India today recorded 42,982 fresh Covid cases, which is a slight increase in the number of cases from yesterday. The country also reported 533 deaths. The daily test positivity rate stands at 2.58 per cent.
The national capital recorded 61 fresh COVID-19 cases and two deaths due to the disease on Thursday, while the positivity rate slightly decreased to 0.08 per cent, according to data shared by the health department. The death count in the city has risen to 25,060, according to the latest health bulletin.
Kerala, which has emerged as the Number 1 hotspot in the country, today reported 22,414 fresh cases, which is slightly lower than yesterday's 23,676. The state also reported 108 deaths.
The pandemic is "still raging" in the country and eight states have shown a rise in the R-factor, the government said yesterday, calling it a "significant problem".
Here are the LIVE updates on India coronavirus (COVID-19) cases:
Aug 06, 2021 01:37 (IST)
COVID-19 India News: Bengal Reports 812 New Cases, 13 More Deaths
The COVID-19 toll in West Bengal rose to 18,193 after 13 more succumbed to the disease on Thursday, the health department said in its bulletin, according to news agency PTI. The tally mounted to 15,31,662 with 812 fresh cases of the infection, it added. North 24 Parganas district accounted for 114 new cases while in the city there were 79 new cases of the contagion, it said.
In the last 24 hours, 823 recoveries were registered in the state and the discharge rate remained at 98.11%. Till date, 15,02,748 people have recovered from the disease, the bulletin said. The number of active cases further slipped to 10,721, it added. Since Thursday, 48,869 samples have been tested in West Bengal, taking the total number of such tests to 1,59,52,188.
Aug 05, 2021 23:25 (IST)
Moderna Says COVID-19 Shot 93% Effective 6 Months After Second Dose
Moderna Inc said on Thursday its COVID-19 shot was about 93% effective through six months after the second dose, showing hardly any change from the 94% efficacy reported in its original clinical trial.
However, it said it still expects booster shots to be necessary ahead of the winter season as antibody levels are expected to wane. It and rival Pfizer Inc and
BioNTech SE have been advocating a third shot to maintain a high level of protection against COVID-19.
During a second-quarter earnings call, Moderna CEO Stephane Bancel said that the company would not produce more than the 800 million to 1 billion doses of the vaccine that it has targeted this year.
"We are now capacity constrained for 2021, and we are not taking any more orders for 2021 delivery," he said.
Moderna shares fell 3.6% to around $403.87 in pre-market trading after closing at $419.05 on Wednesday.
Aug 05, 2021 21:55 (IST)
Kerala Records Over 20,000 New COVID-19 Cases, 117 Related Deaths
Kerala on Thursday reported 22,040 fresh coronavirus cases and 117 deaths, taking the total infection count to 34.93 lakh and the death count to 17,328.
As many as 20,046 people have been cured of the infection since Wednesday, taking the total recoveries to 32,97,834.
The number of active cases stood at 1,77,924, a state government release said. The state tested 1,63,376 samples in the last 24 hours and the test positivity rate was 13.49 per cent. So far, 2.80 crore samples have been tested, it said.
Aug 05, 2021 21:03 (IST)
Covid-19 Vaccination Tally In Thane City Crosses 8-Lakh Mark
The COVID-19 vaccination tally in the Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) limits in Maharashtra crossed the 8-lakh mark on Thursday, a civic official said.
According to a release issued by the civic body, a total of 8,00,584 people from Thane city have taken the COVID-19 vaccine jab so far, of which 4,24,310 beneficiaries were men and the rest were women.
The tally includes pregnant women and transgenders, among others, it was stated.
Meanwhile, Navi Mumbai municipal commissioner Abhijit Bhangar has directed the civic medical team to intensify the survey in the light of the detection of zika virus in the state.
Aug 05, 2021 18:33 (IST)
Germany, France Ignore WHO Request, Will Give Covid Booster Shots
Germany and France will go ahead with COVID-19 vaccine boosters from September, disregarding an appeal by the World Health Organisation (WHO) to hold off until more people are vaccinated across the globe.
The decision to press ahead with booster shots despite the strongest statement yet from the WHO highlights the challenge of dealing with a global pandemic while countries try to protect their own citizens from the more infectious Delta variant.
Aug 05, 2021 17:41 (IST)
"Against Centre's Rules": Kerala Slams Karnataka's Travel Curbs On Residents
Days after neighbouring Karnataka imposed travel restrictions on persons from the state in view of the COVID situation, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Thursday said the fresh curbs were against the directive of the Centre in this regard.
As per the order issued by the Union Home Ministry, states should not impose travel curbs closing their borders, he said.
"The Karnataka government has imposed the new restrictions against the Central government's directive," he told the state Assembly.
Replying to a submission by legislator AKM Ashraf (IUML), he said steps have been taken to ensure that the curbs are not causing any difficulty to the people of the state who are travelling to the neighbouring state for various purposes.
