Covid Cases in India: Active cases, comprising 0.24 per cent of total infections, dipped to 1,02,601.
With 8,013 people testing positive for coronavirus in the past 24 hours, 22 per cent lower than yesterday's daily spike of over 10,000 cases, India's total tally of COVID-19 cases rose to 4,29,24,130, according to Union Health Ministry data updated today.
The death count climbed to 5,13,843 with 119 fresh fatalities, the data updated this morning stated. Kerala added 46 deaths as backlog to today's tally.
The daily COVID-19 cases have remained less than one lakh for 22 consecutive days.
The active cases, comprising 0.24 per cent of the total infections, dipped to 1,02,601, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate has marginally improved to 98.56 per cent, the ministry said.
Here are the Highlights on Covid cases in India:
Delhi Records 258 Covid Cases, Zero Death
Delhi on Monday reported 258 fresh COVID-19 cases and zero death, while the positivity rate stood at 0.71 per cent, according to data shared by the city health department.
The zero Covid fatality count in a day, recorded in the city, comes after a gap of nearly two months.
With 258 fresh cases, the national capital's case count increased to 18,59,892. The death toll stood at 26,122, the latest health bulletin stated.
The number of COVID-19 tests conducted a day ago stood at 36,584, it said.
Delhi had on Sunday recorded 484 cases with a positivity rate of 0.95 per cent, and three deaths.
Delhi on January 31 last year had recorded zero death and 1,796 coronavirus cases with a positivity rate of 2.44 per cent.
Mumbai reports 73 COVID-19 cases, no death; active tally now 815
Mumbai on Monday reported 73 COVID-19 cases, taking its tally to 10,56,472, while the deaths remained unchanged at 16,691, a civic official said. He said 66 of the 73 cases recorded during the day were asymptomatic.
The recovery of 95 people took the number of people discharged so far to 10,36,086, which is 98 per cent of the caseload, leaving the city with 815 active cases, he added.
With 12,014 samples being examined in the last 24 hours, the number of tests in the metropolis went up to 1,61,83,906, the official said.
Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation data showed that the caseload doubling time was 5,065 days, while the city did not have any containment zone or sealed building at present.
Maharashtra sees 407 COVID-19 cases, 4 deaths; active tally now 6,663
Maharashtra on Monday reported 407 fresh COVID-19 cases and four fatalities due to the infection, taking the tally to 78,65,707 and the deaths to 1,43,701, an official said. On Sunday, the state had recorded 782 cases and two fatalities.
The Omicron tally in Maharashtra now stands at 4,629, of which 4,456 patients have already been discharged, he added.
"Until now, 9,382 samples have been sent for genome sequencing. Of these, results of 8,333 patients have been received, while 1,049 results are awaited," he informed.
As per data made available by the state health department, Mumbai recorded 73 fresh cases and Pune city 45, with both maintaining a clean slate in the fatality segment.
No New COVID-19 Case In Tripura
Tripura for the second consecutive day on Monday did not record any new COVID-19 case, a health department official said. The COVID-19 tally in the state remained at 1,00,860, State Surveillance Officer (SSO) Deep Debbarma said.
He said more than 500 samples were taken for COVID-19 test on Sunday and Monday out which not a single positive case was found.
The northeastern state currently has 27 active COVID-19 cases, while 99,849 patients have recovered from the disease, the SSO said.
The COVID-19 death count remained at 916 as no fresh fatality has been reported in the last 24 hours, he said.
"It is true there has been no new COVID-19 case in the state during the past two days but it doesn't mean Covid has disappeared. We will have to remain alert...," he said.
Kerala reports 2,010 fresh COVID-19 cases, 110 deaths
Kerala on Monday recorded 2,010 fresh COVID-19 infections raising the total caseload to 64,99,214 in the state.
The southern state also reported 110 virus-related deaths which raised the total fatalities in Kerala to 65,333, according to a government release.
Of the deaths, seven were reported in the last 24 hours, 42 were those which occurred in the last few days but were not recorded due to late receipt of documents and 61 were designated as COVID-19 deaths after receiving appeals based on new guidelines of the Centre and the directions of the Supreme Court, the release said.
With 5,283 more people recovering from the virus since Sunday, the total recoveries in the state reached 64,06,519 and the active cases dropped to 26,560, the release said.
Odisha reports 171 new COVID cases, seven more deaths
Odisha on Monday reported 171 new COVID-19 cases, the lowest single-day count in the last two months, with the tally rising to 12,85,038, a health department bulletin said. The deaths rose to 9,071 as seven more people succumbed to the disease in the last 24 hours, it said.
Fifty-three other COVID-19 patients have died due to comorbidities so far, according to data.
The daily positivity rate was 0.32 per cent as the fresh cases were detected from 53,332 sample tests since Sunday, the bulletin said.
Thirty-four children are among those newly infected with the disease.
Government allows some exemptions in Covid guidelines for those arriving from Ukraine
Indians being evacuated from Ukraine have been exempted from pre-boarding RT-PCR test, providing Covid vaccination certificates and uploading those on the Air Suvidha portal, the Health Ministry said on Monday.
It said the International Travel Guidelines have been revised and some exemptions allowed on humanitarian grounds for those arriving from Ukraine.
According to the government, as of February 28, five flights carrying 1,156 Indians from Ukraine have arrived in the country and none of them has been kept in isolation so far.
Of the five flights, one arrived in Mumbai and the rest in Delhi.
The Health Ministry said Indians not fulfilling either of the mandatory requirements -- pre-boarding negative RT-PCR test report or fully vaccinated certificate -- as laid down in the 'Guidelines for International Arrivals' have been exempted from uploading these documents on Air-Suvidha Portal before departure to India.
Individuals who have completed their COVID-19 vaccination, irrespective of the country of departure/inoculation, have been allowed to leave the arrival airport in India with the advice to self-monitor their health for the next 14 days, it said.
If a traveller is not able to submit a pre-arrival RT-PCR test or who has not completed their COVID-19 vaccination, they have been allowed to submit their samples on arrival with the advice to self-monitor their health for 14 days after arrival.
If tested COVID positive, they shall be clinically managed according to laid down protocol, the ministry said.
COVID-19: Bombay High Court gives Maharashtra 2 more days to decide on use of local trains by unvaccinated people
The Bombay High Court on Monday granted two more days to the Maharashtra government to issue fresh directives on whether people who have not taken the anti-COVID-19 vaccine or have taken only one dose would be allowed to travel in local trains.
The state government had last week withdrawn three of its circulars issued last year, by which only fully vaccinated people were allowed to use the local trains, considered as the lifeline of Mumbai, and to go to public places like malls and movie theatres.
The government's move to withdraw the circulars came after the High Court said those orders were illegal and issued without following the procedure prescribed under provisions of the Disaster Management Rules.
The court was hearing a bunch of Public Interest Litigations challenging the prohibition on use of local trains in the city by unvaccinated people, saying it was illegal, arbitrary, and in breach of the citizens' fundamental right to move freely across the country, as guaranteed by Article 19 (1) (d) of the Constitution.
The state government had last week told the HC that the state executive committee would hold a meeting on February 25, after which fresh directives would be issued.
On Monday, government pleader PP Kakade told the court that the meeting was held, but sought two more days for the order to be issued.
"The minutes of the meeting and all other relevant material have been placed before the chief secretary for his signature. The government officials are busy and held up due to the ongoing Ukraine crisis as several students from Maharashtra are stranded there," Kakade said.
India May See Fourth Covid Wave From June, Peak In August: IIT Kanpur StudyThe fourth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in India may start around June 22 and peak from mid-to-late August, a modelling study by researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology-Kanpur suggests.
The study led by Sabara Parshad Rajeshbhai, Subhra Sankar Dhar, and Shalabh of IIT Kanpur's Department of Mathematics and Statistics shows that the severity of the fourth wave will depend on the emergence of a possible new coronavirus variant, and vaccination status across the country.
Sharp decline in daily COVID-19 cases in PuducherryPuducherry witnessed a steep fall in number of daily cases of coronavirus with only nine people testing positive for the disease on Monday, taking the aggregate to 1,65,720.
The active cases stood at 118, with 12 patients undergoing treatment in hospitals and the remaining 106 patients in home quarantine.
No fresh fatality was reported from any of the four regions in the last 24 hours, keeping the total death count steady, at 1,962.
Is WHO's aim to vaccinate 70% of world by June still realistic?Vaccinating 70% of the population in every country in the world against COVID-19 by mid-2022 has been the World Health Organization's (WHO) rallying cry to end the pandemic.
But recently, public health experts say that while boosting immunity globally remains essential, the figure is neither achievable nor meaningful.
It has always been ambitious: Currently, just 12% of people in low-income nations have had one shot, according to Our World In Data. Earlier targets set by WHO - to reach 10% by September 2021, for example - were also missed.
WHO head of immunization Kate O'Brien said 70% remained more than just a "rallying cry", even though some well-equipped countries with plenty of vaccines have also struggled to reach it.
Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance - WHO's partner in the COVAX initiative aimed at getting shots to the world's poorest - has pulled back from the "one-size-fits-all" 70% focus.
Reservations about the 70% target are a further sign that ending the pandemic globally may be a trickier, and longer, challenge than many had hoped.
Covid Curbs Eased In Delhi: What Changes From TodayThe Covid restrictions in national capital Delhi have been eased from today. A decision in this regard was taken at a Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) meeting on Friday, in light of the fact that COVID-19 cases have fallen considerably. Click here to see what's changed.
India records 8,013 Covid cases on Monday
16,765 recoveries and 119 deaths were recorded in last 24 hours, said the health ministry
One new COVID-19 case in Andamans, tally rises to 10,017One more person tested positive for COVID-19 in Andaman and Nicobar Islands, taking the Union territory's caseload to 10,017 on Monday, a health bulletin said.
Broadway legend Patti LuPone tests positive for COVID-19As per The Hollywood Reporter, LuPone tested positive before Saturday's Broadway matinee of Company, and now she is expected to be out until March.
"She is home resting, and everyone wishes her a speedy recovery. To ensure the safety of everyone at the Jacobs Theatre, increased testing protocols were automatically triggered," the show's producers informed via statement.
Thane logs 43 new COVID-19 cases, 1 deathThane has reported 43 new cases of coronavirus, taking the infection count in the Maharashtra district to 7,08,280, while one more fatality pushed the death toll to 11,875, an official said on Monday.
These new cases and death were reported on Sunday, he said, adding that the COVID-19 mortality rate in Thane stood at 1.67 per cent.
Shruti Haasan tests positive for COVID-19Actor Shruti Haasan updated her social media followers on Sunday that she has tested positive for COVID-19.
Taking to her Instagram handle, the actor shared a picture that read, "Hi everyone! A quick not so fun update. Despite all safety measures I have tested positive for Covid. I'm on the mend and can't wait to be back very soon! Thank you and see you soon lovelies."
Kerala Relaxes COVID CurbsKerala government issues more relaxations in COVID-19 guidelines as cases decrease in the state. 100% seating capacity allowed in hotels, bars, restaurants, & theatres. A maximum of 1,500 people, with one person in a 25 sq ft area, allowed for public functions
Covid rages in Iraq as vaccinations lag
In the stores and buses of Iraq masks are rare even as Covid-19 spreads widely, vaccines are viewed with suspicion and the sick see hospitals as a last resort.
At Al-Shifaa Hospital in the capital Baghdad, the ramifications are clear.
"More than 95 percent of those sick with Covid-19 in intensive care are unvaccinated," said Ali Abdel Hussein Kazem, assistant director of the facility.
Half of the 40 intensive care beds are occupied in the department, where irregular beeping from monitors and IV machines is constantly heard.
COVID-19: Delhi logs 484 new infections, 3 deathsThe national capital logged 484 COVID infections in the last 24 hours, according to Delhi's health bulletin informed on Sunday.
With this, the active COVID cases in Delhi stand at 2,086, with a case positivity rate of 0.95 per cent.
As many as three COVID deaths and 554 recoveries from coronavirus have also been reported in the last 24 hours, the bulletin informed.
Delhi's health bulletin also informed that the national capital presently has 4,777 containment zones.