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Coronavirus News Highlights: India added 42,982 new coronavirus infections in a single day taking the total tally of COVID-19 cases to 3,18,12,114, while the active cases increased to 4,11,076, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Thursday. The death toll climbed to 4,26,290 with 533 fresh fatalities. The active cases comprise 1.29 per cent of the total infections and the national COVID-19 recovery rate was recorded at 97.37 per cent, the data updated at 8 am showed. The active cases comprise 1.29 per cent of the total infections and the national COVID-19 recovery rate was recorded at 97.37 per cent, the data updated at 8 am showed. An increase of 723 cases has been recorded in the active COVID-19 caseload in a span of 24 hours. India's COVID-19 tally had crossed the 20-lakh mark on August 7, 30 lakh on August 23, 40 lakh on September 5 and 50 lakh on September 16.It went past 60 lakh on September 28, India's COVID-19 tally had crossed the 20-lakh mark on August 7, 30 lakh on August 23, 40 lakh on September 5 and 50 lakh on September 16.It went past 60 lakh on September 28, 70 lakh on October 11, crossed 80 lakh on October 29, 90 lakh on November 20 and surpassed the one-crore mark on December 19.India crossed the grim milestone of two crore on May 4 and three crore on June 23. As many as 16,64,030 tests were conducted on Wednesday taking the total cumulative tests conducted so far for detection of COVID-19 in the country to 47,48,93,363. As many as 16,64,030 tests were conducted on Wednesday taking the total cumulative tests conducted so far for detection of COVID-19 in the country to 47,48,93,363. The daily positivity rate was recorded at 2.58 per cent and the weekly positivity rate was recorded at 2.37 per cent, according to the ministry. The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 3,09,74,748, while the case fatality rate stands at 1.34 per cent, the data stated. Cumulative vaccine doses administered so far has reached 48.93 crore under the nationwide vaccination drive. The 533 new fatalities include 195 from Maharashtra and 108 from Kerala.
A total of 4,26,290 deaths have been reported so far in the country including 1,33,410 from Maharashtra, 36,680 from Karnataka, 34,197 from Tamil Nadu, 25,058 from Delhi, 22,767 from Uttar Pradesh, 18,180 from West Bengal and 17,211 from Kerala. The ministry stressed that more than 70 per cent of the deaths occurred due to comorbidities.
India’s COVID-19 tally had crossed the 20-lakh mark on August 7; 30 lakh on August 23; 40 lakh on September 5; and 50 lakh on September 16. It went past 60 lakh on September 28; 70 lakh on October 11; 80 lakh on October 29; 90 lakh on November 20; and the one-crore mark on December 19. India crossed the grim milestone of two crore coronavirus cases on May 4 and three crore cases on June 23.
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Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday said China will strive to provide 2 billion doses of COVID-19 vaccines to other countries in 2021, state broadcaster CCTV reported.
In his written message to an international COVID-19 vaccine cooperation forum, Xi also said China would donate $100 million to the COVAX global vaccine distribution scheme, according to the CCTV report.
Kerala on Thursday reported 22,040 fresh coronavirus cases and 117 deaths, taking the total infection count to 34.93 lakh and the toll to 17,328.
As many as 20,046 people have been cured of the infection since Wednesday, taking the total recoveries to 32,97,834. The number of active cases stood at 1,77,924, a state government release said. The state tested 1,63,376 samples in the last 24 hours and the test positivity rate was 13.49 per cent. So far, 2.80 crore samples have been tested, it said.
Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine brought in more than $4 billion in second-quarter sales, helping to push the vaccine developer into a profit.
The company also said Thursday an analysis showed that its vaccine remains 93% effective as much as six months after the second dose.
Moderna’s announcement comes after pharmaceutical giant Pfizer Inc. said its COVID-19 vaccine remained effective months after the second doseand had become a top seller. It brought in nearly half the company’s revenue — $7.84 billion from direct sales and revenue split with its partner, Germany’s BioNTech.
The number of active coronavirus cases increased by 118 as Andhra Pradesh reported 2,145 afresh, 2,003 recoveries and 24 deaths in the 24 hours ending 9 am on Thursday.
The active caseload increased to 20,302 after a total of 19,42,371 recoveries and 13,468 deaths.
The cumulative positive cases registered in the state rose to 19,76,141, according to the latest bulletin.
In 24 hours, East Godavari reported 428, Chittoor 369, SPS Nellore 304, Krishna 251, Guntur 181, Prakasam 160, West Godavari 108 and Kadapa 103 fresh Covid-19 cases.
Japan decided on Thursday to expand its COVID-19 emergency curbs to cover more than 70% of the population, as a record surge in cases strained hospitals in the Olympics host city Tokyo and other parts of the country.
Japan had avoided the explosive outbreaks seen elsewhere. But infections are rising fast as new cases hit record highs in Tokyo, overshadowing the July 23-Aug.
Germany and France will go ahead with COVID-19 vaccine boosters from September, disregarding an appeal by the World Health Organisation (WHO) to hold off until more people are vaccinated across the globe.
The decision to press ahead with booster shots despite the strongest statement yet from the WHO highlights the challenge of dealing with a global pandemic while countries try to protect their own citizens from the more infectious Delta variant.
Japan decided on Thursday to expand its COVID-19 emergency curbs to cover more than 70% of the population, as a surge in cases strained hospitals in the Olympics host city Tokyo and other parts of the country. Japan had avoided the explosive outbreaks seen elsewhere. But infections are rising fast as new cases hit record highs in Tokyo, overshadowing the July 23-Aug. 8 Olympics and fuelling doubts over Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga's pandemic response.
Suga announced the new steps - which are mostly voluntary, unlike strict lockdowns overseas - as new daily cases in Tokyo hit a record 5,042. Medical advisors to the capital said the figure could double in two weeks, NHK public TV reported. "The situation on the ground (at hospitals) is extremely severe," Economy Minister Yasutoshi Nishimura told a panel of experts before Suga's formal announcement. He said serious cases had doubled in the past two weeks.The panel signed off on the proposal to declare "quasi-emergencies" in eight more of Japan's 47 prefectures. But Nishimura told a news conference some members had said the situation was severe enough to require a nationwide emergency.
Australia's second-largest city Melbourne went into a 6th lockdown on Thursday, with a state government leader blaming the nation's slow COVID-19 vaccination rollout for the decision. Melbourne joins Sydney and Brisbane, Australia's most populous and third-most populous cities respectively, in locking down due to the spread of the highly contagious delta variant.
Kochi: Indian expat who has to return to Saudi Arabia for work files petition in Kerala HC seeking permission to get re-vaccinated with Covishield vaccine, as Covaxin is not recognised in Saudi. Petitioner already vaccinated with both shots of Covaxin. HC seeks Centre's response. pic.twitter.com/U5vME1DP96
— ANI (@ANI) August 5, 2021
The Delhi High Court Thursday directed the Centre, Delhi government and others to treat as representation a plea cautioning against the risk of airborne spread of COVID-19 infection in closed spaces having air conditioning with no ventilation. A Bench of Chief Justice D N Patel and Justice Singh directed that the representation be decided as per the law and policy by the two governments, Central Pollution Control Board, Delhi Pollution Control Committee, Delhi Development Authority, Municipal Corporation of Delhi, Bureau of Indian Standards and Central Public Works Department as expeditiously as possible and practicable.
The Delhi High Court Thursday directed the Centre, Delhi government and others to treat as representation a plea cautioning against the risk of airborne spread of COVID-19 infection in closed spaces having air conditioning with no ventilation. A Bench of Chief Justice D N Patel and Justice Singh directed that the representation be decided as per the law and policy by the two governments, Central Pollution Control Board, Delhi Pollution Control Committee, Delhi Development Authority, Municipal Corporation of Delhi, Bureau of Indian Standards and Central Public Works Department as expeditiously as possible and practicable.
, ANI reported.
On the matter of allowing fully vaccinated people to travel even in local trains, matter adjourned for next Thursday.
