A coffee shop in Pune with special offers on takeaway menu due to Covid-19 pandemic on Tuesday. (Express photo by Arul Horizon)Coronavirus News Live Updates: With India reporting 80,472 new cases and 1,179 deaths in the last 24 hours ending 8 am on Wednesday, the total number of coronavirus infections crossed the 62 lakh-mark to reach 62,25,764. Of the total, 97,497 people have succumbed to the virus, 9,40,441 are active cases, while as many as 51,87,826 people have been treated and discharged so far.
While the last couple of weeks have been a period of welcome slowdown in the spread of novel coronavirus epidemic across the country, the most prolonged, consistent and significant decline in growth rates have been seen in the states of Andhra Pradesh, Bihar and Tamil Nadu.
Union minister Nitin Gadkari Wednesday said he has recovered from the coronavirus infection and thanked people for their blessings and good wishes. “I feel glad to inform you all that with your blessings and good wishes, I have recovered from coronavirus. Thanks for your affection,” he tweeted on Wednesday.
On Tuesday, daily coronavirus cases in India dropped below 75,000 and less than 1,000 deaths were reported in a day after nearly a month. India’s recovery rate is 83.33 per cent, the highest in the world. The fatality rate, on the other hand, is 1.57 per cent. Meanwhile, Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu on Tuesday tested positive for the novel coronavirus.
The global death toll due to Covid-19 passed the one million mark on Tuesday, most of which have been reported in the United States, followed by Brazil and India. These three countries account for nearly 45 per cent of Covid-19 deaths globally. According to Reuters, over 5,400 people die from the disease every 24 hours. This results into around 226 people succumbing to disease per hour, or one person every 16 seconds.
Coronavirus LIve updates: Swab samples are taken for Covid-19 testing in New Delhi. (Express Photo: Praveen Khanna)
At least 3,281 more people tested positive for Covid-19 in West Bengal on Wednesday, which raised the tally to 2,57,049, while 59 fatalities pushed the death toll in the state to 4,958, the health department said in its bulletin.
Altogether 2,954 people have recovered from the disease in the last 24 hours, the bulletin said.
The discharge rate stands at 87.83 per cent. (PTI)
Forty-seven more Covid-19 deaths were reported in Punjab on Wednesday, taking the toll in the state to 3,406, while 1,435 new cases pushed the infection tally to 1,13,886.
Seven fatalities were reported in Hoshiarpur, six in Ludhiana, five each in Jalandhar and Mohali and four each in Bathinda and Gurdaspur, as per a medical bulletin issued here.
Three deaths were reported in Rupnagar, two each in Amritsar, Ferozepur and Sangrur and one death each was registered in Barnala, Fatehgarh Sahib, Fazilka, Moga, Muktsar, SBS Nagar and Patiala.
Amritsar reported 167 new cases of the infection, Ludhiana 163, Jalandhar 143, Mohali 123, Patiala 96 and Bathinda 90 besides other districts. (PTI)
The Covid-19 tally in Gujarat rose to 1,37,394 with the addition of 1,390 cases on Wednesday, the state health department said.
The death toll in the state rose to 3,453 as 11 patients succumbed to the infection, it said.
The number of recovered cases reached 1,17,231 after 1,372 more patients got discharge from hospitals, the department said in a release.
With this, the state's recovery rate now stands at 85.32 per cent. (PTI)
The renowned Bankey Bihari temple in Vrindavan will open its doors to devotees on October 17, after remaining closed for over six months in view of the coronavirus pandemic, a temple priest said on Wednesday.
He said all devotees will have to follow the guidelines and protocols issued by the central and state governments to check the spread of Covid-19. The priest also said the closure time was utilised to carry out some renovation work.
The temple was closed for devotees since the lockdown was imposed by the central government to contain the spread of the pandemic, priest Shashank Goshwami said. (PTI)
Uttar Pradesh reported 69 more fatalities due to Covid-19 on Wednesday, pushing the death toll due to the disease to 5,784, while 4,271 fresh cases took the state's infection tally to nearly four lakh.
The recovery rate among the Covid-19 patients in the state is 85.80 per cent, he added. The total number of cases in the state has reached 3,99,082, according to a health department bulletin.
Among the patients, 13.77 per cent are aged between 0-20 years, the maximum of 47.99 per cent are aged between 21-40 years, 29.02 per cent are in the 41-60 years age group and 9.29 per cent are above 60 years of age.
Of the 69 fresh deaths, seven were reported from Kanpur, five each from Lucknow and Gorakhpur, besides other districts, according to the bulletin. (PTI)
Kerala reports 8,830 cases Wednesday as testing increased to 63,682 per day. Total active cases in the state now at 67,061.
The maximum impact of COVID-19 has been felt by women, children and adolescents, Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan said Tuesday.
Participating in a programme on maternal, newborn and child health via a video link, Vardhan said his ministry issued guidance to states to ensure that women, children and adolescents continue to get all the healthcare services, according to an official statement.
"We are in a constant dialogue to ensure that these services are made available to women, children and adolescents and remain in focus despite the health systems being under severe strain due to COVID epidemic," he was quoted as saying in the statement.
"From instilling a behavioral change to help more women deliver in hospitals to entitlement for absolutely free services, we have come a long way now in providing quality care throughout pregnancy and childbirth with interventions like LaQshya and midwifery care," Vardhan said.
"The idea is to have a fully responsive and accountable health system that will not only result in a positive birthing experience but also help end preventable maternal and newborn deaths," he said. (PTI)
Results from the Phase 1 trial of an investigational COVID-19 vaccine co-developed by researchers at the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), and the American biotech company Moderna have shown that it is well-tolerated and generates a strong immune response in older adults.
The study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, noted that the experimental vaccine, mRNA-1273, was well-tolerated by the older trial participants, who were over 55 years of age.
According to the researchers from NIAID, older adults are more vulnerable to complications of COVID-19, and are an important population for vaccination.They said understanding how the vaccine affects this section of the population is a critical part of measuring its safety and efficacy. Read more
The AAP government told the Delhi High Court on Wednesday that the news reports about preliminary results of the third sero survey were "fake" and its officials have not disclosed any information to the media about it.
"Don't show the press as unreliable. Don't play games with the court like this," the court said.
A bench of Justices Hima Kohli and Subramonium Prasad, not accepting the Delhi government claim that the news was fake, said no denial was issued by administration regarding the media reports.
Delhi government additional standing counsel Satyakam said according to the news reports, the preliminary findings of the survey were that prevalence of antibodies in those tested was 33 per cent, whereas in reality it was only 25.1 per cent as per the final report. (PTI)
Union minister Nitin Gadkari Wednesday said he has recovered from the coronavirus infection and thanked people for their blessings and good wishes. "I feel glad to inform you all that with your blessings and good wishes, I have recovered from coronavirus. Thanks for your affection," he tweeted on Wednesday.
The road transport and highways minister on September 16 informed that he had tested positive for coronavirus.
The Supreme Court (SC) today asked the Centre to consider giving one more attempt to candidates who are in their last attempt for the Civil Services Exam (CSE). The bench said, “An extra attempt is sought for the ones who are taking the last attempt as they might not able to appear due to the pandemic.” The apex court further said, “Explore the possibility for giving them one more attempt to such exams without extending age limit”.
The top court also asked the UPSC to ensure separate sitting arrangements for candidates who are suffering from cough and cold during the test. There are 72 centres and 2500 sub-centres for the exam.
The Civil Services Exam (CSE) — held by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) — is scheduled to be conducted on October 4. In the previous hearing, UPSC told the court that it is not possible to postpone the exam as doing so will also defer the CSE prelims 2021.
While the last couple of weeks have been a period of welcome slowdown in the spread of novel coronavirus epidemic across the country, the most prolonged, consistent and significant decline in growth rates have been seen in the states of Andhra Pradesh, Bihar and Tamil Nadu.
These three states have been showing a reduction in their growth rates for two months now. The coronavirus cases in Tamil Nadu and Bihar have now been growing at less than one per cent per day, while Andhra Pradesh is just about to reach there.
Bihar has been adding fewer than 2,000 cases every day for the entire month of September, and on Tuesday it was also pushed out of the list of top ten states with maximum caseloads, having been replaced with Kerala, the fastest growing state right now.
Close to 33% of those tested in the city as part of the September sero survey had developed Covid-19 antibodies, The Indian Express has learnt. The findings of the third survey will be presented to the Delhi High Court Wednesday.
The presence of antibodies indicates the individual has been exposed to the virus in the past. In the last sero survey, this figure was 29.1%. “The results show that only about a third of the population has been exposed to the virus so far and that precautions such as social distancing and wearing masks must be observed keenly to limit the spread of infection,” said a senior Delhi government official.
On Tuesday, meanwhile, 48 people succumbed to the disease. This is the highest toll since July 8. Over the past 10 days, the case fatality ratio has been 1.12% — up from 0.94% (10 day average) till a few days ago.
The Maldives has thanked India for the financial assistance of USD 250 million -- "the single largest financial assistance from a donor" -- to support the island nation amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
"The pandemic has also highlighted the importance of global cooperation. In the Maldives, without the support of our friends, our bilateral and multilateral partners, we would not be able to continue weathering this storm," Minister of Foreign Affairs of Maldives Abdulla Shahid said in his address to the General Debate of the 75th Session of the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday.
"I thank all our partners who have generously extended financial, material and technical support during this crisis, even when they themselves are going through challenging times. One such example is India. The recent budget support of 250 million US dollars, was the single largest financial assistance from a donor during this pandemic," he said.
While several restrictions have been eased in different phases of ‘Unlock’ since June, the Union Home Ministry is slated to come out with fresh guidelines for October — which holds significance since it marks the beginning of the long festive season. Last month, the Home Ministry had said more relaxations and opening up of more activities would be gradually allowed in areas outside the containment zones. With industries hoping for a strong rebound in consumer demand this festive season, further easing of restrictions is expected. “Unlock 5” is likely to come into effect from Thursday, October 1, and is expected to stay in place till October 30.
What relaxations are expected in ‘Unlock 5’ for October?
While other public places like malls, salons, restaurants, gyms have been allowed to operate with restrictions, cinema halls, swimming pools, entertainment parks have still not received the go ahead. It remains to be seen if cinema halls are given the nod to reopen from October amid fervent requests by the Multiplex Association of India. Only open-air theatres were allowed to kickstart operations from September 21. Read More
After preying heavily on the elderly in the spring, the coronavirus is increasingly infecting American children and teens in a trend authorities say appears fuelled by school reopenings and the resumption of sports, playdates and other activities.
Children of all ages now make up 10 per cent of all US cases, up from 2 per cent in April, the American Academy of Pediatrics reported Tuesday.
And the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Monday that the incidence of COVID-19 in school-age children began rising in early September as many youngsters returned to their classrooms.
In an effort to understand better the pattern of the Covid outbreak in Assam, the state’s health department is undertaking an intensive exercise to test more than three lakh people within three days.
On Monday, the state carried out 1,20,156 tests and over 1.34 lakh tests were conducted on Tuesday. The state government planned to hit similar figures on Wednesday. “Next 2 days also, we’ll conduct 1 lakh+ tests. Compliments to the team,” Assam Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma tweeted on Monday.
Assam has registered over 1.7 lakh Covid-19 cases so far, including 667 deaths. As of Monday, the total tests per million stood at 94,482.
Maharashtra Health Minister Rajesh Tope has said private hospitals and diagnostic centres have taken undue advantage of the COVID-19 situation and they are overcharging patients even for basic health services. Speaking at an event organised by the western region of industry body CII on Tuesday, Tope said there have been instances of these private facilities charging hefty sums from people for medical services.
"Private hospitals and diagnostic centres have taken undue advantage of the COVID-19 situation in the state. "There have been several occasions where these centres and hospitals have charged exorbitantly for basic health services during the COVID-19 situation," he said.
Australia's coronavirus hotspot of Victoria state maintained its steady downward trend in new infections on Wednesday as states began easing internal border closures, fuelling optimism about a return to normal.Victoria's quick containment of a second wave of the outbreak prompted Western Australia state to relax its travel restrictions, allowing travelers from the southeastern state to quarantine at home rather than in a hotel from Monday.
Australia's iconic Sydney Opera House, a national symbol, said it would work to reopen its venues from November after the New South Wales state government raised the seating capacity in theatres to 50% from Thursday.Victoria, Australia's second-most populous state, said cases rose slightly from the previous day but the key indicator of 14-day average cases in the state capital of Melbourne fell below 17.
With India reporting 80,472 new cases and 1,179 deaths in the last 24 hours ending 8 am on Wednesday, the total number of coronavirus infections crossed the 62 lakh-mark to reach 62,25,764. Of the total, 97,497 people have succumbed to the virus, 9,40,441 are active cases, while as many as 51,87,826 people have been treated and discharged so far.
A FIRST-OF-ITS-KIND ‘Time Use Survey’ conducted by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation has shown that only 38.2 per cent of the population participates in “employment and other related activities”, spending 429 minutes (7 hours and 9 minutes) on an average each day.
There is, however, a wide gender disparity, with only 18.4 per cent women participating in employment activities compared with 57.3 per cent men; also, while men spend on an average 459 minutes (7 hours and 39 minutes), women spend only 333 minutes (5 hours and 33 minutes).
The NSS report, ‘Time Use in India 2019’, whose findings were released Tuesday, has been conducted for the first time in the country. The primary objective of the survey was to measure participation of men and women in paid and unpaid activities as well as measure the time dispositions on different activities. Read More
An estimated one in 15 individuals aged 10 years and above were exposed to the novel coronavirus infection by August, indicating that a large part of the population is still susceptible to the virus, according to the second nationwide sero-survey.
Releasing the findings on Tuesday, ICMR Director General Balram Bhargava said 6.6 per cent of the 29,082 people (aged 10 years and above) surveyed from August 17 to September 22 showed evidence of past exposure to Covid-19. The prevalence was higher for adults (aged 18 years and above) at 7.1 per cent.
This is a significant increase from the 0.73 per cent prevalence found in the first sero-survey, conducted between May 11 and June 4, among adults in 70 districts. The second survey was conducted in the same districts, but children (above 10 years) were included.
West Bengal on Tuesday reported 3,188 new cases of COVID-19, taking its tally to 2,53,768, as per a bulletin issued by the Health Department. The COVID-19 toll rose to 4,899 after 62 more people died. Since Monday, 2,961 people have recovered, improving the discharge rate to 87.80 per cent. So far, 2,22,805 people have recovered from the disease in the state. There are 26,064 active cases in the state at present. In the last 24 hours, 43,769 samples have been tested for COVID-19 in the state, the bulletin said. PTI
The number of active COVID-19 cases in Delhi marginally rose to 27,524 on Tuesday after falling for three days in a trot, from September 26-28, according to official data. In September, both the number of fresh and active cases have risen steadily by and large, with fall registered intermittently. The national capital reported 48 COVID-19 fatalities on Tuesday, the highest in over 70 days, as the toll climbed to 5,320, while the caseload rose to over 2.76 lakh with 3,227 more people contracting the disease, authorities said. This is the highest number of deaths reported in a day since July 16, when the city recorded 58 fatalities. On September 26, Delhi had recorded 46 deaths, 42 the next day and 37 on September 28. The number of actives cases from September 26 to 28 stood at 29,717, 29,228, and 27,123 respectively, according to official data. On September 25 the city had 30,867 active cases, less than the previous day when the count was 31,125. Active cases in September continuously rose in the first week, from 15,879 on September 1 to 20,909 on September 6, and then falling to 20,543, the next day.
Lufthansa said Tuesday that it will have to cancel all "planned flights" between India and Germany from September 30 to October 20 because of an "unexpected rejection" of its flight schedule by the Indian authorities. The German carrier said it had applied for continuation of the special flights it was allowed to operate until the end of September but will now have to cancel the flights because of the "unexpected rejection" of its flight schedule by the Indian government.
Scheduled international passenger flights have been suspended in India since March 23 due to the coronavirus lockdown. However, special flights have been permitted under "air bubble" arrangements India has formed with 13 countries, including Germany. Aviation regulator DGCA said India formalised an air bubble with Germany in July this year. "However, there are restrictions in place for Indian nationals desiring to travel to Germany which was putting Indian carriers at a significant disadvantage resulting in inequitable distribution of traffic in favour of Lufthansa," the DGCA stated.
Vice President Venkaiah Naidu has tested positive for Coronavirus. He is asymptomatic and in self-isolation.
The government on Tuesday said it does not agree with the calculation that Rs 80,000 crore is needed for distribution of COVID-19 vaccine in India.
Health Ministry Secretary Rajesh Bhushan was responding to a question tweeted by Serum Institute of India Chief Executive Officer Adar Poonawalla who asked the government whether it had Rs 80,000 crore over the next one year for distribution of COVID-19 vaccine.
"Quick question; will the government of India have 80,000 crores available, over the next one year? Because that's what @MoHFW_INDIA ?needs, to buy and distribute the vaccine to everyone in India. This is the next concerning challenge we need to tackle," Poonawalla had tweeted.
Responding, Bhushan said, "We do not agree by the calculation of Rs 80,000 crore. The government has made a national committee on vaccine experts and five meetings have taken place till now."
Daily COVID-19 cases in India dropped below 75,000 and less than 1,000 deaths were reported in a day after nearly a month, tally crossed 61-lakh mark.
India’s recovery rate is 83.01 per cent, the highest in the world.
The fatality rate, on the other hand, is 1.57 per cent. Religious places have reopened in Madhya Pradesh's Indore district after nearly six months.
As many as 351 employees of Jagannath Temple in Odisha test positive for COVID-19.
Schools in Karnataka with high student strength will be directed to hold classes in shifts.
The global toll due to Covid-19 passed the one million mark on Tuesday.
The most deaths have been reported in the United States, followed by Brazil and India.
WHO has agreed to roll out 120 million rapid-diagnostic tests to help poor countries make up ground in a testing gap with richer countries.
Nepal issues new guidelines for tourists arriving for mountaineering amid COVID-19 pandemic.
US President Donald Trump has announced plans to distribute a whopping 150 million 15-minute rapid COVID-19 tests in the coming weeks.
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Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, who was suffering from COVID-19 and dengue, was discharged from hospital on Tuesday, officials said. Sisodia, 48, was shifted to a hospital in Saket on Thursday evening, considering his "falling" blood platelet count and low oxygen level. He was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit of the private health facility in south Delhi and later administered plasma therapy. "He was tested negative today and his condition is better. He has been discharged from the hospital," said an official from the Deputy Chief Minister's Office. The Aam Aadmi Party leader had tested positive for COVID-19 on September 14 and was in home isolation. On Wednesday, he was shifted to the LNJP Hospital for treatment and tested positive for dengue a day later.
Addressing the press conference, ICRM DG Balram Bhargava said that the second Sero Survey report by ICMR revealed that a considerable population is still vulnerable to Covid-19. According to the report, one in 15 individuals aged more than 10 years were estimated to be exposed to Covid-19 by August 2020.
The Ministry of Health on Tuesday said that The number of recovered cases in India, which crossed 51 lakhs, is the highest in the world. Addressing a press brief, Union health secretary Rajesh Bhushan also said that the count of COVID-19 deaths per million population in India is amongst the lowest in the world.
At least 351 servitors and 53 employees of Shree Jagannath Temple have tested Covid-19 positive, reported PTI. Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) administrator Ajay Jena said the rituals at the temple, however, will continue despite the absence of so many servitors. The temple has been closed for devotees since March due to the pandemic.
Schools in Karnataka with high student strength will be directed to hold classes in shifts, according to a Department of School Education Research and Training (DSERT) official. The DSERT is finalising the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for schools to resume lessons offline. "While schools with high student strength will be directed to follow a shift-system, those with lesser number of students will be allowed to continue how they functioned pre-lockdown," a DSERT official told IndianExpress.com.
When asked how ‘high’ and ‘low’ student strength will be determined, the official added that specific details will be notified once the government decides to allow students to be physically present in classes throughout the day. Read Ralph Alex Arakal's report
Maharashtra’s Higher and Technical Education Minister Uday Samant said on Tuesday that he had tested positive for the coronavirus. He is tbe 15th minister in the Uddhav Thackeray-led government to be infected. The Shiv Sena leader shared the information on his official twitter handle, informing he had been in home quarantine for the past ten days. "I got myself tested. I've tested positive," he said.
In the recent past, Maharashtra ministers Varsha Gaikwad (School Education), Eknath Shinde (Urban Development), Bacchu Kadu (MoS, School Education), Nitin Raut (Energy), Hasan Mushrif (Rural Development), Jitendra Awhad (Housing), Ashok Chavan (Public Works), Dhananjay Munde (Social Justice), Sunil Kedar (Animal Husbandry), Balasaheb Patil (Cooperation), Aslam Shaikh (Ports, Textile), Abdul Sattar (MoS, Rural Development), Sanjay Bansode (MoS, Environment) and Vishwajeet Kadam (MoS, Cooperation) had tested positive for the infection.
Every Monday, India's Covid-19 cases see a dip in numbers. This is not unusual, and fits into a pattern. But, what is the reason behind this? Read Amitabh Sinha's explainer
At least 25 personnel -- 14 from CRPF, seven from BSF, three of Assam Rifles, one of IAF -- have tested positive for Covid-19. Mizoran has 1,958 cases of the disease, including 499 people under treatment and 1,459 who have been cured.
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has said the loss of one million people due to Covid-19 is "mind-numbing". In a statement, Guterres said, "They were fathers and mothers, wives and husbands, brothers and sisters, friends and colleagues... The pain has been multiplied by the savageness of this disease. Risks of infection kept families from bedsides. And the process of mourning and celebrating a life was often made impossible."
He warned, "there is no end in sight to the spread of the virus, the loss of jobs, the disruption of education, the upheaval to our lives," reported PTI.
Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu continue to be the states with the highest Covid-19 caseload in India. On Monday, Maharashtra reported 11,921 new cases, while TN added 5,589 infections and Andhra detected 5,487 fresh cases.
The West Bengal government will form a Rapid Response Teams to treat serious Covid-19 patients, the state health department has said. The RRTs will include one anesthesiologist and one medicine specialist. "... Specialists and other medical officers so deployed must stay near the Covid hospitals," an order issued by the department said, reported PTI.
US President Donald Trump has said 150 million rapid tests for Covid-19 will be distributed across the country in the coming weeks to help reopen economies and schools immediately. Rapid tests deliver results in 15 minutes. Speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump said, "Today, I'm pleased to report that we're announcing our plan to distribute 150 million Abbott rapid point-of-care tests in the coming weeks, very, very soon. This will be more than double the number of tests already performed."
"One hundred million rapid point-of-care tests will be given to states and territories to support efforts to reopen their economies and schools immediately and fast as they can," he added, reported PTI.
India's coronavirus tally crossed 61 lakh mark on Tuesday after the detection of 70,589 new cases. Of the country’s 61,45,292 cases, 9,47,576 people are undergoing treatment, 51,01,398 people have been discharged and 96,318 people have died.
Welcome to our live blog on the Covid-19 situation in India and the world. The top news this morning is the global death toll due to Covid-19. It has passed the one million mark, with the most deaths reported from the United States, Brazil and India.