Coronavirus LIVE: Maharashtra reports 15,817 new cases, 56 deaths in a day

Coronavirus live updates: Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Punjab, MP, Delhi, Gujarat and Karnataka - are displaying an upward trajectory in the number of fresh cases. Stay tuned for corona-related news

1:42 PM

No fresh Covid-19 case in Arunachal in 24 hours

Arunachal Pradesh did not report any Covid-19 case in the past 24 hours, a senior health official said on Friday.

 

The total caseload in the northeastern state remained at 16,840, State Surveillance Officer (SSO) Lobsang Jampa said.

 

Arunachal Pradesh now has four active cases, while 16,780 people have recovered from the disease so far.

 

A total of 56 people have died due to the contagion, the SSO said.

1:24 PM

Japan to tighten border control, limit entrants against Covid-19 variants

Transportation minister Kazuyoshi Akaba says Japan will tighten border controls and limit the number of entrants to up to 2,000 per day to guard against the more contagious variants of the coronavirus.

 

Japan has confirmed 345 cases of the more contagious new variants, mostly the kind first found in Britain, the health ministry said. Read on...

1:13 PM

India's coronavirus vaccine leadership high on Quad summit agenda

India's leadership in providing the Covid-19 vaccine will be high on the agenda of the first Quad summit on Friday as the leaders of the four countries look for ways to build the group as a benevolent force for the region extending its role beyond the strategic as they confront China's growing hard and soft powers.

 

"The leaders will discuss ongoing efforts to combat Covid-19 pandemic and explore opportunities for collaboration in ensuring safe, equitable and affordable vaccines in the Indo-Pacific region," Modi's office said. Read on...

12:59 PM

US President Biden sets goal of July 4th to 'mark Independence' from coronavirus

US President Joe Biden has announced that all adult Americans will be eligible for COVID-19 vaccination by May 1 under an ambitious plan to get the country, worst-hit by the pandemic, closer to normal by July 4th, Independence Day.

 

In his first prime-time address to the nation on Thursday since assuming office on January 20, Biden offered an ambitious plan to lift the country from the worst health crisis using a pair of upcoming dates: May 1, by which he will order states to allow all adults to receive vaccines; and July 4, when he said Americans can again celebrate Independence Day in person.

11:54 AM

Puducherry logs 30 new COVID-19 cases, overall tally inches close to 40K mark

Puducherry added 30 freshmcoronavirus cases in the last 24 hours pushing the overall tally close to the 40,000 mark.

 

The 30 new cases took the infection tally in the union territory to 39,984, Director of Health and Family Welfare S Mohan Kumar said in a release on Friday.

 

The fresh cases were identified at the end of the examination of 1,202 samples with Puducherry and Karaikal regions accounting for 12 each and Mahe (six) while Yanam had no fresh case of infection.

10:37 AM

DATA STORY: India sees a surge of 8,011 in active Covid cases, tally up by 23,285

With a daily increase of 23,285 in total cases, India’s tally of coronavirus cases has risen from 11,285,561 on Thursday to 11,308,846 – an increase of 0.2%. Death toll has reached 158,306, with 117 fatalities in a day. Now the eleventh-most-affected country by active cases, fourth by fatality, and second by total and recovered cases, India has added 135,085 cases in the past 7 days. Read on...

10:15 AM

Coronavirus in India: Five most affected states by cases

Maharashtra (2,266,374)

Kerala (1,085,663)

Karnataka (957,584)

Andhra Pradesh (891,178)

Tamil Nadu (857,602)

10:06 AM

EU authorises Covid vax produced by J&J

The European Union (EU) has authorised the use of a Covid-19 vaccine produced by Johnson & Johnson, only hours after the European Medicines Agency (EMA) made a positive recommendation based on scientific assessment of its efficacy and safety.

 

Developed by Janssen, the pharmaceutical arm of Johnson & Johnson, it is the fourth vaccine the EU has granted the conditional marketing authorisation, after the ones developed by BioNTech-Pfizer, Moderna and AstraZeneca, reports Xinhua news agency.

 

"More safe and effective vaccines are coming to the market," European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen tweeted on Thursday.

10:05 AM

India sees a surge of 8,011 in active Covid cases

Number of active Covid-19 cases 197,237, while 10,953,303 people have recovered from disease so far in India: Union Health Ministry.

10:02 AM

Mizoram reports one fresh Covid-19 case, tally rises to 4,435

A 13-year-old boy tested positive for novel coronavirus in Mizoram, pushing the tally to 4,435, an official said today.

 

The northeastern state now has nine active cases, while 4,416 people have recovered from the disease so far, he said.

 

The death toll remained at 10.

 

Mizoram has tested 2,40,960 samples till date, including 516 on Thursday, the official said.

9:52 AM

Coronavirus in India: Latest update by MoHFW

Total cases: 11,308,846

Total recoveries: 10,953,303

Active cases: 197,237

Death toll: 158,306

9:45 AM

Commercial realty picks up but challenges remain amid Covid-19 pandemic

While office property developers breathed a sigh of relief at the end of last year when they saw leasing improve, the coming quarters might not be so rosy.

 

Though office demand was lower by around 29 per cent on a yearly basis in 2020, on a sequential basis, it was up 16 per cent in H2 2020. Read on...

9:44 AM

White House announces "Help is Here Tour" to promote Covid relief plan

US President Joe Biden and other top officials will promote the coronavirus relief package next week by hitting the road on what the White House called as "Help is Here Tour."

 

According to CNN, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said that on Monday first lady Jill Biden will travel to Burlington, New Jersey, and Vice President Kamala Harris and second gentleman Doug Emhoff will travel to Las Vegas, Nevada. Read on...

9:22 AM

No export prohibitions on Covid-19 vaccines, says Biden administration

The Biden administration on Thursday ruled out that it has imposed any kind of restrictions on export of Covid-19 vaccines, amidst reports that European Union has been told by the US that they cannot expect any AstraZeneca shipments anytime soon.

 

"We don't purchase AstraZeneca supplies. So there's no export prohibitions and all vaccine manufacturers in the United States are free to export their products while also fulfilling the terms of their contracts with the US government," White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki told reporters at her daily news conference. Read on...

8:48 AM

Night curfew imposed in Patiala, Ludhiana from March 12 amid Covid-19 spike

In view of increasing COVID-19 cases, Ludhiana's District Collector has imposed a night curfew in the district from March 12 between 11 pm to 5 am till further orders.

 

The night curfew has also been imposed in Patiala will be effective from the night of March 12 from 11 pm to 5 am, till further orders, Patiala's District Magistrate Amit Kumar said in his order.