A health worker getting ready to conduct Covid-19 tests in Delhi. (Express Photo: Praveen Khanna)For the sixth day in a row, more than 10,000 fresh coronavirus cases were reported, as Andhra Pradesh’s Covid-19 graph continued its steep surge to reach 4,34,771 on Monday. With this, it has now become the second state after Maharashtra to have more than one lakh active coronavirus cases, the latest data showed. After 3,30,526 recoveries and 3,969 deaths, the state has 1,00,276 active cases, the latest bulletin said.
Announcing guidelines for Unlock 4.0, Maharashtra government said the Metro rail services will remain suspended and the schools, colleges and other educational institutions will be continue to be closed. However, it allowed hotels and lodges to operate with 100% capacity.
India detected 78,512 new cases of the novel coronavirus in the past 24 hours, taking the country’s tally beyond 36 lakh. Of the 36,21,246 cases of Covid-19 in India, 7,81,975 patients are under treatment for the disease, 27,74,802 have recovered, the Union Health Ministry said. As many as 971 deaths were reported, taking the toll to 64,469. Covid-19 infections worldwide surpassed 25 million, as India set a global record for daily cases and the US tally approached the 6 million mark amid outbreaks on college campuses.
Door to door screening by health officials in Odisha (Express photo)
For the sixth day in a row, more than 10,000 fresh COVID-19 cases were reported, as Andhra Pradeshs Covid-19 graph continued its steep spiral to reach 4,34,771 on Monday. And, AP has become the second state behind Maharashtra to have more than one lakh active coronavirus cases, the latest statistics revealed. After 3,30,526 recoveries and 3,969 deaths, the state has 1,00,276, the latest bulletin said. On Sunday, AP took the second place in the national Covid-19 chart, relegating Tamil Nadu to the third spot. (PTI)
With 10 more death registered on Monday, Tripura's COVID casualty tally has reached 112. As per a report from the state COVID control room, 11,647 people were tested positive with COVID-19 out of 2,71,876 people tested for the virus till date. 321 new cases were found in the last 24 hours. Among them, 7654 have recovered and 3,858 others are currently under treatment at GBP Hospital here and few other COVID care centers in different parts of the state. Tripura is currently testing 68,010 people per million for coronavirus and has a positivity rate of 4.28 percent. 0.96 percent of the known positive cases have succumbed to death till now. - Debraj Deb reports from Tripura
Announcing ‘Unlock 4’ guidelines, the Maharashtra government announced significant easing of restrictions, including lifting restrictions on inter-district movement of persons and goods and raising attendance in its offices. Hotels and lodges will be allowed to operate at 100 per cent capacity from September 2, but schools, colleges, cinema halls and swimming pools will continue to remain closed till September 30. Click here to get the full list of what's allowed and what's not
Delhi recorded 1,358 fresh COVID-19 cases on Monday, taking the tally to over 1.74 lakh, while the death toll mounted to 4,444, authorities said. Eighteen fatalities have been recorded in the last 24 hours, according to the latest bulletin issued by the Delhi Health department. However, the number of tests conducted on Monday was 14,389, much lower than the average 20,000 done per day. On Sunday, Delhi had recorded 2,024 fresh cases, the highest single-day spike in August. On Saturday, the national capital had recorded 1,954 fresh cases. On preceding two days, the city had reported in excess of 1,800 cases. (PTI)
The COVID-19 tally in Kerala crossed the 75,000 mark on Monday with the addition of 1,530 fresh cases. While the number of positive cases rose to 75,384, seven COVID-19 deaths took the toll to 294, Health Minister K K Shailaja said. At least 1,693 people were discharged, taking the total of cured to 51,542. 'Currently, there are 23,488 people under treatment in the state,' she said in a release. The youngest among the latest victims was a 32-year old man while an 83-year old man was the oldest. The others were in the age group of 52-70. At least 1,98,843 people were under observation in the state with 19,366 in isolation wards, the release said. (PTI)
With a sudden spike in the number of Covid-19 caes in the national capital, Delhi Health Minister Satyender Jain Monday said while the state government has suffecient stock if Covid-19 test kits, more units are being procuired to meet a target of conducting 40,000 tests daily. He underlined that the doubling rate of coronavirus cases in Delhi was 85 days and, therefore, it was at a "comfort level" as of today. The Kejriwal government was doing "aggressive testing" with an aim was to ensure no case goes undetected, Jain said.
The Indian Medical Association has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi asking that all doctors who have died of COVID-19 be treated at par with martyrs of the armed forces, and their dependents be provided government jobs in accordance with their qualifications. In a letter to the prime minister, the country’s largest body of doctors said only an “inclusive national solatium” for all doctors who have lost their lives fighting the pandemic would render justice to the sacrifice of their families. Read more here
Congress' Karnataka unit president D K Shivakumar, who was undergoing treatment for COVID-19, has been discharged after recovery, news agency PTI quoted hospital officials as saying.
West bengal on Monday extended lockdown in containment zones till September 30. Chief Secretary Rajiv Sinha said Bengal will have comoplete lockdown on September 7, 11, and 12.
The Delhi High Court on Monday asked the AAP government to start at the earliest the online registration of legal documents, like wills, to minimise difficulties of public at large and minimise contact of officials with people during the prevalent COVID-19 pandemic. A bench of Chief Justice D N Patel and Justice Prateek Jalan said several states have started online registration of documents and even the Delhi High Court has started e-filing of cases where a litigant can file a petition and even pay court fees from the comfort of his or her office or home. (PTI)
The Delhi High Court on Monday asked the AAP government to start at the earliest the online registration of legal documents, like wills, to minimise difficulties of public at large and minimise contact of officials with people during the prevalent COVID-19 pandemic. A bench of Chief Justice D N Patel and Justice Prateek Jalan said several states have started online registration of documents and even the Delhi High Court has started e-filing of cases where a litigant can file a petition and even pay court fees from the comfort of his or her office or home. (PTI)
Amid the sudden spike in novel coronavirus infections in Delhi, Health Minister Satyendar Jain said Monday that the Kejriwal government was doing "aggressive testing" and the aim was to ensure no case was left untraced. Jain said the government had sufficient stock of COVID-19 testing kits for 10-15 days, but it was procuring more from the market to meet the target of 40,000 tests per day. The government has already increased the duration of testing hours at hospitals and dispensaries to five hours (9 am-2 am) from the earlier three-hour duration, he told reporters. (PTI)
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee Monday paid tribute to a block development officer in Murshidabad who had been infected by COVID-19 during the course of his work and died battling the disease, saying her government would extend all possible help to his family. Krishna Chandra Das (51), BDO, Nowda, was undergoing treatment for the disease for the past 20 days. He died at a private hospital in Kolkata on Sunday night, a health department official said. Describing his death as an "irreparable" loss, the CM said, "Grieved to know about the untimely demise of Krishna Chandra Das, who was posted as BDO Nowda in Murshidabad. A dedicated WBCS (Exe) Officer, Das was at forefront of our fight against COVID-19 & displayed great sense of sincerity & commitment in his work during the pandemic."
For the last five days, India has been reporting more than 75,000 new cases every day, more than any other country has ever done. The past few weeks have also seen a big rise in the number of tests, which have been crossing the one-million mark on a few days. So the suggestion is that the surge in new detections is because of the rise in the testing numbers, and not because of faster transmission of the virus, because that would have reflected in a rise in positivity rate as well.
While this may be true at the national level, where the positivity rate is showing a marginal but steady decline since the start of this month, things seem to be slightly different in the states that are the main cause for this surge. Four of the five states with maximum caseloads in the country, which are also powering the recent surge, are witnessing an increasing trend in their positivity rates. The only exception is Delhi right now. Three of these four, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka, also have positivity rates much above the national number.
Amid the sudden spike in novel coronavirus infections in Delhi, Health Minister Satyendar Jain said on Monday that the Kejriwal government was doing "aggressive testing" and the aim was to ensure no case was left untraced. Jain said the government had sufficient stock of COVID-19 testing kits for 10-15 days, but it was procuring more from the market to meet the target of 40,000 tests per day. The government has already increased the duration of testing hours at hospitals and dispensaries to five hours (9 am-2 am) from the earlier three-hour duration, he told reporters. Jain flagged that many people were going out without wearing masks and asserted that teams had been deployed penalise such violators of public safety norms, adding that the police had also been authoritised to impose fines. He underscored that the doubling rate of coronavirus cases in Delhi was 85 days and, therefore, it was at "comfort level" so far.
The suspension of scheduled international passenger flights has been extended till September 30, said Indian aviation regulator DGCA on Monday. "However, international scheduled flights may be allowed on selected routes by the competent authority on a case-to-case basis," noted the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) in a circular. International air travel has been barred in India since March 23 due to the coronavirus pandemic.
A week-long lockdown with stricter provisions will be enforced in Maharashtra's Chandrapur city from September 3 in view of the rising number of COVID-19 cases, the district administration has said. A notification issued by Collector Ajay Gulhane on Sunday said all shops, including those of essential commodities, will remain closed during the lockdown. Only medical shops and emergency services will be allowed to operate during the seven-long lockdown, it said. The district reported 270 new COVID-19 cases in the last 36 hours, taking its tally to 2,344, a release issued by the district information officer said. So far, 26 people have died of COVID-19 in the district, the release said.
The head of the US Food and Drug Administration promised that the review of a potential Covid-19 vaccine in the U.S. will be transparent to the public, with any clearance by the agency driven by data alone. “We’ve said all along we’re not going to pre-judge what mechanism we’re going to use to authorize or approve a vaccine,” Commissioner Stephen Hahn said in an interview. “We’re going to let the data dictate that.” Hahn apologized last week for overstating the benefits of blood plasma-based therapy during a news conference with President Donald Trump.
Hong Kong schools will be able to resume face-to-face classes in phases starting the week of Sept. 21, the South China Morning Post reported, citing unidentified people. Secretary for Education Kevin Yeung will hold briefing at 3 p.m. local time, the government said in a statement, without giving further details.
India saw its Covid-19 fatalities top Mexico’s to claim the third-largest death toll globally. India is now behind only the U.S. and Brazil in both deaths and infections. For the last four days, India has been detecting more than 75,000 new cases, a figure that no other country has touched.
Former president Pranab Mukherjee’s medical condition has “declined” and he is in “septic shock due to lung infection”, the Army’s Research and Referral Hospital said on Monday. Mukherjee is being managed by a team of specialists after his health worsened yesterday. The former president was August 10 admitted to the hospital in Delhi Cantonment, where he was operated upon for the removal of a clot in the brain. He had also tested positive for COVID-19 at the time of his admission. He later developed a lung infection and kidney dysfunction. He has been in coma since the surgery.
Multilateral agencies such as World Bank and Asian Development Bank (ADB) have committed $6.5 billion (around Rs 48,000 crore) to India to fight the novel coronavirus since April — this is more than five times the $1.29 billion (Rs 9,558 crore) that the government had estimated from these agencies this year in the Union Budget, which was presented a month before the pandemic began to spread rapidly in the country.
Much of this funding is being frontloaded for disbursal in the current year as an emergency response to the impact of the pandemic; some of the loan will likely come in 2021-22, government sources said. The biggest chunk of the funding is from the World Bank, which has extended $2.75 billion to India as part of a Covid relief package.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who was hospitalised at Delhi's AIIMS for post-Covid-care, was discharged this morning. Shah was admitted to AIIMS on August 18 as he complained of “fatigue and body aches” after he returned a negative result to Covid testing. The senior BJP leader was earlier admitted to Medanta Hospital in Gurgaon after testing positive for the infectious disease. He was the first member of the Union Cabinet to test positive for the infection.
India detected 78,512 new cases of the novel coronavirus in the past 24 hours, taking the country’s tally beyond 36 lakh. Of the 36,21,246 cases of Covid-19 in India, 7,81,975 patients are under treatment for the disease, 27,74,802 have recovered, the Union Health Ministry said. As many as 971 deaths were reported, taking the toll to 64,469.
Five districts of Maharashtra have recorded over a 400 per cent rise in Covid-19 cases since last month. Officials said they are struggling to create adequate critical care treatment facility in these districts – Beed, Sangli, Kolhapur, Osmanabad and Nagpur – which have also shown a massive rise in the toll. Mumbai, Thane and Pune continue to account for 57 per cent of the total burden of cases in the state but their growth has somewhat steadied. Mumbai had recorded a 28.04 per cent rise in cases between July 29 to August 29, Thane 43.8 per cent and Pune 104.3 per cent.
As Covid-19 spreads faster than anticipated in rural areas, data analysed shows a shift in hotspots from Mumbai Metropolitan Region, Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad to these five districts.
Hong Kong authorities say nearly half a million people have registered for a free universal coronavirus testing programme that is due to begin on Tuesday. Residents registering online have already booked out 80 testing sites located in gymnasiums and community centres for the initial day of the programme, according to the government's website. It said other centres still have places if the number of those signing on rises above the 420,000 registered as of late Sunday. Hong Kong launched the programme in an effort to track down paths of infection that have consistently added to case numbers despite strict social distancing and other measures imposed on the densely populated semi-autonomous Chinese city of 7.5 million. All who wish to be tested can do so at no cost.
New Zealand’s largest city has exited lockdown after the government said a Covid-19 outbreak there has been brought under control and it remains on track to again eliminate the virus from the community. Auckland schools and customer-facing businesses re-opened on Monday and a ban on traveling out of the city was lifted, almost three weeks after the outbreak prompted the reintroduction of restrictions. Social distancing requirements remain in place for the whole country under level 2 restrictions and everyone from the age of 12 is now required to wear a mask on public transport.
For the first time, the number of new novel coronavirus cases crossed 6,000 on Sunday, taking the total infected count in Uttar Pradesh to 2,25,632. With new Covid cases (6,233) surpassing the number of people recovering in a day (4,802), the total number of active cases in the state rose to 54,666. Read More
The younger generation in Punjab, in the age group of 0 to 50, is carrying the major caseload of Covid-19 infections, but it the fatalities due to coronavirus is higher among the elderly. Read More
It was Chandigarh’s fastest 1,000 in COVID cases this time. On Sunday, Chandigarh crossed the 4,000-mark and the total stood at 4,155 cases. An analysis of the COVID data shows that while it took the city to move from 1,000 cases and report 2,000 COVID cases. Read More
The UT on Sunday reported six deaths, including a person who tested positive for Covid, posthumously. As many as 170 new Covid-19 positive cases were reported on August 30, taking the tally of cases in Chandigarh to 4,155, with 1,805 active cases and 52 deaths reported till now. While 121 tested positive by RT-PCR, 49 positive cases detected by rapid-antigen tests were also reported. Till now, 29,864 people have been tested for Covid-19. Read More
Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot said on Sunday that when required, critical patients of Covid-19 will be able to avail free treatment in private hospitals in the state, said an official government release. Read More
Punjab police lost another member of its force to Covid-19 — a constable from Fatehgarh Sahib — as the state recorded its highest single-day toll of 56 deaths on Sunday. Read More
Over the last fortnight, Haryana has changed its decisions on reimposing lockdown restrictions. First, the state refused to acknowledge Chandigarh Administration's request of reimposing weekend lockdown in Panchkula to curtail the increasing cases of coronavirus infections. Read More
PUNJAB POLICE lost another member of its force to Covid-19 — a constable from Fatehgarh Sahib — as the state recorded its highest single-day toll of 56 deaths on Sunday.
The state’s Covid toll has reached 1,404. A total of 1,689 new cases were recorded on Sunday, taking the cases tally to 52,526.
Among 56 deaths reported as per Sunday’s bulletin, the highest (15) were reported from Ludhiana followed by Patiala (8), Jalandhar (7), Sangrur (5), Bathinda (4), Kapurthala (4), Amritsar (3), Fatehgarh Sahib (2), Hoshiarpur (2) and one each in Moga, Pathankot, SAS Nagar, Faridkot, Muktsar and Ferozepur.
Maximum fresh cases were recorded in Ludhiana (273) followed by Patiala (188), Jalandhar (150), SAS Nagar (148), Gurdaspur (136), Amritsar (111) and Faridkot (74).
A total of 1,656 patients were discharged after recovering from the virus. However, 10 new patients have also been put on ventilator support including five in Jalandhar, two each in Kapurthala and Hoshiarpur and one in Sangrur. In total, 77 patients in Punjab continue to be ‘critical and on ventilator support’ and 474 are on oxygen support.
The Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) on Sunday extended the functioning of weekly markets on a trial basis till September 6 in the national capital, officials said. Last week, the DDMA had allowed on a trial basis such markets to open, one market per day per municipal zone, in the city for one week from August 24-30.
The authorities have directed officials concerned to ensure strict implementation of anti-COVID-19 measures, including social distancing and mandatory use of face mask at these markets. In an order issued on August 30, Acting Chief Secretary Satya Gopal said that after reviewing the current COVID-19 situation, it was decided that one weekly market per day per zone will be allowed to function on a trial basis further for a week from August 31 to September 6. (PTI)
Over 1,900 vehicle owners were penalised for the violation of the coronavirus lockdown norms, Ghaziabad police said on Sunday. Some of them were not wearing masks and didn't use helmets, SSP Kalanidhi Naithani said. Police challaned 1,949 two-wheeler and four-wheeler owners, he said, adding that four vehicles were seized. The SSP said Rs 1.05 lakh was recovered in fine.
Sixty-seven more people died from coronavirus in Uttar Pradesh on Sunday while the state registered a record daily spike of 6,233 cases, pushing its COVID-19 tally 2,25,632. The previous highest single-day rise of 5,898 cases was reported on August 26.
Gujarat on Sunday reported 1,272 new COVID-19 cases, taking the total count of infections to 95,155, while the death toll crossed the 3,000-mark and rose to 3,008 with 17 patients, including five in Surat, succumbing to the infection, the Health department said. With 1,095 patients getting discharged in the day, the number of recoveries mounted to 76,757. Of the 17 fatalities, five deaths occurred in Surat district while four patients died in Ahmedabad. (PTI)
A local government hospital here on Sunday closed its out patient departments (OPDs) and operation theatres for two days after two of its staff members tested positive for COVID-19, officials said. Medical Superintendent of the Government Medical College, Anil Verma, said the decision of closing OPDs and operation theatres on Monday and Tuesday had been taken after a meeting with Hamirpur Deputy Commissioner Harikesh Meena.He, however, said that emergency services would continue as usual. (PTI)
Several Bollywood producers, actors along with the Multiplex Association of India (MAI) on Sunday urged the Centre to open the cinema halls, which have remained shut amid the coronavirus pandemic. Amid rising COVID-19 cases in the country, under the government's Unlock 4 guidelines, cinema chains have not been given permission to operate. The Multiplex Association of India tweeted under the hashtag "Support Movie Theatres" that the cinema industry is not only an inherent part of the country's culture but also an integral part of the economy, "supporting millions of livelihoods." "Most countries across the world have allowed cinemas to operate. We request the Government Of India to allow us to operate as well. We are committed to offering a safe and hygienic cinema experience. "If aviation, metro, malls, wellness and restaurants can be allowed to operate, the cinema industry too deserves a chance," the association wrote.
Over 5.84 lakh people have been challaned so far under the Rajasthan Epidemic Ordinance and more than Rs 8.68 crore has been collected from them, an official said on Sunday. As per the ordinance, disobeying any regulation or obstructing any officer from discharging duty shall be punished with imprisonment for a term up to two years or with fine up to Rs10,000 or with both. (PTI)
Delhi recorded 2,024 fresh COVID-19 cases on Sunday, the city's highest single-day spike in August, taking the tally to over 1.73 lakh, while the death toll mounted to 4,426 with 22 fresh fatalities, authorities said. This is the highest single-day spike in the national capital in the last nearly 50 days, as fresh cases were reported in excess of 2,000 from July 7 to July 10. It stood at 2,008 on July 7 and 2,089 on July 10. According to Delhi government's health bulletin, 22 fresh fatalities were recorded in the last 24 hours.
Tamil Nadu government on Sunday released fresh SOPs for the month of September, while extending the lockdown in the state till September 30 with several relaxations. In a statement, the government said that the Sunday lockdown and e-pass system has been scrapped. It also added that places of worship will be opened to the public soon, and metro will be made functional from September 7. The statement also added that public transportation will also start within districts.
With a record over 10.5 lakh tests conducted in a day for detection of COVID-19, the number of such tests performed in the country has crossed 4.14 crore, the Union health ministry said on Sunday. The exponential jump in the testing capacity and the number of tests has resulted in an upsurge in Tests Per Million to 30,044 as on date, it highlighted. With a record 10,55,027 tests conducted on Saturday, the country has further strengthened the national diagnostic capacity of testing more than 10 lakh samples for COVID-19 daily.
The Mullana police station in Haryana's Ambala was temporarily closed as eight cops tested positive for coronavirus, an official said on Sunday. The official said most of the police station staff was deployed on field duty. As mild symptoms of the infection were detected in some of the constables, the entire police station staff was tested for the virus. Eight of them were found coronavirus positive after their reports came on Saturday, the official said. The entire police station has been sanitised. (PTI)
In another sign that Lionel Messi’s time with Barcelona is coming to an end, the player did not report for required coronavirus testing scheduled for the whole squad on Sunday. Barcelona said Messi was the only player who did not undergo the tests at the club’s training center. The team is set to resume training on Monday ahead of the upcoming start of the season. The club also reiterated its stance not to negotiate Messi’s early release, saying president Josep Bartomeu will only sit down with the player if it is to extend his contract beyond next season. Read more
Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel on Sunday said that he will isolate himself for the next four days as two of his staff members have tested positive for the novel coronavirus infection. He added that his report, however, came out to be negative. "My OSD (Officer on Special Duty) and PSO (Personal Security Officer) have found corona positive. My (test) report is negative at the moment, but I will be in isolation for the next four days as a precautionary measure. This is a period of crisis, everyone please be careful," the CM tweeted in Hindi.
BJP Karnataka state unit President Nalin Kumar Kateel on Sunday said he has tested positive for COVID-19 but was asyomptomatic. "I underwent COVID-19 test and the reports have come out as positive. Despite being asymptomatic, on the advice of the doctors, I'm getting hospitalised," Kateel, also a member of Lok Sabha from Dakshina Kannada constituency, tweeted.
Sixty-seven more people died from coronavirus in Uttar Pradesh on Sunday as 6,233 fresh infections surfaced, pushing the state's COVID-19 tally 2,25,632, an official said. So far, the infection has claimed 3,423 lives in the state with the fatality rate standing at 1.51 per cent, Additional Chief Secretary (Medical and Health) Amit Mohan Prasad told reporters. The number of active cases in the state is 54,666, he said, adding that 1,67,543 patients have recovered from the disease. He said the recovery rate in the state stood at 74.25 per cent.
Maharashtra Health Minister Rajesh Tope on Sunday said the spike in COVID-19 cases in the state over the last one month was due to the government's aggressive approach of "tracking, tracing, testing and treatment". Talking to PTI, Tope said the state government is focusing on preparedness and creating awareness about the disease. "We are aggressively focussing on four Ts- tracking, tracing, testing and treatment. There are 400 labs for COVID-19 testing and more than 50,000 tests are done daily in the state. The antigen test and RT-PCR tests are being done to the optimum capacity," the health minister said. He noted that the spread of COVID-19 has gone up in the last month due to the easing of restrictions.
Actor Himansh Kohli has said his family, including father, mother and sister, have tested positive for COVID-19 while he has not contracted the virus. Kohli took to Instagram on Saturday and shared that for the last two-three days, his family was experiencing symptoms of viral infection, including mild fever. "Recently, we all got ourselves tested for Novel Coronavirus - mom dad and Disha have tested positive with mild COVID-19 infection and I have tested negative. "We are home quarantined, taking all precautions and are thankful to the government authorities for all the help and the advice," Kohli wrote. "I am taking care of myself and my family members. In the meanwhile, safeguard your family and ensure that they are taking all precautions. "Even the slightest bit of carelessness can be harmful. But, please don't be scared, a sane mind deals with all the problems better. Wishing all of you good health and lots of love," he added. (PTI)
Careless behaviour of people and complacency are leading to a spike in COVID-19 cases in Madhya Pradesh, which saw a 78 per cent rise in cases in the past two months, according to medical experts and government officials. A senior official from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Bhopal expressed concern over the governments fresh guidelines allowing political, social and religious congregations of up to 100 people from September 21. Talking to PTI, AIIMS, Bhopal, Director Prof Sarman Singh said "complacency among people" with regard to social distancing and other preventive norms, and the easing of restrictions are leading to the rise in COVID-19 cases. "Across the world, the spurt in COVID-19 cases is due to complacency among people, who have started taking the situation lightly. The use of masks and social distancing norms are not being followed," he said.
In a new set of guidelines for ‘Unlock 4.0’ issued on Saturday, the Union Home Ministry announced some significant relaxations — including the eventual resumption of metro services from September 7, and the return of upto 50 per cent of teaching and non-teaching staff to schools outside containment zones from September 21.
Here is a full list of permitted and prohibited activities during ‘Unlock 4.0’
Unlock 4.0 guidelines: What’s allowed?
Unlock 4.0 guidelines: What’s not allowed
Unlock 4.0 guidelines for containment zones
Former President Pranab Mukherjee continues to be in deep coma but is haemodynamically stable, the hospital treating him said on Sunday. Doctors attending to 84-year-old Mukherjee said he is on ventilator support and is being treated for lung infection. Doctors say a patient is haemodynamically stable when his blood circulation parameters, like blood pressure, heart and pulse rate, are stable and normal. Mukherjee was admitted to the Army's Research and Referral Hospital in Delhi on August 10 and was operated upon the same day for removal of a clot in the brain. He had also tested positive for COVID-19 during his admission. He later developed a lung infection and had a renal dysfunction, they added. (PTI)
At least 10 Gujarat ATS personnel have tested positive for the novel coronavirus infection. The personnel were involved in an investigation into the alleged attempt to kill BJP leaders, an official said. 'Ten ATS personnel, who were involved in the investigation into the case, have so far tested positive for the coronavirus,' ATS Assistant Commissioner of Police K K Patel said.The state Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) on August 19 arrested one Irfan Shaikh in Ahmedabad, following a tip-off that he was sent by gangster Chhota Shakeel to kill BJP leaders. On August 20, Shaikh tested positive for coronavirus. Later, the ATS personnel who came in contact with him were tested. Read more
Legendary singer Lata Mangeshkar's building in Peddar Road has been sealed by the BMC as a precautionary measure amid the coronavirus pandemic, news agency PTI reported. The 90-year-old singer resides in Prabhukunj building at Peddar Road in south Mumbai. In a statement, the family said the building has been sealed as it houses many senior citizens, and added that their family was safe. "We have been inundated by calls all evening enquiring whether Prabhukunj is sealed. The Building Society and the BMC have sealed it from the onset of the epidemic as we have senior citizens at home and in the building and it is mandatory to take these precautions. "Please do not react to any hearsay on the health of our family members especially. We, as a building society in unison, are taking utmost caution, care and co-operating to ensure the well being and safety of all the senior citizens especially and all the other residing members as well. "By God's grace and the wishes of so many, the family is safe," the statement read.
India is now adding the highest number of Covid-19 cases to the global tally, which crossed 25 million on Sunday. India’s 78,761 cases Saturday was the highest-ever single day increase, exceeding the United States’ record in mid-July of 77,299 cases. The country, however, still has less cases than the US and Brazil, which are the worst-hit countries in the world.
Odisha has become the 11th state in India to record over one lakh Covid-19 cases. The state detected 3,014 infections on Saturday -- the first time it crossed the 3,000 mark -- taking its tally to 1,00,934. With 12 additional deaths, Odisha's toll rose to 482. In the last one week, the state has added more than 22,000 new infections. Before Odisha, Assam on Friday had crossed the one lakh mark.