As on August 6, at 489 million, India has administered highest number of COVID-19 vaccine doses, in the South-East Asia region, according to a WHO report.
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:
Hopeful of launching Covovax for adults in October this year, for children in Q1-2022, says Serum CEO
Serum Institute of India CEO Adar Poonawalla on Friday said he is hopeful that Covovax, another COVID-19 vaccine being manufactured by his company in India, will be launched in October for adults and for children by the first quarter of 2022.
He also thanked the government for all the support provided to Serum Institute and said the company is always trying to expand its Covishield production capacity to meet the demand.
Mr. Poonawalla met Home Minister Amit Shah in Parliament and the meeting between the two lasted for 30 minutes.
“The government is helping us and we are facing no financial crunch. We are thankful to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for all the cooperation and support,” Mr. Poonawala told PTI after his meeting.
ODISHA
Universities, Colleges to reopen in Odisha on August 16
The Odisha government on Friday announced that Universities and colleges in Odisha, closed due to the pandemic, will reopen for physical classes from August 16.
Classes will resume for first year postgraduate and pre-final year undergraduate students, the higher education department tweeted.
The State government is also planning to reopen schools for classes 9 and 11 from August 16 and September 15,respectively. - PTI
TAMIL NADU
Number of tests increasing in TN, says Health Minister
Health Minister Ma. Subramanian on Friday said Tamil Nadu has increased the number of RT-PCR tests. Even though there are variations in the number of cases, the positivity remains 1.2%.
The testing is conducted even for the travellers coming from Kerala at the railway stations such as Central and Peramboor.
Coronavirus | Number of tests increasing in TN, says Health Minister
Classes IX to XII to start from August 23 in Karnataka
Following a meeting on August 6 with experts in the health and education sectors, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai announced that, in the first phase, classes for IX, X, XI and XII students would commence on August 23.
Students would be divided into two batches. Each batch would be asked to attend classes on alternate days, which means students would have to attend classes for three days in a week.
Based on spread of COVID-19, the Chief Minister said a decision would be taken this month-end on commencement of classes from class I to VIII.
Classes IX to XII to start from August 23 in Karnataka
Health Minister reviews progress of Corbevax
Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Friday met Mahima Datla, Managing Director of Biological E Limited to discuss the progress of the upcoming COVID-19 vaccine Corbevax.
According to ANI, the Hyderabad-based pharmaceutical company is expected to launch its COVID-19 vaccine Corbevax by September-end in India.
Biological E is expected to apply for an Emergency Use License (EUL) by August-end, will be supplying 300 million doses to the Government of India by December 2021.
India has administered highest number of vaccine doses, 489 million, in South-East Asia region: WHO
As many as 618.5 million vaccine doses have been administered in the World Health Organisation (WHO) South-East Asia Region as on August 6. The maximum number of doses, around 489 million, have been administered in India, WHO observed.
As many as 146 million people have received two vaccine doses in India.
Johnson & Johnson applies for EUA of its single-dose COVID-19 vaccine in India
Global healthcare major Johnson & Johnson on August 6 said it has applied for Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) of its single-dose COVID-19 vaccine in India.
Earlier on August 2, the company had said that it remained committed to bringing its single-dose COVID-19 vaccine to India and looks forward to ongoing discussions with the Indian government.
"On August 5, 2021 Johnson & Johnson Pvt Ltd applied for EUA of its single-dose COVID-19 vaccine to the government of India," a Johnson & Johnson India spokesperson said in a statement.
Thousands jam Philippine vaccination sites over false news
Thousands of people jammed coronavirus vaccination centers in the Philippine capital, defying social distancing restrictions, after false news spread that unvaccinated residents would be deprived of cash aid or barred from leaving home during a two-week lockdown that started Friday.
Officials placed Metropolitan Manila backed under lockdown until Aug. 20, as a new spike in COVID-19 infections that health officials say could be due to the highly contagious delta variant threatens to overwhelm hospitals. Three other regions, including nearby Laguna province, were also placed under lockdown until Aug. 15.
Only authorized workers for essential businesses and residents on medical emergencies or food-buying errands can venture out. An eight-hour curfew was imposed in the capital region starting at 8 p.m. and police checkpoints were set up in city boundaries. - AP
China pledges 2 billion vaccines globally through year's end
Chinese President Xi Jinping pledged 2 billion doses of Chinese vaccines would be supplied to the world through this year, an increase that would add to country's efforts as the largest global exporter of COVID-19 vaccines.
Mr. Xi's announcement was delivered at the International Forum on COVID-19 Vaccine Cooperation, state media reported Wednesday, which China hosted virtually.
That figure likely includes the 770 million doses China has already donated or exported already since September last year, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Most of the Chinese shots have been exported under bilateral deals. It is unclear if the figure also includes the agreements with the COVAX mechanism where two Chinese vaccine manufacturers will provide up to 550 million doses.
Mr. Xi also promised to donate $100 million to the UN-backed COVAX program, which aims to distribute vaccines to low- and middle-income countries, the official Xinhua News Agency said Wednesday night. - AP
K Thalavaipuram becomes first village to achieve 100% vaccination
K Thalavaipuram has become the first village in Thoothukudi district, to achieve 100 per cent vaccination against COVID-19.
"K Thalavaipuram has become the first village in Thoothukudi district to achieve 100 per cent vaccination. Our strategy is to vaccinate all persons above 18 in at least one village in all 12 blocks, projecting them as model villages to motivate people." Senthil Raj, District Commissioner of Thoothukudi told ANI.
"We are planning to vaccinate the entire fishermen community in the district before August 15. There are about 18,000 fishermen here", he added.
China records highest daily count in current outbreak
With 124 new confirmed cases, an increase of 85 from the previous day, China reported its highest daily count for new coronavirus cases in its current outbreak. 80 of these cases were locally transmitted, while no new deaths were reported.- Reuters
602 bedridden vaccinated at home, BMC tells HC
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Thursday told the Bombay High Court that 4,715 bedridden persons had registered for the COVID-19 home vaccination programme and 602 had been vaccinated.
Senior advocate Anil Sakhare appearing for the BMC told a Division Bench of Chief Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice G.S. Kulkarni that only a fitness certificate was left to be given to those vaccinated.
Vietnam's capital Hanoi to extend COVID-19 curbs until August 22
Vietnam's capital city, Hanoi, has decided to extend its coronavirus restrictions for another 15 days until August 22, the state Vietnam News Agency reported on Friday, following the discovery of new clusters of infections in the city over recent days.
NATIONAL
India records 44,643 new cases in last 24 hours
India saw a single day rise of 44,643 new COVID-19 infections, taking the total tally of cases to 3,18,56,757, while the active cases increased to 4,14,159, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on August 6.
With 464 fresh fatalities in the last 24 hours, the death toll climbed to 4,26,754.
The active cases constitute 1.30% of the total cases, as the recovery rate touched 97.36% at 9:10 am.
