Latest News Live Updates: The COVID-19 case fatality rate has dropped to 1.42 per cent
India’s tally of COVID-19 cases rose to 1,09,50,201 with 12,881 new infections being reported in a day, while the recoveries have surged to 1,06,56,845, according to Union Health Ministry data updated on Thursday. The deaths increased to 1,56,014 with 101 daily new fatalities, the data showed.
The COVID-19 case fatality rate has dropped to 1.42 per cent, while the number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 1,06,56,845 which translates to a national COVID-19 recovery rate of 97.32 per cent.
With 3,17,190 vaccine doses administered to healthcare workers (HCWs) and frontline workers (FLWs) on Thursday, the 34th day of nationwide COVID-19 vaccination, the total number of vaccination reached nearly 98.5 lakh in the country, said Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW).
The civic authorities in Mumbai on Thursday clamped down with fresh safety measures as Covid numbers in the state and the city remained in an upward trajectory for a week, logging over 5000 cases on Thursday. Mumbai reported 736 cases.
Citizens flouting rules for home isolation, weddings and public gatherings will be prosecuted, said an order from Municipal Commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal. In two districts of the state — Amravati and Yavatmal — restrictions were put in place. Amravati has been placed under lockdown over the week-end — from Saturday evening to Monday.
The Mumbai civic body said 300 marshals will be appointed to take action against passengers travelling without mask in suburban railways. The aim will be to catch 25,000 offenders every day. Citizens flouting rules for home isolation, weddings and public gatherings will be prosecuted, the civic body said.
Here are the Latest News Live Updates:
Technological innovations, digitisation became mainstay of judicial proceedings in lockdown: Law Secretary
Union Law Secretary Anoop Mendiratta on Thursday said digitisation and technological innovations became the mainstay of judicial proceedings in India during the coronavirus-triggered lockdown.
Representing India in Commonwealth High Level Law Ministers Meeting on the legal aspects of COVID-19, he said that in April last year, the Supreme Court gave legal sanctity and validity to court hearings held through video conferencing, which came as a big boost for timely disposal of litigations.
He was addressing the meet on behalf of Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, an official statement said.
COVID-19: RT-PCR test mandatory for passenger coming to Pune from Kerala
Amid a surge in COVID-19 cases, the Pune Municipal Corporation has issued an order making it mandatory for passengers arriving from Kerala to undergo RT-PCR test on arrival.
Pune Mayor Murlidhar Mohol on Thursday said that the number of coronavirus patients in the last 8-10 days has been increasing.
“In last 8-10 days, the number of patients has been increasing but the situation is not worrisome. We are on alert. We have decided to increase COVID-19 testing. We may bring strict COVID-19 rules if the number of cases rises,” Mohol said.
The Union Health Ministry on Thursday informed Kerala and Maharashtra alone account for 75 per cent of new cases, 72 per cent of new recovered cases and 55 per cent of new deaths.
Israel extends coronavirus border closure to March 6
Israel said Thursday it will extend the closure of its airports and land borders for 14 more days in a bid to stem the coronavirus pandemic.
A joint statement from the prime minister’s office and the health minister said the country’s borders will remain closed until March 6, except for urgent reasons.
Israel had suspended international flights on January 24, before also closing the border crossings with Jordan and Egypt.
However, the immigration ministry said Thursday that six special flights were still authorised to land, carrying some 900 immigrants from Ethiopia, France, Russia, Ukraine and South America.
The new arrivals will be subject to quarantine upon arrival, the ministry said in a statement.
Offices, colleges, cinema halls, parks to reopen in Jharkhand on March 1
Government offices, colleges, coaching centres, cinema halls and parks across Jharkhand will reopen on March 1 after being closed for almost a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Chief Minister Hemant Soren said on Thursday.
The decision was taken at a meeting chaired by Mr Soren during the day. He said hundred per cent attendance will be mandatory for government employees.
Schools will reopen on that date for students of Class 8 and above. Colleges are also set to reopen, the Chief Minister told newsmen after a meeting of the Jharkhand State Disaster Manangement Authority.
Brazil passes 10 million coronavirus infections
Brazil, the country with the second-highest coronavirus deaths, passed the 10-million mark for reported infections Thursday, amid a deadly second wave and problems with its vaccination campaign.
The country became the third to reach the grim mark — after the United States and India — with more than 51,900 new infections in 24 hours, according to official data.
Over the same one-day period, 1,367 people died, bringing the total to over 243,400.
Brazil’s figure of 10,030,626 came amid mounting criticism of how President Jair Bolsonaro’s government has handled the epidemic and a vaccination response.
So far, three percent of the population of 212 million have received one of two required vaccine doses.
