TOLL THE SECOND WAVE TOOK: IN ALL BUT FOUR STATES, DEATHS DOUBLED IN LAST SIX WEEKS

The Covid-19 death toll in every state barring four has at least doubled in the last six weeks. In a few states, the toll has increased by close to four times.

The only states that have bucked this trend are West Bengal, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, and Tripura, and the Union Territory of Ladakh.

Nearly 2.1 lakh Covid-19 deaths have been recorded in the country since April 1, more than 55 per cent — over 1.18 lakh — of which have been reported by the five states of Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Delhi, and Uttar Pradesh. These are also the states with the highest death counts.

In each of these five states, close to 60 per cent of the total toll was recorded in these last six weeks. In other words, their death toll increased by 2 to 2.5 times during this period.

This has been true for most other states as well. In some states, almost 80 per cent of their death toll till now has been reported after April 1.

The country’s death toll also increased by more than two times during this period — from about 1.64 lakh to more than 3.73 lakh now.

Maharashtra has been reconciling fatality data since May 21, and has reconciled well over 15,988 deaths in the last 23 days. In the last four days, the state has added 1522, 2,213, 1,606 and 2288 deaths respectively through the reconciliation exercise. This has resulted in a hugely inflated number of total country-wide deaths over the last 4 days.

KEY COVID NUMBERS

Current Active Cases Countrywide: 9,68,691

New Cases in last 24 hours: 70,984

Recovered in last 24 hours: 1,19469

Change in no. of Active cases in last 24 hours: -58,580

No. of deaths in last 24 hours (Total Covid Deaths so far): 3,922 (3,74,329)

Daily Tests (Saturday): 19,00,312

Daily Positivity Rate (Proportion of Positives among total Tested): 43.5%

Percentage of Population Vaccinated (At Least One Dose / Two Doses): 15.4% / 3.6%

Most Affected States:

(S. No. / State / No. of Active Cases / New Cases in last 24 Hrs / Deaths in Last 24 Hrs)

1          Karnataka         1,80,835           /           7,810    /           125

2          Maharashtra     1,55,588           /           10,442  /           2,771

3          Tamil Nadu       1,49,927           /           14,016  /           267

4          Kerala  1,23,006           /           11,584  /           206

5          Andhra Pradesh            85,637  /           6,770    /           58

6          Odisha 51,628  /           4,469    /           45

7          Assam  40,026  /           2167     /           36

8          Telangana        21,137  /           1,280    /           15

9          West Bengal     17,651  /           3,984    /           84

10        Jammu and Kashmir     15,081  /           774       /           12

11        Chhattisgarh     13,677  /           459       /           6

12        Punjab  12,981  /           956       /           59

13        Gujarat 10,249  /           455       /           6

14        Uttar Pradesh   8,986    /           452       /           51

15        Manipur            8,499    /           530       /           15

16        Rajasthan         7,441    /           308       /           7

17        Tripura 5,589    /           565       /           9

18        Puducherry       5,331    /           402       /           7

19        Bihar    5,311    /           487       /           8

20        Goa      4,882    /           420       /           14

21        Himachal Pradesh         4,777    /           237       /           7

22        Haryana           4,661    /           339       /           43

23        Uttarakhand      4,633    /           263       /           7

24        Meghalaya        4,623    /           305       /           6

25        Madhya Pradesh           4,251    /           277       /           21

26        Sikkim  3,553    /           157       /           NIL

27        Nagaland          3,502    /           82        /           5

28        Delhi    3,466    /           255       /           23

29        Mizoram           3,455    /           345       /           1

30        Jharkhand        3,395    /           154       /           2

31        Arunachal Pradesh        2,885    /           134       /           2

32        Lakshadweep    576       /           34        /           1

33        Chandigarh       520       /           54        /           3

INDIA NATURAL ALLY OF G7 IN TAKING ON GLOBAL CHALLENGES: PM MODI

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said as the world’s largest democracy, India was a natural ally of G7 as it sought to build quality and sustainable infrastructure to rival China’s “one belt one road” initiative and maintain a free and rule-based Indo-Pacific.

Speaking as a guest speaker at the two-day G7 summit in Cornwall, UK, which concluded on Sunday, the PM underlined India’s divergence with the world’s most powerful economic bloc on climate change and vaccines-for-all. He pointed out that India was the only G20 country on track to meet its Paris commitments. He called on G7 to fulfil its promise of setting aside $100 billion annually to fund fight against climate change.

PM Modi signalled India’s interest in the theme selected for this year’s summit -- Build Back Better -- a reference to the devastating impact of the pandemic over the past 18 months and the need for policy-driven, ambitious and targeted recovery measures. In all, the PM spoke in three sessions.

India also signed off on a joint statement by G-7 and guest countries on “open societies” that reaffirm and encourage the values of “freedom of expression, both online and offline, as a freedom that safeguards democracy and helps people live free from fear and oppression”.

The statement also refers to “politically motivated internet shutdowns” as one of the threats to freedom and democracy.

While the statement is directed at China and Russia, India has been under scrutiny over Internet curbs in Jammu and Kashmir even as the Government is locked in a face-off over its new IT rules with tech giants such as Twitter, which described a police search at its offices in India last month as a “potential threat to freedom of expression”.

The joint statement at G-7 said: “We are at a critical juncture, facing threats to freedom and democracy from rising authoritarianism, electoral interference, corruption, economic coercion, manipulation of information, including disinformation, online harms and cyber attacks, politically motivated internet shutdowns, human rights violations and abuses, terrorism and violent extremism.”

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

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G7 WANTS COVID ORIGINS PROBE IN CHINA

In a rare move — and with the backing of US President Joe Biden — China was heavily criticised throughout the G7 leaders’ communique — condemned both for undermining the global economy and for abusing human rights in Hong Kong and Xinjiang. The G7 also called for “a timely, transparent, expert-led and science-based WHO-convened Phase 2 Covid-19 origins study in China”. “We haven’t had access to the laboratories,” Biden told reporters. He said it was not yet certain whether or not “a bat interfacing with animals and the environment... caused this Covid-19, or whether it was an experiment gone awry in a laboratory”.

The final communique said, “With regard to China, and competition in the global economy, we will continue to consult on collective approaches to challenging non-market policies and practices which undermine the fair and transparent operation of the global economy.” It added, “We will promote our values, including by calling on China to respect human rights and fundamental freedoms, especially in relation to Xinjiang and those rights, freedoms and high degree of autonomy for Hong Kong enshrined in the Sino-British Joint Declaration and the Basic Law.”

Biden said at a press conference on Sunday: “Last time the G7 met there was no mention on China in the communique and this time there is... The G7 explicitly agreed to call out human rights abuses in Hong Kong and in Xinjiang and to coordinate a common strategy to deal with China’s non-market policies that undermine competition and the G7 agreed to take serious action against forced labour in solar, agricultural and garment industries because that is where it is happening.”

Before the G7 criticism emerged, China cautioned G7 leaders. “The days when global decisions were dictated by a small group of countries are long gone,” a spokesman for the Chinese embassy in London said. The spokesman said the only valid global system was the international order based on the principles of the UN and “not the so-called rules formulated by a small number of countries.”

NETANYAHU OUSTED AS ISRAEL’S PRIME MINISTER AFTER 12 YEARS

Benjamin Netanyahu’s 12-year run as Israel’s prime minister ended on Sunday with parliament approving a new “government of change” led by nationalist Naftali Bennett. Heading into opposition, Netanyahu, 71, the most dominant Israeli politician of his generation, pledged he would soon return to power.

In a raucous session in which Netanyahu’s right-wing and ultra-Orthodox supporters shouted “shame” and “liar” at Bennett, parliament voted confidence in his new administration by a razor thin 60-59 majority.

A former defence minister and a high-tech millionaire, Bennett, 49, was due to be sworn in shortly after the vote. His alliance includes for the first time in Israel’s history a party that represents its 21% Arab minority.

With little in common except for a desire to end the Netanyahu era and political impasse that led to four inconclusive elections in two years, the coalition of left-wing, centrist, right-wing and Arab parties is likely to be fragile.

Israel’s longest-serving leader, Netanyahu was prime minister since 2009, after a first term from 1996 to 1999. But he was weakened by his repeated failure to clinch victory in the polls since 2019 and by an ongoing corruption trial, in which he has denied any wrong doing.

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CASES SLIDING, DELHI OPEN UP FURTHER

With the number of active Covid-19 cases falling to 3,466 on Sunday from 5,208 a week ago, the Delhi government has announced a further reopening of the city, allowing eating out and lifting more restrictions on shops.

From Monday, restaurants can offer limited dine-in services, barber shops can reopen, and markets and shopping malls can operate normally.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said during an online briefing on Sunday that it was imperative to revive the economy as many people were struggling to make ends meet. But this has to be done while keeping an eye on the possibility of a new wave of infections, and beefing up medical infrastructure, the Chief Minister said.

OTHER STATES TOO MOVE TOWARDS VARYING DEGREES OF UNLOCK

Haryana and Tamil Nadu governments on Sunday decided to partially relax some of the curbs imposed because of the Covid-19 pandemic even as they extended other restrictions by another week.

From today, all shops in Haryana will be allowed to remain open from 9 am to 8 pm, instead of the current odd-even system being followed there. Shopping malls will be allowed to remain open from 10 am to 8 pm, while restaurants and bars will allowed from 10 am to 10 pm with 50 per cent capacity and with Covid precautions. “Home delivery from hotels, restaurants and fast food joints is permitted up to 10 pm,” the order said.

In Chennai, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin announced more relaxations in 27 districts of the state, including permission for tea shops to reopen from Monday.

Karnataka will also begin the unlock process, barring in 11 districts, from Monday, with the opening of parks and industrial units with riders.

In Madhya Pradesh, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said a decision on further relaxations, including reopening of gymnasiums, will be made on the basis of suggestions before June 15, as he announced that now 40 people can participate in a wedding instead of the earlier 20.

While Bihar lifted its lockdown on June 9 with some restrictions like night curfew continuing, Uttar Pradesh had last Tuesday extended relaxations in curbs to all 75 districts of the state following a dip in the number of active cases.

The Punjab government gave relaxations, including allowing shops to open till 6 pm, while adopting a graded approach to reopening.

‘WE’RE SAVING MONEY FOR WELFARE SCHEMES’: DHARMENDRA PRADHAN ON HIGH FUEL PRICES

With prices of petrol and diesel climbing steeply, Oil Minister Dharmendra Pradhan Sunday agreed that the rates were a problem, but said that since government expenses are up due to Covid relief measures, “the Centre is saving money to spend on welfare schemes”.

“I accept that fuel prices are pinching consumers, there’s no doubt about this. But over Rs 35,000 crore has been been spent on Covid vaccines in a year. Rs 1 lakh crore has been spent on Pradhan Mantri Gareeb Kalyan Yojana in order to provide eight months’ ration to the poor. A few thousand crores of rupees have also been transferred to farmers’ bank accounts under PM Kisan…In such dire times, we’re saving money to spend on welfare schemes,” Pradhan said, speaking to the media.

Asked about Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s repeated attacks on the Modi government, Pradhan said, “Rahul Gandhi must answer why fuel prices are high in Congress-ruled states like Punjab, Rajasthan, and Maharashtra. If he is so concerned about the poor, he should instruct the Maharashtra CM to reduce taxes, as fuel prices are very high in Mumbai.”

AAP, SP ALLEGE SCAM IN AYODHYA LAND DEAL; RAM TEMPLE TRUST DENIES

On Sunday when Nripendra Misra, former Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister, and now head of the Ram Janmabhoomi Tirth Kshetra Trust’s Temple Construction Committee, met the trustees and experts in Ayodhya to take stock of temple works, the Samajwadi Party and the Aam Aadmi Party alleged fraud and corruption over the purchase of a piece of land by the Trust on March 18 this year.

In a press conference in Lucknow, Sanjay Singh, AAP’s in-charge for Uttar Pradesh, and a Member of Parliament, said “The piece of land in Ayodhya is registered with number 243, 244 and 246. Its value is Rs 5.80 crore. It was purchased from Kusum Pathak and Harish Pathak by Sultan Ansari and Ravi Mohan Tiwari for Rs 2 crore. The purchase had two witnesses – Anil Mishra, a member of the Ram Janmabhoomi Trust, and Rishikesh Upadhyay, who is the Mayor of Ayodhya. It was purchased at 7.10 pm. In the next five minutes, the same land was bought by Ram Janmabhoomi Trust and Champat Rai for Rs 18.5 crore from Ansari and Tiwari. Rs 17 crore was transferred through RTGS.”

In a statement issued late night, the Trust said, the current sellers had a registered agreement years ago at a price, and after the bainama (sale deed) on March 18, they sold it to the Trust. “After the Supreme Court order, a lot of people started coming to Ayodhya to purchase land, and as the UP government is also purchasing a lot of land for development works, the land price increased suddenly. The land on which discussion has started is very close to the railway station and therefore, is at a very important location. All the lands purchased by the Trust are purchased at a price much lower than the market price,” the statement said.

AAP’s Sanjay Singh claimed the stamp papers for the first purchase were bought at 5.11 pm, and for the second at 5.22 pm. He demanded this be probed by the CBI or ED as it concerns religious beliefs of crores of people.

At another press conference in Ayodhya, Samajwadi Party leader and former MLA, Pawan Pandey, also raised similar questions.

MONSOON COVERS NEARLY 80% OF COUNTRY’S AREA

Continuing its rapid progress since its onset on June 3, the southwest monsoon by Sunday covered nearly 80 per cent of the geographical area of the country within 10 days.

The IMD yesterday said that the monsoon has reached the doorstep of Delhi, where it is most likely to arrive during the next two to three days. The normal date for the onset of monsoon over Delhi June 27.

By Sunday, the monsoon has covered the entire Odisha, West Bengal, Jharkhand, Bihar, Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Gilgit-Baltistan and Muzaffarabad and some parts of Haryana, Chandigarh and northern Punjab, covering nearly 80 per cent of the country’s geographical area.

"SYMPTOMS GONE IN A DAY": DOCTOR ON ANTIBODY COCKTAIL TO 40 IN HYDERABAD

As many as 40 Covid patients have taken a single-dose drug cocktail of monoclonal antibodies at Hyderabad's Asian Institute of Gastroenterology. "In 24 hours, they recovered from clinical symptoms like fever, malaise etc," said chairperson of the hospital, Dr Nageshwar Reddy.

Hyderabad-based Asian Institute of Gastroenterology is carrying out one of the largest studies to find out if the therapy is effective against the highly infectious Delta variant.

"Studies from the US have shown that this is effective against the British variant, Brazilian and South African variants also. No one has tested it against the Delta variant we have here. So what we are doing is that we are parallelly testing whether it is effective against the mutant virus. Results that we have now in 40 patients who we analysed after one week. almost in 100 per cent (cases), the virus disappeared when we did RT-PCR(sic)," said Dr Reddy.

The monoclonal antibody therapy came into limelight after it was given to former US president Donald Trump when he tested positive for COVID-19 last year.

The dose costs around ₹ 70,000 in India.

"We should not misuse (the therapy). Has to be given only under specific indication as authorised by the ministry of health under EUA because if it is overused, more mutant viruses can come," said Dr Reddy.

MIZORAM MAN, HEAD OF WORLD'S LARGEST FAMILY, DIES AT 76

The patriarch of the world’s largest family, Zionghaka aka Zion-a, died at a hospital here on Sunday.establishment said.

He was 76 and is survived by 39 wives, 94 children and 33 grandchildren.

“Zion-a was suffering from diabetes and hypertension.

Zion-a’s four-storey mansion at Baktawng is a major tourist attraction. The family has been featured twice by ‘Ripley’s Believe it or not’ in 2011 and 2013.

Chief Minister Zoramthanga, state Congress chief Lal Thanhawla and Zoram People’s Movement (ZPM) leader Lalduhoma have condoled Zion-a’s death. “With heavy heart, Mizoram bid farewell to Mr Zion-a (76), believed to head the world’s largest family...Rest in Peace Sir,” the chief minister tweeted.

DJOKOVIC COMES FROM 2 SETS DOWN TO LIFT FRENCH OPEN TITLE

Novak Djokovic came all the way back after dropping the first two sets to beat Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-7(6) 2-6 6-3 6-2 6-4 in the French Open final yesterday for his 19th Grand Slam title.

Djokovic’s second trophy at Roland Garros moves him one Major championship away from tying the men’s record of 20 shared by Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer.

The 34-year-old Djokovic eliminated 13-time French Open champion Nadal in a semifinal that lasted more than four hours Friday night.  22-year-old Tsitsipas had the upper hand early, and Djokovic looked drained for two sets. Eventually, though, he started making fewer mistakes, got his best-in-the-game returning on track, served almost flawlessly down the stretch and was able to complete his sixth career comeback from two sets down — and second of the past week.

Djokovic — who trailed 19-year-old Lorenzo Musetti two sets to none in the fourth round — is the first man in the professional era to win a Grand Slam tournament after twice facing a 2-0 deficit in sets.

Djokovic’s 19 Slams include 9 titles at the Australian Open, five at Wimbledon and three at the US Open and now 2 at French Open.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

A man's treatment of money is the most decisive test of his character. How he makes it and how he spends it. - James Moffat

OFF TRACK

A man was in a town where his son studied in a college. It was well after dinnertime when the father finished with his business for the day and thought he would pay a surprise visit to the boy. Arriving at the apartment where the son lived with his friends, he knocked on the door.  After several minutes of knocking, a sleepy voice drifted out. "Who’s that?"

"Amit lives here?" asked the father.

"Yeah!" replied the voice. "Dump him on the front verandah and we'll take care of him in the morning."