Covid LIVE: Over 550 mn vaccine doses administered so far, says govt

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9:59 AM

India's total cases rise to 32.23 million

India reported 32,937 new infections of Covid-19 in the last 24 hours, taking its total caseload to 32.23 million, data from the union health ministry showed on Monday. Fatalities rose overnight by 417, with the country's Covid death toll now standing at 431,642.

9:32 AM

49% women started mobile gaming during Covid-19 pandemic: InMobi repor

Covid-19 saw gaming explode in popularity but Indians have retained their habit even into 2021, with a 1.7x increase in the unique user count from July 2020 to April 2021. A survey conducted between February 9 and February 16, 2021, on the InMobi Pulse Platform, showed that 49% of the women started playing games due to the pandemic. Read on...

 

9:05 AM

World coronavirus update: Africa's Covid cases surpass 7.25 million

The number of confirmed Covid-19 cases in Africa reached 7,257,094 as of Sunday afternoon, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) said.

 

The Africa CDC, the specialized healthcare agency of the African Union, said the death toll from the pandemic stands at 182,929, while 6,327,912 patients across the continent have recovered from the disease, Xinhua reported.

 

South Africa, Morocco, Tunisia and Ethiopia are the countries with the most cases in the continent, according to the Africa CDC.

 

South Africa has recorded the most Covid-19 cases in Africa with 2,595,447 cases so far, while the northern African country Morocco reported 752,076 cases as of Sunday afternoon, it was noted.

8:57 AM

Centre asks Kerala govt to revisit 'failed' Covid-19 pandemic plan

With an average 20,055 cases and 122 deaths a day in August, Kerala is the Covid hotspot in India today, contributing to 50 per cent of the cases reported in the country. This has forced the Centre to suggest a revisit by the state on its ‘failed’ Covid strategy.

 

To assess the ground situation, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya is set to visit the state on Monday and may meet chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan. “Kerala had its own strategy to contain Covid and it did not work this time. If your strategy is not working for 50 days, you should not be continuing with it. There is a need to look into all the aspects, including isolation, contact tracing and containment zones,” National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) director Dr Sujeet Kumar Singh told Business Standard. A rise in the number of cases forced the Opposition parties to come out in public, calling the state’s strategy a “failed” one. Read on...

8:48 AM

Maharashtra coronavirus update: BMC allows opening of gardens, beaches from 6 am to 10 pm, on all days

Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) allows opening of grounds, gardens, beaches & seafronts from 6 am to 10 pm, on all days.

8:35 AM

China factory output, retail sales miss expectations as Covid cases emerge

China's factory output and retail sales both rose more slowly than expected in July from a year ago, data showed on Monday, amid signs of increasing pressure on China's economy as export growth cooled and new Covid-19 outbreaks disrupted business.

 

Industrial production in the world's second largest economy increased 6.4% year-on-year in July, against expectations for 7.8% growth and after rising 8.3% in June.

 

China's economy has rebounded to its pre-pandemic growth levels, but the expansion appears to be losing steam as businesses have grappled with higher costs and supply bottlenecks while new Covid-19 infections in July prompted some local authorities to lock down and temporarily suspend business operations. Read on...

8:12 AM

World coronavirus update: Turkey reports 18,847 daily Covid-19 cases

Turkey on Sunday registered 18,847 new Covid-19 cases, raising its tally of infections to 6,078,653, according to its health ministry.

 

The death toll from the virus in Turkey rose by 154 to 53,159, while 14,426 more people recovered in the last 24 hours.

 

A total of 281,184 tests were conducted over the past day, it said.

7:54 AM

World coronavirus update: Canada's Covid cases surpass 1.45 million

Canada's new Covid-19 cases continue rising, bringing the cumulative total to 1,451,211 cases, including 26,700 deaths, as of Sunday afternoon, according to CTV.

 

At the national level, the Delta variant currently accounts for the majority of recently reported variant cases in the country, Xinhua reported.

 

Ontario, the most populous province in Canada, reported 511 new cases on Sunday.

7:51 AM

Oil prices fell more than 1% as Delta surge clouds fuel demand outlook

Oil prices fell more than 1% on Monday, dropping for a third session, as government-imposed restrictions on mobility to counter the spread of the Delta variant raised worries about a recovery in fuel demand.

 

Brent crude was down 80 cents, or 1.1%, at $69.79 a barrel by 0046 GMT, after edging lower last week.

 

U.S. oil fell by 81 cents, or 1.2%, to $67.63 a barrel, having risen slightly last week.

 

"Crude oil remained under pressure as the fast spreading Delta variant of the coronavirus casts a cloud over the outlook for demand," ANZ Research said in a note. Read on...

7:46 AM

World coronavirus update: Cuba surpasses 4,000 total deaths from Covid

Cuba has surpassed 4,000 total deaths from Covid-19, the Ministry of Public Health reported.

 

The Caribbean nation registered 8,636 new cases and 98 more deaths in the last 24 hours, for a total of 517,668 infections and 4,023 deaths, the Ministry said on Sunday, Xinhua reported.

 

Transmission rates will slow as the vaccination program progresses and the protocols to deal with the virus are reinforced, said Francisco Duran, director of hygiene and epidemiology of the health ministry.