Only those who have received both doses of Covid vaccines will be allowed to enter malls in Mumbai and other cities of Maharashtra, the state government has decided. Speaking to the media after a cabinet meeting today, state Health Minister Rajesh Tope said the government will further relax the Covid restrictions from August 15.
"People with double doses can board local trains. The state government has given instructions to issue monthly and quarterly passes to people," he said.
The minister added that restaurants will be allowed to operate at 50 per cent capacity till 10 pm. Shops too can stay open till 10 pm, he said.
India on Wednesday reported 38,353 fresh Covid cases, which is 36 per cent higher than 28,204 reported yesterday. The country also reported 497 deaths, taking the cumulative death count to 4,29,179.
The daily positivity rate stands at 2.16 per cent, which has been less than 3 per cent for last 16 days.
Meanwhile, a study on mixing Covishield and Covaxin, the two main vaccines used in India's COVID-19 vaccination programme, has been given a go-ahead by the Drugs Controller General Of India (DCGI), say sources. This study and its clinical trials, sources add, will be conducted by Vellore's Christian Medical College.
Here are the highlights on coronavirus (COVID-19) cases:
Canada is working to create a digital vaccine passport that would allow citizens to travel abroad and it should be available in the next few months, government officials said on Wednesday.
Before the passport can be created Ottawa needs to agree on a common approach with the 10 provinces and three northern territories, which are responsible for inoculations against COVID-19.
It "is a key step forward in ensuring Canadians will have the documents they need once it is safe to travel again," Immigration Minister Marco Mendicino told reporters.
Delhi recorded zero COVID-19 fatality and 37 fresh cases of the infection on Wednesday, with the positivity rate declining to 0.06 per cent, according to data shared by the city health department.
Forty-seven patients recovered from the infection in the last 24 hours, taking the total number of recoveries to 14,11,280 in the national capital.
The city reported 52 fresh COVID-19 cases and one more fatality due to the disease on Tuesday with a positivity rate of 0.08 per cent.
Maharashtra reported 5,560 new coronavirus cases and 163 fatalities in 24 hours Wednesday while 6,944 patients were discharged from hospitals, a health department official said. On Tuesday the state had reported 5,609 new cases and 137 fatalities.
The caseload in the state has risen to 63,69,002, while the death count has reached 1,34,364, he said.
The number of recovered coronavirus patients increased to 61,66,620 on Wednesday, leaving the state with 64,570 active cases.
The Himachal Pradesh government has made negative COVID-19 report or full vaccination mandatory for all people intending to visit the hill state from August 13.
In a late night order on Tuesday, Chief Secretary Ram Subhag Singh stated, "All persons intending to visit State shall carry their COVID-19 Vaccine Certificate (double doses) or a negative RT-PCR test report not older than 72 hours or RAT negative report not older than 24 hours w.e.f. 13th August, 2021."
Maharashtra Government allows the operations of hotels and restaurants till 10 pm in the state. As of now hotels and restaurants were allowed to operate till 4 pm only. Detailed SoP to be issued shortly.
- ANI (@ANI) August 11, 2021
Odisha reported 1,078 new COVID-19 cases, taking the overall tally in the state to 9,90,075 the state health department informed on Wednesday.
The state also reported 1,319 recoveries in the last 24 hours taking the recovery tally to 972,710. As per the state data, 6,630 people have died till date of which 65 deaths were reported in the last 24 hours.
Puducherry posted 114 fresh COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, raising the total infection count to 1,21,880.
One more person succumbed to the viral infection, pushing up the death count to 181, PTI reported.
More than 53.24 crore COVID-19 vaccine doses have been provided to states and UTs so far and a further 72,40,250 doses are in the pipeline, the Union Health Ministry said on Wednesday.
Of this, the total consumption including wastage is 51,56,11,035 doses, PTI reported.
India logged 38,353 new coronavirus infections taking the total tally of COVID-19 cases to 3,20,36,511, while the active cases have declined to 3,86,351, the lowest in 140 days, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Wednesday.
The death count has climbed to 4,29,179 with 497 fresh fatalities, the data updated at 8 am showed.
Thane has reported 210 new cases of coronavirus, taking the infection count in the Maharashtra district to 5,47,153, an official said on Wednesday.
Germany will end free coronavirus tests in October, regional leaders and the federal government agreed on Tuesday, in a push to incentivise more people to get vaccinated.
With Covid-19 tests or proof of vaccination or recovery to be a requirement to access facilities including restaurants, cinemas or gyms, people who refuse to get jabbed will have to pay to prove they are infection-free come autumn or risk being shut out.
The global eradication of COVID-19 is more feasible than it is for polio, but considerably less so than it was for smallpox, according to an analysis published in the journal BMJ Global Health on Tuesday.
Public health experts from the University of Otago Wellington in New Zealand noted that vaccination, public health measures, and global interest in achieving this goal all make eradication of COVID-19 possible.