Coronavirus India HIGHLIGHTS: Will Centre have Rs 80k crore to provide each with Covid vaccine, asks SII CEO

Jharkhand reported 1,226 new COVID-19 cases, 1,324 recoveries and 6 deaths today, taking total cases to 78,935 including 65,839 recoveries, 670 deaths and 12,426 active cases: State Health Department

Jharkhand reported 1,226 new COVID-19 cases, 1,324 recoveries and 6 deaths today, taking total cases to 78,935 including 65,839 recoveries, 670 deaths and 12,426 active cases: State Health Department pic.twitter.com/gbi0KQYXJF

— ANI (@ANI) September 26, 2020

Cinema halls and open air theatres will be allowed to operate in West Bengal from October 1 with limited number of participants, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said on Saturday. She also said musical, dance and magic shows would be permitted in the state from next month. (PTI)

Addressing the 193-member United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), Prime Minister Narendra Modi Saturday raised questions on the response of the global body to the Covid-19 pandemic that has killed nearly one million people and infected over 32 million worldwide.

The Prime Minister listed out India’s priorities and its role in the global setup, assuring its cooperation in dealing with the pandemic. Highlighting India’s achievements and role in 75 years of the United Nations, Modi called for reforms with “changing times” and India’s inclusion in the decision-making process within the global body. Read more

The COVID-19 death toll in West Bengal on Saturday went up to 4,721 with 56 more people succumbing to the disease, the state health department said in a bulletin. The tally increased to 2,44,240 after 3,181 people tested positive for the infection. In the last 24 hours, 2,955 patients recovered from coronavirus taking the states discharge rate to 87.61 per cent, the bulletin said. (PTI)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday raised questions on the response of the United Nations in combating the COVID-19 pandemic, and assured the global community that India will use its production and delivery capacity to help all humanity in fighting the deadly disease. "Over the last 8 to 9 months, the whole world has been battling the pandemic of the coronavirus. Where is the United Nations in this joint fight against the pandemic? Where is its effective response?" Modi said as he asserted that reform in the responses, in the processes, and in the very character of the United Nations is the need of the hour.

Addressing the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), Prime Minister Narendra Modi Saturday said, "As the largest vaccine producing country of the world, I want to give one more assurance to the global community today. India’s vaccine production and delivery capacity will be used to help all humanity in fighting this crisis.

PM Modi: As the largest vaccine producing country of the world, I want to give one more assurance to the global community today.
India’s vaccine production and delivery capacity will be used to help all humanity in fighting this crisis."@IndianExpress

— Shubhajit Roy (@ShubhajitRoy) September 26, 2020

Serum Institute of India (SII) CEO Adar Poonawalla on Saturday asked whether the central government will have Rs 80,000 crore over the next one year to provide each citizen with the Covid-19 vaccine. Taking to Twitter, he wrote: “Quick question; will the government of India have 80,000 crores available, over the next one year? Because that’s what Ministry of Health and Family Affairs needs, to buy and distribute the vaccine to everyone in India. This is the next concerning challenge we need to tackle.”

I ask this question, because we need to plan and guide, vaccine manufacturers both in India and overseas to service the needs of our country in terms of procurement and distribution.

— Adar Poonawalla (@adarpoonawalla) September 26, 2020

The condition of Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, who is suffering from COVID-19 and dengue, has improved, a day after he was administered convalescent plasma therapy, reported news agency PTI. He is likely to be shifted from the ICU to a normal ward, said the hospital officials. He was admitted on Thursday evening after a "falling" blood platelet count and low oxygen level.

A weekend lockdown began in Jodhpur on Saturday to check the spread of the novel coronavirus amid a sudden spike in fresh infections and deaths. Police and civic officials took out marches in parts of the desert city to sensitise people about the prevailing situation and request them to stay indoors. District Magistrate Indrajeet Singh said, "We have taken this decision (to impose lockdown) considering the spurt in infections in the city. We expect people to adhere to it. If they do not understand the seriousness of the situation now, it will be too late." The city has reported close to 1,200 cases in the past two days, leading to a huge pressure on its healthcare infrastructure. More than 150 people have died due to COVID-19 in the city this month. (PTI)

Staying indoors during the lockdown and subsequently resuming training early in the morning or late in the evening to avoid the sweltering summer heat has caused an unexpected problem for India’s top track and field athletes. Not getting enough sunlight has resulted in low Vitamin D levels, that help in muscle recovery and improved bone density. Lack of the Vitamin D, produced when the body is exposed to the sun’s rays, can lead to stress fractures or muscle injury, especially when athletes resume training after long breaks.

Athletes across sport, including the country’s top cricketers, have spoken about taking time to regain muscle memory to play a stroke, build endurance and getting used to training regimens after lockdown-enforced breaks. However, even changes in nutrition levels can make a world of a difference if not detected early.

Athletics Federation of India’s (AFI) high performance director Volker Herrmann said the Vitamin D deficiency was observed in all the national campers in Patiala following results of blood tests in June.

A single dose of Johnson & Johnson’s JNJ.N experimental COVID-19 vaccine produced a strong immune response against the novel coronavirus in an early-to-mid stage clinical trial, according to interim results published on Friday.

The vaccine, called Ad26.COV2.S, was equally well-tolerated at two different doses, the results showed. A single shot, versus a rival two-dose approach being tested by Moderna Inc MRNA.O and Pfizer Inc PFE.N, could simplify distribution of the vaccine.

However, it is unclear whether elderly people, one of the populations most at risk from the virus, will be protected to the same degree as younger people with the J&J vaccine.

In seven out of last eight days, recoveries have exceeded the new detection of cases, leading to a significant fall in the active cases. As on Friday, the active cases in the country had dropped to 9.6 lakh from a high of 10.17 on September 17.

The number of confirmed infections in Maharashtra has now touched 13 lakh. Close to 18,000 new cases were reported from the state on Friday, well below the recent normal of 22,000 to 25,000 cases every day. The death toll in the state has crossed 35,000, which is more than 37 per cent of all the coronavirus-related deaths in the country.

Odisha now has more than 2 lakh people who have so far been infected with the virus. The state has been reporting more than 4,000 cases every day

With more than 18,000 new cases being detected in the last three days, Kerala has emerged as the state with the fastest growing coronavirus numbers right now. Kerala still has relatively lesser number of confirmed infections compared to states like Maharashtra or Andhra Pradesh, but at the rate at which it has been adding new cases in the last couple of weeks, it is all set to make a re-entry into the list of top ten states with highest caseloads within a few days.

In the last one week, almost 35,000 new cases have been discovered in the state, taking the total number of confirmed infections to 1.61 lakh. The current growth rate of cases is 3.51 per cent per day, which is the highest in the country and more than double of national rate which is 1.53 per cent per day.

Kerala also has close to 49,000 active cases, which is the fifth highest in the country. Only Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh have more active cases.

A new wave of lockdowns due to the novel coronavirus may decide if the world will have too much or too little sugar.

Some of the industry’s prominent analysts are divided on whether the market will face a surplus or deficit in the season starting next month. The difference in opinion lies on how much the pandemic will slash consumption or prompt top producer Brazil to make more lucrative sugar at the expense of cheaper ethanol.

Global sugar production is forecast to fall short of demand by 1.1 million tons next season, according to Patricia Luis-Manso, head of agriculture and biofuels analytics at S&P Global Platts. That’s similar to an estimate by John Stansfield, a veteran analyst at Group Sopex. For Raissa Cury Pires da Silva, head of Americas sugar research for trader ED&F Man, the world will face a second year of surplus.

“We have two quite strong bearish flags,” said Luis-Manso, referring to further cuts in demand and Brazil’s ability to make more sugar. “Both flags have the potential to solve this deficit without any significant sugar price increase. That’s why I think this deficit may be too small to be significant.”

Boris Johnson will call for a global plan to prevent pandemics and pledge more U.K. funds to the World Health Organization in a speech to the UN General Assembly on Saturday. The prime minister wants a global network of research hubs to spot dangerous pathogens, a boost to manufacturing capacity for vaccines and treatments, and reduced trade barriers to smooth cooperation between nations, according to extracts of the speech released by his office.

“Unless we unite and turn our fire against our common foe, we know that everyone will lose,” Johnson will say in the speech, which has been recorded and will be played to the assembly on Saturday. “We are determined to do everything in our power to work with our friends across the UN to heal those divisions and to heal the world.”

The coronavirus crisis is the worst pandemic in a century and has officially claimed almost a million lives, though the real toll may be almost double that. Johnson, whose country has the fifth-highest virus death toll in the world, will say the notion of an international community currently looks “tattered” and “we cannot continue this way.”

The health minister of the state at the center of Australia’s coronavirus outbreak resigned amid a furor over the bungling of quarantine procedures at hotels.

Jenny Mikakos released a statement on Saturday saying she could not continue to serve in Victoria’s state Cabinet following comments by Premier Daniel Andrews to an investigation into the government’s quarantine program.

Andrews told the inquiry he didn’t know who made the decision to hire security firms to monitor the quarantine in hotels in the state capital Melbourne but that he regarded Mikakos as accountable for the program, according to a report from Australian Broadcasting Corp.

The nation's recovery rate has risen to 82.14 per cent, while the COVID-19 case fatality rate was recorded at 1.58 per cent.

India's COVID-19 tally had crossed the 20-lakh mark on August 7, 30 lakh on August 23, 40 lakh on September 5 and it went past 50 lakh on September 16. According to the ICMR, a cumulative total of 7,02,69,975 samples have been tested up to September 25 with 13,41,535 samples being tested on Friday.

• 187 vaccine candidates in pre-clinical or clinical trials
• 38 of them in clinical trials
• Nine in final stages, phase-III of human trials
• At least eight candidate vaccines being developed in India. Two of these have entered phase -II trials after completing phase-I.

The ones most talked about:

* AstraZeneca/Oxford University
* Moderna
* Pfizer/BioNTech
* Johnson & Johnson
* Sanofi/GlaxoSmithKline
* Novavax
* Russian vaccine, developed by Gamaleya Insttiute in Moscow
* Three Chinese vaccines that have been approved for use in China without phase-3 trials being completed. One of them has been given emergency use authorisation in UAE

A coronavirus vaccine being developed by US company Novavax has said it was beginning final stage clinical trials in the United Kingdom. In the United States, these trials would begin next month.

This vaccine candidate is one of those that are supposed to be available in India as well. Pune-based Serum Institute of India has an agreement with Novavax to manufacture and distribute this vaccine in India and other low and middle income markets.

The company has said it plans to enrol 10,000 participants for its UK trial.

Novavax vaccine is the tenth candidate to enter phase-3 trials, including four from China and one from Russia. Apart from these, vaccines being developed by AstraZeneca, Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson are currently undergoing phase-3 trials in different locations.

The World Health Organisation has released a detailed financial document arguing the case for investing in an initiative that seeks to accelerate the development and equitable distribution of a coronavirus vaccine to everyone.

The Covax facility, which is led by the WHO, requires $16 billion in funding, of which only $2 billion had been pledged so far. The facility is backing the development of nine vaccine candidates right now. The money is required for fast-tracking the development process, ramping up manufacturing capacities, and rapid distribution of these vaccines.

There are similar initiatives for diagnostics and therapeutics as well. Together, these initiatives require a funding of $38 billion, of which only $3 billion have been pledged. The WHO says $15 billion is required immediately, while the rest can come in subsequent months.

With India reporting 85,362 cases in the last 24 hours ending 8 am on Saturday, the total number of Covid-19 infections in the country crossed the 59 lakh-mark to reach 59,03,933. Also, as many as 1,089 new fatalities pushed the death toll to 93, 379. At present, India has 9,60,969 active cases, while 48,49,585 people have been treated and discharged, the data released by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said. 

Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Friday enquired about the condition of veteran Congress leader Tarun Gogoi who is now in the intensive care unit (ICU) of a state-run hospital following post-COVID-19 complications. The 85-year-old leader's condition has slightly improved since Thursday, Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said.

The three-time former chief minister tested positive for the virus on August 25 and was admitted to the Gauhati Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) the next day. He tested negative recently but remained in the hospital. He was admitted to the ICU as his blood oxygen level drastically went down on Thursday after he developed some problems in the lungs.

Scientists have found that petroleum jelly and talcum powder are most likely to provide long-lasting skin protection to those wearing personal protective equipment (PPE), an advance that may help healthcare workers prevent injury from prolonged use of masks and visors amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. According to study, published in the journal PLOS ONE, the best lubricants to use are those that don't absorb into the skin, creating a long-lasting layer of protection between skin and PPE.

The scientists, including those from Imperial College London in the UK, noted that wearing PPE like face visors, goggles, and respiratory protective equipment have become an essential part of working life for frontline healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic, They said more workers are wearing facial PPE now than ever before, often for extended periods of time, to protect them against the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

As many as 7,02,69,975 samples tested up to September 25 for COVID-19. Of these, 13,41,535 samples were tested yesterday: Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR.

Tamil Nadu recorded 5,679 positive cases of COVID-19 Friday, bringing the state’s tally to 5,69,370. Among these, Chennai reported 1,193 positive cases, bringing the city’s total to 1,60,926.

Tamil Nadu recorded 72 deaths on Friday, putting the state toll at 9148. 68 of them had succumbed due to comorbidities.

As of Friday, the number of active COVID-19 cases in Tamil Nadu is 46,386. Till date, 3,43,470 males, 2,25,870 females and 30 transgenders have tested positive for the virus in the state.

Reporting over 1,400 new cases on Friday, Gujarat crossed 1.30 lakh cumulative Covid- 19 cases while the number of patients recorded as discharged have now crossed over 1.10 lakh till date. Read More

Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, who is battling a double infection of COVID-19 and dengue, has been administered convalescent plasma therapy and his condition is better now, an official from his office said on Friday. Sisodia is undergoing treatment at Max Hospital, Saket, where he was moved on Thursday evening from the Delhi government-run LNJP Hospital due to his "falling" blood platelet count and low oxygen level.

He is admitted to the ICU of the private hospital in south Delhi. "He was administered plasma therapy and his condition is better now," the official said.

Sisodia had tested positive for COVID-19 on September 14 and was under home isolation. He was admitted to LNJP Hospital on Wednesday for treatment, and tested positive for dengue a day later.

He is perhaps the first prominent personality in the city to have been diagnosed with both infections.Medical Superintendent of LNJP Hospital Suresh Kumar said though there is no scientific evidence to prove that plasma therapy benefits a patient, it has been administered for various ailments for several years.

(PTI)

Former Jharkhand Chief Minister Babulal Marandi Babulal Marandi said he has tested positive for novel coronavirus.Marandi has urged people who came in contact with him to get tested for Covid-19.

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— Babulal Marandi (@yourBabulal) September 25, 2020

The Assam government Friday announced that it would facilitate a 'tatkal' RT-PCR test at Guwahati airport for passengers.

Addressing a press, Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said that until now people arriving by air were tested through a rapid test mechanism and then put under home quarantine for 10 days. But from now on, if the antigen is negative, authorities will conduct an RT-PCR test too as it will help in lowering the quarantine period.

“If one pays Rs 2,200, then he/she can get an RT-PCR result within 24 hours — and if that is negative, then the person does not need to go for quarantine at all. If one doesn’t want to pay Rs 2,200 then, the results will be provided in 3-5 days and he/she has to be in quarantine till then,” Sarma said.

Also, the state government has decided that a COVID-recovered person would not be needing any further tests while travelling by air or train.

The government has also decided to do away with filing up multiple forms on landing at the Guwahati airport. “With effect from October 1, all passengers travelling to Assam by air will have to fill a single online form before starting their journey,” a press statement said. The form will be available at www.visitassam.org and a soft copy of the filled-up form can also be used by the passenger.

As the coronavirus pandemic continues to tighten its grip on India, a group of health care experts, researchers and volunteers from Wikipedia’s vast online community have come together to take on the gargantuan task of making factual information about the deadly virus accessible for all Indians, busting some popular myths too in the process. Read the full report here.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi Friday extended his condolences on the death of Singer-actor SP Balasubrahmanyam, saying that with his demise “our cultural world is a lot poorer”.

“A household name across India, his melodious voice and music enthralled audiences for decades. In this hour of grief, my thoughts are with his family and admirers. Om Shanti,” the prime minister said in a tweet.

With the unfortunate demise of Shri SP Balasubrahmanyam, our cultural world is a lot poorer. A household name across India, his melodious voice and music enthralled audiences for decades. In this hour of grief, my thoughts are with his family and admirers. Om Shanti.

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) September 25, 2020

The World Health Organization gave China its support and understanding to start administering experimental coronavirus vaccines to people while clinical trials were still underway, a Chinese health official said on Friday. China launched its emergency programme in July, having communicated with the WHO in late June, according to Zheng Zhongwei, a National Health Commission official. Hundreds of thousands of essential workers and other limited groups of people considered at high risk of infection have been given the vaccine, even though its efficacy and safety had not been fully established as Phase 3 clinical trials were incomplete. (Reuters)

A "record" 14,92,409 tests have been conducted for detection of Covid-19 in a span of 24 hours, taking the total tests done so far in the country to nearly 7 crore, the Union Health Ministry said on Friday. The Tests Per Million (TPM) stand at 49,948 as of today, it said.

"Evidence has revealed that higher numbers of testing subsequently leads to lowered positivity rate. States that are testing the highest numbers are also reporting a gradual decline in the positivity rate," the ministry said.

For the third time this week, West Bengal reported 62 Covid-19 deaths. This pushed up its toll to 4,606. The state health department also recorded 3,196 cases, which took the statewide infection count up to 2,37,869. The pandemic epicentre in South Bengal comprising Kolkata, its three adjoining districts, and Hooghly recorded 45 fatalities and over 55 per cent of the fatalities. Among those who died in Kolkata was the 12th Kolkata Police official. Assistant Sub Inspector Tushar Kanti Koley of Haridevpur Police Station had been diagnosed with the disease two weeks ago. He breathed his last on Thursday morning. Click here to read more.

Amid lack of guidelines from the state government ahead of Navratri, idol makers in the city have decided to stick to guidelines that were issued for Ganpati festival. With less than a month to go for the festival, which begins from October 17, the Home department or BMC is yet to issue a statement on protocols to be followed. In July, a month before Ganpati festival, BMC in its guidelines had said no more than five persons should participate in the arrival and immersion ceremonies, whereas the Home department had capped the height of idols at four feet. Pandals should have sanitisers and thermal screening facilities, and no aarti should be conducted at the immersion venue, the notification by the department had said. With idol workshops in Pen and Kurla, Pradeep Pacharne said idols not more than four feet were being made this time. Depending on requirement, idols were being made in clay and plaster of paris (PoP). “If the guidelines are any different than what we’re following, it could be troublesome for us. Working on devi idols begins as soon as Ganpati festival wraps up,” he said.

The Bihar Legislative Assembly Elections 2020 will be held in three phases on October 28, November 3 and 7. The counting of votes and the results will be declared on November 10. The Election Commission said the polls will be held in less phases this year to minimise the movement of security personnel, due to their wellbeing as well as the Covid-19 pandemic. With this announcement, the Model Code of Conduct comes into force in the state. Bihar’s 243-member Assembly is set to expire on October 29, 2020. Follow LIVE updates here. 

Singer-actor SP Balasubrahmanyam passed away on Friday following coronavirus complications. He was 74. SPB’s son SP Charan confirmed the news of Balasubrahmanyam’s demise to News 18 Tamil.

The Election Commission is holding a press conference in New Delhi to announce the dates for the Bihar Legislative Assembly elections amid the Covid pandemic. Several measures have been taken for campaigning and polling to ensure safety of leaders and voters. Several countries have held elections amid the pandemic. However, Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora said the Bihar polls are likely to be the largest elections conducted during the pandemic given there are with 72.9 million electors in the state. Click here for more updates.

"Activities for promoting the 'Yoga Break' protocol of the Ministry of AYUSH, which were suspended after the onset of Covid-19, have been resumed with effect from today: This five-minute protocol is intended to introduce people to Yoga at the workplace, and help them to take a break from the work schedule," the Ministry of AYUSH announced today.

Seven more people succumbed to coronavirus in Puducherry while 608 fresh cases were recorded on Friday, taking the total caseload to 25,489 in the Union Territory. In a media release, Director of Health and Family Welfare S Mohan Kumar said that 608 fresh cases were identified after examination of 5,515 samples in the last 24 hours.

A huge crowd outside MGM health care in Chennai, where Veteran playback singer S P Balasubrahmanyam is currently admitted.

Scenes outside the MGM health care in Chennai. Additional police forces have been deployed. A medical bulletin is expected in a while. Veteran singer #SPbalasubramanyam's family members and other film Industry members have arrived at the hospital. @IndianExpress pic.twitter.com/jLsv6wiJV0

— Janardhan Koushik (@koushiktweets) September 25, 2020

The Gujarat High Court on Wednesday refused to accede to a plea by a sitting Congress corporator of Rajkot seeking public disclosure of names of all Covid-19 positive patients. The public interest litigation (PIL) filed by Atul Rajani of Rajkot Municipal Corporation (RMC) was similar to an earlier litigation filed in August by two Bhavnagar residents on the ground that while names of Covid-19 positive persons were revealed until July 2020 in the Bhavnagar district, it was subsequently stopped. A division bench of Justices R M Chhaya and Ilesh Vora in an order on Wednesday recommended that Rajani might furnish a request to this effect to the municipal commissioner of Rajkot city but reiterated that such decisions are a “matter of policy decision of the state government and therefore, no further direction to that effect need to be given by this court”. 

After a sudden surge during Ganesh festival, Covid-19 cases in Pimpri-Chinchwad have seen a drop, with the positivity rate falling from from 25-27 per cent earlier this month to 17 per cent by Wednesday. While positive cases started rising at the beginning of August, by the end of the month, the twin city was reporting over 1,000 cases every day. Since the start of September, Pimpri-Chinchwad has registered between 1,000 to 1,300 cases every day. However, from last Friday (September 18), the number of new cases every day has slipped below 1,000, with 843 cases reported that day. On September 19, 981 cases were reported, 749 cases on September 20, 655 cases on September 21, 798 cases on September 22, and 800 cases on September 23.

West Bengal Transport Minister Suvendu Adhikari has tested positive for novel coronavirus and is under home isolation, PTI reported. The minister's mother has also contracted the disease, an official said. The 49-year-old legislator from Nandigram in Purba Medinipur district has isolated himself at a guest house in his constituency, while his mother has been admitted to a Kolkata-based hospital, the official added. "The minister has mild symptoms and is under home isolation," he said.

A 33-year-old woman, who was admitted to the jumbo Covid facility in Pune in the last week of August, has “gone missing” from the facility. While authorities have claimed that she was discharged days ago, her family members say that they found out she was missing only on September 13, when they were asked to come pick her up from the centre. Police are currently probing a missing complaint registered by the family on September 14.

The Bara Imambara in Lucknow opened its doors for the public on Thursday. (Express photo/Vishal Srivastava)

Veteran playback singer S P Balasubrahmanyam, battling Covid-19 since last month, is in an “extremely critical” condition, the hospital treating him said on Thursday. A bulletin from MGM Healthcare in Chennai said his condition has deteriorated, warranting maximal life support. Known fondly as SPB, the renowned singer was admitted to the hospital with mild symptoms in early August. Back then, he had posted a video on social media saying he was “perfectly all right”. Click here to read more.

Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, who is undergoing treatment for Covid-19 at Lok Nayak hospital, has also been diagnosed with dengue, his office said in a statement on Thursday. Sisodia (48) tested positive for Covid-19 on September 14. "He is being shifted to Max Hospital,” the statement said. Sisodia was admitted to Lok Nayak hospital Wednesday. “His condition was stable in the afternoon and we had shifted him out of the ICU,” said a senior doctor from Lok Nayak hospital on Thursday evening. Click here to read more.

Three-time former Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi, 85, has been moved to the ICU of the Guwahati Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) after he suffered a drop in oxygen levels on Thursday morning, days after testing negative for Covid-19. Gogoi’s oxygen level had dropped to 82 in the morning. However, authorities and family members say the level has recovered now to 92-93 with support and he is “stable”. “He is medically stable. For precaution, he has been moved to the ICU,” Gogoi’s son and MP Gaurav Gogoi told The Indian Express. Click here to read more.

To cushion the effects of the pandemic, the Tamil Nadu government approved a relief of Rs 96 crore to 4.8 lakh members through the Tamil Nadu Fishermen Welfare Board, which gave away Rs 2,000 per head for two months for the lockdown period for fishermen, fisherwomen, allied workers and crew members, PTI reported. An additional breeding season allowance of Rs 5,000 was given to each family for the ban (on fishing) period. This sum was disbursed to about 1.6 lakh families, a senior official told the news agency.

Apart from bringing some of the leading contenders of a coronavirus vaccine to India, the Serum Institute is developing its own vaccine as well. It is partnering with SpyBiotech, a spin-off of Oxford University, for this purpose. Their vaccine candidate has entered into combined phase-I/phase-II clinical trials, which are being done in Australia. The trials began in the first week of September. Serum also has the license to produce and market two of the leading vaccine candidates, one being developed by AstraZeneca and the Oxford University, and the other one by US company Novavax. The Oxford University vaccine is currently undergoing phase-II and phase-II trials in India.

While the country as a whole, and the five states with maximum caseloads, have been reporting a decline in the number of active cases of novel coronavirus infection in the last few days, Kerala, once feted for its effective containment measures, has been amongst the big trouble spots in the last few weeks. With a daily growth rate of 3.38 per cent, Kerala has currently been adding numbers at a rate faster than every other state, except Chhattisgarh, which is growing marginally faster. The national growth rate happens to be just 1.63 per cent per day right now, which means Kerala is growing at more than twice the national rate.

As India’s coronavirus numbers continue to grow, some promising signals over the last few days offer a glimmer of hope, even if temporarily. Wednesday was the sixth consecutive day when the number of people recovering from the disease, as reported in government data, exceeded the detection of new infections. Never before has this happened for more than a day — and those occasions were more in the nature of anomalies in the reporting of data, rather than the representation of a trend. The result has been that the number of active cases has started to show a declining trend for the first time. Active cases have come down from a high of 10.17 lakh on September 17, to 9.66 lakh now. Click here to read more.

With over 86,000 cases in 24 hours, the Covid-19 tally in India zoomed past 5.8 million on Friday. The death till also increased to 92,290 with more than 1,000 deaths during the same period, data released by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare indicated. Follow this space for all the latest updates.