Covid LIVE: 39,923 cases in Maharashtra; BMC halts vaccination for 2 days

Coronavirus live updates: India recorded 343,144 fresh Covid-19 infections today, taking the caseload tally to 24 million. Stay tuned for corona-related news

7:26 PM

China says price hike in anti-Covid medical supplies to India due to import of raw materials

China on Friday said the prices of some of the Covid-19 medical supplies like oxygen concentrators being procured by Indian companies from Chinese manufacturers have gone up as they had to import raw materials to meet the excess demand from India.

 

Responding to a question from the official media here on India's Consul General in Hong Kong Priyanka Chauhan's recent remarks calling on China to stop surging prices of medical supplies to India, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying told a media briefing that China has been encouraging its companies to meet India's procurement to meet the country's surge in coronavirus cases.

 

Soaring prices of medical supplies like oxygen concentrators and disruption of cargo flights to India are slowing arrivals of medical goods, Chauhan said this week. (PTI)

7:14 PM

Coronavirus LIVE: Karnataka reports 41,779 new cases

Karnataka reports 41,779 new coronavirus cases, 35,879 recoveries and 373 deaths in the last 24 hours, according to the state health department

7:02 PM

Coronavirus LIVE: Mumbai reports 1,657 new cases

Mumbai reports 1,657 new coronavirus cases, 2,572 recoveries and 62 deaths in the last 24 hours.

7:00 PM

Coronavirus LIVE: Karnataka govt says second dose of Covishield only after 12 weeks

Karnataka govt asks those who took Covishield not to come to vaccination centres if they haven't completed 12 weeks of first dose

6:41 PM

Coronavirus LIVE: Goa reports 2,455 new cases

Goa reports 2,455 new coronavirus cases, 2,960 recoveries and 61 deaths in the last 24 hours.

6:36 PM

Coronavirus LIVE: Kerala sees 34,694 new coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours, says CM

Coronavirus LIVE: Kerala sees 34,694 new coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours, says CM

6:35 PM

Coronavirus LIVE: Triple lockdown in Thiruvananthapuram, other cities, says CM

Triple lockdown will be imposed in Thiruvananthapuram, Ernakulam, Thrissur and Malappuram, where the test positivity rate is high, says Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan 

6:30 PM

Coronavirus LIVE: Kerala lockdown extended till May 23, says CM

Coronavirus LIVE: Kerala lockdown extended till May 23, says CM

6:14 PM

Odisha logs highest one-day spike of 12,390 cases, 22 more fatalities

Odisha on Friday registered its highest single-day spike of 12,390 new Covid-19 cases, which pushed the tally to 5,88,687, while a record number of 22 fatalities raised the toll to 2,273, a senior health department official said.

 

Accordingly, the number of active cases climbed to 1,04,016, the official said.

 

Of the 12,390 new cases, 6,938 were reported from various quarantine centres, and the rest detected during contact tracing, he stated. (PTI)

5:39 PM

Coronavirus LIVE: Andhra Pradesh reports 22,018 new cases

Andhra Pradesh reports 22,018 new coronavirus cases, 19,177 recoveries, and 96 deaths in last 24 hours, according to the state health department

5:27 PM

Coronavirus LIVE: Hope to launch Sputnik Light in India soon, says RDIF CEO

5:20 PM

DRDO developed 2-DG drug could be game-changer, says Minister

The 2-DG drug developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) could be a game-changer in the fight against Covid, Karnataka Health Minister Dr K Sudhakar said on Friday.

 

"The 2-DG drug developed by DRDO is a big breakthrough and could be a game-changer in the battle against pandemic as it helps in faster recovery of hospitalised patients and reduces oxygen dependence," Sudhakar was quoted as saying in a statement issued by his office.

 

The Minister had visited the DRDO campus in the city where scientists briefed him about the ongoing efforts at the premier research organisation to find solutions to tackle the pandemic. (PTI)

5:10 PM

NDMC launches medical helpline for Covid-infected employees, families

The Medical Services Department of the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) on Friday launched a program 'NETRA' in coordination with the Information Technology Department to provide guidance telephonically and through WhatsApp to COVID-infected employees in home isolation.

 

According to an official media release, a team of dedicated doctors and specialists has been prepared as part of the Medical Helpline Facility for guiding employees or their family members who contracted the disease. (PTI)

5:01 PM

Coronavirus LIVE: West Bengal CM writes to PM over PSA plants

4:52 PM

Himachal sees 38 more Covid deaths, 924 new cases

The death toll from Covid-19 rose to 2,156 in Himachal Pradesh on Friday with 38 more fatalities, while 924 fresh cases pushed the infection tally to 1,51,597, a senior official said.

 

The number of active cases in the state stands at 37,789, according to data updated till 2 pm.

 

The recovery count increased to 1,11,621 with 3,105 more people recovering from the infection, the official said. (PTI)