Coronavirus LIVE: Delhi adds 53 cases, lowest since April 15 last year

Coronavirus LIVE updates: India on Saturday recorded 42,766 new Covid cases. Stay tuned for corona-related news

1:19 AM

Haryana extends lockdown till July 19, but allows slew of relaxations including for students

The Haryana government on Sunday extended till July 19 the lockdown in the state to curb the spread of the coronavirus, but allowed a slew of relaxations, including for students.
 

According to an order issued by Chief Secretary Vijai Vardhan, in exercise of powers under the provisions of the Disaster Management Act, 2005, "the Mahamari Alert-Surakshit Haryana is extended for another week, that is from July 12 (5 am onwards) to July 19 (till 5 am) in the state of Haryana." Through the order the state government also allowed several relaxations.
 

Universities and colleges are allowed to open for students for doubt clearing classes, practical classes in laboratories, practical examinations and offline exams with strict adherence of requisite social distancing norms and other guidelines, the order stated.
 

Hostels in universities and colleges are allowed to open only for those students who are appearing in examinations, it said.
 

Gatherings in weddings, funerals, in open spaces have been increased while cinema halls and spas have been allowed to open.
 

1:19 AM

Chhattisgarh sees 188 new Covid-19 cases, 3 deaths

Chhattisgarh's Covid-19 tally mounted to 9,97,973 on Sunday as 188 more people tested positive for the infection, while three fresh fatalities pushed the toll to 13,478, a health official said.
 

The number of recoveries reached 9,79,711 after 42 people were discharged from various hospitals while 221 others completed their home isolation stay during the day. The number of active cases in Chhattisgarstands at 4,784, the official informed.
 

Raipur district reported 15 new cases taking the caseload to 1,57,413, including 3,133 deaths. Sukma district recorded 24 new cases, Bijapur 18 and Bastar 17, he said.
 

With 22,479 samples tested on Sunday, the total number of tests in Chhattisgarh went up to 1,06,48,645.
 

Over 1.05 crore shots of vaccines against Covid-19 have been administered to people in all categories in Chhattisgarh till Saturday. A total of 86,94,804 people received the first jab while 18,68,283 of them administered the second dose as of Saturday, officials said.
 

Chhattisgarh's coronavirus figures are as follows: Positive cases 9,97,973, new cases 188, death toll 13,478, recovered 9,79,711, active cases 4,784, tests today 22,479, total tests 1,06,48,645.
 

1:18 AM

Covid-19: Five more deaths in UP, 125 fresh cases

With five more Covid-19 deaths, the toll in Uttar Pradesh has risen to 22,698, while the tally of cases has climbed to 17,07,350 with 125 fresh coronavirus infections in the state, the government said on Sunday.
 

Of the fresh deaths, two were reported from Gorakhpur, while one death each was reported from Jhansi, Mirzapur and Jaunpur, the Uttar Pradesh government said in a statement.
 

Out of the 125 new cases, 20 were reported from Sultanpur, while six cases were reported each from Lucknow, Prayagraj and Varanasi.
 

In the past 24 hours, 134 Covid-19 patients have recovered from the disease, and been discharged. This has pushed the total number of recoveries to 16,83,058.

Active Covid-19 cases in the state stand at 1,594, the statement said.
 

In the past 24 hours, more than 2.40 lakh samples in the state have been tested, it said. 
 

1:17 AM

South Africa extends tight Covid-19 restrictions for another 14 days

South Africa extended tight Covid-19 rules on Sunday for another 14 days, maintaining restrictions that include a ban on gatherings, a curfew from 9 p.m. to 4 a.m. and a prohibition on the sale of alcohol.
 

The country, the worst-hit on the African continent in terms of recorded cases and deaths, is in the grip of a third wave of infections driven by the more infectious Delta coronavirus variant.
 

"Our health system countrywide remains under pressure," President Cyril Ramaphosa said in a televised address to the nation.
 

Early this month South Africa recorded a new record of over 26,000 daily cases, stretching hospitals to breaking point.
 

Ramaphosa moved the country to the fourth level of a five-tier restriction scale in late June as infections climbed, promising to review the restrictions after two weeks.
 

On Sunday he said the cabinet had decided to maintain "adjusted alert level 4" for another 14 days, although restaurants would be able to serve food on their premises again subject to strict health protocols. Gyms would also be allowed to reopen under certain conditions.
 

Ramaphosa added that a government advisory committee was working on how soon to bring Sinovac's CoronaVac vaccine into the Covid-19 immunisation programme.
 

7:47 PM

Uttarakhand reports 42 new Covid-19 cases

7:44 PM

Karnataka reports 1,978 new Covid-19 cases

7:15 PM

Goa govt allows reopening of gyms at 50% capacity

The Goa government on Sunday extended till July 19 the coronavirus-induced statewide curfew, but announced further relaxations as part of which it allowed gyms to reopen and operate at 50 per cent of their capacity. The government had last week allowed social, political, cultural gatherings, marriages and other congregations of up to 100 people or 50 per cent of the venue capacity.

7:02 PM

Kerala reports 12,220 cases, 97 deaths

Kerala on Sunday recorded 12,220 fresh COVID-19 cases, pushing the infection caseload to 30,65,336, while the toll rose to 14,586 with 97 more deaths. Recoveries outnumbered fresh cases with 12,502 people getting cured, taking the total number to 29,35,423, a state government release said. The number of active cases stood at 1,14,844.

6:41 PM

Delhi adds 53 cases, lowest since April 15 last year

Delhi on Sunday reported 53 COVID-19 cases, the lowest since April 15 last year, and three more deaths while the positivity rate dropped to 0.07 per cent, according to data shared by the health department. The national capital has recorded 14,35,083 coronavirus cases since the pandemic started last year. Over 14.09 lakh patients have recovered so far. The death toll stands at 25,015. On Saturday, the city had recorded 76 COVID-19 cases with a positivity rate of 0.19 per cent and one death.

6:18 PM

Covid-19 toll crosses 13,000 mark in Andhra Pradesh

The gross Covid-19 toll crossed the 13,000 mark in Andhra Pradesh as 16 deaths were reported on Sunday, the lowest in a day in over three months. The state reported 2,665 fresh cases of coronavirus and 3,231 recoveries in 24 hours ending 9 am on Sunday. A health department bulletin put the total positives so far at 19,22,843, recoveries at 18,81,161 and toll 13,002. The active cases slid further to 28,680, it added.

5:45 PM

Schools & colleges in Puducherry to reopen on July 16: CM

After months of closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic, schools and colleges in Puducherry will reopen on July 16"Colleges will reopen on July 16. Schools would also reopen partially and classes for ninth to 12th standards alone would resume that day," Chief Minister N Rangasamy said on Sunday. He was speaking to reporters after submitting to Lt Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan, the list of portfolios for allocation to his newly inducted five ministerial colleagues.

5:18 PM

Sikkim reports 144 new Covid-19 cases, 2 more deaths

Sikkim's Covid-19 caseload jumped to 22,307 as 144 more people tested positive for the infection in the last 24 hours, while two new fatalities pushed the death toll to 315, a health department bulletin said on Sunday. Of the 144 new cases, East Sikkim district reported 106 cases followed by South Sikkim (26) and West Sikkim district (12), it said. The Himalayan state now has 2,267 active Covid-19 cases, while 19,467 people have recovered from the disease, the bulletin said.

4:30 PM

Face masks in enclosed spaces will be expected' beyond July 19: UK minister

The government will issue guidance stating that people will still be "expected to wear masks in indoor, enclosed places" even after all legal lockdown restrictions are lifted from July 19, UK Vaccines Minister Nadhim Zahawi said on Sunday.

 

The senior Cabinet minister also expressed confidence that the British Prime Minister Boris Johnson will be able to confirm the July 19 timeline for the last stage of his lockdown easing roadmap on Monday despite a surge in infections, as hospitalisations remain low amid the mass vaccination drive.

 

"I think it is important that we remain cautious and careful and the guidelines that we will set out tomorrow will demonstrate that, including guidelines that people are expected to wear masks in indoor, enclosed spaces," Zahawi told Sky News'.

4:18 PM

Israel strikes Pfizer deal for new vaccine batch

Israel's prime minister says the country has struck a deal with Pfizer to receive a fresh batch of coronavirus vaccines in August to help with its drive to vaccinate teenagers. Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said at the start of the weekly Cabinet meeting that the agreement to advance delivery of new vaccines to August 1 to ensure from this moment a continuous supply of vaccines in the state of Israel.

3:52 PM

No fresh fatality in Puducherry; 145 new cases push

The union territory of Puducherry added 145 new COVID-19 cases while no fresh fatality was recorded in the last 24 hours, Director of Health and Family Welfare Services S Mohan Kumar said on Sunday. This was the first time that no coronavirus related fatality was reported in a single day after more than six months, he said. The death toll stood at 1,769 as of July 10. The 145 fresh cases were detected at the end of the examination of 5,821 samples during the last 24 hours ending 10 AM Sunday, he added.