Coronavirus Statistics India, Covid-19 Cases and Deaths in India on July 8 Highlights: As India battles the coronavirus pandemic, there is a change of guard at the Union Health Ministry. As part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s mega Cabinet expansion, Mansukh Mandaviya has replaced Dr Harsh Vardhan as India’s new health minister. It is the most crucial portfolio at the moment. While there is fear and concern of another wave of coronavirus infections, the situation regarding the new vaccination programme also remains worrisome. At a time when India is trying to find her way to ramp up the inoculation drive, all eyes will be on Mandaviya. It’s a very tough road for the Rajya Sabha lawmaker, who is known for taking long and arduous ‘padyatras’. Awarded by the United Nations for his role in spreading awareness about menstrual hygiene, Mandaviya has a strong connection with rural India.
The Union cabinet Thursday approved a Rs 23,123-crore financial package for improving health infrastructure in the country to fight the Covid pandemic. Addressing a press conference here after the first meeting of the Union cabinet following its reshuffle on Wednesday, Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said the package will be implemented over the next nine months till March 2022. Mandaviya said this is the second phase of the Emergency Response and Health System Preparedness Package as the Central government had given Rs 15,000 crore earlier for setting up Covid-dedicated hospitals and health centres across the country. | Read More
Meanwhile, as the nations and pharma companies struggle with the frantic demand for vaccines, the novel coronavirus is mutating at an even faster rate. At present, the Delta variant, which was first identified in India, is dominating the current surge across the world. But other variants such as Lambda and Epsilon are also becoming a new headache for researchers.
Do stay with us as we bring you the latest on the coronavirus pandemic from India and around the world:
PM Modi stressed that powered by our COVID warriors and frontline workers, India’s fight against the global pandemic is underway with full vigour. We are steadily vaccinating substantial numbers of our nation’s population. Testing is also consistently high: Sources (ANI)
PM Modi expresses concern about persistently high number of Covid cases from Maharashtra and Kerala: Sources (PTI)
PM Modi added that in such a time, there should be no space for carelessness or complacency. A single mistake would have far-reaching impacts and weaken the fight to overcome COVID-19: Sources (ANI)
In the Council of Ministers meeting, PM said that over the past few days, we all have been seeing pictures and videos of crowded places and people roaming about without masks or social distancing. This is not a pleasant sight and it should instil a sense of fear in us: Sources (ANI)
As many as 1,58,344 COVID-19 vaccine doses were administered in Delhi on Thursday, according to data available on CoWIN portal.
The numbers saw a major increase from Wednesday’s figures when only 22,360 vaccine doses were given, of which 11,789 beneficiaries received their first dose, according to data shared by the Delhi government on Thursday. Wednesday is the immunisation day for children at many government centres in Delhi. | Read More
Sri Lanka’s batting coach Grant Flower tests positive for COVID-19 ahead of limited-overs series against India next week (PTI)
The Nagaland government on Thursday announced the second phase of unlock for seven days from July 11, government spokesperson Neiba Kronu said. Before this, Unlock 1 was initiated in the northeastern state for 10 days from July 1.
A meeting of the High Powered Committee (HPC) for COVID-19 headed by Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio on Thursday decided to begin Unlock-2 with further relaxations, Kronu, who is also the Minister for Planning and Coordination, Land Revenue and Parliamentary Affairs, said. | Read More
A new package of over Rs 23,000 crores has been approved to fight COVID. Under this, necessary arrangements like pediatric care units to ICU beds, oxygen storage, ambulances, and medicines will be made in all the districts of the country: PM Modi (ANI)
Telangana reports 731 new COVID-19 cases, 993 recoveries, and 4 deaths in the last 24 hours.
Total cases 6,29,785
Total recoveries 6,14,865
Death toll 3,714
Active cases 11,206 (ANI)
No vaccination at govt and BMC-run centres tomorrow due to lack of vaccine supply. The govt and BMC run centers to be shut in the city: Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (ANI)
With 262 fresh cases, Jammu and Kashmir’s COVID-19 tally climbs to 3,18,023; four more fatalities push death toll to 4,353: Officials (PTI)
Glenmark to conduct phase III trials of nasal spray it claims to be effective in treating COVID-19 (ANI)
47% population administered with 1st dose. Preparations are being made for a possible third wave. If we manage to administer the 2nd dose to 30-40%, population, COVID threat can be reduced: Dr Rajesh Dere, Dean of BKC Jumbo Covid Centre, Mumbai (ANI)
The Union cabinet Thursday approved a Rs 23,123-crore financial package for improving health infrastructure in the country to fight the Covid pandemic. Addressing a press conference here after the first meeting of the Union cabinet following its reshuffle on Wednesday, Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said the package will be implemented over the next nine months till March 2022. Mandaviya said this is the second phase of the Emergency Response and Health System Preparedness Package as the Central government had given Rs 15,000 crore earlier for setting up Covid-dedicated hospitals and health centres across the country. | Read More
We have initiated this drive to make the tourists aware. Those not wearing masks can be punished with Rs 5,000 in fine or 8 days in jail. We have recorded over 300 challans in the last 7-8 days and have recovered Rs 3 lakh: Gurudev Sharma, SP Kullu (ANI)
Himachal Pradesh | Manali initiates COVID-19 awareness campaign in wake of tourists thronging the state after easing of restrictions.
“Everyone is wearing masks in crowded places. We are avoiding going out on weekends due to the rush,” says Anju, a tourist from Chandigarh. (ANI)
Andhra Pradesh reports 2,982 fresh COVID cases, 3,461 recoveries, and 27 deaths in the past 24 hours.
Active cases: 31,850
Total recoveries: 18,69,417
Death toll: 12,946 (ANI)
69 new COVID-19 cases take Rajasthan’s tally to 9,52,956. No fresh death reported: Health bulletin (PTI)
The government on Thursday said it is “actively pursuing” the enhancement of Covid vaccine availability through imports and reiterated that its current focus is on purposing domestic production towards its vaccination programme.
At an online media briefing, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said India hopes that individual countries would increasingly recognise made-in-India vaccines. | Read More
Kerala records 13,772 fresh coronavirus cases, infection tally rises to 30.25 lakh: State government (PTI)
Cabinet nod to Rs 23,123-crore package to boost emergency health infra in states to tackle Covid: Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya (PTI)
Many collaborations underway, starting with Sputnik vaccine. There is investment in the energy sector, pharmaceuticals, agro-industries, medical devices… Collaboration in railways and waterways can make a difference to India’s development: EAM S Jaishankar (ANI)
Dropping Harsh Vardhan shows the entire country’s work on COVID has not been up to the mark and they have completely failed to rescue the people of this country: Karnataka Congress President DK Shivakumar on Cabinet expansion. (ANI)
Pediatric care centers will be formed in 736 districts, 20,000 ICU beds will be created under the COVID relief fund: Mansukh Mandaviya, Union Health Minister (ANI)
We have to collectively fight against COVID. The limitation period is maximum (9 months). We have to get it done quickly. State govts will have to do it quickly. Our duty is to help the state in every possible way: Mansukh Mandaviya, Union Health Minister (ANI)
Rs 23,000 crores package to be given to deal with the problems that occurred in the second wave of COVID. It will be used jointly by the Central and state governments: Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya (ANI)
Mumbai reports 540 new positive cases, 628 recoveries, and 13 deaths in the last 24 hours. Recovery rate at 96%, active cases at 7,714 (ANI)
Manipur reports 839 new COVID cases, 634 recoveries and 12 deaths in the last 24 hours
Active cases: 6,727
Total recoveries: 67,212
Death toll: 1,241 (ANI)
Kerala recorded 13,772 fresh coronavirus cases on Thursday, including 57 health workers, pushing the infection caseload to 30.25 lakh, while the active cases has crossed 1.10 lakh. As many as 11,414 people have been cured of the infection, taking the total recoveries to 29,00,600, the state government said. The active cases have touched 1,10,136. In the last 24 hours, 1,27,152 samples have been tested and the Test Positivity Rate (TPR) was 10.83 per cent. So far, 2.40 crore samples have been tested. The toll has mounted to 14,250 with 142 additional deaths. (PTI)
Luxembourg Prime Minister Xavier Bettel left the hospital Thursday after four days of tests and treatment for a persistent case of COVID-19 that forced him to delegate some of his work, the country’s government said.The Luxembourg government said that because of the improvement of his health,’ Bettel will reclaim his full functions as prime minister on Friday. Finance Minister Pierre Gramegna had taken over some of the prime minister’s duties earlier in the week.While hospitalised, Bettel, 48, was diagnosed with insufficient oxygen saturation. He also suffered from COVID-19 symptoms, including coughing, headaches and a fever.(AP)
The UK government on Thursday removed the requirement of compulsory 10-day self-isolation for international travellers who are fully vaccinated and returning from a country classified as medium COVID-19 risk from July 19. Transport Secretary Grant Shapps effectively scrapped the middle category of England’s traffic light system of low as green, medium as amber and high as red, which currently applies to India. Making a statement on international travel in the House of Commons, the minister said those who have received two jabs and those aged under 18 will no longer have to self-isolate for 10 days after their return to Britain but will still have to take a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test on their second day back. “I can confirm today that from 19 July, UK residents who are fully vaccinated through the UK vaccine rollout will no longer have to self-isolate when they return to England,” said Shapps. “They will still be required to take a test three days before returning, the pre-departure test, demonstrating they’re negative before they travel, and a PCR test on or before day two, but they will no longer be required to take a day eight test. In essence, this means that for fully vaccinated travellers, the requirements for green and amber list countries are the same,” he said. (PTI)
Goa recorded 195 new coronavirus cases and four deaths on Thursday, the state health department said. The caseload in the coastal state thus rose to 1,68,210 and death toll reached 3,086, it added. With 176 persons getting discharged from hospitals, the number of recovered patients rose to 1,63,159. There are 1,965 active cases in the state now. As many as 4,696 samples were tested for the viral infection on Thursday, taking the number of tests conducted so far to 9,57,681. (PTI)
PM Modi has taught me one thing – face any crisis. There was a sizeable reduction of COVID patients due to ‘kadha’. Homeopathy, Modi’s yoga have a big role in saving patients from COVID. Opposition members take medicines from me: Munjapara Mahendrabhai, MoS, Ministry of AYUSH. (ANI)
The global vaccine distribution scheme COVAX aims to deliver 520 million COVID-19 vaccine doses to Africa this year, its director said on Thursday. Aurelia Nguyen, managing director of COVAX, told a news conference organised by the World Health Organization’s Africa region that the scheme was not happy with progress supplying doses so far, but that deliveries should ramp up from September. The facility has experienced delays partly as a result of Indian export restrictions that have prevented COVAX from obtaining doses from the Serum Institute of India, one of the world’s largest vaccine manufacturers, which is making shots of the vaccine developed by AstraZeneca. Nguyen said so far COVAX had delivered around 25 million doses to 44 African countries. By the end of the first quarter of 2022, COVAX now aims to supply nearly 850 million vaccine doses to the continent, which has some of the lowest COVID-19 vaccination rates worldwide. (Reuters)
Andhra Pradesh reported 2,982 fresh cases of Covid-19, while 3,461 recovered from the infection and another 27 succumbed in the 24 hours ending 9 am on Thursday. The infection count in the state has now gone up to 19,14,213, recoveries to 18,69,417 and deaths to 12,946, according to the latest bulletin. The active cases came down to 31,850, it said. East Godavari continued to report over 600 cases as it logged 616 afresh in 24 hours. (PTI)
The 2021 Southeast Asian Games to be hosted by Vietnam will be postponed to next year due to continuing COVID-19 issues in the region the SEA Games Federation announced on Thursday. In a statement released through the Olympic Council of Malaysia after a meeting in Kuala Lumpur, the SGF said that all members were in agreement that the current COVID situation in Southeast Asia had not improved enough to allow the 31st SEA Games to take place as scheduled from November 21st to December 2nd. The statement said that a new date will be determined by the SEA Games Federation Council. (AP)
A medical expert in Jammu and Kashmir has warned against lowering the guard in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic, saying the third wave of Covid will be deadly. Dr Muhammad Salim Khan, the head of Department of Community Medicine, said the people should follow the guidelines fixed previously in order to minimise the impact of the third wave of the pandemic. “The third wave of Covid will be highly dangerous, fatal and can take a heavy toll of lives,” Khan said. Following a decrease in the number of positive cases with each passing day and less number of admission of Covid patients in hospitals, the effect of the second wave of COVID-19 has diminished to a large extent, he said. (PTI)
The high-level multi-disciplinary public health team sent by the Centre to monitor the COVID-19 control and containment measures in Kerala on Thursday expressed satisfaction over the mitigation methods implemented in the State. The team visited the Thiruvananthapuram General Hospital, Parippally medical college and Kolenchery General Hospital and took stock of the COVID-19 treatment facilities and held discussions with state Health Minister Veena George. “The team expressed satisfaction on the treatment given to the patients, basic facilities, and vaccination process in the state,” George said. (PTI)
The UK has recorded more than 30,000 daily coronavirus infections for the first time since January, just as the British government prepares to lift all remaining lockdown restrictions in England. Government figures showed another 32,548 confirmed cases on Wednesday, the highest level since Jan. 23. For much of the spring, infections were below the 5,000 mark. But the arrival of the more contagious delta variant, first identified in India, has likely caused cases to spike. Despite the increase, the British government says it is still aiming to lift all remaining lockdown restrictions in England on July 19, a move that many scientists say is dangerous. (AP)
Sikkim reported 222 new COVID-19 cases on Thursday and one more death, as per the state Health Department bulletin. East Sikkim district registered the highest 85 new cases, followed by 79 in West Sikkim, 51 in South Sikkim and seven in North Sikkim, it said. There are 2,144 active cases in the state at present, it added. (PTI)