LIVE: Bengal sees record jump in daily Covid cases at 20,377; 135 more deaths

A top White House state Department official has said that the US is working closely with India on its continued and emerging needs during the unprecedented second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic.

People being tested for Covid-19 during a random testing drive at Anand Vihar Bus Terminal, in New Delhi. (Raj K Raj / HT Photo)

India on Wednesday recorded 348,421 fresh Covid-19 cases in the last 24 hours, according to Union health ministry dashboard. As many as 4,205 new deaths were also registered. The country has so far reported a total of 23.34 million cases and 254,197 deaths respectively....Read More

Follow all the updates here:

• 12 May 2021, 10:22:25 PM IST

  Bengal sees record jump in daily Covid cases at 20,377; 135 more deaths

  Bengal on Wednesday recorded the highest single day spike in Covid-19 cases at 20,377, taking the tally to 1,053,117, according to the state health department's bulletin. This is the second consecutive day that the new cases remained above the 20,000-mark. The death toll rose to 12,728 as 135 more people succumbed to the disease.

• 12 May 2021, 09:48:17 PM IST

  Jharkhand extends lockdown like restrictions till May 27 to curb Covid spread

  Lockdown like restrictions in Jharkhand have been extended till May 27 to curb the spread of the Covid-19 disease, the state government announced on Wednesday adding there will be stricter restrictions including a seven day compulsory quarantine for those visiting Jharkhand. Read more

• 12 May 2021, 09:05:39 PM IST

  Haryana reports nearly 12,500 new Covid cases, 165 more deaths

  Haryana's caseload of the Covid-19 disease climbed to 652,742 after 12,490 new cases and 165 more deaths were reported on Wednesday, according to the state health department's bulletin.

• 12 May 2021, 08:48:03 PM IST

  UK registers 2,284 new Covid-19 cases, 11 more deaths

  The United Kingdom on Wednesday recorded 2,284 new cases of the Covid-19 disease and 11 more deaths, according to news agency Reuters. The caseload is now over 4.44 million.

• 12 May 2021, 08:28:37 PM IST

  Uttarakhand to import 2 million doses of Sputnik Covid vaccine

  Uttarakhand will now import 2 million doses of Russia's Sputnik vaccine over the next two months, officials told news agency PTI adding a five member committee has been formed for this purpose and the required funds have been arranged.

• 12 May 2021, 07:35:15 PM IST

  Maharashtra records 46,781 new Covid-19 cases; Mumbai’s daily tally goes over 2,000 again

  Maharashtra's daily tally of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) continued to rise on Wednesday with 46,781 new cases and 816 more deaths recorded in the last 24 hours, taking the caseload and death toll to 5,226,710 and 78,007 respectively, according to the state health department's bulletin. Read more

• 12 May 2021, 07:09:36 PM IST

  Maharashtra cabinet wants lockdown to be extended by 2 weeks, CM to take decision soon: Tope

  Amid speculations that the ongoing lockdown-like restrictions in Maharashtra will be extended further, state health minister Rajesh Tope said on Wednesday that the state cabinet wants these restrictions to be extended for another two weeks. However, Tope said a final decision in this regard will be taken by chief minister Uddhav Thackeray soon.

• 12 May 2021, 07:03:29 PM IST

  Maharashtra suspends Covid vaccination for 18-44 age group, says health minister Tope

  Maharashtra health minister Rajesh Tope announced on Wednesday that the state government has suspended vaccination against the Covid-19 disease for beneficiaries between 18-44 years due to a shortage of vaccine doses.

• 12 May 2021, 06:50:53 PM IST

  Andhra Pradesh registers 21,452 new Covid-19 cases, 89 deaths

• 12 May 2021, 06:32:33 PM IST

  Goa reports 2,865 new Covid-19 cases, 70 deaths

• 12 May 2021, 06:09:40 PM IST

  Kerala logs 43,529 new Covid-19 cases, 95 deaths

  Kerala reported 43,529 new Covid-19 cases and 95 deaths in the last 24 hours. With the new fatalities, the death toll in the state reached 6,053, ANI quoted chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan as saying.

• 12 May 2021, 05:19:41 PM IST

  Moderna to supply 25 million Covid-19 vaccine doses to Australia

  Moderna Inc on Wednesday announced a supply past with Australia for 25 million Covid-19 vaccine doses. Of the 25 million, 10 million doses against the original strain of coronavirus will be delivered this year, reported Reuters.

• 12 May 2021, 04:17:12 PM IST

  Delhi reports 13,287 new Covid-19 cases, takes active caseload to 82,725

  Delhi on Wednesday reported 13,287 new Covid-19 cases, 14,071 recoveries and 30 fatalities in the last 24 hours. The active cases in the national capital now stand at 82,725, according to the health bulletin.

• 12 May 2021, 03:40:15 PM IST

  Norway to not use AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine: Report

  Norway will not resume the use of the Covid-19 vaccine made by AstraZeneca as part of its vaccination drive due to a risk of rare but harmful side-effects, Reuters reported citing newspaper VG's report on Wednesday.

• 12 May 2021, 03:05:08 PM IST

  Covid-19 UK strain found in Rajasthan: State health minister

  The UK variant of Covid-19 has been found in the samples sent from Rajasthan for genome sequencing, state health minister Raghu Sharma said on Wednesday, reported PTI.

• 12 May 2021, 02:36:25 PM IST

  Taiwan reports 16 Covid-19 cases, Taiwan president asks public to not panic

  After 16 cases of Covid-19 were reported in Taiwan on Wednesday, president Tsai Yin-wen sought to reassure the public that the government is capable of controlling the further outbreak and that they should not panic. The exact origins of the cases have not yet been discovered, reported AP.

• 12 May 2021, 02:13:45 PM IST

  Journalists must be treated as frontline staff for Covid-19 vaccination: Devendra Fadnavis

  Maharashtra Leader of Opposition Devendra Fadnavis on Wednesday demanded that journalists, photographers and camerapersons be included in the frontline workers category to get them inoculated against coronavirus.

• 12 May 2021, 02:03:44 PM IST

  PM CARES Fund approves procurement of 1,50,000 units of Oxycare System

  PM CARES Fund has approved procurement of 1,50,000 units of Oxycare System developed by DRDO at a cost of ₹322.5 Cr. It's a SpO2 based Oxygen Supply System, that regulates oxygen being administered to patients based on sensed SpO2 levels: DRDO

• 12 May 2021, 01:59:38 PM IST

  Taiwan's leader seeks to reassure over new virus cases

  Taiwan's president on Wednesday sought to reassure the public that the government is capable of withstanding a further outbreak of Covid-19 after six local cases were detected.

• 12 May 2021, 01:47:21 PM IST

  Russia reports 8,217 new Covid-19 cases, 355 deaths

  Russia reported 8,217 new Covid19 cases on Wednesday, including 2,718 in Moscow, taking the national infection tally to 4,905,059.

• 12 May 2021, 01:33:15 PM IST

  500-bed ICU Centre for Covid-19 patients in Delhi to become operational from today

  500-bed ICU Centre for Covid-19 patients at Delhi's Ramlila Ground to become operational from today.

• 12 May 2021, 01:32:20 PM IST

  Odisha: 10,982 new Covid-19 cases, vaccination soon for vulnerable people without ID proof

  Odisha on Wednesday reported 10,982 new Covid-19 cases and 17 more deaths, a Health Department official said.

• 12 May 2021, 01:31:22 PM IST

  Govt engaging with manufacturers to ramp up production of Amphotericin B : Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers

  GoI is engaging with manufacturers to ramp up production of Amphotericin B - to fight Mucormycosis. States requested to put in place a mechanism for equitable distribution of supplies amongst govt and private hospitals and health care agencies: Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers.

• 12 May 2021, 01:18:48 PM IST

  Pondy adds 2,007 new cases to Covid-19 tally

  Puducherry posted 2,007 fresh cases of coronavirus on Wednesday, pushing the total positives to 77,031. Twenty-seven more people succumbed to the disease during last twenty-four hours raising the toll to 1025.

• 12 May 2021, 01:09:26 PM IST

  Over 3 million beneficiaries in age group 18-44 years vaccinated against Covid-19: Health ministry

• 12 May 2021, 12:58:07 PM IST

  Indonesia study finds China's Sinovac Covid-19 vaccine highly effective in health workers

  An analysis of Indonesian healthcare workers inoculated with a Covid-19 vaccine developed by China's Sinovac Biotech showed it was 98% effective at preventing death and 96% effective at preventing hospitalisation, a health ministry official said.

• 12 May 2021, 12:56:48 PM IST

  Arunachal Pradesh reports 205 new Covid-19 cases, 4 deaths

  A total of 205 new Covid-19 cases and four deaths were reported on Tuesday, informed the state health ministry on Wednesday.

• 12 May 2021, 12:49:12 PM IST

  China gives Bangladesh 500K vaccine doses

  China delivered 500,000 doses of Sinopharm vaccine as a gift to Bangladesh on Wednesday to help it cope with a shortage.

• 12 May 2021, 12:47:16 PM IST

  Allu Arjun tests negative for Covid-19

  Telugu star Allu Arjun on Wednesday said he has tested negative for novel coronavirus.

• 12 May 2021, 12:29:17 PM IST

  Request Centre to stop export of vaccine and share vaccine formula with other manufacturers: Sisodia

  Request Centre to understand severity of situation, stop export of vaccine and share vaccine formula with other manufacturers: Manish Sisodia.

• 12 May 2021, 12:22:54 PM IST

  We had demanded 1.34 cr doses, 67 lakhs each of Covaxin and Covishield: Manish Sisodia

  We had demanded 1.34 cr doses, 67 lakhs each of Covaxin and Covishield. Covaxin (Bharat Biotech) wrote to us yesterday that they can't provide. They wrote 'we're making dispatches as per directives of concerned govt officials'. Obvious that these are central govt officials. The letter by Covaxin manufacturers clarifies that central govt decides which state will get how many doses: Delhi Dy CM Manish Sisodia.

• 12 May 2021, 12:21:28 PM IST

  Exporting 6.6 crore doses was biggest mistake, says Manish Sisodia

  Once again I would say exporting 6.6 crore doses was biggest mistake. We are forced to shutdown 100 covaxin-vaccination sites in 17 schools due to no supply: Manish Sisodia.

• 12 May 2021, 12:01:59 PM IST

  Puducherry reports 2,007 new Covid-19 positive cases

  Puducherry reports 2,007 new Covid-19 positive cases, 1,247 recoveries and 27 deaths in the last 24 hours. Active cases at 15,562 and total cases at 77,031.

• 12 May 2021, 12:00:59 PM IST

  Complete lockdown to be imposed in Chhattisgarh's Gaurela-Pendra-Marwahi district

  Complete lockdown to be imposed in Chhattisgarh's Gaurela-Pendra-Marwahi district from midnight today till midnight of May 15, in view of rise in Covid-19 cases.

• 12 May 2021, 11:34:41 AM IST

  Japan's coronavirus vaccine booking system crashes

  Technical problems derailed Japan's coronavirus vaccination booking system on Wednesday, compounding frustration over the government's handling of new outbreaks of infections and an inoculation drive that critics say has been woefully slow.

• 12 May 2021, 11:34:04 AM IST

  Hospitals in Nepal run short of oxygen, turn away Covid-19 patients

  Several hospitals in and around Nepal's capital city of Kathmandu have started turning down patients following the government's decision to cap the supply of life-saving medical oxygen, thereby affecting operation of hospitals treating the rising number of Covid-19 cases in the country.

• 12 May 2021, 11:18:03 AM IST

  Second Covid wave seems to have flattened but won’t end before July: virologist Shahid Jameel

  India’s second Covid-19 wave seems to have flattened but the climb down will be a more prolonged, long drawn-out process than the first and will possibly run till July, says eminent virologist Shahid Jameel.

• 12 May 2021, 11:09:08 AM IST

  Padres' Fernando Tatis Jr., Wil Myers test positive for Covid-19

  The San Diego Padres placed shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. and right fielder Wil Myers on the injured list Tuesday after they tested positive for Covid-19.

• 12 May 2021, 10:52:25 AM IST

  South Korea's Covid-19 vaccine shortages overshadow Moon-Biden summit

  South Korea's struggle to boost coronavirus vaccine supplies is threatening to overshadow President Moon Jae-in's first summit with US President Joe Biden, with pressure mounting on Moon to secure more and faster deliveries of U.S.-made shots.

• 12 May 2021, 10:29:04 AM IST

  Harsh Vardhan to hold meeting with Health Ministers of some states that are lagging behind in Covid-19 vaccination

  Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan will have a meeting today, with the Health Ministers of some states that are lagging behind in Covid-19 vaccination. He will hold the meeting with the Health Ministers of Jammu and Kashmir, Uttarakhand, Haryana, Punjab, Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha and Telangana.

• 12 May 2021, 10:11:13 AM IST

  Dr Reddy’s Laboratories Ltd has entered into a licensing agreement with Eli Lilly and Company for manufacture, commercialization of Baricitinib in India

  Dr Reddy’s Laboratories Ltd has entered into a royalty-free, non-exclusive voluntary licensing agreement with Eli Lilly and Company for the manufacture and commercialization of the drug, baricitinib, in India.

  It received restricted emergency use approval from Central Drugs Std Control Org, Health Ministry, for use in combination with Remdesivir to treat suspected/laboratory-confirmed Covid in hospitalized adults requiring supplemental oxygen, invasive mechanical ventilation: Dr Reddy's.

• 12 May 2021, 09:59:13 AM IST

  Scientists race to study variants in India as coronavirus cases explode

  A potentially worrisome variant of the coronavirus detected in India may spread more easily. But the country is behind in doing the kind of testing needed to track it and understand it better.

• 12 May 2021, 09:40:08 AM IST

  Mizoram reports highest single-day spike of 240 Covid-19 cases

  Mizoram on Wednesday reported the highest single-day spike of 240 Covid-19 cases, pushing the tally to 8,035, an official said.

• 12 May 2021, 09:36:25 AM IST

  With 4,205 new Covid-19 deaths and 348,421 fresh cases, India's tally crosses 23.34 million, toll at 254,197

  India records fresh 348,421 Covid-19 cases, 42,05 deaths in last 24 hours.

• 12 May 2021, 09:34:41 AM IST

  Maharashtra: 2 die of mucormycosis in Thane, 6 hospitalised

  Two Covid-19 patients have died due to mucormycosis, a serious but rare fungal infection, in Maharashtra's Thane district, a health official said on Wednesday.

• 12 May 2021, 09:05:05 AM IST

  19,83,804 samples were tested yesterday: ICMR

  30,75,83,991 samples tested up to May 11 for Covid-19. Of these, 19,83,804 samples were tested yesterday: Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).

• 12 May 2021, 09:04:22 AM IST

  Taiwan may raise Covid-19 alert, shut non-essential shops

  Taiwan may raise its Covid-19 alert level in "coming days", Health Minister Chen Shih-chung said on Wednesday, according to the official Central News Agency, which would lead to closure of shops dealing in non-essential items as infections rise.

• 12 May 2021, 09:00:43 AM IST

  56 prisoners in Haryana's Karnal Jail test positive for Covid-19

  As many as 56 prisoners in Haryana's Karnal Jail had tested positive for Covid-19 in the last few days.

• 12 May 2021, 08:49:36 AM IST

  Bharat Biotech's Covaxin given nod for phase 2 and 3 human trials on 2-18 year olds

  Subject Expert Committee (SEC) gives nod to Bharat Biotech's Covaxin for phase 2 and 3 human clinical trials on 2 to 18-year-olds: Sources, reports news agency ANI.

• 12 May 2021, 08:44:07 AM IST

  'Perform yagna, Covid third wave won't touch India': MP Minister Usha Thakur

  Madhya Pradesh Culture Minister Usha Thakur, who has been giving controversial comments especially related to the Covid-19 pandemic, on Tuesday came up with another suggestion by asking people to perform 'yagna chikitsa' (ceremonial fire ritual) for four days to ward off the third wave of Covid-19.