The country recorded 84,474 new COVID-19 cases on Sunday. The total number of infections has reached 4.22 crore, and the active cases have crossed the 11.5 lakh mark.
Read | Tested COVID-positive? Expert advises 10-day isolation
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 updates:
Aadhaar card not mandatory on CoWIN portal for vaccination, Centre tells Supreme Court
The Centre on February 7 told the Supreme Court that Aadhaar card is not mandatory for registration on CoWIN portal for COVID-19 vaccination.
A Bench of Justices D.Y. Chandrachud and Surya Kant was informed by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare that one of the nine identity documents including passport, Driving Licence, PAN card, Voter’s ID Card, Ration card can be produced for vaccination. — PTI
COVID-19 | Aadhaar card not mandatory on CoWIN portal for vaccination, Centre tells Supreme Court
Japan to consider early approval for Shionogi COVID pill
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said on Monday the government would consider granting conditional early approval for the oral COVID-19 treatment being developed by Shionogi & Co Ltd.
Kishida told a televised parliamentary committee meeting that provided the drug's safety and efficacy are confirmed by clinical trials "we would like to review it promptly".
Shionogi separately said that new results from an ongoing clinical trial of the drug, known as S-217622, showed "significant difference" in antiviral effect compared to a placebo, as well as symptom improvement. - Reuters
South Africa's health regulator registers Sinopharm COVID vaccine
The South African health regulator said on Monday it has registered Chinese COVID-19 vaccine Sinopharm, effectively clearing the way for its use in the country.
South Africa, which is the worst-hit country in Africa both in terms of COVID-19 fatalities and caseload, has relied mainly on Pfizer and J&J vaccine doses as its inoculation mainstay as the country prepares for a potential fifth wave.
"This authorisation is based on acceptable safety, quality and efficacy data submitted by MC Pharma," South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA) said in a statement. - Reuters
Assam to withdraw all Covid-realted restrictions from Feb. 15
Significant drop in the number of COVID-19 cases has made the Assam government decide to remove all restrictions from February 15.
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said the Class 10 and 12 board exams, municipal polls, by-election to the Majuli Assembly seat and the Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council elections would be held in the next two months.
COVID-19 cases down, Assam to reopen completely from Feb. 15
Australia to open borders to vaccinated travelers on February 21
Australia will open its borders to all vaccinated tourists and business travelers from February 21 in a further relaxation of pandemic restrictions announced on February 7.
Australia imposed some of the world’s toughest travel restrictions on its citizens and permanent residents in March 2020 to prevent them from bringing COVID-19 home.
When the border restrictions were relaxed in November in response to an increasing vaccination rate among the Australian population, international students and skilled migrants were prioritized over tourists in being welcomed back to Australia. - AP
Australia to open borders to vaccinated travelers on February 21
Vietnam starts reopening schools after year-long pandemic closure
More than 17 million Vietnamese students were due to return to school on Monday for the first time in about a year, the health ministry said, as authorities announced plans to start vaccinating children from as young as five against COVID-19.
The Southeast Asian country lifted many of its coronavirus curbs in October, but almost all students had been confined to taking online classes since early last year.
Most schools in the country are due to reopen by the middle of February, the health ministry said in a statement. - Reuters
Ottawa declares state of emergency over COVID-19 protests
The mayor of Canada's capital declared a state of emergency Sunday and a former U.S. ambassador to Canada said groups in the U.S. must stop interfering in the domestic affairs of America's neighbor as protesters opposed to COVID-19 restrictions continued to paralyse Ottawa's downtown.
Mayor Jim Watson said the declaration highlights the need for support from other jurisdictions and levels of government. It gives the city some additional powers around procurement and how it delivers services, which could help purchase equipment required by frontline workers and first responders.
Thousands of protesters descended in Ottawa again on the weekend, joining a hundred who remained since last weekend. Residents of Ottawa are furious at the nonstop blaring of horns, traffic disruption and harassment and fear no end is in sight after the police chief called it a “siege” that he could not manage. - AP
Ottawa declares state of emergency over COVID-19 protests
Educational institutions reopen in Delhi from today
Honduran President tests positive for COVID
Honduran President Xiomara Castro has tested positive for COVID-19, she said on Sunday on Twitter, adding that she has mild symptoms and will be working in isolation. - Reuters
China locks down city on Vietnam border as COVID cases rise
Authorities in China's southwestern city of Baise ordered residents to stay at home from Monday and avoid unnecessary travel as they enforced curbs that are among the toughest in the nation's tool-box to fight rising local infections of COVID-19.
The outbreak in Baise, which has a population of about 3.6 million and borders Vietnam, is tiny by global standards, but the curbs, including a ban on non-essential trips in and out, follow a national guideline to quickly contain any flare-ups.
The effort takes on extra urgency during the staging of the Winter Olympics, which began on Friday and run until February 20, as well as a busy travel season for the Lunar New Year holiday. - Reuters
Canada protests against COVID curbs gain steam
More demonstrators poured onto the streets of Ottawa and other Canadian cities on Saturday demanding an end to COVID-19 vaccine mandates, as protests against pandemic restrictions entered their second week.
In the capital, demonstrators huddled around campfires in bone-chilling temperatures and erected portable saunas and bouncy castles for kids outside Parliament, while waving Canadian flags and shouting anti-government slogans.
Their chants of “freedom” were met with cries of “go home” by a smaller group of counter-protestors fed up with the week-long occupation of the capital.
DCGI grants emergency use permission to single-dose Sputnik Light COVID vaccine
The Drugs Controller General of India has granted emergency use permission to single-dose Sputnik Light COVID vaccine in the country, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said on Sunday.
This comes following recommendations of an expert panel of India’s central drug authority to grant restricted emergency use authorisation to Sputnik Light subject to various regulatory provisions.
Sputnik-Light is the same as component-1 of Sputnik V.
DCGI grants emergency use permission to single-dose Sputnik Light COVID vaccine
Cases plunge due to lesser tests in Telangana
The number of COVID-19 tests and cases have plunged in Telangana on Sunday. The daily tests in the State ranged from 75,000 to 95,000 from the beginning of February, and 2,000-2,900 people were detected with coronavirus in a day.
On Sunday (February 6), only 48,434 samples were tested and 1,217 tested positive for the virus. Results of 1,325 were awaited. One more COVID patient has died.
The 1,217 new infections include 383 from Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC), 103 from Rangareddy, 99 from Medchal-Malkajgiri.
Cases plunge due to lesser tests in Telangana
Active COVID-19 case load crosses 11 lakh
The country recorded 84,474 new COVID-19 cases on Sunday. The total number of infections has reached 4.22 crore, and the active cases have crossed the 11.5 lakh mark.
The figures are based on the State bulletins released until 10 p.m. on Sunday. However, Ladakh, Tripura, Jharkhand, and Lakshadweep had not yet released data for the day.
Kerala recorded 26,729 infections on Sunday, followed by Maharashtra (9,666) and Karnataka (8,425).
On Sunday, 887 deaths were recorded in India, considerably lower than the average levels recorded in the last week. The total number of recorded fatalities has reached 5,02,761.
Active COVID-19 case load crosses 11 lakh
Schools, colleges prepare to welcome students back to class in Delhi
As schools for higher classes and higher education institutions have been given the green light to open from Monday, teachers are gearing up to bridge the learning gap that has occurred due to prolonged closures.
The Delhi government schools are ready to reopen with redesigned classroom configurations to ensure adherence to all COVID guidelines issued by the Directorate of Education. Private schools are busy getting permission slips signed by parents to gauge the expected number of students as classes will still be conducted in hybrid mode.
Higher education institutions like Jawaharlal Nehru University, IP University and Ambedkar University Delhi have decided to reopen campus for physical classes, while Delhi University and Jamia Millia Islama have not yet taken a call on allowing physical classes.
