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Coronavirus news highlights: Karnataka records 39,998 new Covid-19 cases, 517 deathsMost vaccination centres in Bengaluru have run out of stock, and people, despite fixing a prior appointment, are being turned away. Meanwhile, India on Wednesday saw its highest rise in single-day Covid-19 deaths while new infections increased compared to the previous day but have remained off record highs for three days now. Dr Anthony Fauci said that India's easing of the lockdown and other restrictions during the first wave was premature and is what landed the country in such a dire situation during the second wave.
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Gujarat: Crematorium workers declared 'corona warrior'

The Vijay Rupani government in Gujarat on Wednesday declared employees of crematoriums in the state as "corona warriors" and extended benefits including Rs 25 lakh assistance to the families of them in case of death due to Covid-19.

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Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai has issued a global bid today to acquire 1 crore Covid-19 vaccines to vaccinate citizens in Mumbai at the earliest on a massive scale in its decisive fight against Covid virus, saysMunicipal Commissioner IS Chahal (ANI)

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PM Modi chairs high level meeting to review availability and supply of oxygen and medicines.

Uttarakhand will import 20 lakh doses of Sputnik V over next two months, says official.

Karnataka records 39,998 new Covid-19 cases, 34,752 recoveries and 517 deaths in the last 24 hours.

Maharashtra govt decides to temporarily suspend vaccination drive for 18-44 age group

Due to insufficient supply, Maharashtra govt decides to temporarily suspend vaccination drive for 18-44 age group & divert available stock for above-45 age group, says Health Minister Rajesh Tope

Opposition leaders write to PM Modi, call for free Covid vaccination and halt on Central Vista project

No Covaxin jab for 18-44 group from May 13 in Delhi; nine days of Covishield stock is left for this category, says AAP MLA Atishi.

Mamata Banerjee writes to PM Modi, urging to speedily import vaccines

Delhi records 13,287 new Covid-19 cases, 300 deaths; positivity rate at 17%

World could have prevented Covid catastrophe: Expert panel

The catastrophic scale of the Covid-19 pandemic could have been prevented, an independent global panel concluded Wednesday, but a "toxic cocktail" of dithering and poor coordination meant the warning signs went unheeded.

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Himachal allowes pvt hospitals/ labs to conduct RT-PCR tests at Rs 500

Himachal Pradesh has allowed private hospitals/ labs to conduct RT-PCR tests at Rs 500 for samples collected at these hospitals and their designated collection centres; Rs 750 for samples collected through home visits.

Covid-19 vaccination drive: NTPC inoculates over 70K employees, their dependents

State-owned power major NTPC on Wednesday said it has inoculated more than 70,000 of employees, workers and their family members across its operations.

The massive Covid-19 vaccination drive continues across plant locations, which also includes the company's associates and their dependents along with retired NTPC employees, it said in a statement.

Nepal extends ban on international flights till May 31 as Covid-19 situation worsens

The Nepal government has extended suspension on operation of international flights till May 31 as coronavirus cases continue to rise at an alarming rate in the Himalayan nation.

The suspension period of international schedule flights has been extended till May 31, the Civil Aviation Authority said in a notification on Tuesday.

However, two weekly flights on the Kathmandu-Delhi sector -- one of Nepal Airlines and the other of Air India -- will remain operational under an air bubble arrangement between Nepal and India, it said.

Most of India should remain locked down for 6-8 weeks, says ICMR chief

The head of the main Indian health agency responding to the coronavirus has said districts reporting a high number of infections should remain locked down for another six to eight weeks to control the spread of the rampaging disease.

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Auto driver Munna Ram in Delhi, aged 50, stands wearing a personal protective equipment (PPE) suit next to his autorickshaw, which he has converted into an ambulance to transport Covid-19 patients to hospitals. Credit: AFP Photo

WHO has not associated the 'Indian Variant' with B.1.617 variant: Govt

The government of India on Wednesday strongly opposed the use of the term 'Indian Variant' and said that this classification was not made by the World Health Organization, which, on Tuesday, had said that the variant was of 'global concern'.

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Puducherry adds 2,007 new Covid-19 cases to its Covid-19 tally

Puducherry posted 2,007 fresh cases of coronavirus on Wednesday, pushing the total positives to 77,031. Twenty-seven more people succumbed to the disease during last twenty-four hours raising the toll to 1025. The deceased were in the age groups ranging between 47 and 85 years.

Request Centre to understand severity of situation, stop export of vaccine, and share vaccine formula with other manufacturers, says Manish Sisodia

South Korea's Covid-19 vaccine shortages overshadow Moon-Biden summit

South Korea's struggle to boost coronavirus vaccine supplies is threatening to overshadow President Moon Jae-in's first summit with US President Joe Biden, with pressure mounting on Moon to secure more and faster deliveries of US-made shots.

Moon had hoped to use the Washington meeting next week as a chance to highlight South Korea's relatively successful response to the pandemic, a key legacy in his final year in office.

But uncertainties in the country's vaccine rollout amid global shortages and shipment delays are deepening public scepticism over Seoul's goal of reaching herd immunity by November.

Karnataka Deputy CM Savadi's nephew succumbs to Covid-19

Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister Laxman Savadi's nephew Vinod Parappa Savadi succumbed to Covid-19 during treatment at a private hospital here on Wednesday. He was 36 years old.

Vinod was the son of Savadi's elder brother Parappa Savadi, chairman Krishna Sugars, Athani. After being infected with Covid-19, Vinod had been admitted in a private hospital in Belagavi for treatment. He succumbed during treatment.

Vinod was known for his social and philanthropic activities.

Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen called on people on Wednesday not to panic about a rise in Covid-19 cases.

BJP leaders share puff piece replete with misinformation to defend PM Modi on Covid crisis

An article exalting Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s handling of the Covid-19 pandemic made a sudden appearance on the Twitter timelines of BJP leaders. “PM Modi has been working hard; don’t get trapped in the opposition barbs,” read its headline in all capitals.

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India Covid deaths soar toll past 250,000

India's coronavirus death toll surpassed 250,000 on Wednesday, official data showed, as the pandemic raged across the vast country of 1.3 billion people.

According to the health ministry, 4,205 people died in the past 24 hours -- a new record -- taking total fatalities to 254,197.

Watch DH's playlist of videos on Covid-19 here

India logs record 4,205 Covid-19 deaths in 24 hours, 3.48 lakh cases

India on Wednesday saw its highest rise in single-day Covid-19 deaths while new infections increased compared to the previous day but have remained off record highs for three days now.

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India's cumulative vaccination coverage exceeds 17.51 crore

India tested 19.83 lakh samples on May 11

30,75,83,991 samples tested up to May 11, 2021, for Covid-19.

Subject Expert Committee on vaccines gives nod to Bharat Biotech's Covaxin for phase 2 and 3 human clinical trials on 2 to 18-year-olds, reports ANI quoting sources.

Indian Covid-19 variant found in 44 countries, all six WHO regions

The World Health Organization said Wednesday that a variant of Covid-19 behind the acceleration of India's explosive outbreak has been found in dozens of countries all over the world.

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China reports 16 new mainland Covid-19 cases compared to 14 cases on May 11

Mainland China reported 16 new Covid-19 cases on May 11, up from 14 cases a day earlier, the country's national health authority said on Wednesday.

The National Health Commission, in a statement, said all of the new cases were imported infections originating from overseas. The number of new asymptomatic cases, which China does not classify as confirmed cases, fell to 11 from 25 cases a day earlier.

Here is DH's India coronavirus tracker

This is the biggest crisis India has ever seen: Eminent Indian-American philanthropist on Covid-19

“This is the biggest crisis India's ever seen. So, what I urge them to do is two things: One is make sure you support your family and friends in India. But this is the one time that everybody should do more,” Indiaspora founder M R Rangaswami, an entrepreneur and philanthropist who lost his sister in Chennai due to Covid-19, told PTI.

DH Toon | Bodies of Covid-19 victims float on Ganga?

Locals at Chausa in Bihar’s Buxar district were left horrified on Monday after they saw numerous bodies floating in the mighty Ganga.

Most of these bodies were suspected to be floating for the last 24 hours, and, as locals admit, could be of those who died due to coronavirus. The locals were scared that these bodies floating near their village could infect hundreds of villagers.

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Delhi Police offer free refilling of oxygen cylinders to needy families of Covid-19 patients at Greater Kailash in New Delhi. Credit: PTI Photo

Out of stock: No jab despite confirmed appointments in Bengaluru

Hospitals and public health centres in Bengaluru are turning away peoplewithconfirmed prior appointments for Covid vaccination. They cite the usual reason of vaccineshortages.

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As Covid-19 cases drop in Bengaluru, so do testing numbers

Bengaluru’s new Covid cases came down to 15,879 on Tuesday, the third successive day of decline, but question marks persist around a trend of lower testing.

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India opened up prematurely: Fauci on dire Covid-19 situation

America's top infectious disease expert Dr Anthony Fauci on Tuesday said that India is in such "dire straits" because it made the "incorrect assumption" that they were finished with the Covid-19 and opened up prematurely.

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Dr Reddy's inks licensing deal with Eli Lilly for Covid-19 treatment drug Baricitinib

Dr Reddy's Laboratories on Tuesday said it has inked a licensing pact with Eli Lilly and Company to produce Baricitinib in the country for treatment of Covid-19.

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Good Morning readers! Welcome to our live coverage of coronavirus news updates!