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Coronavirus News Highlights: India is witnessing a second wave of COVID-19 pandemic. So far, the country has recorded over 2.62 crore confirmed COVID-19 cases, including 2,95,525 deaths. A total of 2,30,70,365 people have recuperated from COVID-19 so far. There are 29,23,400 active cases in the country as of date, which comprises 11.12 percent of the total caseload, the data stated. India's recovery rate now stands at 87.76 percent. Globally, more than 16.58 crore people have been infected by the coronavirus and 34.38 lakh have died so far. India has begun the third phase of the vaccination drive in which everyone above 18 years of age will be able to get the COVID-19 vaccine. India's regulator has granted restricted emergency use approval for three vaccines -- Covishield, Covaxin and Sputnik V. The cumulative number of COVID-19 vaccine doses administered in India has crossed 19.33 crore, according to the Union Health Ministry.
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Gujarat on Saturday reported 8,445 recoveries against 4,205 new coronavirus positive cases while 54 patients died, the lowest daily fatalities since April 11 this year, the state health department said. With the new additions, Gujarat's tally of cases rose to 7,84,676 and the death toll to 9,523, it said, adding the overall count of recoveries in the state now stands at 6,95,026.
Delhi recorded 2,260 fresh COVID-19 cases and 182 fatalities on Saturday, with the positivity rate in the city slipping to 3.58 per cent, data shared by the health department showed.
This is the lowest daily spike in cases recorded since March 31 (1,819) and the first time that the count has gone below the 3,000-mark since April 1, when 2,790 people tested positive for the viral disease.
COVID-19 negative test report is mandatory for entry from other states, at Karnataka's border. The rule is being implemented in the wake of instructions from central govt.
Kerala on Saturday reported 28,514 fresh COVID-19 cases, taking the caseload to 22,92,091, while 176 deaths pushed the toll to 7,170. Recoveries outnumbered fresh cases with 45,400 people being discharged, taking the total number to 20,25,319, while 2,89,283are undergoing treatment for the infection.
TheJammuand Kashmir administration on Saturday extended the 'Corona curfew' imposed across the union territory in order to contain the spread of coronavirus. The corona curfew, which was supposed to end on May 24, has earlier been given multiple week-long extensions since April 30. The COVID-19-induced curfew in the union territory will now be in place till May 31.
Two doses from either the Oxford/AstraZeneca or the Pfizer vaccine are over 80 per cent effective in preventing infection from the B1.617.2 variant of COVID-19, first discovered in India, a new UK government study has reportedly found.
The Oxford/AstraZeneca two-dose vaccine is also being produced by the Serum Institute of India as Covishield and being administered among the adult population in India to protect against the deadly virus.
A 55-year-old man who recovered from COVID-19 in Jabalpur has been detected with the white fungus or Aspergillu Flavus infection, making him the first to have the ailment in Madhya Pradesh, a health official said on Saturday.
The man was operated on May 17 after his headache and eye pain did not subside, and a test on Friday detected the white fungus infection in his nose, Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Medical College's ENT Department head Dr Kavita Sachdeva told PTI over phone.
An experts' committee formed by the Goa government has recommended that lactating mothers be vaccinated on a priority considering the possibility of a 'third wave' of coronavirus pandemic which doctors believe might affect children the most among other age groups.
Goa Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) dean Dr Shivanand Bandekar, who heads the committee, said transmission of coronavirus might be transmitted from infected mothers to children during the third wave.
“Lactating mothers with children below two years and the mothers with comorbidities should be given a priority in the vaccination,” he told reporters after attending the meeting of the panel.
The administration in Maharashtra's Raigad district has established a task force to take care of children who have lost their parents to coronavirus, an official said on Saturday. As directed by Collector Nidhi Choudhary, when COVID-19 patients are admitted to hospitals, medical officers who are present at the time have to get a form filled from them regarding the custody of their children in the event of their death, the official said. (PTI)
Odisha reported 11,108 new COVID-19 cases and 26 more deaths, a HealthDepartment official said today. The new cases were detected after testing 60,759samples yesterday, taking the day's positive rate to 18.28 percent.So far, the state has reported 6,79,530 COVID-19 cases and 2,456 deaths, the official said. There are 1,09,639 active cases in the state atpresent. A total of 10,881 patients recovered on the day, taking the totalnumber of recoveries to 5,67,382. (PTI)
India is suffering a coronavirus catastrophe with millions of infections and nearly 300,000 dead but it is likely to have a limited impact on the political fortunes of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Here's why.Canada has extended the ban on direct flights from India and Pakistan by one more month until June 21 in a bid to arrest the spread of new variants of the COVID-19, according to an official announcement. The ban on flights from India and Pakistan was extended as the previous 30-day ban, first imposed on April 22, was set to expire on Saturday, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) News reported. Cargo flights, however, will be permitted in order to maintain shipments of essential supplies, such as vaccines and personal protective equipment, it said yesterday.
