Coronavirus Highlights: Beijing health chief sacked as city battles Covid outbreak

India saw a single day rise of 2,124 new coronavirus infections, taking the infection tally to 4,31,42,192, while the active cases rose to 14,971. Follow DH for the latest news and updates on Covid-19.

A woman looks past a fence in a compound during a coronavirus lockdown in the Jing'an district of Shanghai

(Credit: AFP Photo)

Puducherry reports 2 new Covid-19 cases

Two more persons tested positive forCovid-19 in Puducherry on Wednesday, pushing the overall tally to 1,65,845. The new cases were identified during the examination of 1,223 samples. Director of Health G Sriramulu in release said there was no fresh fatality in any of the four regions of Puducherry, Karaikal, Mahe and Yanam during the last 24 hours and the toll remained 1,962.

J&K reports 5 new Covid-19 cases

Nashik sees five new Covid-19 cases; active tally at 9

UK PM Johnson says he takes responsibility for lockdown breaches

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he took responsibility forCovid lockdown breaches at his Downing Street office and corrected a previous statement to parliament that guidance had been followed at all times.

"I take full responsibility for everything that took place on my watch... I have been appalled by some of the behaviour," he told lawmakers on Wednesday, adding he had been unaware of breaches at gatherings for departing staff members.

Workers in protective gear walk after unloading food boxes to be delivered in a neighborhood amid a coronavirus lockdown in the Jing'an district of Shanghai

(Credit: AFP Photo)

French health body backs new Covid vaccine booster campaign for this autumn

France's Haute Autorite de Sante (HAS) health authority recommended preparing for a new vaccination campaign this autumn to give people aged 65 and older, and those with special health risks or conditions, access to a Covid-19 "booster" jab.

The French government typically follows the recommendations of the country's health authority body.

Chinese mainland reports 102 new local confirmed Covid-19 cases

The Chinese mainland reported 102 locally-transmitted confirmed Covid-19 cases, of which 44 were in Shanghai and 41 in Beijing, the National Health Commission said on Wednesday.

Five other provincial-level regions on the mainland also saw new local Covid-19 cases, including seven in Tianjin and five in Sichuan on Tuesday, Xinhua news agency reported.

Beijing health chief sacked as city battles Covid outbreak

Beijing has sacked its top health official, state media reported Wednesday, as the Chinese capital battles a surge in Covid-19 infections despite the country's strict zero-tolerance policy.

The city has reported hundreds of cases in recent weeks in an Omicron-variant-fuelled outbreak -- its largest since the start of the pandemic.

Millions have been ordered to work from home with the vast majority of bus and subway services suspended, while thousands of people were relocated to quarantine hotels after a handful of infections were detected in their residential compounds.

A worker in a protective suit removes cordon lines near fences amid the coronavirus outbreak in Beijing

(Credit: Reuters Photo)

3 Covid cases in Odisha

Odisha recorded three morecoronaviruscases on Wednesday, while there was no new fatality, the health department said.

There are 84 active Covid-19 cases and nine more patients have recuperated from the disease, according to a bulletin.

The daily positivity rate was 0.02 per cent and 14,129 samples were tested in the past 24 hours, a bulletin stated.

China's Covid curbs cut soyoil demand, crimp soybean appetite

Plunging demand for soyoil in China is expected to cut consumption of the oilseed in the world's biggest user as lockdowns to prevent the spread of Covid have shuttered restaurants and canteens, according to traders and analysts.

China is the world's top consumer of edible oils, with millions of restaurants guzzling about half of the country's roughly 17 million tonnes of soyoil, made from crushing soybeans, consumed each year to fry food.

But a two-month lockdown in Shanghai, China's largest and wealthiest city, and anti-Covid-19 movement curbs in several other major cities have cut soyoil consumption, which will carry over to demand for soybeans.

Beijing city reports 51 new local Covid cases

Beijing reported 51 new domestically transmitted Covid-19 infections during the 24 hours to 3 p.m. (0700 GMT) on Wednesday, a disease control official at the Chinese capital said.

The city has had a total of 1,642 Covid infections since April 22, Liu Xiaofeng, deputy director at Beijing Center for Disease Prevention and Control, told a news briefing.

A medical worker prepares to conduct a nucleic acid tests for the Covid at a swab collection site in Shenyang in China's northeastern Liaoning province

(Credit: AFP Photo)

WHO verifying N Korea's Covid-19 data amid outbreak: Report

The WHO is checking suspectedCovid-19 data released by North Korea after the secretive country shared related information on its virus outbreak, the UN agency's report showed on Wednesday.

The North reported to WHO of more than 1.62 million people with fever and 23 associated deaths between May 13 and 18, according to the organisation's latest regionalCovid-19 situation report.

The report, however, noted the North has not provided the case definitions for the figures and that the agency is "currently in the process of verifyingCovid-19 data" from Pyongyang, Yonhap news agency reported.

Tightening Covid net, Beijing deals out punishments, stark warnings

China'sCovid-hit capital Beijing further tightened its dragnet on the virus with zero community transmission the target, punishing workplaces that flout rules or circumvent curbs and imploring residents to police their own movements.

Since late April, the city of 22 million has wrestled with dozens of new cases a day. While these have been mostly in quarantine areas, a handful have been found in the community at large, illustrating the high transmissibility of the Omicron variant and the challenges that poses to the world's most stringent of pandemic containment policies.

A health worker gets a swab sample from a boy to be tested for Covid-19 coronavirus at a swab collection site in Beijing

(Credit: AFP Photo)

Malaysia reports 1,918 new Covid-19 infections, 2 new deaths

Malaysia reported 1,918 newCovid-19 infections, bringing the national total to 4,494,782, according to the Health Ministry.

There are 22 new imported cases as of Tuesday midnight, with 1,896 being local transmissions, data released on the Ministry's website showed.

Two more deaths have been reported, bringing the toll to 35,647, Xinhua news agency reported.

The Ministry reported 2,124 new recoveries, bringing the total number to 4,434,195.

India reports 2,124 new Covid-19 cases, 17 more deaths

India's Covid-19 case tally rose by 2,124 to reach 4,31,42,192, while the number of active infections increased marginally to 14,971, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Wednesday. Read more

North Korea reported no new deaths among fever patients for a second consecutive day

The COVID outbreak, which the isolated country confirmed about two weeks ago, has stoked concerns about a lack of vaccines and medical supplies, while experts said a nationwide lockdown could deepen a food crisis in the country of 25 million.

Germany eases COVID-19 entry rules from June 1

Germany's Health Ministry will ease COVID-19 entry rules for travellers from June 1, suspending a requirement for vaccination, recovery from the virus or a negative test, Funke media group reported on Wednesday, citing the health minister.

"We will suspend the 3G rule on entry until the end of August," Health Minister Karl Lauterbach was quoted as saying.