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Coronavirus India Highlights: Kerala’s daily Covid case count crosses 30,000-mark, first time since May 20

Coronavirus India Highlights: Earlier in the day, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said India has crossed the 600 million (60 crore) vaccination mark in the country.

By: Express Web Desk
New Delhi | Updated: August 26, 2021 09:19 IST
Kerala, Covid-19Kerala has recorded 31,445 fresh infections and 215 deaths. (File photo)

Coronavirus India Highlights: For the first time since May 20, Kerala reported more than 30,000 fresh cases on Wednesday. The southern state has recorded 31,445 fresh infections and 215 deaths. It now has 1.7 lakh active cases and the test positivity rate is at 19 per cent.

Earlier in the day, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said India has crossed the 600 million (60 crore) vaccination mark in the country. He also added that the Centre has requested all states to try and get all school teachers vaccinated by September 5. “Besides the scheme of providing vaccines to every state this month, over 2 crore addl doses of vaccine are being made available. We’ve requested all states to try to get all school teachers vaccinated on priority, by 5th Sept – Teachers’ Day,” Mandaviya said in a tweet.

Meanwhile, India recorded 37,593 new Covid-19 cases in the 24 hours ending 8 am on Wednesday, according to data from the Union Health Ministry.

The data till 8 am on Wednesday also stated that the total number of coronavirus cases in the country has climbed to 3,25,12,366 and the death toll has reached 4,35,758. As many as 3,17,54,281 people have recovered from the disease. The health ministry said the total number of vaccine doses administered till date has reached 59,55,04,593.

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India reports 37,593 new Covid-19 cases; Kerala records 24,296 cases, the highest in 3 months. Follow this space for the latest updates.

22:35 (IST)25 Aug 2021
West Bengal reports 10 more Covid-19 deaths, 708 fresh cases

West Bengal's COVID-19 death toll climbed to 18,393 with 10 more fatalities, while 708 fresh cases pushed the tally to 15,44,817, a bulletin released by the health department said on Wednesday.

The state now has 9,185 active cases, and 15,17,239 patients have recovered from the disease so far, including 730 since Tuesday, it said. (PTI)

22:34 (IST)25 Aug 2021
Delhi records 35 fresh cases, one fatality

Delhi reported 35 fresh COVID-19 cases and one more fatality due to the disease on Wednesday, according to data shared by the city health department.

According to a bulletin issued by the department, 86 COVID-19 patients were discharged from city hospitals in the last 24 hours and the positivity rate stands at 0.05 per cent.

With the new cases, Delhi's COVID-19 tally has climbed to 14,37,550, of which 14,12,081 patients have either recovered, migrated or have been discharged. (PTI)

22:29 (IST)25 Aug 2021
Haryana to reopen schools for students of classes 4 and 5 from September 1

Haryana to re-open schools for students of classes 4 and 5 from September 1. State Education Minister Kanwar Pal says that classes will be organized for these students while strictly following all Covid protocols. (ANI)

22:25 (IST)25 Aug 2021
Tamil Nadu logs 1,573 new cases, 27 deaths

Tamil Nadu on Wednesday logged 1,573 new coronavirus positive cases in the last 24 hours, taking the state's tally to 26,05,647 infections so far. With 27 deaths due to the virus, including six in private hospitals, the toll has risen to 34,788.

The government issued a set of directions to the district collectors regarding further reducing the spread of the pandemic and this included stricter vigil in border areas along Kerala, which is witnessing a surge in its daily covid additions, reporting 31,445 new cases on Wednesday.

Tamil Nadu continued to maintain the downward graph albeit a marginal decline in cases today to 1,573 new infections from the 1,585 on Tuesday. A passenger who returned from Kerala by road added to the 1,573 new cases, according to a state health bulletin here. (PTI)

22:07 (IST)25 Aug 2021
Maharashtra reports 5,031 new COVID-19 cases, 216 deaths, 4,380 recoveries

Maharashtra reported 5,031 new coronavirus cases and 216 fresh fatalities on Wednesday - the latter up nearly 100 from a day ago - taking the infection tally to 64,37,680 and the toll to 1,36,571, a state health department official said.

The state has crossed the 5,000 daily case mark after a gap of 6 days. It had reported 5,225 coronavirus infections on August 19.

Maharashtra had registered 4,355 coronavirus cases and 119 deaths on Tuesday.

Six districts namely Bhandara, Gondia, Nagpur, Washim, Nandurbar and Dhule, did not report any fresh infection of COVID-19 in the last 24 hours, and same was the case with Chandrapur, Amaravati, Nanded, Parbhani, Dhule and Malegaon municipal corporations (urban centres), the official said. (PTI)

21:24 (IST)25 Aug 2021
Kerala's positivity rate goes up to 19%

Seven out of 14 Kerala districts — Ernakulam, Thrissur, Kozhikode, Malappuram, Palakkad, Kollam, and Kottayam — have reported upwards of 2000 cases each. While Ernakulam reported the highest number of fresh infections (more than 4000 cases), Thrissur, Kozhikode, and Malappuram reported more than 3000 cases each. The state's test positivity rate (TPR) has gone up to 19 per cent now. Read more

20:49 (IST)25 Aug 2021
Nagaland: 49 fresh cases push COVID-19 tally to 29,718

Nagaland's COVID-19 tally rose to 29,718 on Wednesday as 49 more people tested positive for the infection, while a fresh fatality pushed the death toll to 612, a health bulletin said.

Dimapur district registered the highest number of new cases at 24, followed by Mokukchung (11), and Kohima (nine).

The death of a COVID-19 patient was reported from Peren district during the day, it said. (PTI)

20:06 (IST)25 Aug 2021
BJP attacks Kerala govt over high number of Covid-19 cases

With Kerala constantly reporting well over half of the country's daily COVID-19 cases, the BJP on Wednesday accused the Left government in the state of doing little to mitigate the health crisis and being busy in "covering it up" through motivated propaganda.

Kerala on Wednesday reported 31,445 fresh COVID-19 cases and 215 deaths, pushing the total infection count to 38,83,429 and the fatalities to 19,972.

Union minister and BJP leader V Muralidharan tweeted attacking Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, "Alarming COVID-19 situation in Kerala, @vijayanpinarayi has clearly failed to protect people's lives. Kerala alone recorded 24,296 cases & 173 deaths yesterday. @vijayanpinarayi's illogical strategy & motivated media propaganda costing dearly the nation."

BJP spokesperson Tom Vadakkan said Kerala is in the grip of COVID-19, and the state government is busy covering it up. (PTI)

19:44 (IST)25 Aug 2021
1,224 fresh cases, 22 deaths in Karnataka

Karnataka on Wednesday logged 1,224 fresh COVID-19 cases, taking the caseload to 29.42 lakh, while 22 deaths pushed the toll to 37,206. The day also saw 1,668 people being discharged, taking the total number of recoveries to 28,85,700.

Active cases stood at 19,318, a health department bulletin said.

Bengaluru Urban accounted for the maximum number of 309 cases and three fatalities, it said.

Dakshina Kannada district bordering Kerala remained a major COVID-19 hotspot with 217 fresh infections and six fatalities. (PTI)

19:43 (IST)25 Aug 2021
125 fresh cases reported in J&K

Jammu and Kashmir recorded 126 fresh cases of the coronavirus on Wednesday, taking the tally to 3,24,546, while no fresh death was reported in the Union Territory in the last 24 hours, officials said.

Out of the fresh cases, 26 were from the Jammu division and 100 from the Kashmir division, they said.

The officials said that Srinagar district recorded the highest number of 51 cases followed by 12 cases in Budgam district. (PTI)

19:22 (IST)25 Aug 2021
Nashik sees 65 new COVID-19 cases; one casualty

With the addition 65 fresh cases of coronavirus, the tally of infections in Maharashtra's Nashik district rose to 4,04,868 on Wednesday, a health official said.

At least 62 patients were discharged from hospitals, while one died of the infection during the day, taking the count of recoveries to 3,95,365 and toll to 8,566, the official said. (PTI)

19:20 (IST)25 Aug 2021
131 children among Odisha's 887 new Covid patients

Odisha reported 887 new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday and 69 more deaths, a Health Department official said.

Among the new patients are 131 children, which is 14.76 per cent against the previous day's 12.8 per cent, indicating the rise in the number of cases among those below 18 years, he said.

As many as 1,260 persons below 18 years were found to be COVID-positive since August 15 when the government started mapping the pediatric population, he said, adding that 30 of them have died. (PTI)

19:20 (IST)25 Aug 2021
Gujarat: Schools for Classes 6 to 8 to reopen on September 2

The Gujarat government on Wednesday announced that schools  for Classes 6 to 8 will reopen from September 2 with 50 per cent capacity.

The decision on resuming physical lectures for Classes 6 to 8 in schools was taken by Chief Minister Vijay Rupani in a cabinet meeting during the day, state Education Minister Bhupendrasinh Chudasama told reporters in Gandhinagar.

Though schools in the state have been permitted to resume classes from their premises, the ongoing system of online lessons for these classes will also continue, the minister said.

Around 32 lakh students are currently studying in Classes 6 to 8 in the state, he said.

Following a huge dip in fresh COVID-19 cases in Gujarat, the state government last month allowed physical reopening of schools for students of Classes 9 to 11 with 50 per cent seating capacity. (PTI)

18:21 (IST)25 Aug 2021
Kerala's daily Covid case count crosses 30,000-mark, first time since May 20

For the first time since May 20, Kerala reported more than 30,000 fresh cases on Wednesday. The southern state has recorded 31,445 fresh infections and 215 deaths. It now has 1.7 lakh active cases and the test positivity rate is at 19 per cent.

17:39 (IST)25 Aug 2021
47 fresh cases push Sikkim's Covid-19 tally to 29,524

Sikkim's Covid-19 tally rose to 29,524 on Wednesday as 47 more people tested positive for the infection, a health bulletin said.

East Sikkim district reported the highest number of new cases at 20, followed by West Sikkim (15) and South Sikkim (12).

Sikkim now has 1,415 active cases, while 27,461 people have been cured of the disease and 281 patients have migrated to other states so far. The recovery rate among the coronavirus patients in the state stood at 93.9 per cent, it said.

The Himalayan state's coronavirus death toll remained unchanged at 367 as no fresh fatality was registered. (PTI)

17:09 (IST)25 Aug 2021
Meghalaya logs 354 new Covid-19 cases, 7 fresh fatalities

Meghalaya's COVID-19 tally rose to 74,586 on Wednesday as 354 more people tested positive for the infection, while seven fresh fatalities pushed the northeastern state's coronavirus death toll to 1,292, a senior health official said.

East Khasi Hills district, under which Shillong falls, registered the highest number of new cases at 241, followed by Ri-Bhoi (45) and West Khasi Hills (27), Health Services Director Dr Aman War said.

Two fresh fatalities each were reported in East Khasi Hills, Ri-Bhoi and West Jaintia Hills, and one death was recorded in South West Khasi Hills, he said. (PTI)

16:25 (IST)25 Aug 2021
NTAGI to soon chalk out roadmap to introduce Zydus Cadila's vaccine in Covid inoculation drive

The National Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (NTAGI) will soon hold a meeting to devise a roadmap for introducing Zydus Cadila's Covid vaccine in the inoculation drive and prioritising beneficiaries focusing on those aged 12-18 years with comorbidities.

The indigenously developed world's first DNA-based needle-free COVID-19 vaccine ZyCoV-D received Emergency Use Authorisation from the drug regulator on August 20 making it the first vaccine to be administered in the age group of 12-18 years in the country.

NTAGI Chairman Dr N K Arora said it is estimated that there are around 12 crore adolescents in the age group of 12-18 years in India and less than 1 per cent of them may have comorbidities.

"The NTAGI's meeting will be held soon to chalk out a roadmap for introducing the three-dose ZyCoV-D vaccine in the ongoing COVID-19 vaccination drive. The meeting will also focus on prioritisation of beneficiaries as this vaccine is approved for both adolescents and adults," he said.

"The aim is to develop a priority list with the focus being on adolescents aged 12-18 years with comorbidities," Dr Arora said. (PTI)

16:23 (IST)25 Aug 2021
UN health agency sees virus cases leveling off

The World Health Organisation said the number of new coronavirus cases reported globally appears to be stabilising at about 4.5 million infections after steadily rising for the past two months.

In its weekly assessment of the pandemic, the UN health agency said COVID-19 increased by about 20 per cent and 8 per cent in the Western Pacific and in the Americas, while rates of disease either remained the same or dropped in other regions.

The countries with the highest numbers of new cases were the United States, Iran, India, Britain and Brazil. (AP)

16:22 (IST)25 Aug 2021
More than 60 crore vaccine doses administered in country: Mansukh Mandaviya

India has crossed the 600 million (60 crore) vaccination mark in the country,  Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said on Wednesday. (ANI)

15:18 (IST)25 Aug 2021
All 78 returnees from Afghanistan tested negative for Covid-19: ITBP

A spokesperson of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) Wednesday said that all 78 returnees from Afghanistan, who were shifted to its Chhawla based camp for 14-day mandatory quarantine, were tested negative for Covid. The batch, including 46 Afghan Sikhs and Hindus, arrived in Delhi from Kabul on Tuesday. Read more

15:13 (IST)25 Aug 2021
Covid rapid response centre inaugurated at Delhi's Rajiv Gandhi Hospital

A Covid-19 rapid response centre was inaugurated on Wednesday at a leading Delhi government-run coronavirus facility, bolstering the city's healthcare infrastructure ahead of a possible third wave of the viral disease.

The centre, which includes an ICU unit, will act as a buffer zone between the patient arrival area and the medical wards. It was opened by Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain at the Rajiv Gandhi Super Speciality Hospital.

Authorities at the 650-bed hospital, which played a critical role in providing Covid care during the first two waves of the pandemic, said, "We need to be prepared for a similar surge (in the future)."

For better management of patients and for matching of bed turnover to the number of patients arriving in real-time, rapid response centre is the need of the hour, a senior official of the hospital said.

The rapid response centre has been divided into two areas -- a seven-bed triage area and a 23-bed ICU. All beds have multipara monitors with critical care equipment like ventilators, BIPAP machines, HFNC and crash carts, the official said. (PTI)

14:53 (IST)25 Aug 2021
DDMA panel recommends phase-wise reopening of schools for all classes in Delhi

An expert committee set up by the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) has recommended phase-wise reopening of schools in the national capital, PTI reported citing sources.

In its report submitted on Wednesday, the panel has recommended that schools be reopened for all classes but senior wing students be called in the first phase followed by middle class students and ultimately primary classes, they said.

"The panel has submitted its report today. The recommendations include reopening of schools for all classes but in a phase-wise manner. The report will be studied in detail and a final decision will be taken soon in this regard," a source said, PTI reported.

Currently, students of classes 10, 11 and 12 can visit schools for admission and board-exam related activities, with consent of parents. (PTI)

14:50 (IST)25 Aug 2021
Chennai corporation to conduct mega Covid-19 vaccination drive on Thursday

The Greater Chennai Corporation will hold a mega Covid-19 vaccination camp on August 26. The civic body has been involved in several initiatives to increase coverage, including door-to-door vaccination for senior citizens and special vaccination camps in markets and big residential complexes.

The corporation will conduct 400 camps in all the 200 wards of the city on Thursday. The civic body, in a press release, said it would pay special attention to vaccinate the differently-abled, pregnant women, lactating mothers, people with high blood pressure and diabetes, and conduct special camps for people residing in slum areas.

12:59 (IST)25 Aug 2021
Requested states to get all school teachers vaccinated by Teachers' Day: Mansukh Mandaviya

Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya Wednesday said the government has requested all states to try and get all school teachers vaccinated by Sept 5.

"Besides the scheme of providing vaccines to every state this month, over 2 crore addl doses of vaccine are being made available. We've requested all states to try to get all school teachers vaccinated on priority, by 5th Sept - Teachers' Day," Mandaviya said in a tweet.

12:59 (IST)25 Aug 2021
Requested states to get all school teachers vaccinated by Teachers' Day: Mansukh Mandaviya

Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya Wednesday said the government has requested all states to try and get all school teachers vaccinated by Sept 5.

"Besides the scheme of providing vaccines to every state this month, over 2 crore addl doses of vaccine are being made available. We've requested all states to try to get all school teachers vaccinated on priority, by 5th Sept - Teachers' Day," Mandaviya said in a tweet.

11:07 (IST)25 Aug 2021
No Covid deaths in Delhi for fifth successive day

Experiencing its lowest case count since the earliest days of the pandemic, Delhi has now gone five days in a row without a single Covid death.

Starting from August 20, Delhi has recorded zero deaths every day. In fact, in the last 14 days, 10 have been zero death days. This comes as a huge relief for a city that had seen as many as 448 Covid deaths in a single day on May 3 during its fatal second wave.

10:45 (IST)25 Aug 2021
Karnataka: RT-PCR not mandatory for air passengers from Europe, Middle East

The Karnataka government has exempted passengers from the United Kingdom, other European countries and the Middle East from mandatory Covid-19 RT-PCR tests at state airports. The passengers from these countries can provide the samples and leave airports for further compliance according to the standard operating procedures.

However, passengers coming from South Africa and Brazil will continue to be tested at airports and they will have to wait for results. On testing negative, they can leave airports.

09:52 (IST)25 Aug 2021
India reports 37,593 new Covid-19 cases in last 24 hours

India recorded 37,593 new Covid-19 cases in the 24 hours ending 8 am on Wednesday, according to data from the Union Health Ministry.


Active cases in the country have declined to 3.22 lakh. Kerala accounts for 1.59 lakh active cases. The state reported 24,296 cases, the highest in three months. Maharashtra reported 4,355 cases. And 648 deaths were reported on Tuesday. Out of which, Maharashtra reported 267, including 169 from earlier weeks that had remained uncounted.

09:50 (IST)25 Aug 2021
India reports 37,593 new Covid-19 cases in last 24 hours

India recorded 37,593 new Covid-19 cases in the 24 hours ending 8 am on Wednesday, according to data from the Union Health Ministry.

Active cases in the country have declined to 3.22 lakh. Kerala accounts for 1.59 lakh active cases. The state reported 24,296 cases, the highest in three months. Maharashtra reported 4,355 cases. And 648 deaths were reported on Tuesday. Out of which, Maharashtra reported 267, including 169 from earlier weeks that had remained uncounted.

22:27 (IST)24 Aug 2021
Cumulative Covid vaccine doses administered in India cross 59.47 cr: Govt

The cumulative COVID-19 vaccine doses administered in the country has crossed 59.47 crore so far, the Union health ministry said on Tuesday. More than 54 lakh vaccine doses have been administered on Tuesday, according to the 7 pm provisional report. Final reports would be completed for the day by late Tuesday night, the ministry said.

Cumulatively, 22,33,59,860 individuals in the age group of 18-44 years across states and union territories have received their first dose and 2,11,37,082 have received their second dose since the start of the third phase of the vaccination drive, according to health ministry data. (PTI)

22:21 (IST)24 Aug 2021
Kerala to increase COVID-19 tests in districts with poor rate of vaccination

Amid concerns over rising Covid-19 cases in Kerala after the Onam season, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Tuesday directed the authorities to conduct more tests in the districts which have a poor rate of vaccination. Kerala on Tuesday reported 24,296 Covid-19 cases and 173 deaths, pushing the total infection count to 38,51,984 and fatalities to 19,757 till date. The Test Positivity Rate (TPR) jumped to 18.04 per cent from 15.63 per cent on Monday.

At a Covid-19 evaluation meet, Vijayan directed those district administrations which have administered the first dose vaccination to 70 per cent population to complete the vaccination process within next two weeks. (PTI)

20:29 (IST)24 Aug 2021
Centre has stood by states throughout COVID-19 pandemic: Mandaviya

The Centre has stood by states throughout the coronavirus pandemic and emergency packages have played a huge role in mounting a sturdy public response to COVID-19, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said on Tuesday. He also said that the Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana is addressing regional imbalance in tertiary medical care and is providing quality medical education in under-served states, according to a health ministry statement. 

19:47 (IST)24 Aug 2021
Covid in India maybe entering some kind of stage of endemicity: WHO's Soumya Swaminathan

COVID-19 in India may be entering some kind of stage of endemicity where there is low or moderate level of transmission going on, Chief Scientist of the World Health Organisation Dr Soumya Swaminathan said.

The endemic stage is when a population learns to live with a virus. It's very different from the epidemic stage when the virus overwhelms a population. On clearance to Covaxin, she said she is fairly confident that the WHO's technical group will be satisfied to give Covaxin clearance to be one of its authorised vaccines and that could happen by mid-September. (PTI)

18:27 (IST)24 Aug 2021
24,296 Covid-19 cases, 173 deaths in Kerala; TPR crosses 18 per cent

Kerala on Tuesday reported 24,296 Covid-19 cases and 173 deaths, pushing the total infection count to 38,51,984 and fatalities to 19,757 till date. The Test Positivity Rate (TPR) jumped to 18.04 per cent from 15.63 per cent on Monday. As many as 19,349 people have been cured of the infection since Monday, taking the total recoveries to 36,72,357 and the number of active cases to 1,59,335, an official press release here said.

In the last 24 hours, 1,34,706 samples were tested and the TPR was found to be 18.04 per cent. So far, 3,04,53,773 samples have been tested, it said. (PTI)

18:16 (IST)24 Aug 2021
Delhi records 39 new COVID-19 cases, zero death

Delhi on Tuesday saw 39 fresh coronavirus cases and zero fatality, while the positivity rate was recorded at 0.06 per cent, according to the city government's health bulletin. It said 112 cases pertaining to previous weeks were added on the ICMR portal by Mandoli prisons.

According to the bulletin, 114 people were discharged in the city in the last 24 hours. The cumulative number of cases stand at 14,37,485, of which 14,11,995 people have either recovered, been discharged or have migrated out. The COVID-19 death toll stands at 25,079 and the case fatality rate at 1.74 per cent, it added. (PTI)

17:29 (IST)24 Aug 2021
Gennova's mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccine gets approval for Phase 2/3 clinical trials

India's first mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccine candidate HGCO19 by Gennova Biopharmaceuticals Ltd has been granted approval for Phase 2/3 clinical trails, the Department of Biotechnology (DBT) said on Tuesday. The Pune-based biotechnology company had submitted the interim clinical data of the vaccine's Phase 1 study to the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO), it said.

The Vaccine Subject Expert Committee (SEC) reviewed the interim Phase 1 data and found that the HGCO19 vaccine was safe, tolerable, and immunogenic in the participants of the study. (PTI)

16:17 (IST)24 Aug 2021
Aiming to provide first dose of Covid vaccine to all above 18 yrs by Sept: Kerala Minister

The Kerala government is aiming to inoculate everyone above 18 years of age with the first dose of Covid vaccine by September end and directions have been given to all districts to formulate vaccination plans. The directions were issued by state health minister Veena George in an emergency meeting of her department that was held to review the increasing number of Covid-19 patients in the state and to ensure vaccination of as many people as possible, according to a post on her Facebook page.

In the meeting, the minister directed that special care should be taken to avoid delay in administration of vaccines and said the issue of shortage of syringes was being addressed. The Centre has promised 1.11 crore vaccines to the state and more doses will be available as soon as possible. She also said post Onam the number of coronavirus cases was expected to increase and therefore, hospitals need to be equipped to deal with any such situation. Besides, in anticipation of a third wave of Covid-19, arrangements are being made to deal with that by setting up oxygen beds, ICUs and ventilators in hospitals at the district level, she noted. (PTI)

15:42 (IST)24 Aug 2021
India does not have sufficient data to decide on Covid-19 booster dose: Experts

Not enough data has been generated locally to decide on the need for a booster dose of Covid-19 vaccine for those fully inoculated, say experts amid the possibility of a third wave of the viral disease hitting the country between September and October.

An expert panel set up by an institute under the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has predicted that the third wave of Covid-19 can hit the country anytime between September and October and suggested significantly ramping up the vaccination pace. The World Health Organisation has, however, sought a two-month halt on administering booster shots of Covid-19 vaccines in view of severely constrained vaccine availability around the globe. (PTI)

15:10 (IST)24 Aug 2021
84-day gap between two Covishield doses based on vaccine availability or efficacy: Kerala HC asks Centre

The court said if availability was the reason for the gap, then those who are able to afford to buy it, like Kitex has, they should be allowed to take the second dose without waiting for 84 days as per the prevailing protocol. The court further said if efficacy was the reason then the scientific data in support of it be also provided. Read full report here

15:08 (IST)24 Aug 2021
Explained: Why the Delta variant spreads more rapidly than other Covid-19 strains

As scientists find themselves racing against time to find the biological basis for the transmission of the Delta variant of Covid-19, several new studies have found that key mutations reduced effectiveness of vaccines, and high infectiousness during the pre-symptomatic phase in patients are among the main reasons fuelling the rapid spread.

Recent epidemiological research suggests the Delta variant (B.1.617.2) is at least 40 per cent more transmissible than the Alpha variant first identified in the UK in late 2020. Moreover, with multiple studies showing reduced vaccine efficiency against the Delta variant, fully vaccinated individuals also remain vulnerable to breakthrough infections. Read full report here

15:06 (IST)24 Aug 2021
Covid-19 vaccine slots can now be booked via WhatsApp

Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Tuesday said that Covid-19 vaccine slots can now be booked via WhatsApp. Elaborating on the process, he said one needs to send 'Book Slot' to MyGovIndia Corona Helpdesk on WhatsApp, verify and then follow the requisite steps. Read full report here

13:30 (IST)24 Aug 2021
HC asks Centre to decide representation for ex-gratia assistance to kin of Indians who died abroad due to COVID-19

The Delhi High Court Tuesday directed the Centre to consider as representation a PIL seeking to extend the ex-gratia assistance to the family members of Indian citizens who died abroad due to COVID-19. A bench of Chief Justice D N Patel and Justice Jyoti Singh directed the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), Ministry of External Affairs and Ministry of Health and Family Welfare to decide the representation as expeditiously as possible in accordance with the law, rules, regulations and government policy applicable to the case and disposed of the petition. Advocate M P Srivignesh, representing petitioner trust Pravasi legal Cell, urged the court to direct the authorities to decide his pending representation of July 5 on the issue.

11:52 (IST)24 Aug 2021
WHO head calls for two-month vaccine booster moratorium

The head of the World Health Organisation has called for a two-month moratorium on administering booster shots of COVID-19 vaccines as a means of reducing global vaccine inequality and preventing the emergence of new coronavirus variants. 

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told reporters in Hungary's capital, Budapest, that he was  really disappointed  with the scope of vaccine donations worldwide as many countries struggle to provide first and second doses to more than small fractions of their populations while wealthier nations maintain growing vaccine stockpiles.

11:29 (IST)24 Aug 2021
Telangana to reopen all educational institutions from September 1

All educational institutions across Telangana will be reopened on September 1 for students — kindergarten to postgraduate — to attend physical classes, Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao said on Monday.

According to a statement from the CMO, officials of the Panchayati Raj and Municipal Departments have been directed to clean and sanitize all educational institutions and hostels in villages and towns by August 30.

Officials were instructed to duly follow all the precautions to keep the spread of coronavirus under control. All educational institutions have remained closed across the state since March 2020 in the wake of a Covid-19 pandemic. Though schools were reopened for a brief period in February 2021, they were closed in the wake of the second wave of a surge in virus infections.

09:55 (IST)24 Aug 2021
Ć°Åøā€™ā€° Covid-19: 58.89 crore vaccine doses administered till today

Till Tuesday morning, 58.89 crore covid-19 vaccine doses have been administered under the nationwide vaccination drive.

Also, 16,47,526 tests were conducted on Monday, taking the cumulative tests conducted so far for detection of COVID-19 in the country to 50,93,91,792.

09:53 (IST)24 Aug 2021
Covid-19: India's positivity rate at 1.94%

On Tuesday, India's daily Covid-19 positivity rate was recorded at 1.94 per cent. It has been less than three per cent for the last 28 days. The weekly positivity rate was recorded at 1.90 per cent. It has been below three per cent for the last 60 days, according to the health ministry. The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 3,17,20,112, while the case fatality rate stands at 1.34 per cent, the data stated.

09:49 (IST)24 Aug 2021
Maha: No new COVID-19 case found in Dharavi for eighth time in August

For the eighth time this month, the Dharavi slum colony in Mumbai didn't report any new COVID-19 case in a day on Monday, a civic official said. The last time Dharavi didn't record any new case in a day was on August 20. Currently, Dharavi has only 11 active cases. Of the 7,005 infections recorded, 6,596 patients have already recovered and been discharged, the official told PTI.

09:48 (IST)24 Aug 2021
Maharashtra adds 27 cases of Delta plus variant

The number of Delta plus cases of coronavirus in Maharashtra rose to 103 with the addition of 27 more such cases, considered highly transmissible, while the Delta variant has been detected in 128 swab samples in Mumbai, the state health department and the BMC said on Monday.

As many as 128 swab samples in Mumbai were found with the Delta variant of coronavirus, said a Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) release. According to the release, 128 out of 188 samples sent for genome sequencing at a BMC acility were found to have the Delta variant of COVID-19.

09:44 (IST)24 Aug 2021
India reports 25,467 new Covid-19 cases, 354 deaths

India recorded 25,467 new Covid-19 cases and 354 deaths in the 24 hours ending 8 am Tuesday. Active cases accounted for less than 1 per cent of the total caseload and currently stand at 3.19 lakh, lowest in 156 days. While the recovery rate has increased to 97.68 per cent. Kerala reported the highest cases, at 13,383, while Maharashtra had 3,643 infections.

Active cases in the country have declined to 3.22 lakh. People wait to receive the vaccine for COVID-19 at a vaccination center in Mumbai, India, Thursday, Aug. 19, 2021. (AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool)

The Kerala government Tuesday decided to ramp up testing in districts where vaccination is relatively low, amid a constant rise in test positivity rate in the state.

While the test positivity rate (TPR) at the national level is below 3 per cent for the last two months, it has been climbing up in Kerala ā€“ it touched 18.04 per cent on Tuesday against 10 per cent a month ago. The state on Tuesday reported 24,296 new cases taking the active caseload to 1.59 lakh.

At a review meeting, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan directed that as Wayanad, Pathanamthitta, Thiruvananthapuram and Ernakulam have better vaccination coverage, only symptomatic people would be tested in these four districts. In these districts, more than 70 per cent of the targeted people, aged above 18 year, have received one dose of vaccine.

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First uploaded on: 24-08-2021 at 09:26 IST
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