Covid LIVE: Tamil Nadu sees 15,759 new cases in a day; 8,249 in Karnataka

Coronavirus live updates: Tamil Nadu recorded 16,813 cases in the last 24 hours. Kerala registered 14,424 infections, Maharashtra 12,207, Karnataka 11,042, Delhi 305. Stay tuned for corona-related new

3:35 AM

Despite fall in positivity rate, bed occupancy, level-3 curbs to continue in Mumbai

Mumbai will continue to remain in the level-3 category of the Maharashtra government's plan to ease coronavirus-induced restrictions till further orders, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) said on Friday night.
 

Considering the possible difficulties in the implementation of Covid-19 control measures, the guidelines issued on June 5, 2021, will continue as of now, it said.
 

The infection positivity rate in Mumbai has dipped to 4.40 per cent and oxygen bed occupancy is 27.12 per cent. Therefore, as per the state government's criteria, Mumbai can shift to the less rigorous level-2 restrictions.
 

But the BMC said it decided to continue with level-3 restrictions considering the city's size and population density, daily arrival of a huge number of commuters from other parts of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region and the India Meteorological Department's warning of very heavy rainfall in the next few days.
 

Under the level-3 restrictions, both essential and non-essential shops are allowed to remain open till 4 pm, but malls, theatres and multiplexes remain closed. Also, only essential services staff and government staff are permitted to travel on suburban local trains.
 

As per the state government''s notification, municipal corporations and districts with positivity rate below 5 per cent and oxygen bed occupancy rate between 25 to 40 per cent are categorised under level 2.
 

3:34 AM

UN leader: Developing nations need more vaccines

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has welcomed commitments by the US and Britain to share millions of coronavirus vaccine shots with struggling countries. But he says it's not enough.
 

Without a global effort, Guterres says the coronavirus could “spread like wildfire” in much of developing world.
 

Leaders from the Group of Seven wealthy democracies are expected to commit to share at least 1 billion vaccine shots with poorer countries, with half the doses coming from the US and 100 million from the UK.
 

Guterres says to defeat the virus, countries producing vaccines need to form an emergency task force to coordinate an effective response to Covid-19.
 

“We need a concerted effort, we need a global vaccination plan,” says Guterres, who will join the summit. “If not, the risk is there will still be large areas of the developing world where the virus spreads like wildfire.” Guterres stressed “we are on the verge of the abyss” regarding climate change. He says leaders of developing economies need to urgently commit to net zero emissions by the middle of the century.
 

3:33 AM

Chicago reopens, ends most virus requirements

Officials declared Chicago fully reopened on Friday, ending a requirement that people wear face masks in most indoor places and lifting capacity limits intended to slow the spread of the coronavirus.
 

Chicago sometimes veered from the state's restrictions and opted to be stricter or more lenient than the state required. But city officials decided to join the rest of Illinois in lifting restrictions Friday, nearly 15 months after Gov. J.B. Pritzker issued the first stay-at-home order as coronavirus cases began to rise.
 

People who aren't vaccinated must still wear a mask indoors, and everyone will still need to wear masks inside health care facilities, jails, shelters, schools, taxis, ride-hailing vehicles and on public transportation. Businesses can still opt to require people to wear masks on their premises. 
 

3:33 AM

Novavax says Covid-19 vaccine shows immune response against Beta virus variant

Novavax Inc said on Friday its experimental Covid-19 vaccine showed immune response and protection against the highly contagious coronavirus variant originally identified in South Africa in a clinical trial.
 

The vaccine, NVX-CoV2373, is being tested in multiple trials but has yet to be authorized for use in any country.
 

Novavax also said studies in mice and baboons found that a different vaccine specifically targeting the South African variant now known as Beta produced immune response and protection, and that it expected to conduct further clinical testing of the Beta-focused vaccine in the fall.
 

The company said testing of blood serum of thirty participants of a mid-stage trial who had received both doses of NVX-CoV2373 revealed robust antibody responses to the original version of the coronavirus as well as against the Alpha variant first found in the UK and the Beta variant.
 

However, the response against the Beta variant was slightly less, Novavax said.
 

The European Medicines Agency started a rolling review of the Novavax shot in February. Data from its pivotal U.S. and Mexico trial is expected to be released in the current quarter.

1:57 AM

Vijayan announces 100-day action plan to help Kerala tide over Covid-triggered economic slowdown

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Friday announced a 100-day action plan to help the state tide over the economic slowdown triggered by the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic.
 

The plan will focus on increasing agricultural production, generating quality employment and augmenting health infrastructure, among other things, and would be implemented between June 11 and September 19.
 

The aim is to enable the building of a knowledge-based economy with a focus on science and technology and skill development, Vijayan told reporters here.
 

"The emphasis will be on policies and schemes to advance the achievements of health, education and social security, accelerate economic growth and create quality employment.
 

"Utmost importance will be given to poverty alleviation, elimination of economic and social inequalities, implementation of eco-friendly development perspective and adoption of modern solid waste management practices conducive to a healthy urban life," he said.
 

In addition to increasing agricultural production, the chief minister said, the production of non-toxic food is also a priority.
 

Vijayan said loans worth Rs 5,898 crore have been sanctioned by international financial institutions such as World Bank, German bank KFW and Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) for the Rebuild Kerala Initiative (RKI).
 

9:07 PM

Prices of oxygen concentrators come down up to 54% after capping of trade margin

9:03 PM

Over 24.93 crore Covid vaccine doses administered in India: Govt

The cumulative number of COVID-19 vaccine doses administered in the country has gone past 24.93 crore, the Union health ministry said on Friday.

 

It said 19,49,902 beneficiaries in the 18-44 age group received the first dose while 72,279 in the age group received the second dose of the vaccine on Friday.

 

Cumulatively, 3,79,67,237 people in the 18-44 age group have received the first dose and 5,58,862 have received the second dose since the start of the third phase of the vaccination drive across the country.

8:58 PM

Punjab reports 1,230 new Covid cases, 2,071 recoveries and 59 deaths in last 24 hours

8:52 PM

No need to panic on need for immediate change in dosage interval of Covishield: Govt

The government Friday said there is no need to panic on the need for an immediate change in the dosage interval of Covishield vaccine, underlining that reducing the time gap requires proper scientific study in the Indian scenario.

 

In the context of some media reports quoting recent studies that it would be better to shorten the gap between two doses of Covishield vaccine, in light of the variants in circulation, Dr V K Paul, member (Health) at NITI Aayog, said there is a need to balance such concerns.   

8:47 PM

Jammu and Kashmir records 906 new Covid cases, 17 more deaths

Jammu and Kashmir's COVID-19 caseload increased to 3,05,772 on Friday with 906 fresh infections while the death toll climbed to 4,160 as 17 more people succumbed to the disease, officials said.

 

While 244 fresh cases were reported from the Jammu division, 662 were from the Kashmir division of the union territory, they said.

 

Srinagar district recorded the highest number of new cases at 156, followed by 92 in Budgam.

8:39 PM

West Bengal reports 4,883 new Covid cases, 4,321 recoveries and 89 deaths in last 24 hours

West Bengal reports 4,883 new Covid cases, 4321 recoveries and 89 deaths in the last 24 hours.

 

8:26 PM

G7 to pledge 1 billion coronavirus vaccine shots for poorer countries

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson greeted world leaders on a wooden boardwalk on the freshly raked sand of Carbis Bay to open the Group of Seven summit Friday, offering elbow bumps to dignitaries gathering for the first time since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic.

 

The virus was set to dominate their discussions, with leaders of the wealthy democracies club expected to commit to sharing at least 1 billion vaccine shots with struggling countries. READ MORE...

8:11 PM

Karnataka reports 8,249 new cases, 159 deaths and 14,975 discharges in a day

8:09 PM

Covid LIVE: Tamil Nadu sees 15,759 new cases in a day

8:04 PM

Kerala reports 14,233 new Covid cases, 173 deaths

Kerala on Friday logged 14,233 new COVID-19 cases and 173 deaths, pushing the infection count to 26,72,798 and the toll to 10,804. A total of 15,355 people recuperated from the disease today, taking the total cured in the state to 25,57,597.

 

Currently, there are 1,34,001 people under treatment in the state.

 

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said the state had tested 1,07,096 samples in the last 24 hours and the test positivity rate was 13.29 per cent. Till now, the state had tested 2,10,17,514 samples.