With a record 4,14,188 new coronavirus infections being reported in a day, India's total tally of COVID-19 cases climbed to 2,14,91,598, while the active cases crossed the 36-lakh mark, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Friday.
The death count has increased to 2,34,083 with 3,915 fatalities being reported in a span of 24 hours, the data updated at 8 am showed.
Registering a steady increase, the active cases have increased to 36,45,164 comprising 16.96 per cent of the total infections, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate has dropped to 81.95 per cent.
The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 1,76,12,351, while the case fatality rate was recorded at 1.09 per cent, the data stated.
Meanwhile, the Supreme Court today rejected the Centre's petition against a High Court order asking it to send 1,200 MT of oxygen to Karnataka.
"The Karnataka High Court order is a careful, calibrated exercise and we see no reason to entertain the Centre's appeal," the Supreme Court said.
The Centre had yesterday approached the Supreme Court against the High Court order asking it to increase daily liquid medical oxygen allocation for Karnataka from 965 MT to 1200 MT for treating COVID-19 patients.
Here are the Live updates on coronavirus (COVID-19) cases:
The WHO's Access to Covid-19 Tools Accelerator programme for finding, developing and distributing coronavirus jabs, tests and therapeutics, is $19 billion short of its $22-billion target this year.
And a further $35 to $45 billion will be needed next year to ensure most adults around the world are immunised.
Tedros wants the G7 countries -- Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States -- to dig deep to help find solutions.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday said the capital's crippling shortage of oxygen has been resolved and announced plans to vaccinate the entire city within three months following a meeting with his cabinet ministers.
There is increasing evidence to suggest that COVID-19 is not just a disease of the lungs as initially thought but can also cause dangerous blood clots which need to be immediately removed to save limbs in some cases, say experts.
The World Health Organization on Friday approved the Sinopharm Covid-19 vaccine for emergency use -- the first Chinese jab to receive the WHO's green light. "This afternoon, WHO gave emergency use listing to Sinopharm Beijing's Covid-19 vaccine, making it the sixth vaccine to receive WHO validation for safety, efficacy and quality," the UN health agency's director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said.
Karnataka will be under a two-week lockdown, starting from 6 am on May 10 to 6 am on May 25, amid a surge in COVID-19 cases.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to his Australian counterpart Scott Morrison today as the two leaders agreed on the importance of ensuring equitable access to vaccines and medicines, and discussed possible initiatives for it. PM Modi and Scott Morrison also reiterated the importance of working together for a rules-based international order and a free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific region.
The CoWIN system is introducing a new feature of four-digit security code from May 8 to minimise data entry errors about vaccination status that would subsequently reduce inconvenience caused to citizens, the health ministry said.
A Bench comprising Justices Vineet Saran and Dinesh Maheshwari is hearing the petition.
Senior Advocate Siddharth Luthra appearing for the petitioner asked how construction can be a an essential activity. "? In a health emergency, we can't risk life of workers and their families and put more pressure on healthcare system," he said.
Railway Minister Piyush Goyal on Friday informed that the first Oxygen Express from Hapa has reached Kota to supply oxygen for corona patients in Rajasthan. "Oxygen Express from Hapa to Kota has reached its destination, to supply oxygen for corona patients in Rajasthan," Piyush Goyal tweeted.