Coronavirus updates | Over 3.4 million global virus cases last week, up 12% from previous week

The World Health Organisation says there were more than 3.4 million new global cases of the coronavirus last week, a 12% increase from the previous week. The UN health agency says the number of deaths is continuing to decline, with about 57,000 in the last week.

It notes the highest increases in COVID-19 cases were in the Western Pacific and European regions. In the past week, WHO says the highest coronavirus infections were in Indonesia, Britain, Brazil, India and the US.

You can track coronavirus cases, deaths and testing rates at the national and State levels here. A list of State Helpline numbers is available as well.

Here are the latest updates:

Those who have taken two doses of vaccine should be allowed to go out, says Ajit Pawar

Maharashtra deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar said that he was of the view that those who have received both the jabs of coronavirus vaccines should be allowed to “go out”.

He was going to discuss this issue with Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, he told reporters here.

“In my opinion those who have received two shots of COVID-19 vaccines should be allowed to go out, in a phased manner. I will speak with the CM on this subject in the next two days,” he said. – PTI

Government claim on oxygen-scarcity deaths is appalling, say experts

The Centre’s claim in the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday that a lack of oxygen did not lead to deaths of COVID-19 patients was hollow and callous, public health experts said.

Public health expert and epidemiologist Chandrakant Lahariya said that technically no COVID-19 death would be recorded as “due to lack of oxygen,” but the experience of patients and the fact that the availability of oxygen would have saved lives meant that the Centre should have chosen its words with care.