India logged 31,222 fresh cases of coronavirus infection taking the total tally of COVID-19 cases to  3,30,58,843, while the active cases were recorded below four lakh, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Tuesday.

The death toll has climbed to 4,41,042 with 290 fresh fatalities, according to the data updated at 8-00 am. The active cases have declined to 3,92,864  comprising 1.19 per cent of the total infections, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate was recorded at 97.48 per cent, the ministry said.

The country has also administered 69,90,62,776 vaccine doses, according to the ministry’s website.

Amidst a third wave scare, many States and Union Territories have reopened educational institutions across the country. A study, however, has revealed that India is unlikely to witness a surge in cases in September.

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:

TAMIL NADU

T.N. seeks additional 1 crore doses of COVID-19 vaccines

StateHealth Minister Ma. Subramanian has sought an additional allocation of one crore doses of COVID-19 vaccines from the Union Health Ministry for the mega vaccination camp planned to be held in Tamil Nadu from September 12.

In a letter to Union Health Minister Mansukh L. Mandaviya, Mr. Subramanian requested additional doses of one crore COVID-19 vccines for Tamil Nadu along with an equal number of 0.5 ml Auto Disable (AD) syringes or one ml/two ml syringes for the proposed mega camp.

This is in addition to the already-committed 1.04 crore vaccines for government COVID-19 vaccination centres, he said.

 

CHINA

China administers total of 2.113 billion doses of COVID-19 vaccines

China administered about 5.6 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines on September 6, bringing the total number of doses administered to 2.113 billion, data from the National Health Commission showed on Tuesday.

-Reuters

HONG KONG

Hong Kong to reopen China border as govt eases rules

Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam said on Tuesday that some residents from China and the former Portuguese colony of Macau will be allowed to enter the city without undergoing quarantine from September 15, relaxing strict border restrictions to curb COVID-19.

Speaking at her weekly press conference, Lam said the government would let up to a total of 2,000 residents from both places enter the financial hub each day, subject to certain requirements such as a negative COVID-19 test prior to arrival.

Hong Kong has recorded around 12,000 coronavirus cases in total and 212 deaths.

-REUTERS

NATIONAL

78 Afghanistan evacuees released from ITBP quarantine centre

Seventy-eight people including Afghan nationals, who were evacuated from Afghanistan after Kabul fell to Taliban last month, were on Tuesday discharged from an Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) facility in New Delhi after they completed a 14-day quarantine rule in place to check the spread of coronavirus infection.

The group includes 53 people from Afghanistan (34 men, nine women and 10 children), and 25 Indians (18 men, five women and 12 children), ITBP spokesperson Vivek Kumar Pandey said.

 

RESEARCH

Increased infectivity, ability to escape immunity drove Delta variant: Study

The Delta variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which has become the dominant strain in India and many other countries, most likely spread through its ability to evade neutralising antibodies and increased infectivity, according to a study published in the Nature Journal on Tuesday.

The B.1.617.2 or Delta variant was first observed in India in late 2020. It has since spread around the globe.

“There’s also evidence that neutralising antibodies produced as a result of previous infection or vaccination are less effective at stopping this variant,” said Professor Ravindra Gupta from the University of Cambridge in the UK, and one of the study’s senior authors.

-PTI

MANIPUR

Manipur extends COVID-19 SOP till September 21

The Manipur government has extended the modified COVID-19 Standard Operating Procedure till September 21.

The announcement was made in an order issued on Monday night by Chief Secretary Rajesh Kumar who is also the chairman of the State Disaster Management Authority.

Night curfew would remain in force from 7-00 pm to 4-00 am. Gymnasiums, fitness centres, hotels and shopping malls have been allowed to open now under some restrictions. However, restaurants cannot be opened as yet. Religious and other social functions can be conducted with a maximum number of 20 people.

 

EDUCATION

JNU starts phased reopening of campus

Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) Vice-Chancellor M. Jagadesh Kumar on Monday said since the university has students from across the country, and many of them might be living in areas where COVID-19 is still prevalent, it was not advisable to let a large number of people inside the campus.

The university started a phased reopening of the campus from Monday, allowing on campus final-year PhD research scholars who have to submit their thesis by the end of this year.

 

ANDHRA PRADESH

New coronavirus variant detected in A.P., says expert

The scientists have discovered a new variant of coronavirus and it has already been detected in a few States, including Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.

The variant is one of the 13 sub-types of Delta Plus or B.1.617.2 and is identified as AY 12.

Across India about 178 cases have been detected, including the very first one that was detected in Pauri Garhwal district in Uttarakhand reportedly on August 31, said Principal of Andhra Medical College and District COVID Special Officer P.V. Sudhakar.

 

U.K.

UK announces extra £5.4 billion for NHS COVID response

Britain’s government announced on Monday it would set aside a further £5.4 billion ($7.5 billion) to help the National Health Service (NHS) cover additional costs from the COVID-19 pandemic and to tackle the huge treatment backlog.

“The NHS was there for us during the pandemic – but treating Covid patients has created huge backlogs,” Prime Minister Boris Johnson said in a statement.

-Reuters

HIMACHAL PRADESH

100% second dose vaccination by November: CM Thakur

Himachal Pradesh, the first state to administer the first dose of Covid vaccine to all eligible people, will achieve 100% second dose vaccination by November, Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur said on Monday.

The second dose has already been administered to 17.92 lakh people, Mr. Thakur said on a day Prime Minister Narendra Modi interacted with the people of the state virtually on achieving the first dose target.

Himachal Pradesh has administered the first jab to 88,000 more people than the target of 54.30 lakh, Mr. Thakur told the media.

-PTI

KARNATAKA

Karnataka sets November deadline for vaccinations

The State government has set an ambitious target of vaccinating the entire adult population by the end of November. Karnataka has already announced that it would vaccinate at least 5 lakh people every day and 10 lakh on every Wednesday under a special weekly drive.

The November deadline was announced by Health and Family Welfare Minister K. Sudhakar at a press conference on Monday after holding video conference with DCs and ZP CEOs of 23 districts which are lagging behind in vaccination coverage.

 

Date | Time

Cuba starts COVID-19 vaccine for toddlers

Cuba on Monday became the first country in the world to vaccinate children from the age of two against Covid-19, using home-grown jabs not recognized by the World Health Organization.

The communist island of 11.2 million people aims to inoculate all its children before reopening schools that have been closed for the most part since March 2020.

Having completed clinical trials on minors with its Abdala and Soberana vaccines, Cuba kicked off its inoculation campaign for children on Friday, starting with those 12 and older.

On Monday, it started distributing jabs in the 2-11 age group in the central province of Cienfuegos.

 

DELHI

Delhi’s Covid vaccine stock to last for eight days

The stock of Coronavirus vaccine in the national capital will last for another eight days, according to a vaccination bulletin issued by the Delhi government on Monday.

As of Monday morning, 1,61,450 doses of Covaxin and 12,46,420 doses of Covishield are left in stock.

The bulletin noted that 5,43,550 doses of Covishield were added to the stock on Sunday.

-PTI

CHILE

Chile authorises Sinovac vaccine for kids of 6 and older

Chilean health authorities approved on Monday the use of the Sinovac vaccine against the coronavirus for 6-year-old children and older, the first Latin America’s country to take that step.

Catholic University of Chile is currently conducting a study with 4,000 children aged 3 and 17 to study the Sinovac effects on them.

However, Heriberto García, director of Chile’s Public Health Institute, said the experts at the Institute based their decision on a review of information given by the Sinovac laboratory and information published in medical journals.

-AP