Coronavirus News Highlights: India has administered more than 56.57 crore Covid-19 vaccine doses till now, says GoI

Covid-19 vaccination efficacy is decreasing over time, US authorities warned Wednesday as they authorized booster shots for all Americans from September 20 starting eight months after an individual has been fully vaccinated.

. A large hospital-based study in India has found that a single dose of Covishield barely offers any protection from Covid-19 symptoms or severe disease though experts are still not fully convinced with such a conclusion.

. Current data does not indicate that Covid-19 booster shots are needed, World Health Organization (WHO) chief scientist Soumya Swaminathan said on Wednesday.

. The World Health Organization called on Wednesday on Roche to ensure fair distribution of its arthritis drug used to treat Covid-19 patients as supplies of the drug run low due to rising cases driven by the more infectious Delta variant. - Reuters.

. Animals known as carriers of coronaviruses were sold at local wet markets for years, finds a new study supporting the theory thatCovid-19 is the result of virus jumping from animals to humans.

. Norway will offer all 16- and 17-year-olds their first Covid-19 vaccine dose after those over 18 are fully vaccinated, the government said on Wednesday.

Norway ended some restrictions related to the Covid-19 pandemic last week, but stopped short of announcing a full reopening of the economy until early September. - Reuters.

. More than one crore eligible beneficiaries in Gujarat have taken both jabs of the Covid-19 vaccine, Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel said on Wednesday.

As per official figures, Gujarat has around 4.8 crore people above the age of 18, of whom more than 3.12 crore have already taken their first dose, while over one crore citizens have received their second dose till Wednesday. - PTI.

. US health officials may soon recommend Covid-19 booster shots for fully vaccinated Americans. A look at what we know about boosters and how they could help fight the coronavirus:

. After breaching the value of 1 in the first week of August, the R number, which reflects how rapidly the coronavirus pandemic is spreading, has been steadily ebbing, according to researchers at the Institute of Mathematical Sciences, Chennai.

. A third dose of Pfizer /BioNTech's Covid-19 vaccine was found to be 86% effective in people aged over 60, an Israeli healthcare provider said on Wednesday, citing initial results from a study of thousands of members.

Israeli HMO Maccabi, which covers around a quarter of the country's 9.3 million population, compared results from 149,144 people aged over 60 who received their third dose at least a week ago against those from 675,630 more who had received only two doses, between January and February. - Reuters.

. People refusing to get Covid vaccines in France are coughing up hundreds of euros for fake health passes in an online black market that has flourished since the government required them to enter cafes, inter-city trains and other public places.

People have had to show proof they have either been vaccinated, tested negative for Covid or have recovered from the disease in order to enter a museum, cinema or sports venue since July. - AFP.

. The GDP growth is estimated to come at the "deceptively high" level of 20 per cent for the April-June 2021 quarter but is far below the same in the pre-Covid times, rating agency Icra said on Wednesday.

. The Delta variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, that causes Covid-19, is unable to evade the antibodies generated by vaccination, according to a lab study.

The findings, published in the journal Immunity, help explain why vaccinated people have largely escaped the worst of the Delta surge.

. A man from Kannur, Kerala, filed a petition in the Kerala High Court to be revaccinateddespite having been vaccinated with both doses of Covaxin. This time he wants to be vaccinated with Covishield.

. Russia's single-dose Sputnik Light vaccine against Covid-19 has demonstrated 93.5 per cent efficacy in Paraguay, with data taken from the South American country's vaccination campaign, the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) said on Wednesday.

. This year's Japanese Grand Prix was cancelled following discussions between the government and race promoters, Formula One organizers said Wednesday.

The race in Suzuka had been scheduled for Oct. 10, between the events in Turkey and the United States.

"The decision has been taken by the Japanese government to cancel the race this season due to ongoing complexities of the pandemic in the country," F1 said in a statement.

"Formula 1 is now working on the details of the revised calendar and will announce the final details in the coming weeks." ( AP )

. Several doctors in Cuba have taken to social media to decry shortages of medicine, oxygen and other materials needed to battle a dire Covid-19 outbreak, in a rare public denunciation of conditions in the island's hallowed healthcare system.

The outcry comes in reaction to comments by government officials that the doctors say scapegoat medics for the country's worsening plight while downplaying precarious conditions pre-datingthe current crisis. ( Reuters )

. Health activists in Africa have slammed Johnson & Johnson for exporting vaccines produced in South Africa to countries in Europe, which have already immunized large numbers of their people and have even donated vaccines to more needy countries.

The one-dose J&J vaccines were exported from South Africa, where they had been assembled, despite the pressing need for vaccines across Africa, where less than 3 per centof the continent's 1.3 billion people have been fully vaccinated. ( AP )

. New restrictions aimed at curbing the spread of Covid took effect in Israel on Wednesday, after the largely vaccinated country saw the highest daily infection rate since January.

The measures, announced Sunday, require vaccination certificates or negative coronavirus tests to enter a range of public spaces, including restaurants and bars, cultural and sports venues, hotels and gyms, the health ministry said. ( AFP )

. Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut on Wednesday claimed the 'Jan Ashirwad Yatra', being carried out by a number of Union ministers in various states, was an "invitation for a third wave of Covid-19". Talking to reporters here, Raut said they have asked the BJP to have patience. “The 'Jan Ashirwad Yatra' is an invitation for a third wave of Covid-19. The BJP is doing it deliberately," the Rajya Sabha member claimed. ( PTI )

. Pope Francis is adding his voice to a campaign to overcome vaccine skepticism, issuing a public service announcement insisting that vaccines are safe, effective and an “act of love.”

The video message released Wednesday is aimed at a global audience but directed particularly at the Americas. It features six cardinals and archbishops from North, Central and South America as well as the Argentine-born pope. It was produced by the Vatican and the Ad Council, which has produced a series of pro-vaccine ads in a bid to get more people vaccinated. ( AP )

. The United States reported more than 1,000 Covid-19 deaths on Tuesday, equating to around 42 fatalities an hour, according to a Reuters tally, as the Delta variant continues to ravage parts of the country with low vaccination rates.

Coronavirus-related deaths have spiked in the United States over the past month and are averaging 769 per day, the highest since mid-April, according to the Reuters tally. ( Reuters )

. A total of 4,32,519 deaths have been reported so far in the country including 1,35,255 from Maharashtra, 37,039 from Karnataka, 34,579 from Tamil Nadu, 25,073 from Delhi, 22,786 from Uttar Pradesh, 18,870 from Kerala and 18,318 from West Bengal.

The ministry stressed that more than 70 per cent of the deaths occurred due to comorbidities.

"Our figures are being reconciled with the Indian Council of Medical Research," the ministry said on its website, adding that state-wise distribution of figures is subject to further verification and reconciliation.

. Less than 50,000 daily cases have been reported for 52 consecutive days.

A reduction of 2,431 cases has been recorded in the active Covid-19 caseload in a span of 24 hours.

As many as 17,97,559 tests were conducted on Tuesday taking the total cumulative tests conducted so far for detection of Covid-19 in the country to 49,84,27,083 .

The daily positivity rate was recorded at 1.96 per cent. It has been less than three per cent for the last 23 days.The weekly positivity rate was recorded at 1.95 per cent. It has been below three per cent for the last 54 days, according to the ministry.

. India added 35,178 new coronavirus infections, taking the total tally of COVID-19 cases to 3,22,85,857, while the national recovery rate improved to 97.52 per cent, the highest since March 2020, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Wednesday.

The death toll climbed to 4,32,519 with 440 fresh fatalities, according to the data updated at 8 am.

The active cases declined to 3,67,415, the lowest in 148 days, and comprise 1.14 per cent of the total infections, the lowest since March 2020, the ministry said.

. In a week's time, India may vaccinate half of its target population, providing them with a degree of protection against Covid-19, with the hope that such a large-scale inoculation drive will minimise the threats of a ferocious third wave.

. Sydney's Delta outbreak has not peaked and residents must brace for more deaths, authorities said on Wednesday, as Australia's largest city continued to break records for new daily infections despite a nearly two-month lockdown.

"We haven't seen the worst of it and the way that we stop this is by everybody staying at home," New South Wales (NSW) Premier Gladys Berejiklian told reporters in Sydney, the state capital. ( Reuters )

. The Republican governor of Texas, who has been a forceful opponent of mask mandates, has tested positive for Covid-19, his office said Tuesday, one day after attending an indoor public event.

Greg Abbott, who is fully vaccinated, "has been testing daily, and today was the first positive test result," said a statement from his spokesman Mark Miner. ( AFP )

. Southeast Asian countries need more help securing Covid-19 vaccines, as the region struggles to contain record infections and deaths driven by the Delta variant, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies said.

The region escaped the worst when the pandemic erupted last year, but in recent weeks has seen the highest deaths globally, as soaring infections push fragile healthcare systems to the brink and expose sluggish vaccination rollouts. ( Reuters )

. Several Chinese ports are facing congestion as vessels due to call at Ningbo are being diverted and cargo processing is slowed partly due to stricter disinfection measures under China's "zero-tolerance" coronavirus policy.

On Tuesday, more than 50 container vessels were queuing at Ningbo port, China's second largest marine centre, Refinitiv data showed, up from 28 on Aug. 10 when a Covid-19 case was reported at one of its terminals. ( Reuters )

. In a week's time, India may vaccinate half of its target population, providing them with a degree of protection against Covid-19, with the hope that such a large-scale inoculation drive will minimise the threats of a ferocious third wave.

. The cumulative Covid-19 vaccine doses administered in the country crossed the 56-crore mark on Tuesday, the Union health ministry said.

. Following guidelines from the chief secretary and chairman of the State Executive Committee, Karnataka State Disaster Management Authority,to contain the spread of Covid-19, Bengaluru police commissioner Kamal Pant extended restrictions till August 30.

. As part of the preparations to handle the possible third Covid wave, the BBMP has revamped its paediatric facilities by setting up an in-house childcare facility at the Dr Babu Jagjivan Ram General Hospital.

Coronavirus News Highlights: India has administered more than 56.57 crore Covid-19 vaccine doses till now, says GoI

US approves Covid-19 booster to counter declining vaccine efficacy

Single Covishield dose offers no protection, says study

No need for Covid booster jabs for now: WHO

WHO calls on Roche to ensure fair access to Covid-19 drug amid shortage

'Coronavirus carrying animals sold at Wuhan wet markets for years'

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