Coronavirus: Maharashtra reports 51 deaths – lowest since March 15

10.30 pm: Maharashtra reports 51 deaths due to the coronavirus, the least since March 15, according to PTI. With 6,740 new cases, the infection tally has risen to 61,04,917. This is the lowest daily rise in cases in a week. The toll rose to 1,23,136.

10.20 pm: UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson says people in England will no longer be required by law to wear face masks in indoor public spaces and or follow physical distancing guidelines, reports AP. This comes even as the country is witnessing a rise in coronavirus cases.

7.18 pm: Kerala records 8,037 new cases of coronavirus and 102 deaths due to the infection in the last 24 hours, reports Times of India, citing state government data.

7.15 pm: Director of Himachal Pradesh tourism department Amit Kashyap says the state has received 6-7 lakh tourists since the Covid-19 restrictions were relaxed in June, reports ANI.

7.10 pm: Delhi reports 54 new cases of coronavirus in the last 24 hours, shows government data. Two deaths reported in the city.

5.11 pm: Coimbatore Medical College and Hospital Dean Dr A Nirmala says that there are currently 133 patients of mucormycosis, or black fungus, at the medical facility out which of 30 had come with loss of vision in one eye, reports ANI.

5.08 pm: The spokesperson for Gavi, the global vaccine alliance, tells ANI that it was working with the United States government and other partners to operationalise Covid-19 vaccine dose donations and get them delivered as quickly as possible to various countries. The spokesperson was asked about the delivery of Moderna vaccine doses to India.

5.05 pm: Jammu and Kashmir administration resumes rafting activities in Ganderbal district to boost adventure sports and tourism after the industry was affected by the coronavirus pandemic, reports ANI.

5.02 pm: Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan says that the country is excited to offer the CoWIN platform as a technology tool to use for the greater public good globally, reports ANI. “I hope all the countries are able to gain value and benefit from our offering,” Vardhan says at the CoWIN Global Conclave.

3.58 pm: Modi says that no country can fight the Covid-19 pandemic alone.

3.54 pm: “Vaccination is the best hope for humanity to emerge successfully from the pandemic,” Modi says. “And right from the beginning, we in India decided to adopt a completely digital approach while planning our vaccination strategy.”

The prime minister adds that India considers the whole world to be one family. “This pandemic has made many people realize the fundamental truth of this philosophy,” he says. “’That’s why, our technology platform for Covid vaccination – the platform we call CoWin – is being prepared to be made open source.”

3.52 pm: The prime minister adds that technology is essential to the fight against Covid-19. “Luckily, software is one area in which there are no resource constraints,” he says. “That’s why we made our Covid-tracing and tracking app open source as soon as it was technically feasible.”

3.50 pm: Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses the CoWin global conclave. “Right from the beginning of the pandemic, India has been committed to sharing all our experiences, expertise and resources with the global community in this battle,” he says. “Despite all our constraints, we have tried to share as much as possible with the world.”

2.21 pm: Bharatiya Janata Party workers protest against the unauthorised vaccination drive in Kolkata, which was uncovered last month, ANI reports.

2.14 pm: The police in Maharashtra’s Aurangabad district file a case for the violation of Covid-19 protocols at a musical event, PTI reports. All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen MP Imtiaz Jaleel was among those who attended the event.

2.06 pm: The Bihar government decides to allow offices to resume work normally. Universities, colleges, technical educational institutions, government training institutes and schools will also open with 50% attendance of students. Restaurants can also function at 50% capacity.

1.22 pm: The Uttarakhand government extends curfew by another week till July 13, reports The Times of India. The government has allowed malls to operate at 50% capacity.

1.14 pm: Australia’s New South Wales says the next two days would be “absolutely critical” in deciding whether a two-week anti-coronavirus lockdown in Sydney, which is set to end on July 9, will need to be extended amid rising Delta variant cases, reports Reuters.

1.09 pm: Delhi stadiums, sports complexes reopen with no spectators as Covid-19 restrictions are eased in the city.

1.01 pm: Delhi Disaster Management Authority orders closing down of Lajpat Nagar market for flouting Covid-19 norms.

9.19 am: The Karnataka government will soon start a serological survey for children, The News Minute reports.

There have been concerns that a possible third wave of the pandemic will affect children more. However, interim findings of a study done by the World Health Organization and All India Institute of Medical Sciences suggested that this was unlikely to be the case.

9.18 am: India on Monday morning reports 39,796 new coronavirus cases, taking its tally since the pandemic broke out in January 2020 to 3,05,85,229. This is 7.6% lower than Sunday’s count of 43,071 infections. The toll rises by 723 to 4,02,728.

9.15 am: Delhi’s number of active Covid-19 cases fell below 1,000 for the first time since April, 2020, the Hindustan Times reports. The number stood at 992 on Sunday.

9.11 am: The Uttar Pradesh government will allow cinema halls to open from Monday, PTI reports.

9.09 am: Here are the top updates from Sunday:

1. The Haryana government extended Covid-19-induced restrictions till July 12, PTI reported. However, it will allow chartered accountancy and Army entrance exams to take place with proper precautions.
2. India reported 43,071 new coronavirus cases, taking its tally since the outbreak of the pandemic in January 2020 to 3,05,45,433. With 955 more deaths, India’s toll rose to 4,02,005. A total of 35,12,21,306 citizens have received their vaccine doses.
3. The Delhi government allowed stadiums and sports complexes to reopen without spectators from Monday. Cinema halls, multiplexes, swimming pools, schools and colleges will remain closed.
4. Maharashtra reported 9,336 new Covid-19 cases, 123 deaths and 3,378 recoveries in the last 24 hours. Of these, Mumbai alone accounted for 548 new infections, 24 fatalities and 705 discharges.
5. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal demanded the Bharat Ratna, India’s highest civilian honour, for doctors and heath care workers fighting the Covid-19 pandemic.