Coronavirus highlights: Tamil Nadu reports 6,596 new Covid-19 cases

The total Covid-19 tally in India mounted to 3,00,28,709 with 50,848 new coronavirus infections being reported in a day, while the death toll climbed to 3,90,660 with 1,358 fresh fatalities, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Wednesday. Stay tuned for updates.

40 cases of Delta Plus variant have been detected in India over the last two months

Forty cases of Delta Plus variant of SARS-CoV-2,a new “variant of concern” seen during the second wave ofthe Covid-19 epidemic, have been detected in India over the last two months since the detection of the first such case in April, the Union Health Ministry saidon Wednesday.

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Himachal Pradesh reports 258 new Covid-19 cases, 234 recoveries, and 5 deaths in the last 24 hours; active cases at 2,287.

Assam reports 2,728 new positive cases

Assam reports 2,728 new positive cases, 3,802 recoveries, and 30 deaths in the past 24 hours. Active cases : 30,524Deaths: 4,310

Manipur reports 629 new Covid-19 cases, 543 recoveries and 9 deaths. Active cases: 9,291. Total recoveries: 55,257. Death toll: 1,074.

Punjab reports 496 new Covid-19 cases, 801 recoveries and 22 deaths in the last 24 hours.

Punjab reports 496 new Covid-19 cases, 801 recoveries and 22 deaths in the last 24 hours.

Total cases: 5,93,572
Total recoveries: 5,72,008
Death toll: 15,923
Active cases: 5,641

Maharashtra reports 10,066 new Covid-19 cases, 11,032 recoveries and 163 deaths in the last 24 hours. Total cases: 59,97,587. Total recoveries: 57,53,290. Death toll: 1,19,303.

Tamil Nadu reports 6,596 new Covid-19 cases, 10,432 recoveries, and 166 deaths today. Active cases: 52,884. Total recoveries: 23,58,785. Death toll: 31,746.

Mask compliance still remains low in India despite most lethal Covid-19 wave: Survey

Mask wearing compliance still remains low in India despite it being one of the worst-hit by the second wave of Covid-19, according to findings of a survey.

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Signs of brain inflammation found in people who died of Covid-19: Study

Scientists have found signs of inflammation and neurodegeneration in the brains of individuals who died of Covid-19, similar to what is observed in people who die of conditions such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson's disease.

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Bharat Biotech plans to increase Covaxin supply for private sector

Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech is likely to increase its Covid-19 vaccine supply to the private sector from 10 per cent to 25 per cent next month, according to a top representative of the company.

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Uttarakhand reports 149 new Covid-19 cases, 152 recoveries and 5 deaths today.

During the 7th and 8th phase of the Assembly election, Covid-19 cases increased. We had requested to club both the phases, despite requests they didn't listen. Now the positivity rate has been reduced to 3.61%: West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee.

Unlock in Indian states not prudent as Covid-19 vaccination coverage remains low: Oxford Economics

States' re-opening strategy in the wake of a decline in Covid cases is not "prudent" and might even result in a rise in infections as vaccine coverage remains low in many states, global forecasting firm Oxford Economics said on Wednesday.

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Delta Plus a 'variant of concern': How are Covid-19 variants categorised?

The Union Health Ministry has declared the Delta Plus variant of Covid-19 a “variant of concern” as the newest strain of the virus in the country raises alarm bells and necessitates closer surveillance.

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AstraZeneca, Pfizer vaccines effective against Delta Covid-19 variants: Study

AstraZeneca and Pfizer-BioNTech's vaccinesremain broadly effective against Delta and Kappa variants of the Covid-19 causing virus, which were first identified in India, according to a scientific study, underpinning a continued push to deliver the shots.

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States, UTs allocated additional 61,120 vials of Amphotericin-B: Sadananda Gowda

An additional 61,120 vials of Amphotericin-B have been allocated to states, Union Territories and central institutions, Union Minister Sadananda Gowda said on Wednesday.

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New universal coronavirus vaccine may help prevent future pandemics

Scientists have developed a universal vaccine that protected mice not just against Covid-19 but also other coronaviruses while triggering the immune system to fight off a dangerous variant.

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Why New Zealand is more vulnerable to a new Covid-19 outbreak than ever before

Health authorities have raised the Covid-19 alert to level 2 for Wellington, from 6 pm today until midnight on Sunday, after an Australian traveller who visited the New Zealand capital at the weekend tested positive on their return home.

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IndiGo offers discount to passengers who've had at least 1 dose of Covid-19 vaccine

IndiGo will give a 10 per cent discount from Wednesday onwards to all passengers who have taken at least one dose of the Covid-19 vaccine, a statement said.

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No sufficient data to be alarmed about Delta Plus variant: Maharashtra Covid-19 task force member

Maharashtra Covid-19 task force member Dr Shashank Joshi on Wednesday said there is no sufficient data available to be alarmed about the 'Delta Plus' variant of coronavirus. He also said people need to adhere to Covid-19 prevention guidelines and wear masks, avoid crowds and get vaccinated.

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Britain will not demand Glasgow climate talks delegates be vaccinated against Covid-19

Britain will not require delegates attending November's international climate conference in Glasgow to have been vaccinated against Covid-19, an official responsible for organising the event said on Wednesday.

Britain will strongly recommend that delegates are vaccinated but it will not be a mandatory requirement, Rosalyn Eales, Chief Operating Officer of the COP26 conference, told a group of lawmakers.

Covid-19: Ladakh records more recoveries, active cases dip

Ladakh has recorded over 97 percent of recoveries out of the total 19,871 Covid-19 cases with 38 people discharged in the union territory during the past 24 hours, officials said on Wednesday.

As many as 19,309 people have been cured till now, they said, adding while 15,988 out of 16,397 Covid patients were dicharged in Leh district, 3,321 out of 3,474 patients were discharged in Kargil.

Beneficiaries wait in a queue to receive a dose of Covid-19 vaccine at a vaccination centre in Jammu. Credit: PTI Photo

Gujarat HC notice to IAF on plea of its employee unwilling to take Covid-19 vaccine

The Gujarat High Court has issued a notice to the Indian Air Force on a petition filed by one of its personnel posted in Jamnagar, challenging the show cause notice issued to him for termination of service after he expressed his unwillingness to get vaccinated against Covid-19.

In an order passed on Tuesday, a division bench of Justices A J Desai and A P Thaker issued the notice to the IAF and central government and also directed the IAF not to take any coercive action against the petitioner till July 1.

Morgan Stanley to bar unvaccinated employees from entering NY office

Morgan Stanley's staff and clients will not be allowed to enter the bank's New York offices if they are not fully vaccinated, according to a source familiar with the matter.

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Moody's cuts India growth forecast for 2021 to 9.6%

Moody's Investors Service on Wednesday slashed India's growth projection to 9.6 per cent for 2021 calendar year, from its earlier estimate of 13.9 per cent, and said faster vaccination progress will be paramount in restricting economic losses to June quarter

In its report titled 'Macroeconomics – India: Economic shocks from second Covid wave will not be as severe as last year's', Moody's said high-frequency economic indicators show that the second wave of Covid-19 infections hit India's economy in April and May. With states now easing restrictions, economic activity in May is likely to signify the trough.

Crowds throng Sisamau Baazar in Kanpur after Uttar Pradesh authorities eased Covid-19 lockdown restrictions. Credit: PTI Photo

No sufficient data to be alarmed about Delta Plus variant: Maharashtra Covid-19 task force member

Maharashtra Covid-19 task force member Dr Shashank Joshi on Wednesday said there is no sufficient data available to be alarmed about the 'Delta Plus' variant of coronavirus. He also said people need to adhere to Covid-19 prevention guidelines and wear masks, avoid crowds and get vaccinated.

Notably, Maharashtra Health Minister Rajesh Tope on Monday said 21 cases of the Delta Plus variant, considered highly infectious, have been found in the state so far, including nine in Ratnagiri, seven in Jalgaon, two in Mumbai, and one case each in Palghar, Thane and Sindhudurg districts.

Heartening to note 3 out of 5 people vaccinated on June 21 were from rural areas: VP Naidu

Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu said it was heartening to note that three out of five people vaccinated as part of the Covid-19 inoculation drive on June 21 were from rural areas, where the majority of the country's population resides.

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IndiGo offers discount for vaccinated passengers

IndiGo will give 10 per cent discount from Wednesday onwards to all passengers who have taken at least one dose of Covid-19 vaccine, a statement said.

The discount would be given on base fare and only "limited inventory" is available under this offer, the airline's statement noted.

"The offer is only available to vaccinated passengers aged 18 years and above, who are located in India at the time of booking and have already received a (at least one dose of) Covid-19 vaccine in the country," it said.

DH Toon | 'India hits single-day vaccination record'

India administered a record 85 lakh doses of Covid-19 vaccines on Monday, as the Centre started providing free vaccines to all above 18 years as part of the liberalised immunisation drive.

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Watch DH's playlist of videos on Covid-19 here

China's Covid-hit Shenzhen suspends direct flights to Beijing

Direct flights from the southern city of Shenzhen to Beijing have been suspended until at least July 1, booking apps showed, ahead of celebrations for the Chinese Communist Party's founding in the capital on that date.

China's most populous province Guangdong is battling a Covid-19 outbreak, with 170 confirmed local cases between May 21 and June 21. No new confirmed local cases were reported for June 22.

Kannada rap song spreads awareness on Covid-19

The ongoing efforts to spread awareness on Covid vaccination has received a boost by a rap song by Karnataka Pulmonologists' Association. The 1.40-minute rap connects the audience caught in the throes of the pandemic with a familiar language and encourages Covid-appropriate behaviour.

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India's daily Covid cases at 50,848; total tally of infections crosses 3 cr

India on Wednesday reported 50,848 fresh Covid-19 cases and 1,358 deaths. The new cases take total infection in the country past the grim mark of 3 crore.

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Brazil probes Health Ministry deal to buy Covaxin vaccine

Brazil's federal prosecutor's office is investigating possible irregularities in a Health Ministry contract to purchase 20 million doses of the Covaxin vaccine manufactured by Indian laboratory Bharat Biotech.

The agreement signed in February commits the ministry to pay $320 million - at a cost of $15 per vaccine dose - to Precisa Medicamentos, the representative of Bharat Biotech in Brazil, according to a document sent to The Associated Press by the attorney general's press office.

Here are the guidelines for Covid-19 management in children

Vehicles stuck in a traffic jam at Town Hall in Bengaluru on Tuesday after certain restrictions of the Covid-19 lockdown were eased on Monday. Credit: PTI Photo

Karnataka’s Delta Plus cases differ from those in other states

While most of the older Delta Plus cases found in India and around the world are of the AY.1 variety, scientific reports indicate that the mutant virus is further mutating into an even more dangerous form called AY.2.

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Delta variant 'greatest threat' to US' Covid-19 efforts, says Dr Fauci

The highly contagious Delta variant of the coronavirus is the "greatest threat" to America’s attempt to eradicate the Covid-19 pandemic, White House Chief Medical Advisor Dr Anthony Fauci has warned.

Speaking at a White House briefing on Covid-19 on Tuesday, Fauci said the variant, which was first identified in India, now makes up more than 20 per cent of all new cases in the US, a significant increase from nearly 10 per cent two weeks ago.

"Similar to the situation in the UK, the Delta variant is currently the greatest threat in the US to our attempt to eliminate Covid-19,” Fauci told reporters during a virtual news conference here.

Maharashtra sets record with 5.59 total doses given on June 22, previous record was on April 26

Maharashtra has set a new record in vaccinating citizens against Covid-19. According to the Co-WIN dashboard, 5.59 lakh doses were administered on Tuesday. Earlier 5.34 lakh beneficiaries were vaccinated on April 26, 2021. Till date, state vaccinated over 2.87 crore beneficiaries.

There is no global health security without local health security, says WHO chief

What scientists know about the Delta Covid variant

The supercontagious Delta variant of the coronavirus is responsible for about 1 in 5 Covid-19 cases in the United States, and its prevalence has doubled in the last two weeks, heath officials said Tuesday.

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After record vaccinations on June 21, India's vaccinations dip to 54,22, doses on June 22

India administered a record 85 lakh doses of Covid-19 vaccines on Monday, as the Centre started providing free vaccines to all above 18 years as part of the liberalised immunisation drive.

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Concerns in Karnataka as Delta Plus cases rise in neighbouring states

As the number of people infected with Delta Plus variant of coronavirus is rising in neighboring states, Karnataka’s efforts to contain the ongoing pandemic are once again challenged by interstate travelers.

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War of words between AAP & BJP over Delhi's vaccination

The BJP and the AAP Tuesday engaged in a war of words over the availability of Covid vaccines in the national capital, with Union minister Hardeep Singh Puri slamming Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal for visiting Punjab "instead of focusing on health & welfare of people of Delhi".

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Covid-19 alert issued for Australia-New Zealand flights

Passengers on two flights between Australia and New Zealand have been ordered to immediately isolate and undergo Covid-19 testing after authorities traced a traveller who tested positive in Sydney after visiting Wellington.

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China reports 24 new Covid-19 cases vs 25 a day earlier

China on Wednesday reported 24 new coronavirus cases in the mainland for June 22, compared with 25 cases a day earlier, the health authority said.

All of the new infections were imported cases, the National Health Commission said in a statement. There were no new deaths.

China also reported 21 new asymptomatic patients, compared with 27 a day earlier.

As of June 22, mainland China had a total of 91,653 confirmed coronavirus cases, it said.

China's death toll from the coronavirus remained unchanged at 4,636. - Reuters.

New Zealand raises Covid-19 alert level in capital

New Zealand raised the Covid-19 alert level in capital city Wellington on Wednesday, after an Australian tourist tested positive for Covid-19 after visiting the city over the weekend.

Wellington moved to Alert Level 2 from 6pm local time and will extend through to Sunday.

The measure meant social distancing rules will be in place across the city, but offices, schools and businesses can remain open. - Reuters.