AIIMS Director Randeep Guleria said on Saturday that the country might not see a third wave of coronavirus disease but it largely depended on people following Covid appropriate behaviour. He, however, also stressed that children will be more vulnerable if at all the third wave strikes.
Kerala reports 19,451 fresh Covid-19 cases, 19,104 recoveries, and 105 deaths in the last 24 hours.
Active cases: 1,80,240
Death toll: 18,499
The UK on Saturday reduced the cost of Covid-19 tests for international travellers from Amber list countries like India from £88 to £68 ($122 to $94), after many representations over the high charges of the mandatory testing.
Planning stringent measures to stem the possible surge of the Covid-19 third wave in Bengaluru, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai will hold a high-level meeting with experts and health officials on Saturday evening.
Egypt received a new batch of about 1.7 million AstraZenecaCovid-19 vaccine doses through the global Covaxinitiative, the health ministry said late on Friday.
The new shipment, the third of its kind, brings the total number of AstraZeneca shots received by Egypt via Covaxto about 4.3 million doses.
(Reuters)
Mizoram'sCovidgraph and infection rate are showing a declining trend in the last few days as the northeastern state registered one of its lowest single-day positivity rate of 3.48 per cent on Saturday, a senior health official said.
The state'sCovid-19 tally rose to 47,995 as 524 more people, including 103 children and 4 BSF personnel, tested positive for the infection, while three fresh fatalities pushed its coronavirus death toll to 177, he said.
(PTI)
The Philippine health ministry on Saturday recorded 14,249 new coronavirus cases, the new second-largest daily increase in infections.
In a bulletin, the ministry said total confirmed infections in the Philippines have increased to 1.727 million, while deaths have reached 30,070, after reporting 233 additional casualties.
Active cases, at 98,847, was at a near four-month high, government data showed.
(Reuters)
Guatemala has declared a new state of emergency and will impose an overnight curfew from Sunday to contain a surge inCovidinfections due to the Delta variant, President Alejandro Giammattei said.
(AFP)
This year’s edition honors and celebrates the undefeated spirit ofCovid-19 frontline warriors who have courageously led the battle against the pandemic, with a spotlight on their selfless acts of kindness along with showcasing the extraordinary talent and achievers across the country as always.
This year’s Limca Book of Records is a combined edition of two challenging years and celebrates stellar victories and accomplishments in human endeavor, structures, education, defense, government, science and technology, adventure, business, cinema, the natural world, literature, and the arts
(PTI)
Punjab CM Captain Amarinder Singh orders mandatory full Covid vaccination or negative RTPCR report for all those entering the state from Monday, with strict monitoring particularly of those coming from Himachal Pradesh & Jammu, which are showing increased positivity.
Australia will increase fines to people breaching lockdown rules in the state of New South Wales as it battles a record jump in localCovid-19 infections and Sydney, the state capital, heads into its eighth week of lockdown, officials said on Saturday.
Locally transmitted infections jumped by 466 over the previous 24 hours in the country's most populous state, where police will fine people up to A$5,000 ($3,700) "on the spot" for breaching stay-at-home orders or for lying to contract-tracing officials, said state Premier Gladys Berejiklian.
"We have to accept that this is the worst situation New South Wales has been in since day one. And it's also regrettably, because of that, the worst situation Australia's been in," Berejiklian said.
(Reuters)
The Canadian government announced Friday it will require all federal workers and most commercial rail, air and ship passengers to get vaccinated againstCovid-19, amid a surge in virus cases due to the Delta variant.
"We know that vaccines are the best way to end this pandemic," said Dominic LeBlanc, a government minister in charge of Canada's federal bureaucracy.
"We expect federal public servants to want to comply with this mandatory requirement," he added.
(AFP)
Getting a Covaxin shot is becoming increasingly difficult for the public, with shortage forcing officials to reserve the available jabs for second-dose beneficiaries.
The BBMP had an opening balance of 39,000 Covaxin doses on Friday morning but it had 70,000 people eligible for the second dose as on Thursday. The number will keep increasing as thosewho wait four weeks after the first dose start lining up for the second jab.
India saw a single-day rise of 38,667 coronavirus infections, taking the tally of Covid cases to 3,21,56,493,according to the Union Health Ministry data updated Saturday.
China on Saturday reported 30 new locally transmittedCovid-19 cases for Aug. 13, down for the fourth consecutive day, offering fresh signs that a month-long outbreak may be waning.
The country reported 66 coronavirus infections in the mainland, down from 99 a day earlier, according to the National Health Commission. There were 36 imported cases.
The number of locally transmitted cases fell from 47 a day earlier to the lowest since July 30.
China reported 19 new asymptomatic coronavirus cases, which it does not classify as confirmed infections, compared with 34 a day earlier.
No new deaths were reported.
(Reuters)
New South Wales reported a record 466 new locally acquired cases ofCovid-19 on Saturday, officials said as Australia's most populous state remained in tight lockdown.
"This is the largest jump we have seen in a night," state Premier Gladys Berejiklian told reporters in Sydney. "It's fair to say that we are extremely concerned about the situation that we're in, in New South Wales."
(Reuters)
International Business Machines Corp said on Friday that it would allow only fully vaccinated USemployees to return to offices, which are set to open from Sept. 7, given the rapid spread of the Delta variant of Covid-19.
"We will still open many of our USsites, where local clinical conditions allow, the week of Sept. 7. However, the reopenings will only be for fully vaccinated employees who choose to come into the office," Chief Human Resources Officer Nickle LaMoreaux said in a memo sent to employees. (Reuters)
The Canadian government said on Friday it had signed an agreement with Moderna Inc for additional supply of its Covid-19 vaccine for 2022 and 2023, with an option to extend into 2024.
Canada will receive 40 million doses, as per the deal, with an option for an additional 65 million doses. The agreement will allow access to new Covid-19 vaccine adaptations. (Reuters)