Karnataka on Tuesday reported 9,808 cases and 179 deaths in the last 24 hours. This is the first time since April 14 that the state has logged less than 10,000 cases in a day.
The Centre released the price of Covishield shots at private hospitals at Rs 780 per dose. For Covaxin doses, private hospitals can charge a maximum of Rs 1,410, while Sputnik shots will cost a maximum of Rs 1,145.
India on Tuesday morning registered 86,498 new coronavirus cases, pushing the infection tally in the country to 2,89,96,473 since the pandemic broke out in January 2020. This is the lowest daily tally of infections in more than two months. With 2,123 deaths, the toll climbed to 3,51,309.
Globally, the coronavirus disease has infected over 17.35 crore people and killed more than 37.34 lakh since the pandemic broke out in December 2019, according to Johns Hopkins University.
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Here are the day’s updates:
10.46 pm: Telangana government extends coronavirus restrictions till June 20, reports ANI. Night curfew in the state will continue to be implemented between 6 pm and 6 am.
10.33 pm: Karnataka reports 9,808 cases and 179 deaths in the last 24 hours, shows government data. This is the first time since April 14 that the state has logged less than 10,000 cases in a day, according to the Hindustan Times.
9.24 pm: Centre caps the price of Covishield shots at private hospitals at Rs 780 per dose, Live Law reports. For Covaxin doses, private hospitals can charge a maximum of Rs 1,410, while Sputnik shots will cost a maximum of Rs 1,145.
7.34 pm: Bihar Cabinet decides to provide an ex-gratia of Rs 4 lakh to the next of kin of those who succumbed to Covid-19 in the state, reports ANI.
7.33 pm: Maharashtra reports 10,891 cases and 295 death in the last 24 hours, according to government data.
7.32 pm: Rajasthan reports 529 new cases and 32 deaths in the last 24 hours, shows government data.
7.27 pm: Chandigarh administration relaxes Covid-19 restrictions in the city, reports ANI. All shops will remain open from 10 am to 6 pm, while restaurants and bars will operate from 10 am to 9 pm with 50% capacity.
6.26 pm: The Congress says the Modi government should clarify in Parliament its policy and roadmap for vaccinating all eligible beneficiaries by December, reports PTI.
6.22 pm: The government urges people to avoid large gatherings for a couple of months to avert any future wave of the coronavirus pandemic, reports PTI.
6.20 pm: Andhra Pradesh reports 7,796 new coronavirus cases, taking the state’s toll since the pandemic broke out last year to 17,71,007, according to ANI. The toll rises by 77 to 11,629.
5.22 pm: Paul adds that the Centre has placed an order to purchase 25 crore doses of Covishield and 19 crore doses of Covaxin. “The government has also placed an order to purchase 30 crore doses of Biological E’s vaccine, which will be available by September,” he adds.
Also read:
Coronavirus: India finalises deal with vaccine maker Biological-E for 30 crore doses
5.20 pm: NITI Aayog (Health) member Dr VK Paul says that manufacturers will decide the price of Covid-19 vaccines for private hospitals, reports ANI.
“States will aggregate the demand of the private sector, which means they will oversee how much network of facilities it has, and how many doses does it require.”
5.18 pm: All India Institute Of Medical Science Director Dr Randeep Guleria says that no global or Indian data has found that children are being affected more, reports ANI.
“Even in the second wave, kids who were infected had mild illness or co-morbidities. I don’t think we will have a serious infection in children in the future.”
5.14 pm: “Overall recovery has increased to 94.3% [both home isolation and medical infrastructure]...6.3% overall decrease in positivity from June 1 to June 7,” Aggarwal says, reports ANI.
5.15 pm: In the Union health ministry’s briefing, Joint Secretary Luv Aggarwal says that a 33% decline has occurred in the number of Covid-19 cases in the last one week and a 65% reduction has been noted in active cases. “State-wise, there are 15 states with less than 5% positivity,” he adds, according to ANI.
5.11 pm: Delhi reports 316 new Covid-19 cases, 521 recoveries and 41 deaths, reports ANI. The city’s overall cases are 14,29,791 and toll is 24,668.
3.24 pm: Kerala government says it will vaccinate bedridden and debilitated residents, who cannot be moved out and those for whom mobilising might worsen their present health condition, at their residence, reports ANI.
3.19 pm: Andhra Pradesh government says it will vaccinate mothers with children below five years of age, reports ANI.
1.33 pm: Madhya Pradesh extends the “corona curfew” till June 15 but announces certain relaxations, reports ANI.
1.25 pm: Maharashtra Health Minister Rajesh Tope welcomes the Centre’s decision to provide free vaccines to the states. “A proper policy/strategy will help vaccinate people against Covid-19,” he tells ANI.
1.13 pm: The Bihar government lifts its Covid-19 lockdown but night curfew will continue. Government and private offices can work till 4pm with 50% capacity.
1.05 pm: The Centre releases new guidelines for the Covid-19 vaccination programme, ANI reports. It says vaccines will be allotted to the states based on their population, disease burden and inoculation progress. It adds that vaccine wastage will have a negative impact on allocation.
12.18 pm: The Uttar Pradesh government orders an investigation after the owner of a hospital in Agra was purportedly caught on video saying that the facility cut off oxygen supply for patients for five minutes in April in a “mock drill”.
Read more here: 22 patients ‘turned blue’ after oxygen supply cut off during mock drill, says Agra hospital owner
12.08 pm: Arunachal Pradesh registers 360 new coronavirus cases on Tuesday, taking its tally of infections to 29,696 since the outbreak of the pandemic in January last year, PTI reports. The state records no new death and its toll stays at 125.
12.04 pm: The Uttar Pradesh government lifts Covid-19 curfew from all districts, but night curfew will continue, ANI reports, citing Chief Minister Adityanath’s office.
11.58 am: Doctors in India have linked hearing impairment, severe gastric problems and blood clots leading to gangrene with the delta variant of Covid-19, which suggests that the strain is more severe, Bloomberg reports.
11.51 am: The World Health Organization says a minimum 80% vaccination coverage is required to significantly lower the risk of coronavirus cases linked to new variants, like the delta variant first detected in India, the AP reports.
9.51 am: The United Kingdom expands the Covid-19 vaccination programme to residents aged 25 and above, reports PTI.
9.46 am: Mike Ryan, the director of the World Health Organization’s emergencies programme, says the global health body cannot force China to give more information about the origin of the coronavirus, Reuters. Ryan adds that he will propose studies needed to take the understanding of the virus’s origin to the “next level”.
9.43 am: Over 200 world leaders, including former presidents, prime ministers and ministers have backed a campaign urging the Group of Seven countries to help vaccinate the world’s poorest from low-income economies against Covid-19, reports PTI.
9.40 am: United States-based biotech company Moderna says it is seeking conditional approval for use of its Covid-19 vaccine on teenagers in the European Union and Canada, reports AFP.
The firm adds that it is planning to file for emergency approval with the United States’ Food and Drug Administration, where the Pfizer/BioNTech jab is already being administered to adolescents aged 12 and above.
9.38 am: The Telangana Cabinet will meet on Tuesday to take a call on extending the lockdown in the state, reports the Hindustan Times.
9.35 am: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee says it took Prime Minister Narendra Modi four months to listen to the request of the states and revise its vaccination plan. “The well-being of the people of India should’ve been prioritized since the very start of this pandemic,” she tweeted. “Unfortunately, this delayed decision by PM has already cost many lives. Hoping for a better managed vaccination drive this time that focuses on people and not propaganda!”
9.31 am: Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan announces an extension of lockdown in the state till June 16. Vijayan says there will be a full lockdown on June 12 and 13. He adds that stores selling essential items and raw materials for industries, construction material and banks will continue to operate.
9.29 am: Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh rolls out an action plan for a possible third wave in the country, reports PTI. He says a group of specialists in paediatrics will frame treatment protocols for the state.
9.23 am: The Bihar government is likely to take a call on Tuesday on extending the lockdown in the state, reports the Hindustan Times. Chief Minister Nitish Kumar will chair a meeting of disaster management group to discuss if the restrictions should be continued or relaxations are given.
9.21 am: The Union health ministry issues an advisory for rational use of antiviral medicine remdesivir for the treatment of the coronavirus, saying that the drug must be advised by senior faculty members directly involved in the patient’s care.
9.09 am: India registers 86,498 new coronavirus cases, pushing the infection tally in the country to 2,89,96,473 since the pandemic broke out in January 2020. This is the lowest daily tally of infections in more than two months.
With 2,123 deaths, the toll climbs to 3,51,309.
9 am: The coronavirus disease has now infected over 17.35 crore people and killed over 37.34 lakh in the world since the pandemic broke out in December 2019, according to Johns Hopkins University.
Here are the top updates from Monday
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that the Centre will take over the states’ quota procurement of coronavirus vaccines. The new policy, which will be put in place over the next two weeks, essentially means that the Centre will now procure 75% of the vaccines manufactured and provide them to states to inoculate all adults. Private hospitals will continue to procure 25% of the jabs.
- India registered 1,00,636 new Covid-19 cases, pushing the infection tally in the country to 2,89,09,975 since the pandemic broke out in January last year. This is the lowest number of new cases in 61 days, reports said. With 2,427 deaths, the toll climbed to 3,49,186.
- The health ministry said that students and professionals going abroad for their education and jobs, and those part of the country’s Tokyo Olympics contingent will have to get their vaccination certificates linked to passports. The ministry also relaxed the gap for the second dose of Covishield to 28 days for these beneficiaries.
- A study on vaccinations done on healthcare workers in India has shown that two doses of the Covishield vaccine have produced more antibodies than those of the Covaxin shot. The study is yet to be peer reviewed but was shared on medRxiv, an online portal for unpublished reports on medical sciences.
- The Punjab and Uttarakhand governments extended Covid-19 curbs till June 15, but with certain relaxations. Meanwhile, the Andhra Pradesh government extended the statewide curfew till June 20.
- The Spanish government opened its borders for all travelers vaccinated against Covid-19.