1. India on Tuesday registered 2,59,170 new coronavirus cases, taking its tally of infections since the beginning of the pandemic in January 2020 to 1,53,21,089. With 1,761 deaths, the toll rose to 1,80,530. This is the highest number of deaths recorded in a day since the start of the pandemic.
  2. Prime Minister Narendra Modi ruled out the possibility of a countrywide lockdown amid the second wave of the coronavirus pandemic. He said that states should impose a lockdown only as a “last resort”.
  3. Delhi recorded 28,395 coronavirus cases – the highest figure since the pandemic broke out in January last year – taking the city’s tally of infections to 9,05,541. Meanwhile, with 19,577 new Covid-19 infections, Kerala reported the highest one-day rise since the outbreak. The state’s overall case count reached 12.72 lakh and the toll went up by to 28 to 4,978, reported PTI.
  4. The Delhi High Court pulled up the Centre and asked why it had not banned the oxygen supply to industries like petroleum and steel immediately since there was a shortage to treat coronavirus patients in the national Capital. The court directed the Centre to implement the ban immediately, saying “any delay will lead to loss of precious lives”.
  5. Grocery stores, vegetable shops and dairies in Maharashtra will only be open from 7 am to 11 am, the state government said in an order, ANI reported. Home delivery from these shops will only be allowed till 8 pm.
  6. The Supreme Court stayed an Allahabad High Court order imposing a lockdown in five cities of Uttar Pradesh in view of the worsening coronavirus situation.
  7. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal quarantined himself after his wife, Sunita Kejriwal, tested positive for the coronavirus.
  8. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi tested positive for the coronavirus. “All those who’ve been in contact with me recently, please follow all safety protocols and stay safe,” Gandhi tweeted.
  9. Everyone aged 16 years and above is eligible for vaccination in the United States, Reuters reported.
  10. Globally, the coronavirus has infected more than 14.18 crore people and killed over 30.27 lakh since the pandemic broke out in December 2019, according to Johns Hopkins University. More than 8.11 crore people have recovered from the infection.