Over 41.99 crore COVID-19 vaccine doses have so far been provided to States and Union territories, and more than 2.56 crore jabs are available with them and private hospitals, the Health Ministry said on Sunday.
The new phase of universalisation of COVID-19 vaccination programme commenced from June 21.
In the new phase of the drive, the Union government will procure and supply free of cost 75% of the vaccines being produced by vaccine manufacturers in the country to States and Union Territories. The remaining 25% can be procured by private hospitals.
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:
Assam bans Id gathering, prayers
A fresh set of COVID-19 guidelines issued by the Assam government on Monday said the upcoming festival of Id should be celebrated at home.
The directive on Id-ul-Zoha or Bakrid, scheduled on July 21, has come a week after the Assam government tabled a cattle protection Bill in the 126-member Assembly. The Bill seeks to restrict transportation of cattle within and through the State besides preventing the sale of beef within a 5 km radius of temples and religious places of non-beef-eating communities.
Assam bans Id gathering, prayers
Gujarat: Over 200 people attend religious event; FIR against organisers
Over 200 people gathered for a religious function at a temple in Gujarat's Bhavnagar city following which police registered an FIR against its organisers for alleged violation of COVID-19 guidelines, an official said on July 19.
Notably, the State government in a recent notification said all social, political and religious functions will be allowed with a maximum of 200 people in an open area and in case of closed space, a maximum 50% capacity and not exceeding 200 attendees would be allowed.
Acting on an information, the police reached the Dada Saheb Jain Temple in Kalanala area in Bhavnagar on July 18 afternoon and found more than 200 people gathered at a hall in the premises, an official from Nilambagh police station said.
The police also found that the programme organisers had not taken permission for the event from competent authority, he said. — PTI
Assam bans mass gatherings on Eid
The Assam government on July 19 announced that no public congregation will be allowed in the state on Eid in view of the COVID-19 pandemic.
State Health Minister Keshab Mahanta urged the people to celebrate the festival at their homes.
Prayers at mosques will be allowed with a maximum of five persons, he said.
Eid ul-Adha will be celebrated in the State on July 21. — PTI
COVID-19: If we don’t vaccinate quickly, public health will be in jeopardy, say experts
If we do not vaccinate quickly, public health can be in jeopardy and with that is also linked economic growth. So the sooner more number of people get vaccinated the better it is for society and the country, say doctors who have also expressed their worry about the slowing down of the falling COVID-19 numbers and the growing threat of a third wave.
COVID-19: If we don’t vaccinate quickly, public health will be in jeopardy, say experts
SC rejects Maharashtra’s plea against order quashing directive capping treatment cost of non-Covid patients
The Supreme Court on July 19 refused to interfere with a Bombay High Court order quashing the Maharashtra government notifications regulating the rates chargeable by private hospitals and nursing homes to non-Covid patients.
A Bench of Justices D.Y. Chandrachud and M.R. Shah said it is not going to interfere with the high court order as the State government cannot issue such notifications. — PTI
SC asks Kerala to explain why it relaxed COVID-19 curbs for Bakrid
The Supreme Court on Monday gave the Pinarayi Vijayan government in Kerala less than 24 hours to explain its reasons for relaxing COVID-19 restrictions between July 18 and July 20 for Bakrid celebrations while noting that any incident which directly affected lives would be viewed sternly and result in “prompt action”.
A Bench of Justices Rohinton F. Nariman and B.R. Gavai asked Kerala to file its affidavit by evening and posted the case for hearing as the first case on July 20 taking into consideration “the situation and the celebrations going on in the State of Kerala”.
SC asks Kerala to explain why it relaxed COVID-19 curbs for Bakrid
Bangladesh lifts lockdown to celebrate, exasperating experts
Waiting among hundreds of fellow travellers to catch a ferry out of Bangladesh’s capital, unemployed construction worker Mohammed Nijam knew he was risking catching the coronavirus, but he felt it was even riskier to stay in Dhaka with another lockdown looming.
“I have to pay rent every month even though I have no work,” he said, adding that his landlord had been bothering him for money even as he was struggling just to feed himself. “I’d rather go to my village home and lead life as God lets me.” — AP
Bangladesh lifts lockdown to celebrate, exasperating experts
Tamil Nadu Class 12 results declared, all 8.16 lakh students pass
The final results for class 12 State Board students in Tamil Nadu were announced on Monday, and all 8.16 lakh students have passed. The board exams for these students, scheduled to be held earlier this year, were cancelled owing to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Releasing the results, Minister for School Education Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi said that the decision to cancel the exams was taken based on several stakeholder recommendations and the subsequent report prepared by the expert committee. The committee had come up with multiple methods to calculate marks and one was chosen.
Tamil Nadu Class 12 results declared, all 8.16 lakh students pass
SSLC exams begin in Karnataka amid COVID concerns
The two-day Secondary School Leaving Certificate (SSLC) or class 10 exams began across the State on Monday, amid COVID-19 concerns.
As many as 8.76 lakh students have registered for the examination.
This is for the second consecutive year that the Department of Primary and Secondary Education is conducting the SSLC examinations amid the pandemic.
Due to COVID-19 situation, for the first time, the examinations have been reduced from six days to two days, with students writing one paper for three subjects per day. - PTI
India adds 38,164 new cases, 499 fresh fatalities
India saw a single day rise of 38,164 new coronavirus infections, while the death toll climbed to 4,14,108 with 499 fresh fatalities, the lowest in over three months, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Monday.
The COVID-19 case tally has climbed to 3,11,44,229.
The active cases have declined to 4,21,665 and comprise 1.35% of the total infections, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate stands at 97.32%, the data updated at 8 a.m. showed. A decrease of 995 cases has been recorded in the active COVID-19 caseload in a span of 24 hours. - PTI
No COVID-19 death reported in the Capital
The Capital recorded zero deaths due to COVID-19 on Sunday, according to a health bulletin released by the Delhi government.
The last time the Capital had zero deaths was on March 2. The number of new cases added was 51 after 71,546 tests were conducted with a positivity rate of 0.07%.
There are currently 592 active cases in the Capital, of which 203 are under home isolation. The total number of cases since the pandemic began has climbed to 14,35,529 and the total fatalities stand at 25,027.
(With inputs from Correspondents and Agencies)
