India added 1,49,394 new COVID-19 cases, taking the total tally to 4,19,52,712, while the active cases further declined to 14,35,569, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Friday.
You can track coronavirus cases, deaths and testing rates at the national and State levels here. A list of State Helpline numbers is available as well.
Here are the updates:
India becomes third country in world to record 5 lakh deaths
India crossed the grim milestone of 5 lakh COVID-19 deaths on Thursday, becoming the third country in the world to do so after the US and Brazil.
The country took 217 days to reach 5 lakh deaths from 4 lakh recorded on July 1 last year, the longest time taken to record 1 lakh fatalities. India was hit by a devastating second wave in April-May last year.
The country's death toll had crossed three lakh-mark on May 23 and two lakh-mark on April 27. The death toll went past one lakh on October 2, 2020.
The total deaths has climbed to 5,00,055 with 1,072 daily fatalities, Union Health Ministry data updated at 8 am stated.- PTI
Schools to reopen in Delhi, drivers travelling alone in cars exempt from wearing masks
Schools in Delhi will reopen for all classes from nursery onwards as will gyms with certain restrictions and drivers travelling alone in cars will be exempted from wearing masks, the city government announced on Friday while relaxing Covid restrictions in view of the dip in cases.
Night curfew will continue but from 11 pm instead of 10 pm.
The Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) decided reopen higher education institutions and coaching centres along with schools for classes 9-12 from February 7.
In another important decision, the panel exempted drivers who are alone in their vehicles from wearing masks and gave its nod to resumption of offices with 100% attendance, they said.- PTI
SC directs appointment of nodal officer to facilitate payment of COVID ex gratia to families
The Supreme Court Friday directed all states governments and Union Territories to appoint dedicated nodal officer to coordinate with the member secretary of the state legal service authority (SLSA) to facilitate payment of ex-gratia compensation to family members of COVID-19 victims.
A bench comprising Justices M. R. Shah and B. V. Nagarathna also directed the state governments to give full particulars like name, address and death certificate to the concerned SLSA, as also complete details with respect to orphans, within one week from today (Friday) failing which the matter shall be viewed very seriously.
The top court reiterated that applications seeking compensation should not be rejected on technical grounds and if any technical glitch is found, the states concerned should give them opportunity to cure defects as the ultimate goal of the welfare state is to provide some solace and compensation to victims.- PTI
Schools will need to put a slew of preventive measures before opening, says expert
Dr. Rajib Dasgupta, chairperson, Centre of Social Medicine & Community Health, JNU, Delhi, and member, National Adverse Event Following Immunization (AEFI) Committee talks about the move to open schools following a current drop in the number of COVID-19 cases being reported in the country.
Schools will need to put a slew of preventive measures before opening, says expert
South Korea extends COVID-19 rules amid post-holiday surge
South Korea on Friday extended its limits on indoor gatherings as health workers reported the fourth straight day of record coronavirus cases, following the Lunar New Year holiday.
Announcing the decision at a government meeting, Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum cited the “inexorable” virus spread driven by the highly contagious omicron variant, even as he acknowledged the public’s fatigue with pandemic restrictions.
The 27,443 new cases reported by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency was 4,500 more than the previous one-day record set on Thursday, reflecting an acceleration in transmissions following this week’s holiday.- AP
Active COVID-19 cases in country dip to 14,35,569
India added 1,49,394 new COVID-19 cases, taking the total tally to 4,19,52,712, while the active cases further declined to 14,35,569, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Friday.
The death toll climbed to 5,00,055 with 1,072 fresh fatalities, the data updated at 8 am stated. The active cases comprise 3.42 per cent of the total infections, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate improved to 95.39 per cent, the ministry said.
Ultraviolet tech to mitigate spread of virus in Parliament
Radiation technology to mitigate the spread of the COVID-19 virus has been installed in the Parliament building, Union Minister for Science and Technology Jitendra Singh told the Lok Sabha on Thursday. However, the Minister urged members to continue following COVID appropriate behaviour.
The Minister said the Ultraviolet-C (UV-C) technology, developed by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), has been installed in Lok Sabha and Central Hall chambers to mitigate the airborne transmission of the coronavirus.
Budget Session | Ultraviolet tech to mitigate spread of virus in Parliament
U.S. to cover cost of over-the-counter COVID tests through Medicare
People enrolled in the U.S. government's Medicare program can get over-the-counter COVID-19 tests for free starting early spring, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services said on Thursday.
The Biden administration laid out plans last month that require private insurance companies to cover the cost of eight over-the-counter at-home tests per person each month, following a surge in infections due to the Omicron variant.- Reuters
Active COVID-19 cases breach 15-lakh mark; 1,056 deaths reported on February 3, 2022
The country recorded 1,47,527 new COVID-19 cases on Thursday. The total number of infections has reached 4.18 crore, and the active cases have crossed the 15 lakh mark.
The figures are based on the State bulletins released until 10 p.m. on Thursday. However, Ladakh, Tripura, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Jharkhand, and Lakshadweep had not yet released data for the day.
Active COVID-19 cases breach 15-lakh mark; 1,056 deaths reported on February 3, 2022
South Africa's Afrigen makes mRNA COVID vaccine using Moderna data
South Africa's Afrigen Biologics has used the publicly available sequence of Moderna's COVID-19 mRNA vaccine to make its own version of the shot, which could be tested in humans before the end of this year, Afrigen's top executive said on Thursday.
The vaccine candidate would be the first to be made based on a widely used vaccine without the assistance and approval of the developer. It is also the first mRNA vaccine designed, developed and produced at lab scale on the African continent.- Reuters
Sourav Ganguly looks forward to COVID-free days
Sourav Ganguly does not believe heading the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has been more challenging than captaining India. But he admits the 28-month stint has been “under tough circumstances due to COVID-19.”
Ganguly, however, is optimistic that things will improve. In a chat with The Hindu, Ganguly shares his thoughts on various issues.
Sourav Ganguly looks forward to COVID-free days
COVID-19 third wave saw an increase in number of younger in-patients
The third COVID-19 surge saw younger in-patients with lesser proportions of all symptoms (and mainly sore throat), lesser use of drugs, and significantly improved outcomes, said the Health Ministry on Thursday.
“Deaths reported were significantly lower (10%) in the fully vaccinated, where 91% of those who died had co-morbidities, as opposed to deaths in the unvaccinated (21%), where 83% of the deceased had co-morbidities. This goes to prove that vaccination offers significant protection,’’ head of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), Dr. Balram Bhargava, said.
COVID-19 third wave saw an increase in number of younger in-patients
