Covid LIVE: Over 570 mn vaccine doses administered so far, says govt

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5:06 PM

Maha CM should convey his Covid worries to allies too: BJP

BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis on Thursday said Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray should communicate his concerns about large gatherings amid the coronavirus pandemic to his own party and the allies too, PTI reported.

Fadnavis was speaking to reporters after the launch of 'Jan Ashirwad Yatra' of the newly-inducted Union minister Narayan Rane in Mumbai.

5:05 PM

WHO Africa: Covid-19 booster shots make 'mockery' of equity

Rich countries' decisions to roll out COVID-19 booster shots threaten the promise of a brighter tomorrow for Africa, the Africa director for the World Health Organization said Thursday, warning that as some richer countries hoard vaccines, they make a mockery of vaccine equity, AP reported.

Matshidiso Moeti and other African health officials, including the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, had warned against booster shots in recent weeks as less than 2% of the population on the continent of 1.3 billion people is fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

 

5:04 PM

Odisha logs 1,041 new Covid-19 cases, 68 fresh fatalities

Odisha's COVID-19 tally rose to 9,98,187 on Thursday as 1,041 more people, including 128 children and adolescents, tested positive for the infection, while 68 fresh fatalities pushed the state's coronavirus death toll to 7,154, a health official said, according to PTI.

Though the daily count had remained below 1,000 for three consecutive days from Monday, it rose to 1,041 in the last 24 hours.

The daily test positivity rate (TPR) also witnessed an increase to 1.57 per cent from 1.43 per cent on Wednesday, the official said.

5:03 PM

Andhra Pradesh records 1,501 new Covid cases

4:27 PM

Covid-19 second wave over in T'gana: Health official

The second wave of COVID-19 has come to an end in Telangana with the virus situation fully under control in the state at present, a Health department official has said, according to PTI.

"It can be said that second wave has fully come to an end in Telangana. If we take various parameters like the number of new cases being reported, daily positivity rate and hospitalisation rate, coronavirus, as of now, is fully under control across Telangana, in all districts and all regions," state Director of Public Health G Srinivasa Rao said.

4:25 PM

Protection from Astra, Pfizer shots against Delta variant weakens within three months: UK study

4:09 PM

IndiGo to resume flights to Dubai from early Friday morning

A day after IndiGo has been banned for operating flights to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for a week, the airline on Thursday said flights will resume from Friday early morning.

"IndiGo will recommence flight operations between India and UAE from 0130 IST (2000 UTC) tonight (August 20). We have informed all our passengers and any inconvenience caused is regretted," the airline said. According to sources, the suspension came into effect from Tuesday for carrying passengers who had not undergone a rapid-PCR test at the departure airport.

 

 

4:07 PM

We may have Covid-19 vaccine for children by Sept: Director, ICMR-NIV

Coronavirus vaccine for children might be available for use in September or October this year, Dr Priya Abraham, the Director of Pune's (Indian Council of Medical Research) ICMR-National Institute of Virology (NIV) informed, ANI reported.

In an interview with an OTT channel of the Department of Science and Technology, Abraham said, "Phase 2 and 3 trials of Covaxin are underway for children between 2-18 years. Hopefully, the results will be available soon, which will then be presented to the regulators. So, by September or just after it, we may have COVID-19 vaccines for children."

3:59 PM

'If a vaccine for children is developed soon, it will be great', says Jharkhand health minister

3:35 PM

Philippines reports second largest daily infections

2:52 PM

Kerala govt has started talks regarding vaccine production in the state: State health minister

2:51 PM

Covid has hampered blood and organ donation, says K'taka health minister

2:24 PM

25 Covid recovered patients contracted TB, says Karnataka Minister

2:06 PM

New strain of Delta variant found in Sweden

1:55 PM

Andhra readying 6,000 hospital beds and 140 oxygen plants by September 15