1. Maharashtra on Monday reported 6,270 new coronavirus cases, its lowest daily infection count in four months, reported PTI. This pushed that Covid-19 tally to 59,79,051, while 94 deaths took the toll to 1,18,313. Meanwhile, Delhi recorded 89 new coronavirus cases, its lowest single-day tally this year. The national Capital also registered 11 deaths.
  2. India reported 53,256 new coronavirus cases, taking its overall count of infections since the pandemic broke out in January 2020 to 2,99,35,221. This is India’s lowest daily rise in cases in 88 days. The country’s toll rose by 1,422 to 3,88,135.
  3. The Union health ministry said over 80 lakh doses had been administered on the first day of the implementation of the new vaccination guidelines. “Today’s record-breaking vaccination numbers are gladdening,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted. “The vaccine remains our strongest weapon to fight Covid-19. Congratulations to those who got vaccinated and kudos to all the front-line warriors working hard to ensure so many citizens got the vaccine. Well done India!”
  4. The Assam and Bihar governments eased coronavirus restrictions in their states. The Assam government said that from Tuesday, restrictions will be relaxed between 5 am and 5 pm in districts that have been recording less than 400 daily cases for the past 10 days. In Bihar, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said that offices will function with 100% attendance between June 23 and July 6.
  5. Twenty-four districts in Uttar Pradesh recorded 1,97,000 more deaths between July 2020 and March 2021 than in the corresponding period the previous year, Article 14 reported on Monday. The mortality rate was 110% higher than the same period the previous year. The number of deaths was 43 times higher than the official Covid-19 toll in these nine months.
  6. The Amarnath Yatra has been cancelled in view of the coronavirus pandemic, the board that manages the shrine said on Monday. In a statement, the Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board said that it has decided to hold the annual pilgrimage in a symbolic manner. All rituals will be performed at the shrine according to past practices, it said.  
  7. Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on Monday claimed that the Union government was putting pressure on officials in the Aam Aadmi Party government to publish advertisements lauding the Centre’s Covid-19 vaccination programme. Sisodia said that Delhi has received only 57 lakh vaccine doses against its requirement of 2.94 crore. He also said that the Centre’s allocation of 15 lakh vaccines for the month of July was not sufficient for the city.  
  8. Congress MP Rahul Gandhi on Monday said it was “cruel” of the Narendra Modi government to refuse to pay Rs 4 lakh as compensation to families of those who died due to Covid-19. “It is impossible to put a price to life – government compensation is only a small help but the Modi government is not ready to do that either,” Gandhi tweeted. “First the shortcomings in treatment during the Covid-19 pandemic, then false numbers and now this cruelty from the government.”  
  9. It is too early to say if booster shots of the Covid-19 vaccine will be required to target more infectious variants of the coronavirus, said World Health Organization Chief Scientist Soumya Swaminathan. Her remark came amid concerns about the spread of more transmissible variants of Covid-19 and questions about how long the effects of the current double-dose vaccine regimen would stay.  
  10. Globally, the coronavirus disease has infected over 17.85 crore people and killed more than 38.68 lakh since the pandemic broke out in December 2019, according to Johns Hopkins University.