Covid LIVE: Karnataka sees 7,345 new cases in a day; 880 in Mumbai

Coronavirus live updates: PM Modi will launch a customised crash course programme for Covid-19 frontline workers on Friday. Stay tuned for corona-related news, unlock guidelines and more

7:42 PM

Mumbai reports 830 new Covid cases, 11 deaths in last 24 hours

7:35 PM

After lioness, 12-year-old Lion dies of Covid at Tamil Nadu zoo

An Asiatic male lion being treated for COVID-19 succumbed on Wednesday, becoming the second carnivore to fall victim to the virus at the zoo near here in two weeks, the first being a lioness.

 

The 12-year old lion, housed in the safari area of the Arignar Anna Zoological Park at suburban Vandalur, succumbed in the morning, a senior official said.

 

The animal was under intensive treatment for COVID-19 after it tested positive, Deputy Director of AAZP said in a statement. On June 3, the National Institute of High Security Animal Diseases, Bhopal sent a report to the zoo stating that the lion's sample tested positive for the virus.

7:20 PM

West Bengal reports 3,187 new Covid cases and 69 deaths in last 24 hours

7:01 PM

Kerala reports 13,270 new Covid cases, 147 deaths

Kerala reported 13,270 new COVID-19 cases and 147 related deaths on Tuesday taking the total infected so far to 27,61,474 and the fatalities to 11,655.

 

State Health Minister Veena George said 1,12,521 samples were tested in the last 24 hours and the test positivity rate was 11.79 per cent.

 

Till now, 2,15,06,139 samples have been tested in the State. Among the districts, Ernakulam recorded the highest number of positive cases today --1,793, followed by Thiruvananthapuram with 1,678 and Malappuram with 1,350 cases.

6:50 PM

Total number of maternal deaths during both waves of pandemic were 2%: ICMR

6:43 PM

Symptomatic cases were significantly higher at 28.7% during second wave: ICMR

6:27 PM

Andhra Pradesh reports 6,617 new Covid cases, 57 deaths in last 24 hours

Andhra Pradesh's coronavirus caseload increased to 18,29,751 as 6,617 fresh cases were added in the 24 hours ending 9 am on Wednesday. Recoveries rose to 17,43,176 after 10,228 patients got cured during the period, the latest bulletin said.

 

With 57 more succumbing in a day, the overall Covid-19 toll climbed to 12,109, the bulletin said.

 

The state now has 71,466 active cases.

6:24 PM

India will revisit Covishield dosage gap based on emerging data: Official

India is considering the emerging evidence on the efficacy of partial versus full immunisation with discussions on since mid-May on whether the country should revert to four or eight weeks gaps between two doses of Covishield vaccine, said Chairman of India's COVID-19 Working Group of NTAGI, Dr N K Arora.

 

These discussions started after the reports from the UK showed that a single dose of AstraZeneca, which is the same as Covishield, gave only 33 per cent protection while two doses gave 60 per cent protection. This data emerged 2-3 days after India took the decision to increase the dose gap to 12-16 weeks. READ ON...

6:12 PM

Kerala reports 13,270 new Covid positive cases and 147 deaths in a day

Kerala reports 13,270 new Covid positive cases, 15,689 recoveries and 147 deaths in the past 24 hours.

 

Active cases: 1,09,794

Death toll: 11,655

6:06 PM

Covishield, Covaxin cut infection risk in 95% healthcare workers in India: Study

Covid vaccines -- Covishield and Covaxin -- prevented the risk of infection in more than 95 per cent of healthcare workers in India, according to a study by Apollo Hospitals released on Wednesday.

 

The study covered 31,621 healthcare workers who had received either both doses or the first dose of only Covishield or Covaxin vaccines between January 16 and May 30, IANS reported.

 

The findings showed that post-vaccination, infection occurred in 1,355 people or 4.28 per cent among the vaccinated healthcare workers, while 294 or 5.14 per cent of the partly vaccinated workers tested positive.

5:59 PM

Covid pandemic: Gurugram soon to begin Sputnik V vaccine trials

The Gurugram health department will start trials of Russia's Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine within 2-3 days at a private hospital. After the trial, Sputnik V will be officially launched by the Haryana government, a senior official of the district health department told IANS.

 

With this initiative, the Gurugram district will be among the first ones in Haryana, where the Russian-made vaccine trial will begin. A senior health official requesting anonymity said that the Sputnik V vaccine first trial will be conducted on at least 400 staffers of a private hospital. READ MORE...

5:51 PM

730 doctors died during second wave of Covid pandemic: IMA

As many as 730 doctors died during the second wave of the COVID pandemic, said the Indian Medical Association (IMA) on Wednesday, adding that the maximum fatalities have been reported in Bihar.

 

Bihar reported 115 doctor deaths, followed by Delhi which recorded 109 fatalities, and Uttar Pradesh with 79. In southern states, Andhra Pradesh reported 38, Telangana 37, Karnataka 9, Kerala 24, and Odisha 31. Twenty-three doctors died in Maharashtra.

 

Today, India reported 62,224 fresh COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, while the daily positivity rate further dropped to 3.22 per cent, according to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoFHW).

5:34 PM

Covaxin's final product has no calf serum, Bharat Biotech and govt clarify

The Government on Wednesday clarified that Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin does not contain newborn calf serum at all and that the calf serum is not an ingredient of the final vaccine product. Amid the controversy, Bharat Biotech also clarified that new born calf serum is used in the manufacturing of viral vaccines.

 

A Health ministry statement explained that the newborn calf serum is used for preparation and growth of vero cells which are used in production of vaccines. This technique has been used for decades in Polio, Rabies, and Influenza vaccines. READ MORE...

5:17 PM

Centre rejects reports of dissent by experts about increasing gap between Covishield doses

The Union Health Ministry on Wednesday dismissed media reports claiming there was dissent from technical experts about increasing the gap between two Covishield doses and said the decision was based on scientific reason about the behaviour of adenovector vaccines.

 

The Centre on May 13 had approved extending the gap between the two doses of the Covishield vaccine from six to eight weeks to 12 to 16 weeks following a recommendation from the National Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (NTAGI).

 

The 22nd meeting of COVID-19 Working Group of NTAGI was held on May 10. There, a proposal for a change in dose interval for Covishield, used under the National Vaccination Policy, was considered.

5:10 PM

730 doctors died during second wave of Covid pandemic: IMA