Coronavirus: Maharashtra sees highest single-day rise with over 5,500 cases

10.50 pm: Here are the top updates of the day

10.22 pm: Thirty five new cases have been reported in Jharkhand, taking the total number to 2,525.

10.19 pm: Madhya Pradesh reports 268 new cases, and nine deaths. The total number of cases is now 13,861, and the toll 581.

10.10 pm: Chhattisgarh’s Covid-19 case count rises to 2,940 with 81 new cases on Wednesday, the state’s Health Department says.

10 pm: The Central Reserve Police Force has 46 new infections, taking its total count to 1,385. Nine people have died so far.

9.13 pm: Maharashtra’s coronavirus tally rises to 1,80,298 after 5,537 new cases on Thursday, the most in a day so far. The toll goes up to 8,053 after 198 deaths. Of the total number of cases in the state, there are 79,075 active cases, 93,154 recovered, according to ANI.

8.35 pm: Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan launches “Kill Corona” campaign, which aims to screen every household in the state for the infection, reports PTI. “The situation in Madhya Pradesh is now much better than before,” says Chouhan. “I took oath at 9 pm of March 23 and went directly to Vallabh Bhavan [state secretariat], because I realised the seriousness of the disease and the dangers it posed.”

8.26 pm: West Bengal reports 611 new cases, taking the total infection count in the state to 19,170. With 15 new fatalities, the toll has risen to 683.

8.20 pm: Delhi reports 2,442 new coronavirus cases, taking the total count to 89,802. The toll has increased to 2,803 after 61 new casualties. Over 59,990 people have recovered from the infection so far.

8.12 pm: More new cases in states/Union Territories, according to ANI.

• Gujarat: 675 new cases, total rises to 33,318.
• Jammu and Kashmir: 198 new cases, total rises 7,695.
• Karnataka: 1,272 new cases, total rises to 16,514.
• Uttarakhand: 66 new cases, total rises to 2,947.

8 pm: Manipur reports 26 new coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours, taking the total count in the state to 1,260.

7.45 pm: Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh says 4,938 police personnel have tested positive for coronavirus in the state so far, while 60 have died, reports PTI.

7.30 pm: Health Secretary Preeti Sudan and Dr Balram Bhargava, the director-general of ICMR, write to states and Union Territories to increase coronavirus testing. “It is strongly advised that you should take all possible steps to ensure full capacity utilisation of all Covid-19 testing laboratories in the State/UT,” reads a letter.

7.27 pm: Punjab reports 101 fresh coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours, taking total number of cases 5,668 in the state, according to ANI. The toll stands at 149.

7.22 pm: The Union Health Ministry says that “Made in India” ventilators supplied to the states and Union Territories comply with specified requirements and have Bilevel Positive Airway Pressure or BiPAP mode, reports PTI. “Cost effective, Made in India ventilator models BEL and AgVa supplied to the states and UTs have BiPAP mode and other such modes as have been prescribed in the technical specifications,” the ministry says in a statement.

Reports said that that BiPAP mode is not available in “Made in India” ventilators.

7.10 pm: Himachal Pradesh records 960 coronavirus cases, taking the state’s tally to 960.

6.44 pm: The Gujarat government will postpone final year examinations for various courses under the state-run universities based on a directive issued by the Centre, reports PTI.

6.36 pm: Canada is extending a global travel ban and mandatory quarantine measures that requires most travellers to the country, including citizens returning home, to self-isolate for 14 days upon arrival, reports Reuters.

6.30 pm: “The [coronavirus] situation was worrisome in the beginning of June, but is stable and better now,” Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia tells NDTV.

6.26 pm: Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia tells NDTV that the government needs financial assistance from the Centre as revenue has gone down due to suspended business activity.

“We have been getting cooperation from the Centre,” he says. “We need financial support. We believe that since the Centre has been cooperating on other things, we will get support in this aspect as well. Businesses have not been able to run so where will we get tax from? We will need tax support too, and I am hoping we will get that.”

6.22 pm: Kerala reports 151 new coronavirus cases, taking the state’s total infections to 4,593. Over 130 people have recovered today. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan says the state has 124 hotspots.

6.20 pm: Tamil Nadu records 3,882 new coronavirus cases, taking the state’s tally to 94,049. With 63 deaths, the toll rises to 1,264.

6.06 pm: Zimbabwe has reopened its national parks and permitted restaurants to serve food within their premises, reports AP.

6.02 pm: The coronavirus infections in Nepal has crossed the 14,000-mark with 482 new cases, reports PTI. The country now has total 14,046 cases and 30 people have died so far.

5.55 pm: Mumbai’s Dharavi reports 14 new coronavirus cases, taking the total in the area to 2,282, according to ANI.

5.47 pm: All foreign returnees in Chandigarh have to undergo mandatory paid quarantine for seven days, reports ANI. This will be followed by seven days of home isolation if the person tests negative in first seven days.

5.45 pm: The Chandigarh administration discontinues odd-even system for operation of markets and street vendors, reports ANI. It adds that organic markets and inter-state bus services will continue to remain suspended till further orders.

5.38 pm: Union minister Jitendra Singh says prompt administrative measures taken by the Narendra Modi government to contain the coronavirus outbreak has saved India from a crisis situation, reports PTI. “India’s fight against corona proved effective because of the early lockdown announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi,” says Singh.

5.32 pm: Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa says experts have suggested that treating asymptomatic and mildly symptomatic patients in home isolation would be appropriate, reports PTI. He says this will reduce the burden on hospitals.

5.25 pm: Union Home Minister Amit Shah is chairing a meeting on coronavirus situation, reports ANI. Health Minister Harsh Vardhan, the cabinet secretary and other top officials are present.

5.18 pm: Maharashtra’s Nashik district records 18 new coronavirus cases, taking the tally to 4,270 in the region.

5.10 pm: The Kerala government announces a 25% increase in fares of the state-run KSRTC and private buses temporarily amid the coronavirus crisis, reports News18.

5 pm: Schools in Haryana will open from July 27, but only for teaching and non-teaching staff reports NDTV, citing an order by the state’s Education Department. However, universities and colleges will remain shut till July 31.

4.52 pm: As many as 118 patients have been admitted in the coaches of the Indian Railways so far for treatment of the coronavirus, while 72 have been discharged, reports PTI.

4.45 pm: Uttar Pradesh reports 564 new coronavirus cases and 21 deaths, according to PTI. With this, the state has 24,056 total cases and the toll has risen to 718.

4.40 pm: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath says the coronavirus cases in the state might increase as the state government’s testing campaign starts from Thursday, reports PTI. However, he adds that it will certainly help in reducing deaths.

“From Thursday, a special campaign for medical screening for coronavirus will be started in six districts of the Meerut division which are Meerut, Gautam Buddh Nagar, Ghaziabad, Bulandshahr, Hapur and Baghpat,” the chief minister adds.

4.33 pm: Goa Tourism Minister Manohar Ajgaonkar announces that the coastal state will be open to domestic tourists starting July 2, reports PTI. So far, the tourism department has granted permission to 250 hotels, which can operate in keeping with the standard operating procedures put in place by the state government.

4.28 pm: Assam Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma says the Indian Council for Medical Research has suggested a new testing model under which they will be able to will declare coronavirus results within an hour, reports ANI. “We will launch the new testing model named Covid-19 AG test in next two to three days,” he adds.

He adds that the state government has also decided to set up a plasma bank in the next four to five days.

4.22 pm: The coronavirus infections in Africa have crossed 4,00,000 and deaths have surpassed 10,000, reports AP. Health officials warn the pandemic is picking up speed, while testing capabilities remain low because of material shortages.

4.15 pm: The Ministry of AYUSH has given permission to Patanjali Ayurved to sell the company’s particular formulation as immunity booster and not as a medicinal cure for the coronavirus, reports PTI. Yoga guru Ramdev had last week launched a drug called “Coronil”, claiming it can cure the coronavirus.

At a press conference in Haridwar, Ramdev claimed the ministry has said that Patanjali did an appropriate job for management of the coronavirus. He added that the Union ministry had asked him to use the term “Covid management” in place of “Covid treatment”.

4.08 pm: The Centre tells Bombay High Court that a decision to declare sanitary napkins as an essential commodity can be taken only after following the due process, reports PTI. A petition sought direction to the government to declare sanitary napkins as an essential commodity and supply them on par with other essential commodities to the poor amid the coronavirus outbreak.

4 pm: The World Health Organization says countries must strive to ensure that they prioritise both health and the economy to recover from the coronavirus pandemic, reports AP. Meanwhile, Woochong Um, the director general for the Asia Development Bank’s sustainable development and climate change sector, says the health crisis will reduce Asia’s growth to its lowest in six decades.

3.57 pm: Lok Nayak Hospital, one of Delhi’s most prominent coronavirus treatment facilities, has alleged that the 175 ventilators that it received from the Centre lack an important mode. The hospital staff told the Directorate General of Health Services that the ventilators did not have a Bilevel positive airway pressure or BiPAP mode, which allows doctors to supply oxygen to patients without inserting tubes in their airway. The hospital asked the government to provide 250 more ventilators equipped with the technology.

Read here: Delhi’s Lok Nayak Hospital flags key defect in ventilators supplied by Centre

3.52 pm: Seventy-seven police personnel in Maharashtra have tested positive for the coronavirus in the last 24 hours, taking the total number of active cases to 1,015 in the force, reports ANI.

3.45 pm: Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra alleges that weavers in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s constituency Varanasi are “forced” to pledge their jewellery and houses to survive amidst the coronavirus-induced lockdown. She says only a concrete financial package can help them.

“Uttar Pradesh chief minister at an event told the PM that lakhs of jobs are being provided in small and medium industries,” she tweets. “But the reality is that weavers who are the pride of Varanasi, PM’s parliamentary constituency, are today forced to live by pledging their jewellery and houses. All their work has come to a standstill during the lockdown.”

3.40 pm: Google says the reopening of its offices in United States will be delayed by around two months because of a surge in the number of coronavirus cases in some states. All of Google’s US offices will now remain closed at least until September 7, says Google spokesperson Katherine Williams.

3.37 pm: The Supreme Court refuses to entertain a petition for interim bail of convict and former MLA Mahender Yadav, who is serving 10 years jail term in 1984 anti-Sikh violence case, reports PTI. The top court says his family has problem in connection with Yadav’s treatment after he tested positive for the coronavirus.

3.30 pm: Germany says it will ease travel restrictions from up to 11 countries outside the European Union, but not the full list recommended by the bloc, reports AP. The country’s interior ministry says that, as of Thursday, people from Australia, Georgia, Canada, Montenegro, New Zealand, Thailand, Tunisia and Uruguay will be able to enter without restrictions. Similarly, people from Japan, South Korea and China can enter if they allow people from Germany to their respective countries.

3.23 pm: Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant retracts his statement about community transmission of the coronavirus in the state, reports PTI. “I might have said in the past that it’s a community transmission in Goa,” he says. “But I enquired and was told that it was not so...the virus is not in the air.”

As of Wednesday, the total number of cases in Goa has crossed the 1,000-mark with four deaths.

3.18 pm: Nitya Gopal Das, president of Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, says they have requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi to visit Ayodhya and inaugurate the construction activities of Ram temple, reports ANI. He adds that they will ensure there is no crowding amid the coronavirus crisis.

3.13 pm: Mizoram reports nine more coronavirus cases, taking the state’s tally to 160, according to PTI. Health Department spokesperson Pachuau Lalmalsawma says all the new patients have returned from Delhi.

3.10 pm: The Aam Aadmi Party government tells the Delhi High Court that prior coronavirus test is not mandatory for admitting pregnant women in hospitals for in-patient interventions, including surgery, deliveries and emergency situations, reports PTI. The test can be conducted simultaneously with the treatment and if the result is positive, then the woman would be shifted to a dedicated facility, adds the Delhi government.

3.03 pm: The Union Public Service Commission allows Civil Service Exam candidates to change their centres due to the coronavirus crisis. The requests for change of centre will be granted on “first-apply -first allot” basis, says a press release. “The window of submitting the revised choice of Centers by the candidates will be operational in two phases i.e. 7th-13th July, 2020 (06.00 pm) and 20th-24th July, 2020 (06.00 pm) on the commission’s website,” it adds.

2.57 pm: Thailand reports two new coronavirus cases, both of which were imported from abroad, according to Reuters. This marks 37 successive days without domestic transmission of the virus.

The country has recorded 3,173 coronavirus cases, of which 3,059 patients have recovered. There have been 58 deaths so far, but none for almost one month.

2.52 pm: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi says governments are trying to “manage the perception” about the coronavirus pandemic, reports PTI. “They are trying to give a sense that the problem is not as bad as it is,” he adds. “But I believe that we have to face the problem, so we should accept the problem, define the problem accurately and then fight the problem.”

2.50 pm: Bangladesh has extended restrictions imposed on public activities and movement across the country till August 3 to rein in the coronavirus pandemic, reports PTI. The number of positive cases rose to 1,45,483 and the toll stands 1,847.

2.38 pm: Fifty-two Army personnel test positive at a transit camp near Guwahati railway station, reports News18.

2.22 pm: Fifteen inmates of a prison in West Bengal’s South 24 Parganas district have tested positive for coronavirus, reports PTI. The inmates of the Baruipur Central Correctional Home are asymptomatic and have been admitted to an isolation ward of the prison hospital, an official of the Correctional Services Department tells the news agency.

2.16 pm: The International Labour Organisation has warned that a second wave of the coronavirus outbreak later this year could result in loss of 340 million full-time jobs, reports PTI.

2.12 pm: The Tripura government has announced a 24-hour complete lockdown on Sunday to contain the coronavirus spread, reports PTI. “The way we all stayed at home on March 22 during the Janata curfew announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in the same way we would stay at home from 5 am on Sunday to next day 5 am,” says Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb.

2.08 pm: The prohibitory orders in Mumbai will be effective till July 15, unless it is withdrawn earlier, reports ANI.

2 pm: The Telangana government has extended the existing lockdown restrictions in the state till July 31, reports The Hindu.

1.57 pm: The Karnataka government has issued show-cause notice to hospitals for allegedly refusing to admit coronavirus patients.

1.50 pm: In Bihar, 88 people test positive for the coronavirus today, according to ANI. The total number of cases in the state has risen to 10,076.

1.30 pm: Andhra Pradesh reports 657 new cases and six deaths in the last 24 hours. With this, the state’s total count goes up to 15,252 and toll rises to 193.

1.29 pm: Section 144 of the CrPC has been imposed in Mumbai. The order prohibits presence or movement of one or more people in public places or gathering of any sort anywhere, including religious places subject to certain conditions.

1.25 pm: Sixty personnel of Maharashtra Police have died so far, reports PTI. Of these, 38 were from the Mumbai Police force.

1.20 pm: Kejriwal says tests in Delhi have gone up. “There is a good indication, earlier around 31 out of 100 people whose samples were collected tested positive for coronavirus. Today, 13 out of 100 people test positive,” he adds.

1.10 pm: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal once again reiterates that the situation is under control and claims that it is improving in the national Capital. “It was predicted that by June 30, Delhi would have 1 lakh cases out of which 60,000 would be active cases but today we only have 26,000 active cases,” he says. “This is the result of everyone’s hard work. We have been able to control the situation.

1.08 pm: Australia enforces strict lockdown in Melbourne suburbs after a surge in cases, reports The Guardian. Residents can only leave home for grocery shopping, health appointments, work or caregiving and exercise.

12.39 pm: India’s recovery rate now stands at over 59%. Of the 585,493 coronavirus cases in the country, the number of patients who have recovered till date stands at 347,978.

12.22 pm: Nagaland reports 21 new cases today, taking the total number of infections in the state to 480, says state Health Minister S Pangnyu Phom.

12.20 pm: Odisha reports 251 new infections, according to ANI. The state’s tally is now 7,316, including 2,094 active cases.

12.19 pm: The Rajasthan health department says there are 78 new cases in the state as of 10.30 am today. With this, the total number of cases in the state is now at 18,092, including 413 deaths.

12.17 pm: The Odisha Government allows over-the-counter sale of liquor in addition to home delivery from today.

11.35 am: One of Mumbai’s biggest Ganesh pandal, “Lalbaughcha Raja”, is cancelled this year for the first time in its 84-year history, reports NDTV.

“This year we will not be keeping any idol as people will otherwise throng to see it,” said Sudhir Salvi, secretary of the Lalbaug Ganesh Mandal.

Maharashtra has more cases of the virus than any other state at the moment, with 1,74,761 as of Wednesday morning. Mumbai accounts for 77,658 of these cases.

11.11 am: US infectious disease expert Anthony Fauci says the country is going “in the wrong direction” regarding its handling of the coronavirus, reports Bloomberg. He says there could be as many as 1 lakh new cases a day if people’s behaviours do not change. The US currently has around 40,000 new cases a day.

“Clearly we are not in total control right now,” he says. While refusing to estimate the number of deaths if the virus continues unchecked, Fauci says, “It is going to be very disturbing, I guarantee you that.”

11 am: Manipur announces a complete lockdown and curfew in all containment zones till July 15, reports Imphal Free Press.

10.50 am: More than 100 people who attended on June 15 test positive for the coronavirus. The groom died two days later but could not be tested for Covid-19 as his family had already cremated him. He had fever on the day of the wedding, but his family reportedly forced him to go ahead with the rituals after taking some medicines.

Read more: Coronavirus: Groom dies, over 100 guests test positive after attending wedding in Bihar

10.34 am: An inquiry is ordered in Ballari, Karnataka, after a video goes viral of health workers roughly dumping bodies of coronavirus victims into a pit with an earthmover, reports News18. “The video shows that protocols/SOP to be followed for burial (body bags, lining, etc.) have been strictly followed,” Ballari Deputy Commissioner SS Nakul tells ANI. “However, the District Administration is deeply upset and sorrowful at the manner in which the remains of the deceased were handled.”

10.27 am: CPI(M) leader Mohammad Salim alleges that Modi’s extension of the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana till November is a politically motivated decision aimed at boosting the BJP ahead of the Bihar Assembly elections, which are due to be held later in the year, reports PTI.

“But, since the Bihar elections are near, the prime minister has announced the free ration programme till Chatth puja,” Salim says. “It is old wine in a new bottle.”

10.22 am: The United States buys up all the stock of a key drug in the treatment of the coronavirus, remdesivir, leaving almost none for the rest of the world for the next few months, reports The Guardian.

“They’ve got access to most of the drug supply [of remdesivir], so there’s nothing for Europe,” says Dr Andrew Hill, senior visiting research fellow at Liverpool University.

10.18 am: The Indian Navy helps to bring back 687 Indians from Iran as the INS Jalashwa docks at Thoothukudi harbour today.

10.15 am: Narendra Modi tweets in support of the country’s doctors – “exceptional caregivers who are at the forefront of a spirited fight against Covid-19”.

10.05 am: China on Tuesday reported only three new cases of the coronavirus, CGTN reports. These cases were from Beijing. The country’s tally is currently at 83,534, while there are 4,634 deaths.

9.55 am: A Bharatiya Janata Party MLA from Goa has tested positive for the coronavirus and is admitted to ESI Hospital in Margao, PTI reports. Goa has so far reported 1,315 cases and three deaths.

9.50 am: India has tested 86,26,585 samples so far, according to the Indian Council of Medical Research. Of this 2,17,931 samples were tested on Tuesday.

9.45 am: Germany reports 466 new infections, taking the country’s tally to 1,94,725 on Wednesday, Reuters reports. The toll rises to 8,985.

9.40 am: US President Donald Trump says he is growing “more and more angry at China” over the spread of the coronavirus. “As I watch the Pandemic spread its ugly face all across the world, including the tremendous damage it has done to the USA, I become more and more angry at China,” Trump says in a tweet.

Also read

Coronavirus: Trump says he is ‘angry at China’; health expert warns US could hit 1 lakh daily cases

9.22 am: India reports 18,653 new cases in 24 hours, taking the country’s coronavirus count to 5,85,493. The toll from the disease rose by 507 to 17,400. As many as 3,47,978 people have recovered from the coronavirus so far.

9.10 am: Meanwhile, the number of cases in the US rose by more than 47,000 on Tuesday, according to Reuters. This is the country’s largest ever spike. California, Texas and Arizona have now become new epicenters of the pandemic in the US.

9 am: Infectious disease expert Anthony Fauci says the situation in the United States could worsen and cases could increase to 1 lakh a day if Americans aren’t cautious, AFP reports. Fauci is a member of US President Donald Trump’s coronavirus taskforce. “I’m very concerned and I’m not satisfied with what’s going on, because we’re going in the wrong direction,” he said.

“Clearly we are not in total control right now,” he said, adding: “I would not be surprised if it goes up to 100,000 a day if this does not turn around.”

8.30 am: Religious places in rural areas of Tamil Nadu open to the public on Wednesday, PTI reports. The Tamil Nadu government on Tuesday issued a Standard Operating Procedure for these places of worship. Physical offerings such as prasad or the distribution or sprinkling of holy water would be prohibited. Offerings such as coconut, fruits and flowers shall also not be allowed.

Physical distancing of six feet should be maintained, the rules state. “People should wash their hands and feet with soap and water before entering the premises,” the SOP adds. “Necessary facilities shall be provided for this purpose. Touching of statues, idols and holy books, are not to be allowed.” Places of worship in corporations, municipalities and town panchayat areas would ocntinue to remain shut.

8 am: Assam recorded its highest single-day spike of 613 cases on Tuesday, PTI reports. The state’s tally is now 8,407, and the toll is 12.

7.50 am: Gurugram Municipal Corporation issues guidelines for resident welfare association regarding the entry of househelps and the mandatory use of face masks and thermal screening, ANI reports.

7.30 am: The Railways will expand to 350 local trains in Mumbai from Wednesday, Union minister Piyush Goyal says. However, the services will only be accessible to essential workers and not general passengers. The Maharashtra government had asked the Indian Railways to allow employees of various Central government offices, high courts and public sector banks to travel by local trains.

7.27 am: All these relaxations apply only outside containment zones, where only essential activities remain permitted. But the guidelines said that facilities such as metro rail, cinema halls, gymnasiums, swimming pools, entertainment parks, theatres, bars, auditoriums and assembly halls will continue to be prohibited. Social, political, religious, cultural and academic gatherings also remain banned.

Read more here:

Covid-19: Centre relaxes night curfew, expands air, rail operations in ‘Unlock 2’ phase from July 1

7.25 am: Shops and establishments can have more than five persons at a time from July 1, depending upon the area they are located in, the Union home ministry said on Monday. However, physical distancing must be maintained.

7.22 am: Night curfew will be in place from 10 pm to 5 am. The Centre has also announced that training institutions of the state and central governments will be allowed to function from July 15. The Department of Personnel and Training will issue a Standard Operating Protocol in this regard. However, schools and colleges will remain closed till July 31.

7.20 am: The Indian government’s second phase of easing restrictions following the coronavirus lockdown begins today. Under this phase, called “Unlock 2”, the operations of domestic flights and passenger trains will be further extended. However, the prohibition on international air travel will continue.

Read more here:

Covid-19: Centre relaxes night curfew, expands air, rail operations in ‘Unlock 2’ phase from July 1

7.15 am: The Ministry of Home Affairs on Monday issued fresh guidelines, relaxing lockdown restrictions further from July 1, as part of its “Unlock 2” phase in the fight against the novel coronavirus. Night curfew has relaxed. Ban on metro services and international flights will continue.

7.10 am: The global coronavirus tally has crossed the one crore-mark, with 1,04,34,835 cases so far. The toll rose to 5.09 lakh, according to the Johns Hopkins University. More than 53.22 lakh people have recovered.

7 am: Here are the top updates from Tuesday:

1. India recorded 18,522 new coronavirus cases on Tuesday, taking the overall count to 5,66,840. The toll from the disease rose by 418 to 16,893. Over 3.3 lakh people have recovered from the coronavirus so far.
   
2. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his address to the nation, announced that the free grain distribution scheme under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana will be extended by five months till the end of November. The scheme, earlier announced for a three-month period, covered 80 crore ration card holders. Soon after Modi’s announcement, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee extended the free distribution of grains till June 2021 in the state.
   
3. The Drug Control General of India gave its approval to Bharat Biotech to conduct human clinical trials of a potential Covid-19 vaccine. Covaxin, developed in collaboration with the Indian Council of Medical Research and the National Institute of Virology, will be clinically tested across the country from next month.
   
4. Tamil Nadu recorded 3,943 new coronavirus cases and 60 deaths today, taking the state tally to 90,167. The toll stands at 1,201. Meanwhile, Maharashtra recorded 4,878 new coronavirus cases, taking the worst-hit state’s tally to 1,74,761. With 245 new deaths, the toll stood at 7,855. Delhi recorded 2,199 new coronavirus cases and 62 deaths on Tuesday. The Capital’s case count rose to 87,360 and toll to 2,742. Delhi is the most affected city in India, with Mumbai in second place.
5. World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that the coronavirus pandemic is far from being over.
6. After Maharashtra, the Tamil Nadu government extended the coronavirus lockdown across the state by another month till July 31. A complete lockdown will remain in place till July 5 in Madurai and Greater Chennai Police limits, including Chennai, Kanchipuram, Chengalpattu and Thiruvalluvar districts. Kerala enforced a “triple lockdown” in parts of Malappuram.
   
7. The European Union has excluded the United States from its initial “safe list” of countries from which the bloc will allow non-essential travel from Wednesday. The bloc agreed to open its borders to 15 countries earlier in the day. The countries are Algeria, Australia, Canada, Georgia, Japan, Montenegro, Morocco, New Zealand, Rwanda, Serbia, South Korea, Thailand, Tunisia and Uruguay.