Here are the updates from Friday:

  1. The Centre said that the Indian Council of Medical Research will begin national-level sero-surveys to assess the spread of Covid-19. All states and Union Territories were also asked to conduct them “so that information from all geographies can be collected”.
  2. India reported 91,702 new coronavirus cases, taking its total number of cases since the outbreak of the pandemic in January 2020 to 2,92,74,823. For the fourth consecutive day, the country recorded less than 1 lakh cases. Deaths rose by 3,403 to 3,63,079.
  3. Data from phase three trials of Bharat Biotech’s Covid-19 vaccine, Covaxin, would be published in the next seven to eight days, NITI Aayog member (health) VK Paul said. He also dismissed concerns about the United States Food and Drug Administration’s refusal to grant emergency use authorisation to Covaxin.
  4. The United Kingdom government said the Delta variant of the coronavirus is 60% more transmissible in households than the Alpha variant, first detected in the country’s Kent county.
  5. Tamil Nadu extended its Covid-19 lockdown till June 21, but allowed several relaxations. State-run liquor shops can open in 27 districts between 10 am and 5 pm. In these districts, salons and spas will also be allowed to open from June 14 with 50% capacity.
  6. Private hospitals in Mumbai could not utilise more than 13 lakh of the over 22 lakh coronavirus vaccine doses till last week that they had procured one month earlier.
  7. India asked China to issue visas to Indians who meet all travel requirements laid down by Beijing. Of the many criteria, China has made it mandatory to get vaccinated with Chinese-made coronavirus shots.
  8. Germany said it will lift coronavirus travel warnings for most countries from July 1.
  9. United States’ top virologist Anthony Fauci reiterated that the Delta variant of the coronavirus was more lethal and warned against the possibility of an increase in infections wherever the strain was present.
  10. Globally, the coronavirus disease has infected over 17.49 crore people and killed more than 37.75 lakh since the pandemic broke out in December 2019, according to Johns Hopkins University.