Kerala, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu continued to report highest number of new COVID-19 cases daily until August 2.
The Union Health Ministry has said that currently 10 districts remain a cause of concern.
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 updates :
COVID-19 severity decreasing in Kerala, says Health Minister
Despite a high number of daily positive cases, Kerala Health Minister Veena George on Wednesday said the severity of the COVID-19 pandemic was decreasing in the state.
The number of patients seeking treatment at hospitals and those needing ICU support has dwindled, she said during the Question Hour session in the Assembly.
Indian-American doctors raise $5 million for COVID-19 relief to India
Indian-American doctors have raised USD 5 million for COVID-19 relief in India, according to a prominent association of physicians of Indian origin.
The fund raised by the influential Indian American doctors was used to provide 2,300 oxygen concentrators, 100 ventilators and 100 high-flow nasal cannula machines to 45 hospitals in India, the American Association of Physicians of Indian-Origin (AAPI), which represents thousands of Indian-origin doctors in the US, said on Tuesday.
AAPI is the largest ethnic medical organisation in the United States representing the interest of more than 100,000 physicians in the country.
Nod for policy to promoteproduction of medicaloxygen in the Capital
The Delhi Cabinet, in a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, on Tuesday approved the Medical Oxygen Production Promotion Policy, 2021.
The policy includes the provision for incentives for medical oxygen production and storage.
“Medical Oxygen Production Promotion Policy 2021 has been approved. It provides several incentives to the private sector to set up oxygen production plants, invest in oxygen tankers, and set up oxygen storage facilities. This will help improve oxygen availability in Delhi, which became a huge bottleneck in handling the last COVID wave,” Mr. Kejriwal tweeted.
U.S. ships over 110 million COVID-19 vaccine doses abroad; India does not take any due to liability issues
The U.S. has shipped more than 110 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines to middle and low income countries, U.S. President Joe Biden announced on Tuesday. This exceeds a commitment to donate at least 80 million doses of mostly AstraZeneca vaccine globally.
India did not appear on an official list of countries that had received U.S. vaccines, a consequence of unresolved liability issues between the government of India and vaccine manufacturers.
An Indian official involved in the vaccine negotiations told The Hindu that while U.S. donated vaccines could be accepted with an implicit indemnity cover from the government, several “challenges remain” in terms of resolving the larger issue of commercial orders for the three U.S. vaccine manufacturers (Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson), and those are now holding up all COVID-19 vaccine imports from the U.S.
Long-lasting Covid symptoms rare in children: Lancet study
Most children who develop COVID-19 symptoms recover after six days, and the number who experience symptoms beyond four weeks is low, according to a large U.K. study published in The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health journal.
"It is reassuring that the number of children experiencing long-lasting symptoms of COVID-19 symptoms is low. Nevertheless, a small number of children do experience long illness with COVID-19, and our study validates the experiences of these children and their families," said Professor Emma Duncan, lead author of the study, from King’s College London, U.K.
Many children infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus do not develop symptoms, but those who do tend to have a mild illness, they said. The latest research used data collected through the ZOE COVID-19 Study smartphone app, which includes data from more than 250,000 U.K. children aged five to 17 years.
Bengal planning to conduct genome sequencing of fully vaccinated people getting COVID infected
With reports of people getting infected even after being administered two doses of COVID-19 vaccine, the West Bengal Health department has decided to strengthen the surveillance throughout the State and to prepare a chart of such individuals, an official said on August 4.
The department is also planning to conduct genome sequencing on such patients to find out whether if they have had any genetic change in the strain of the coronavirus.
According to the official, the decision to carry out such sequencing was taken keeping in mind warnings of experts about a possible third wave of the pandemic.
India records 42,625 cases and 562 deaths in a day
With 42,625 people testing positive for the coronavirus infection in a day, India's total tally of COVID-19 cases rose to 3,17,69,132 and the active caseload increased to 4,10,353, according to data updated by the Union Health Ministry on Wednesday.
The death toll climbed to 4,25,757 with 562 fatalities.
The number of active cases increased to 4,10,353 and accounted for 1.29% of the total infections, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate rose to 97.37%, the data updated at 8 am showed.
No vaccination at civic, govt centres in Mumbai on Aug 4 due to shortage of doses: BMC
The COVID-19 vaccination drive was suspended at civic and government-run centres in Mumbai on August 4 due to paucity of vaccine doses, according to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, the BMC said the inoculation drive will resume once it receives a fresh stock of vaccines.
KARNATAKA
99.96% students clear CBSE Class X exam
As many as 99.96% CBSE students from Karnataka cleared Class X. The Bengaluru region bagged the second spot.
A statement issued by CBSE stated that 62,503 of the total 62,529 students in Karnataka cleared the exam. As many as 34,838 of 34,856 boys and 27,665 girls of the total 27,673, cleared. The pass percentage for boys was 99.95%, which was marginally lower than the pass percentage of girls at 99.97%.
Students were graded based on the scores obtained in Class X in the unit tests, mid-term examinations and pre-board examinations.