The Uttarakhand government has lodged an FIR (first information report) against private labs that had allegedly conducted fake COVID-19 tests for devotees during Kumbh Mela. Max Corporate Service, Nalwa Laboratories Private Limited of Hisar, and Delhi-based Dr. Lalchandani Lab have been named in the FIR.

Dismissing reports which predict that children above two years will be worst affected in the third wave of COVID-19, a joint survey by World Health Organization (WHO) and AIIMS has said such a possibility is unlikely. The seroprevalence survey is based on 10,000 samples collected from five states.

In other news, the Delhi government has set up a committee to probe into deaths caused in the national capital due to the lack of availability of medical oxygen during the second wave of COVID-19. However, the Centre has denied permission for the committee. Delhi's deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia has requested the Centre to grant permission for the same.

Meanwhile, a Chennai-based NGO Arappor Iyakkam has alleged that Tamil Nadu has been fudging data with regard to the number of COVID-19 deaths in the state. The NGO has claimed that as against the government’s figure of 863 deaths in April and May this year, the mortality rate is 13.5 times more than the declared deaths in the state.

On Friday, June 18, India recorded 62, 480 new COVID-19 cases and 1,587 deaths. The total number of active cases now stands at 7,60, 019, and the cumulative number of deaths at 3, 83, 490.

These and other important developments regarding COVID-19 will be presented in today's episode of the COVID Bulletin.

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