Coronavirus India Highlights: The active caseload has declined to 4,59,920 (File)
India reported 43,733 new cases of coronavirus on Wednesday, as against Tuesday's 34,703. The health ministry website showed 930 related deaths were reported on the day. The cumulative tally now stands at 3,06,63,665 cases and 4,04,211 deaths in the country. During last 24 hours, 47,240 patients recovered, taking total recoveries across the country to 2,97,99,534. The active caseload has declined to 4,59,920.
Recovery rate has increased to 97.18%, the weekly positivity rate is currently at 2.39% and daily positivity rate at 2.29%. So far, 36.13 crore vaccine doses have been administered under the nationwide vaccination drive, said a health ministry release.
The government on Tuesday cautioned that people roaming in hill stations and markets without following COVID-19-appropriate behaviours can nullify the gains made in the management of the pandemic so far.
Stressing that the pandemic was not yet over, an official described the images of large numbers of people thronging popular hill stations as "frightening".
The government said violations of Covid protocols will lead to further increase in the infections as it stressed on wearing of masks and maintaining of physical distancing.
Here are the Highlights on coronavirus (COVID-19) cases:
US Covid Cases Rising Rapidly As Delta Variant DominatesCovid cases are rising rapidly in the United States as the highly contagious Delta variant dominates and vaccinations stagnate, data showed Wednesday.
The seven-day-average of new cases was 13,859 as of July 6, up 21 percent compared to two weeks earlier, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Cases attributed to the most recent days might rise further because of a reporting lag following the July 4 holiday weekend.
The spike comes as the Delta variant, which is more transmissible than any previous strain, accounted for around 52 percent of cases in the two weeks ending July 3, according to the CDC.
Despite having among the highest availability of vaccines of any country, America's immunization campaign has dropped off steeply since April.
Delta Covid Variant Already Dominant In US, CDC Estimates ShowThe Delta variant is already the dominant strain of COVID-19 in the United States, according to data modeling done by the U.S Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
According to the health agency's estimates the Delta variant became dominant in the country over the two weeks ended July 3, with 51.7% cases linked to the variant that was first identified in India. The proportion of cases linked to the Alpha variant which was first identified in Britain and had been dominant in the United States so far, fell to 28.7%.
The data, which shows the estimated biweekly proportions of the most common SARS-CoV-2 lineages circulating in the United States, is based on sequences collected through CDC's national genomic surveillance since Dec.
World Passes 4 Million Covid Deaths As Delta Variant Fuels Fresh OutbreaksMore than four million people have now died of Covid-19 infections, the WHO said on Wednesday, as many richer nations prepared to loosen restrictions even as countries in Asia battle surging infections.
Indonesia has become a global hotspot, with hospitals having to turn away patients, authorities forced to import oxygen supplies and a record 1,040 deaths reported on Wednesday.
"The world is at a perilous point in this pandemic," said WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, calling the four-million figure an underestimate of the true toll.
Two Arthritis Drugs Reduce Risk Of Covid Death, Shows StudyArthritis drugs tocilizumab and sarilumab reduce the risk of death and the need for ventilators among hospitalized Covid-19 patients, according to an analysis of nearly 11,000 patients published Tuesday.
The study appeared in the Journal of the American Medical Association and prompted the World Health Organization (WHO) to recommend the use of the medicines, known as IL-6 inhibitors, in addition to corticosteroids among patients with severe or critical Covid.
Manu Shankar-Hari, a professor at King's College London and lead author of the paper, told AFP that the research represented a "definitive piece of evidence" in favor of the drugs after earlier studies produced mixed results.
Central Team Visits Kerala Amid Surge In Covid CasesWith a surge in COVID-19 cases in Kerala, a team deputed by the Union Health Ministry on Wednesday visited Kollam to evaluate the prevention activities and health measures taken for COVID management in the district.
The central team met District Collector B. Abdul Nasar at the Collectorate and assessed the COVID management plan. The Collector informed the members of the activities being carried out in the district.
The visit comes at a time when other states are showing a declining trend in the number of COVID-19, but in Kerala, cases remained high with the state recording 14,373 new cases on Tuesday, the highest in 26 days.
Fiji Police Deliver Groceries, Urge People To Stay Home As Delta Cases RiseFiji Police Deliver Groceries, Urge People To Stay Home As Delta Cases Rise
COVID-19: The grocery deliveries in Fiji were mostly being made in poorer neighbourhoods.
Fiji on Wednesday began distributing groceries to some households as it urges people to stay at home amid rising infections of the highly transmissible Delta variant of the novel coronavirus.
Authorities posted pictures on social media of bags of supermarket supplies - including packaged food and toilet paper - being delivered to homes around the capital, Suva, as they reinforced calls for people to obey social distancing rules and get vaccinated.
COVID-19 India News: Arvind Kejriwal Inaugurates Genome Sequencing Lab At Lok Nayak HospitalDelhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday inaugurated a genome sequencing lab at Lok Nayak Hospital, reported news agency PTI. The genome sequencing laboratory can identify variants of COVID-19. Addressing the media at the event, the Delhi Chief Minister said, "We were dependent on the Central government's lab at NCDC till now and we had to send all our samples to that lab. Machine for genome sequencing has been brought in LNJP. Through this machine, we can analyse the variants of coronavirus. If we get to know which variant it is, it will help in taking action and framing strategies." "From today, this facility is being started. I've been told this is the third such facility in north India. One is NCDC, the other one is NIB Pune and this is the third facility that is being started," Mr Kejriwal said.
COVID-19 India News: Central Team In Kerala To Assess Covid Prevention Activities
With a surge in COVID-19 cases in Kerala, a team deputed by the Union Health Ministry on Wednesday visited Kollam to evaluate the COVID prevention activities and health measures taken for COVID management in the district. The central team met District Collector B. Abdul Nasar at the Collectorate and assessed the COVID management plan. The visit comes at a time when other states are showing a declining trend in the number of COVID-19, but in Kerala, cases remained high with the state recording 14,373 new cases on Tuesday, the highest in 26 days. The active cases crossed one lakh mark with 1,04,105 people under treatment, while the state recorded 142 deaths taking the total death count to 13,960.
COVID-19 India News: Odisha Reports Its Highest Single-Day DeathsOdisha on Wednesday reported the highest single-day COVID-19 fatality as 59 people died, taking the death count to 4,358, a Health Department official said, according to news agency
PTI. The state also registered 2,602 new cases, pushing the tally to 9,29,788, he said. There are 28,015 active cases in the state at present. In the last 24 hours, 3,258 patients recovered. So far, 8,97,362 have been cured of COVID-19 in the state.
The number of deaths is on the rise in the state, bucking the country-wide trend in a cause of concern for the government. The highest 10 deaths were reported from the Khurda district, followed by Bargarh, Dhenkanal and Puri (five each). Ganjam, Nayagarh, Rayagada and Sundargarh reported four deaths each.
Around 0.13 per cent of the people who are either fully vaccinated or received one dose have been found to be COVID-positive in the state, officials said. "While 9,154 persons (0.09%) of 1,00,43,077 people getting the first dose tested positive, 7,806 (0.31%) people got infection even after taking both the doses," an official said.
COVID-19 India News: Local Self Government Institutions in Kerala Recategorized
The Disaster Management Department (COVID-19) of the Government of Kerala has issued an order for the re-categorization of the state's Local Self Government Institutions (LSGIs) on the basis of average weekly Test Positivity rates (TPR). "As part of the COVID-19 containment activities, the LSGIs in the state were categorized based on the Test Positivity Rate (TPR) and certain relaxations on lockdown were extended to the areas where the Test Positivity Rate is less and special intensified stringent restrictions were implemented in areas where TPR is high," states the order.
COVID-19 News Update: Chinese City On Myanmar Border Hit By Fourth Wave
Parts of a small city in southwest China that shares a border with Myanmar went into a full lockdown on Wednesday as local authorities wrestled with the city's fourth outbreak of the new coronavirus since the pandemic began, reported news agency Reuters. Residents in the main areas of Ruili, a city in Yunnan province with a population of about 270,000, were told to quarantine themselves at home as schools and businesses shut Some markets, hospitals and pharmacies remained open. Yunnan reported 15 new confirmed locally transmitted coronavirus cases for July 6, with all cases in Ruili. That compares with three cases per day in the city reported for July 4 and July 5.
COVID-19 India News: 301 More People, Including 66 Children, Test Positive In Mizoram
Mizoram's COVID-19 tally rose to 22,155 as 301 more people, including 66 children, tested positive for the virus, a health department official said on Wednesday, according to news agency PTI. The new COVID-19 cases were reported from various districts with Aizawl reporting the highest at 205, followed by Lunglei at 41 Mamit at 31, he said. The single-day positivity rate is at 8.48 per cent as the 301 fresh cases were detected from 3,549 sample tests, he said. The COVID-19 death count in the state is 98. Mizoram now has 3,674 active COVID-19 cases while 18,383 people have recovered from the infection so far. The northeastern state has tested 5,10,467 samples for COVID-19 till date.
Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister inaugurates 100-bed paediatric ICU in Bengaluru
Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister and State Covid Task Force head CN Ashwathanarayan on Tuesday dedicated the expanded Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) of 100 beds set up under Corporate Social Resposibility (CSR) funding to support COVID-19 treatment at the Indira Gandhi Institute of Child Health (IGICH) in Bengaluru, according to news agency ANI. Mr Ashwathanarayan, while speaking at the occasion, said that the PICU facility, expanded at a cost of Rs 1.32 crores, facilitates lifesaving care to infants and children affected by COVID-19.
COVID-19 India News: Arunachal Pradesh Logs 348 New Cases, 4 More Deaths
Arunachal Pradesh's COVID-19 tally rose to 37,879 as 348 more people tested positive for the infection, while two more fatalities pushed the death count to 181, a senior health official said on Wednesday, according to news agency PTI. A 28-year-old woman died at the Dedicated Covid Hospital (DCH) at Chimpu on Tuesday and a 70-year-old man of Changlang district died at Assam Medical College Hospital (AMCH) in Dibrugarh district of the neighbouring state on Sunday, State Surveillance Officer (SSO) Dr Lobsang Jampa said. The Capital Complex Region reported the highest number of new cases at 102, followed by East Siang (30), West Kameng (26), Changlang (23), Upper Subansiri (20), Lohit (19), Papumpare (17), Lower Dibang Valley (1 4), Anjaw (13) and Siang(12), Dr Jampa said.
Over 1.67 Crore Vaccine Doses Still Available With States, Private Hospitals: Centre
The Union health ministry on Wednesday said that over 1.67 crore COVID-19 vaccine doses are still available with states, union territories, and private hospitals to be administered, according to news agency ANI. "More than 1.67 Crore (1,67,26,613) balance and unutilised COVID vaccine doses are still available with the states and UTs and private hospitals to be administered," the health ministry said. It further said that 37,43,25,560 vaccine doses have been provided to states and UTs so far through all sources, and an additional 48,65,110 doses are in the transit.
COVID-19 Latest News: Indonesia Expands Nationwide COVID-19 CurbsIndonesia expanded nationwide coronavirus curbs Wednesday to battle its deadliest COVID-19 wave yet, as the death count rocketed with the government warning that the worst may be yet to come, reported news agency AFP. The new restrictions would apply to dozens of cities and extend from Sumatra island in the west to easternmost Papua as the highly infectious Delta variant rips across the Southeast Asian archipelago after battering densely populated Java.
COVID-19 India News: Uttarakhand Health Secretary Assures Action In Kumbh Fake Test Scam
Uttarakhand Health Secretary, speaking on Kumbh fake test scam, said action will be taken on the basis of the report of the Haridwar District Magistrate, according to news agency ANI. The decision to select the lab to conduct Rapid Antigen Test during Haridwar Mahakumbh was taken on the instructions of the Health Secretary, said the officer appointed as the Mela Officer Health in Kumbh, in his reply to the Health Directorate, according to the report.
COVID-19 Latest News: India Records 43,733 New Cases In Last 24 HoursIndia recorded 43,733 new cases of coronavirus in the last 24 hours. The country's active Caseload has declined to 4,59,920, which constitutes 1.5% of the total cases. With 47,240 patients recovered during the last 24 hours, the total recoveries across the country now stands at 2,97,99,534. The daily recoveries continue to outnumber the daily new cases for the 55th consecutive day, said a health ministry release. The recovery rate has increased to 97.18%. The weekly positivity rate remains below 5%, currently at 2.39%. So far, 36.13 crore vaccine doses have been administered under the nationwide vaccination drive.
COVID-19 Updates: Sydney Extends Coronavirus Lockdown As Delta Cluster Grows
More than five million Sydney residents will spend at least another week in coronavirus lockdown, Australian authorities said Wednesday, after detecting another 27 new cases. Stay-at-home orders have already been in place in the country's biggest city for two weeks, as authorities try to curb an outbreak of the highly contagious Delta variant.
160 Million Americans Will Be Fully Vaccinated By End Of This Week: Joe Biden
US President Joe Biden on Tuesday said the US is predicted to reach the mark of 160 million fully vaccinated Americans by the end of this week and asserted that the country is closer than ever to declaring its independence from the deadly virus.
Coronavirus: How Packed Are Hill Stations? Take A Look. Be Afraid.
The government on Tuesday cautioned that people roaming in hill stations and markets without following COVID-19-appropriate behaviours can nullify the gains made in the management of the pandemic so far. Stressing that the pandemic was not yet over, an official described the images of large numbers of people thronging popular hill stations as "frightening".
Pfizer Shot Halts Severe Illness In Israel As Delta SpreadsPfizer Inc.'s vaccine was less effective at keeping people from getting the coronavirus in Israel in recent weeks, but it continues to provide a strong shield against severe Covid-19, according to government data.
The vaccine protected 64% of people against the illness between June 6 and early July, down from a previous 94%. The drop was observed as the delta variant was spreading in Israel, the Health Ministry said. It also coincided with the lifting of virus restrictions at the start of June.
Despite the indications of increased infections, the data also showed the shot is protecting people from severe illness. Its effectiveness at preventing hospitalization fell to 93%, according to the Health Ministry, compared with at least 97% in an earlier government study.
More Than 37.07 Crore Covid Vaccine Doses Provided To States So FarThe Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Tuesday informed that more than 37.07 crore COVID-19 vaccine doses have been provided to States and Union Territories (UTs) so far.
"More than 37.07 crore (37,07,23,840) vaccine doses have been provided to States/UTs so far, through all sources and a further 23,80,000 doses are in the pipeline", read the release by the Ministry.
Of this, the total consumption including wastages is 35,40,60,197 doses (as per data available at 8 AM today).
More than 1.66 crore (1,66,63,643) balance and unutilized COVID vaccine doses are still available with the States, UTs and private hospitals to be administered.
Two Arthritis Drugs Reduce Risk Of Covid Death, Shows StudyArthritis drugs tocilizumab and sarilumab reduce the risk of death and the need for ventilators among hospitalized Covid-19 patients, according to an analysis of nearly 11,000 patients published Tuesday.
The study appeared in the Journal of the American Medical Association and prompted the World Health Organization (WHO) to recommend the use of the medicines, known as IL-6 inhibitors, in addition to corticosteroids among patients with severe or critical Covid.