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Coronavirus News Highlights: India reported 80,834 fresh COVID-19 cases, the lowest after 71 days, while the daily positivity rate further dropped to 4.25 percent, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Sunday. With the fresh cases, the country's tally of cases has climbed to 2,94,39,989. The COVID-19 death toll climbed to 3,70,384 with 3,303 daily deaths, the data updated at 8 am showed. The active cases further declined to 10,26,159 comprising 3.49 percent of the total infections, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate has improved to 95.26 percent. A net decline of 54,531 cases has been recorded in the COVID-19 caseload in a span of 24 hours. Also 19,20,477 tests were conducted on Saturday taking the total cumulative tests conducted so far for detection of COVID-19 in the country to 37,62,32,162 while the daily positivity rate has further dropped to 4.25 percent . It has been less than 10 percent for 20 consecutive days, the ministry said, adding the weekly positivity rate fell below 5 percent and was recorded 4.74 percent.
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A proposal by India and South Africa to temporarily waive patents on COVID-19 vaccines to ensure their equitable access received widespread support at the G7 summit in the UK, the Ministry of External Affairs said on Sunday.
In a virtual address at an inaugural outreach session of the summit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi sought the support of the grouping to lift patent protections for COVID-19 vaccines.
The MEA said Modi''s call was supported by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, WTO Director-General Okonjo Iweala and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.
"I can confirm that there was widespread support in deliberations for text-based negotiations on the India-South Africa proposal for TRIPS waiver at the World Trade Organisation (WTO)," P Harish, additional secretary (economic relations) in the MEA, said at a press conference. (PTI)
A total of 562 black fungus cases have been recorded by the authorities in Bihar so far. The death count due to the disease stood at 76, new agency PTI reported the State Health Department as saying.
The COVID-19 curbs in Haryana have been extended till June 21, but the relaxations have been widened. All shops are allowed to operate till 8 pm daily, with the state ending the odd-even regulation system. Restaurants are allowed to operate till 10 pm.
Maharashtra reported10,442 new COVID-19 cases, 7,504 recoveries and 483 deaths today. The state's total case count has climbed to 59,08,992, which includes 56,39,271 recoveries and 1,11,104 fatalities. The active caseload has dipped to 1,55,588.
The Maharashtra government on June 13 added 2,288 past deaths to the state's overall fatality count. The cumulative death toll has surged to1,11,104.
Karnataka reported7,810 new COVID-19 cases, 18,648 recoveries and 125 deaths in the last 24 hours. The per-day count has dipped as compared to June 12, when 9,785 cases were reported. The active caseload stood at 1,80,835.
The Russian COVID-19 vaccine Sputnik V is expected to be available atIndraprasthaApollo Hospital in Delhi from June 15, news agencyANIreported citing sources. The vaccine was given emergency useauthorisationby the Indian drug regulator in April.
Kerala reports 11,584 new COVID-19 cases, 17,856 recoveries and 206 deaths today.
Active cases: 1,23,003
Total recoveries: 25,93,625
Death toll: 11,181
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Mumbai Congress chief Bhai Jagtap and more than 40 party workers have been booked for violating COVID rules during a protest against rising fuel prices yesterday, saidGoregaon Police, according to news agency ANI.
Sixty people including 25 women taken into custody for attending a rave party organized by an IT employee on the occasion of his birthday during lockdown hours in Telagana's Ranga Reddy district, news agency ANI reported, citing the information received from DCP, Shamshabad.
Delhi records 255 new COVID-19 cases (positivity rate - 0.35%), 376 patient discharges, and 23 deaths in the last 24 hours.
Active cases: 3,466
Total discharges: 14,02,850
Death toll: 24,823
Countries should also avoid giving the Astrazeneca coronavirus vaccine to people over 60, the head of the EU drug regulator's COVID-19 task force was quoted on Sunday as saying, amid fears over rare blood clotting and as more vaccines become available. The European Medicines Agency (EMA) considers the Astrazeneca shot safe for all age groups. However several European Union member states have stopped administering it to people below a certain age, usually ranging from 50 to 65, restricting its use to the older population, due to the rare cases of blood clotting, mainly among young people.
"In a pandemic context, our position was and is that the risk-benefit ratio remains favourable for all age groups," COVID-19 task force chief Marco Cavaleri told the Italian newspaper La Stampa. However, as the number of COVID-19 cases is falling and taking into account that the younger population is less exposed to COVID-19 related risks, Cavaleri said it would be better to use on them COVID-19 vaccines based on messenger RNA (mRNA) technology, such as Moderna and the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines.
Asked whether health authorities should avoid giving the Astrazeneca vaccine to people aged over 60, Cavaleri said: "Yes, and many countries, such as France and Germany, are considering it in the light of greater availability of mRNA vaccines." The Italian government said on Friday it would restrict the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine to people aged over 60, after a teenager who had received the shot died from a rare form of blood clotting.
Like many European countries, Italy briefly halted AstraZeneca inoculations in March over concerns about the rare blood clotting problems. It resumed them the following month with the recommendation that the product be "preferably" used for people over the age of 60, after the EMA said its benefits outweighed any risks.
