Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel  on Wednesday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to give an ex gratia of Rs 4 lakh to the kin of those who died of COVID-19, saying mere Rs.50,000 compensation is insufficient.

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You can track coronavirus cases, deaths and testing rates at the national and State levels here. A list of State Helpline numbers is available as well.

Here are the latest developments:

New Delhi

Delhi reports 35 Covid cases, positivity rate at 0.06%

Delhi reported 35 COVID-19 cases at a positivity rate of 0.06 per cent and zero fatality due to the infection, according to data shared by the health department here Thursday.

With the fresh cases, the infection tally rose to 1,440,754 while the death toll remains at 25,095.

Ukraine

Over 1,000 anti-vaccine protesters rally in Ukraine capital

More than 1,000 anti-vaccine demonstrators rallied in the Ukrainian capital Wednesday to denounce coronavirus restrictions, in the second such protest this month.

The protesters, many of them members of radical nationalist groups, gathered outside the parliament building and marched across downtown Kyiv carrying placards reading “Down with anti-constitutional bans!” and “The pandemic of lies!” -AP

Italy

Italy tightens screws on COVID unvaccinated, extends shot mandate

Italy on Wednesday tightened the screws on people unwilling to take an anti-COVID vaccine, sharply restricting access to an array of services and making vaccines mandatory for a wider group of public sector workers.

Italy acted as much of Europe is increasing restrictions to try to grapple with a new wave of the pandemic. -Reuters

Ecuador

Ecuador to administer COVID-19 booster shots to general population in 2022

Ecuador will administer booster shots against COVID-19 to the general population starting January 2022, the government said on Wednesday, acknowledging a rise in cases in the Amazon region due to difficulties in carrying out vaccinations.

Some 68% of Ecuador’s population has received two vaccine doses, and the government hopes to vaccinate 85% of the country’s 17.8 million people. -Reuters

Russia

Russia to export nasal form of COVID-19 vaccine that Putin took as booster

Russia said on Wednesday it planned to export a nasal form of its Sputnik vaccine against COVID-19, which President Vladimir Putin said he had taken as a booster.

Putin said in televised comments that he had been re-inoculated six months after his initial dose of the Sputnik V vaccine because his antibody levels had dropped. -Reuters

The Netherlands

Dutch set to impose stricter COVID-19 curbs by Friday

The Dutch government will announce on Friday new measures to fight a record surge in coronavirus infections that is putting pressure on hospitals, Health Minister Hugo de Jonge said.

Although some 85% of the adult Dutch population has been fully vaccinated against COVID-19, new cases jumped almost 40% in the past week to 154,000, official data showed on Tuesday. -Reuters

Canada

Canada allows import of J&J COVID-19 vaccine doses made at Emergent facility

The Canadian health regulator said on Wednesday it would allow Johnson & Johnson to import its COVID-19 vaccine made at contract manufacturer Emergent BioSolutions Inc’s plant in Baltimore, Maryland.

Health Canada said the decision came after it completed an inspection of the facility, along with the European Medicines Agency and South African Health Products Regulatory Authority. -Reuters