Coronavirus News Highlights: India requests European nations to allow entry to people who have taken Covishield/ Covaxin shots

Coronavirus LIVE Updates | Jharkhand issues new COVID-19 restriction guidelines to be effective from July 1

The Jharkhand government has issued new COVID-19 restriction guidelines that would be effective from July 1. All shops have been allowed to remain open till 8 pm. Cinema halls, bars, restaurants, and multiplexes have also been allowed to open, but with a 50 percent cap on seating. Stadiums, gyms, and parks will open; banquet halls and community halls will also open but with a 50-persons limit.

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Manish Tripathi, prime accused in Mumbai COVID-19 vaccination scam, has been sent to police custody till July 4.

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India requests European Union member states to individually consider allowing persons who have taken COVID-19 vaccines in India -- Covishield and Covaxin – for non-essential travel and accept the vaccination certificate issued through the CoWIN portal.

Coronavirus LIVE Updates | Kochi Metro rail services to resume after 53 days of lockdown

After 53 days of lockdown, Kochi Metro Rail Limited (KMRL) is set to resume the metro train services from 1st July onwards strictly adhering to COVID-19 guidelines and protocols.

Initially, train services will resume from 08:00 hrs to 20:00 hrs with a headway of 10 mins during peak hours and 15 mins during non-peak hours, KMRL said on June 30.

The announcement comes even as Kerala reported over 13,000 COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours.

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We have exported 60 million doses between January and February which is perhaps more than any other country. Then the second wave hit us & the focus shifted to the Indian population because it was needed then: Adar Poonawalla, CEO, Serum Institute India at India Global Forum

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Due to a shortage, of course, there was always going to be a situation where countries will have to wait for some of the nations which could afford the COVID-19 vaccine. That is exactly where COVAX plays a role and we had in fact started to export a lot of doses from India: Adar Poonawalla

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Tamil Nadu reports 4,506 new COVID-19 cases, 5,537 recoveries, and 113 deaths on June 30. Active cases stand at 38,191, total recoveries at 24,08,886, and the death toll at 32,619.

Coronavirus LIVE Updates | No case of Delta plus variant of COVID-19 in Delhi so far: Health minister Satyendar Jain

Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain on Wednesday said the national capital has not reported any case of Delta plus variant of COVID-19 so far, adding that there is no communication from the Centre to make any special arrangement to deal with it.He said a genome sequencing lab to detect the variants of coronavirus will become operational at Lok Nayak Hospital within a week.Another such lab is beingcreated atthe Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences, he said."There are several variants of coronavirus, but there are only two ways to protect yourselfagainst it -- get vaccinated and use masks. There is no separate communication from the Centre to make special preparations for the Delta plus variant. Also, Delhi has not reported any such cases so far," Jain told reporters.He said the Delhi government is in the process of increasing hospital beds to accommodate 37,000 cases a day in caseof a third wave.The Delhi government has already installed 32Pressure Swing Adsorption(PSA) oxygen generationplants with a totalcapacity of 29.77 metric tonnes (MT).Three liquid medical oxygen storage tanks with a cumulative capacity of 171 MT have also been installed. (PTI)

Coronavirus LIVE Updates | Centre seeks report from West Bengal govt on dubious COVID-19 vaccination camps

The Union Health Ministry has asked the West Bengal government to inquire into instances of COVID-19 vaccination camps being organised allegedly by unauthorised people in some areas of Kolkata and submit a report in the next two days.Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan has written toHari Krishna Dwivedi, Chief Secretary of West Bengal, on June29, seekinga factual report on the matter.

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Coronavirus LIVE Updates | Adar Poonawalla:

CEO, SII at India Global Forum: I don't think things have gone that wrong. Billions of vaccines are needed to meet global capacity. All vaccine manufacturers in the world are collaborating, there is no other way. We're ramping up, others are ramping up.

Coronavirus LIVE Updates | India believes there is urgent need for major reforms in WHO: Health Minister Harsh Vardhan

India believes there is an urgent need for carrying out "major reforms" in the World Health Organization to ensure a timely, focused and effective response to potential future pandemics, Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan said on Wednesday.Speaking at a meeting of the health ministers of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) countries through video-conference, he said the global crisis arising out of COVID-19 pandemic is further compounded by ever-evolving new variants of the virus, and highlighted the need for greater collaboration between countries on various aspects of health to defeat it, a Health Ministry statement said.

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Coronavirus LIVE Updates | Kerala witnesses 13, 658 fresh COVID-19 cases, 142 deaths

Kerala on Wednesday logged 13,658 fresh COVID-19 cases and 142 deaths, pushing the tally to 29,24,165 and 13,235 respectively Among the new cases, 67 were health workers.As many as 11,808 people have been cured, taking the total recoveries to 28,09,587 while the active cases touched 1,00,881, the State Health Department said in a bulletin.In the last 24 hours, 1,40,727 samples were tested and the test positivity rate (TPR) was 9.71 percent.

Coronavirus LIVE Updates | Graveyard managers in Delhi preparing for possible third wave of COVID-19

Having seen 'the worst in our life' during the second wave of COVID-19, graveyard managers in Delhi are praying to god to avoid a possible third wave, and at the same are preparing for any eventuality with a focus on adequate availability of land for burials.The second wave of COVID-19 triggered an unprecedented rush at graveyards and crematoriums in the city, causing space crunch.At theAgleIslam graveyard at Delhi Gate, a member of its management committee,Qayamuddin, says, 'We saw the worst in our life in the past two months and attended up to 25-28 bodies a day on several days. I pray to the god to stop the third wavefrom striking.' The sprawling graveyard faced the risk of running out of space for burials during the second wave, said another member of the committee,MashqoorRashid.Rashid claimed over 1,500 bodies, mostly COVID-19 victims, were buried there in the last two months.'What can we do if the third wave strikes? We can only pray. But we also have space for burial for 250-300 bodies on the space we have created,' Rashid said.

Coronavirus LIVE Updates | Puducherry govt extends lockdown till July 15

The territorial government announced on Wednesday that the lockdown which was to end on the midnight of June 30 has been extended till midnight of July 15 to contain the spread ofCovid.An order issued byAshokKumar Secretary (Relief and Rehabilitation), who is the member-secretary of the State executive committee, announced the extension.The curfew would be in force without any change from 10 pm to 5am the next day.The order prohibited opening of cinemas,theatresand multiplexes.

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Coronavirus LIVE Updates | Jharkhand Health Minister Banna Gupta writes to PM Modi, requesting him to award Bharat Ratna to scientists who manufactured the indigenous COVID-19 vaccines

Coronavirus LIVE Updates | Over 2,000 children in Delhi lost either one or both parents to COVID-19: Survey

Over 2,000 children in the city have lost either one or both their parents due to the coronavirus infection, with 67 of them losing both their parents, since the pandemic outbreak in March last year, says a survey conducted by theDCPCR.According to the survey carried out by the Delhi Commission For Protection of Child Rights (DCPCR), a total of 651 children lost their mothers and 1,311 children lost their fathers to the infection.The Delhi government has planned to give Rs 2,500 per month to such children.TheDCPCRhad also launched an all-day functional helpline number -- 9311551393 -- for citizens to report any such case or seek any information pertaining to child rights.An official statement said the Commission has used its helpline to undertake various well-being surveys and identification of children who have lost their parents due to COVID-19 using data provided by the Delhi government’s health department."The Commission has been able to trace more than 2,029 children who have lost either one or both their parents due toCovid. Of these, 67 children are those who have lost both their parents, whereas 651 children have lost their mothers and 1,311 their fathers due to the disease," it said.

Coronavirus LIVE Updates | Odisha govt continues partial lockdown in the state till July 16

Partial lockdown to continue inOdishatill July 16th. 20 districts of the state, having a positivityrate of less than 5% will have no weekend shutdown, only night curfew from 6pm to 6am will continue: Chief Secretary Suresh ChandraMahapatra

Coronavirus LIVE Updates | Russia hits record death toll for 2nd day in row

Coronavirus deaths in Russia hit a record for the second day in a row on Wednesday, with the authorities reporting 669 new deaths, the highest daily tally in the pandemic.The previous record, of 652 new deaths, was registered on Tuesday.Russia has struggled to cope with a surge in infections and deaths in recent weeks that comes amid rather slow vaccination rates.Russia's state coronavirus task force recorded has been registering over 20,000 new coronavirus cases and around 600 deaths every day since last Thursday. On Wednesday, 21,042 new contagions were recorded.Russian officials have blamed the surge, which started in early June, on Russians' lax attitude toward taking necessary precautions, growing prevalence of more infectious variants and laggard vaccination rates. Although Russia was among the first countries to announce and deploy a coronavirus vaccine, just over 15 per cent of the population has received at least one shot.Russia's coronavirus task force has reported more than 5.5 million confirmed coronavirus cases in the pandemic and 135,214 deaths.

Coronavirus LIVE Updates | COVID-19 myths vs facts: Doctors, health experts dispel rumours about SARS-CoV-2 in children

After the second wave of the coronavirus pandemic left the country in tatters with more than one lakh COVID-19 deaths recorded in two months, several sections of the media began raising questions about the vulnerability of children to get adversely impacted by COVID-19 during subsequent waves, if any.Though the Government of India has been continually emphasising the need for COVID-19 appropriate behaviour, vaccination, and test, track, treat, to contain the pandemic, it has brought in experts several times since then to allay all other fears and apprehensions (related to the vulnerability of children).

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Coronavirus LIVE Updates | Cabinet approves Rs 6.29-lakh cr COVID-19 relief package announced by FM

The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved the Rs 6.29-lakh crore relief package announced by Finance MinisterNirmalaSitharamanto support the pandemic-hit economy.This was informed by Information and Broadcasting MinisterPrakashJavadekarafter the Cabinet meeting.As part of the package to support the COVID-19 pandemic-hit economy,Sitharamanhad on Monday announced Rs 1.5 lakh crore of additional credit for small and medium businesses, more funds for the healthcare sector, loans to tourism agencies and guides, and waiver of visa fee for foreign tourists.Together with previously announced Rs 93,869-crore spending on providing freefoodgrainsto the poor till November and additional Rs 14,775 crorefertilisersubsidy, the stimulus package, which is mostly made up of government guarantee to banks andmicrofinanceinstitutions for loans they extend to COVID-19-hit sectors,totalledup to Rs 6.29 lakh crore.The finance minister provided Rs 23,220 crore of additional funding to set up children andpaediatriccare at hospitals to prepare healthcare infrastructure to deal with any emergency arising due to COVID-19 wave hitting children.

Coronavirus LIVE Updates | Vaccines do not cause infertility and are safe for all lactating women says government

Dispelling reports and rumours surrounding infertility caused due to COVID-19 vaccines, the government has clarified that getting the jab does not cause any such side effects.It also said that the vaccines are safe for all lactating women.According to the government, none of the vaccines currently available in India causes fertility-related issues in men or women, since allvaccines and their constituents are tested first on animals and later in humans to assess if they have any such side effects.

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In an affidavit submitted to the Bombay High Court, Maharashtra government says it would not wait for the Centre’s nod and proceed with implementing door-to-door vaccination from Pune on an experimental basis first.

Coronavirus LIVE Updates | Odisha halts vaccination drive in 11 districts due to ''shortage'' of Covishield doses

TheOdishagovernment on Wednesday stopped the COVID-19 vaccination drive in 11 districts due to an "acute shortage" ofCovishielddoses, officials said. The inoculation exercise was temporarily halted during the day inAngul,Bolangir,Balasore,Bhadrak,Dhenkanal,Ganjam,Jajpur,Jharsuguda,Kendrapara,KoraputandSonepur, they said.The authorities were administering over 3 lakh doses of the vaccines to eligible beneficiaries every day since June 21 after Chief MinisterNaveenPatnaikhad asked officials to accelerate the inoculation process before the possible third wave of COVID-19.But, the health department was able to give only 1.18 lakh jabs on Tuesday, an official said.Covaxinis being administered to people in theBhubaneswarMunicipal Corporation area, whileCovishieldvaccine is being used in other parts of the state."On Tuesday, no vaccination drive was conducted inKendraparaandBalasore. Today, the authorities stopped theimmunisationprogrammein 11 districts due to the acute shortage of doses. The state has a stock of 38,380 vials ofCovishieldtill this morning, and the next allocation is likely to be made on July 2," another health department official said.

Coronavirus LIVE Updates | Vladimir Putin Says He Received Russia's Sputnik V Vaccine Against COVID-19

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday he had received Russia's Sputnik V vaccine against COVID-19 earlier this year after previously declining to disclose which vaccine he had taken.Putin, 68, received two vaccine shots against COVID-19 in March and April, the Kremlin has said. Authorities did not publish video footage of him being inoculated.

Coronavirus LIVE Updates | West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee: 

We got 1.99 crores vaccine doses and we have administered 1.90 crore doses. Today we don't have vaccines so we are giving only second dose in Kolkata. States that are smaller than West Bengal have got more vaccine doses than us.

Coronavirus LIVE Updates | Delhi reports 94 new cases, 6 deaths, and 240 recoveries in the last 24 hours; positivity rate at 0.12%

Coronavirus LIVE Updates | AstraZeneca partners with Docon to digitise 1,000 clincs across India

Biopharmaceutical companyAstraZenecaIndia (AstraZenecaPharmaIndia Limited) on Wednesday announced that it has signed a memorandum of understanding withBengaluru-basedhealth startup,DoconTechnologies, fordigitising1,000 clinics across India. Under the partnership,Doconwill equip the identified clinics withcustomisedElectronic Medical Record (EMR) systems enabling clinicians to access complete patient history, a joint statement said. "Thiswillgoa long way in helping the clinical community better treat chronic patients and manage long-term complications of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) like diabetes and cardiovascular diseases'', it said. Towards reaching the 1,000 clinics goal in 2021, on ground identification and support has been placed in 30 cities. (PTI)

Coronavirus LIVE Updates | Centre seeks report from West Bengal govt on dubious Covid vaccination camps

The Union Health Ministry has asked the West Bengal government to inquire into instances of COVID-19 vaccination camps being organised allegedly by unauthorised people in some areas of Kolkata and submit a report in the next two days. Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan has written to Hari Krishna Dwivedi, Chief Secretary of West Bengal, seeking a factual report on the matter. Bhushan referred to a letter written to Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan by Suvendu Adhikari, Leader of Opposition in West Bengal, on June 25 in which attention has been drawn to the instances of COVID-19 vaccination camps being organised allegedly by unauthorised people.

It is also pointed out that in some of these camps, and notably in Kasba locality of Kolkata Municipal area, none of the beneficiaries have received any vaccination certificates generated from Co-WIN, giving rise to apprehensions about the genuineness of these vaccination camps, Bhushan said in his letter. He said as per the guidelines, all vaccination sessions for COVID-19 have to be organised through the Co-WIN portal and all vaccinations too have to be recorded on Co-WIN.

Also vaccination certificates are generated from Co-WIN after the vaccination events are successfully recorded by the vaccinators and that, these certificates are then given to the beneficiaries in digital or physical form, he said in the letter. The Centre has also advised states from time to time that vaccination certificates must be issued to beneficiaries. "Non-issuance of these certificates therefore does lead to apprehension of ''fake'' vaccination camps and also raises doubts on contents of injections delivered in such camps. Such instances, if not promptly enquired into and suitably addressed, may also lead to the possibility of their recurrence," Bhushan said.

"it is requested that the matter may be urgently enquired into and the factual position about the serious allegations raised in the letter referred to above, clarified immediately and that, suitable and strict action may be taken in the matter, if necessary. It is also requested that a factual report on the matter may be sent to this ministry in the next two days," he said.

Coronavirus LIVE Updates | 4 special centres for vaccinating delivery agents in Delhi

Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia Wednesday said the Delhi government has set up four special COVID-19 vaccination centres to inoculate food and e commerce delivery agents. "It is very important to protect delivery agents of services such as Zomato, Swiggy and Amazon against Coronavirus. These people deliver our food or other articles to us daily," he said in a tweet in Hindi.

Sisodia said the city government has started four special vaccination centres to vaccinate such people. Delhi has administered around 75 lakh doses since the vaccination exercise started on January 16. Around 17 lakh people in the capital have received both the doses. On Tuesday, 2.04 lakh people got vaccinated against Coronavirus. The highest single-day vaccination -- 2.07 lakh -- was reported on Saturday.

Coronavirus LIVE Updates | Second Covid wave derailed hospitality industry recovery: ICRA

The second wave of the coronavirus pandemic has derailed the recovery of the hospitality industry, which is now expected to return to pre-Covid levels only in 2023-24, according to ratings agency ICRA. Since mid-April, the industry has been affected by the pandemic-related lockdowns/restrictions on mobility by various states and increased wariness to travel due to fear of infection contagion, ICRA said in statement.

Consequently, recovery to pre-Covid levels has now been pushed back by 6-8 months from previous estimates. The revenue recovery to pre-Covid levels is currently expected by FY2024, it added. The industry was impacted in the first quarter of the ongoing fiscal after two quarters of sequential recovery witnessed in the third and fourth quarter of the previous fiscal, it added.

Commenting on the scenario, ICRA Sector Head and Assistant Vice President Vinutaa S said the intensity of ''Covid 2.0'' has been far steeper than the first and it has put a temporary brake on the industry''s recovery path. "We expect a significant scale back in FY2022 pan-India RevPAR (Revenue per available room) estimates to Rs 1,300-Rs 1,500, from an earlier estimated RevPAR of about Rs 2,500. FY2022 RevPAR is likely to be at a 60-65 per cent discount to pre-Covid levels," Vinutaa added.

Although this will be an improvement from the low base of FY2021, the pandemic timelines pose downside risks to the estimates. The situation is still evolving and remains contingent on the pace of vaccination, efficacy of vaccines, high infection rates and possibility of a third Covid wave. "We expect a long road to recovery, with the revenue recovery to pre-Covid levels expected only by FY2024. ICRA continues to maintain a negative credit outlook on the sector," Vinutaa said. ICRA said the pick-up in demand in the second half of 2020-21 was largely led by leisure travel, ''staycations'', wedding MICE and higher F&B revenues. Some business travel in specific sectors also aided recovery.

However, with demand and occupancy declining severely in Q1 FY2022 due to cancellation of several events, travel restrictions, revenues are expected to witness a drop of 50-55 per cent quarter-on-quarter basis, although the decline would be lower than Q1 FY2021, which was marred by the pan-India complete lockdown, it said.

Coronavirus LIVE Updates | COVID tourism impact could top $4 trillion: UN

The economic impact from the plunge in tourism since the pandemic emerged last year could top $4 trillion, a UN report said Wednesday. The joint report by the UN's World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) found that the lack of widespread vaccination in developing countries was leading to mounting economic losses.

"Tourism is a lifeline for millions, and advancing vaccination to protect communities and support tourism's safe restart is critical to the recovery of jobs and generation of much-needed resources," UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili said in a statement. He noted that many developing countries are highly dependent on international tourism.

The outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic brought international air travel to a near halt for much of last year as many countries refused to allow non-essential travel. That punched a $2.4 trillion hole in the tourism and related sectors last year, and the report warns a similar loss may occur this year depending on the distribution of COVID-19 vaccines.

Coronavirus LIVE Updates | Mixing AztraZeneca and Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines produces strong immune response: Study

Alternating doses of theOxford-AstraZenecaandPfizer-BioNTechvaccines generate robust immune response against COVID-19, according to a study led byresearchers from the University of Oxford in the UK.The yet-to-be-published study found that both mixed schedules -- Pfizer followed byAstraZeneca, and vice versa -- induced high concentrations of antibodies against the SARS-CoV2 spike protein when doses were administered four weeks apart.

The spike protein helps the virus to infect and enter the human cells, and current vaccines are targeted against it.The findings, posted on The Lancet pre-print server on June 25, suggest all possible vaccination schedules involving theAstraZenecavaccine, known asCovishieldin India, and Pfizer preventive could potentially be used against COVID-19.

The study evaluated mix and match combinations of the two vaccines to see to what extent these preventives can be used interchangeably, potentially allowing flexibility in global vaccine roll-out.The researchers enrolled 830 participants, including 463 who were given a second dose at an interval of 28 days.The mean age of the participants was 57.8 years, 45.8 per cent were female, and 25.3 per cent were from ethnic minorities.

"The results show that when given at a four-week interval both mixed schedules induce an immune response that is above the threshold set by the standard schedule of theAstraZenecavaccine," said Professor MatthewSnape, Associate Professor inPaediatricsandVaccinologyat the University of Oxford.The researchers noted that anAstraZeneca/Pfizer schedule induced higher antibodies and T-cell responses than a Pfizer dose followed byAstraZeneca.

Coronavirus LIVE Updates | COVID-19 third wave likely to be less severe for Mumbai, 80% population already exposed: Tata Institute study

A new study has found that 80 percent of Mumbai's population has already been exposed to COVID-19 and thus the impact of the probable third wave is unlikely to be as devastating as the second wave. The study conducted by the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR), however, said that a large number of infections may be reported if cases of reinfections spike due to decaying antibodies or if a variant in the virus is able to break through the immune response.

The study estimates that about 80 percent of Mumbai’s population has been exposed to COVID-19 until June 1. This includes 90 percent of the population in slums and 70 percent in non-slums areas. "Mechanisms need to be in place that can continuously measure the emergence of reinfections and variants that can break through existing immunity, including immunity provided through vaccines,” the report said, as quoted by the Indian Express.

The study, headed by Dr Sandeep Juneja, dean of TIFR's school of technology and computer science, found that if vaccination coverage is extensive in June, July, and August and the vaccine is 75-95 percent effective “the (Covid) wave will be barely noticeable even by September”. The report also noted that during the second wave of COVID-19, Mumbai recorded the highest single-day spike of 11,202 coronavirus patients.

While Delhi and Bengaluru saw a peak of 28,000 COVID-19 cases and 25,000 Covid-19 cases, respectively. Meanwhile, the COVID-19 cases in Mumbai have dropped significantly over the last few weeks. The city reported 562 new coronavirus infections, the fifth instance of under-600 case count this month, and 12 fresh fatalities on June 29.

Mumbai has a COVID-19 recovery rate of 96 percent, while the average growth rate of cases between June 22 and June 28 was 0.9 percent, the BMC said. The city had reported the highest-ever 11,163 COVID-19 cases on April 4, while the most deaths in a day during the second wave - at 90 - were recorded on May 1.

Coronavirus LIVE Updates | Bharat Biotech says hasn't got advance payment nor supplied jabs to Brazil

Indian drugmaker Bharat Biotech on June 30 said it had not received an advance payment nor supplied coronavirus vaccines to the Brazilian government, which suspended the $324-million deal following a firestorm of allegations of graft. The company followed the procedure laid down globally for procurement of vaccines by governments, the Hyderabad-based vaccine-maker said in response to reports of “serious accusations” of irregularities.

"During the past few weeks, there have been reports in the media at large misrepresenting the procurement process of Covaxin in Brazil and other countries," the company said. The deal has become the latest problem for Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro who faces elections next years and is under fire for mishandling the coronavirus outbreak in the country, where 500,000 people have died of COVID.

Bolsonaro and his health minister Marcelo Queiroga have denied allegations of wrongdoing. An investigation is underway. The company said that in the case of procurement of Covaxin by the ministry of health (MOH) Brazil, since the first meetings with MOH Brazil during Nov 2020, until June 29 2021, a step by step approach was followed towards contracts and regulatory approvals.

"The emergency use authorisation (EUA) received on June 4, 2021. As of 29th June 2021, Bharat Biotech has not received any advance payments nor supplied any vaccines to MOH Brazil," the company said. “Bharat Biotech has followed a similar approach towards contracts, regulatory approvals and supplies in several countries worldwide, where Covaxin is being supplied successfully.

Coronavirus LIVE Updates | Stop political rallies being held amid COVID-19 pandemic: Bombay HC to Maha govt

The Bombay High Court on Wednesday said the Maharashtra government must stop any political rally, which flouted COVID-19 protocols, from being carried out in the state amid the ongoing pandemic. A bench of Chief Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice G S Kulkarni asked how such rallies, including one held earlier this month over the name of an upcoming airport in neighbouring Navi Mumbai, were allowed when the state government had prohibited large gatherings to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

The bench said if the state is unable to prevent such incidents in future, the court will have to step in and prohibit any such political rally. ''You (Maharashtra government) will have to activate your machinery to stop any political rallies defying COVID-19 protocols,'' the HC told state Advocate General Ashutosh Kumbhakoni. ''If you can't handle it, let it be done by the court. We will not allow this to happen. We are shutting down courts, we are not being able to work at full strength (to comply with protocols and restrictions imposed by the state in view of the pandemic) and yet, these political leaders are organising rallies?'' the HC said.

Last week, thousands of people staged a protest in CBD Belapur area demanding that the under-construction Navi Mumbai international airport be named after late D B Patil, a local leader. They asked for nixing of the decision to name the airport after late Shiv Sena supremo Bal Thackeray. Referring to the protest rally, the high court said the airport is not even ready yet, but people are already organising rallies over its potential name just for political benefits. ''We thought there will be a maximum of 5,000 people. It turned out there were 25,000 people (in the rally). Can it not wait till COVID-19 is over?'' the HC asked.

The court further asked if holding political rallies for gaining ''mileage'' was more important than preventing the spread of the coronavirus infection. ''There are rallies in the state for Maratha reservation. The issue is pending before the Supreme Court. Why can't politicians go to the electorate and say the issue is pending before court?'' the HC sought to know. What is the state government going to do to prevent such rallies in future, the court asked. The HC raised the questions while hearing a bunch of public interest litigations (PILs) on managing resources for preventing and treating COVID-19 and the state's preparedness for a possible third wave of the pandemic. It will continue hearing the PILs next week.

Coronavirus LIVE Updates | South Africa's latest COVID-19 lockdown puts spotlight back on vaccination failures

South Africa is in the grip of another resurgence of COVID-19. Gauteng province, the country’s economic hub, where 25 per cent of the population live, is the epicentre. But infection rates are expected to rise in other major provinces as well. To ease pressure on the health system and slow the rate of transmission, President Cyril Ramaphosa recently announced tighter lockdown restrictions.

Shabir Madhi is the director of the South African Medical Research Council Vaccines and Infectious Diseases Analytics Research Unit and co-founder and co-director of the African Leadership Initiative for Vaccinology Expertise at the University of the Witwatersrand. He spoke to The Conversation Africa to shed some light on South Africa’s situation.

Based on the limited sequencing that’s been done, it appears that the Delta variant has emerged as the dominant variant in the latest resurgence. According to the latest research, it is much more transmissible and possibly also more virulent compared to previous variants. The previous COVID-19 resurgence, which peaked in January 2021, was dominated by the Beta variant. The current resurgence in South Africa differs by province, and even within a particular province. Gauteng, the country’s economic hub and one of nine provinces, is probably two to three weeks ahead of what will likely be experienced particularly in the Western Cape, Eastern Cape and Kwazulu Natal provinces.

Coronavirus LIVE Updates | DGCA extends ban on international flights till July 31

The DGCA has extended the ban on scheduled international flights till July 31. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said the ban on international commercial passenger flights, which was to end on June 30, will remain in place till July 31, 2021. "In partial modification of circular dated 26-06-2020, the competent authority has further extended the validity of circular issued on the subject cited above regarding Scheduled International commercial passenger services to/from India till 2359 hrs 1ST of 31st July, 2021," the DGCA circular said.

However, the restriction will not apply to international all-cargo operations flights that have been approved by DGCA. It also said that international scheduled flights may be allowed on selected routes by the competent authority on case to case basis. Scheduled passenger international flights were first banned in March 2020 due to COVID-19 pandemic. While domestic flights resumed in May, international travel remained suspended as COVID-19 cases remained at high levels.

The DGCA has since March 2020 extended the ban on international flights multiple times. India has initially started Vande Bharat Mission repatriation exercise that allowed Indian nationals to get back home. Later, air travel bubbles were introduced. However, international travel remains muted worldwide as new variants of COVID-19 continue to emerge.

Coronavirus LIVE Updates | Moderna receives emergency use authorisation in India, NITI Aayog confirms

NITI Aayog member (Health) Dr VK Paul confirmed on June 29 that the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine has received emergency use authorisation from the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI). With this official confirmation, Moderna becomes the fourth coronavirus vaccine to receive emergency use authorisation in India. Dr VK Paul said: "An application received from Moderna through an Indian partner has received emergency use authorisation. This potentially opens up the likelihood of the vaccine being imported in the near future. This will be the fourth vaccine."

“There are now four vaccines in India -- Covaxin, Covishield, Sputnik V, and Moderna. We will soon close the deal on Pfizer as well,” the NITI Aayog member added. Dr Paul added further said: “Moderna is coming as a ready-to-inject vaccine. We hope we manufacture the vaccine in India in the future. This vaccine needs to be kept in minus 20 degree temperature for seven-month long-term storage; normal cold chain storage will suffice if it is kept for a 30-day period.”

He also assured that all the four COVID-19 vaccines are safe for lactating mothers and that vaccines have no association with infertility. This development comes shortly after pharmaceutical company Cipla received a regulatory nod from the DCGI to import the COVID-19 vaccine developed by United States-based biotechnology company Moderna Inc. Notably, Moderna is similar to the anti-COVID-19 jab co-developed by US pharmaceutical giant Pfizer and is an mRNA vaccine. It is based on a two-dose regimen; both shots need to be administered at a gap of 28 days. The Moderna vaccine has demonstrated an efficacy of 90 percent.

Coronavirus LIVE Updates | Sun Pharma, Cipla and others partner to conduct trials of COVID-19 antiviral drug Molnupiravir

In a first of kind its initiative, five large Indian pharmaceutical companies Cipla, Dr Reddy's, Emcure, Sun Pharma and Torrent Pharma have joined hands to conduct clinical trials of COVID-19 oral antiviral drug Molnupiravir for the treatment of mild COVID-19 in an outpatient setting in India. As per the directive of the Subject Expert Committee (SEC) of the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization, Dr.Reddy’s will conduct the clinical trial using its product, and the other four pharma companies will be required to demonstrate equivalence of their product to the product used by Dr. Reddy’s in its clinical trial.

The parties will jointly sponsor, supervise and monitor the clinical trial in India. Following the clinical trial protocol approval given by the Drugs Controller General of India, the clinical trial will be conducted for the treatment of mild COVID-19 in an outpatient setting. It is expected to take place between June and September this year across India with the recruitment of 1,200 patients.

Between March and April this year, these five pharma companies had individually entered into a non-exclusive voluntary licensing agreement with Merck Sharpe Dohme (MSD) to manufacture and supply Molnupiravir to India and over 100 low and middle-income countries (LMICs). "Such collaboration for a clinical trial is a first of its kind within the Indian pharma industry, and will aim to investigate yet another line of treatment in the collective fight against the COVID-19 pandemic," the five companies said in a joint statement.

On successful completion of the clinical trial, each company will independently approach the regulatory authorities for approval to manufacture and supply Molnupiravir for the treatment of COVID-19 in India. Molnupiravir is an oral anti-viral that inhibits the replication of multiple RNA viruses including SARS-CoV-2. It is presently being studied by MSD (Called as Merck in US), through a collaboration with Ridgeback Biotherapeutics, in a Phase III trial for the treatment of non-hospitalized patients with confirmed COVID-19 globally.

Coronavirus LIVE Updates | Maharashtra to start home vaccination for bedridden people on trial basis; won't wait for Centre's nod: Govt to Bombay HC

The Maharashtra government on June 30 told the Bombay High Court that it would soon start home vaccination against COVID-19 for people who are immobile or bedridden on an experimental basis, and would not wait for an approval from the Centre. State Advocate General Ashutosh Kumbhakoni told a division bench of Chief Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice G S Kulkarni that home vaccination on a trial and experimental basis would be introduced in Pune district first.

''We will not refer the proposal to start home vaccination to the Centre for approval. We (state government) will take our own decision. We will explore this possibility (home vaccination) on a trial basis in Pune district,'' Kumbhakoni said. The state government on Tuesday filed an affidavit in the HC, saying there would be conditions imposed, like taking a written consent from the beneficiary's family and a certificate from the family doctor taking responsibility in case of any adverse reaction to the vaccine.

The HC on Wednesday said the condition asking for a certificate from a doctor was "impractical". ''We hope and trust that you (government) won't insist on a doctor to certify. How can a doctor take responsibility? Do not put such an impractical condition,'' Chief Justice Datta said.

Coronavirus LIVE Updates | Supreme Court gives Centre 6 weeks to frame guidelines on ex-gratia compensation for COVID-19 deaths

The Supreme Court has directed the Centre to frame guidelines on compensation for families of those who died due to COVID-19. A bench comprising Justices Ashok Bhushan and MR Shah directed the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) to frame guidelines on the ex-gratia compensation within six weeks. The bench had delivered the verdict in the cases Gaurav Kumar Bansal vs Union of India and Reepak Kansal vs Union of India and others.

Coronavirus LIVE Updates | Serum Institute applied for marketing approval of Covishield jab in Europe: Sources

Serum Institute of India (SII) has applied for marketing authorisation of its COVID-19 vaccine Covishield in the European Union through its partner AstraZeneca, sources told Moneycontrol. The source declined to share specific details on when SII-AstraZeneca has sought marketing approval in the EU, but said that European Medicines Agency (EMA) would soon update its statement.

However, the information contrasts with the EMA (European Medicines Agency) statement on June 29 which clarifies that it hasn't received any request for marketing authorisation of Covishield. "We would first clarify that we have not received a request for marketing authorisation for Covishield at this point," said an EMA spokesperson. "The only COVID-19 vaccine from AstraZeneca for which a marketing authorisation application was submitted to and evaluated by EMA, leading to its authorisation in the EU, is Vaxzevria (previously COVID-19 Vaccine AstraZeneca)," the spokesperson added.

Many Indians who are vaccinated with Covishield are concerned about their travel plans to Europe, as European Union declined Green Pass or vaccine passports to travellers vaccinated with the jab produced in India. The pass is required for easy travel to and within the EU and will be launched from July 1. EMA said that even though (SII's Covishield) may use an analogous production technology to Vaxzevria, Covishield as such is not currently approved under EU rules.

"This is because vaccines are biological products. Even tiny differences in the manufacturing conditions can result in differences in the final product, and EU law, therefore, requires the manufacturing sites and production process to be assessed and approved as part of the authorisation process," the EMA spokesperson noted. Covidshield vaccine, a similar version of AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine Vaxzevria, is being manufactured and distributed by Pune-based SII.

Moneycontrol learnt that SII didn't apply for marketing approval in Europe earlier, as it is not its core market, where AstraZeneca is marketing the Vaxzevria and is also partly based on assumption that the WHO, the UK's MHRA and approvals in dozens of other countries including India would suffice for vaccine acceptance. Earlier Adar Poonawalla, CEO of SII, said he has taken this up at the highest levels and hopes to resolve this matter soon, both with regulators and at a diplomatic level with countries.

Coronavirus LIVE Updates | MHA issues fresh COVID-19 guidelines for July; five-fold strategy to be adopted

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) issued fresh COVID-19 containment and management guidelines to states and Union territories on June 29. The guidelines, which focus on a 'five-fold strategy', will remain in effect till July 31. The five-fold strategy includes testing, tracking, treatment, vaccinating and adhering to COVID-appropriate behaviour, the MHA said.

The advisory, issued by Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla, asked states and UTs to focus on micro-containment zones in cases of spike in positivity rate, and issue relaxations only in a "calibrated" manner. "States, UTs should closely monitor case positivity and bed occupancy on a regular basis, taking the districts as administrative units," it said.

"On witnessing any early sign of an increase in the case positivity rate and higher bed occupancy, necessary action should be taken for containment and upgrading the health infrastructure," the communication further said. Bhalla also added that the states and UTs should monitor the cases per 10 lakh population, as it is an important indicator to predict the need for upgrading the health infrastructure and logistics. The home secretary said for the districts with a high positivity rate and bed occupancy, the states may consider re-imposing restrictions. While easing the restrictions, it must be ensured that there is no let-up in adherence to COVID-appropriate behaviour, Bhalla stressed.

Coronavirus LIVE Updates | Explained: Brazil's $324 million controversial Covaxin deal and its implications for President Jair Bolsonaro

A $324 million Covaxin contract signed by Brazil has been mired in serious allegations of graft, prompting the Health Minister to suspend the deal as the investigation is underway. Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro and Health Minister Marcelo Queiroga have denied allegations of wrongdoing. "According to the preliminary analysis of the Office of the Comptroller General (CGU), there are no irregularities in the contract but, for compliance, the Health Ministry chose to suspend the contract," the ministry said in a statement.

Bharat Biotech has also denied any allegation of wrongdoing with respect to vaccine supply. The company said in an emailed statement that it had adhered to the highest standards of compliance, as reported by AP. Nevertheless, the Brazilian federal prosecutors have opened an investigation into the deal, citing comparatively high prices, quick talks and pending regulatory approvals as red flags. The deal is also being probed by a Senate panel investigating the government's handling of the pandemic. Brazil recently surpassed 5,00,000 official COVID-19 deaths, the world’s second-highest behind the United States. About one in every 400 Brazilians has died from the virus.

Coronavirus LIVE Updates | 6 markets in Delhi shut down till July 5 for violating coronavirus norms

Amid the rising worry of the possible third wave of COVID-19 and its Delta Plus variant, the East District administration in Delhi has ordered to shut down the Laxmi Nagar main market and surrounding markets till July 5 due to people not adhering to coronavirus-appropriate behaviour. However, shops selling essential goods are exempted from the closure. The markets will be closed from 10 pm on June 29 till 10 pm on July 5 or till further orders, reported The Times of India citing an order issued by East district magistrate Sonika Singh and Delhi Disaster Management Authority chairperson on June 29.

The “stretch from Vikas Marg to Lovely Public School, Kishan Kunj and its surrounding markets like Mangal Bazaar, Vijay Chowk, Subhash Chowk, Jagatram Park, Guru Ramdas Nagar, etc would be restricted to open from 10 pm on June 29 till 10 pm on July 5 or till further orders,” said the order. These shut down restrictions are not applicable on shops dealing with essential goods and services, said the report.

The order further stated that “According to the Preet Vihar SDM’s report, shopkeepers, vendors and the general public in Laxmi Nagar main bazaar were not following COVID-appropriate behaviour. Due to large footfall, the market association and shopkeepers were unable to ensure COVID-19 protocols last Sunday.” The DCP (East) has been asked to follow the order strictly and East Delhi Municipal Corporation will get sanitisation done in the area, said the report.

Coronavirus LIVE Updates | 36.51 lakh doses administered in India on June 29

More than 36.51 lakh vaccine doses were administered in India on June 29, the Union Health Ministry's latest provisional report suggested. With that, the cumulative number of COVID-19 vaccine doses administered in the country crossed 33.28 crore. On the 165th day of the vaccination drive on June 29, 27.42 lakh beneficiaries received their first shot and 9.09 lakh people were given their second dose. The government has revised the gap between the two doses for the Oxford-AstraZeneca's Covishield, being manufactured by the Serum Institute of India, to 12-16 weeks. However, the interval for the second dose of Bharat Biotech's Covaxin remains unchanged.

Coronavirus LIVE Updates | Total 8.99 core vaccine doses given in April.  6.1 crore doses in May and in June so far 10.75 crore doses have been given: Lav Agarwal, Joint Secretary, Health Ministry

Coronavirus LIVE Updates

| With cases of Delta Plus variant coming to light, Punjab CM Captain Amarinder Singh on Tuesday ordered extension of Covid restrictions till July 10, with certain more relaxations, including opening of bars, pubs and 'ahatas' at 50% capacity, beginning July 1: Punjab CMO

Coronavirus LIVE Updates

| International Cricket Council (ICC): The venue for ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021 has been shifted to the UAE and Oman, with the tournament set to run from 17ht October to 14th November. BCCI will remain the hosts of the event.

Coronavirus LIVE Updates | India logs 45,951 new COVID-19 cases, 817 fresh fatalities

India saw a single day rise of 45,951 coronavirus infections taking the total tally of COVID-19 cases to 3,03,62,848, while daily fatalities remained below 1,000 for the third consecutive day, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Wednesday. The death toll rose to 3,98,454 with 817 fresh fatalities, the lowest in 81 days.

According to the data published at 7 am, cumulatively 33.28 crore vaccine doses have been administered so far under the Nationwide Vaccination Drive. The active cases further declined to 5,37,064 comprising 1.77 per cent of the total infections, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate has improved to 96.92 per cent, the data updated at 8 am showed.