This Article is From Jun 19, 2021

India Covid Highlights: Government Working Towards Preparing 1 Lakh Frontline Workers, Says PM Modi

Coronavirus Highlights: PM Modi said the government is committed to providing free Covid vaccination for everyone starting June 21.

India Covid Highlights: Government Working Towards Preparing 1 Lakh Frontline Workers, Says PM Modi

Covid-19 Cases Updates: The death count increased to 3,83,490 with 1,587 new fatalities. 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday launched six crash course programmes to train and upskill around one lakh frontline workers to help fight the COVID-19 pandemic.

Speaking on the occasion, PM Modi urged people to remain cautious, stressing that the virus is "still amongst us" and the possibility of it mutating is also there. He also said the government is committed to providing free Covid vaccination for everyone starting June 21.

With 62,480 new coronavirus infections being reported in a day, India's total tally of COVID-19 cases rose to 2,97,62,793, while the death count climbed to 3,83,490 with 1,587 fresh fatalities, the lowest in 61 days, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Friday.

The active cases have fallen below 8 lakh after 73 days and the national COVID-19 recovery rate has crossed 96 per cent.

The active cases have declined to 7,98,656 comprising 2.68 per cent of the total infections, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate has improved to 96.03 per cent, the data updated at 8 am showed.

A net decline of 28,084 cases has been recorded in the COVID-19 caseload in a span of 24 hours.

A total of 19,29,476 tests were conducted on Thursday taking the total cumulative tests conducted so far for detection of COVID-19 in the country to 38,71,67,696.

The daily positivity rate was recorded 3.24 per cent. It has been less than 5 per cent for 11 consecutive days, the ministry said, adding the weekly positivity rate has declined to 3.80 per cent.

Here are the Live Updates on India Coronavirus (Covid-19 Cases) Cases:

Jun 19, 2021 03:50 (IST)
Telangana Cabinet To Meet Today To Take Call On Covid Lockdown
The Telangana Cabinet is scheduled to meet on Saturday to discuss key issues, including the ongoing COVID-19 lockdown, and the effect of monsoon on agriculture, reported news agency ANI.

"An emergency State Cabinet meeting will be held here at Pragati Bhavan on Saturday at 2 pm under the chairmanship of Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao," a state government's release said on Friday.

It said that in the meeting, the Cabinet is expected to discuss matters such as "lockdown in the state, rainfall, cultivation in the Monsoon season, agriculture-related seasonal issues, lifting of Godavari waters, Hydel power generation and other issues would be discussed."

The ongoing lockdown in the state is coming to an end on Saturday. Presently, the cabinet has given relaxation between 6 am to 5 pm during the lockdown and also granted an additional one hour, till 6 pm, for people to reach home from their offices.
Jun 19, 2021 00:54 (IST)
Maharashtra Extends Free Meal Scheme Till July 14 Amid Pandemic
Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Friday extended the state's "Shiv Bhojan" scheme till July 14 amid the coronavirus pandemic and resultant restrictions, officials said, according to news agency PTI. While meals under the scheme used to have a nominal fee earlier, the state government has made it free during the coronavirus-induced restrictions. So far, under the scheme, over 4.70 crore meals have been supplied, an official said, adding that with the increase of 441 centres to distribute meals, the total number of meals across the state per day will go up to 44,300. The number of "Shiv Bhojan" centres stand at 1,043, he added.
Jun 19, 2021 00:39 (IST)

Jun 18, 2021 23:58 (IST)
Mizoram extends lockdown till June 30
The Mizoram government has extended the lockdown with certain relaxations till June 30, a notification said. The ongoing lockdown was scheduled to end on June 21.

Under the new regulations, inter-village movement will be allowed and shops besides those selling essential commodities will be permitted to open on specific days in the Aizawl Municipal Corporation (AMC) area. Deputy commissioners in areas outside AMC jurisdiction can impose restrictions based on the local situation. However, villages or localities cannot announce lockdown, curfew or containment zones on their own, it said. All economic activities will function normally in areas outside AMC jurisdiction.
Jun 18, 2021 23:24 (IST)
California launches digital COVID-19 vaccine pass but won't require it
California officials unveiled a website to access a digital copy of COVID-19 immunization records, though they stressed the US state would not make it mandatory to carry the vaccine credentials. Businesses will be able to verify digital "vaccine cards" by scanning a QR code on them using an app expected to launch this month.

"This is no different from someone's vaccine records," said California State Epidemiologist Dr Erica Pan. "It's an optional tool to use."
Jun 18, 2021 23:07 (IST)
Russia blames vaccine hesitancy as Delta variant drives Moscow surge
The Kremlin blamed a surge in COVID-19 cases on reluctance to have vaccinations and "nihilism" after a record 9,056 new infections in Moscow, mostly with the new Delta variant, fanned fears of a third wave. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin extended restrictions he had imposed this month, which include a ban on events with more than 1,000 people, an 11 pm closing time for restaurants, and the closure of fan zones set up for the European soccer championship.

He had said earlier this week that the situation in the capital, home to 13 million people, was deteriorating rapidly.
Jun 18, 2021 22:43 (IST)
Jun 18, 2021 22:22 (IST)
Zydus Cadila May Seek Emergency Use Approval For COVID-19 Vaccine Next Week: Report
Indian pharmaceutical major Zydus Cadila is likely to apply to the central drugs regulator seeking emergency use authorisation for its COVID-19 vaccine ZyCoV-D next week, official sources said on Friday.
Jun 18, 2021 22:01 (IST)
US scientists develop coating to capture airborne droplets
US scientists said they had developed a sticky wall coating that repurposes ingredients used in hair conditioners to trap aerosolized droplets, and hope it will become another tool in the fight against Covid and other airborne diseases. The substance can be applied to surfaces such as plexiglass dividers to capture respiratory droplets, rather than allowing them to bounce off and remain in circulation.

"Droplets collide with indoor surfaces all the time," said Northwestern University engineering professor Jiaxing Huang, senior author of a paper on the subject that was published Wednesday in the journal Chem.
Jun 18, 2021 21:33 (IST)
Jun 18, 2021 21:14 (IST)
Delhi Police Issues Over 1,650 Challans For Not Wearing Face Masks
Over 1,650 challans were issued to people across Delhi on Thursday for not wearing face masks, the police said, reported news agency PTI.

On Thursday, 1,848 challans were issued for various COVID-19-related violations, they said.

Of these, 1,676 were for not wearing face masks and 172 for violating social distancing rules, said Anil Mittal, Additional PRO (Delhi Police).

According to the data shared from April 19 to June 17, a total of 1,38,348 challans have been issued across the city.
Jun 18, 2021 20:26 (IST)
Coronavirus News: 150 New Cases, Nine Coronavirus Deaths Reported In Rajasthan
Rajasthan reported nine deaths and 150 Covid cases in 24 hours, taking the total number of deaths to 8,884 and infections to 9,50,768, reported news agency PTI.

Udaipur recorded the maximum number of our deaths, 4, while the highest number of cases, 25, was reported from Jaipur.

A total of 9,38,101 COVID-19 patients have recovered so far in Rajasthan while the number of active cases is 3,783, according to an official report.
Jun 18, 2021 19:54 (IST)
Coronavirus News: Jammu And Kashmir Reports 671 Cases, 8 Deaths In 24 Hours
Jammu and Kashmir today recorded 671 fresh coronavirus cases, taking the number of infected persons to 3,10,688, while the death count rose to 4,234 with eight more fatalities, officials said. reported news agency PTI.

Of the fresh cases, 226 were reported from the Jammu division and 445 from the Kashmir division of the union territory, the officials said.

Srinagar district recorded the highest number of 133 cases, followed by Baramulla district (66).
Jun 18, 2021 19:29 (IST)
Tamil Nadu Forms Task Force To Support, Guide Zoo, Sanctuaries On Covid Infection In Animals
The Tamil Nadu government today constituted a state-level task force to provide support and guidance to authorities on prevention and mitigation of Covid infection in wild and captive animals in the tiger reserves, national parks and wildlife sanctuaries and reserve forests in the state, reported news agency PTI.

The move comes after two lions died due to Covid at the Arignar Anna Zoological Park near Chennai recently.
Jun 18, 2021 19:12 (IST)
Coronavirus News: Kerala Logs 11,361 New Covid Cases, 90 Deaths
Kerala today reported 11,361 new coronavirus cases and 90 more deaths, taking the caseload to 27,85,304 and the death count to 11,833, reported news agency PTI.

A total of 12,147 persons recuperated from the disease, taking the number of those cured to 26,65,354.

Currently, there are 1,07,682 persons under treatment, and 4,69,522 under observation of which 27,905 are in isolation wards of various hospitals.

State Health Minister Veena George said 1,11,124 samples were tested in the last 24 hours and the test positivity rate was 10.22 per cent.
Jun 18, 2021 17:58 (IST)
Coronavirus News: Patient With Suspected Black Fungus Infection Flees From Bengal Hospital
A patient suspected of being infected with mucormycosis, commonly known as Black Fungus, allegedly ran away from Siliguri's North Bengal Medical College and Hospital (NBMCH), where she was admitted, hospital authorities said, reported news agency ANI.

The authorities of the hospital, which has been designated as the regional centre for the treatment of Black Fungus cases, said that they had informed the police to trace the woman who had fled the facility on Thursday evening. The woman is from Bengal's Murshidabad district.
Jun 18, 2021 17:16 (IST)
India Sees Off First International Flight With Fully-Vaccinated Crew
From the first Vande Bharat Mission to bring back Indians from abroad amid a pandemic in May last year to the first fully vaccinated international flight flying out of India by Air India Express, it has been a long and uncertain journey for aviation crews but finally, the landing lights are in sight.
Jun 18, 2021 16:55 (IST)
Coronavirus News: Railways Delivers Over 32,000 Tonnes Of Medical Oxygen Across India
The Oxygen Express trains have delivered over 32,000 metric tonnes (MT) of liquid medical oxygen (LMO) across the country, the Ministry of Railways said today, reported news agency ANI.

As many as 444 Oxygen Express trains have completed their journey that brought relief to 15 states. More than 17,700 MT of liquid oxygen has been delivered across the southern states.

Railways has delivered 32,095 MT of LMO in 1,834 tankers across the country, the ministry said.
Jun 18, 2021 16:42 (IST)
Coronavirus News: Delhi Logs 165 Cases In 24 Hours, Positivity Rate At 0.22 Per Cent
Delhi reported 165 new cases of coronavirus in the last 24 hours as the positivity rate dipped to 0.22 per cent, according to a health department bulletin. With 14 deaths in the same period, the overall death count of the national capital has reached 24,900.

There are 2,445 active Covid cases in the city, the lowest since March 15 when there were 2,321 active cases. As many as 698 Covid patients are in home isolation.
Jun 18, 2021 16:19 (IST)
Coronavirus India: Bharat Biotech, WHO To Meet Over Covaxin Emergency Use Listing On June 23
In a major boost for Bharat Biotech, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has accepted its Expression of Interest (EoI) for COVID-19 vaccine Covaxin and scheduled a pre-submission meeting on June 23, a step that will take the vaccine maker closer to a WHO emergency use listing (EUL).

Though the meeting will not be a detailed review on the product, the vaccine maker will have an opportunity to submit a summary on overall quality of the jab, according to the WHO.

Read here.
Jun 18, 2021 15:54 (IST)
Kumbh Fake Covid Test Scam Not From His Term, Says Uttarakhand Chief Minister Tirath Singh Rawat
The scam involving fake Covid tests during the Kumbh Mela in Haridwar took place before he took office, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Tirath Singh Rawat said Thursday while his predecessor Trivendra Singh Rawat demanded a judicial probe into it.
Jun 18, 2021 15:38 (IST)
Coronavirus India: "Covid Not Eradicated Yet," Warns Delhi AIIMS Doctor
Cautioning people about the looming danger, Dr Naveet Wig, Head of the Medicine Department, All India Institute of Medical Science (AIIMS) today said coronavirus has not been eradicated yet and that the virus will keep "changing its colours", reported news agency ANI.

"Virus has not been eradicated, it keeps on changing its colours. Wear a clean mask and do not use an unhygienic mask at all," Dr Wig said.
Jun 18, 2021 15:20 (IST)
302 new COVID-19 cases push Mizoram's tally to 16,437

At least 302 more people tested positive for COVID-19 in Mizoram, taking the tally in the state to 16,437, an official said on Friday.

Aizawl district reported the highest number of fresh cases at 224, followed by Lawngtlai district (33) and Lunglei district (20), he said. The remaining cases were registered in Mamit, Hnahthial, Khawzawl and Kolasib districts.

Sixty-two children are among the new patients, the official said. The fresh cases were detected from 4,395 sample tests for COVID-19, and the single-day positivity ratio stood at 6.87 per cent.

Nine new patients have travel history, he said. Of the 302 coronavirus-positive patients, 174 have developed symptoms of the infection.

Jun 18, 2021 15:11 (IST)
3,806 new COVID-19 cases reported in Odisha

Odisha reported 3,806 new COVID-19 cases on Friday, taking the tally to 8,70,498, a Health Department official said. Thirty-seven more fatalities pushed the deaths to 3,508, he said.

There are 43,338 active cases in the state at present, and 8,23,599 people have recovered. Of the new infections, 2,172 were detected at quarantine centres, while the rest 1,634 were local contact cases.

Khurda district, where state capital Bhubaneswar is located, reported the highest 617 new cases, followed by Cuttack (393) and Jajpur (346). As per the data released by the Health Department, Khurda, Cuttack, Jajpur and Balasore districts were in the "Red Zone" with over 2,500 active cases and a positivity rate of more than 7.5 per cent.
Jun 18, 2021 14:42 (IST)
Jun 18, 2021 13:51 (IST)
29 new cases take COVID-19 tally in Andaman and Nicobar Islands to 7,335

The COVID-19 caseload in Andaman and Nicobar Islands rose to 7,335 as 29 more people tested positive for the disease in the Union Territory, a health department official said on Friday. 

All the new patients were detected during contact tracing, he said. The deaths remained at 127 as no new fatality due to the infection was reported in the last 24 hours, the official said. 

At least 25 more people were cured of the disease during the period, taking the total number of recoveries in the archipelago to 7,104.
Jun 18, 2021 13:26 (IST)
US Issues New Sanctions Guidance Related To COVID-19

The United States on Thursday issued guidance easing the way for delivery of products such as face masks, ventilators and vaccines to combat the coronavirus pandemic to heavily sanctioned countries like Iran, Venezuela and Syria. Read Here
Jun 18, 2021 13:00 (IST)
COVID-19: Over Half Crore People In Maharashtra Fully Vaccinated In 5 Months

More than half a crore people in Maharashtra have become fully vaccinated against coronavirus over the last five months as they have been administered both doses of vaccines, a report by the state health department has revealed. A total of 53,72,219 people have got both doses till now, it said. As per the Election Commission of India''s data shared ahead of the 2019 Assembly polls, there are a total of nine crore people in Maharashtra who are above 18 years of age. Considering that, the state has been able to vaccinate slightly over five per cent population in the last five months.
Jun 18, 2021 12:30 (IST)
Coronavirus: Virus Still Among Us, Can Mutate, Warns PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today launched a customised crash course programme that aims to skill and upskill over one lakh "Covid warriors" across the country. Speaking on the occasion, PM Modi urged the people to remain cautious, stressing that the virus is "still amongst us" and the possibility of it mutating is also there. Read Here
Jun 18, 2021 11:37 (IST)
Jun 18, 2021 10:27 (IST)
Coronavirus News India Reports 62,480 New Covid Infections

Coronavirus Cases Today: India reported 62,480 new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours. Daily recoveries continue to outnumber the daily new cases for the 36th consecutive day as the second wave of infections appear to be ebbing. Read Here
Jun 18, 2021 10:14 (IST)
 A total of 38,7167,696 samples tested up to June 17. Of these, 19,29,476 samples were tested yesterday: Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).

Jun 18, 2021 09:32 (IST)
Coronavirus Latest: India Records 62,480 New Infections, 1,587 Deaths In 24 Hours

India's total tally of COVID-19 cases surged to 2,97,62,793 with 62,480 new infections, while the recoveries have surged to 2,85,80,647, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Friday. The death count increased to 3,83,490 with 1,587 new fatalities, the data updated at 8 am showed. 
Jun 18, 2021 09:10 (IST)
Jun 18, 2021 09:07 (IST)
We demand the Madhya Pradesh government to correct the number of deaths due to COVID-19: Working President MP Congress Jitu Patwari 
Jun 18, 2021 07:13 (IST)
"Urgent Actions Needed": 21 Experts In Lancet On India's Covid Resurgence

A commentary on the website of the medical journal The Lancet authored by 21 people including Biocon's Kiran Mazumdar Shaw and top surgeon Dr Devi Shetty has recommended eight actions to prepare for a possible resurgence of COVID-19 cases in India. Read Here
Jun 18, 2021 07:02 (IST)
Coronavirus LIVE Updates: Active cases below 200 in Noida, Ghaziabad

Gautam Buddh Nagar recorded 14 new COVID-19 cases on Thursday while Ghaziabad had 18 along with one death, as the number of active patients also reached below 200 in both the districts, PTI reported. With this, the overall number of positive cases reached 62,993 in Gautam Buddh Nagar and 55,486 in Ghaziabad, according to Uttar Pradesh's Health Department data for a 24-hour period.
Jun 18, 2021 07:01 (IST)
Coronavirus LIVE Updates: COVID-19 tally in Mizoram crosses 16,000-mark with 236 new cases

The COVID-19 tally in Mizoram crossed the 16,000-mark on Thursday as 236 more people,
including four security personnel and 40 children, tested positive for the disease in the state, an official said. The fresh infections pushed the coronavirus caseload in the northeastern state to 16,135, PTI reported.
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