LIVE: Kerala considering re-opening schools, consulting experts, says CM

Covid-19 live updates: Tamil Nadu extends ban on religious gatherings; Microsoft won't forecast new date for returning to office.

9:06 AM

Iran reports 26,821 new Covid-19 cases, 5,237,799 in total

Iran has reported 26,821 new Covid-19 cases, taking the country's total infections to 5,237,799.

 

According to a briefing published by Iran's Ministry of Health and Medical Education on its official website on Thursday, the pandemic has claimed 112,935 lives in the country so far, after 505 new deaths were registered in the past 24 hours, Xinhua news agency reported.

 

A total of 4,481,814 people have recovered from the disease or been discharged from hospitals across the country, while 7,486 remain in intensive care units, the ministry said on its official website.

 

8:59 AM

West Bengal reports 8 new Covid deaths

West Bengal's Covid-19 death toll rose to 18,539 with eight more persons succumbing to the disease on Thursday, PTI reported. The tally went up to 15,54,652 as 724 new cases were reported.

8:41 AM

Australia's cases spike

Australia's Covid-19 daily cases topped 1,900 for the first time in the pandemic on Friday as an outbreak fuelled by the highly infectious Delta variant continued to gain ground in locked-down Sydney and Melbourne, its largest cities. Australia is in the grip of a third wave of infections with the Delta outbreak forcing officials to ditch their COVID-zero strategy in favour of suppressing the virus, Reuters reported.

7:48 AM

Manchester Test to go ahead today

The fifth Test between England and India in Manchester starting Friday is set to go ahead as scheduled after the England and Wales Cricket Board announced Thursday there had been no further positive coronavirus cases within the Indian camp. The match was under threat after the tourists cancelled a training session and media commitments following reports Thursday of a fresh Covid-19 case involving a support staff member, AFP reported. 

7:21 AM

Delhi says last death due to Covid was on Sept 7

Delhi recorded 35 new Covid-19 cases in 24 hours, said the city’s government on Thursday, marking a steady decline in infections. The city last recorded a death due to Covid on September 7, PTI reported quoting government data.

6:48 AM

Mumbai police ban gatherings during Ganesh Chaturthi

The police in Mumbai have banned a gathering of five or more people to prevent Covid-19 infections during the 10-day Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations beginning Friday.

6:42 AM

Biden orders shots for federal govt workers

US President Joe Biden said he’ll order all executive branch employees, federal contractors and millions of health-care workers to be vaccinated against the coronavirus, and that his administration will issues rules requiring large private employers to mandate shots or testing.