Coronavirus News Live Updates: India may not see a third wave of the coronavirus disease, but it largely depends on people following COVID-appropriate behaviour, AIIMS Director Randeep Guleria has said. Speaking to reporters at the Gitam Sansthan in Visakhapatnam, Guleria said the only unexpected part was how the virus behaved. “But I don’t think we will see a third wave that will be as bad as the second wave,” he said.
Referring to fears that a possible third wave could infect children more, the AIIMS chief said children would be “more vulnerable” as they were not being vaccinated. “The general feeling is that adults are being vaccinated, children are not being vaccinated and so if there is a new wave it will affect those who are more vulnerable. Children will be more vulnerable,” he said.
Here are the live updates on coronavirus:
• Maharashtra’s health department has said that five people have died of the delta plus version of the coronavirus and 66 cases have been detected in the state so far. The department said on Friday that the state’s Covid-19 infection count was revised after a new case of the Delta Plus variant was detected from Thane district a day earlier.
• The stock of anti-coronavirus vaccine in Delhi will last for six days, the city government said on Saturday, adding that over 1,20,541 vaccine doses were given on the previous day. As of Saturday morning, Delhi had 6,87,150 coronavirus vaccines in its balance stock, of which 3,96,110 doses were of Covishield and 2,91,040 of Covaxin, according to the Covid Vaccination Bulletin issued by the government.
A total of 1,20,541 doses were administered on Thursday, including 74,755 in the first dose. The cumulative number of doses administered in the city has so far reached 11.3 crore doses – 81,60,782 first doses and 31,97,481 second doses.
• President Ram Nath Kovind on Saturday said that the country is yet to come out of the devastating effects of coronavirus this year and it is time for extra care and caution. “We will not let our guard down. Addressing the nation on the eve of India’s 75th Independence Day, he said, Vaccines provide the best possible protection for us. He said the second wave strained the country’s public health infrastructure.
The reality is that no infrastructure, even that of advanced economies, can withstand a crisis of such a large proportion, Kovind said. “Efforts were made on a war footing to bridge the gap. The leadership rose to the challenge, and the government’s efforts were complemented by initiatives from states, private sector healthcare facilities, civil society and others,” he said. Kovind warned that the intensity of the pandemic has subsided, but the coronavirus has not gone away.
• The US on Saturday reported nearly 1 million COVID-19 vaccine doses, the highest for a single day since the beginning of July, reflecting the rapid pace of vaccination as the delta variant spreads.
• A total of over 53 crore doses were administered till Friday, of which 41.53 crore were given as the first dose – covering more than 46% of the 90 crore adult population.