Covid-19 Cases in India: The recovery rate is 97.68 per cent.
India added 25,467 new COVID-19 cases, while the active cases declined to 3,19,551, comprising 0.98 per cent of the total infections, the lowest since March 2020, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Tuesday.
The total tally of COVID-19 cases has increased to 3,24,74,773.
The number of deaths has climbed to 4,35,110 with 354 fresh fatalities, according to the data updated at 8 am.
The active cases were the lowest in 156 days, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate has increased to 97.68 per cent, the highest since March 2020, the ministry said.
A reduction of 14373 cases has been recorded in the total number of active COVID-19 cases in a span of 24 hours.
Meanwhile, with India eyeing the goal to vaccinate all adults by the end of this year, the government today introduced a new facility to make it easier to book vaccine slots using WhatsApp.
"Paving a new era of citizen convenience. Now, book COVID-19 vaccine slots easily on your phone within minutes," tweeted Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya this morning.
"Send 'Book Slot' to MyGovIndia Corona Helpdesk on WhatsApp. Verify OTP. Follow the steps," Mr Mandaviya further wrote and shared a link.
By following the steps, the details can be fetched from CoWIN, the government portal that links every vaccine dose to its recipient.
Here are LIVE Updates on Coronavirus Cases:
'India May Be Entering Endemic Stage Of Covid': WHO Chief ScientistCOVID-19 in India may be entering some kind of stage of endemicity where there is low or moderate level of transmission going on, Chief Scientist of the World Health Organisation Dr Soumya Swaminathan said.
The endemic stage is when a population learns to live with a virus. It's very different from the epidemic stage when the virus overwhelms a population.
On clearance to Covaxin, she said she is fairly confident that the WHO's technical group will be satisfied to give Covaxin clearance to be one of its authorised vaccines and that could happen by mid-September.
Five billion Covid shots injected worldwide: ReportMore than five billion anti-Covid jabs have been given globally, an AFP tally of official sources at 1430 GMT on Tuesday showed, with the worldwide inoculation drive reaching cruising speed.
While it took around 140 days to get the first billion shots into people's arms, the third, fourth and fifth billions each took between 26 and 30 days, the data show.
Nearly 40 percent (1.96 billion) of the five billion shots have been administered in China. India (589 million) and the United States (363 million) make up the trio of countries that have given the most jabs.
In terms of population protected among countries with more than one million people, the United Arab Emirates is the leader. It has administered 179 doses per 100 inhabitants, meaning it has fully vaccinated nearly 75 percent of its population.
Uruguay follows with 154 per 100 inhabitants, Israel (149), Qatar (148), Singapore (147), Bahrain (144), Denmark (143), Chile (140), Canada (139), Portugal and Belgium (138 each), China (136), Spain (134), Ireland (133) and the United Kingdom (132).
COVID-19: Riyadh lifts quarantine for Indians vaccinated in Saudi ArabiaSaudi Arabia has lifted quarantine rule for Indians who have received both doses of COVID-19 vaccines in the Gulf country, the Indian embassy said on Tuesday.
Taking to Twitter, the embassy announced that the Indian nationals, who have been fully vaccinated in Saudi Arabia, will not need to quarantine in a third country.
"Embassy is pleased to inform that Saudi Authorities have announced that Indian nationals who have travelled to India after receiving both doses of the vaccine in Saudi Arabia will be able to return to the Kingdom directly without need for quarantine in a third country," the embassy tweeted.
Last month, Saudi Arabia state news agency SPA said that the kingdom will impose a three-year travel ban on citizens traveling to countries on the kingdom's "red list' under efforts to curb the spread of coronavirus and its new variants.
Schools, Higher Education Institutes To Reopen In Tripura From WedesdayThe Tripura government has decided to reopen schools for students of classes 6 to 12, along with other higher educational institutions, from Wednesday, officials said.
The government has issued two separate notifications with detailed guidelines regarding resumption of physical classes in both schools and other academic institutions.
"In view of the decline in COVID test positivity rate in Tripura and considering the learning losses that has already occurred, the Department of Education (school), with the approval of State Disaster Management Authority, has decided to start physical classes for students of classes VI to XII from August 25," said a notification issued on Monday by Director of School Education Chandni Chandran.
According to the government notification, all schools will have to function in single or double shifts, depending on the space available in the classrooms.
Authorities have been asked to ensure that alternate seats in schools stay unoccupied.
Students and teachers have been asked to strictly adhere to COVID-19 norms.
24,296 COVID-19 cases, 173 deaths in Kerala in last 24 hoursKerala on Tuesday reported 24,296 COVID-19 cases and 173 deaths, pushing the total infection count to 38,51,984 and fatalities to 19,757 till date.
The Test Positivity Rate (TPR) jumped to 18.04 per cent from 15.63 per cent on Monday.
As many as 19,349 people have been cured of the infection since Monday, taking the total recoveries to 36,72,357 and the number of active cases to 1,59,335, an official press release here said.
In the last 24 hours, 1,34,706 samples were tested and the TPR was found to be 18.04 per cent. So far, 3,04,53,773 samples have been tested, it said.
Among districts, Ernakulam recorded the highest with 3,149 cases followed by Thrissur (3,046), Kozhikode (2,875), Malappuram (2,778), Palakkad (2,212), Kollam (1,762), Kottayam (1,474), Thiruvananthapuram (1,435), Kannur (1,418), Alappuzha (1,107) and Pathanamthitta (1,031).
Of the new cases, 90 are health workers, 118 from outside the state and 22,775 infected through contact, with the source of the contact not being clear in 1,313 cases, the release said.
Delhi records 39 new COVID-19 cases, zero deathDelhi on Tuesday saw 39 fresh coronavirus cases and zero fatality, while the positivity rate was recorded at 0.06 per cent, according to the city government's health bulletin.
It said 112 cases pertaining to previous weeks were added on the ICMR portal by Mandoli prisons, it said.
According to the bulletin, 114 people were discharged in the city in the last 24 hours.
The cumulative number of cases stand at 14,37,485, of which 14,11,995 people have either recovered, been discharged or have migrated out.
The COVID-19 death count stands at 25,079 and the case fatality rate at 1.74 per cent, it added.
Vaccinated Getting Covid At Surprisingly High Rate, Scientists SayAnecdotes tell us what the data can't: Vaccinated people appear to be getting the coronavirus at a surprisingly high rate. But exactly how often isn't clear, nor is it certain how likely they are to spread the virus to others.
Though it is evident vaccination still provides powerful protection against the virus, there's growing concern that vaccinated people may be more vulnerable to serious illness than previously thought.
There's a dearth of scientific studies with concrete answers, leaving public policy makers and corporate executives to formulate plans based on fragmented information. While some are renewing mask mandates or delaying office reopenings, others cite the lack of clarity to justify staying the course. It can all feel like a mess.
"We have to be humble about what we do know and what we don't know," said Tom Frieden, a former director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the head of the nonprofit Resolve to Save Lives. "There are a few things we can say definitively. One is that this is a hard question to address."
New Zealand Has Highest Jump In Covid Cases Since April 2020New Zealand on Tuesday recorded its highest increase in COVID-19 cases since April 2020, but authorities said the numbers were not rising exponentially and the majority of the cases were still in centred in Auckland where the recent outbreak started.
The South Pacific nation's virus-free run since February ended last week after an outbreak of the highly contagious Delta variant of the coronavirus erupted in Auckland, New Zealand's largest city, and quickly spread to the capital Wellington.
Authorities reported 41 new COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, taking the total number of infections in the country to 148, the Director-General of Health Chief Ashley Bloomfield said at a news conference. That is the most new cases since April 2020, according to a graphic on the Ministry of Health website.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates: Delhi Preparing To Tackle Third Wave, Says Satyendar Jain
As Covid-19 cases continue to decline in Delhi, its Health Minister Satyendar Jain assured that the national capital is preparing to tackle the third wave of Covid-19 if it arises.
"Delhi government is making full preparations for the third corona wave. We are arranging 37,000 beds, preparing 12,000 oxygen beds etc. Separate preparations are also being made for children," Mr Jain told reporters.
New Zealand has highest jump in COVID-19 cases since April 2020
New Zealand on Tuesday recorded its highest increase in COVID-19 cases since April 2020, but authorities said the numbers were not rising exponentially and the majority of the cases were still in centred in Auckland where the recent outbreak started.
The South Pacific nation's virus-free run since February ended last week after an outbreak of the highly contagious Delta variant of the coronavirus erupted in Auckland, New Zealand's largest city, and quickly spread to the capital Wellington.
Authorities reported 41 new COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, taking the total number of infections in the country to 148, the Director General of Health Chief Ashley Bloomfield said at a news conference. That is the most new cases since April 2020, according to a graphic on the Ministry of Health website.
Israel's COVID-19 vaccine boosters show signs of taming Delta
Less than a month into a COVID-19 vaccine booster drive, Israel is seeing signs of an impact on the country's high infection and severe illness rates fuelled by the fast-spreading Delta variant, officials and scientists say.
Delta hit Israel in June, just as the country began to reap the benefits of one of the world's fastest vaccine roll-outs.
With an open economy and most curbs scrapped, Israel went from single-digit daily infections and zero deaths to around 7,500 daily cases last week, 600 people hospitalized in serious condition and more than 150 people dying in that week alone.
On July 30, it began administering a third dose of the Pfizer/BioNtech vaccine to people over 60, the first country to do so. On Thursday it expanded eligibility to 40-year-olds and up whose second dose was given at least 5 months prior, saying the age may drop further.
COVID-19: Madhya Pradesh seeks 11 lakh vaccine doses from Centre for mega inoculation drive
Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Monday met the Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya in New Delhi and urged for 11 lakh additional COVID-19 vaccines doses for the mega vaccination drive in the state on August 25-26.
In meeting with Mr Mandaviya, who also holds Chemicals and Fertilizers portfolio, the Chief Minister has also requested that the remaining 4.13 lakh metric tonnes of urea and the remaining 3.05 lakh metric tonnes of Di-ammonium Phosphate (DAP) should be released by the Centre soon.
Mr Chouhan informed that under the vaccination campaign being run across the country, the government is committed to administering both doses of the vaccine to 100 per cent of citizens of the state.
"In this sequence, the second phase of the vaccination campaign is being organized on August 25-26. Under the campaign, a target has been set to vaccinate a total of 35 lakh citizens in two days," read the release by the Madhya Pradesh government.
COVID-19: Puducherry logs 73 new coronavirus cases
Puducherry registered 73 new cases of COVID 19 during the last 24 hours ending 10 a.m. on Tuesday, raising the overall caseload to 1,23,007.
The test positivity rate was 2.33 percent and the fresh cases were identified at the end of examination of 3,131 samples. The new cases were spread over Puducherry 30, Karaikal 19, Yanam 3 and Mahe 21.
Director of Health and Family Welfare Services G Sriramulu noted that the active cases were 765 of whom 162 were in hospitals and the remaining 603 patients were in home isolation.
Sriramulu said 103 patients recovered and were discharged during last twenty-four hours while the overall recoveries stood at 1,20,433.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates: 120 new COVID-19 cases in Thane, 2 more deaths
Thane has reported 120 new cases of coronavirus, taking the infection count in the Maharashtra district to 5,49,716, an official said on Tuesday.
Besides these new cases recorded on Monday, the virus also claimed the lives of two more persons, which raised the death toll in the district to 11,246, he said.
The COVID-19 mortality rate in Thane stood at 2.04 per cent, he added.
In neighbouring Palghar district, the COVID-19 case count has gone up to 1,34,256, while the death toll has reached 3,277, another official said.
Just In| 25,467 fresh COVID-19 cases in India, marginally higher than yesterday
Puri's Jagannath temple reopens for public after 4 months
Jagannath Temple in Puri on Monday has been re-opened for devotees after a gap of about four months in adherence to the COVID guidelines, said Shree Jagannatha Temple Administration (SJTA) on Monday.
"Adequate safety measures have been put in place so that the people can have darshan and offer prayers with strict adherence to COVID-19 preventive protocols," said Krishan Kumar Chief Administrator, SJTA.
Mr Kumar further said that " The devotees would have to produce their final COVID-19 vaccination certificate or negative RT-PCR test report to visit the temple along with a photo identity card".
"Paediatric Facilities Nowhere Close," Report Warns On 3rd Wave, Children
There is insufficient evidence to suggest a third Covid wave will affect children more than adults, the National Institute of Disaster Management has indicated, while warning there is still "cause for worry, if not panic" so long as they remain unvaccinated and existing medical facilities remain inadequate.
"Paediatric facilities - doctors and equipment, like ventilators and ambulances, are nowhere close to what may be required in case a large number of children become infected," the NIDM, which operates under the Home Ministry, said as part of a report on recommendations to prep for the third wave.