India saw a single-day rise of 58,077 coronavirus infections, which took the tally of cases to 4,25,36,137, while the active cases have declined to 6,97,802, according to Union health ministry data updated on Friday. The daily COVID-19 cases are being recorded at less than one lakh for the last five consecutive days. The death toll has climbed to 5,07,177 with 657 daily fatalities, the data updated at 8 am stated. The active cases comprise 1.64 percent of the total infections, while the national recovery rate has further improved to 97.17 percent, the health ministry said. A reduction of 92,987 cases has been recorded in the active COVID-19 caseload in a span of 24 hours. The daily positivity rate has been recorded at 3.89 percent while the weekly positivity rate has been recorded at 5.76 percent, according to the health ministry. The number of people who have recuperated from the disease has increased to 4,13,31,158, while the case fatality rate has been recorded at 1.19 percent.

Here are the day's highlights on the coronavirus pandemic:

#Over 1.2 crore senior citizens yet to get first dose: Govt

Over 1.2 crore people aged 60 years and above in the country had not received the first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine as on February 8, the government informed Parliament on Friday. In a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha, Union Minister of State for Health Bharati Pawar said a total of 1,20,82,792 people in the said age group are yet to receive the first dose of a Covid vaccine. Besides, 1.68 crore beneficiaries in the age group have not received the second dose of the vaccines, she added. As on February 8, a total of 95.09 crore (93.9 percent) people aged 15 years and above had received the first dose of a Covid vaccine and 73.59 crore (72.6 per cent) beneficiaries in the age group had received both doses.

#HP reports 9 Covid deaths, 499 cases

Nine people succumbed to COVID-19 in Himachal Pradesh on Friday, pushing the death toll to 4,058, while 499 new cases took the infection tally to 2,79,697, a health official said. The deaths included six women and three men in the age group of 40 to 83 years, he said. Five deaths were reported from Shimla, two from Mandi and one each from Kangra and Hamirpur, he added.

#167 deaths reported after 2nd COVID vaccine dose: Govt

Minister of State for Health Bharati Pawar on Friday informed the Lok Sabha that 167 deaths have been reported as Adverse Events Following Immunisation (AEFI) after the second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine in the country. The highest number, fatalities, has been reported as AEFI from Kerala, followed by 15 from Maharashtra, 14 from West Bengal and 12 each from Madhya Pradesh and Odisha, according to data provided by the minister in response to a written question. Further, Pawar said 1.53 crore precaution doses have been administered to eligible beneficiaries, of which 37 lakh went to healthcare workers, 49 lakh to frontline workers and 67 lakh doses to people aged 60 years and above having co-morbidities.

#COVID-19: 3,976 new cases in Karnataka, 41 deaths

Karnataka on Friday reported 3,976 new cases of COVID-19 and 41 fatalities, taking the tally to 39,21,095 and toll to 39,575. There were 11,377 discharges today, pushing the total number of recoveries to 38,36,915, a health bulletin said. Of the new cases, 1,725 were from Bengaluru Urban that saw 4,455 people being discharged and 11 virus-related deaths. The total number of active cases across the state is now 44,571. While the positivity rate for the day stood at 3.47 percent, the case fatality rate (CFR) was 1.03 percent.

#Andhra Pradesh reports continuing dip in COVID-19 cases

The declining trend of daily COVID-19 cases continued as Andhra Pradesh registered 1,166 fresh infections on Friday. In the last 24 hours ending 9 am on Friday, the state also reported 9,632 recoveries and five deaths, according to the latest health bulletin. The number of active cases has come down to 32,413, the bulletin said. The total number of COVID-19 cases across the state has now touched 23,11,133, while the recoveries stood at 22,64,032 With five more fatalities, the death toll reached 14,688, it said. Chittoor, Guntur, Krishna, SPS Nellore and West Godavari districts reported one death each. Among the fresh cases, East Godavari district reported 256, Krishna 184, Guntur 127 and West Godavari 109. The remaining nine districts of the state added less than 100 new cases each, with Srikakulam logging the lowest of 11.

#COVID-19: J&K reports 540 new cases, 2 more deaths

Jammu and Kashmir on Friday recorded 540 new cases of coronavirus, taking the infection tally to 4,49,873 while two more deaths were reported in the last 24 hours, officials said. Of the fresh cases, 312 were from the Jammu division and 228 from the Kashmir division, they said. Jammu district recorded the highest of 131 cases followed by 89 cases in Srinagar district, they said. There are 7,424 active cases in the Union territory, while the number of recovered patients was 4,37,708, officials said. The death toll stands at 4,741.

#COVID-19: Don't insist prisoners out on parole to surrender: SC to Kerala

The Supreme Court Friday asked the Kerala government not to insist on the surrender of prisoners already out on interim bail or parole in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. A bench comprising Justices L Nageswara Rao and B R Gavai, however, said it was not inclined to release more prisoners on the ground of COVID-19 from the prisons. The apex court said it would review the COVID-19 situation on the next date and decide the issue of surrender. "Let the other people who have been released by you, don't insist them on coming back for another one week or 10 days. We will list it after 10 days," the bench said while posting the matter for hearing on February 25.

#Kerala records 16,012 fresh COVID-19 cases

Daily COVID-19 cases in Kerala continued to drop below 20,000 with the state on Friday recording 16,012 fresh infections which raised the total caseload to 63,81,063. The southern state had reported 18,420 COVID-19 cases on Thursday. Kerala on Friday also reported 431 deaths which raised the total fatalities in Kerala to 61,626, according to a government release. Of the deaths, 27 were reported in the last 24 hours, 214 were those which occurred in the last few days but were not recorded due to late receipt of documents and 251 were designated as COVID-19 deaths after receiving appeals based on the new guidelines of the Centre and the directions of the Supreme Court, the release said.

#No discussion held on Maha going mask-free: Dy CM Ajit Pawar

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Friday said the state cabinet has not held any discussion about lifting the mask mandate and that people must continue to wear the protective gear till coronavirus is eradicated. "People will be informed if any decision about going mask-free is taken, he said. Pawar made the comments after he inspecting developmental works carried out by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) in Worli, Dadar and Mahim with Environment Minister Aaditya Thackeray. Maharashtra has witnessed a decline in COVID-19 cases over the last few days. The state reported 6,248 infections on Thursday, which raised the infections to 78,29,633.

#Denmark mulls shutting down COVID vaccine programme

Health authorities in Denmark said Friday that they are considering winding down the country's coronavirus vaccination programme in the spring and see no reason now to administer a booster dose to children or a fourth shot to any more residents at risk of severe COVID-19. The Danish Health Authority said in a statement outlining its reasoning that the third infection wave in the European nation was waning due to the large population immunity. "The very high vaccine coverage in Denmark, especially with the third shot, means that we can cope with increasing infection without getting serious illness, the government agency said in a statement.

#Hong Kong extends ban on flights from eight countries, adds Nepal

Hong Kong on Friday extended a ban on incoming flights from eight countries, including the United States and Britain, and imposed one on Nepal until March 4, with the government citing concerns over a growing COVID-19 outbreak. The other countries are Australia, Canada, France, India, Pakistan and Philippines. Flights to Hong Kong are down 90 percent and hardly any are allowed to transit as the financial hub isolates itself from the world in the hope it can contain a coronavirus outbreak, even though new infections are overwhelmingly local transmissions.

#UK lifts all testing requirements for vaccinated travellers

Vaccinated travellers can enter Britain without taking any coronavirus tests starting Friday, after the government scrapped one of the final restrictions imposed over the past two years in response to COVID-19.

#HC asks Maha govt for records on COVID-19 SOPs banning local train travel for unvaccinated people

The Bombay High Court on Friday directed the Maharashtra government to submit all files and records pertaining to three COVID-19 standard operating procedures (SOPs) issued in July and August 2021, which included the restriction on the use of local trains by unvaccinated people. A bench of Chief Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice M S Karnik asked for the files after the state government informed that the restriction on local train travel had been invoked by the then state chief secretary Sitaram Kunte considering the COVID-19-related "emergency" at the time. "What was the emergency that enabled the chief secretary to take a decision all by himself and the fundamental rights of the citizens were curtailed?" the court asked. The bench was hearing a bunch of public interest litigations challenging the prohibition on the use of local trains in the city by unvaccinated persons, stating that the move was illegal, arbitrary and in breach of the citizens' fundamental right to move freely across the country as guaranteed by Article 19 (1) (d) of the Constitution. The PILs challenged the three SOPs issued by the state government on July 15, August 10 and August 11 last year that included the restriction on local train travel.

#Vaccinated patients less likely to need critical care due to Omicron infection: Study

Vaccinated adults have a lower risk of severe illness due to Omicron variant of coronavirus, and are less likely to land in intensive care compared with unvaccinated patients, a US study suggests. The study, published in a weekly report by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), also found that during the Omicron period fewer patients died while hospitalised, compared with those admitted when the Delta variant was dominant.

"Overall, the Omicron-period group had a lower likelihood of being admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) and were also less likely to require invasive mechanical ventilation compared with the Delta-period group," said Matthew Modes, a pulmonologist at Cedars-Sinai Medical Centre in the US, and co-first author of the study. The researchers looked at the characteristics of 339 patients hospitalised with COVID-19 at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center from July to September of 2021, when the Delta variant of SARS-CoV-2 was dominant.

#Hong Kong COVID infections hit record, stretch hospitals; China pledges support

Hong Kong reported a record number of new daily COVID-19 infections on Friday and China said it would fully support the city with its "dynamic zero" coronavirus strategy, as local authorities struggle to control a deepening outbreak. Hong Kong's pursuit of zero COVID infections has stretched hospital and quarantine facilities nearly to their limit, raising the near-term prospect of changes to admissions and isolation policies. New daily infections rose to at least 1,325 on Friday, health authorities said.

#Odisha logs 1,572 new COVID-19 cases, 20 fresh fatalities

Odisha's COVID-19 tally rose to 12,74,575 on Friday as 1,572 more people, including 309 children, tested positive for the infection, while 20 fresh fatalities pushed the state's coronavirus death toll to 8,838, a health bulletin said. On the other hand, Omicron has replaced Delta as the dominant variant in the state, with over 98 per cent of the samples recently undergoing genome sequencing at Institute of Life Sciences in Bhubaneswar testing positive for the new strain. Khurda district, under which Bhubaneswar falls, recorded the highest number of new cases at 233. Four patients, including a six-year-old boy, succumbed to the infection in Jajpur, while Bhubaneswar, Balasore and Kendrapara recorded three fatalities each. The daily positivity rate stood at 2.3 per cent as 68,239 samples were tested in the last 24 hours.

# New low-cost coating for fabrics can kill COVID virus: Study

Scientists in the US have developed an inexpensive, non-toxic coating for almost any fabric that decreases the infectivity of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, by up to 90 percent. The coating, described in the journal ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, may be used in the future to develop an antiviral spray for fabrics. "When you are walking into a hospital, you want to know that pillow you are putting your head onto is clean," said study lead author Taylor Wright, a doctoral student at the University of British Columbia (UBC) in Canada. "This coating could take a little bit of the worry off frontline workers to have personal protection equipment (PPE) with antimicrobial properties," Wright said.

# Today's Data Highlights

- 58,077 new cases, 657 new deaths, 1,50,407 new recoveries, 92,987 fall in active cases

- New cases lowest in 38 days. Below 1 lakh for the 5th consecutive day

- Kerala reports 18,420 new cases, Maharashtra 6,248, Karnataka 5,019

- Kerala reports 341 new deaths (including 153 reconciled), Maharashtra 45, Karnataka 39

- All states/UTs report fall in the active cases

- Difference between new cases reported in the last 7 days and the preceding 7 days in India is -56% (world average is -18%)

- 48.19 lakh new vaccinations. 171.8 crore total. 5.83 lakh of 18+ population received their first dose yesterday, 20.27 lakh second dose. 3.94 lakh of 15-18 year olds received their first dose yesterday, 14.62 lakh second dose. 3.52 lakh received the precaution dose yesterday. 74.72 crore fully vaccinated

- 14.92 lakh new tests. All-India test daily positivity rate: 3.89% (4.44% the previous day)

- Test positivity rate below 5% for the 3rd consecutive day. Lowest in 38 days

- Daily test positivity rate: Mizoram 25.04%, Kerala 22.31%, Goa 10.57%

- Test positivity rate (weekly average): Kerala 30.54%, Mizoram 26.16%, Puducherry 12.41%

- 614 districts (84%) of districts reporting fall in weekly test positivity rate. 97 reporting a rise (13%). No change in 23 districts (3%). (Data till February 9)

- 432 districts (59%) reporting weekly test positivity rate below 5%

- 98% of urban districts and 91% of semi-urban districts reporting fall in weekly test positivity rate. 81% of rural districts reporting dip

# India reports 58,077 fresh COVID-19 cases, 1,50,407 recoveries and 657 deaths in the last 24 hours, as per Union Health Ministry.

Active cases: 6,97,802 (1.64%)

Death toll: 5,07,177

Daily positivity rate: 3.89%

A man wearing a protective face mask walks past a mural on a street, amidst the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Mumbai. (Reuters)

# US buys 600K doses of new COVID antibody awaiting clearance

Addressing diminished treatment options in the omicron wave, the Biden administration has purchased enough of a yet-to-be approved antibody drug to treat 600,000 COVID-19 patients, officials said Thursday. The new monoclonal antibody from pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly will be shipped out to states free of charge if the Food and Drug Administration approves the company's request for emergency use authorization, said Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra. We are going to try to be there to meet the demand, he added. The government's move comes after the two leading monoclonal antibody treatments in the US turned out to be ineffective against the omicron variant, which now accounts for nearly all COVID-19 cases in the country. Data indicate that the Lilly drug works against omicron, including the new BA.2 mutation.

# 5,019 new COVID-19 cases in Karnataka, 39 deaths

Karnataka on Thursday reported 5,019 new cases of COVID-19 and 39 fatalities, taking the tally to 39,17,119 and toll to 39,534. There were 13,923 discharges today, pushing the total number of recoveries to 38,25,538, a Health bulletin said. Of the new cases, 2,315 were from Bengaluru Urban which saw 5,739 people being discharged and 17 virus-related deaths. The total number of active cases across the state is now 52,013. While the positivity rate for the day stood at 4.25 percent, the case fatality rate (CFR) was 0.77 percent.

# Delhi logs 1,104 new Covid cases, 12 deaths

Delhi recorded 1,104 fresh COVID-19 cases with a positivity rate of 2.09 percent on Thursday, while 12 more people succumbed to the infection, according to data shared by the city health department. With this, the national capital's coronavirus case count increased to 18,48,619 and the death toll climbed to 26,035, the latest bulletin stated. As many as 52,848 COVID-19 tests were conducted in the city the previous day, it said.

# Mumbai reports 429 COVID-19 cases, positivity rate falls to 1% first time this year

Mumbai reported 429 new coronavirus cases and two deaths on Thursday, the city civic body Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) said in a release. The city reported fewer than 500 cases on the fourth straight day. The tally of coronavirus infections in the country's financial capital rose to 10,53,046, while the death toll reached 16,678. The positivity rate (number of infections detected per 100 tested samples) has come down to one percent, municipal commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal said. "Ever since Mumbai's covid positivity rate increased to touch 1 percent on December 21, 2021, today... the positivity is back to one percent again," he said in the statement.

First Published:Feb 11, 2022 9:42 AM IST