Covid LIVE: Tamil Nadu sees 21,410 new cases, cancels Class 12 exams

Coronavirus live updates: India reported 120,529 new Covid-19 infections today, taking the caseload tally to 28,694,879. Death toll stands at 344,082. Stay tuned for corona-related news

5:44 PM

CAIT opposes Delhi govt's decision to allow markets to open on 'odd-even' formula

Domestic traders body CAIT on Saturday welcomed the Delhi government's decision to allow markets to open from Monday but opposed the 'odd-even formula', claiming that it does not suit the business character of the city.

 

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said on Saturday announced further relaxations in the lockdown, and said Delhi Metro will operate at 50 per cent capacity and markets and malls in the national capital will open on an odd-even basis from June 7.

 

"The odd-even formula is never suited for the business character of Delhi because being the largest distribution centre of the country, Delhi has a totally different business format where one trader is dependent upon the other for procurement of goods and in many cases, both these format of trade will adopt different day for opening the shops due to the odd-even formula," said Praveen Khandelwal, secretary general, Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT).

 

"It would have been better if the Delhi government would have adopted staggered timings between different markets of Delhi," he suggested. (PTI)

5:37 PM

Slow jobs recovery, increased inequality risk long-term Covid-19 scarring: ILO

The labour market crisis created by Covid-19 pandemic is far from over and employment growth will be insufficient to make up for the losses suffered until at least 2023, according to a new assessment by International Labour Organisation (ILO).

 

The ILO's World Employment and Social Outlook: Trends 2021 projects global crisis-induced 'jobs gap' will reach 75 million in 2021 before falling to 23 million in 2022.

 

The related gap in working-hours, which includes the jobs gap and those on reduced hours, amounts to the equivalent of 100 million full-time jobs in 2021 and 26 million full-time jobs in 2022.

 

This shortfall in employment and working hours come on top of persistently high pre-crisis levels of unemployment, labour under-utilisation and poor working conditions. (ANI)

5:24 PM

Covid: Chinese virologist says Fauci emails prove her Wuhan lab leak claims

A Chinese virologist, who was among the first to suggest the Covid-19 virus leaked from a Wuhan lab, said that US top coronavirus advisor Anthony Fauci's emails prove that she was right all along.

 

A trove of Fauci's emails covering the onset of the coronavirus outbreak was released this week to media under a freedom of information request.

 

In one email sent last April, an executive at a health charity thanked Fauci for publicly stating that scientific evidence does not support the lab-leak theory. Read here

5:10 PM

FM calls for faster claim settlement for health workers fighting Covid

Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday held a review meeting with the heads of insurance companies through Video conferencing to review the progress made under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Package (PMGKP) Insurance Scheme for health workers fighting Covid-19.

 

The Finance Minister asked insurers accelerate the disbursement of pending claims under the Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana (PMJJBY) during the pandemic and stressed the importance of streamlining the process and documentation requirements.

 

During the review, Sitharaman observed that under the PMGKP scheme, a total of 419 claims have been paid till date, amounting to Rs 209.5 crore disbursed in the account of their nominees. Read here

4:56 PM

Coronavirus LIVE: Government to prioritize vaccination to seafarers

Union Minister of State for Ports, Shipping and Waterways (I/C) and Chemicals & Fertilizers Shri Mansukh Mandaviya has reviewed the status of vaccination to the seafarers. Mandaviya suggested that the seafaring industry should not get hampered due to non-vaccination and emphasized that all efforts should be made to get the seafarers vaccinated before joining their scheduled duties on board. Read full govt release here

4:48 PM

Amid curbs, GST collection in May drops to Rs 1.02 trn vs Rs 1.4 trn in Apr

Goods and Services Tax (GST) collections in the month of May stood at Rs 1.02 trillion, according to the government data released on Saturday.

 

The collections were down from Rs 1.41 trillion in the month of April. However, when compared with the last year period, the revenues are 65 per cent higher.

 

This would be eighth month in a row that GST collections have crossed Rs 1 trillion mark. Read here

4:29 PM

Coronavirus LIVE: Final decision on lifting Mumbai curbs will be taken by district admin, says mayor

4:10 PM

Coronavirus LIVE: 414 new cases in Delhi

4:02 PM

Coronavirus LIVE: Active cases in UP now down to just 19,438, says official

3:53 PM

Covid: T20 World Cup to be moved out of India, ICC intimated internally

The marquee T20 World Cup in October-November is set to be shifted to the UAE and Oman with the BCCI having internally intimated the ICC to go ahead with its preparation due to a tricky Covid-19 situation in India.

 

While the UAE was always the first back-up option, Oman's capital Muscat has been added as the fourth venue, apart from Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah, for the tournament that will start in the last week of October.

 

"Yes, the BCCI, during the ICC board meeting, has formally asked for a four-week window to take a final call but, internally, they have said that they would like to keep the hosting rights and wouldn't mind the tournament being held in UAE and Oman," a senior board official, privy to ICC board developments, told PTI on the condition of anonymity. Read here

3:27 PM

Covid struck aviation industry suffers human toll

The second wave of Covid-19 pandemic that has been much brutal version of its earlier outbreak last year, has not only devastated India's civil aviation sector economically but took a high casualty toll.

 

Considered to be one of the most essential service during the pandemic period, the sector, has lost countless employees during the second wave.

 

According to industry insiders over 20 pilots and staff with country's aviation regulator have succumbed to the pandemic during the latest wave.

 

Out of these, information on cabin crew and other employees associated with various tasks such as ground handling, front office amongst many diversified areas has still not been accounted for, industry sources told IANS.

 

On official levels, no records or acknowledgement of the human toll is available. (IANS)

3:09 PM

Coronavirus LIVE: 646 doctors died during second wave, says IMA

3:08 PM

Delhi to set up genome sequencing labs, paediatric task force: Kejriwal

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday announced the setting up of a paediatric task force and two genome sequencing labs as well as a plan to ramp up oxygen capacity to prepare for a possible third Covid wave that could peak at 37,000 cases a day.

 

The government will also create a buffer stock of important medicines, Kejriwal said at an online briefing.

 

The two genome sequencing labs to identify variants of the virus attacking the city will come up at the Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Hospital and the Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences (ILBS), the chief minister said. Read here

2:53 PM

Covid positive Milkha Singh is stable: PGIMER

Legendary Indian sprinter Milkha Singh, who is battling Covid-19 in the ICU of PGIMER here, is stable and his condition is "better than yesterday", the hospital authorities said on Saturday.

 

"Flying Sikh Shri Milkha Singh ji, being unwell due to Covid-19, has been admitted in the ICU of NHE Block of PGIMER since June 3.

 

"On the basis of all the medical parameters today, that is June 5, his condition has been observed better than yesterday," Prof Ashok Kumar, official spokesperson of PGIMER, said in a statement, quashing rumours about his death doing rounds in the social media since Saturday morning. (PTI)

2:41 PM

Coronavirus LIVE: Lockdown in TN extended till June 14 with some relaxations