According to the health ministry, the cumulative number of COVID-19 vaccine doses administered in the country has crossed 68 crore with more than 62.25 lakh jabs administered on September 4.
With 42,766 people testing positive for the novel coronavirus infection in a day, India's infection tally rose to 3,29,88,673, while active cases registered an increase for the fifth consecutive day, the Union health ministry said on September 5. The COVID-19 death toll has climbed to 4,40,533, with 308 new fatalities, according to the ministry data updated at 8 a.m. on Sunday.
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 :
Carefully authenticate COVID-19 vaccine before use: Health Ministry
Following the World Health Organization’s (WHO) warning that it has identified counterfeit versions of the Covishield vaccine in Southeast Asia and Africa, the Union Health Ministry has written to all States and Union Territories to identify counterfeit/falsified Covishield vaccines in India. Monitoring teams for COVID-19 vaccination in States are being provided with details for due diligence.
The Ministry said in its letter: “The states have been told to carefully authenticate vaccines before use. The Centre has provided details for identification of original labels of three vaccines being administered in India (Covishield, Covaxin, Sputnik V).” The Ministry has issued guidelines to ensure fake COVID-19 vaccines are not administered in India.
Ravi Shastri tests positive
India head coach Ravi Shastri has tested positive for coronavirus and was isolated along with three of his close contacts including the team's bowling coach Bharath Arun as a precautionary measure, the BCCI revealed on Sunday.
Shastri returned a positive result on a lateral flow test (Rapid Antigen Test) and will stay in isolation till the report of his and others' RT-PCR test reports come.
Jammu and Kashmir allows re-opening of schools for classes 10, 12
The Jammu and Kashmir administration on Sunday allowed re-opening of higher educational institutions and schools for students of classes 10 and 12 with certain conditions.
The decision was taken at a meeting chaired by Chief Secretary A.K. Mehta. It was also decided to retain most of the COVID-19 containment guidelines, including night curfew.
In a series of measures aimed at preventing the spread of COVID-19, the Jammu and Kashmir administration on April 18 had ordered closure of all educational institutions, including universities and colleges, till further orders.
Russia's coronavirus cases surpass 7 million mark
Russia's coronavirus cases tally hit 7 million on September 5, with the country reporting 18,645 new infections in the past 24 hours and 793 more deaths.
The latest figures took the total number of cases to 7,012,599, with the overall death toll at 187,200.
Russia's state statistics service Rosstat keeps a separate count and said in August that 365,000 people died from COVID-19 or related caused between April last year and last July. - Reuters
Over 66.89 crore COVID-19 vaccine doses provided to States, UTs: Centre
More than 66.89 crore COVID-19 vaccine doses have been provided to States and UTs so far, and over 1.56 crore doses are in the pipeline, the Union Health Ministry said on September 5.
The ministry said over 4.37 crore balance and unutilised COVID-19 vaccine doses are still available with the States and UTs to be administered.
The vaccination drive has been ramped up through availability of more vaccines, advance visibility of vaccine availability to States and UTs for enabling better planning by them, and streamlining the vaccine supply chain, the ministry said.
CPI(M) leader P Jyarajan tests positive for COVID-19
CPI(M) leader P. Jayarajan who tested positive for the novel coronavirus has been admitted to the Kannur Government Medical College Hospital. The doctors treating him said that he is keeping well and there are no severe issues. The health department has instructed those who came in contact with him to take a COVID-19 test and quarantine themselves.
India records 42,766 COVID-19 cases, 308 deaths; active cases rise for 5th consecutive day
With 42,766 people testing positive for the novel coronavirus infection in a day, India's infection tally rose to 3,29,88,673, while active cases registered an increase for the fifth consecutive day, the Union health ministry said on September 5.
The COVID-19 death toll has climbed to 4,40,533, with 308 new fatalities, according to the ministry data updated at 8 a.m. on September 5.
The active cases have increased to 4,10,048, comprising 1.24% of the total infections, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate was recorded at 97.42%, the health ministry said. - PTI
Brazil health regulator suspends use of 12 million Sinovac vaccine shots
Brazil's federal health regulator Anvisa on September 4 suspended the use of over 12 million doses of a COVID-19 vaccine developed by China's Sinovac Biotech Ltd that were produced in an unauthorized plant, it said in a statement.
Anvisa said it was alerted on September 3 by Sao Paulo's Butantan Institute, a biomedical center that has partnered with Sinovac to locally fill and finish the vaccines, that 25 batches, or 12.1 million doses, sent to Brazil had been made in the plant.
"The manufacturing unit ... was not inspected and was not approved by Anvisa in the authorization of emergency use of the mentioned vaccine," the regulator said. The ban was "a precautionary measure to avoid exposing the population to possible imminent risk," it added. - Reuters
Commendable how teachers ensured education of students continues during Covid times: PM
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on September 5 greeted the teaching fraternity on Teachers' Day, and said it was commendable how teachers have innovated and ensured the education journey of students continues in Covid times.
He also paid tributes to former President S. Radhakrishnan on his birth anniversary which is celebrated as Teacher's Day. - PTI
PM to interact with healthcare workers, beneficiaries of Covid vaccination programme in Himachal
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will interact with healthcare workers and beneficiaries of COVID-19 vaccination programme in Himachal Pradesh on September 6 via video conferencing, an official statement said on September 4. Himachal Pradesh has covered its entire eligible population with the first dose of the vaccine.
The efforts by the State included geographical prioritisation to focus on difficult terrains, initiatives to ensure mass awareness, and door to door visits by ASHA workers, among others, the PMO said.
The State gave special attention to women, elderly, persons with disabilities, industrial workers and daily wagers among others and undertook special campaigns like "Suraksha ki Yukti - Corona se Mukti" to attain this milestone, it added. - PTI
Japan to issue digital COVID-19 vaccination certificates in December
Japan will issue online COVID-19 vaccination certificates from December, the Nikkei newspaper reported on September 5.
The government plans to issue the certificates, which will be intended for overseas travel rather than domestic use, via a QR scan code through a smartphone app from around mid-December, the Nikkei said, without citing sources.
Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga and other cabinet members are slated on September 6 for a council meeting on the promotion of a digital society where they will decide on the government's policy for digital vaccine passports, the report said. - Reuters
Covid Vaccination: Over 1 crore first doses administered in Delhi till date
Over one crore first doses in total have been administered in Delhi till date since the start of the Covid vaccination drive early this year, sources said on September 4. They said the total vaccine doses administered till September 4 stood at 1,40,95,736.
The present stock of doses will last another five days, according to the city government's vaccination bulletin. On September 3, more than 1.41 lakh doses, including 93,903 first shots and 47,654 second jabs, were administered, it said. The cumulative number of first doses administered till September 3 stood at 99,38,102, the bulletin said. - PTI
U.S. administers 374.5 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines: CDC
The United States had administered 374,488,924 doses of COVID-19 vaccines in the country as of the morning of September 4 and distributed 450,175,825 doses, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said.
Those figures are up from the 373,516,809 vaccine doses the CDC said had gone into arms by September 3, out of 447,619,715 doses delivered. The agency said 206,908,710 people had received at least one dose while 175,968,266 people were fully vaccinated as of 6:00 a.m. ET on September 4.
The CDC tally includes two-dose vaccines from Moderna and Pfizer/BioNTech , as well as Johnson & Johnson's one-shot vaccine. - Reuters
