Coronavirus live updates: Maharashtra reports 8,602 new Covid cases in last 24 hours

Delhi reported 76 new Covid-19 cases, 84 recoveries and two deaths in the last 24 hours. The positivity rate of the national capital stands at 0.11 per cent.

Australian authorities extended a lockdown in Sydney on Wednesday by at least 14 days, after three weeks of initial restrictions failed to stamp out an outbreak of Covid-19 in the country's largest city. New South Wales state Premier Gladys Berejiklian said restrictions would need to remain in place until at least July 30 after she reported 97 new locally transmitted cases, a slight increase from a day earlier.

The move is expected to result in a significant drop in MRP of these products that are in high demand with many Covid patients under home isolation and treatment needing regular monitoring of blood pressure, blood sugar and oxygen level as well as fever, etc. The data collected by the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) shows earlier the margins were ranging up to 709% from price to distributor to MRP level.

India has now recorded more than 2.5 lakh deaths from Covid-19 during the lethal second wave of infections in the country, nearly 1 lakh more than all previous fatalities since the outbreak of the pandemic.

PM Modi on Tuesday said the focus should now be on how to prevent a Covid-19 third wave rather than discussing when it would hit India. The PM’s comments to chief ministers of northeastern states came even as top Union government officials highlighted evidence to show the third wave already forming around the world and stressed the need to immediately step up measures and be vigilant. They said warnings of the third wave were being casually discussed in the manner of weather reports.