Coronavirus LIVE updates: Once seen as key in Covid fight, experts now say need for ventilators exaggerated. (Express Photo)
Coronavirus LIVE news updates:
In March, ventilators were considered vital to treat serious Covid cases, and with the countrywide inventory at an estimated 47,000, manufacturers raced to ramp up production. But now, with health experts pointing to a shift in treatment to non-invasive oxygenation, these manufacturers are staring at excess stocks and hoping for export channels to be opened.
That’s not all. Many smaller manufacturers, who tied up with majors like Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) and Maruti Suzuki India in anticipation of a surge in demand, say they are facing a crunch.
Says Dr V K Paul, the NITI Aayog member who heads the Centre’s Covid task force: “The lockdown gave us time to reassess the ventilator situation and we are in a comfort zone now. While we were largely relying on imports, India has shown that large volumes of ventilators can be manufactured indigenously within a short period and excess capacities can surely be exported later.”
Meanwhile, at least three of the hospitals – AIIMS in Delhi, SRM Hospital and Research Centre in Kancheepuram and King George Hospital in Vishakhapatnam — are learnt to still be awaiting ethics committee approvals to begin enrolling participants for the study. Other hospitals are awaiting site initiation visits and clearances to ensure their facilities are ready to conduct these trials.
Depending on the hospital, enrollment of participants is expected to begin between this week and the next, but the testing can only start once they receive stock of the vaccine. This will happen once Bharat Biotech receives a clearance from the Central Drugs Laboratory in Kasauli to use its vaccines in the trials.
In a bid to make the Covid-19 test “seamless and accessible” to all in Mumbai, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) will from Wednesday allow testing for all, irrespective of whether they have symptoms or not, and without a doctor’s prescription or self declaration. The civic body will also conduct antigen tests in containment zones and hospitals.
This is the ninth time that BMC has changed its testing protocol, mostly in conformity with central guidelines. The latest change also came after the Union Health Ministry instructed states to increase their testing capacity.
The BMC said on Tuesday that all laboratories, including private ones, were free to conduct RT-PCR (real-time polymerase chain reaction) tests on any individual in accordance with Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) guidelines without prescription from a doctor, including for home testing.
One of the passengers waves as they walk along the gangway during the boarding prior the first holiday flight of the Corendon Airlines Europe to the Greek destination Rhodos at the airport Erfurt-Weimar in Erfurt, Germany, Thursday, July 2, 2020. The tourist air traffic was interrupted for several months due to the corona pandemic. (AP Photo/Jens Meyer)
While currently international air travel is restricted to repatriation missions being flown by Indian as well as foreign carriers, the Centre has indicated that it is in discussions with various countries to establish air bridges. These include the US, Canada and several European countries. The concept of air bridges is based on reciprocity with the said countries allowing Indian citizens to fly into their borders and India allowing their citizens to fly into its borders.
What can be a hurdle in way of establishing international air bridges?
Several countries that have already put in place these air bridges or travel bubbles have done so on the basis of their perception of the ability of the destination country to handle the Covid19 pandemic. For example, New Zealand, which was completely able to contain the disease was establishing a trans-Tasmanian air bubble with other countries that had managed the virus spread. The three Baltic nations of Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia had also established an air bubble among themselves with virtually no restrictions on travel. However, the perception of India based on the rising number of cases, especially on account that it has become the country with third highest number of cases, could throw a spanner in the works for the government trying to establish air bridges.
India has reported 482 deaths and 22,752 Covid-19 cases in the last 24 hours.
A coastal village on the outskirts of Kerala’s capital Thiruvananthapuram has emerged as a sensitive Covid-19 hotspot after over 100 people in the area tested positive for the virus in last one week. Poonthura, a fishing village located 12 km off Thiruvananthapuram, has been described by government officials as an area witnessing ‘super spread’ of the coronavirus infection. A super spread indicates the transmission of the virus from one or more persons to a large group of people through primary or secondary contact. The origin of the infection in the area is suspected to be a wholesale fish vendor at the local Kumarichanda market. Click here to read our report.
All India Mahila Congress president and former Assam MP Sushmita Dev tested positive for COVID-19 on Wednesday. Dev — who was MP from Assam’s Silchar seat from 2014-2019 — confirmed the news on Twitter, saying that she was asymptomatic. “My report as signed by Department of Microbiology, Silchar Medical College, Cachar, Assam says I have tested positive for COVID 19. I am asymptomatic as of now. I thank everyone for their concern & calls” wrote Dev. Meanwhile, Assam reported 397 recoveries today and 6 deaths. Total active cases stand at 4,585.
West Bengal witnessed its highest ever single-day spike on July 8 with 986 new COVID-19 cases and 23 recorded deaths in the past 24 hours. According to figures provided by the West Bengal Government's Department of Health and Family Welfare, there are 7,705 total active cases in the state with 24,823 recorded cases since it was first detected in the state.
Tamil Nadu on Wednesday reported 3,756 COVID-19 cases and 64 fatalities, taking the tally to 1.22 lakh while the death toll went up to 1,700, the health department said. The doubling time of coronavirus cases in Chennai, meanwhile, improved to 25.42 days as of Tuesday from 18 days on June 28, according to the Greater Chennai Corporation. Chennai recorded 1,261 new cases today, Madurai 379 and nearby Tiruvallur and Chengelpet 300 and 273 infections respectively, a health department bulletin said. The fresh cases here today conformed to the recent trend of a dip in fresh infections following an intense lockdown between June 19 and July 5. The state capital posted 1,203 cases on Tuesday and 1,747 on Monday. Tamil Nadu’s tally stood at 1,22,350 and Chennai’s share was 72,500.
Eighty more people tested positive for COVID-19 in Uttar Pradesh's Gautam Buddh Nagar on Wednesday, pushing the tally in the district to 3,010, an official data showed.
Also, 266 patients got discharged since Tuesday, bringing down the number of active COVID-19 cases in the district to 969, according to data released by the Uttar Pradesh Health Department for a 24-hour period.
So far, 2,011 patients have got discharged after they recovered from COVID-19 in Gautam Buddh Nagar, with the recovery rate rising to 66.81 per cent from 60.81 per cent on Tuesday, it showed. (PTI)
Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal and Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday inaugurated a 500-bed COVID care centre at the Commonwealth Games village here. Doctors For You, a not-for-profit organisation, supported the Delhi government in setting up the facility which is attached to the Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Hospital.
With schools being shut till July 31, a school in Delhi's Khajoori area is now serving as a Covid-19 testing centre.
The Bihar government on Wednesday announced to implement strict lockdown in Patna from July 10 to 16 due to an alarming surge in Covid-19 positive cases. Under this lockdown, Government offices and Public corporations shall remain closed. All private and commercial establishments shall remain closed. However, Ration, Dairy, Vegetables and meat shops shall remain open from 6 am to 10 am and 4 pm to 7 pm. All places of worship and religious gatherings shall also be closed.
As many as 22,752 cases of Covid-19 were reported in India in the past 24 hours, taking the country’s overall caseload to 7,42,717 on Wednesday. The death toll touched 20,642, with 482 deaths reported in a day, data from the Health Ministry showed. There are 2,64,944 active cases and around 61.53 per cent of patients have recovered so far.
Here's are the top developments of the day:
-UP govt to undertake a 3-day special campaign to curb COVID-19 spread
-Lockdown in containment zones of Bengal for 7 days from July 9
-Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren home quarantined
-Patna to remain under lockdown from July 10
-Odisha Covid-19 death toll rises to 48
-Over 5,000 new cases in Maharashtra
-No possibility of extending lockdown in Tamil Nadu, says CM Edappadi K Palaniswami
The number of COVID-19 cases recorded per day in India may surge to 2.87 lakh by early 2021 if a vaccine or treatment isn’t developed soon, researchers from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) warned in a recent study.
In their study, titled ‘Estimating the global spread of COVID-19’, Researchers Hazhir Rahmandad, TY Lim and John Sterman of MIT’s Sloan School of Management have predicted that India may record the highest number of fresh cases in the world by the end of winter in 2021. Further, without a vaccine or treatment, over 24.9 crore cases and 18 lakh deaths may be reported globally by spring next year (March-May), the study claimed.
Kerala breaks new record in daily Covid-19 cases. Today, the state reports 301 Covid-19 cases, 90 of them through local transmission. The positive cases include 14 migrant workers from West Bengal, who have been camping in Palakkad since June 19.
Lockdown will be imposed in containment zones in West Bengal for seven days from 5 pm Thursday to check the surge in novel coronavirus cases, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said on Wednesday.
The situation will be reviewed after the seven days and the next course of action will be decided, she said at the state secretariat in Kolkata.
"This lockdown in containment zones in West Bengal will continue for seven days from 5 pm Thursday. Will review the situation after seven days and then decide next course of action on lockdown," the chief minister was quoted saying by PTI.
Cricket icon Sachin Tendulkar on Wednesday inaugurated a Plasma Therapy Unit for treating COVID-19 patients at the Seven Hills Hospital in suburban Andheri and urged those who have recovered from the deadly infection to help save lives by donating blood plasma.
The unit is an initiative of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). It will offer convalescent plasma therapy to COVID-19
patients using donated blood plasma from those who have recovered.
"We are facing an unprecedented challenge to our health in the form of the COVID-19 pandemic. Rising to the occasion, our doctors, nurses, paramedical staff, the police, municipal and government staff are working tirelessly to deliver effective healthcare to all those affected by the virus," Tendulkar was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.
The coronavirus has infected nearly 11.8 million people worldwide and killed over 500,000. The United States has the most number of infections, over three million, followed by Brazil (1.6 million), India (7,00,000) and Russia (6,00,000).
Here's what happened today:
*Riots spark in Belgrade by new lockdown, dozens injured
*US notifies UN on decision to withdraw from WHO
*China defends WHO, lashes out at US move to withdraw
*Japan banks lend at record rate in June
*Colombia extends lockdown till August 1
*UK faces ‘job crisis’ as demand for employment falls
*WHO acknowledges ‘evidence emerging’ of airborne spread of Covid
Click here to follow our Covid-19 global updates.
The number of Covid-19 cases in Madhya Pradesh's Indore district rose to 4,998 after 44 new cases were found in the last 24 hours, a health official said on Wednesday.
Besides, 252 people have so far died of coronavirus in the district, Indore's Chief Medical and Health Officer Praveen Jadia said.
"Since the outbreak of the disease here on March 24, 4,998 COVID-19 patients have been found so far out of the total 96,090 samples which were tested," Jadia was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.
Till now, 3,871 patients have been discharged after recovery, he added.
The number of COVID-19 cases recorded per day in India may surge to 2.87 lakh by early 2021 if a vaccine or treatment isn’t developed soon, researchers from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) warned in a recent study.
In their study, titled ‘Estimating the global spread of COVID-19’, Researchers Hazhir Rahmandad, TY Lim and John Sterman of MIT’s Sloan School of Management have predicted that India may record the highest number of fresh cases in the world by the end of winter in 2021. Further, without a vaccine or treatment, over 24.9 crore cases and 18 lakh deaths may be reported globally by spring next year (March-May), the study claimed. More details here.
Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren has quarantined himself at his Ranchi residence after a cabinet minister whom he had met recently tested positive. The chief minister had recently come in contact with Drinking and Sanitation Minister Mithilesh Thakur who has tested positive for COVID-19. Soren has also urged staff members of the Chief Minister's Office to go into home quarantine.
As the number of diagnostic tests for novel Coronavirus is increasing in the country, so is the positivity rate. This means more number of people, from among those who are being tested, are found to be infected with the disease. The positivity rate had crossed 6 per cent mark for the first time on June 20, and has risen swiftly thereafter. At present, the positivity rate is around 7.09 per cent.
Positivity rate is a good indicator to assess the prevalence of the disease in the community. The rise in positivity rate means that the growth in the number of confirmed cases is outpacing the growth in the tests being conducted. And this is happening mainly because the criteria for testing is still restrictive in most states.
Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren quarantines himself at Ranchi residence after minister whom he met tests COVID-19 positive: Statement (PTI)
Tamil Nadu Electricity Minister P Thangamani has been tested positive for COVID-19. He participated in a couple of events yesterday at the secretariat with CM Edappadi and other officials. The total number of MLAs who have tested #COVID19 positive in the state has risen to 11.
In a move to contain the spread of COVID-19 in the area, the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) in West Bengal has said that no tourists will be allowed in the Darjeeling Hills till July 31.
Assam has reported a total of 7 Covid-19-related deaths in the past 24 hours, taking the total death toll in the state to 21. While a a woman with Type II diabetes and hypertension in Kamrup (M) district and a 40-year-old from Nagaon district died yesterday, five more deaths were reported this morning. Today’s deaths include a 30-year-old from Udalguri district and and four more (aged between 60 and 75) in Guwahati and Barpeta. “These are trying times, and we all must adhere to guidelines being repeatedly given - wearing mask, social distance and not going out unless very important” wrote state Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Twitter, while sharing his condolences. Yesterday, 814 cases were detected in Assam, with 588 from Guwahati. Active cases in the state are now at 4,988 while the total reported cases are at 13,336. -- reports Tora Agarwala
Bihar is the latest to join states wanting to put the Covid-19 care isolation coaches to use in view of the growing number of coronavirus cases in the state.
Bihar government on Wednesday made the request to the Indian Railways for 500 isolation beds or berths to be placed at Patna junction, sources said.
The State has reported 385 new cases in the last 24 hours, of which 265 have been reported from Patna. The district administration in Patna has also requested for the 80-bed Divisional Railway hospital in Danapur for COVID patients.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday wished Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro a speedy recovery from COVID-19. Bolsonaro had on Tuesday said that he has tested positive for coronavirus. "My friend President @jairbolsonaro (Jair Bolsonaro), my prayers and best wishes for your speedy recovery," Modi tweeted in Portuguese and English.
A 40-year-old Delhi Police constable who was undergoing treatment for liver related complications at a hospital here has passed away, 12 days after testing positive for COVID-19, officials said on Wednesday. Constable Yogender Yadav, was posted at Paschim Vihar West Police Station and passed away on Tuesday, a senior officer said. He was admitted to Park Hospital on June 12 due to a liver related ailment and had tested positive for COVID-19 on June 25. He hailed from Balaha Kalan village in Mahendergarh district of Haryana and lived with his family in police colony, Paschim Vihar, he said. He is survived by his wife -- Rekha (32), son Lakshay Yadav (14) and daughter Akshu Yadav (3), police said. Delhi Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal offered condolences to the family.
Ruling BJD MLA Prasant Behera has tested positive for COVID-19, the second legislator in Odisha to have contracted the disease, an official said on Wednesday. The lawmaker from Salipur in Cuttack district was admitted to a COVID-19 hospital, he said. Behera had come in contact with BJP's Nilgiri MLA Sukanta Kumar Nayak, who tested positive for the infection on Monday, and has been undergoing treatment at a hospital in Balasore, the official said.
Behera's personal security officer and driver have also contracted the disease, he said. The local administration has already launched contact-tracing of the legislator as he attended several programmes in his constituency. Meanwhile, Congress MLA Sura Routray has demanded a set of guidelines for legislators as they attend programmes and meet people.
Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has sought a detailed analytical report from the Delhi government's health secretary on factors responsible for COVID-19 deaths in the city in the last fortnight, officials said. Delhi reported 736 deaths in the last two weeks, with 397 people succumbing to the disease in the first week of July. Officials said the objective of seeking the report is to?take all possible measures to reduce coronavirus deaths in the national capital. A total of 3,165 COVID-19 deaths have occurred in Delhi so far.
A day after the Union Health Ministry recommended the Karnataka government to prioritise saving lives and to step up testing, Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa held an emergency meeting with ministers and top government officials in Bengaluru on Wednesday.
The meeting was attended by Deputy Chief Minister Ashwathnarayan C N, Medical Education Minister K Sudhakar, Chief Secretary T M Vijay Bhaskar, and BBMP Commissioner B H Anil Kumar among others.
While 12 hospitals chosen to conduct clinical trials of Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin prepare to enrol participants this month, samples of the vaccine are still undergoing quality and safety tests at a government facility, The Indian Express has learnt.
The tests, which began last Friday, are expected to be completed by the end of next week and cannot be rushed as they are expected to ensure the vaccines are safe to use in humans, said senior officials. Read More
Reserve players doing the job of ball boys, cleaning breaks to sanitise stumps and bails, reporters and photographers covering matches in personal protective equipment (PPE) — an unusual Test series between England and the West Indies starts on Wednesday.
In the middle of the novel coronavirus pandemic, international cricket will resume at the Ageas Bowl in Southampton. The Test — and the two that will follow in Manchester later this month — will be played without spectators in a bio-secure environment. The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has issued a list of do’s and don’ts in a 74-page booklet that it has sent to Southampton.
Only the two captains, Ben Stokes and Jason Holder, and match referee Chris Broad will go out for the toss, says the booklet. There will be no cameras at the toss, and no handshakes after.
The Assam branch of Indian Medical Association (IMA) on Tuesday expressed resentment over the state government’s recent policy changes on the management of COVID-19 situation, claiming that they are difficult to follow and will not serve any purpose.
In a strongly-worded letter to Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, it also sought to know why a large number of doctors were infected with coronavirus infection while treating patients. The minister did not reply to the message sent by PTI for his reaction till the filing of this report. Senior officials were also not available for comment. Read More
The use of hydroxychloroquine to treat coronavirus patients has become highly politicized in the US but it is used widely in India, a top White House official has said, asserting latest research showed the malaria drug is highly effective in early stages of COVID-19.
“It’s the politicization of this medicine by the mainstream media and portions of the medical community that somehow made this a battle between President Trump and them and created this undue fear and hysteria over a drug, a medicine that has been used for over 60 years relatively safely and is regularly prescribed to pregnant women if they are going to a malaria zone,” White House Office of Trade and Manufacturing Policy Director Peter Navarro told reporters.
IN THE STAFF room of the Primary School in Shahabad, Principal Devendra Kumar Singh and teacher Juhi Kumari squinted into the smartphone to read the latest state government order on mid-day meals. Parents of at least three children from Badbilla who study in the school were waiting outside for details with news in the air that students will be provided ration in lieu of mid-day meals.
“We have been instructed to make a roster, and do things systematically. So, it will take a few days. Parents will be called to the school; your children will not have to come. The money will be sent straight to children’s accounts, while you will get the rice from here,” Principal Singh told the parents. Read More
India has reported 482 deaths and 22,752 Covid-19 cases in the last 24 hours, pushing the total number of casualties to 20,642 and total number of infections to 7,42,417 which includes 2,64,944 active cases, and 4,56,831 people who have been treated and discharged so far, according to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. The number of recovered cases exceeded that of the active cases by 1,91,886 on Tuesday.
The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR)has said that a total of 1,04,73,771 samples have been tested for COVID-19 till date. Of these, 2,62,679 samples were tested on Tuesday.
Four months into the pandemic, Indian medical manufacturers catering to the swelling Covid industry are facing a unique dilemma over the use of a life-saving device at the heart of every ICU: ventilators.
In March, ventilators were considered vital to treat serious Covid cases, and with the countrywide inventory at an estimated 47,000, manufacturers raced to ramp up production. But now, with health experts pointing to a shift in treatment to non-invasive oxygenation, these manufacturers are staring at excess stocks and hoping for export channels to be opened.
In a bid to make the Covid-19 test “seamless and accessible” to all in Mumbai, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) will from Wednesday allow testing for all, irrespective of whether they have symptoms or not, and without a doctor’s prescription or self declaration. The civic body will also conduct antigen tests in containment zones and hospitals.
This is the ninth time that BMC has changed its testing protocol, mostly in conformity with central guidelines. The latest change also came after the Union Health Ministry instructed states to increase their testing capacity.
The World Health Organization on Tuesday acknowledged "evidence emerging" of the airborne spread of the novel coronavirus, after a group of scientists urged the global body to update its guidance on how the respiratory disease passes between people."We have been talking about the possibility of airborne transmission and aerosol transmission as one of the modes of transmission of COVID-19," Maria Van Kerkhove, technical lead on the COVID-19 pandemic at the WHO, told a news briefing.
The Delhi government said on Tuesday that foodgrains will be given for free to all ration card holders in the city till November. The cost was first waived off in April after the lockdown was imposed.
“The Delhi government will be providing PDS ration to NFS beneficiaries for the next 5 months…up to November, free of cost. The distribution of foodgrains for July 2020 is scheduled to start in a phased manner from July 8 onwards. In Delhi, under the Public Distribution System (PDS) covered by the National Food Security Act, more than 17.54 lakh households get ration. This scheme benefits nearly 71,40,938 and they get subsidised foodgrains from the Delhi government. These include 68,465 Antodya Anna Yojna (AAY) households, with 2,78,954 beneficiaries also who are provided subsidised foodgrains,” the government said in a statement.
Beneficiaries are provided with 4 kg of wheat and 1 kg of rice every month. Under AAY, 25 kg of wheat, 10 kg of rice and 1 kg of sugar is distributed per household.
Delhi government officials said that while ration distribution to those who do not have ration cards is also continuing at present, no decision has been taken yet on a time frame for when this will be applicable.
Food and civil supplies minister Imran Hussain said if beneficiaries are not given foodgrains free of cost, they can complain to the respective Assistant Commissioner, Food Supplies Officer or Food Supplies Inspector.
The Karnataka government has deployed 1,246 employees from various departments for contact tracing of COVID-19 patients with special focus on Bengaluru and surrounding areas and warned of strict action in case of refusal to undertake the work. Noting that contact tracing was crucial in controlling COVID-19 spread, Chief Secretary T M Vijay Bhaskar in an order on Monday said as more human resources were required for this purpose, group A, B and C officials and workers from various departments have been deputed for contact tracing. They have been asked to report to senior IAS officer Manjula, who heads a task force on Covid-19 contact tracing. The move comes at a time when the state is witnessing spike in cases and contacts of a majority of new patients are still under tracing. According to an analysis by Karnatakas Covid-19 War Room, of the 25,317 cases in the state till Monday, the source of transmission in 10,484 cases is still under investigation.
Tamil Nadu on Tuesday reported 3,616 COVID-19 cases and 65 fatalities, taking the tally to 1,18,594 and the toll to 1,636, the state health department said. The state crossed the 14 lakh mark in testing samples with nearly 40,000 being examined today alone, it said in a bulletin. The dead include 52 with co-morbidities and 13 with none. Two men aged 30 and 97 and a 25-year-old woman were among the deceased. Of the fresh cases, Chennai accounted for 1,203, reflecting a continuation of drop in new infections, while the remainder was spread across Tamil Nadu. On Monday, Chennai had reported 1,747 cases, 1,713 on Sunday and 1,842 on July 4. While the state's tally stood at 1,18,594, Chennai's share was 71,230. As many as 36,938 samples were tested today alone and the total number of specimens examined climbed to 14,13,435 in Tamil Nadu.
After a spike in COVID-19 cases, West Bengal has announced a strict lockdown in containment zones & buffer zones across the state from July 9, 2020. All private & government offices in containment zones & buffer zones will remain shut. Only essential services will be available in these zones & transport services will remain suspended till further notice.
The number of containment zones in Kolkata have been increased from 17 to 33 after the city recently witnessed a major spike in COVID-19 cases. This spike in numbers comes after the West Bengal government had announced lockdown relaxations across the state.
Door-to-door testing began in Ward No. 2 in the Pandu locality of Guwahati on Tuesday after the city reported a continuous spike in cases over the last week.“A series of door-to-door tests for #COVID19 conducted in Ward No. 2 (Pandu Area) of Guwahati Municipality today, as a part of our mass testing initiative in Assam.
I personally monitored the procedure & convinced people to not panic & cooperate with us in testing” tweeted Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday evening. The minister had earlier announced that the “first of its kind” initiative on mass testing will involve house-to-house tests in the Pandu area starting Tuesday. “We target to complete 3000 tests in the Ward in two days,” Sarma said. The total reported cases in Assam stand at 12,522 with 4,623 active cases. Guwahati — which is currently under a strict 14 day lockdown — accounts for over 3,000 cases. (Report by Tora aggarwala)
The Union Health Ministry on Tuesday said that the recovery rate among COVID-19 patients has increased to 61.13 per cent. It said that as on date, the number of recovered cases exceeded that of the active cases by 1,80,390. Enhanced focus on Test, Trace, Treat augmented with various measures has facilitated widespread COVID-19 testing by states and Union territories.This has resulted in more than 2 lakh tests being conducted per day, the ministry said.
According to the health ministry, the testing lab network of the country continues to expand with more number of laboratories being added in various states and UTs. With 793 labs in the government sector and 322 private labs, there are as many as 1,115 labs in the country, it added
The Union Health Ministry on Tuesday said that the recovery rate among COVID-19 patients has increased to 61.13 per cent. It said that as on date, the number of recovered cases exceeded that of the active cases by 1,80,390. Enhanced focus on Test, Trace, Treat augmented with various measures has facilitated widespread COVID-19 testing by states and Union territories.This has resulted in more than 2 lakh tests being conducted per day, the ministry said.
According to the health ministry, the testing lab network of the country continues to expand with more number of laboratories being added in various states and UTs. With 793 labs in the government sector and 322 private labs, there are as many as 1,115 labs in the country, it added
India's total number of coronavirus cases and fatalities per million population is one of the lowest in the world, the Union health ministry said on Tuesday even as the country's infection tally went past the 7 lakh-mark and the death toll rose to 20,160. Referring to the ?WHO Situation Report-168' dated July 6, the ministry said India's COVID-19 cases per million population is 505.37 as against the global average of 1,453.25. Chile has witnessed 15,459.8 COVID-19 cases per million population, while Peru has 9,070.8 cases per million people. The US, Brazil, Spain, Russia, the UK, Italy and Mexico have 8,560.5, 7,419.1, 5,358.7, 4,713.5, 4,204.4, 3,996.1 and 1,955.8 cases per million, respectively, according to the WHO report. "The WHO Situation Report also shows that India has one of the lowest deaths (due to COVID-19) per million population. India's cases of death per million population is 14.27 while the global average is more than its four times, at 68.29," the ministry said.
Delhi government-run Rajiv Gandhi Super Speciality Hospital (RGSSH), a dedicated COVID-19 facility, has received nod from the ICMR to conduct plasma therapy on 200 coronavirus patients, senior officials said on Tuesday. RGSSH in east Delhi has treated over a thousand patients after being declared a dedicated facility, and Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday felicitated the 1000th patient who was discharged on July 3. "We received the ICMR nod about 10 days ago, and currently we have the permit to do plasma therapy on 200 recipients. We are making all arrangements before we can begin, but we are short of manpower as of now," a senior doctor at RGSSH told PTI.
The total number of Covid-19 cases in the state stands at 197 including 58 active cases and 139 cured/discharged: Department of Information & Public Relations, Government of Mizoram.
Face masks and hand sanitisers are no more essential products as their supply is sufficient in the country and, therefore, are now kept out of the purview of the Essential Commodities Act, 1955, Consumer Affairs Secretary Leena Nandan said on Tuesday. On March 13, the Union consumer affairs ministry had declared face masks and hand sanitisers as essential commodities for 100 days to boost supply and prevent hoarding of these items in its fight to check the spread of coronavirus.
In Andhra Pradesh, a total of 1178 Covid-19 positive cases reported in last 24 hours. The total number of positive cases in the state now stands at 21,197. Death toll rises to 252 and a total of 9745 discharged: State Command Control Room, Andhra Pradesh.
Officials from the Union Ministry of Health Tuesday advised the Karnataka government to prioritise saving lives and providing treatment to patients while formulating the strategy to contain the novel c oronavirus pandemic.
"The priority of the (Karnataka) government should be to save lives and to provide treatment. The government should also ensure guidelines are strictly followed at containment zones," a team led by Arti Ahuja, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and Dr. P. Raveendran, Director, Emergency Medical Response Centre said.
Karnataka is one of the few states in India that has recorded rapid growth in the number of fresh cases and deaths since the beginning of June. As on Tuesday, Karnataka reported a cumulative 25,317 cases and 401 deaths, almost eight times the same of what the state had recorded till June 1 (3408 total cases, 52 deaths). -- reports Ralph Alex Arakal
The number of samples tested for novel Coronavirus in India crossed the 10-million mark (1 crore) on Monday. While that, no doubt, is a significant milestone, India’s testing numbers are still low compared to many other countries.
China, whose number of infections has all but remain static at around 85,000, has carried out more than 90 million tests, according to data on the Worldometer website. The same database shows that the United States has tested more than 38 million samples, Russia has carried out more than 21 million tests, while even the United Kingdom, right now, is marginally ahead of India.
All these countries, however, began testing much earlier than India, because the outbreak started at least two months earlier there. In India, regular testing started happening only in the first week of March after the emergence of the first few cases. Starting with just one laboratory, the Pune-based National Institute of Virology, that was testing samples at that time, India now has a network of more than 1,100 laboratory that are conducting these diagnostic tests. More than two lakh samples are being tested every day now, compared to just a few hundred when the exercise had begun.
Any vaccine developed to ward off the novel coronavirus would likely be limited in how long it would shield against infection, top US infectious disease expert Anthony Fauci said Monday.
“You can assume that we’ll get protection at least to take us through this cycle,” Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said in an appearance on a live-streamed video conference hosted by the National Institutes of Health.“We’re still knee-deep in the first wave” of the pandemic, Fauci said. Health officials are assuming a shot would offer a degree of protection, though it’s likely “going to be finite.”
The Maharashtra government on Tuesday expressed its inability to frame a policy for street vendors to earn their livelihood during the Covid-19 lockdown and submitted that it had no intention of allowing street vendors, who belong to ‘unregulated sector’ to carry out their businesses being ‘most dangerous in terms of spread of coronavirus’ and can pose a threat to society’s health.
A division bench of Justices A A Sayed and M S Karnik on Tuesday heard through videoconference, a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by one Manoj Jalamchand Oswal through advocate Ashish Verma raising concerns pertaining to street vendors selling food items, toys and clothes among other items being without income due to the lockdown.
Advocate General Ashutosh Kumbhakoni submitted that the state government does not have a policy for street vendors and it was not contemplating framing any such policy during the Covid-19 pandemic. “We have no intention of allowing street vendors. They are most dangerous in terms of the spread of coronavirus,” the state said.
The Maharashtra government on Tuesday expressed its inability to frame a policy for street vendors to earn their livelihood during the Covid-19 lockdown and submitted that it had no intention of allowing street vendors, who belong to ‘unregulated sector’ to carry out their businesses being ‘most dangerous in terms of spread of coronavirus’ and can pose a threat to society’s health.
A division bench of Justices A A Sayed and M S Karnik on Tuesday heard through videoconference, a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by one Manoj Jalamchand Oswal through advocate Ashish Verma raising concerns pertaining to street vendors selling food items, toys and clothes among other items being without income due to the lockdown.
Advocate General Ashutosh Kumbhakoni submitted that the state government does not have a policy for street vendors and it was not contemplating framing any such policy during the Covid-19 pandemic. “We have no intention of allowing street vendors. They are most dangerous in terms of the spread of coronavirus,” the state said.
The Supreme Court today granted Centre one more months’ time to comply with its verdict that women officers of the Indian Army, serving under Short Service Commission, be considered for grant of Permanent Commission. The extension was granted after the Centre moved the apex court seeking more six months’ time due to the pandemic.
A bench headed by Justices D Y Chandrachud asked the Centre to ensure complete compliance with its directions. The Centre, through the Ministry of Defence (MoD), submitted to the Supreme Court bench that the decision-making process is almost at the final stage and only formal orders remain to be issued.
International students will be forced to leave the US or transfer to another college if their schools offer classes entirely online this fall, under new guidelines issued Monday by federal immigration authorities.
The guidelines, issued by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, provide additional pressure for universities to reopen even amid growing concerns about the recent spread of COVID-19 among young adults. Colleges received the guidance the same day that some institutions, including Harvard University, announced that all instruction will be offered remotely.
Hearing a matter on the coronavirus affected children in Juvenile Homes in Tamil Nadu, state government tells Supreme Court that those who were affected are cured and back in facility and that no new cases have been reported. The government also said that there are no children in any juvenile home who are Covid positive.
Total shutdown would be imposed in English Bazar and Old Malda towns for a week, starting Wednesday in the wake of the rising cases of COVID-19, officials said. All shops will remain shut during this period, except those selling essential items, they said. Pharmacies have also been excluded from the purview of the shutdown, officials said. Private vehicles will not be allowed on the roads, they said, adding that state-run buses after leaving the Gour Kanya terminal will stop only at a single point in any of these two towns. Cycle-rickshaws and e-rickshaws will also be not allowed, officials said. However, some rickshaws would be made available at three designated locations for emergency purposes.
Teachers unpaid for months, mounting rent pressure, and pending fees — amidst a Covid-enforced shutdown, several low-cost private schools in the national Capital, catering to children from lower-middle-class and working-class families, are struggling to stay afloat.
Madhuri Aggarwal runs a primary school for children of migrant labourers in Pochanpur, in Southwest Delhi’s Dwarka, charging Rs 600 a month as fees for nursery students, with an incremental hike of Rs 50 for every subsequent class. Read More