India reported on Friday 38,949 new cases of COVID-19 and 542 more fatalities in the last 24 hours, taking its total tally to 3,10,26,829 cases and 4,12,531 deaths, according to a health ministry release. The active cases have declined to 4,30,422, comprising 1.39 per cent of total infections. India’s COVID-19 recovery rate now stands at 97.28 per cent. The number of people who’ve recovered from the disease stands at 3,01,83,876. India has so far administered 39.53 crore vaccine doses under the nationwide inoculation drive against COVID-19, according to the Centre.
The World Health Organization (WHO) warned Thursday that “more dangerous” variants of Covid-19 could tear across the world as global infections soared to half a million daily, largely driven by the virulent Delta strain. “The pandemic is nowhere near finished,” the WHO’s emergency committee said in a statement.
Here are the LIVE Updates on coronavirus cases in India:
As the Delta variant spreads rapidly throughout the world, the prospect of a third “booster” shot is gaining interest even in nations where a large proportion of people are vaccinated.
Experts say it is too soon to know for sure if countries will need to organise a third vaccine round later in the year. Some suggest that priority should be given to hundreds of millions in the global south who have not even gotten their first jab yet. Read
Assam reports 1,782 new COVID cases, 2,656 recoveries, and 24 deaths in the past 24 hours
Active cases: 18,222
Total discharges: 5,19,697
Death toll: 4,961 pic.twitter.com/WV3yxONSra– ANI (@ANI) July 16, 2021
Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik today announced a special package of Rs 453.50 crore as Covid assistance to women members of self-help groups under the State Mission Shakti. Attending a meeting on a virtual platform, Mr Patnaik also said a Mission Shakti Bhawan will be constructed in each of the 338 block-level Mission Shakti associations. These Bhawans will be used as training centres/business centres by the women members of the Mission Shakti, he said.
Prohibitory orders have been imposed at several tourist spots in Pune district in view of the COVID-19 pandemic, officials said today. These spots include Bhushi dam, various points in Lonavala and Khandala, Sinhgad Fort, Panshet, Varasgaon dam among others, they said, according to a PTI report.
Manipur Imposes Curfew For 10 Days To Control Covid Situation
To prevent a spike in Covid cases, the Manipur government today announced curfew in the state from Sunday to July 27 with exemption to some essential services. An order was issued by the chief secretary in this connection, stating that the situation warrants stricter measures to bring down the spread of the infection.
In new COVID guidelines, Gujarat Govt extends night curfew in 8 cities of the state till July 31; allows water parks & swimming pools to reopen with 50% capacity from July 20
– ANI (@ANI) July 16, 2021
Maharashtra reports 7,761 new COVID cases, 13,452 patient discharges, and 167 deaths in the past 24 hours
Active cases: 1,01,337
Total discharges: 59,65,644
Death toll: 1,26,727 pic.twitter.com/57HozuELMt– ANI (@ANI) July 16, 2021
Karnataka today reported 1,806 new Covid infections and 42 deaths, pushing the caseload to 28,80,370 and death toll to 36,079, the health department said, according to a PTI report. The number of active cases in the state currently stands at 31,399. As many as 2,748 patients recovered today, taking the total recoveries to 28,12,869.
India administers more than 38.79 lakh COVID vaccine doses today, taking the cumulative vaccination coverage to 40 crores: Union Health Ministry
(File photo) pic.twitter.com/YvXG57LHGJ
– ANI (@ANI) July 16, 2021
At least 38 policemen have tested positive for Covid at the Police Training School in Chhattisgarh’s Rajnandgaon district since Thursday, an official said today, the PTI reported. The facility located on GE Road in Rajnandgaon town has been declared a containment zone, the official said.
Tripura Imposes Weekend Curfew, Other Curbs As Covid Cases Rise
The Tripura government has imposed a weekend curfew and a day curfew in Agartala Municipal Corporation and 11 other urban local body areas from July 19 to July 23 after reviewing the Covid-19 situation, PTI reported. The weekend curfew will be in force from 6 am on July 17 to 6 am on July 19.
Tripura Imposes Weekend Curfew, Other Curbs As Covid Cases Rise
The Tripura government has imposed a weekend curfew and a day curfew in Agartala Municipal Corporation and 11 other urban local body areas from July 19 to July 23 after reviewing the Covid-19 situation, PTI reported. The weekend curfew will be in force from 6 am on July 17 to 6 am on July 19.
Ensure Economic Activities, Maharashtra Chief Minister Tells Officials
Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray today asked district collectors to be in touch with the industrial sector to ensure the state’s economic cycle and livelihood of citizens does not get disturbed due to a possible third wave of COVID-19, PTI reported.
UP To Pay Rs 30 Lakh To Families Of 2,000 Dead Of Covid After Poll Duty
The Uttar Pradesh government will give Rs 30 lakh as compensation to the family of each of its over 2,000 employees, half of them teachers, who died due to Covid during the panchayat polls duty, PTI reported. A senior official said of the Rs 600 crore sanctioned for paying compensation, the Department of Panchayati Raj had released Rs 300 crore to the State Election Commission for disbursement.
Odisha Starts Vaccination Of Pregnant Women
The vaccination of pregnant women against Covid began in Odisha today and the on-the-spot registration was facilitated by ASHA and Anganwadi workers, ANI reported. After vaccination, women were observed for at least 30 minutes for any adverse effect.
Analysis shows a projected decline in the use of face masks as we resume activities. We should incorporate the use of face masks in our lives as a new normal: Lav Agarwal, Joint Secretary, Union Health Ministry pic.twitter.com/nEpHnrdh0e
– ANI (@ANI) July 16, 2021
Haryana | Schools reopen for classes 9th to 12th in Gurugram. Visuals from Government Model Sr. Sec School in the city show students being instructed about Covid appropriate protocols pic.twitter.com/6uMJOqIhwA
– ANI (@ANI) July 16, 2021
COVID-19 India News: Assam Withdraws Exemption Of Testing For Vaccinated People
The Assam government has withdrawn its earlier order exempting mandatory COVID-19 testing for air and train passengers who have received both doses of the vaccine, an official order said, reported news agency PTI. The decision to withdraw the exemption was taken after cases of persons testing positive for COVID-19 even after having taken both doses of the vaccine were detected in the state. The notification issued on Thursday by the Health and Family Welfare department said the earlier order of June 25, 2021, stands withdrawn with immediate effect.
Interacting with the chief ninisters of six states with high COVID-19 positivity rate, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said that the Centre recently announced a Rs 23,000 crore emergency response package to combat coronavirus and advised these states to utilise funds from the package to strengthen health infrastructure, reported news agency ANI. He also laid emphasis on the need to focus on rural areas.
The Prime Minister was interacting with the Chief Ministers of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Odisha, Maharashtra and Kerala to discuss the COVID-19 situation in these states.
Addressing the Chief Ministers of the six states via video conferencing, PM Modi said, “The Government of India has announced a Rs 23,000 crore emergency response package to combat COVID-19. The States must use funds from this package to strengthen health infrastructure. Infrastructural gaps need to be filled. There is also a need to focus on rural areas.”
The COVID-19 tally in Arunachal Pradesh rose to 41,646 as 367 more people tested positive for the infection, a senior health official said on Friday, according to news agency PTI. The COVID-19 death count in the state increased to 197 with two more persons succumbing to the infection in the past two days, the official said.
Arunachal Pradesh currently has 4,177 active cases, said State Surveillance Officer (SSO) Dr
Lobsang Jampa. A total of 37,272 people have recovered from COVID-19, including 369 on Thursday. The COVID-19 recovery rate in the state now is 89.50% while the active percentage stands at 10.03 and the positivity rate at 6.80%, the official said.
COVID-19 India News: Over 41.10 Crore Vaccine Doses Provided To States, UTs So Far: Centre
The Union health ministry said that states and Union territories have received more than 41.10 crore COVID-19 vaccine doses through all sources and over 52 lakh doses are in the transit, reported news agency ANI. Of this, the total consumption including wastage is 38,58,75,958 doses, as per data available at 8 am today. The ministry further said that 2,51,62,572 balance and unutilized COVID vaccine doses are still available with the states, UTs and private hospitals to be administered.
The Supreme Court has asked the Uttar Pradesh government to reconsider Kanwar Yatra after the Centre said the states must not allow the movement of devotees undertaking the ‘Kanwar yatra’ due to the pandemic situation. The Centre said states should develop a system to make the holy water from Ganga available to the devotees through tankers.
Bengaluru | Karnataka CM BS Yediyurappa takes part in PM Modi’s meeting with six states on the COVID19 related situation
Chief Ministers of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Maharashtra and Kerala are also participating in the meeting pic.twitter.com/busZSrpiTv
– ANI (@ANI) July 16, 2021
Centre has filed an affidavit in Supreme Court stating that state governments must not permit the movement of Kanwariyas for bringing ‘Ganga Jal’ from Haridwar in view of COVID-19. reported news agency ANI. However, considering religious sentiments, the state governments must develop a system to make ‘Ganga Jal’ available via tankers at designated locations, Centre said.
The Centre told the Supreme Court that state governments must ensure that distribution of ‘Ganga Jal’ among devotees and rituals by such devotees in the nearby Shiva temples must take place while ensuring social distancing, wearing masks and adhering to all steps required during the COVID-19 crisis.
COVID-19 India News: Caseload Rises By 435, Death Count By 7 In Maharashtra’ Thane
The COVID-19 infection count in Thane district of Maharashtra grew by 435 to 5,39,395, an official said on Friday, reported news agency PTI. These cases were reported on Thursday, he said. With the virus claiming the lives of seven persons, the death count in the district rose to 10,880. Thane’s COVID-19 mortality rate is 2.01% at present, he added. In Palghar district, the COVID-19 case count has gone up to 1,18,710, while death count is 2,657, another official said.
India reports 38,949 new #COVID19 cases, 40,026 recoveries, & 542 deaths in the last 24 hours, as per Health Ministry
Total cases: 3,10,26,829
Total recoveries: 3,01,83,876
Active cases: 4,30,422
Death toll: 4,12,531Total vaccinated: 39,53,43,767 (38,78,078 in last 24 hrs) pic.twitter.com/9vdgx85O3j
– ANI (@ANI) July 16, 2021
Australian officials urged people to obey lockdown measures that cover around 40% of the country’s population as an outbreak of the highly contagious COVID-19 Delta variant again picked up pace on Friday.
Daily new infections in New South Wales, where the outbreak began about a month ago, rose after a dip a day earlier, while new cases across the border in Victoria remained steady.
Total infections since the first was detected in mid-June, in a Sydney limousine driver transporting overseas airline crews, now stand at more than 1,000.
Despite Sydney heading into its fourth week of lockdown, New South Wales officials recorded 97 new locally acquired cases, up from 65 on Thursday.
Maharashtra’s coronavirus caseload rose to 61,89,257 with the addition of 8,010 new infections on Thursday, while the death count jumped to 1,26,560 after 170 patients died due to the respiratory illness, a health department official said.
Saudi Arabia has arrested more than 120 people suspected of supplying or procuring fraudulent coronavirus vaccine and test certificates, official media said Thursday, two days before a tightly controlled hajj.
The state-run SPA news agency said nine health ministry officials are among the accused, who have all pleaded guilty.
Some 60,000 Saudi residents with vaccine certificates will join this year’s religious pilgrimage, the second time the gathering has been massively curtailed because of the pandemic.
The World Health Organization (WHO) warned Thursday that “more dangerous” variants of Covid-19 could tear across the world as global infections soared to half a million daily, largely driven by the virulent Delta strain.
An AFP tally of official sources found that after an initial dip, cases have been rising again worldwide since the end of June, topping 540,000 on Tuesday and again on Wednesday.
“The pandemic is nowhere near finished,” the WHO’s emergency committee said in a statement.
It highlighted “the strong likelihood for the emergence and global spread of new and possibly more dangerous variants of concern that may be even more challenging to control”.
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