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Coronavirus live updates: RBI says India's economy is set for 'escape velocity' from the pandemic; China preps for vaccine shots.

5:18 PM

Ladakh reports 6 new cases

Ladakh recorded six new COVID-19 cases on Friday, taking the infection tally to 20,631, officials said, according to PTI.

 

Five Covid patients were discharged from hospitals on Wednesday, taking the tally of cured people to 20,385, they said.

 

There are 41 active Covid cases in the Union Territory, including 38 in Leh and 3 in Kargil.

5:16 PM

On PM's birthday, India sees record 20 mn vaccinations so far

4:48 PM

Total shots administered in India expected to cross 1 bn by mid-October: report

4:16 PM

Delhi reports 33 new cases

4:11 PM

On PM's birthday, India sees record 15 mn vaccinations so far

3:50 PM

'Australia's Covid response saved tens of thousands of lives'

Australia's coronavirus response has saved tens of thousands of lives, the government claimed on Friday, IANS reported.

 

According to data released by the federal government, Australia has the second-lowest Covid-19 death rate in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) with 0.75 fatalities per 100,000 people.

 

By comparison, the death rate between February 24 and September 14 was 93 per 100,000 in the US and 89.4 in the UK.

3:33 PM

Odisha reports 628 fresh cases

3:09 PM

Khurda, Cuttack account for over 57% of 628 new Covid cases in Odisha

Khurda and Cuttack districts accounted for over 57 per cent of the 628 new COVID-19 cases detected in Odisha on Friday, a health official said, PTI reported.

The Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC), on the other hand, sealed two government offices for two days after several employees tested positive for the infection.

Though the overall COVID situation in the state has improved substantially, the detection of a large number of cases in Khurda, and its constituent Bhubaneswar, remains a cause of concern, he said.

2:28 PM

SC dismisses plea challenging Kerala govt move to hold class 11 exams physically

1:47 PM

India sees over 10 mn vaccinations till 1:30 pm today

1:43 PM

Sri Lanka extends Covid-19 lockdown till October 1

Sri Lanka on Friday again extended its nationwide lockdown till October 1, amidst a surge in the number of COVID-19 cases and mounting pressure from medics to step up efforts to fight the raging third wave of coronavirus, PTI reported.

 

The government took the decision following a top-level meeting chaired by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa on Friday.

 

President Gotabhaya had ordered a 10-day lockdown on August 20.

1:01 PM

China reports another 62 cases

China has reported another 62 cases of Covid-19, even as the number of Chinese citizens fully vaccinated has topped 1 billion, the AP reported. All but one of the cases was detected over the previous 24 hours in the eastern coastal province of Fujian in China's latest outbreak of the delta variant, the National Health Commission said on Friday.

 

11:34 AM

India's Covid recovery rate at 97%

India’s active Covid-19 cases--patients under treatment--comprise 1.02 per cent of total infections, said the health ministry on Friday. More than 97 per cent of people infected recover, it said.

11:08 AM

251 children among new Covid cases in Mizoram

Mizoram recorded 1,121 new cases of Covid-19 and 254 deaths from the disease in 24 hours, PTI reported on Friday quoting the state’s information department. At least 251 children were among the new cases.

10:56 AM

77 million children missed school in pandemic: UNICEF

At least 77 million children were shut out of the classroom in 18 months of the pandemic, creating a worldwide education crisis, said the UNICEF on Thursday. The international agency will not use its social media channels for 18 hours to send one message to the world: #"reopenschools”.