Here are the top updates from Thursday:

  1. Tamil Nadu extended its Covid-19 lockdown till July 12 but allowed more relaxations, ANI reported. Hotels and public transport services can operate with 50% capacity. Dining at restaurants will also be allowed, according to NDTV.
  2. India reported 46,617 new coronavirus cases, taking its tally since the pandemic broke out in January 2020 to 3,04,58,251. India’s number of deaths crossed 4 lakh with 853 more fatalities in the last day. The toll crossed 4 lakh, and now stood at 4,00,312.
  3. The Centre announced that pregnant women can now get vaccinated against Covid-19. They can register for vaccination on the Centre’s CoWIN portal or walk into inoculation centres.
  4. The health ministry said India’s active cases reduced by about 86% since the peak on May 10, when the number stood at 37.45 lakh. India’s active cases stood at 5,09,637 on Friday morning. However, it cautioned that the second wave of the coronavirus pandemic was not over. Earlier on Friday, the Centre sent multi-disciplinary teams to six states – Kerala, Arunachal Pradesh, Tripura, Odisha, Chhattisgarh and Manipur – that are reporting a high number of cases.
  5. India said it expects the European Union to treat its vaccinated citizens on par with those who have been inoculated in the bloc’s member countries.
  6. Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan criticised Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for raising questions about the shortage of Covid-19 vaccines in the country. “Does he [Gandhi] not read?” the health minister tweeted. “Does he not understand? There is no vaccine for the virus of arrogance and ignorance!! Congress must think of a leadership overhaul!”
  7. Goa extended its Covid-19 curfew till July 12, ANI reported. However, shops, salons and outdoor sports complexes can stay open.
  8. Maharashtra recorded 8,753 new Covid-19 cases, taking the tally of infections since the outbreak of the pandemic to 60,79,352, PTI reported. Its toll rose by 156 to 1,22,353. Delhi registered 93 cases and four deaths. The city’s tally of infections rose to 14,34,281, while the toll reached 24,981.
  9. The Uttarakhand government cancelled Kanwar Yatra as a precautionary measure amid the coronavirus pandemic, reported ANI.
  10. Globally, the coronavirus disease has infected over 18.21 crore people and killed more than 39.45 lakh since the pandemic broke out in December 2019, according to Johns Hopkins University.