Covid LIVE: Maharashtra sees 9,350 new cases; less than 1,000 in Bengaluru

Coronavirus live updates: India records 62,597 cases, 2,726 deaths in the last 24 hours. Tamil Nadu reported 12,772 new infections, followed by Maharashtra (8,129). Stay tuned for corona-related news

11:12 AM

Global Covid-19 caseload tops 176 mn; deaths surge to more than 3.80 mn

The overall global Covid-19 caseload has topped 176 million, while the deaths have surged to more than 3.80 million, according to the Johns Hopkins University.

 

In its latest update on Tuesday morning, the University's Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) revealed that the current global caseload and death toll stood at 176,195,220 and 3,808,883, respectively.

 

The US continues to be the worst-hit country with the world's highest number of cases and deaths at 33,473,180 and 599,928, respectively, according to the CSSE. Read on...

11:11 AM

Covid: WHO urges countries to bridge $16 bn funding gap for ACT Accelerator

The World Health Organization (WHO) urged countries on Monday to close a funding gap of 16 billion US dollars for the Access to Covid-19 Tools (ACT) Accelerator project, which aims to accelerate the development, production, and equitable access to Covid-19 tests, treatments and vaccines left unanswered by participants in the 47th G7 summit in the United Kingdom.

 

"We have to close that financing gap. The world has the resources to rapidly close a 16-to-17 billion (dollar) gap," said Bruce Aylward, senior advisor to the WHO director-general, at a press briefing on Monday.

 

The funding is necessary "to ensure low-income countries have the tools they need" for vaccination, but also to carry out proper diagnoses and provide hospitals with oxygen, the Canadian epidemiologist said. Read on...

11:04 AM

India records 60,471 new Covid-19 cases; positivity rate declines to 3.45%

India saw a single day rise of 60,471 new coronavirus infections, the lowest after 75 days, taking the total tally of Covid-19 cases to 2,95,70,881, while the daily positivity rate declined to 3.45 per cent, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Tuesday.

 

The Covid-19 death toll climbed to 3,77,031 with 2,726 fresh deaths, the data updated at 8 am showed

 

The active cases further declined to 9,13,378

 

comprising 3.09 per cent of the total infections, while the national Covid-19 recovery rate has improved to 95.64 per cent.A net decline of 59,780 cases has been recorded in the Covid-19 caseload in a span of 24 hours.

11:00 AM

Delhi Govt sets up Covid-19 testing camp at Okhla Mandi

Delhi Govt sets up COVID-19 testing camp at Okhla Mandi with both antigen and RT-PCR tests being conducted every day. "We start at 6 am & collect 200 antigens & 100 RT-PCR tests every day. Scanning helps us in tracing contacts of positive cases," says Javed, a Delhi govt employee

10:53 AM

59 global labs handle deadliest pathogens only quarter score high on safety

Did the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 result from high-risk research gone wrong?

 

Regardless of the answer, the risk of future pandemics originating from research with dangerous pathogens is real. The focal point of this lab-leak discussion is the Wuhan Institute of Virology, nestled in the hilly outskirts of Wuhan. It is just one of 59 maximum containment labs in operation, under construction or planned around the world.

 

Known as biosafety level 4 (BSL4) labs, these are designed and built so that researchers can safely work with the most dangerous pathogens on the planet ones that can cause serious disease and for which no treatment or vaccines exist. Researchers are required to wear full-body pressurised suits with independent oxygen. Read on...

10:14 AM

Coronavirus in India: Latest update by MoHFW

Summary of MoHFW data (June 15)
 

Active cases: 913,378 (Net reduction: 59,780)

Deaths: 377,031 (Net increase: 2,726)

Cured: 28,280,472 (Net increase: 117,525)

Total cases: 29,570,881 (Net increase: 60,471)

Total vaccination: 259,044,072 (Increase over previous day: 3,927,154)

9:14 AM

Tata Motors supplies 25 ambulances of total 115 to Gujarat government

Tata Motors has supplied 25 ambulances to the Health Department of Gujarat as a part of the larger order of 115 units.

 

The official vehicle inducting ceremony held in Gandhinagar was graced by dignitaries from the Gujarat state cabinet including Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel, Health Minister Kishor Kanani and Principal Secretary Jayanti S. Ravi.

 

Tata Motors won the bid under the Government e-Marketplace. The 25 ambulances can be adapted to cater to all types of patient transportation, including basic life support and advanced life support range.

 

The company will phase-wise supply the remaining 90 ambulance shells as per the contract. Read on...

9:11 AM

Uttar Pradesh: Customers purchase vegetables at a crowded vegetable market in Moradabad

9:00 AM

Why world's policy makers are not worrying about inflation yet: your job

One reason why so many policy makers are refusing to panic about inflation is that the world economy is still short so many millions of jobs.

 

The global employment shortfall from the pandemic is predicted by the International Labour Organization to be 75 million this year. Nor does it expect the gap to be closed in 2022, when it reckons the world will still be 23 million jobs short of its pre-Covid path even as economies rebound.

 

The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development echoes the warning, saying unemployment will remain above pre-crisis levels in many countries next year. Read on...

8:55 AM

Novavax Covid-19 shot shows 90% efficacy, Serum Institute starts production

US based Novavax on Monday said that its nano-particle protein based Covid-19 vaccine candidate has demonstrated an overall 90.4 percent efficacy in phase 3 clinical trials. In India its partner Serum Institute of India (SII) has started manufacturing the vaccine it has named Covovax already.

 

In fact, the Centre expects availability of 200 mn doses of Covovax between August and December. India will allow entry of this vaccine here once the USFDA approves it.

 

 

The vaccine candidate NVX-CoV2373 has shown 100 percent protection against moderate and severe disease, 90.4 percent efficacy overall, and also met the primary endpoint in the PREVENT-19 phase 3 trial, the company said in a statement. Read on...

8:41 AM

Driving licence test slots reduced by half in Delhi to prevent Covid spread

To keep a check on the spread of Covid-19, the Delhi government's Transport Department has reduced driving licence test slots by half and allowed applicants of permanent licence to take the test at any automated track, officials said.

 

Around 1,000 slots are given for driving licence tests on a daily basis but they have now been reduced by half, the officials said.

 

Out of the available slots, 50 per cent will be reserved for applicants who made the booking during the lockdown and therefore needed to be rescheduled. Read on...

8:33 AM

How a smart thermometer is helping fight Covid-19 pandemic in the US

Two weeks before Texas and Florida were struck by Covid-19 and well before the Center for Diseases Control in the United States anticipated it, the smart thermometer of tech firm Kinsa foretold the imminent outbreak.

 

This was when Inder Singh, 44, the Indian-origin founder and CEO of Kinsa, called the former New York state health commissioner and a couple of others in the thick of action and told them that the unusual spike in fever cases recorded in the two cities through his app could well be a sign of Covid-19.

 

It was early March 2020, and the two cities seemed relatively in the clear. Singh’s warning was practically dismissed. But a fortnight later, cor­­onavirus cases exploded in both Florida and Texas. Read on...

8:18 AM

'Time for compassion': Indian tech firms help young workers in Covid trauma

"I lost my father to Covid, I’m very stressed because I have so many responsibilities."

 

"I saw so many deaths when I was in the ICU. I wake up to the sound of the ventilator beeps in the night. I don’t know why I’m alive."

 

"I lost my mother-in-law to Covid. I shouldn’t have argued with her all the time. I feel so guilty that I can’t sleep, I weep all the time." Read on...

8:16 AM

Research being done over need of booster dose against Covid: AIIMS doctor

Research is taking place in India, US and several other countries to see if booster dose will be needed for maintaining longer efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines, a senior doctor has said.

 

"It is about five months since the start of vaccination in India. Everyone is looking towards the government, doctors and scientists if they are safe or they need booster dose to make themselves safe. This is the important question and we are having lots of research in India and abroad including US and European countries," Dr Sanjeev Sinha, Professor in Department of Medicine at AIIMS Delhi told ANI. Read on...

8:06 AM

Covid has created an ecosystem of innovation in India: Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw

The ongoing COVID-19 public health crisis has resulted in the creation of an "ecosystem" of innovation in India, Biocon chief Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw has said ahead of the annual India-US bio-pharma summit in Boston next week.

 

Mazumdar-Shaw, 68, is one of the key speakers at the 15th edition of the annual virtual summit on June 22 hosted by the USA India Chambers of Commerce. The other star-studded speakers include Dr Albert Bourla, Chairman and CEO of Pfizer; Dr Francis Collins, Director, National Institutes of Health; Dr Janet Woodcock, Acting Commissioner, US Food and Drug Administration; and Amitabh Kant, CEO of NITI Aayog. Read on...