Coronavirus live updates: 88% of total deaths among 45+, data shows

The WHO's chief, long accused of complacency towards Beijing, hardened his tone Tuesday, urging further investigation into a theory Covid-19 sprang from a laboratory leak. The director-general of the World Health Organization Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus also rebuked China for sitting on key data.

As many as 53,480 fresh infections pushed India's Covid-19 tally to 1,21,49,335, while 354 new fatalities, the highest single-day spike so far this year, took the death toll to 1,62,468, according to Union health ministry data updated on Wednesday.

The vaccine manufacturers in India, Dr Reddy's, have already submitted the safety and immunogenicity data of the third phase trials

Amid the rising number of Covid-19 cases, hundreds of devotees gathered and played 'Kapda Fad' Holi or 'Huranga' in the premises of Dauji Temple in Baldeo area of Mathura district on Tuesday."Everywhere people play Hoil but here in Dauji Temple, we play Huranga, which is called 'Holi khasam huranga'," said a devotee.

Mizoram's Covid-19 caseload mounted to 4,473 on Wednesday after five people, including an 81-year-old woman, tested positive for the virus, an official said.The state now has 28 active cases, while 4,434 people have recovered from the disease so far.

Ranchi district registered maximum number of Covid-19 active cases.

Germany's federal and health ministers have agreed to limit the general use of AstraZeneca's Covid-19 vaccine to people over age 60 starting Wednesday, citing concerns about blood clots. People under 60 should be able to receive the shot, but only "at the discretion of doctors, and after individual risk analysis and thorough explanation," according to the decision by the health ministers accessed by DPA news agency on Tuesday.

Many of the over 120,000 excess deaths Mexico suffered so far during the pandemic may have been indirectly caused by the coronavirus, even if those people didn't die of Covid-19, Mexican officials said Tuesday. A ``very significant part'' of those deaths were people who were suffering heart problems but were too afraid to go the hospital for fear of getting infected, said Dr. Ruy Lopez Ridaura, the country's director of disease prevention and control.

In a bid to curb the spread of Covid-19 second wave by ensuring decongestion in market places, the Nashik administration is issuing a Rs five ticket per person to enter the market area for an hour. "We are using a different approach to contain Covid-19 spread in Nashik. We are issuing a ticket of Rs 5 per person to enter a market area for an hour. It's an attempt to save the city from entering lockdown," said Deepak Pandey, Commissioner of Police, Nashik City on Tuesday.

The southwestern Chinese city of Ruili that borders Myanmar ordered on Wednesday a one week home quarantine for residents of the city's urban area, and mass COVID testing, after reporting six new locally transmitted coronavirus cases.Health authorities in Yunnan province, where Ruili is located, said the six new cases were Chinese citizens, while three asymptomatic patients, who are infected with the coronavirus but show no symptoms, were Myanmar citizens.

The night curfew will continue in Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Surat and Rajkot till April 15.According to the Additional Chief Secretary, Home Department, Gujarat government, the night curfew in four metros of the state, Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Surat and Rajkot, which is currently in force from 9 pm to 6 am, will also continue till April 15, 2021.