May 7 coronavirus news

By Joshua Berlinger, Brad Lendon, Aditi Sangal and Angela Dewan, CNN

Updated 0604 GMT (1404 HKT) May 10, 2021
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12:54 a.m. ET, May 7, 2021

India reports a record 414,188 Covid-19 cases in a single day

From CNN’s Manveena Suri in Delhi

India reported 414,188 cases of Covid-19 on Friday, a new all-time high for the number of coronavirus cases in a day, according to figures released by the India's Health Ministry

To date, authorities have identified 21,491,598 cases in the country. Only the United States has had more.

Indian authorities also reported 3,915 another Covid-19-related deaths, making Friday the 10th day in a row the daily number of fatalities has exceeded 3,000.

At least 234,083 people have died after contracting the coronavirus in India. 

As of Thursday evening local time, authorities had administered 164,876,248 vaccine doses, the Health Ministry said. A total of 32,845,736 people in India have received both doses of the vaccine -- about 2.5% of India’s 1.3 billion population.

12:13 a.m. ET, May 7, 2021

Volunteers are helping Indians who have contracted Covid-19

From CNN's Vedika Sud in New Delhi and Jessie Yeung in Hong Kong

Srinivas B.V. barely sleeps at night. His phone rings 24 hours a day with cries of help from Indians begging for oxygen supplies, ventilators, hospital beds -- whatever he can provide.

"If we miss a call, we call back and ask what we can do," said Srinivas, who leads the youth wing of the opposition Indian National Congress party.

Earlier this week, Srinivas and his team rushed an oxygen cylinder to the New Delhi home of a woman whose father was suffering from Covid-19. Despite their best efforts, the man died later that night. Scared, alone and Covid-positive herself, the woman had nobody to help cremate her father's body -- so Srinivas's team arranged an ambulance and facilitated the cremation.

Srinivas' phone rang as he spoke to CNN. It was Alok Kumar, a college professor who was frantically searching for oxygen for his Covid-positive 3-year-old son. The team rushes out the door again, an oxygen cylinder in the back of the car.

Read more about volunteers like Srinivas here:

11:13 p.m. ET, May 6, 2021

Australia to drop entry ban for citizens and permanent residents coming from India

 From CNN’s Angus Watson and Philip Wang

Australia's Prime Minister Scott Morrison speaks during an address at the Australia-Israel Chamber of Commerce luncheon in Melbourne, on May 6.
Australia's Prime Minister Scott Morrison speaks during an address at the Australia-Israel Chamber of Commerce luncheon in Melbourne, on May 6. William West/AFP/Getty Images

Australia will allow its citizens and permanent residents to return from India as of May 15, ending a controversial entry ban on anyone who has been in India over the past 14 days.

The ban is being enforced with a possible five-year jail term, a fine of $51,000 or both. 

There are around 9,000 Australians in India who have officially informed the Australian government that they would like to return home, according to Prime Minister Scott Morrison. He said 900 of those people are classified as "vulnerable."

While commercial flights will not resume, Morrison said the Australian federal government will put on three repatriation flights between May 15 and 31.

Only Australia citizens, permanent residents and travelers from New Zealand can enter Australia, with few exceptions. All must undergo 14 days in state quarantine on arrival.   

Around 40,000 Australians worldwide have told the government they want to return, with just over 5,000 places in quarantine available each week. 

Morrison's government has denied criticism that banning entries from India alone was racist. The Prime Minister said Friday the entry ban “is working as it was intended to” in keeping Covid-19 out of Australia. 

12:13 a.m. ET, May 7, 2021

Brazil tops 15 million Covid-19 cases as country announces plan for a major Pfizer vaccine purchase

From Fernanda Wenzel and Taylor Barnes

Brazil’s Health Ministry reported over 73,000 new Covid-19 cases on Thursday, raising the total number of cases to more than 15 million since the start of the pandemic.

The ministry also reported at least 2,550 new Covid-19 fatalities, raising the country’s death toll to at least 416,949.

While Brazil’s outbreak continues to be severe and its vaccine rollout slow, the country saw some hope on the horizon with the announcement that the government will purchase an extra 100 million Pfizer vaccine doses. The money for the acquisition was released this Thursday, and the new contract should be signed soon.

These doses are in addition to Brazil’s current contract to purchase 100 million doses of the Pfizer vaccine, one of four approved for use in the country.

The first Pfizer doses arrived in Brazil last week.