Coronavirus News Highlights: We have to buy time to ensure high coverage of vaccination, says Centre

India reported 1,32,364 new Covid-19 cases, 2,07,071 discharges, and 2713 deaths in the last 24 hours, as per the Health Ministry. Meanwhile, a study found that the Delta variant is the primary cause behind the second Covid-19 wave. So far, 5,763 cases of black fungus have been reported in Maharashtra and 476 people have died due to it, informed the State Health Department. India has overtaken the US in terms of the number of people who have received the first dose of vaccine, informed V K Paul, Niti Aayog member.

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Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine unlikely to be given to kids in India

The Pfizer-BNT Covid-19vaccineis unlikely to be used in children even after it comes to India,NITI Ayog member Vinod Paul saidon Friday, observing that the Indian requirement is far more than what would come from the pharmaceutical giant.

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Over 33.5 lakh Covid-19 vaccine doses administered on Friday, total crosses 22.75 crore: Union Health Ministry.

US to consult with Modi govt on how many vaccine doses India should get out of its donation

President Joe Biden’s administration will discuss with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government before deciding on the exact number of Covid-19 vaccines India will get out of the doses the United States will donate to other countries from its own stockpile.

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The mystery of Covid-19 origin: Was the red flag first raised in Delhi?

Recent Western researchesand intelligence reports have sparked a clamour for a detailed investigation into whether the coronavirus that has ravaged the world was engineered in a Chinese laboratory from where it escaped, triggering a cover-up.

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Adar Poonawalla thanks Biden, Jaishankar for policy change to boost vaccine production

Serum Institute of India CEO Adar Poonawalla on Friday thanked US President Joe Biden and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar for a policy change that will boost the production of Covid-19 vaccines in India and globally.

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Delta variant accounted for 60% of Delhi's Covid-19 cases in April: Study

The rapid surge in cases during Delhi’s fourth Covid-19 wave was mainly driven by the Delta variant, which likely has immune-evasion properties and accounted for 60 per cent of the cases in April, according to a new study.

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Centre seeks answer from Punjab govt over alleged sale of Covid vaccine to private hospitals

The Centre has sought a clarification from the Punjab government following media reports alleging that it "sold" Covid-19 vaccine to private hospitals and "earned a profit".

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Reliance Foundation seeks govt nod to import J&J Covid vaccine doses for its workforce in India

Reliance Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Industries, has sought the government's authorisation to import 20 lakh doses of US-based Johnson and Johnson's Covid-19 vaccine for captive consumption and to inoculate its workforce pan India, sources said.

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Serum Institute gets DCGI's nod to manufacture Covid-19 vaccine Sputnik V in India

The DCGI has granted permission to the Serum Institute of India (SII) to manufacture the Sputnik Covid-19 vaccine in India for examination, test and analysis with certain conditions, official sources said on Friday.

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India's Covid-19 vaccine inequity worsens as rural areas languish

Indians are getting Covid-19 shots much faster than the hundreds of millions of people living in the rural areas, government data shows, reflecting rising inequity in the nation's immunisation drive.

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B.1.617 Covid-19 variant drove surge in India in last 2 months

The surge of Covid-19 cases in the country in the last two months shows a correlation with the rise in B.1.617 variant of the SARS-CoV-2, according to INSACOG, a grouping of 10 national laboratories.

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Andhra Pradesh reports 10,413 new Covid-19 cases, 15,469 recoveries and 83 deaths in the last 24 hours.

Lioness dies of suspected Covid-19, eight lions infected in Tamil Nadu zoo

Covid-19 has hit the Arignar Anna Zoological Park in Vandalur on the outskirts of Chennai. A 9-year-old lioness has died of suspected Covid-19, while eight lions lodged inside the zoo have tested positive for the novel coronavirus.

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Goa reports 576 new Covid-19 cases, 17 fatalities, and 1,160 recoveries in the last 24 hours; active cases stand at 9,099.

Maharashtra caps mucormycosis treatment rates at private hospitals

The Maharashtra government on Friday capped the charges for treatment of mucormycosis patients at private hospitals in the state, where the official number of such cases has gone above 5,000.

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Goa government aims to inoculate entire population in 18-44 age group against Covid-19 by July 30

Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Friday said the state has set a target of vaccinating the entire population in the age group of 18 to 44 years by July 30.

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Delhi reports 523 fresh Covid-19 infections, 50 deaths and 1,161 recoveries in the last 24 hours; the positivity rate is at 0.68%.

Provide injections for 'black fungus' treatment to people for free: Priyanka Gandhi Vadra to PM

Amid rising cases of mucormycosis, also called 'Black Fungus', Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Friday appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to make injections for its treatment available to the people free of cost.

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Did you know? How well your immune system works can depend on the time of day

When microorganisms – such as bacteria or viruses – infect us, our immune system jumps into action. It’s highly trained to sense and eliminate infections and clear up any damage caused by them.

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We have to buy time to ensure high coverage of vaccination against Covid-19 is achieved: Centre.

Covid-19 cases decline by nearly 68% since peak: MoHFW

If we analyse data in comparison to May 7 highest reported peak, we are recording a 68% decline in daily cases. 66% of new cases are coming effectively from five states andrest are coming from 31 States/UTs which indicates that we're able to control the virus locally: Health Ministry

We have overtaken the US in terms of the number of people in our country who have received the first dose of vaccine: Dr. V K Paul

As per Our World in Data, the number of people who have received at least one dose of vaccine in India is 17.2 crore. We have overtaken the US in terms of the number of people in our country who have received the first dose of vaccine: Dr. V K Paul, Member-Health, Niti Aayog. (ANI)

Pfizer jab produces less antibodies against Delta variant of coronavirus: Lancet study

People fully vaccinated with the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine are likely to have more than five times lower levels of neutralising antibodies against the Delta variant first identified in India compared to the original strain, according to research published in The Lancet journal.

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So far, 5,763 cases of black fungus have been reported in Maharashtra and 476 people have died due to it: PRO, State Health Department (ANI)

Doctors need protection from Covid, BJP govt's callousness: Rahul Gandhi

Critical of the government's handling of Covid, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday said doctors need protection from coronavirus and the BJP dispensation's callousness as he made an appeal to save them.

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Bikaner hospital aids district in cutting oxygen use: Report

Careful monitoring and innovative rationing of oxygen supplies in Bikaner’s only government hospital has helped the district drastically cut down on its oxygen use and save lives amid the country’s second coronavirus wave.

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All you need to know about Biological-E’s Covid-19 vaccine

Hyderabad-based Biological-E is all set to hand India its second homegrown Covid-19 vaccine after striking a deal with the union government to earmark 30 crore doses to be available in the near future.

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4-member panel formed to look into oxygen shortage deaths: Manish Sisodia

The Delhi government has formed a four-member expert committee to look into the deaths due to the shortage of oxygen during the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic and is awaiting the lieutenant governor's approval, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said on Friday.

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Wockhardt chairman seals Covid-19 vaccine manufacturing deal: Report

Mumbai-based global pharmaceutical firm Wockhardt has inked a major production deal for an undisclosed Covid-19 vaccine and will likely make a formal announcement within two weeks, the company’s chairman said in aninterviewwithNDTVon Thursday.

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Nepal reports first 'black fungus' death (AFP)

Parents of kids below 12 years to get Covid vaccination priority in MP (PTI)

Russia's RDIF says no bad side effects found in trials on combined AstraZeneca-Sputnik V vaccine (Reuters)

Odisha reports 7,729 new Covid cases, 39 more deaths in 24 hours (PTI)

Covid-19: Private, government offices will be allowed to function with 100% staff from June 7, says the Gujarat Information Department

Arunachal Pradesh reports 364 new Covid-19 cases, 1 more death

Arunachal Pradesh'sCovid-19 caseload rose to 28,382 as 364 more people tested positive for the infection, while one new fatality pushed the death toll to 119, a senior health department official said here on Friday. (PTI)

Hyundai rolls out Covid jab drive, insurance cover for employees, dependents (PTI)

Delta variant primary cause behind second Covid wave: INSACOG study

Johnson & Johnson talking to Taiwan about providing Covid-19 vaccine (Reuters)

Australia finds highly infectious Delta variant in Melbourne Covid outbreak (Reuters)

Singapore Red Cross sends Rs 38 crore for Covid-19 relief to India (PTI)

Kerala announces Rs 20,000 crore second Covid package (PTI)

India records 1.32 lakh new Covid-19 cases, 2,713 deaths in 24 hours (Health Ministry)

Thane district's Covid-19 count rises by 675, death toll by 38

With the addition of 675 coronavirus positive cases, the infection count in Thane district of Maharashtra mounted to 5,19,682, an official said on Friday.

These cases were reported on Thursday, he said.

As the virus claimed the lives of 38 patients during the day, the death toll in the district rose to 9,370.

TheCovid-19 mortality rate of the district is 1.80 per cent, he added. (PTI)

The Covid-19 pandemic — a free run for India's scammers

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35,74,33,846 samples have been tested in the country for Covid thus far, including 20,75,428 tested yesterday: ICMR

Vietnam approves China's Sinopharm vaccine for use against Covid-19 (Reuters)

India to be key part of Biden's allocation plan of 2.5 crore Covid-19 vaccines: Envoy Sandhu

Taiwan thanks Japan for donation of Covid-19 vaccines (Reuters)

Delta variant now dominant in UK as cases rise by 5,472 in a week

The Delta variant of Covid-19, or the B1.617.2 highly transmissible variant of concern (VOC) first identified in India, has now become the dominant VOC in the UK as infections rose by 5,472 in a week to hit a total of 12,431, health officials in Britain said on Thursday.

(PTI)

Gambhir to organise free Covid vaccination camps for those aged 18 yrs and above

An undeterred BJP MP Gautam Gambhir on Thursday said he will organise free Covid vaccination camps, hours after the Delhi government's drug controller informed the Delhi High Court that his foundation has been found guilty of unauthorisedly stocking and distributing Fabiflu medicine to coronavirus patients.

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Slight rise in Covid cases among children in Bengaluru

The second wave may have officially plateaued, but paediatricians are reporting a slight increase in the percentage of child Covid-19 cases.

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Kamala Harris dials PM Modi on US decision to send vaccines to India

US Vice President Kamala Harris on Thursday made her first phone call to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to inform him the decision of the Biden Administration to send tens of thousands of doses of life-saving Covid-19 vaccines to India.

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