LIVE: Rajasthan govt imposes lockdown in state from May 10-24
India registered 382,315 new Covid-19 cases in the preceding 24 hours. With hospitals continuing to make a desperate plea for beds and oxygen, a weekly WHO report showed that the country now accounts for nearly half the coronavirus cases reported worldwide and a quarter of the deaths.
Even as India battles the deadlier, more infectious second wave of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) outbreak, scientists have now warned that a third wave of the pandemic is now "inevitable". On Thursday, the Union ministry of health and family welfare registered 412,262 new Covid-19 cases in the preceding 24 hours, mounting the nationwide infection tally to 21,077,410. The death toll has also reached 230,168 -- an alarming number -- with 3,980 new fatalities recorded in the span of a single day.
Over 3,500 different variants of concern of the SARS-Cov-2 virus have been detected in 27 states. Researchers have found that the circulation of the United Kingdom variant (B.1.1.7) is on the decline; however, the so-called 'double mutant' variant (B.1.6.1.7) is on the rise in India, raising apprehensions regarding transmissibility and severity of the coronavirus disease.
India currently accounts for 46% of all the new Covid-19 cases recorded worldwide, and there are signs that the outbreak is spreading to Nepal, Sri Lanka, and other neighbours.
Meanwhile, the United States on Wednesday finally bowed to mounting pressure from more than 100 countries, with president Joe Biden throwing his support behind waiving intellectual property rights for Covid-19 vaccines - a sharp reversal of the previous US position.
Covid-19 dashboard:
Total cases: 21,077,410
Total deaths: 230,168
Active cases: 3,566,398
Recovered patients: 17,280,844
Recovery rate: 81.99%
Follow all the updates here:
- Thu, 06 May 2021 11:55 PM
Passengers from AP, Telangana in Delhi to undergo mandatory 14-day institutional quarantine: DDMA
Passengers arriving in Delhi from Andhra Pradesh and Telangana will be required to undergo a 14-day mandatory institutional quarantine, the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) said, reports ANI.
- Thu, 06 May 2021 11:05 PM
Rajasthan govt imposes lockdown in state from May 10-24 to curb spread of Covid-19, weddings banned till May 31
The Rajasthan government has imposed a lockdown in the state from May 10 till May 24 to curb the spread of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19). Weddings in the state have been banned till May 31.
- Thu, 06 May 2021 10:05 PM
Gujarat adds 12,545 new Covid-19 cases; tally nearing 646,000
Gujarat on Thursday continued to report a downward trend in its daily tally of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) as 12,545 fresh cases were reported, according to the health department. As many as 123 people succumbed to the disease on Thursday taking the state's death toll to 8,035.
- Thu, 06 May 2021 09:36 PM
Jharkhand's Covid caseload climbs to 2,63,115; 5,770 fresh cases reported
Jharkhand on Thursday reported 141 fresh Covid-19 fatalities taking the death toll to 3,346, while 5,770 new positive cases pushed the tally to 2,63,115, a health department bulletin said. Read more
- Thu, 06 May 2021 09:03 PM
Punjab reports 8,874 new Covid-19 cases, takes tally to over 416,000
- Thu, 06 May 2021 08:45 PM
Jharkhand reports 5,770 new Covid-19 cases, 141 fatalities
Jharkhand on Thursday reported 141 fresh Covid-19 fatalities taking the death toll to 3,346, and 5,770 new positive cases that took the tally to 263,115, as per the health bulletin, reported PTI.
- Thu, 06 May 2021 08:20 PM
Gujarat registers 12,545 new Covid-19 cases, 123 deaths
Gujarat reported 12,545 new Covid-19 cases, 13,021 discharges and 123 deaths in the last 24 hours, reported ANI.
- Thu, 06 May 2021 07:38 PM
Uttarakhand logs 8,517 new Covid-19 cases
Uttarakhand reported 8,517 new Covid-19 cases and 151 deaths in the last 24 hours.
- Thu, 06 May 2021 07:08 PM
Tamil Nadu reports nearly 25,000 new Covid-19 cases
- Thu, 06 May 2021 06:40 PM
Rajasthan logs 17,532 new Covid-19 infections
- Thu, 06 May 2021 06:08 PM
Kerala registers 42,464 new Covid-19 cases, 63 deaths
Kerala registered 42,464 new Covid-19 cases, 27,152 recoveries and 63 fatalities in the last 24 hours on Thursday, reported ANI.
- Thu, 06 May 2021 05:41 PM
Sweden reports 6,526 new Covid-19 cases
Sweden on Thursday registered 6,526 new Covid-19 cases, as per the health agency statistics, reported Reuters.
- Thu, 06 May 2021 05:05 PM
Uttar Pradesh reports over 26,000 new Covid-19 cases, 353 deaths
With 353 new fatalities due to Covid-19 the toll in Uttar Pradesh reached 14,501 on Thursday. The state reported 26,780 new cases in the last 24 hours, PTI reported an official as saying.
- Thu, 06 May 2021 04:36 PM
Philippines logs 6,637 new Covid-19 infections in last 24 hours
The Philippines' Department of Health (DOH) reported 6,637 new Covid-19 infections on Thursday, taking the country's tally to 1,080,172, reported ANI/Xinhua.
- Thu, 06 May 2021 03:59 PM
Himachal Pradesh reports 1,465 fresh Covid-19 cases
Himachal Pradesh on Thursday recorded 1,465 Covid-19 cases and 28 fatalities in the last 24 hours, PTI reported a senior official as saying.
- Thu, 06 May 2021 03:21 PM
France to open Covid-19 vaccine to people aged 50 years and above
France will lower the age of those eligible for Covid-19 vaccines to all French people aged 50 and over from next week, said President Emmanuel Macron.
- Thu, 06 May 2021 02:38 PM
Chhattisgarh govt suspends phase 3 of Covid-19 vaccination drive
Following the high court's order to modify the vaccination plan for prioritized inoculation of economically weaker sections of society, the Chhattisgarh government suspended the third phase of Covid-19 vaccination drive for people aged 18 to 44, PTI quoted an official as saying on Thursday.
- Thu, 06 May 2021 02:15 PM
10 states account for over 75% of new Covid-19 deaths: Health ministry
Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, Delhi, Chhattisgarh, Haryana, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan and Jhakhand accounted for 75.55 per cent of the new deaths, 3980 reported in last 24 hours, as per the health ministry.
- Thu, 06 May 2021 01:36 PM
More than 89 lakh Covid-19 vaccine doses available with states, UTs: Centre
The central government on Thursday said that more than 89 lakh Covid-19 vaccine doses are still available with states and union territories and over 28 lakh vaccine doses will be received by them within next the three days.
- Thu, 06 May 2021 12:58 PM
Kerala HC directs state govt to ensure uniform rate for Covid-19 treatment across all hospitals
The Kerala high court has directed the Pinarayi Vijayan-led Left Front government to ensure that uniform rate for Covid-19 treatment is maintained across all hospitals in the state.
- Thu, 06 May 2021 11:55 AM
Supreme Court begins hearing on oxygen supply by Centre to Delhi hospitals
The government has to appraise the apex court on how it plans to provide oxygen to the different hospitals in the national capital. (File Photo) The Supreme Court of India on Thursday began hearing the matter of oxygen supply by the central government to various hospitals in Delhi reporting a deficit of the life-saving gas. The Government of India has submitted its detailed plan to the top court on procurement and supply of oxygen to various states. The government has to appraise the apex court on how it plans to provide oxygen to the different hospitals in the national capital.
- Thu, 06 May 2021 11:23 AM
Covid-19 lockdown to be imposed in Kerala from Saturday
Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Thursday announced that a Covid-19-necessitated lockdown will be imposed across the state from May 8 (Saturday) to May 16, in view of the recent surge in coronavirus disease cases.
- Thu, 06 May 2021 10:33 AM
Delhi government says anyone in need of oxygen for home isolation can apply on official website
In an order dated May 5, 2021 (Wednesday), the Delhi government said that anyone in need of medical oxygen for home isolation in the national capital can apply for the same at the Delhi government's official website with a valid photo identification (ID), Aadhaar card details, a Covid-19 positive report and other documents viz. CT scan report etc. (if available) indicating an actual need for oxygen.
- Thu, 06 May 2021 10:20 AM
Telangana reports 6,026 new Covid-19 cases, 52 deaths
Telangana reported6,026 fresh Covid-19 cases taking the tally to over 4.75 lakh while the toll stood at2,579 with 52 more casualties, the state government said on Thursday.
- Thu, 06 May 2021 10:15 AM
US backs waiving intellectual property rules on vaccines
The Biden administration on Wednesday joined calls for more sharing of the technology behind Covid-19 vaccines to help speed the end of the pandemic, a shift that puts the US alongside many in the developing world who want rich countries to do more to get doses to the needy.
- Thu, 06 May 2021 10:10 AM
China detects 18 cases of double mutant variant from India
People walk along Nanjing pedestrian road, a main shopping area, during the Labour Day holidays in Shanghai, China on May 5, 2021. (REUTERS) China has confirmed at least 18 cases of the “double mutant” coronavirus variant circulating in India, including in three Chinese nationals who worked near New Delhi and returned home last month. The Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) told state media that more Covid-19 cases imported from India were feared to be found in China, but they were unlikely to trigger cluster infections because of the country’s strict entry and screening rules. Read More
- Thu, 06 May 2021 10:01 AM
412,262 fresh Covid-19 cases take India's tally to over 21 million
A man wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) stands next to a burning funeral pyre of a relative, who died from coronavirus disease (Covid-19), before his cremation, at a crematorium in New Delhi, India May 5, 2021. (REUTERS / Adnan Abidi) A day after the government said the third wave of coronavirus disease (Covid-19) was inevitable in India, the country recorded 412,262 fresh cases and 3,980 new deaths due to the virus. With this, India's total infection tally went up to 21,077,410 and its death toll was pushed to 230,168, according to the Union health ministry dashboard. Read More
- Thu, 06 May 2021 09:42 AM
Chaudhary Ajit Singh, former Union minister, dies of Covid-19
Former Union minister and RLD chief Chaudhary Ajit Singh. (File Photo / HT) Chaudhary Ajit Singh, former Union minister and chief of the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD), passed away on Thursday of coronavirus disease (Covid-19). He was the son of the late Chaudhary Charan Singh, former Prime Minister of India. Read More
- Thu, 06 May 2021 09:10 AM
Maharashtra breaches 900-death mark for second time
Covid patients receives oxygen even as a medical staff inspect their condition, at a Sangli hospital in Maharashtra. (HT file) (HT_PRINT) Maharashtra on Wednesday breached the 900-death mark for the second time since the Covid-19 outbreak as it recorded 57,640 cases and 920 fatalities in the preceding 24 hours. The highest fatalities (985) were reported on April 28. The toll from the pandemic has now reached 72,662 in the state. Mumbai has recorded the most fatalities (13,511) followed by Pune (9,863). Read More
- Thu, 06 May 2021 08:20 AM
Meerut jail to release 280 inmates in view of Covid-19
The district jail in Uttar Pradesh's Meerut will be releasing around 280 inmates on bail or parole keeping the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic in mind. The senior jail superintendent told ANI that regular sanitization of the jail premises is being conducted. "The jail inmates are being served immunity boosting 'kadha'. Inmates above 45 and 60 years of age have been vaccinated," he said.
- Thu, 06 May 2021 08:05 AM
251 new cases reported in Ladakh, infection tally nears 1,500
251 new positive cases of Covid-19 were reported in Ladakh the last 24 hours, the health department of the union territory informed on Thursday. 131 persons have been cured and discharged in the same duration.
The total number of Covid-19 cases in Ladakh has now gone up to 1,494, of which 1,264 cases are in the Leh district alone, while 230 are in the Kargil district.
- Thu, 06 May 2021 07:59 AM
Three arrested in Bengaluru for black marketing of Covid-19 hospital beds
The central division of the Bengaluru Police on Wednesday unearthed a case of black marketing of hospital beds amid the Covid-19. This comes amid the devastating shortage of medical supplies, drugs, and other necessary equipment due to the rapid rise in Covid-19 cases.
(Reporting by ANI)
- Thu, 06 May 2021 07:41 AM
Noida likely to set up 50-bed makeshift Covid-19 hospital by Saturday
The Noida Authority will set up a 50-bed makeshift Covid-19 hospital, likely to go functional by May 8, ANI reported on Wednesday. Quoting Noida Authority sources, the news agency reported, "Setting up a makeshift hospital that will have 50 beds with oxygen support for patients. The facility is likely to go functional by May 8."
- Thu, 06 May 2021 07:26 AM
Third wave of Covid-19 inevitable, says government
A woman cries during the cremation of her husband, who died from coronavirus disease (Covid-19), at a crematorium in New Delhi, India May 5, 2021. REUTERS/Adnan Abidi “A phase three is inevitable, given the high levels of circulating virus, but it is not clear on what time scale this phase 3 will occur. Hopefully, incrementally, but we should prepare for new waves. Previous infections and vaccines will cause adaptive pressure on the virus for new kinds of changes which try to escape, and, therefore, we should be prepared, scientifically to take care of that,” said K Vijay Raghavan, principal scientific advisor, to the government of India. Read More