Coronavirus News Highlights: Gujarat allows schools to reopen for classes 9-11 from July 26 with 50% capacity

The Gujarat government has allowed schools to reopen for students of classes 9-11 from Monday with 50% capacity. India reported 41,383 new Covid cases, 38,652 recoveries, and 507 deaths in the last 24 hours, as per the Union Health Ministry. Meanwhile, one day after the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) Director-General Balram Bhargava suggested reopening primary schools after ring immunisation. Stay tuned for more updates.

Uttarakhand: One held in connection with Kumbh Covid testing scam

A special investigation team constituted to probe the alleged Covid testing scam during the HaridwarKumbhmade the first arrest in connection with the case.

Ashish, who provided manpower and other material to Nalwa Laboratories, has been arrested, Circle Officer (City) Abhay Pratap Singh said on Thursday.

(AFP)

AIIMS, Delhi to start second dose trial of COVAXIN on 2-6 year-olds next week

AIIMS, Delhi to start second dose trial of COVAXIN on 2-6 years old children by next week: Sources

(ANI)

Gujarat sees 34 new Covid-19 cases; active infections currently at 370

Gujarat on Thursday recorded 34 fresh cases ofCovid-19 that raised the tally of infections to 8,24,608, an official from the state health department said.

At least 53 patients were discharged from hospitals, taking the count of recoveries to 8,14,162, while the toll stood at 10,076 with no fresh casualties, the official said.

(PTI)

Rajasthan Cabinet gives in-principle nod for reopening of schools, other educational institutes

Rajasthan Cabinet has given its in-principle approval for reopening of schools and other educational institutes

(ANI)

14 post-Covid patients in Delhi suffer large abscesses in liver, one dies

Fourteen post-Covid patients, eight of whom had received steroids during treatment, were diagnosed with"unusually large" and multiple liver abscesses, and one of them died due to massive bleeding in abdomen, authorities at a leading private hospital in Delhi said on Thursday.

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PM Modi solely responsible for oxygen-related Covid-19 deaths, Harsh Vardhan made a scapegoat: Jharkhand minister

Gujarat schools allowed to open for students of Classes 9-11 from July 26 with 50% capacity

Gujarat Govt allows reopening of schools for students of Classes 9 to 11 from July 26, with 50% capacity; students willing to attend the physical classes need to submit consent form of their parents

(ANI)

Northeastern states struggle to contain Covid-19 cases, positivity rate

Northeastern states appear to be emerging as Covid-19 hotbeds when the rest of the country is easing out restrictions following a dip in cases in the second wave.

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More than half of European adults fully vaccinated against Covid-19

The EU on Thursday said 200 million Europeans had been fully vaccinated, more than half of the adult population but still short of a 70 per cent target it had set for the summer.

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Centre's statement on oxygen shortage deaths was to mislead Parliament, they never sought information from states: Chhattisgarh Health Minister

Kerala appoints officers in five districts to coordinate Covid-19 containment measures

Kerala Government appoints IAS officers as Special Officers in Palakkad, Kasaragod, Thrissur, Kozhikode, Malappuram districts, where test positivity rate remains high, to coordinate COVID19 containment measures including contact tracing

(ANI)

Maharashtra registers 7,302 new Covid-19 cases, 120 single-day deaths

Karnataka reports 1,653 Covid-19 cases, 31 deaths

Vaccine nationalism worrying: UNGA president-elect Abdulla Shahid

Vaccine nationalism is worrying; UN and all its 193 members should come together to address it: UNGA president-electAbdullaShahid

(PTI)

Kerala sees 12,818 Covid-19 cases, 122 deaths; total positivity rate crosses 12%

Kerala on Thursday recorded 12,818 freshCovid-19 cases, pushing the infection caseload to 32,18,015, with the Test Positivity Rate continuing to rise and crossing the 12 per cent mark.

The TPR had crossed 11 per cent on July 19 after remaining below it for several weeks. Thereafter, it has continued to rise each day and has now reached 12.38 per cent.

(PTI)

Only one lakh people have not been vaccinated with first dose yet: Goa CM

Out of Goa's 15 lakh population, only one lakh are yet to have taken the first Covid vaccine jab, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said on Thursday, adding that the state government was committed to complete 100 per cent vaccination (first jab) by July 31.

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Deemed 'extreme risk' nation, India denied entry into ITF World Junior Finals

The Indian team has been denied entry into the upcoming ITF World Junior Tennis Finals in Prostejov as India has been classified as 'extreme risk' nation in Covid times.

The Czech Republic Embassy here has refused to issue visas to the players.

(PTI)

Gujarat to hold special Covid-19 vaccination drive for shopkeepers on July 25

As more than 15 lakh doses ofCovid-19 vaccine are still available with the Gujarat government, a special vaccination drive will be conducted on July 25 for shopkeepers and those associated with other commercial activities, Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel said on Thursday.

Earlier this month, the state government had announced that people associated with the business of hotels, malls, shops, salons and restaurants are required to get their first dose of vaccine by July 31.

(PTI)

More than 50% of EU member nations have recognised Covishield: MEA

More than half of EU member states have already recognised Covishield. We have been taking up with foreign countries the need to ease travel restrictions of Indians. We believe this easing will be an important step towards economic recovery post-COVID: MEA

(ANI)

645 children lost their parents to Covid from Apr-May 28 during second wave: WCD

A total of 645 children lost their parents toCovid-19 from April to May 28 this year during the second wave, the Women and Child Development Ministry said on Thursday.

In response to a question in the Rajya Sabha, Women and Child Development Minister Smriti Irani gave data on the children orphaned during the second wave ofCovid-19.

(PTI)

Myanmar military accused of arresting doctors while Covid-19 infections rise

Angered by doctors' support for anti-junta protests, Myanmar's military has arrested several doctors treating Covid-19 patients independently, colleagues and media said, as the health system struggles to cope with a record wave of infections.

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As Indonesia mulls easing lockdown, WHO urges tougher restrictions

The World Health Organization (WHO) on Thursday urged Indonesia to implement a stricter and wider lockdown to combat surging Covid-19 infections and deaths, just days after the country's president flagged the easing of restrictions.

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Covid app tells over 6 lakh people to isolate in England, Wales

Almost 6,20,000 people in England and Wales were told to isolate by the health service Covid app after they came into contact with someone with the virus in the week up to July 14, official data shows.

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Covid-19: 49 new cases, one more death in Delhi

The national capital recorded 49 fresh Covid-19 cases and one death due to the disease on Thursday, while the positivity rate dropped to 0.08 per cent, according to the data shared by the health department here.

(PTI)

Odisha logs 1,948 new Covid-19 cases, 67 fresh fatalities

Odisha's Covid-19 tally rose to 9,61,934 on Thursday as 1,948 more people tested positive for the infection, while 67 fresh fatalities pushed the state's coronavirus death toll to 5,308, a health official said.As many as 1,120 new cases were reported in quarantine centres, while the remaining 828 infections were detected during contact tracing, he said.Khurda district, under which Bhubaneswar falls, recorded the highest number of fresh infections at 480, followed by Cuttack (279) and Jajpur (115).(PTI)

Man with coronavirus disguises as wife on Indonesian flight

An Indonesian man with the coronavirus has boarded a domestic flight disguised as his wife, wearing a niqab covering his face and carrying fake IDs and a negative PCR test result.

But the cover didn't last long.

Police say a flight attendant aboard a Citilink plane traveling from Jakarta to Ternate in North Maluku province on Sunday noticed the man change the clothes in the lavatory.

“He bought the plane ticket with his wife's name and brought the identity card, the PCR test result and the vaccination card with his wife's name. All documents are under his wife's name,” Ternate police chief Aditya Laksimada said after arresting the man upon landing. He was only identified by his initials.

(AP)

HC asks Centre to supply enough Covid-19 vaccine doses to inoculate MP's entire adult population by Sept end

The Madhya Pradesh High Court has asked the Centre to supply enoughCovid-19 vaccines to the state to ensure that the entire adult population in the region gets at least one dose by September-end.

The division bench of Chief Justice Mohammed Rafiq and Justice Satyendra Kumar Singh made the observation on Monday while hearing in a suo motu case about the state government's preparedness in tackling theCovid-19 pandemic, senior advocate Naman Nagrath told PTI on Thursday.

(PTI)

Russia reports 24,471 new Covid-19 cases, 796 deaths

Russia reported 24,471 newCovid-19 cases on Thursday, including 4,287 in Moscow, taking the official national tally since the pandemic began to 6,054,711.

The government coronavirus task force said 796 people had died of coronavirus-linked causes in the past 24 hours, pushing the national death toll to 151,501.

(Reuters)

Three Covid strains detected among 75 patients in Mizoram

At least three differentCovidstrains have been detected among 75 patients from Mizoram whose samples were randomly selected and sent for whole genome sequencing, a health official said on Thursday.

Seventy-three cases of India's highly transmissible Delta variant (B.1.617.2), and one case each of United Kingdom's Alpha (B.1.1.7) and Eta (B.1.525) strains were found among 100 samples, state nodal officer and official spokesperson onCovid-19, Dr Pachuau Lalmalsawma, said.

(PTI)

Delta variant taking hold of Indonesia's Papua as hospitals near capacity

Hospitals in Indonesia's easternmost region of Papua are nearing full capacity amid a surge inCovid-19 cases, with health officials bracing for the full impact of the virulent Delta variant on one of the country’s least-developed areas.

The bed occupancy rate at some hospitals in Papua province had reached 100%, with emergency units and tents being used to treatCovid-19 patients, Dr Aaron Rumainum, head of the Papua health agency’s disease control and prevention unit, said.

(Reuters)

Prevalence of Covid's Delta variant among specimens sequenced over past 4 weeks exceeded 75%: WHO

The prevalence of the highly-transmissible Delta variant ofCovid-19 among specimens sequenced over the past four weeks exceeded 75 per cent in many countries worldwide, including India, China, Russia, Israel and the UK, the WHO has said.

In theCovid-19 Weekly Epidemiological Update published July 20, the World Health Organisation said that despite efforts to extend vaccination coverage, many countries across all six WHO regions continue to experience surges in coronavirus cases.

(PTI)

Rishabh Pant recovers from Covid-19 infection, joins team bio-bubble

India wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant has joined the team bio-bubble after recovering fromCovid-19 ahead of the marquee Test series against England.

Pant, who had tested positive for the virus, has completed 10 days of isolation period, followed by two RT-PCR negative reports and proper cardio check-up which are mandatory before joining the team.

(PTI)

Russian swimmer Borodin fails Covid test, out of Olympics

European 400m individual medley champion Ilya Borodin has been ruled out of the Tokyo Olympics after testing positive forCovid-19, Russian team officials said.

The 18-year-old, who was expected to contend for a medal, failed a test during a final training camp in Vladivostok before departing for Japan.

(AFP)

Little over 40 Indian athletes to participate in Olympics opening ceremony amid Covid fears

No more than 44 Indian athletes will participate in the Olympic Games opening ceremony on Friday in view of theCovid-19 threat.

The athletes who have competitions lined up the next day have already been told to skip the event. With six officials, the total Indian presence during the march past would add up to 50.

"We won't like to create a situation where our athletes are in danger of getting infected. So a decision has been taken to limit the number of athletes and officials participating in the opening ceremony within 50," Indian Olympic Association secretary general Rajeev Mehta told PTI.

(PTI)

80% people in Goa have received one vaccine dose: CM Pramod Sawant

Eighty per cent of people eligible for Covid-19 vaccination in Goa have received their first dose, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said, and also expressed hope that students of Classes 10 and 12 could have physical classes in schools before August 15.

Talking to reporterson Wednesday, Sawant also said his government will write to the Centre to reduce the gap between two doses of vaccines against Covid-19 for teachers in the state so that they are safe when the government decides to reopen schools.

He said the state is marching towards achieving its goal of administering at least one dose of the vaccine to all people aged 18 and above by July 31.

(PTI)

India's 41,383 new Covid-19 cases outnumber daily recoveries

India on Thursday recorded 507 coronavirus fatalities in the last 24 hours, pushing the country's death toll to 4,18,987, according to the Union Health Ministry data.

With 41,383 new infections, taking the total tally of cases to 3,12,57,720, and 38,652 persons recovering over the past 24 hours, the number of daily cases outnumbered recoveries.

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Two Olympic athletes test positive for Covid-19

Tokyo 2020 Olympic organisers said on Thursday two athletes residing in the Olympic village tested positive forCovid-19.

The organisers announced 12 new positive cases overall, including the two athletes, bringing the total to 87.

(Reuters)

Biden says CDC will advise unvaccinated kids to mask up in school this fall

USPresident Joe Biden said Wednesday the Centers for Disease Control is likely to advise that kids who haven't been vaccinated againstCovid-19 should wear masks when they return from summer holidays to school in the fall.

The CDC is "going to say that what you should do is everyone under the age of 12 should probably be wearing masks in school. That's probably what's going to happen," Biden said at a town hall in Cincinnati, Ohio, in response to a question about school safety from a concerned parent.

(Reuters)

Andaman & Nicobar Islands report 3 new Covid-19 cases

Three more persons tested positive forCovid-19 in Andaman and Nicobar Islands, pushing the total caseload in the union territory to 7,521, a health department official said on Thursday. The three persons were detected withCovid-19 at the airport during testing, he said

China shocked by WHO plan for Covid origins study, dismisses lab leak theory as rumor counter to common sense

WHO chief says vaccine IP waiver not a property 'snatch'

The World Health Organization on Wednesday sought to reassure pharmaceutical companies that a proposal to suspend patent rights on Covid-19 vaccines was not a bid to "snatch" their intellecutual property rights.

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How nations are learning to ‘let it go’ and live with Covid

England has removed nearly all coronavirus restrictions. Germany is allowing vaccinated people to travel without quarantines. Mask mandates are gone in Italy. Shopping malls remain open in Singapore.

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1.88 lakh kids infected with Covid-19 in four months in Karnataka: Govt data

A day after the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) Director-General Balram Bhargava suggested reopening primary schools after ring immunisation, the state health department's data revealed that as many as 1.88 lakh kids were infected in the past four months accounting for 10 per cent of the total Covid infections reported from March to June.

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