Coronavirus News highlights: Karnataka reports 3,104 new Covid-19 cases, 92 deaths

After pictures of people rushing to hill stations surfaces, the government said that people roaming in hill stations, markets without following Covid protocols can nullify gains made in pandemic management so far. A day after England's last ODI against Sri Lanka in Bristol, seven people tested positive - three players and four staff. The Assam government announced complete lockdown in 7 districts from July 7 till further notice; restaurants, shops to remain shut.

That's all for today readers. Thank you for tuning in to our live coverage of Covid-19 cases in India and around the world. For more latest news, visit www.deccanherald.com.

3,104 new Covid-19 cases, 92 deaths in Karnataka

Karnataka on Tuesday reported 3,104 new Covid-19 cases and 92 deaths, taking the total number of infections to 28.59 lakh and the toll to 35,526. The day also saw 4,992 discharges, continuing to outnumber the fresh cases, taking the total number of recoveries in the state so far to 27,84,030. Read more

Delhi has run out of Covid vaccine stock, says Sisodia

The Delhi government's stock of the Covid-19 vaccine has run out, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said on Tuesday and urged the Centre to send more doses for the people of the city as required for the inoculation exercise. In a tweet, he asserted that in the last two weeks, vaccination was done in the national capital at a "record speed".

UK reports highest number of new Covid-19 cases since January 29

Britain reported the highest daily number of new Covid cases since Jan. 29 on Tuesday, and the greatest number of deaths within 28 days of a positive test since April 23. Tuesday's figures showed that there were 28,773 new cases, up from 27,334 on Monday, and 37 deaths.(Reuters)

'Shameless PM' failed to handle Covid crisis, meet vaccine demands: CM Mamata Banerjee

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday said the Centre has failed to meet the vaccine requirements of the state, forcing her dispensation to make purchases on its own, and described Narendra Modi as "a shameless prime minister" who has his picture pasted everywhere - from hoardings to inoculation certificates. Read more

Assam declares 7 districts as containment zones, retains restrictions in others as Covid-19 cases surge

The Assam government on Tuesday declared seven districts as containment zones for a week and retained the restrictions in the rest of the districts in view of rising Covid-19 cases, particularly in rural areas. Read more

Karnataka Health Minister K Sudhakar asks Centre to increase supply of Covid-19 vaccine

Karnataka Health Minister K Sudhakar met Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan here on Tuesday and demanded that the central government supply more Covid-19 vaccine doses to the state. Karnataka has administered nearly 2.4 crore doses of vaccine so far, which is the highest among all south Indian states, the minister said in the meeting. Read more

Centre should provide three crore vaccine doses per month: Maharashtra legislature

Both the houses of the Maharashtra legislature on Tuesday passed unanimous resolutions asking the Centre to provide a minimum of three crore Covid-19 vaccine doses per month to the state so that a third wave of the pandemic can be avoided and economic activities revived. Speaking in the Legislative Assembly, Health Minister Rajesh Tope, who moved the resolutions in both houses, said the state machinery can vaccinate 10 lakh people per day provided doses were available. (PTI)

Kerala reports 14,373 new Covid-19 cases,142 deaths

The state has1,04,105 active cases. While28,77,557 have recovered from the virus,13,960 succumbed to Covid-19 in the state.

Images of people thronging hill stations 'frightening', govt stresses on following Covid-19 protocols

The government on Tuesday cautioned that people roaming in hill stations and markets without following Covid-19-appropriate behaviours can nullify the gains made in the management of the pandemic so far. Read more

Andhra Pradesh reports 3,042 fresh Covid-19 cases, 3,748 recoveries, and 28 deaths in the past 24 hours.

Domestic air passenger traffic back to growth trajectory in Jun amid falling COVID cases: Report

Domestic air passenger traffic was back to the growth trajectory in June amid the falling number of COVID-19 cases in the country with around three million passengers flying on local routes in the previous month as against around two million in May, a report said on Tuesday. Though there is some recovery observed in June, stress on demand continues, driven largely by the second wave of the pandemic, limiting travel to only necessary travel, credit rating agency ICRA said in its report. (PTI)

Key takeaways from Health Ministry's briefing:

> 81% of the new Covid cases in India have been reported from 90 districts across 14 states andUTs, indicating need for focused attention in these areas.

>91 districts reported more than 100 daily new Covid-19 cases in the week ending July 4.

>73 districts across 17 states and UTs reported more than 10% Covid positivity rate in June 29-July 5 week.

>People roaming in hill stations, markets without following Covid protocols can nullify gains made in pandemic management so far, said the government.

England forced to name new ODI squad against Pakistan after Covid-19 cases

England have had to select an entirely new squad for their limited-overs series against Pakistan after three players and four staff members tested positive for Covid-19, the country's cricket board (ECB) said on Tuesday. Read more

Odisha's Covid-19 tally increases to 9,27,186 with 2,487 fresh cases, while the death toll climbs to 4,299 as 51 more people succumb to the disease.

Indonesia reports record 31,189 new Covid-19 cases, 728 deaths

Indonesia reported 31,189 new coronavirus infections and 728 deaths on Tuesday, both record daily increases, health ministry data showed. The Southeast Asian country has recorded a total of 2,345,018 Covid-19 cases and 61,868 deaths.

Government hospitals in Bengaluru ask for patient's religion to perform RT-PCR Covid-19 test

A 41-year-old woman was dumbfounded when the data entry operator at Jayanagar General Hospital asked for her religion to fill the Specimen Referral Form (SRF) for the RT-PCR test. The woman wanted a Covid-negative certificate as required by her organisation to resume work from the office premises. Read more

7 members of England ODI team positive for Covid-19

An outbreak of the coronavirus inEngland's One-Day International squad forced it into isolation on Tuesday.

Tests on Monday, a day after the team's last ODI against Sri Lanka in Bristol, revealed seven infections among three players and four staff. None were named.

Read more

Tunisia hospitals struggle with Covid 'tsunami'

Tunisian hospitals are battling to keep operating as the number of people dying ofCovid-19 spikes and bodies are left in rooms because mortuaries are running at full capacity.

"Some patients have died without us realising it," said Imen Fteiti a nurse at the Ibn Jazzar hospital in the central city of Kairouan, one of the hardest hit by the pandemic.

(AFP)

Production of test batch of Sputnik V to happen in exclusive facility in Himachal Pradesh

Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) & Morepen Laboratories announcethe production of the test batch of Sputnik V in an exclusive facility in Himachal Pradesh

India’s cumulative Covid Vaccination Coverage exceeded 35.75 crores, with 45,82,246 vaccine doses being administered in the last 24 hours

Assam declares total lockdown in few districts from July 7

Indonesia imports oxygen as hospitals battered by Covid-19

Indonesia is sourcing emergency oxygen for virus patients from neighbouring Singapore and calling for help from other countries including China with the archipelago slammed by its deadliest Covid-19 wave, the government said Tuesday.

Around 10,000 concentrators -- devices that generate oxygen -- were to be shipped from the city-state with some arriving by a Hercules cargo plane earlier on Tuesday, officials said.

(AFP)

Recipe for more powerful Covid-19 vaccines found

Scientists have found a recipe for even more effective and powerful vaccines against thecoronavirusand its rapidly emerging variants, based on the way human cells activate the immune system in response to Covid-19 infection.

Researchers from Boston University and the Broad Institute of Harvard University in the US noted that it is the first real look at exactly what types of “red flags” the human body uses to enlist the help of T cells sent out by the immune system to destroy infected cells.

(PTI)

Israel, South Korea agree for Covid-19 vaccine swap

Israel will deliver about 700,000 expiring doses of Pfizer-BioNTech's coronavirus vaccine to South Korea later this month, and South Korea will give Israel back the same number, already on order from Pfizer, in September and October.

South Korea has quickly distributed theCovid-19 vaccines it has, but has struggled to obtain enough doses in a timely manner amid tight global supplies, particularly in Asia.

(Reuters)

We can't think only about Covid, British health minister says

The world can no longer think only aboutCovid-19 and ignore the other critical health issues, economic problems and education challenges that have build up during the pandemic, Britain's health minister said on Tuesday.

"We can't live in a world where the only thing that we are thinking about isCovid- and not about all the other health problems, our economic problems, our education challenges and we have to make use of a vaccine that is thankfully working," Health Secretary Sajid Javid told Sky News.

(Reuters)

Fiji's Covid-19 hospital mortuary full, Delta variant fuels record infections

Struggling to contain an outbreak of the highly-transmissibleCovid-19 Delta variant, Fiji reported a record 636 newinfections and six deaths on Tuesday, with the mortuary at Pacific island's main hospital already filled to capacity.

Since the pandemic began, Fiji has reported a total 39 deaths, but most have come since the emergence of the Delta variant in April.

(Reuters)

No fresh Covid-19 cases reported in Andamans, tally at 7,482

Pfizer has not yet applied for an Emergency Use Authorisation of its vaccine in India

States/UTs have been provided with more than 37.07 cr vaccine doses: Health Ministry

The Health Ministry has said that more than 37.07 crore vaccine doses have been provided to States/UTs so far, and 23,80,000 doses are in the pipeline. It also added that more than 1.66 cr balance and unutilised vaccine doses are still available with the States/UTs.

India sees lowest single-day Covid-19 cases in nearly 4 months

India on Tuesday reported 34,703 new Covid-19 cases in the last 24 hours, the lowest in 111 days, a statement from the Health Ministry said.

Read more

Germany to remove entry ban from five countries where Delta variant is widespread, including India

Dhobi Khana (public laundry) workers in Kochi's Veli struggle to make a living due to Covid

Australia's New South Wales reports 18 new local Covid-19 cases

New South Wales, Australia's most populous state, reported 18 locally acquired cases ofCovid-19 on Tuesday as authorities battle to contain an outbreak of the highly infectious Delta variant in the state capital Sydney.

Over 35.71 crore Covid-19 vaccine doses administered in India so far

The total number of Covid-19 vaccine doses administered in the country so far has exceeded 35.71 crore, the Union Health Ministry said on Monday.

Read more

Israel sees drop in Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine protection against infections, still strong in severe illness

Israel reported on Monday a decrease in the effectiveness of the Pfizer/BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine in preventing infections and symptomatic illness but said it remained highly effective in preventing serious illness.

Read more

Canada, US are easing pandemic border-crossing restrictions

Pandemic restrictions on travel between Canada and the US began to loosen Monday for some Canadians, and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said plans to totally reopen the border would be announced over the next few weeks.

Canadian citizens and permanent residents who have had a full dose of a coronavirus vaccine approved for use in Canada can skip a 14-day quarantine that has been a requirement since March 2020. Eligible air travellers also no longer have to spend their first three days in the country at a government-approved hotel.