toll: 36,293

6:34 PM

Kerala reports 12,818 new Covid cases, 122 deaths in a day; test positivity rate 12.38%

Kerala on Thursday recorded 12,818 fresh COVID-19 cases, pushing the infection caseload to 32,18,015, with the Test Positivity Rate continuingto rise and crossing the 12 per cent mark. The TPR had crossed 11 per cent on July 19 after remaining below it for several weeks.

 

Thereafter, it has continued to rise each day and has now reached 12.38 per cent.

 

The number of people who succumbed to the virus rose to 15,739 with 122 more deaths.

6:27 PM

53 new coronavirus cases in Uttar Pradesh, one more death

Fifty-three more people tested positive for COVID-19 in Uttar Pradesh, bringing the infection count to 17,08,057 on Thursday, while the death toll climbed to 22,743 with one fresh fatality, a health bulletin said.

 

The latest death was reported from Mathura, it said.

 

Fifty-six people were also discharged in the last 24 hours after recovering from the infection, Additional Chief Secretary, Health, Amit Mohan Prasad said. The state's COVID-19 recovery count has reached 16,84,286, he said, adding the number of active cases in Uttar Pradesh stands at 1028. The state now has a recovery rate of 98.6 per cent.

6:17 PM

Kerala reports 12,818 new Covid cases, 122 deaths in a day; test positivity rate 12.38%

Kerala reports 12,818 new Covid cases, 122 deaths in a day; test positivity rate at 12.38%

6:13 PM

Andhra Pradesh reports lowest number of deaths in more than 3 months

Andhra Pradesh reported 12 COVID-19 fatalities, the lowest daily count in more than three months, even as 1,843 fresh cases and 2,199 recoveries were also registered in 24 hours ending 9 am on Thursday. The gross coronavirus positives rose to 19,48,592, recoveries to 19,11,812 and toll to 13,209, a health department bulletin said.

 

The number of active cases slid to 23,571, it added.

 

Chittoor district topped in the number of cases with 301, West Godavari 235, Prakasam 232, East Godavari 222, SPS Nellore 203, Krishna 157, Kadapa 128 and Guntur 126.

5:51 PM

No info on increase in child abuse cases due to Covid lockdowns: Govt

The government Thursday said it has no information as on date regarding data on increase in cases of child abuse due to the Covid-related lockdown situations and data on the increase in child marriage cases across the country due to financial difficulties caused due to coronavirus.

 

In a written reply in Rajya Sabha, Women and Child Development Minister Smriti Irani said her ministry has issued advisories and guidelines to state governments and union territory administrations for care and protection of children during the pandemic.

 

"As per information provided by National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), there is no information as on date regarding data on increase in cases of child abuse due to the COVID-19 related lockdown situations and data on the increase in child marriage cases across the country due to financial difficulties caused due to COVID," she said.