Coronavirus Highlights: India crossed a grim milestone of 4 lakh Covid deaths on Friday
In a single day, India saw a rise of 39,796 new Covid infections, which took the tally of cases to 3,05,85,229, while the death count climbed to 4,02,728 with 723 more fatalities, the lowest in around 88 days, according to Union Health Ministry data updated on Monday.
The active cases have further declined to 4,82,071 and comprise 1.58 per cent of the total infections, while the national Covid recovery rate has improved to 97.11 per cent, the data updated at 8 am showed.
As the government tries to speed up the vaccination pace, over 35 crore doses of vaccines have been given so far. The government aims to vaccinate all adults by the end of this year. So far, four vaccines - Covishield, Covaxin, Russia's Sputnik V and Moderna - have been cleared for use in the country.
Here are the Highlights on coronavirus (COVID-19) cases:
Germany Lifts Ban On Travellers From India, UK, PortugalGermany's health agency said on Monday five so-called virus variant countries would be reclassified as "high incidence areas", lifting a ban on entry for travellers from those nations who are not German residents or citizens.
The Robert Koch Institute (RKI) said India, Nepal, Russia, Portugal and the UK would be reclassified from Wednesday, meaning any traveller will be able to enter as long as they observe quarantine and testing rules.
Germany introduced its "virus variant country" travel category in a bid to stop new coronavirus variants that have not yet spread widely on home soil.
But Health Minister Jens Spahn said last week that the Delta variant was fast becoming dominant in Germany, meaning that bans on most travellers from countries hit by that variant may be lifted.
Jammu and Kashmir records 6 Covid deaths, 274 new cases
Jammu and Kashmir on Monday recorded six COVID-19 deaths and 274 fresh cases, taking the number of fatalities and infections to 4,343 and 3,17,250 respectively, officials said.
Out of the new cases, 113 were reported from Jammu and 161 from Kashmir, they said.
Reasi district recorded the highest number of cases at 72 all travellers, followed by Srinagar at 53, they added.
The number of active cases has dropped to 3,774 in the union territory, while 3,09,133 patients have recovered from the infection so far, according to the officials.
The Covid deaths rose to 4,343 as six patients died in the past 24 hours.
Over 35.71 crore Covid vaccine doses administered in country so far
The total number of COVID-19 vaccine doses administered in the country so far has exceeded 35.71 crore, the Union Health Ministry said on Monday.
According to a provisional report published at 7 pm, more than 41.34 lakh vaccine doses have been administered on Monday. In the age group of 18-44 years, 18,30,741 people got first dose of the vaccine and 1,40,368 received the second dose on Monday.
Cumulatively, 10,25,96,048 people in the age group of 18-44 years have received their first dose and 29,19,735 their second jab since the start of the third phase of the vaccination drive.
Eight states -- Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Bihar, Gujarat, Karnataka and Maharashtra -- have administered more than 50 lakh first dose of COVID-19 vaccine in the age group 18-44 years.
2,848 new COVID-19 cases, 67 deaths in Karnataka
Karnataka on Monday reported 2,848 new COVID-19 cases and 67 deaths, taking the total number of infections to 28.56 lakh and the toll to 35,434.
The day also saw 5,631 discharges, continuing to outnumber the fresh cases, taking the total number of recoveries in the state so far to 27,79,038.
Out of 2,848 new cases reported on Monday, 520 were from Bengaluru Urban, as the city saw 3,136 discharges and only 7 deaths, the health department said in a bulletin.
The total number of active cases in the state is 41,996.
While the positivity rate stood at 1.94 per cent, the Case Fatality Rate (CFR) was 2.35 per cent.
Out of 67 deaths reported on Monday, 12 were from Dakshina Kannada, Ballari (9), Bengaluru Urban (7), Mysuru (6), followed by others.
Goa sees 130 COVID-19 cases, 2 deaths; Nearly 4,000 tests conducted
Goa's coronavirus caseload went up by 130 and reached 1,67,566 on Monday, while the day also saw two deaths and 130 people getting discharged, an official said.
The number of deaths in the state is 3,075 and the recovery count stands at 1,67,566, leaving it with 1,934 active cases, the official informed.
With 3,979 samples being examined in the last 24 hours, the number of tests in Goa went up to 9,42,433, the official added.
COVID-19: Haryana records 10 fatalities
Haryana reported 10 Covid-related fatalities, taking the deaths to 9,496 on Monday while 54 fresh cases pushed the total case count to 7,68,957, according to the Health Department's daily bulletin.
The positivity rate in the state stands at 7.56 per cent.
Two deaths each were reported from Hisar and Panipat districts, among others. Of the fresh cases Palwal and Yamunanagar reported 10 and 8 cases, respectively, among others.
There are 1,113 active cases in the state, while the recoveries surged to 7,58,348.
Over 83.82 lakh vaccine doses administered in Delhi
Delhi has administered a total of 83,82,845 Covid vaccine doses till Monday, according to the city government's daily bulletin.
As many as 19,10,694 people have been fully vaccinated while 64,72,151 have received the first dose of the vaccine, the bulletin said.
A total of 9,509 jabs were administered in the national capital on Sunday as the government vaccination centres were closed.
A total of 5,651 people received the first dose and 3,858 got the second dose of the vaccine.
Kerala records 8,037 fresh COVID-19 cases, 102 deaths
Kerala on Monday recorded 8,037 fresh COVID-19 cases, pushing the infection caseload to 29,81,721, while 102 fatalities took the toll to 13,818.
As many as 11,346 people have been cured of the infection, taking the total recoveries to 28,66,806 and the number of active cases in the state was 1,00,626, a state government release said.
Thrissur topped in the number of cases (922), followed by Palakkad (902), Malappuram (894), Kozhikode (758), Thiruvananthapuram (744), Kollam (741), Ernakulam (713), Kannur (560) and Alappuzha (545).
Of the new cases, 37 are health workers, 15 had come from outside the state and 7,361 were infected through contact with the source of contact not being clear in 624 cases, the release said.
Delhi records 54 fresh COVID-19 cases, lowest since April 15 last year
The national capital on Monday recorded 54 fresh COVID-19 cases, the lowest since April 15 last year, and two more deaths while the positivity rate dropped to 0.09 per cent, according to data shared by the health department here.
Delhi has recorded 14,34,608 coronavirus cases since the pandemic began last year. So far, over 14.08 lakh patients have recovered, the health department bulletin said.
The deaths stand at 24,997, it said.
There are 912 active COVID-19 cases in Delhi, the bulletin stated. This is the lowest since April 10 last year when 862 cases were recorded.
COVID-19: Andhra Pradesh relaxes curfew timings in 11 districts
Andhra Pradesh government on Monday announced a relaxation of curfew timings in 11 districts of the state with effect from July 8, the Chief Minister Office (CMO) said.
The curfew relaxations have been announced for districts other than East Godavari and West Godavari.
The curfew timing in the 11 districts would now be from 6 am to 10 pm. However, the shops have been ordered to close by 9 pm.
The state has also permitted theatres, restaurants, gyms, and function halls to operate while following all COVID protocols. A mandatory gap of two seats has been ordered by the authorities.
Sikkim reports 95 new COVID-19 cases
Sikkim reported 95 new COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours, pushing the caseload to 21,226, a health department bulletin said on Monday.
South Sikkim registered 47 new cases, followed by East Sikkim (30) and West Sikkim (18).
The Himalayan state reported one more COVID-19 death in the past 24 hours, taking the number of deaths to 309.
Sikkim now has 1,869 active cases, while 255 COVID-19 patients have migrated to other states, and 18,793 people have recovered from the disease. The state has tested 371 samples in the past 24 hours, taking the total number of samples tested thus far to 1,67,821.
France warns virus fourth wave could hit by end-July
France could see a new spike in Covid cases by the end of July due to the spread of the more contagious Delta variant of the virus, the government spokesman said Monday.
"Over the past week the epidemic is again gaining ground," Gabriel Attal told France Inter radio, with the Delta variant now accounting for 30 percent of new infections in the country.
A fourth wave of infections is "a possibility" by the end of this month, he said, echoing a warning issued by Health Minister Olivier Veran late Sunday.
Several countries, including Britain and Russia, have already seen alarming jumps in new cases because of the variant, which was first identified in India.
Bihar eases COVID-19 curbs; colleges, gyms to reopen
The Nitish Kumar government in Bihar on Monday allowed reopening of colleges, universities and senior sections in schools, besides easing several other curbs that are in place as part of the COVID-induced lockdown clamped on the state two months ago.
The announcement to the effect was made by the chief minister on his Twitter handle after he chaired a meeting of the high-powered crisis management group which reviewed the COVID-19 situation in the state.
According to detailed guidelines issued by the home department later, the next phase of unlock will begin from Wednesday, July 7, and remain in force for a month.
During the period, lessons will be imparted in schools for students of Classes 11 and 12 with not more than 50 per cent attendance and the same will be applicable to colleges, universities and technical institutes.
Uttarakhand extends COVID-19 curfew till July 13
The Uttarakhand government on Monday extended the COVID-19 curfew till July 13.
"COVID-curfew extended till 6 am of July 13, 2021. Malls to reopen at 50% capacity and markets to remain closed on weekends," said Uttarakhand Government spokesperson Subodh Uniyal.
He further said that the remaining provisions of COVID-19 lockdown have been kept the same, which are currently in force.
Russia confirms 24,353 new COVID-19 cases
Russia recorded 24,353 COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours, bringing the total to 5,635,294, the federal response center said on Monday.
"Over the past day, 24,353 COVID-19 cases were confirmed across 84 Russian regions, including 3,263 cases (13.4 per cent) without clinical symptoms," the statement said, adding that the rate of increase fell to 0.43 per cent.
India to make CoWIN available to all countries: PM Modi
India's technology platform for COVID vaccination - CoWin -is being made open source and soon it will be available to all countries, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Monday, asserting that India has been committed to sharing its expertise and resources with the global community in combating the pandemic.
Addressing the CoWIN Global Conclave via video conference, PM Modi said experience shows that no nation, no matter how powerful, can solve a challenge like this pandemic in isolation.
"Right from the beginning of the pandemic, India has been committed to sharing all our experiences, expertise and resources with the global community in this battle," the prime minister said.
"Despite all our constraints, we have tried to share as much as possible with the world," he said.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates: Jharkhand records single COVID-19 fatality; 52 new cases
Jharkhand recorded a single COVID-19 induced fatality while 52 new cases in the last 24
hours pushed the tally to 3,45,937, a health department bulletin said on Monday. The single COVID-19 death reported from Ranchi district, took the death count to 5,115, PTI reported.
Karnataka unlock: Sharana Basaveshwara Temple reopens adhering to COVID-19 protocols
Sharana Basaveshwara Temple at Kalaburagi reopened its doors for the devotees while adhering to COVID-19 protocols after the Karnataka government issued new guidelines to open religious places from Monday, ANI reported.
"Religious places are allowed to open only for Darshan. No sevas allowed," read the government order.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates: Over 36.97 crore vaccine doses provided to States, says Centre
Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Monday informed that more than 36.97 crore (36,97,70,980) vaccine doses have been provided to states and union territories so far, through all sources.
Of this, the total consumption including wastages is 34,95,74,408 doses as per data available at 8 AM today.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates: As COVID cases rise, Australia's New South Wales says next 2 days 'critical'
Australia's New South Wales (NSW) on Monday said the next two days would be "absolutely critical" in deciding whether a two-week anti-coronavirus lockdown in Sydney, set to end on July 9, will have to be extended amid rising Delta variant cases.
With more than five million Sydney residents under strict stay-at-home orders, total infections in the latest outbreak have topped 300. NSW reported 35 locally acquired cases on Monday, matching the biggest daily rise in infections so far this year, recorded two days ago, Reuters reported.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates: Sindh reports highest daily COVID-19 cases since June 2
With 940 fresh COVID-19 cases and eight deaths in the last 24 hours, Sindh reported the highest number of daily infections since June 2.
The latest COVID count is up from 694 cases, which were recorded a day earlier, according to a statement issued by the Chief Minister's office on Sunday.
As per Dawn, Sindh logged in 1,041 cases on June 2, while Karachi accounted for the majority with 716 cases reported, ANI reported.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates: Chinese city on Myanmar border locked down again over virus fears
A Chinese city near the border with Myanmar has imposed a lockdown and started mass testing after three coronavirus cases were reported on Monday, with officials rushing to curb another outbreak.
It is the second time in four months that Ruili, home to more than 210,000 people, has been locked down after the discovery of cases imported from Myanmar, AFP reported.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates: India reports less than 40,000 COVID-19 cases since June 29, national recovery rate reaches 97.11 per cent
India's cumulative active tally of COVID-19 cases surged to 4,82,071 on Monday with 39,796 new infections reported in the last 24 hours, informed the Union Health Ministry.
The country continues to witness a gradual decline in COVID-19 cases as it has registered less than 40,000 cases again since June 29, ANI reported.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates: Australians trapped in vaccine 'Hunger Games' says top official
Getting vaccinated in Australia is like "The Hunger Games" a top health official admitted Monday, as the country battles scarce supplies during a growing Covid-19 outbreak.
A vaccine shortage has led to panicked efforts by people looking to get jabbed, said Brad Hazzard, health minister for the country's most populous state New South Wales, AFP reported.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates: Gyms Reopen With 50 Per Cent Occupancy In UP's Moradabad
Gym owners and fitness trainers breathed a sigh of relief after the Uttar Pradesh government announced some relaxation in lockdown curbs that allowed gyms to reopen at 50 per cent capacity, ANI reported.
"We have suffered a loss due to COVID-19 restriction. I hope now gyms will remain open so that we can recover our loss. We are following all the COVID-19 protocols in Moradabad. Today only 25 per cent of customers came to the gym. We don't allow people to the gym for more than 1 hour and sanitize all the equipment twice a day. We are providing hand sanitizers, masks and have a strict social distancing policy," said Laraib Malik, trainer of the gym.
COVID-19: Covishield Vaccine Out Of Stock At Pune Vaccination Centres
Amid a shortage of COVID-19 vaccines in the state, the Pune mayor on Sunday said that the Covishield will not be available at any vaccination centre under the jurisdiction of Pune Municipal Corporation today. However, Covaxin will be available at six centres with 200 doses each. Earlier on Thursday, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) had suspended the vaccination drive in Mumbai due to a shortage of stocks.
Coronavirus: Mizoram Reports 91 New COVID-19 Cases
With 91 new COVID-19 cases reported in Mizoram, the total caseload in the state reached 21,337 on Monday, informed the Department of Information and Public Relations (DIPR), Mizoram. As per state government data, a total of 17,661 people have recovered from the infection and the positivity rate is at 11.53 per cent. There are 3,581 active cases in the state, while the death toll due to the virus stands at 95.
COVID-19: Uncollected Ash Of Covid Victims Used To Make Park At Bhopal Crematorium
A park is being developed at a crematorium in Bhopal using the ashes of those who died after contracting the coronavirus infection during the second wave of the pandemic this year. The park is being developed at the Bhadbhada Vishram Ghat with 21 truckloads of ashes of Covid victims, which were kept at the facility as families failed to collect it due to the virus-induced restrictions and its proper disposal posed a challenge before the management.
Uncollected Ash Of Covid Victims Used To Make Park At Bhopal Crematorium
A park is being developed at a crematorium in Bhopal using the ashes of those who died after contracting the coronavirus infection during the second wave of the pandemic this year. The park is being developed at the Bhadbhada Vishram Ghat with 21 truckloads of ashes of Covid victims, which were kept at the facility as families failed to collect it due to the virus-induced restrictions and its proper disposal posed a challenge before the management.
"Learn To Live With" The Virus: Boris Johnson Tells Britons
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson will on Monday unveil a plan to lift coronavirus restrictions from July 19, while urging the population to "learn to live with" the virus. Johnson had initially aimed for a full reopening on June 21 but was forced to push back the date because of a surge in the highly contagious Delta variant. That variant now accounts for nearly all new Covid cases in Britain. The prime minister will give a press conference and Health Minister Sajid Javid is scheduled to address parliament on the issue.
After Russia, Britain has the highest coronavirus death toll of any European country, at more than 128,000. It is gradually ending a third lockdown period, although some restrictions remain.
Night clubs have not been allowed to open, large-scale events do not run at full capacity and service is still restricted in pubs.
Covid Not Yet "Vanquished", Says US President Joe Biden
President Joe Biden warned Sunday at an Independence Day celebration that Covid has yet to be "vanquished," even if Americans have made huge progress against the pandemic. "We've gained the upper hand against this virus," he told a large, cheering crowd of guests on the White House lawn. But he added, "Don't get me wrong: Covid-19 has not been vanquished. We all know powerful variants have emerged, like the Delta variant."