Minutes after BJP leader Manoj Tiwari tweeted that Amit Shah has tested negative for coronavirus, the Ministry of Home Affairs has clarified that the Home Minister is yet to undergo a test. The Delhi BJP leader has now deleted his tweet. Shah who had been visiting hospitals and Covid-19 centres in Delhi, underwent treatment in Gurgaon's Medanta Hospital. He was the first member of the Union Cabinet to test positive for the disease.
At least nine people were killed in a major fire caused by a short circuit at a hotel which was being used as a coronavirus facility in Andhra Pradesh’s Vijayawada in the early hours of Sunday. A private hospital had leased Hotel Swarna Palace in Vijayawada to keep infected Covid patients. This comes days after eight coronavirus patients died in a huge fire that broke out in the intensive care ward of a private hospital in Gujarat's Ahmedabad.
Noting that total of 196 doctors have succumbed to Covid-19 in India so far, Indian Medical Association (IMA) on Saturday sought Prime Minister Narendra Modi's attention on the issue. "As per the latest data collected by the IMA, our nation has lost 196 doctors, out of which 170 of them are above the age of 50 years, with general practitioners attributing to around 40 per cent of it," the IMA said expressing concerns over the safety of doctors in the battle against the COVID-19 crisis.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Friday held a meeting with his counterparts from the US, Australia, Israel, Brazil and South Korea and discussed challenges related to the coronavirus.
Jaishankar said in a tweet that he had a “useful meeting” with Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne, South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha, Brazilian Foreign Minister Ernesto Araujo, Israeli Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.
Meanwhile, several large pharma companies, which are currently in the middle of late stage human trials of their Covid-19 vaccine candidates, have been entering into agreements with countries on the administration of the vaccine. The Indian government, which is closely watching global developments, is working on three separate mechanisms, The Indian Express has learnt.
Given the “rapidly evolving scenario across different countries”, two high power committees are deliberating on key issues related to vaccine development, highly placed sources in the government said. The first committee, headed by Principal Scientific Adviser to the Prime Minister Dr K VijayRaghavan, is mandated to “fast track and accelerate the development of homegrown vaccines as well as the manufacture of foreign vaccines which have been given under agreement to an Indian manufacturer”, a top source said. The committee is tracking the vaccine candidates being developed by Bharat Biotech and Zydus Cadila, and is keeping close watch on phase 2-3 trials of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine candidate, the source said.
Covid-19 vaccine tracker, August 8 | Some shots produced by Serum could cost less than Rs 240 per dose
The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation decided to provide $150 million in at-risk funds towards helping the Serum Institute of India rapidly manufacture the Covid-19 vaccines developed by the University of Oxford-AstraZeneca and Novavax. As part of this new agreement, SII will be responsible for delivering up to 100 million doses of the vaccines priced at $3 (around Rs 225) a dose for India and low- and middle-income countries.
The Telangana government is presently conducting 23,000 COVID-19 tests per day and the number would soon be scaled to 40,000, state Municipal Administration Minister K T Rama Rao said on Sunday. "We are testing nearly 23,000 samples per day and it will soon go upto 40,000. Tests are being carried out in 1,200 plus centres. Our fatality rate is less than 1 percent and recovery rate one of the best in the country at 72 percentage. Of course there is more to do," he noted. (PTI)
he Indian Army Sunday gifted 10 ventilators to the Nepali Army to help them fight against the COVID-19 pandemic that has claimed 75 lives in the Himalayan nation. Indian Ambassador to Nepal Vinay Mohan Kwatra handed over the ventilators to Nepal Army chief Purna Chnadra Thapa during an event at Nepali Army Headquarters, the Indian mission said in a statement.
Karnataka Health Minister B Sriramulu has admitted himself to a state-run hospital aftyer testing positive for the virus.
Jammu and Kashmir reported 507 new Covid-19 positive cases today. Of them 129 from Jammu division and 378 from Kashmir. Total number of cases now stand at 24,897 including 7,422 active cases, 17,003 recoveries and 472 deaths, J&K government stated.
5,994 new Covid-19 positive cases and 119 deaths have been reported in Tamil Nadu today. Total number of cases now at 2,96,901 including 53,336 active cases, 2,38,638 discharged cases and 4,927 deaths: State Health Department
Karnataka Health Minister B Sriramulu tested positive for Covid-19 on Sunday.
Total Covid-19 cases in Himachal Pradesh rises to 3,334 including 2,128 patients cured and 13 deaths, said Department of Health and Family Welfare, Himachal Pradesh.
Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday said the Covid situation in Delhi is under control and the recovery rate is improving. Speaking at the inauguration of health facility in Ambedkar Nagar, he said in case the situation takes a turn for the worse, the government is fully prepared to deal with it. Delhi's Covid-19 case count stood at 1,44,127 on Saturday, according to government data.
All barracks of the district jail here were sealed as over 90 inmates have contracted coronavirus in the past some days, an official said on Sunday. According to Jail Superintendent A K Saxena, all 25 barracks have been sanitised and the inmates are not being allowed to come to the jail compound to prevent the spread of the disease. (PTI)
A probationary Karnataka Administrative Services (KAS) officer Saturday died while on duty at Karnataka's largest Covid Care Centre (CCC) situated in Bengaluru. H Gangadharaiah, a 2015-batch officer, was posted at Bengaluru International Exhibition Centre (BIEC) as the nodal officer for Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) to manage the situation at the centre. According to BBMP Commissioner N Manjunatha Prasad, Gangadharaiah succumbed to a cardiac arrest. "I am deeply saddened & disturbed at the sudden demise of my younger colleague Gangadariah, KAS Probationary AC of 2015 batch, due to heart attack while on Covid duty at BIEC," he wrote on Twitter.
Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday said the COVID-19 situation in Delhi is under control and the recovery rate is improving. Speaking at the inauguration of a hospital in Ambedkar Nagar, he said in case the situation takes a turn for the worse, the government is fully prepared to deal with it. On the COVID-19 situation in Delhi, the chief minister said, “The situation is under control, all parameters good, recovery rate is improving, positivity ratio reducing and deaths have reduced.”
Setting a record for covid-19 caseload in any country, the United States on Saturday breached the grim milestone of 5 million cases. According to a Reuters analysis, 1 in every 66 US residents are infected by the virus. The country also has a quarter of the world’s total death toll with over 160,000 people succumbing to the disease.
The Andhra Pradesh government on Saturday appealed to people to seek medical help “without any delay” if they display Covid-19 symptoms, even as the state recorded 10,080 new cases and 97 new deaths. Special Chief Secretary (Health) K S Jawahar Reddy said the mortality rate was under control, but appealed to people to go to hospitals if necessary. “I am appealing to people to seek medical care at the earliest possible before the condition deteriorates. If a person has symptoms like high fever, breathlessness, and oxygen saturation drops below 94 per cent they should seek medical help without any delay,” he said.
The state recorded 1,939 deaths in total and over 2 lakh cases. Reddy asserted that the public should start taking responsibility to contain the virus and stressed the need to use masks, maintain physical distance and wash hands at frequent intervals.
Minutes after BJP leader Manoj Tiwari tweeted that Amit Shah has tested negative for coronavirus, the Ministry of Home Affairs has clarified that the Home Minister is yet to undergo a test. The Delhi BJP leader has now deleted his tweet.
Bollywood actor Sanjay Dutt was admitted to Lilavati Hospital on Saturday evening after he complained of chest discomfort and his oxygen saturation level dipped. Dutt has been admitted to an intensive care unit and is stable, doctors said.
At the hospital, the 61-year-old actor underwent a rapid antigen test for Covid-19, and the result was negative, doctors said. An RT-PCR test conducted late Saturday also found him negative for coronavirus. His treating doctor, Jalil Parkar, who himself recovered from Covid-19 last month, said a few more tests are being conducted to assess Dutt’s medical parameters and why his oxygen level had dipped.
Nearly a week after Amit Shah contracted the coronavirus, the home minister has now tested negative, BJP leader Manoj Tiwari tweeted. Shah who had been visiting hospitals and Covid-19 centres in Delhi, underwent treatment in Gurgaon’s Medanta Hospital. He was the first member of the Union Cabinet to test positive for the disease.
In a tweet, Amit Shah had said he got tested after showing Covid-19 symptoms while requested those who had come in contact with him in the last few days to get tested and isolate themselves. “Following the appearance of initial symptoms of Covid-19, I got myself tested and the report is positive. My health is fine but on the advice of doctors I am getting admitted to hospital. I request all those who came in contact with me in the past few days to isolate themselves and get tested,” Shah had tweeted
The number of people succumbed due to the coronavirus pandemic in Brazil surpassed 1 lakh-mark on Saturday, with 905 deaths and 49,970 cases in the last 24 hours. Despite the rising numbers and having over 3 million cases, the country continues to reopen its public places despite warning from experts that the pandemic is yet to peak. While it took three months for the toll to reach 50,000, it just took 50 days to kill the next 50,000.
At least 68 more people, including 36 security personnel and a healthcare professional, have tested positive for coronavirus in Arunachal Pradesh, taking the state's total count to 2,117, a Health Department official said on Sunday. Of the fresh cases, 10 were reported from the Capital Complex region, 20 from East Kameng district, 12 from West Siang, five each from Tirap and Lower Siang, four each from West Kameng and Namsai, three each from East Siang and Tawang, two from Papumpare and one from Changlang, State Surveillance Officer Dr L Jampa said. "Thirty-six security personnel of paramilitary forces are among the fresh patients. A healthcare worker from West Kameng district has tested positive for COVID-19," he said. (PTI)
The premier of Australia's Victoria state says more than 2,700 active cases have no known source and remain the primary concern of health authorities. Victoria on Sunday saw a welcome drop in its new COVID-19 cases with 394 but a record 17 deaths, including two people in their 50s. It took the hard-hit state's toll to 210 and the Australian total of deaths to 295. Victoria Premier Daniel Andrews said confirmed cases also include almost 1,000 health care workers. The city of Melbourne has been under tough restrictions since a week ago, including an overnight curfew and mandatory wearing of masks, but won't see the results of their efforts for another one to two weeks.
New Zealand on Sunday marked 100 days since it stamped out the spread of the coronavirus, a rare bright spot in a world that continues to be ravaged by the disease. Life has returned to normal for many people in the South Pacific nation of 5 million, as they attend rugby games at packed stadiums and sit down in bars and restaurants without the fear of getting infected. But some worry the country may be getting complacent and not preparing well enough for any future outbreaks.
New Zealand got rid of the virus by imposing a strict lockdown in late March when only about 100 people had tested positive for the disease. That stopped its spread. For the past three months, the only new cases have been a handful of returning travelers who have been quarantined at the border.
Nine people have died in the fire in Vijayawada. Expressing shock over the incident, Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy announced an ex-gratia of Rs 50 lakh to the kin of the deceased and ordered an in-depth probe into the mishap. He also directed authorities to take steps to ensure better medical services to the victims of the accident. Taking to Twitter, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he discussed the situation with the chief minister.
With 64,399 new cases reported in the last 24 hours, the total caseload in India has now risen to 21,53,011. Of these, 6,28,747 are active cases, while 14,80,885 patients have already been discharged, data from the Union Health Ministry showed. As many as 861 deaths were reported, taking the casualties to 43,379. For eleven straight days now, Covid-19 cases have in India have risen by over 50,000. Globally, over 19.5 million cases of coronavirus and 7.25 lakh deaths have been reported.
A major fire broke out at a hotel, which is being served as a coronavirus facility, in Andhra Pradesh’s Vijayawada in the early hours of Sunday. According to unconfirmed reports, at least seven persons are feared dead and several others injured in the incident. Taking note of the incident, Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy ordered an in-depth probe and directed authorities to take steps to ensure better medical services to the victims of the accident.
The U.K. will need more than just a simple communication campaign to ensure people get a potential coronavirus vaccine after research showed that less than a third of the population would definitely seek to be inoculated.
A survey by King’s College London and Ipsos Mori released Sunday showed British people who are skeptical about science and authority were more likely to say they’d refuse a vaccine. While 43% said they’d be very likely or fairly likely to get a vaccine, if one becomes available, 16% said they are unlikely to or definitely won’t and 11% didn’t know. Read more
China reported 23 new coronavirus cases in the mainland for Aug 8, down from 31 a day earlier, the country’s health authority said on Sunday. Among the new cases, 15 were locally transmitted and eight were imported infections, the National Health Commission said in a statement published on its website. Some 45 people were discharged on Saturday and there are still 817 active cases in the country, including 43 severe cases. The total number of infections in mainland China now stands at 84,619, with the death toll unchanged at 4,634
Maharashtra on Saturday reported a highest single-day spike of 12,822 new coronavirus cases, taking the tally in the state to 5,03,084, a health official said.
With 275 COVID-19 patients succumbing, the death toll in the state increased to 17,367, he added. However, a record 11,082 patients were also discharged from hospitals, taking the tally of recovered coronavirus patients to 3,38,362, the official added.
There are 1,47,048 active coronavirus patients in Maharashtra now, he said.
Union Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs and Heavy Industries & Public Enterprises Arjun Ram Meghwal tested positive for Covid-19 on Saturday. Taking to Twitter, Meghwal said, “I tested positive for COVID-19 after testing negative for the disease. My health is fine but I am admitted to AIIMS on doctors’ advice.”
Two BSF jawans succumbed to Covid-19 at GBP Hospital at Agartala on Saturday.
Bengal recorded 2,949 cases, 2,064 discharges, and 51 deaths today. Total number of cases in the state is now at 92,615, including 65,124 discharged, 25,486 active cases, & 2,005 deaths, the State Health Department said
1,304 new Covid-19 cases, 1,454 recoveries & 58 deaths reported in Mumbai today. Total number of cases in the city is now at 1,22,331 including 95,354 recoveries, 19,932 active cases & 6,748 deaths: Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation
Andhra Pradesh continued to witness a surge in COVID-19 cases as 10,080 fresh infections were reported, taking the overall tally to 2,17,040 while a single day high of 97 fatalities were recorded. The latest government bulletin said the state now had 85,486 active cases after 1,29,615 coronavirus positive persons got cured, including 9,151 in the last 24 hours, and 1,939 succumbed. (PTI)
Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on Saturday defended the use of the Rapid Antigen tests for diagnosis of COVID-19 in the national capital, saying the false reading rate for it is almost the same as that of the-PCR. Sisodia said the Rapid Antigen Test (RAT), over which the experts have expressed reservations due to high false negative rate, has its own merits, one of which is giving immediate results that can help in early isolation of a patient to contain the spread of the virus. (PTI)
Six of the security personnel stationed at the residence of ruling Nepal Communist Party (NCP) co-chair Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda' have tested positive for coronavirus, according to a media report. The PCR tests of the guards were carried out at Maharajgunj-based Nepal Police Hospital, The Himalayan Times reported. According to Dahal's secretariat, the infected persons are the team of police personnel stationed at the entrance of the residence. (PTI)
hirteen districts in eight states and Union Territories reporting COVID-19 mortality higher than the national average were advised by the Centre on Saturday to address the issues of low testing and delay in test results, and ensure timely hospitalisation. In view of reports from some areas that patients were dying within 48 hours of being admitted to health facilities, the Union health ministry asked them to ensure timely referral and hospitalisation of people afflicted with COVID-19. In a high-level virtual meeting chaired by Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan, the eight states were directed to ensure availability of ambulances and maintain zero tolerance for their refusal, the ministry said. (PTI)
Union Minister of State for Agriculture Kailash Chaudhary has tested positive for coronavirus, he tweeted on Saturday. He is undergoing treatment at a hospital in Jodhpur, he said. "Following the test done last night after showing symptoms, the report for coronavirus has come out positive," Chaudhary wrote on Twitter. ''All friends who came in contact with me in the last few days should keep distance from their family members and get themselves tested," he said.
268 new Covid-19 cases, 109 discharges and 5 deaths have been reported in Puducherry today. Total of number of cases now at 5,087 including 1,953 active cases, 3,054 recovered cases and 80 deaths: Puducherry Govt
Bollywood actor Abhishek Bachchan has been discharged from the hospital after testing negative for coronavirus. He was admitted in Mumbai’s Nanavati Hospital for the last 29 days. Amitabh Bachchan shared the news of Abhishek being discharged from the hospital. He wrote on Twitter, “T 3620 – Abhishek tests negative for CoviD .. discharged from Hospital .. on his way home .. GOD IS GREAT .. thank you Ef and well wishers for your PRAYERS ..” Read more
Noting that total of 196 doctors have succumbed to Covid-19 in India so far, Indian Medical Association (IMA) on Saturday sought Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s attention on the issue. “As per the latest data collected by the IMA, our nation has lost 196 doctors, out of which 170 of them are above the age of 50 years, with general practitioners attributing to around 40 per cent of it,” PTI reported as the IMA saying while expressing concerns over the safety of doctors in the battle against the COVID-19 crisis.
The Covid-19 death toll in Puducherry rose to 80, with five more people succumbing to the infection on Saturday, PTI reported.
Director of Health and Family Welfare S Mohan Kumar said in a release that all these patients had co-morbidities and were in the age groups ranging from 57 to 78 years.
The union territory recorded 268 new cases, its highest so far, taking the total number of cases to 5,087.
Around 1,953 of the total cases are active (including 607 in home isolation in Puducherry and Yanam region, while 3,054 patients have recovered and 80 have died.
Rajasthan on Saturday reported nine more coronavirus-related deaths on Saturday, pushing the state death toll to 776, while 499 new cases were recorded, taking the total caseload to 50,656, PTI quoted a health department official as saying.
There are 13,570 active cases in the state, while as many as 34,069 people have been discharged, the official said.
The Tamil Nadu government on Saturday announced that small temples with an annual income less than Rs 10,000, mosques, dargah, churches and other religious places in the corporation areas will be opened for worship from August 10, reported PTI.
Temples and other religious places of worship were closed for darshan since March 24, when the state government enforced a total lockdown. The government, however, permitted all religious activities including daily puja in temples by priests.
Also, driving schools across the state shall function from August 10, adhering to the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to be released by the government.
With 101 new coronavirus cases, Arunachal Pradesh's tally crossed 2,000-mark on Saturday, PTI quoted a Health Department ofiicial as saying. The total number of cases in the state rose to 2,049, State Surveillance Officer Dr L Jampa said.
At least 81 people were discharged from hospitals on Friday. The number of active cases in the state now stands at 720, while as many as 1,326 have recovered, and three have died, Jampa said.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Friday said deaths due to the coronavirus infection must be reduced at any cost and asked officials to focus on tracing patients and contacts. Thackeray asked authorities to take strict action against hospitals for overcharging, and also called for effective bed and ambulance management amid the outbreak.
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) Friday cited that some government officials get away with following standard protocols of domestic air passengers including “mandatory home isolation for 14 days” after entering the state and they would from now on require a written statement “justifying their request from home quarantine exception”. Follow Maharashtra Coronavirus Live Updates
Maharashtra registered a spike of 10,483 new cases on Friday, which took its coronavirus tally to 4,90,262, the state health department said. The death toll in the state due to the pandemic reached 17,092 with 300 patients succumbing during the day, it said. The statement said that the recovery rate in the state is 66.76 per cent, while the fatality rate is 3.49 per cent. Mumbai reported 862 new cases and 45 deaths on Friday.
DMK MLA from Thanjavur, T K G Neelamegam tested positive for COVID-19 on Friday. He has been admitted to Thanjavur Medical College Hospital for treatment.
With this, a total of 27 legislators have tested positive for the state till now. 11 from AIADMK, 13 from DMK, one from AICC and two from independent parties have tested positive till date, with two legislators having recovered and one DMK MLA having succumbed to the virus in May.
Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu recorded 5880 positive cases of COVID-19 on Friday, bringing the state tally to 2,85,024. Among these, Chennai reported 984 positive cases, bringing the city’s total to 1,07,109. Chennai recorded less than 1000 cases for the first time in months. Follow Tamil Nadu Chennai Coronavirus Live Updates
The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) has directed its personnel to go into preventive quarantine after at least two passengers of the Air India Express flight that crashed at Kozhikode on Friday night tested positive for Covid-19, PTI quoted officials as saying. At least 18 passengers, including the two pilots of the Boeing 737-800 aircraft, were killed in the accident. Follow Kozhikode Air India Express crash LIVE updates
'We are trying to identify our personnel, who rescued the passengers who have tested positive for coronavirus,' CISF Special Director General (Airports) MA Ganapathy told PTI.
Around 50 CISF personnel, who were involved in the rescue operation, and their family members have been asked to quarantine themselves, a senior officer said.
UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday inaugurated a dedicated 400-bed government hospital for Covid-19 patients in Noida, PTI reported.
The facility is located in Sector 39. Adityanath also reviewed the facilities in the hospital, which is expected to begin services with 200 beds initially from Sunday, and will have 400 beds in the course of time, officials said.
Coronavirus has infected over 5,800 people in Gautam Buddh Nagar district and claimed 43 live so far, as per official figures.
When the country’s lawmakers get back to business in the midst of the Covid pandemic, it will be to a very altered workspace.
After exploring a number of possibilities, presiding officers of both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha have almost agreed on a fully physical model for conducting the Monsoon session of Parliament. Parliament is expected to meet in September for the first time since March. According to the plan, the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha will take turns to work — either as morning and evening shifts, or by working on alternate days. Of the Lok Sabha’s current strength of 542, 168 members will be seated in the Lok Sabha chamber, and the others distributed across the Lower House’s galleries, the Rajya Sabha and its galleries.
Telangana reported a new single day high with 2,207 new coronavirus cases on Saturday, taking the overall caseload in the state to 75,257. The death toll rose to 601 with 12 more fatalities, a state government bulletin said on Friday. Till now, 53,239 have recovered and the recovery rate stands at 70.7%.
Andhra Pradesh, meanwhile, crossed the 2 lakh mark Friday as another 10,171 were added taking the overall tally to 2,06,960 out of which over 1.2 lakh people have recovered till now. With 89 new deaths, the state reported its highest single day spike in death toll so far. Follow Andhra Pradesh, Telangana Coronavirus LIVE updates
The coronavirus pandemic has affected crores of people around the world with total India number touching almost 20 lakh and the number is only increasing with every passing day. People have been stuck at home for the longest time now due to the pandemic but eventually, everyone is stepping out for work or other activities. At these times it is crucial to follow social distancing norms, keep hands sanitized, wear a mask, and try not to meet people until and unless extremely required.
During the pandemic, several gadgets have been introduced that can help you stay safe at these times. Read our list of five such gadgets that you must own during Covid-19.
The Union Health Ministry has asked states and UTs to take up coronavirus testing of grocery shop workers, vegetable and other vendors, stating if undetected they can potentially spread the infection to a large number of people.
In a letter to states and UTs, Secretary in the Health Ministry, Rajesh Bhushan also stressed the need for operationalising ambulance transport system with oxygen facility and quick response mechanism. He underlined that refusal rate of ambulances must be monitored at a daily basis and brought down to zero.