Coronavirus News Highlights: 1,485 fresh Covid-19 cases in Delhi

India's Covid-19 cases continued to rise, with the nation registering 3,324 new cases on Sunday. Stay tuned for updates.

1,485 fresh Covid-19 cases in Delhi; positivity rate 4.89%

Delhi reported 1,485 fresh Covid-19 cases and zero fatality due to the viral disease on Sunday, while the positivity rate was recorded at 4.89 per cent, according to data shared by the city health department.

Covid: 4 new cases in J&K

Jammu and Kashmir reported four new Covid cases on Sunday that took the infection tally to 4,54,047, officials said.

21 more Covid-19 cases in Punjab

Punjab's Covid-19 tally increased to 7,59,615 on Sunday as 21 more people tested positive for the viral disease, according to a medical bulletin.

The death toll remained unchanged at 17,748.

Gujarat reports 18 new Covid-19 cases, tally rises to 12,24,358

Gujarat on Sunday reported 18 Covid-19 cases, taking its tally to 12,24,358, while the death toll remained unchanged at 10,943, a state health department official said.

Telangana records 32 new Covid-19 cases

Telangana on Sunday recorded 32 new Covid-19 cases, taking the total number of cases in the State to 7,92,044 so far, a bulletin said.

A healthworker administers a dose of Covid-19 vaccine to a student in the age group 12-14 years, as coronavirus cases rise, in Guwahati

(Credit: PTI Photo)

Odisha reports 11 new Covid cases

Odisha’sCovid-19 tally rose to 12,88,057 on Sunday, with 11 more people testing positive for the virus, the health department said. The state had registered 12 new cases and no death on Saturday. Odisha did not record any coronavirus fatality for the last 11 days and the toll remains static at 9,124.

169 new Covid-19 cases in Maharashtra; no death; active count now 995

Maharashtra on Sunday reported 169 new coronavirus positive cases, taking the state's infection tally to 78,77,901, the health department said. The state did not report any death due to the disease during the day, which kept its fatality count unchanged at 1,47,843. There are 995 active cases in the state at present, the department said.

Beijing tourist sites empty in Covid-stalked public holiday

Major Beijing tourist venues were virtually deserted Sunday and restaurant traffic ground to a standstill, as a typically bustling public holiday was overshadowed by aCovidoutbreak that has shunted millions under lockdown nationwide.

China's staunch zero-Covidpolicy has kept the virus at bay for more than two years but it is currently facing its worst outbreak since the start of the pandemic thanks to an Omicron-fuelled wave.

Millions across the country -- particularly in economic engine Shanghai -- have been pushed to stay at home for weeks, as the lockdowns have dampened economic growth and investor sentiment in the world's second-largest economy.

A community volunteer gives a haircut to a resident in a compound during a Covid-19 lockdown in Pudong district in Shanghai

(Credit: AFP Photo)

No fresh Covid-19 case reported in Ladakh

Ladakh's coronavirus tally remained unchanged at 28,246 as no new infection was reported in the Union Territory in the past 24 hours, officials said on Sunday.

With one more patient recovering from the infection during the same period, the number of active cases went down to three in Leh district, while Kargil district has already become coronavirus-free, the officials said.

According to officials, no virus-linked death took place on Saturday as the death toll from the pandemic also remained unchanged at 228 with 168 in Leh and 60 in Kargil.

New Zealand reports first Omicron BA.4 variant

New Zealand reported its first case of Omicron BA.4 variant at the border amid 12,699 communityCovidinfections during the weekend, the Ministry of Health said on Sunday.

A person who has travelled from overseas to New Zealand has been confirmed as having the BA.4 variant

Greece lifts Covid curbs for travellers ahead of key summer season

Greece liftedCovid-19 restrictions on Sunday for foreign and domestic flights, its civil aviation authority said, ahead of the summer tourism season that officials hope will see revenues bouncing back from the pandemic slump.

To fly in or out of the country, travellers were previously required to show either a vaccination certificate, a certificate saying they had recovered from coronavirus or a negative test.

A healthworker shows samples after conducting Covid-19 tests, as coronavirus cases rise, at a school in New Delhi

(PTI Photo)

Covid's new Omicron sub-lineages can dodge immunity from past infection

Two new sublineages of the Omicron coronavirus variant can dodge antibodies from earlier infection well enough to trigger a new wave, but are far less able to thrive in the blood of people vaccinated againstCovid-19, South African scientists have found.

The scientists from multiple institutions were examining Omicron's BA.4 and BA.5 sublineages - which the World Health Organization last month added to its monitoring list. They took blood samples from 39 participants previously infected by Omicron when it first showed up at the end of last year.

Covid vax not linked to spike in child hepatitis cases: Report

Social media platforms have falsely linked theCovidvaccine with the recent spike in unexplained hepatitis in children across several countries, including the UK, the US and many others.

According to the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), the affected children were mostly under the age of five and therefore not eligible for the jab.

But social media posts on Twitter, Reddit, Facebook and Telegram reported false claims that these hepatitis cases were caused by theCovidvaccine, BBC reported.

Beijing reports 350 Covid cases since April 22

Beijing has found 350 localCovid-19 cases since April 22 across 14 of the Chinese capital's 16 districts, a health official said on Sunday.

The most populous district, Chaoyang, accounted for 143 of the infections, including 20 of the 55 cases detected in the city in the 24 hours to 3 p.m. (0700 GMT) on Sunday, the official told a news conference.

Beijing has designated seven areas as high risk and 28 as medium risk, the official said.

Maharashtra Health Minister Rajesh Tope says there is no need for making face masks compulsory in state as of now, but face coverings will be made mandatory if there is increase in new Covid-19 cases

Workers in protective suits ride an electric tricycle on a street during lockdown, amid the coronavirus pandemic, in Shanghai, China

(Credit: Reuters Photo)

2 Covid deaths reported in Karnataka after 22 days

The Karnataka health department has gone on a high alert mode after twoCoviddeaths were reported in the last 24 hours after a gap of 22 days.

According to the department statistics, there were no deaths recorded in the last 22 days.

Currently, there are 5,422 Omicron cases and 4,623 Delta sub lineage cases in the state, who are undergoing treatment.

The number of positive cases recorded in Bengaluru rose to 120. However, no death case was reported in the state capital in the last 24 hours.

Taiwan will not 'cruelly' lock down like China: premier

Taiwan will not act "as cruelly as China" in imposing lockdowns, its premier said Sunday, despite surging coronavirus infection numbers.

The self-governing island recorded more than 10,000 new cases for the first time on Thursday, as the government moves from its zero-Covidstrategy and begins living with the virus.

That figure hit 16,936 on Sunday.

Taiwan's shift leaves neighbouring China -- including its financial hub Hong Kong -- as the only major economy still sticking to a zero-tolerance policy even as Omicron breaks through defences and forces painful lockdowns.

Puducherry logs 1 new Covid-19 case, overall tally rises to 1,65,790

The union territory of Puducherry added one fresh coronavirus case in the last 24 hours while no new fatalities were reported, a senior Health department official said on Sunday. The solitary new infection at the end of the examination of 204 samples took the overall caseload in the union territory to 1,65,790, Director of Health G Sriramulu said in a release.

Andaman and Nicobar Islands become Covid-free again

Andaman and Nicobar Islands becameCovid-19 again as the lone patient was cured of the disease, a health bulletin said on Sunday.

One fresh infection was reported on April 23 and the patient was discharged on April 30.

There are now no active cases in the Union territory.

Amazon ends Covid paid leave for US workers

Giant online retailer Amazon.com Inc will end its paid time-off policy for employees with Covid-19 from May 2, the company told US-based staff on Saturday.

The change follows the availability of Covid-19 vaccines and revised guidance from the USCenters for Disease Control and Prevention, it said.

India logs 3,324 new Covid-19 cases, 40 deaths

India on Sunday logged 3,324 new Covid-19 cases and 40 deaths.

Delhi reports 1,520 fresh Covid cases; positivity rate crosses 5%

The national capital on Saturday recorded 1,520 fresh Covid cases in the last 24 hours -- a marginal decline against 1,607 Covid cases reported on the previous day.

The fresh infections have taken the overall caseload to 18,83,075. The Covid positivity rate in the city has reached 5.10 per cent.

49 more people test Covid positive in TN, active caseload rises to 513

Despite a decline in daily new Covid cases, active infections rose to 513 in Tamil Nadu with 49 more people testing positive, the health department said on Saturday.

With these new cases, the tally of Covid cases in Tamil Nadu increased to 34,53,932. Among the new cases, 24 are male and 25 female, the bulletin stated.