India today reported 38,667 fresh COVID-19 cases, which is 3.6 per cent lower than yesterday's cases. The daily test positivity rate was at 1.73 per cent, which has been less than 3 per cent for the last 19 days.
With 20,452 fresh cases, Kerala leads the states in the most number of Covid cases in a single day. The state also reported 114 deaths, the most in any state after Maharashtra.
Meanwhile, the Canadian government announced Friday it will require all federal workers and most commercial rail, air and ship passengers to get vaccinated against Covid-19, amid a surge in virus cases due to the Delta variant.
"We know that vaccines are the best way to end this pandemic," said Dominic LeBlanc, a government minister in charge of Canada's federal bureaucracy.
Here are the highlights on coronavirus (COVID-19) cases:
Five people, including one from Mumbai, have died and as many as 66 people have been found infected with the Delta Plus variant of COVID-19 in Maharashtra so far. Some of them are fully vaccinated, the state health department said on Friday.
Seven of these patients were aged under 18, they added.
The COVID-19 Delta Plus variant, considered highly infectious, was detected during genome sequencing of swab samples sent from different parts of the state.
Only those who are fully vaccinated against coronavirus or have a negative RT-PCR test report will be allowed to enter Punjab from Monday, Chief Minister Amarinder Singh said today. People coming from neighbouring Himachal Pradesh and Jammu will be strictly monitored.
In schools and colleges in Punjab, only fully vaccinated teaching and non-teaching staff, or those recently recovered from COVID-19, can physically be present to teach even as online classes remain an option for students.
Kerala logged 19,451 new positive cases and 105 COVID-19-related deaths on Saturday taking the tally to 36,51,089 and the death count to 18,499.
State Health Minister Veena George said the state has tested 1,39,223 samples in the last 24 hours and the test positivity rate was 13.97 per cent. Till now, 2,93,34,981 samples have been tested.
Assam on Saturday reported 11 more COVID-19 deaths, which took the count to 5,482, according to a bulletin issued by the National Health Mission.
The coronavirus caseload in the northeastern state mounted 5,79,488 as 755 more people tested positive for the infection, it said.
Three fresh fatalities were registered in Nalbari and one each in Barpeta, Charaideo, Dhubri, Dibrugarh, Golaghat, Kamrup Metro, Kamrup Rural and Sivasagar.
COVID19 | Maharashtra reports 5,787 new cases, 134 deaths and 5,352 recoveries today; active cases 63,262 pic.twitter.com/VexzeRDmpq
- ANI (@ANI) August 14, 2021
Assam reports 755 new #COVID19 cases, 969 recoveries and 11 deaths today.
- ANI (@ANI) August 14, 2021
Active cases: 8,429
Total cases: 5,79,488
Death toll: 5,482 pic.twitter.com/3G0oAG24CH
Chhattisgarh's COVID-19 case count reached 10,03,697 today with the addition of 83 cases, and one death took the death count to 13,546, a health official said, according to a PTI report.
Fifty fresh cases of COVID-19 and one death due to the infection were recorded in Delhi on Saturday. The positivity rate stood at 0.07 per cent, according to data shared by the city health department. The death toll due to the coronavirus has reached 25,069 in the national capital.
We have decided to open schools for classes 9th to 12th in the districts where the positivity rate is less than 2%. Mandatory for all parents & school staff to be vaccinated for entry into the school premises: Karnataka CM Basavaraj Bommai pic.twitter.com/ld83O2NQAt
- ANI (@ANI) August 14, 2021
Karnataka reports 1,632 fresh cases, 25 deaths and 1,612 recoveries today; active cases 22,698: Karnataka Health Minister Dr K Sudhakar pic.twitter.com/V3dgyU7BH1
- ANI (@ANI) August 14, 2021
The UK today reduced the cost of Covid tests for international travellers from Amber list countries like India from 88 pounds to 68 pounds (USD 122 to USD 94), after many representations over the high charges of the mandatory testing, PTI reported.
Maharashtra: No new case of #COVID19 reported in Mumbai's Dharavi today; active cases in the area stand at 11, says Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) pic.twitter.com/xnxEOeLLHN
- ANI (@ANI) August 14, 2021
Guatemala has declared a new state of emergency and will impose an overnight curfew from Sunday to contain a surge in Covid infections due to the Delta variant, President Alejandro Giammattei said.
The 30-day state of emergency is being implemented due to a rebound in cases attributed to the "more aggressive" Delta variant, Giammattei said in a televised address on Friday.
Ladakh recorded nine fresh COVID-19 cases, taking the tally to 20,436 while the active cases in the Union territory has gone up to 73, officials said on Saturday.
Ladakh has registered 207 COVID-related deaths -- 149 in Leh and 58 in Kargil -- since the outbreak of the pandemic last year. A total of 20,156 patients have recovered till date.
The COVID-19 tally in the archipelago remained at 7,548, PTI reported.
The Canadian government announced Friday it will require all federal workers and most commercial rail, air and ship passengers to get vaccinated against Covid-19, amid a surge in virus cases due to the Delta variant.
"We know that vaccines are the best way to end this pandemic," said Dominic LeBlanc, a government minister in charge of Canada's federal bureaucracy.
Argentina confirmed on Friday 8,472 new COVID-19 infections in one day, bringing the total to 5,074,725 cases, the Ministry of Health reported, adding that there were also 246 more deaths, for a total of 108,815.
The number of active COVID-19 cases was 240,484, while 4,725,426 people have recovered from the disease, ANI reported.
In a statement, CDC Director Rochelle P. Walensky said it is an "important step" in ensuring everyone, including those most vulnerable to COVID-19, can get as much protection as possible from COVID-19 vaccination, ANI reported.
Canada's seven-day moving average of 1,609 new COVID-19 cases reported daily (Aug. 6-12) is an increase of 70 per cent over the previous week, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) on Friday.
The country reported 2,412 new cases of COVID-19 on Friday, bringing the cumulative total to 1,449,851 cases, including 26,698 deaths, according to CTV.
Jharkhand reported 32 fresh #COVID19 cases, 19 recoveries and one death on Friday.
- ANI (@ANI) August 13, 2021
Active cases: 223
Total recoveries: 3,42,176
Death Toll: 5,131
Assam reported 763 new #COVID19 cases, 1,169 recoveries and 20 deaths on Friday.
- ANI (@ANI) August 13, 2021
Active cases: 8,654
Total cases: 5,78,733
Death toll: 5,471 pic.twitter.com/F7FFl5NsnV
