India records the second-highest number of seven-day average daily deaths in the world, next to Brazil (1,644). About 1,191 daily deaths were recorded on June 28. The two other countries with the highest fatality count after India were Colombia (678) and Russia (576).
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 latest updates:
Odisha begins unlock
The Odisha government has started unlocking process in 20 out of 30 districts where the test positivity rate has come down below 5%. It has, however, announced extension of partial lockdown in rest 10 districts till July 16. - Satyasundar Barik
Coronavirus | Odisha begins unlocking 20 out of 30 districts
Cabinet approves ₹6.29-lakh crore COVID-19 relief package announced by Finance Minister
The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved the ₹6.29-lakh crore relief package announced by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to support the pandemic-hit economy.
This was informed by Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar after the Cabinet meeting.
Cabinet approves ₹6.29-lakh crore COVID-19 relief package announced by Finance Minister
Vythiri, Meppadi to be open to tourists soon
Signalling its intention to open up tourist destinations across the State in a phased manner, the State government has decided to open Vythiri and Meppadi in Wayanad district to tourists within 7 days, after completing 100% vaccination of those working in the sector.
Announcing the decision at a joint press conference here on Wednesday, Tourism Minister P.A.Mohamed Riyas and Health Minister Veena George said that the two departments have been holding consultations over the past few days regarding this matter.
After the completion of vaccination and opening up of these two tourist spots, other destinations in the State, including Munnar, Thekkady, Fort Kochi, Kumarakom, Kovalam and Varkala will be opened up in a phased manner, said Mr.Riyas.
Suspension of scheduled international passenger flights extended till July 31
The coronavirus-induced suspension of scheduled international passenger flights has been extended till July 31, aviation regulator DGCA said on Wednesday.
“However, international scheduled flights may be allowed on selected routes by the competent authority on a case-to-case basis,” the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) added.
Scheduled international passenger services have been suspended in India since March 23, 2020, due to the coronavirus pandemic. But special international flights have been operating under the Vande Bharat Mission since May 2020 and under bilateral “air bubble” arrangements with selected countries since July 2020.
Won’t wait for Centre’s approval for door-to-door vaccination, Maharashtra govt. tells Bombay HC
The Maharashtra government on June 30 informed the Bombay High Court that it would not wait for the Centre’s approval and proceed with implementing door-to-door vaccination on an experimental basis.
Advocate General (AG) Ashutosh Kumbhakoni made the statement before a Division Bench of Chief Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice G.S. Kulkarni.
“We want to do it on an experimental basis, and we propose to start it from Pune district, as the size of the district is not too large or not too small,” the AG said.
COVID-19 compensation: SC pulls up NDMA for ‘failing to perform its duty’
The Supreme Court on Wednesday pulled up the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), of which the Prime Minister is the ex officio chairperson, for “failing to perform its duty” to recommend ex gratia assistance for families of those who lost their loved ones to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The National Authority [NDMA] failed to perform its duty,” the Supreme Court held.
A Bench led by Justice Ashok Bhushan gave the NDMA six weeks to frame the guidelines for fixing the ex gratia meant for these families. The court, however, left it to the “wisdom” of the NDMA to fix the amount of ex gratia. The PIL petitioners, advocate Gaurav Kumar Bansal and Reepak Kansal, had asked for a payment of ₹4 lakh each to the families of the COVID-19 dead.
International tourism not seen rebounding until 2023 - UN report
International tourism arrivals are set to stagnate this year, except in some Western markets, causing up to $2.4 trillion in losses, a U.N. study said on Wednesday, adding the sector is not expected to rebound fully until 2023.
COVID-19 vaccination and certificates are key to restoring confidence in foreign tourism, which provides a lifeline for many countries, especially small island states that rely heavily on the sector to provide jobs, it said.
In 2020, international arrivals plunged by 73% from pre-pandemic levels in 2019, causing estimated losses of $2.4 trillion in tourism and related sectors, according to the report by UNCTAD and the UN’s World Tourism Organization (UNWTO).
COVID-19 virus spread in Patna not because of migrants, but due to social functions, lack of awareness, says study
There had been no major spread of the COVID-19 pandemic because of migrants in Patna district of Bihar but “lack of awareness about social distancing and wearing of masks by people resulted in the quick spread of the virus”, said a sociological study.
Marriages and other social functions too contributed largely to this spread, added the study “Learning From COVID-19 cases — A Sociological Study of Patna District, Bihar” done by retired civil servant K.C. Saha and published by the Patna-based Asian Development Research Institute (ADRI).
The study has also recommended several measures for further action to “strengthen efforts to handle such pandemics in future”.
Demand for study certificate during COVID-19 pandemic makes II PU students, parents feel vulnerable
Second year pre-university (PU) students aspiring for seats in professional courses through their Common Entrance Test (CET) rank are unhappy as they are being asked to physically report to various offices in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic to obtain their study certificates.
A parent of a second PU student said, “We have to visit the school and offices of the Block Education Officer during the COVID-19 pandemic to get the study certificates. This is a health risk to students and their parents who accompany them.”
The information required to issue the certificates, which show that a student has completed seven years of education in Karnataka, is already available in the Student Achievement Tracking System (SATS) database. Parents are demanding that the Department of Primary and Secondary Education use those records to issue study certificates.
India’s Covaxin effectively neutralises Delta variant of Covid, says U.S.' health research institute
India’s Covaxin, developed by Bharat Biotech in collaboration with the Indian Council of Medical Research, effectively neutralises both Alpha and Delta variants of coronavirus, the U.S.’ National Institute of Health (NIH) has said.
The NIH said results of two studies of blood serum from people who had received Covaxin suggest that the vaccine generates antibodies that effectively neutralise the B.1.1.7 (Alpha) and B.1.617 (Delta) variants of SARS-CoV-2, first identified in the U.K. and India, respectively.
The top American health research institute, which has a history of strong scientific collaboration with India, also said that an adjuvant developed with funding from it has contributed to the success of the highly efficacious Covaxin, which has been administered to roughly 25 million people till date in India and elsewhere.
40% primary school students in Kolkata could not access classes during pandemic: study
About 40% primary school students could not attend online classes during the COVID-19 pandemic owing to the digital divide, a report published by Nobel Laureate Amartya Sen’s Pratichi (India) Trust found. The study was compiled on the basis of experiences shared by hundreds of teachers across 21 State-run primary schools in Kolkata.
The 72-page report highlights the issues faced by students in accessing digital teaching learning.
“There are two components to the digital divide — one is affordability, and whether the families of students can afford devices that are required for digital learning. The second issue is regular accessibility of uninterrupted data, which again has an element of expenditure,” Sabir Ahamed, national research coordinator, Pratichi (India) Trust, and one of the authors of the report said.
Jaishankar, African Union flag ‘vaccine equity’
International cooperation is the way forward to deal with vaccine requirements to counter the threat of COVID-19 pandemic, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Tuesday during the G20 Foreign Ministers meeting at Matera in Italy.
The comment came on a day when the African Union said Covishield of Serum Institute of India has been the “backbone” of the vaccination programme in the continent supported by EU under the COVAX programme.
“Institutional multilateralism has been found wanting. Reforms have many forms but vaccine equity will be the immediate test,” said Mr. Jaishankar, urging international cooperation to ensure supply of vaccines, medicines, oxygen and protective gear to counter the COVID-19 pandemic.
Brazil to suspend vaccine deal with India as graft allegations probed
Brazil will suspend a $324 million Indian vaccine contract that has mired President Jair Bolsonaro in accusations of irregularities, the health minister said on Tuesday, following the guidance of the federal comptroller, the CGU.
The deal to buy 20 million doses of Bharat Biotech's Covaxin shot has become a headache for Mr. Bolsonaro after whistleblowers went public with concerns over irregularities. One Health Ministry official said he personally alerted the president about this concerns.
Brazil's Health Minister Marcelo Queiroga said at a news conference his team would probe the allegations while the suspension was ongoing.
U.S. House Passes Resolution in Support of India’s COVID-19 Fight
The U.S. House of Representatives passed a resolution, introduced in May, when India was in the throes of a massive second wave of COVID-19, expressing solidarity with India, backing the Biden administration’s assistance to India and asking it to facilitate in kind medical supply donations from the private sector.
“The resolution stands with the people of India as they collectively work to stem the spread of COVID-19,” said Brad Sherman, a California Democrat and Co-Chair of the House India Caucus . “The U.S. must work with our partners around the world to quell the virus everywhere it persists,” said Mr Sherman, who introduced the legislation along with his Republican Co-Chair, Steve Chabot.
“As Co-Chair of the House Caucus on India and Indian Americans, I am pleased my colleagues came together today to pass this important resolution expressing the House’s support for India during this trying time,” Mr Chabot said.
Five firms come together for trial of COVID-19 drug Molnupiravir
Five pharma majors — Cipla, Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories, Emcure, Sun Pharma and Torrent — will collaborate for the clinical trials in India of investigational, oral, anti-viral drug Molnupiravir for the treatment of mild COVID-19 .
Describing their collaboration as a first of its kind in the Indian pharma industry, a release on Tuesday said the companies will jointly sponsor, supervise and monitor the clinical trial that is expected to take place between June and September this year. The trial, for which 1,200 patients are to be recruited, is to be conducted across the country.
COVID curbs extended in Punjab till July 10, with more relaxations
With cases of Delhi Plus variant coming to light, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Tuesday ordered extension of the COVID-19 restrictions till July 10, with certain more relaxations, including opening of bars, pubs etc at 50% capacity, beginning July 1.
Skill Development Centres and universities have also been allowed to open conditional to the staff and students having taken at least one dose of vaccine. Announcing the relaxations at a high-level COVID review meeting, the Chief Minister made it clear that the bars, pubs etc. would have to strictly maintain social distancing protocols, and waiters, servers, other employees should have taken at least one dose of the vaccine. He made it clear that it would be the responsibility of the owners to ensure that the conditions are met.
