Coronavirus: India records 18,870 new cases – marginally higher than Tuesday
In Bengaluru, at least 60 students of a school tested positive for the virus, following which they were quarantined in the campus.
India on Wednesday added less than 20,000 new coronavirus cases for a second consecutive day. The tally rose to 3,37,16,376 with 18,870 new cases being reported in the last 24 hours. On Tuesday, India had reported 18,795 cases.
The toll rose to 4,47,751 with 378 fatalities in the last 24 hours. The active cases declined to 2,82,529 – the lowest in 194 days, according to the Union Health Ministry.
More than 87 crore vaccine doses have been administered in the country since the beginning of the inoculation drive on January 16. Of these, over 54 lakh doses were administered to beneficiaries on Wednesday.
State updates
In Bengaluru, at least 60 students from Sri Chaitanya Girl’s Residential School tested positive for coronavirus, the Hindustan Times reported. One of the students has been hospitalised as she ran a high temperature.
The remaining students were asymptomatic and have been quarantined in the school campus. The school had resumed physical classes for 485 students of senior classes from September 5.
Meanwhile, the Tamil Nadu government on Tuesday said it will allow students from Classes 1 to 8 to physically attend school from November 1.
Chief Minister MK Stalin said that the decision was taken after consulting medical experts, parents and educationists. He said that students experienced a “learning gap” as they were unable to attend classes physically during the pandemic.
Global updates
Australia’s government on Wednesday said that it will discontinue the scheme to provide emergency funds to citizens who lost their work during Covid-19 lockdowns, Reuters reported. The decision was taken as the vaccination levels neared 80% in the country.
Australia has so far spent $6.5 billion (over Rs 48,000 crore) since June to provide financial support to 20 lakh people during the multiple lockdowns imposed this year.
Meanwhile, New Zealand reported 45 cases – its highest since September 2, Reuters reported. The country has seen 1,230 cases since the pandemic broke out last year.
Globally, the coronavirus has infected over 23.28 crore people and caused more than 47 lakh deaths since the pandemic broke out in December 2019, according to Johns Hopkins University.