Covid LIVE: Maharashtra scraps RT-PCR test for fully vaccinated travellers

Coronavirus live updates: Health minister Mansukh Mandaviya denies vaccine shortage in states as Delhi is said to be running low in its reserves.

6:44 PM

Below 1% positivity rate in almost all Delhi districts from Jun 25-Jul 12, shows data

Almost all the districts of Delhi recorded less than one per cent positivity rate between June 25 and July 12, with some districts even recording zero Covid cases on some days, according to official data.

 

Barring a single day on June 26, on which west district recorded a positivity rate of 2.06 per cent, the positivity rate has remained below the per cent mark, it showed.

 

The reason for the increase is the addition of 170 positive rapid antigen tests conducted in the prior week, not included earlier, on the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) portal by Central Jail and Tihar Prisons. The lowest positivity rate in the west district was recorded on July 10 at 0.02 per cent, data showed.

6:34 PM

Odisha extends partial lockdown till August 1, eases some curbs

The Odisha government Thursday allowed the movement of passenger buses, and barber shops and beauty parlours to resume business, while extending the partial lockdown till 6 am of August 1.

 

Briefing journalists, Chief Secretary S C Mohapatra said, the partial lockdown was extended as the pandemic situation has not yet come under "complete control".

 

The lockdown, which was to end on Friday, was imposed in the coastal state on May 5. This is for the fourth time in the second wave of the pandemic that the state government has extended the lockdown. READ MORE...

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Covid-19 vaccination for pregnant women underway at Mumbai's Cama Hospital

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DC Chowk Market in Sector-9 of Rohini shut till July 19 for violation of Covid norms

DC Chowk Market in Sector-9 of Rohini shut till July 19 for violation of Covid norms: SDM, Alipur

6:08 PM

Centre seeks Rs 23,123 crore Covid expenditure proposals from states

The Centre on Friday sought the expenditure proposals from all states and the Union Territories (UTs) at the earliest to enable expeditious approval and sanctioning of recently approved Rs 23,123 crore Emergency Covid-19 Response Package (ECRP) Phase-II.

 

The Union Health Ministry put up the demand with Health Secretaries and senior officials of all the states and UTs while reviewing preparations under the ECRP Phase-II, which aims to accelerate health system preparedness for immediate responsiveness for early prevention, detection and management with sharp focus on health infrastructure development including paediatric care and with measurable outcomes.

 

6:05 PM

Why are Covid vaccination rates low in India and vary across states?

By July 18, India would have administered 400 million Covid-19 vaccine doses. The country has administered the first dose to 23 per cent of the population, and 5.5 per cent of it is fully vaccinated.

 

While some states have administered the first dose to nearly a third of their population, a Business Standard analysis reveals that wide variations in the vaccination strategy across states are keeping India from achieving a desirable vaccination rate. READ MORE...

5:54 PM

No plans to reopen schools in Delhi for now: Arvind Kejriwal

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal Thursday ruled out any plans for the reopening of schools in the national capital for now.

 

"Like we are seeing trends internationally that there will be a third wave of COVID-19. So, until the vaccination process if complete we would not like to take risk with children. So there aren't any plans to reopen schools as of now," Kejriwal told reporters.

 

He was responding to a question about whether schools in Delhi will begin to reopen like in other states.

5:26 PM

Long Covid has more than 200 symptoms, study finds

Patients who experience long COVID report more than 200 symptoms across 10 organ systems, according to the largest global study to date of 'long-haulers' published on Thursday.

 

The researchers created a web-based survey designed to characterise the symptom profile and time course in patients with confirmed or suspected long COVID, who experience prolonged symptoms.

 

With responses from 3,762 eligible participants from 56 countries, the study, published in the journal EClinicalMedicine, identified a total of 203 symptoms in 10 organ systems, of which 66 symptoms were tracked for seven months.

5:24 PM

Cases surge to six month high in Tokyo a week before Olympics

New coronavirus cases surged to 1,308 in Tokyo on Thursday, a six-month high, as fears rise of a possible dramatic increase that could flood hospitals during the Olympics that start in eight days.

 

Tokyo is under a fourth state of emergency, which began Monday and requires restaurants and bars to close early and not serve alcohol through the Olympics, which start July 23.

 

Thursday's tally is the highest since 1,485 were recorded on Jan. 21, when Japan was under an earlier state of emergency, and is also a jump from Wednesday's 1,149. Read here

5:17 PM

Coronavirus Latest: Team India support staff Dayananda tests positive, Saha to isolate

In what comes as a blow to the Indian team in UK, support staff Dayananda Garani has tested positive for Covid-19 and this will also see senior player Wriddhiman Saha being forced to isolate as he was in close contact as per the protocols.

Wicket-keeper Rishabh Pant is already down with the virus and will have to test negative on Sunday to be able to leave quarantine and join the team. (ANI)

5:12 PM

Covid LIVE: No re-opening of schools as 3rd wave is imminent, says Delhi CM

4:58 PM

Centre launches campaign to ramp up COVID-19 vaccination among tribals

The Centre on Thursday launched a campaign to ramp up COVID-19 vaccination among tribal people with focus on dispelling myths, misconceptions and fear about vaccines by involving traditional leaders and local influencers.

 

The Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation (TRIFED), under the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, will implement the campaign, which started from Bastar in Chhattisgarh and Mandla in Madhya Pradesh on Wednesday, in association with the United Nations Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF) and World Health Organisation (WHO).

 

According to officials, the campaign aims at creating awareness on vaccination among around 50 lakh tribals and forest dwellers across states. Under the campaign, more than 50,000 villages in 309 districts will be covered.

4:55 PM

Covid LIVE: India registered nearly 40,000 recoveries in the last 24 hours

4:33 PM

Centre asks states to analyse infrastructure need under Emergency Covid Response Package

The Centre on Thursday asked states and union territories to conduct a quick gap analysis for various infrastructure components under the Emergency COVID-19 Response Package and stressed on effective advance preparations for efficient clinical management of the infection.

 

The Union health ministry reviewed preparations under the recently approved Rs 23,123 crore "India COVID-19 Emergency Response and Health Systems Preparedness Package (ECRP): Phase II" with health secretaries and senior officials of all states and UTs through a video conference.

 

The Cabinet approved the new scheme for financial year 2021-22 on July 8.

4:11 PM

We need 14 crore vaccine doses but we are not receiving vaccines adequately: West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee