Kerala on Saturday reported 19,325 new Covid-19 cases with a test positivity rate of 15.96 per cent. The state also recorded 143 deaths and 20,388 recoveries, taking the death toll to 23,439 and total recoveries to 42,83,963 respectively. The active cases in the state stands at 1,80,842.
Earlier in the day, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said that India has administered 80 crore Covid-19 vaccine doses so far. "Standing tall against Covid-19. India administers 80 crore vaccine doses. Congratulations to the nation on this momentous feat," Mandaviya tweeted using the hashtag "WorldsLargestVaccinationDrive".
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said it was an unforgettable and emotional moment for him as over 2.50 crore Covid-19 vaccine doses were administered in the country on his 71st birthday. Meanwhile, Mandaviya described this as a golden chapter in world history.
The United Arab Emirates central bank has said it sees increased risks of illicit financial flows emerging from the pandemic, including money-laundering and terrorism financing.
In a report published on Sunday, the bank said the use of unlicensed money service providers for money laundering surged during the coronavirus crisis in 2020, as well as the use of e-commerce to launder money.
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"Widespread lockdowns have resulted in a significant surge in e-commerce. Due to limited ability to move funds and goods during the pandemic, illicit actors are turning to e-commerce as a money laundering tool," the report warned.
(DW)
Special intensified, stringent lockdown restrictions will be enforced in areas of Kerala, where the spread of COVID-19 is at critical-levels, the Kerala government said in an order.
The stringent lockdown restrictions would be in force in areas where the weekly infection population ratio (WIPR) is above 10 and the affected places would be notified by the district disaster management authority (DDMA) on a weekly basis, said an order from Chief Secretary V P Joy.
The order said the affected areas would be publicised through websites and other media.
(PTI)
Goa on Sunday reported 84 new Covid-19 cases and two fatalitiest. With 79 recoveries, the state currently has 774 active cases.
Tamil Nadu's cumulative coronavirus cases rose to 26.45 lakh with 1,697 positives being reported on Sunday, while 27 people died of the deadly disease taking the toll to 35,337. The number of recoveries were less than new cases with 1,594 people getting discharged in the last 24 hours, aggregating to 25,93,074 leaving 16,969 active infections, a medical bulletin said. (PTI)
Maharashtra on Sunday reporte 3,413 new Covid-19 cases and 49 deaths. With 8,326 recoveries, the active cases in the state stood at 42,955. In its capital city, Mumbai, the active cases stood at 5,169.
Pune on Sunday recorded 145 new Covid-19 cases and four deaths. With 197 recoveries, the active cases in the city stood at 1,725.
The Uttar Pradesh government on Sunday relaxed the Covid-19 lockdown norms in the state, raising the number of people allowed to gather at a place outside of the Covid-19 containment zones from 50 to 100.
Kerala on Sunday reported 19,653 fresh Covid-19 cases, with a test positivity rate of over 17 per cent. It also recorded 152 deaths.
Delhi on Sunday recorded 28 new Covid cases and no fatalitities. The positivity rate stood at 0.04 per cent.
According to news agency PTI, Tamil Nadu Health Minister Ma Subramanian on Sunday ruled out the possibility of a third wave in the state, saying that in view of the problems faced during the first wave of Covid-19, the chief minister had taken stringent steps to control the second and stop the third wave.
The first dose percentage in India was 62 and 40 per cent in Tamil Nadu before the DMK came to power, which has now now gone up to 58 per cent after initiating medical camps, Subramanian was quoted as saying.
In view of the coronavirus cases in the state, Kerala Education Minister V Sivankutty on Sunday stated, "a detailed plan ensuring the safety of the children will be drawn up after holding discussions at the state and district level with health officials and the district collectors and submitted before the Chief Minister by October 15."
Kerala government on Saturday decided to reopen schools in the state from November 1.
A recent UK study found that people living with chronic conditions such as Down’s syndrome, older people, men, as well as people from Pakistani and Indian backgrounds are more likely to end up in hospital or die even after receiving both doses of the Covid vaccine.
A team of researchers from the Universities of Oxford, Edinburgh and Nottingham developed a calculator to identify those at highest risk of contracting severe illness despite being fully vaccinated, the Guardian reported. They examined the hospital records of around 6.9 million fully and partially vaccinated adults, 5.2 million of whom had received both doses of the vaccine. Read more.
Amid a decline in Covid cases in the country, India may soon reopen its doors for foreign tourists for the first time in one-and-a-half years, officials said. First five lakh foreign tourists will be issued visas free of cost in an attempt to revive the tourism, hospitality and aviation sectors badly hit by the COVID-19 pandemic since March 2020 when a nationwide lockdown was announced. (PTI)
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday took a swipe at the government over the record COVID-19 vaccinations in a single day, and said the "event" is over now. He also shared a graph of the vaccination trend in the last 10 days as per data from the Cowin website to show the decline in inoculations after the record. India vaccinated 2.5 crore people in a single day on Friday to mark Prime Minister Narendra Modi's birthday. (PTI)
With 30,773 people testing positive for coronavirus infection, India's total tally of COVID-19 cases rose to 3,34,48,163, while the active cases declined to 3,32,158, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Sunday.
The death toll climbed to 4,44,838 with 309 fresh fatalities, according to the data updated at 8 am. The active cases comprise 0.99 per cent of the total infections, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate was recorded at 97.68 per cent, the ministry said. A reduction of 8,481 cases has been recorded in the active COVID-19 caseload in a span of 24 hours. (PTI)
As per the regulations, fans going to the Dubai International Cricket Stadium don't need to get a PCR test done 48 hours prior to entry into the stands, but will need double Covid-19 vaccination proof. The fans must also follow all social distancing regulations and wear masks at all times.
Only those below 12 years are exempted from carrying vaccination proof. Fans have also been asked to download tickets on mobile devices to help in scanning at the gates.
In Sharjah when it comes to the age of fans allowed entry into stadiums, the minimum age required for entry into the Sharjah Cricket Stadium is 16 years. While vaccination report is required, the fans also need to carry PCR test result valid for no more than 48 hours prior to entering the venue. A green status on the Al Hosn App is a must for those keen to watch the games. (ANI)
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has asked people to undergo Covid-19 test on returning to the city from their hometowns after the Ganpati festival, as a precautionary measure, an official said on Saturday.
The civic body has set up 266 centres offering free RT-PCR tests to people who have returned to Mumbai after celebrating Ganpati festival, additional municipal commissioner (western suburbs) Suresh Kakani said. Read More
Airlines can now operate a maximum of 85 per cent of their pre-Covid domestic flights instead of the 72.5 per cent allowed till date, the Ministry of Civil Aviation stated on Saturday. The carriers have been operating 72.5 per cent of their pre-Covid domestic flights since August 12, according to the ministry's order.
Between July 5 and August 12, the cap stood at 65 per cent. Between June 1 and July 5, the cap was at 50 per cent. The ministry issued a fresh order on Saturday, in which it modified the August 12 order stating that "72.5 per cent capacity may be read as 85 per cent capacity". The order also noted that the 72.5 per cent cap will remain in place "until further order". (PTI)
Primary schools in Uttarakhand will reopen for classes 1-5 on September 21 after remaining closed for months due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The classes will be held only for three hours a day and children will not be allowed to bring food to school, according to an order issued by the department of school education on Saturday.
The option of online education will also be available to students of these classes, the order said. The school administration will have to ensure proper sanitisation of the entire premises, including classrooms, offices, libraries and toilets. Students and staff members will have to mandatorily wear masks and maintain physical distancing. A nodal officer will be appointed in each school to ensure compliance with COVID-19 protocol and guidelines. (PTI)
In a bid to revive the tourism sector in Goa, the state task force has recommended the government to reopen all tourism activities from September 20, Monday. Casinos, spas and nightclubs can also be functional from Monday with 50 per cent capacity, provided people are fully vaccinated or produce a Covid-19 negative test report. The government will soon issue the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for this. Read More
Kerala on Saturday reported 19,325 new Covid-19 cases with a test positivity rate of 15.96 per cent. The state also recorded 143 deaths and 20,388 recoveries, taking the death toll to 23,439 and total recoveries to 42,83,963 respectively. The active cases in the state stands at 1,80,842.
India has administered 80 crore COVID-19 vaccine doses so far, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said on Saturday.
"Standing tall against COVID-19. India administers 80 crore vaccine doses. Congratulations to the nation on this momentous feat," Mandaviya tweeted using the hashtag "WorldsLargestVaccinationDrive".
The sub divisional magistrate (SDM) of Chanakyapuri has issued an order to close down the Bangla Sahib Gurdwara for visitors with immediate effect alleging violation of Covid-19 protocols.
In an order dated September 16, SDM Chanakyapuri Geeta Grover said that Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) orders had been violated which state “religious places shall be permitted to open but no visitors will be allowed”. Read More
Adar Poonawalla, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Serum Institute of India (SII) who was recently included in 100 most influential global personalities’ list put out by Time Magazine, said the Covovax vaccine trials for children were running smoothly and hinted that the jabs may be out by January-February 2022 if all goes well.
“Several volunteers have been given the shots and the trial is running smoothly. A review will be taken by the end of the year,” he said while responding to a query from The Indian Express at a media conference held on Friday. Read More
Prime Minister Narendra Modi should celebrate his birthday every day as some BJP-ruled states "performed" on the day and vaccinated many times the daily average, the Congress said on Saturday. The party took a dig at Modi a day after India achieved the highest record of 2.5 crore COVID-19 vaccinations on a single day. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said this is the pace of vaccination the country needs. "Looking forward to many more days of 2.1 crore vaccinations. This pace is what our country needs," he tweeted. (PTI)
Over 22.15 lakh people were vaccinated against COVID-19 in Gujarat during the state government's mega drive on Friday, with Surat administering the highest number of 2.77 lakh doses, an official said on Saturday.
As per the figure released by the state health department, a record 22,15,027 people were administered COVID-19 vaccine till 10 pm on Friday during the mega campaign organised to mark Prime Minister Narendra Modi's birthday. Surat administered the highest number of 2,77,121 doses among 33 districts, the official said. (PTI)
A top official associated with Odisha's COVID-19 vaccination drive has expressed concern over people not turning up for their second dose, a lacuna that is slowing down the exercise in the state.
Odisha has administered the first jab to over two crore people so far, while only 69.8 lakh have taken both the doses, the official said. "Around 28 lakh more people should have taken the second dose by now. The second dose administration has been slow in parts of the state, especially in tribal areas,"
Dr Bijay Panigrahi, the nodal officer for Odisha's COVID-19 vaccination drive, stated. (PTI)
Dealing the White House a stinging setback, a government advisory panel overwhelmingly rejected a plan to give Pfizer Covid-19 booster shots across the board, and instead endorsed the extra dose only for those who are 65 or older or run a high risk of severe disease.
The twin votes represented a heavy blow to the Biden administration’s sweeping effort, announced a month ago, to shore up nearly all Americans’ protection amid the spread of the highly contagious delta variant.
The decision was made by an influential committee of outside experts who advise the Food and Drug Administration. Read the full report here.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said it was an unforgettable and emotional moment for him as over 2.50 crore COVID-19 vaccine doses were administered in the country on his 71st birthday.
"With your efforts, India has created a world record of administering over 2.5 crore vaccines in a single day, a feat not even the most powerful nations have been able to achieve," Modi said during an interaction via video link with healthcare workers and beneficiaries in the coastal state. (PTI)
An influential federal advisory panel has soundly rejected a plan to offer Pfizer booster shots against COVID-19 to most Americans. The vote Friday, 16-2, was a blow to the Biden administration's effort to shore up people's protection against the virus amid the highly contagious delta variant. Over several hours of discussion, members of the Food and Drug Administration panel of outside experts voiced frustration that Pfizer had provided little data on safety of extra doses. And they complained that data provided by Israeli researchers about their booster campaign might not be suitable for predicting the US experience. (AP)
Bharat Biotech on Friday said it has submitted all the data pertaining to its COVID-19 vaccine Covaxin to the World health organisation for Emergency Use Listing (EUL) and is awaiting feedback from the global health watchdog.
The WHO is currently reviewing the data submitted by the vaccine maker and the date for a decision on the jab is yet "to be confirmed," according to the update available on WHO website. (PTI)
A day after the country set a new record by administering 2.1 crore vaccinations in a single day, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi tweeted: "Looking forward to many more days of 2.1 crore vaccinations. This pace is what our country needs.
India recorded 35,662 new coronavirus cases and 33,798 recoveries in the last 24 hours. With this, active cases have decreased to 3,40,639.
Devotees headed to Uttarakhand for the Char Dham Yatra will either need to be fully vaccinated, or produce a negative Covid report not older than 72 hours. Registration and an e-pass will be mandatory for ‘darshan’ in the four dhams. For pilgrims arriving from Kerala, Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh, will have to provide a negative Covid report regardless of whether they are vaccinated or not.