Here are the top updates from Sunday:
- United Kingdom Prime Minister Boris Johnson urged the leaders of Group of Seven or G7 countries to promise to vaccinate the whole world by the end of 2022, Reuters reported. “Vaccinating the world by the end of next year would be the single greatest feat in medical history,” he said.
- India on Sunday reported 1,14,460 new coronavirus infections during the previous 24 hours while deaths rose by 2,677. The country’s tally of cases since the pandemic broke out in January 2020 stands at 2,88,09,339, with the toll rising to 3,46,759.India’s daily new cases were the lowest in the last two months. The country has recorded less than 2 lakh cases for 10 straight days.
- Sikkim extended its statewide lockdown till June 14. Haryana also extended its restrictions till June 14, but allowed bars and malls to open with 50% capacity. The Uttar Pradesh government, meanwhile lifted the curfew imposed in view of Covid-19 from all districts barring Meerut, Saharanpur and Gorakhpur as active cases in each of them are over 600.
- Delhi recorded 381 new coronavirus cases on Sunday, taking its total count of infections since the outbreak of the pandemic last year to 14,29,244. This is the Capital’s lowest daily rise in cases since March 15. Delhi’s toll rose by 34 to 24,591. Its positivity rate reduced to 0.50%.
- Maharashtra recorded 233 Covid-19 deaths on Sunday, taking its toll to 1,00,130, PTI reported. The tally of cases rose to 58,31,781 as the state recorded 12,557 new infections.
- Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray said the government was taking a calculated risk by easing curbs, adding that the people need to be cautious. “Nothing is going to be eased immediately,” he said. The Maharashtra government has unveiled a five-level unlock plan based on positivity rate and availability of oxygen beds in various districts.
- The Odisha government has decided to divert Covaxain doses meant for citizens aged 45 and above to the 18-44 age group due to a paucity of jabs for the latter. Additional Health Chief Secretary PK Mohapatra said the health department would soon issue orders on the diversion so that the entire Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation area can be vaccinated quickly.
- Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday hit out at the Centre for fighting for “blue ticks” on Twitter, while Indians struggle to get Covid-19 vaccine doses. “The Modi government is fighting for blue ticks, be self reliant if you need Covid-19 vaccine,” Gandhi said in a tweet with the hashtag priorities.
- Sprinter Milkha Singh, hospitalised with Covid-19, is showing “continuous improvement”, PTI reported, quoting Ashok Kumar, the spokesperson of the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research in Chandigarh.
- The coronavirus disease has now infected over 17.3 crore people and killed over 37.23 lakh in the world since the pandemic broke out in December 2019, according to Johns Hopkins University.
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