India added 39,742 new coronavirus cases over the last 24 hours while deaths from COVID-19 rose by 535.
The country's overall case load now stands at 3.13 crore, while total fatalities are at 4.20 lakhs, according to the health ministry.
Here are the top 10 updates on coronavirus:
Kerala contributed 18,531 cases to the country's daily numbers. The southern state has also reported 46 cases of mosquito-borne infection, Zika virus.
Over 43 crore vaccine doses have been administered in the country so far, the health ministry said. Nearly 46 Lakh vaccine doses were administered till 7 pm on Saturday, it said.
The Delhi government has relaxed Covid guidelines to allow public transport, including the Delhi Metro, to operate at full seating capacity from Monday, as the national capital witnesses a dip in Covid cases. Cinema halls, theatres and multiplexes can reopen at 50 per cent capacity, according to the order.
For the first time, five cases of "Kappa" variant of coronavirus have been detected in Gujarat. Three cases were found in Jamnagar, two in Godhra in Pahchmahal district and one in Mehsana, the state health department said in a release.
India's test positivity rate (positive cases identified for every 100 tests) continues to decline. For the 34th straight day it is below the 5 per cent-mark at 2.24 per cent.
Active cases have decreased by 765 in the last 24 hours to take the tally to 4.08 lakh. Active cases constitute 1.31 per cent of total cases.
About 40 crore people in the country are still vulnerable, as per the latest sero survey. This also means that roughly two-thirds of all Indians over six, or 67.6 per cent of the population, have antibodies against the coronavirus.
A third Covid wave in India can be delayed and it may be less severe than the first two waves if Covid-appropriate behaviour is followed and the pace of vaccination is increased, AIIMS chief Dr Randeep Guleria has said.
India is likely to start vaccinating children by September, according to Dr Guleria. "Hopefully, by September, we should start vaccinating children, and that will be a big boost as far as breaking the chain of transmission is concerned," Dr Guleria told NDTV on Saturday.
The European medicines watchdog on Friday approved the use of Moderna's coronavirus vaccine for children aged 12 to 17, making it the second jab for adolescents for use on the continent. The decision by the Amsterdam-based agency follows the approval of the first vaccine for European youngsters, by Pfizer/BioNTech in May.
BDST: 1452 HRS, JUL 25, 2021
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