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Highlights: Punjab logs 818 new cases, 11 more deaths
Calls for an independent investigation into the origin of Covid-19 grew as a group of scientists called for a probe to consider all hypotheses and nail down whether the virus came from an animal.
Global cases of Covid-19 rose past 115.5 million as the virus continues to spread across the world. The death toll exceeded 2.5 million, as per the Bloomberg report. Meanwhile, countries inoculated more than 279 million against the Covid-19, it also reported. In India, the surge in number of daily infections has triggered fears of a second wave. On Friday the caseload was increased by 16,838 new cases, pushing the tally to over 11.17 million, as per the health ministry's coronavirus tracker....Read More
The death toll of the country now stands at 157,548.
Meanwhile, calls for an independent investigation into the origin of Covid-19 grew as a group of scientists called for a probe to consider all hypotheses and nail down whether the virus came from an animal. Many scientists signed an open letter demanding the independent probe and said the mission isn’t independent enough as the WHO considered scrapping an interim report.
Punjab logs 818 new cases, 11 more deaths
Punjab on Friday recorded 818 fresh coronavirus disease cases and 11 more deaths and 400 recoveries. The caseload has climbed to 186,189 while the recoveries stand at 173,630, according to the state health department's bulletin.
Italy reports 24,036 new Covid-19 cases, 297 more deaths
Italy on Friday registered 24,036 fresh Covid-19 disease cases and 297 more deaths which pushed the caseload to 3.02 million. The health ministry said that 378,463 tests were carried out on Thursday, compared to the 339,635 tests on Wednesday.
Nearly 1.4 million vaccinated in India on Thursday, highest in a day so far: Report
Official sources told news agency PTI on Friday that nearly 1.4 million people were vaccinated against the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) on Thursday, the highest in a day so far, taking the total number of vaccine doses administered in the country to over 1.8 crore.
Maharashtra registers highest single day spike of 10,216 Covid-19 cases since beginning of 2021.
Maharashtra on Friday added 10,216 fresh coronavirus disease (Covid-19) cases and 53 more related deaths which pushed the overall tally and death toll to 2,198,399 and 52,393 respectively. Friday's tally has been the highest ever since the mid-October last year.
Delhi reports 312 new Covid-19 cases, 3 deaths
Delhi reported 312 new Covid-19 cases and three deaths, taking the tally to 640,494 cases and 10,918 deaths, reports ANI.
Goa reports 79 new Covid-19 cases in last 24 hours
Goa's coronavirus caseload went up by 79 and reached 55,291 on Friday, while the day also saw one death from the infection and 42 people recovering, an official said, reports PTI.
Andhra Pradesh reports 124 new coronavirus cases
Active coronavirus cases in Andhra Pradesh rose to 900 as 124 were added afresh in 24 hours ending 9 am on Friday as the caseload now touched 8,90,441, reports PTI.
Japan extends Covid emergency in Tokyo
Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga announced that his government is extending a state of emergency in the Tokyo region for another two weeks because its medical systems are still strained by Covid-19 patients, reports AP.
Odisha reports 91 new Covid-19 cases
Odisha's Covid-19 tally mounted to 3,37,620 on Friday as 91 more people tested positive for the infection, a health department official said, reports PTI.
South Africa to miss Covid vaccination target due to shortfall
South Africa expects to miss its target of inoculating 1.5 million people by the end of this month because sufficient shots aren’t available, reports Bloomberg.
Mumbai: 10 employees in restaurant test Covid-19 positive
Ten out of 35 employees of a restaurant in Andheri area of Mumbai have tested positive for coronavirus and were shifted to the mega Covid care centre in Bandra Kurla Complex, a civic official said on Friday, reports PTI.
Punjab CM Amarinder Singh gets first dose of Covid-19 vaccine
Made in India Covid vaccine supplied to 50 countries: PM Modi
Made in India vaccine was given to 50 countries, and in coming days, we will supply Covid-19 vaccines to many other countries, said PM Modi while addressing the India-Sweden virtual summit.
Australia asks EU not to ban AstraZeneca Covid vaccine exports
Australia is seeking assurances from the European Union's executive arm that future shipments of vaccines will not be blocked, after Italy banned a large export of the AstraZeneca coronavirus shots, reports AP.
Romania reports first case of South African Covid-19 variant
Romania has reported its first two cases of the coronavirus variant first identified in South Africa, online news publication HotNews said on Friday, citing data by private clinic MedLife, reports Reuters.
Moldova in Europe first to receive Covid vaccines from COVAX
Moldova became the first European country to receive Covid-19 vaccines from the global COVAX scheme, Moldovan President Maia Sandu said on Friday, reports Reuters.
Prakash Javadekar inoculated with first dose of Covid-19 vaccine
Union Minister Prakash Javadekar inoculated with first dose of Covid-19 jab at Deenanath Mangeshkar Hospital in Pune
18 states, UTs report no death in last 24 hours: Govt
Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Chandigarh, Daman and Diu, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Ladakh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Odisha, Puducherry, Sikkim, Tripura and Uttarakhand have not reported any Covid-19 deaths in the last 24 hours: Government of India
Union minister Giriraj Singh inoculated with first dose of Covid-19 vaccine
Union minister Giriraj Singh receives the first dose of Covid-19 vaccine at Sadar Hospital in Begusarai, Bihar.
India's Covid-19 tally rise by 16,838
India's Covid-19 tally rise by 16,838 fresh cases. The caseload now stands at 11,17,3761.
Japan to extend state of emergency
The Japanese government plans to extend a state of emergency to combat Covid-19 for Tokyo and three neighbouring prefectures until March 21, says economy minister Yasutoshi Nishimura on Friday.
China's Covid-19 tally rises by 9 fresh cases
China reported 9 new coronavirus cases in the mainland for March 4, compared with 10 cases a day earlier, the country's health commission said on Friday.
India's phase 2 of vaccination drive stuck in first gear
Rajasthan is the runaway leader in the first three days of the second phase of India’s Covid-19 vaccination drive, having given doses to 5,187 per million residents, although an HT analysis of data from the first three days of the expanded drive indicates a slow start across the country. Read more
