Coronavirus June 9 Highlights: Over 2,500 fresh cases in Maharashtra; Tripura reports first covid-19 death

India has reported 9,987 cases of coronavirus in the last 24 hours, taking the country's tally to 2,66,598 infections.

By: Express Web Desk
Bengaluru, Chennai, Guwahati, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Mumbai, New Delhi | Updated: June 10, 2020 09:44 AM IST
india unlock 1.0 sarojini nagar market, delhi A boy at Sarojini Nagar market in Delhi. ( Express Photo by Amit Mehra)

India is better positioned in the fight against COVID-19 compared to other nations but there is no space for complacency, Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan said on Tuesday, even as a record rise in coronavirus cases for the sixth consecutive day in the country pushed the tally to over 2.6 lakh. A total of 266 new COVID-19 fatalities and 9,987 cases were reported in the last 24 hours.  The death toll due to the coronavirus infection rose to 7,466 and the cases mounted to 2,66,598 in the country.  With India relaxing restrictions, a surge in cases is expected to begin soon. Several states like Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir, Assam, Haryana, Karnataka, Chhattisgarh and Tripura have been showing a spurt in cases.

In other news, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal tested negative for covid-19, a day after he showed symptoms of the infection. Meanwhile, Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia asserted that the number of COVID-19 cases in Delhi will explode to 5.5 lakhs by the end of July even though the Centre said there is no community transmission of the virus in the capital.

An Expert Explains: The best practices for home quarantine of Covid-19 patients

The Supreme Court, on the other hand, asked worst Covid-19 affected state Maharashtra to make concerted effort in sending the migrant workers still stranded there to their native places. The top court, which directed all states and Union Territories to transport all stranded workers by train, bus or other mode within 15 days, said there were “huge lapses” by the Maharashtra authorities in dealing with the issue.

Globally, the number of people infected with coronavirus rose to 7,119,736 with as many as 406,542 fatalities.

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00:29 (IST)10 Jun 2020
Manipur: Inmates of quarantine center booked for violating safety guidelines

The Manipur police booked four inmates of a quarantine center situated in Churachandpur and Pherzawl districts for creating ‘nuisance and violating’ the protocols to be followed inside center.

The incident comes close on the heels of the warning issued by Manipur Chief Minister that inmate who violates safety protocols and mischievous in a quarantine center will be jailed.

The inmates were booked under U/S 51 Disaster Management Act, 188/269/34 IPC, based on a written complaint on Monday at Churachandpur police station, police said.

The four inmates and some other unknown persons are presently quarantined at Pherzawl District transit quarantine centre ‘En Gedi Centre’, Geljang, Churachandpur.

Police said that the inmates had returned from Delhi and were booked for creating nuisance at the quarantine center on Sunday and for violating SOPs of the center. Moreover, the inmates disobeyed the lawful order of the deputed staffs of the center. The inmates used abusive words and threatening gesture against the police personnel deployed at the said center, the police said. 

Jimmy Leivon reports from Imphal

00:25 (IST)10 Jun 2020
Only 15% in active home quarantine using Cova app, Punjab banks on GPS bands to track the rest

To rein in truant suspected coronavirus cases put under home quarantine, who violate guidelines and venture outside, the Punjab government is ready with a plan to put "lockable" Global Positioning System (GPS) bands on their wrists.

According to sources, a tender in this regard is ready and is likely to be floated by the state Health Department very soon to procure at least 1,000 such bands in first phase. Read more here

00:08 (IST)10 Jun 2020
Pune police reports 62nd Covid case: ACP-rank officer tests positive

AN officer of Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) rank from Pune City Police has tested positive for Covid-19. Till now, 62 Covid-19 cases have been reported in Pune City Police, of which 23 are still active.

The ACP-rank officer was isolated and tested after he came down with fever. His immediate contacts were also quarantined and tested. Read more here

23:25 (IST)09 Jun 2020
Mumbai: Total cases cross 50,000

Ninety days after the first coronavirus positive patient was found in Mumbai, the number of cases in the country’s financial capital crossed 50,000 on Tuesday while the death toll reached 1,758.

The number of coronavirus cases in Mumbai had crossed 10,000 on May 6 and 25,000 on May 21. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) said in a release that 1,015 new coronavirus patients were detected on Tuesday, taking the tally of cases to 50,878.

23:23 (IST)09 Jun 2020
Meghalaya to take a call on religious places end of the month, rescinds earlier order

Earlier meant to open on June 14, religious places in Meghalaya will not open till the end of the month. A release from Chief Secretary MS Rao said that the order dated June 6, permitting religious places/places of worship to open with effect from June 14, is now “kept in abeyance until further orders.”

Chief Minister Conrad Sangma said in a video statement that the decision was made after a meeting with leaders from different religious organisations. “After getting everybody’s comments and suggestions, majority of the church leaders, the temples and the mosques and other religious organisations, most of them felt we should postpone or revisit this decision of opening places of worship on the 14th,” said CM Sangma, adding that health was a priority and a number of stranded people were still coming back to the state. “We will not open till end of month. Towards the end of the month, we will consult everybody and then decide,” he said.

The state has 29 active cases — out of which four were detected on Tuesday.

21:50 (IST)09 Jun 2020
Coronavirus at a glance: Over 2.6 lakh cases and 7,000 deaths

The rise in cases comes at a time when the country has stepped out of a 75-day coronavirus lockdown with malls, religious places and offices opening in several parts of the country under strict conditions. Since the onset of June, the country has also been witnessing over 200 COVID-19 fatalities each day. Also, the country has registered over 9,000 coronavirus infection cases for the sixth day in a row.

21:44 (IST)09 Jun 2020
Fresh corona cases across India:

Maharshtra

The state reported 2259 new cases and 120 deaths of which 58 deaths & 1015 positive patients are from Mumbai. Total number of cases now at 90787, including 42638 recovered, 44849 active cases, & 3289 deaths.

Gujarat

In last 24 hours, 470 fresh casesand 33 deaths reported in Gujarat. The total number of positive cases rose to 21,044 including 14,373 cured/discharged and 1313 deaths.

West Bengal

372 fresh cases reported taking tally to 8985, including 4950 active cases, 3620 discharged and 415 deaths.

21:34 (IST)09 Jun 2020
Discrimination among patients on grounds of residence unfortunate: LG on Delhi govt's decision on reservation of hospital beds

A day after Delhi Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal put down the AAP government’s decision on reservation of hospital beds, he today said that Delhi government's goal should be plan for adequate infra rather than discrimination among patients on the grounds of residence.

19:56 (IST)09 Jun 2020
Mizoram reports highest single-day spike

46 new patients tested positive with COVID-19 in Mizoram on Tuesday. This has been the highest number of COVID cases found in a single day in the state even as the state government imposed a total lockdown for two weeks since last midnight to arrest spread of the virus.


With these new cases, Mizoram now has 88 COVID-19 cases, out of which 87 cases are active. The Department of Information and Public Relations informed this afternoon that 29 samples were tested positive at Zoram Medical College (AMC) laboratory. They include sixteen males and thirteen females. 28 of them are from Lunglei District while one is from Lawngtlai district. All the patient are between ages 18 to 28. (Input from Debraj Deb)

19:50 (IST)09 Jun 2020
Tripura reports first covid death

Tripura reported its first COVID-19 death on Tuesday after a 42 year old patient admitted in the COVID care ward of state-run GB Panth Hospital passed away this afternoon.The patient from Chachu Bazaar area of West Tripura district was admitted at the hospital after he suffered a cardiac arrest earlier in May. He was later tested for coronavirus and his report came positive on June 03. He was shifted to the COVID care ward of flu ward on the day.


After being treated there for six days, Debbarma passed away at 3 PM this afternoon at GBP Hospital’s COVID ward. In a Tweet this evening, Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb wrote, “Unfortunate to share that Mr. Biswa Kumar Debbarma, a COVID19 patient from West Tripura, is no more. Our Doctors gave their best but failed to save his precious life. On 1st May, he suffered a stroke (CVA) and was a patient of hypertension”.

19:37 (IST)09 Jun 2020
Central, state ministers spar over reopening of temples in Kerala

As temples reopened for devotees in Kerala on Tuesday after over 75 days, a Union Minister and a state minister sparred over the decision with the former dubbing it as 'hasty'.

While Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan questioned "the haste shown" in reopening the temples, state Devaswom Minister Kadakampally Surendran said the decision was only in line with the Centre's guidelines in allowing places of worship to permit entry of devotees.

Unveiling graded exit plan from the COVID-19 lockdown 'Unlock 1.0', the central government has earlier allowed reopening of places of worship for devotees, malls and restaurants from Monday onwards across the country after they remained out of bounds since March 25.

Muraleedharan, a senior BJP leader from Kerala, in a Facebook post on Monday hit out at the Left front government saying, "your government is unable to even maintain social distancing in the state.

As the COVID-19 cases are increasing in the state, are you trying to put the blame on temples by opening them? We urge the government to withdraw the decision to open the temples under the Travancore Devaswom Board," he said.

18:59 (IST)09 Jun 2020
Meghalaya withdraws order to reopen places of worship

Meghalaya on Tuesday withdrew order to reopen places of worship amid rise in covid cases. The state now has a total of 36 cases and 1 death.   

18:38 (IST)09 Jun 2020
JUST IN | Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal tests negative for Covid-19

A day after Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal showed symtoms for coronavirus, he was tested negative today.

18:24 (IST)09 Jun 2020
Karnataka reports first Covid-19 positive case in green zone Chamarajanagar

Karnataka Health department confirmed first Covid-19 positive case in Chamarajanagar district, the only district to have stayed a green zone to date. The tally in state now is 5921 (161 new cases reported today). While 164 more people recovered from the infection in the last 24 hours, total discharges have risen to 2605. Deaths: 66. Active cases: 3248.

18:15 (IST)09 Jun 2020
Lucknow zoo now open

The Lucknow Zoo on Tuesday was opened for public after two-months of lockodown. Express photo by Vishal Srivastav.

17:47 (IST)09 Jun 2020
Coronavirus evening update: Here are top headlines

*India has reported 9,987 cases of coronavirus in the last 24 hours, taking the country’s tally to 2,66,598 infections.

*With India relaxing restrictions, a surge in cases is expected to begin soon. There has been a major virus surge in 24 states and UTs, cases are growing faster than national average.

*The Supreme Court has directed the Centre to send migrant labourers to their home states within 15 days.

*Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain said the source of the Covid-19 infection was unknown in 50 per cent cases in the national capital.

*At the same time, Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said there was no community spread of the disease.

*Sisodia also said the government was expecting 5.5 lakh Covid-19 cases by July 31.

*The World Health Organization (WHO) Tuesday said the coronavirus pandemic was “worsening” across the world.

*The number of people infected with coronavirus rose to 7,119,736 on Tuesday, with as many as 406,542 fatalities.

*Brazil drew further criticism for its handling of the coronavirus pandemi after it published contradictory figures on fatalities and infections, deepening a scandal over the country’s COVID-19 data.

*The UK on Monday reported around 55 deaths, the lowest daily death toll since the time before the country went into lockdown on March 23. The country now has 288,834 cases of coronavirus and as many as 40,680 deaths.

17:06 (IST)09 Jun 2020
SC asks worst Covid-19 hit Maharashtra to make concerted efforts on migrant workers

The Supreme Court Tuesday asked worst Covid-19 affected state Maharashtra to be more vigilant and make concerted effort in identifying and sending the migrant workers still stranded there to their native places. The top court, which directed all states and Union Territories to transport all stranded workers by train, bus or other mode within 15 days, said there were "huge lapses" by the Maharashtra authorities in dealing with the issue and asked the government there to announce suitable place for their registration.

A bench of Justices Ashok Bhushan, Sanjay Kishan Kaul and M R Shah noted the state government's submission that it has 37,000 migrant workers waiting to return to their native places and it has requested only one train from the railways for sending them back. "We are of the view that State has to make a more vigilant and concentrated effort in identifying the migrant workers, who are still stranded in State of Maharashtra and who are willing to return to their native places," it said. It added that the government should publicise and announce the places like police stations or any other suitable place for identifying/registering the workers who have not yet been provided any train or bus journey.

16:38 (IST)09 Jun 2020
DCP in Delhi police resumes duty after recovering from COVID-19

Deputy Commissioner of Police (North) in Delhi Police Monika Bhardwaj, who had tested positive for coronavirus last month, joined office on Tuesday after recovering from the infection. She was welcomed back to work with garlands by her subordinates, who also clapped and showered flower petals on her.

16:17 (IST)09 Jun 2020
Coronavirus reaches Daman, two positive cases detected

Two persons on Tuesday tested positive for coronavirus in the Union Territory of Daman, which was till now in green zone, officials said.

The two patients, a 41-year-old man and a four-year-old girl, both of whom arrived here from Mumbai recently, were shifted to a hospital in Marwad area of Daman, District Collector Rakesh Minhas said.

"Till now, the man was kept at a government-run quarantine facility, while the girl was home quarantined with her parents in Khariwad area. We have shifted both the patients to a hospital in Marwad," he said.

The girl's parents, whose reports came out negative, have also been shifted to the isolation ward of the hospital, the official said.

15:55 (IST)09 Jun 2020
Delhi BJP chief demands for more quarantine facilities in city

Delhi BJP chief has requested the LG to make new quarantine centres as cases in the city are on surge.

15:49 (IST)09 Jun 2020
Himachal Pradesh DGP in self-isolation

The DGP of Himachal Pradesh along with 30 other officers have been in self-isolation after coronavirus scare. The police headquarters in state has been sealed, said the spokesperson in a quote to PTI.

15:11 (IST)09 Jun 2020
Lufthansa offers to fly empty planes to India and carry passengers on outbound flights only

Lufthansa group has offered to fly empty planes to India and carry passengers only on its outbound flights to destinations in Europe, senior government officials said on Tuesday. Scheduled international passenger flights have been suspended in India since March 23 due to the coronavirus pandemic. Therefore, there is a pent up demand for outbound international travel to some countries, especially among non-resident Indians (NRIs) who are in a hurry to go back either for personal or professional reasons, according to aviation industry experts. "Lufthansa group (which operates airline brands like Lufthansa, SWISS, etc) have offered to fly ferry (empty) flights to India and carry passengers only on its outbound flights to destinations in Europe. A decision is yet to be taken on this matter," said a senior government official.

The Civil Aviation Ministry started Vande Bharat Mission on May 7 to bring back stranded Indians from abroad on flights operated by Air India group amid the coronavirus lockdown. Air India group has been taking bookings on its outbound flights too, and for some destinations the demand has been huge. Since March 23, foreign airlines have operated non-scheduled repatriation flights to take their stranded citizens back home.

14:58 (IST)09 Jun 2020
COVID-19: HC asks Delhi govt to treat as representation plea for capping hospitals charges

The Delhi High Court Tuesday asked the Delhi government to treat as representation a petition seeking direction to it for capping or fixing rates to be charged by private hospitals for treating COVID-19 patients and to prominently display availability of beds for them. The plea, filed by Vineet Kumar Wadhwa, through lawyer Praveen Chauhan, sought direction to the Delhi government to develop a mechanism whereby the hospitals here display availability of COVID 19 beds at a prominent place in the hospital and on their websites. A bench of Chief Justice D N Patel and Justice Prateek Jalan, conducting the hearing through video conferencing, also asked the Delhi government to treat as representation another petition by a two-year-old boy highlighting the considerable risk faced by him and many other minors due to the Delhi government's decision to lift the restrictions imposed to contain the spread of COVID 19. The government will consider the representations and decide accordingly, the court said.

14:27 (IST)09 Jun 2020
4th casualty in Delhi Police due to Covid-19

A 59-year-old Delhi Police personnel passed away Tuesday morning due to Covid-related complications at the Army Base hospital. Sub-inspector Karambeer was deployed as the driver of ACP Seelampur, and was admitted at the hospital on June 2. He is the fourth Delhi Police personnel to have succumbed to the virus.

Delhi Police Additional PRO Anil Mittal said, "He was on ventilator support for the last five days, and today morning he lost his life fighting ailments related to Covid-19. He was diabetic." Karambeer, a resident of Brijpuri in northeast Delhi, is survived by his 55-year-old five and their children, aged 23 and 26 years old.

Input from Somya Lakhani

14:25 (IST)09 Jun 2020
IndiGo repatriates over 1,000 Indians from the UAE, Oman and Maldives

IndiGo Tuesday said it had repatriated over 1,000 Indian nationals from the UAE, Oman and Maldives amid the coronavirus pandemic. The airline company flew six special international charter flights in the first nine days of June to bring home stranded Indians.

14:23 (IST)09 Jun 2020
Centre sends teams to 15 states/UTs amid rising Covid cases

The Centre has deployed high-level multi-disciplinary teams to 15 states and Union Territories that have more than 50 districts/municipal bodies witnessing high case loads.

13:49 (IST)09 Jun 2020
Explained: Why jury is still out on holding final-year college exams in Maharashtra

With no clarity yet on examinations, students in Maharashtra colleges and universities are in limbo, especially those who are graduating this year. The Indian Express explains the issues that beset this Coronavirus-dominated year’s college exams.

12:56 (IST)09 Jun 2020
5.5 lakh Covid cases in Delhi by July 31: Manish Sisodia

Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia says an official from the central government has said there is no community spread of Covid-19 in the national capital. Sisodia also told reporters the L-G had refused to reconsider his decision to overrule the Delhi govt's order reserving state-run and private hospitals for residents of Delhi.

12:26 (IST)09 Jun 2020
Delhi Health Minister: 'Source of infection unknown in 50% cases, for Centre to declare community spread'

Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain Tuesday said the source of Covid-19 infection was unknown in 50 per cent cases in the national capital. He, however, added it was up to the Centre to declare whether the city had entered the phase of community spread.

12:01 (IST)09 Jun 2020
Hospitals just for Delhiites: In 2018, HC grappled with issue

The Delhi L-G’s decision overturning the Delhi CM’s order that only Delhi residents can be admitted to private and state government hospitals for Covid-19 treatment cited a Delhi High Court judgment from 2018, which dealt with a similar issue.

The then Delhi HC Chief Justice Rajendra Menon and Justice V Kameswar Rao had quashed a circular issued by the Medical Director of GTB Hospital, where patients without Delhi voter IDs were categorised as non-Delhi residents and denied certain facilities. Chief Justice Menon held that the act of the Delhi government in “creating a class within a class i.e. within citizens identically situated is impermissible, and thereby further act of conferring benefit of medical facility to citizens on such classification is impermissible”.

11:44 (IST)09 Jun 2020
Tuition fees halved in Meghalaya government-run schools

The Meghalaya government has decided to waive 50 per cent of the tuition fees of students, whose families were affected by the lockdown, Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong said. The decision will be effective for the months of April, May and June in all government-aided, deficit pattern and deficit schools, he said. Tynsong said private schools, those run by missionaries or other individuals will not collect any other fees except tution fees from students for these three months. "It will be applicable to those students whose families were affected by the lockdown, and the fees, if already paid, will be adjusted accordingly," the deputy chief minister told reporters on Monday. (PTI)

11:29 (IST)09 Jun 2020
11 Kolkata Police personnel test positive for COVID-19

Eleven Kolkata Police personnel have tested positive for COVID-19, taking the total number of infected policemen in the force to 217, a senior officer said on Tuesday. The 11 infected Kolkata Police personnel were from the combat force, the Police Training School (PTS) and different police stations, the officer said. On Saturday, a constable posted at the Shakespeare Sarani Police Station in the city had succumbed to the disease while undergoing treatment at the Kolkata National Medical College. (PTI)

11:20 (IST)09 Jun 2020
Covid-19 in Delhi: LG calls all-party meeting at 3 pm

Delhi Lt Governor Anil Baijal has called an all-party meeting at 3 pm Tuesday to discuss the Covid-19 outbreak in the national capital. "The LG has called a meeting with all political parties at 3 pm on Tuesday to discuss the present situation of COVID-19 in Delhi and measures to contain the spread of the same," an official told news agency PTI. Delhi has recorded just over 1,000 cases of the infection in the last 24 hours, taking its tally to more than 29,000. At least 874 people have died of Covid-19 in the city.

11:06 (IST)09 Jun 2020
SC directs Centre to help migrants return home within 15 days

The Supreme Court has directed the Centre to send migrant labourers to their home states within 15 days. The apex court, which had taken suo motu cognizance of the migrants issue, ordered the Centre to provide Shramik Special trains to states within 24 hours of demand.

The top court also directed state governments and Union Territories to formulate a scheme to provide employment to workers, asking that their skills be mapped. Furthermore, it directed authorities to consider the withdrawal of complaints against migrants for alleged violation of lockdown norms.

10:53 (IST)09 Jun 2020
Govt issues new guidelines for employees are cases rise 'rapidly'

After observing that cases are "going up rapidly" and many officials in central ministries and departments have tested positive for Covid, the government has issued new guidelines for offices. These include not more than 20 officers will attend office per day; staggering timings will be implemented; face masks/shields will be worn indoors at all times; face-to-face meetings to be avoided; handwashing every half and hour etc.

10:26 (IST)09 Jun 2020
Amit Shah: On coronavirus, we may have fallen short (but) what did opposition do?

Addressing a virtual rally for Odisha from New Delhi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah Monday said the government may have made a “mistake (galti)” or “fallen short (kam pad gaye honge)” while dealing with the Covid-19 outbreak and the ensuing migrant workers’ crisis, but its commitment (nishtha) was clear. He also asked the Opposition what it had done.

"Some short-sighted people, some people in the Opposition… I want to ask them… there may have been lapses on our part, but our commitment was clear. We may have made a mistake, we may have fallen short, we may not have been able to do something. But what did you do? Someone talks in Sweden, in English, to fight against corona in the country. Someone talks in America. What did you do? Give an account to the people of the country. I have come to give an account. When the corona crisis hit, the Narendra Modi government gave a package of Rs 1,70,000 crore for 60 crore people, for the people of the country. You ask us questions? Apart from interviews, the Congress did nothing," he said. Read more

10:21 (IST)09 Jun 2020
Explained: The importance of India’s rising forex reserves amid Covid economic crisis

While the situation is gloomy on the economic front with the GDP growth in the contraction mode for the first time in 40 years and manufacturing activity and trade at standstill, there’s still some reason to cheer about amidst the raging Covid-19 pandemic: India’s foreign exchange reserves are rising and are slated to hit the $500 billion mark soon. In the month of May, forex reserves jumped by $12.4 billion to an all-time high of $493.48 billion (around Rs 37.30 lakh crore) for the week ended May 29. What are forex reserves? Why are forex reserves rising despite the slowdown in the economy? What’s the significance of rising forex reserves? Read our explainer

09:40 (IST)09 Jun 2020
India reports 9,987 new cases in 24 hours

In the last 24 hours, India has reported 9,987 new cases of Covid-19 and 331 deaths. This takes the country's tally to 2,66,598 cases, including 1,29,917 active cases, 1,29,215 treated and 7,466 deaths. 

09:10 (IST)09 Jun 2020
Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal to be tested for Covid-19 today

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal will be tested for the coronavirus infection on Tuesday, a day after he developed a mild fever and sore throat. “The CM is unwell. He has developed mild fever and a sore throat and has self-isolated himself. Since Sunday afternoon, he has not received any guest or official,” a party functionary told The Indian Express. 

In Select City walk Mall in New Delhi. The national capital has seen an uptick in the
number of cases as lockdown is eased.
09:07 (IST)09 Jun 2020
Pune: Roads bustling with traffic again as people head back to office

Heavy traffic seen on Satara road in Pune as the lockdown eases. In other news from Pune, the district administration has ruled out home quarantine for those who test positive for the novel coronavirus, and are asymptomatic or have mild symptoms.

08:40 (IST)09 Jun 2020
Pandemic throws a wet blanket on United Nations' 75th anniversary event

For the first time in 75 years, the UN General Assembly meeting will not take place this year. Scheduled to be held in September in New York, the meet has been cancelled due to the pandemic. "We cannot have them in person as we used to for the last 74 years, but it will happen," President of the United Nations General Assembly Tijjani Muhammad-Bande said.

08:29 (IST)09 Jun 2020
Dr Harsh Vardhan to chair GoM meet at 10 am

At 10 am, the Group of Ministers headed by Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan will meet via video conference. This is the first meeting since May 15.

08:00 (IST)09 Jun 2020
Asymptomatic transmission is rare, says WHO

The World Health Organization (WHO) has said transmission of the coronavirus through asymptomatic carriers is "rare". Dr Maria Van Kerkhove, the global body's technical lead for Covid-19, was reported as saying by The New York Times: "It still appears to be rare that an asymptomatic individual actually transmits onward.

"We have a number of reports from countries who are doing very detailed contact tracing. They are following asymptomatic cases, they are following contacts, and they are not finding secondary transmission onward. It’s very rare. Much of that is not published in the literature," she added.

The statement comes in contradiction to what healthcare professionals have been warning over the last few months.

07:49 (IST)09 Jun 2020
Coronavirus pandemic is worsening globally, WHO warns

The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that the coronavirus outbreak in "worsening" globally. In a press briefing, WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said, "More than 100,000 cases have been reported on nine of the past 10 days... Yesterday, more than 136,000 cases were reported — the most in a single day so far.” While the situation in Europe has improved, 75 per cent of cases were now reported from the Americas and South Asia. 

02:02 (IST)09 Jun 2020
Mumbai: 99% ICU beds occupied in city

Critically ill Covid-19 patients continue to battle for beds, according to the latest data from BMC, which shows that 99 per cent intensive care unit (ICU) beds are full and 94 per cent ventilators are occupied in public and private hospitals in Mumbai, but nearly 12 per cent of the beds are occupied by non-critical patients.

Government officials said hospitals have been instructed to strictly adhere to admission and discharge guidelines and only admit severely symptomatic patients to allow beds for critical patients, but on the ground, it appears this protocol is not being followed. Read more here

01:02 (IST)09 Jun 2020
Day after 29 inmates of Aurangabad prison test positive for Covid-19, 2 escape from care facility

A day after 29 inmates from Aurangabad Central Prison tested positive for Covid-19, two of them escaped from a Covid care facility, set up on the premises of a hostel, on Sunday night. The duo managed to escape by bending the grills of the window and using bed sheets to climb down from the first-floor room.

The 29 inmates, who had tested positive on Saturday, were shifted to a temporary Covid care facility for prison inmates, set up in a hostel in Kille Ark area. Read more here

00:45 (IST)09 Jun 2020
50pc of Kolkata restaurants reopen with safety protocols

Around 50 per cent of the 30,000 -odd eateries in Kolkata opened on Monday following the Centre's notice allowing restaurants to start functioning with all COVID-19 safety protocols in place. About 15,000 restaurants opened with at least 6 feet distance between two tables and minimum contact with the restaurant staff during payment and ordering menus, President of Hotels and Restaurants Association of Eastern India Sudesh Poddar said. Around 25-30 per cent of normal customer presence was reported in the eating joints on the first day, owners of several restaurants said. PTI

00:23 (IST)09 Jun 2020
Don’t deviate from ICMR testing guidelines: LG to Delhi govt

Pointing out a “deviation” from ICMR guidelines, Lt-Governor Anil Baijal Monday directed the Delhi government to test asymptomatic direct and high-risk contacts of confirmed cases, saying not doing so can hamper contact-tracing and result in further spread of Covid-19 in the national capital.

Baijal said the Director General of Health Services Delhi (DGHS), which had on June 2 tweaked the ICMR (Indian Council for Medical Research) strategy, thus ruling out testing of asymptomatic contacts of confirmed patients, should stick to the guidelines set at the central level.

“This deviation in the ICMR guidelines can result in inadequate contact tracing of affected individuals and can result in further spread of COVID-19 in NCT of Delhi. Now, therefore, in exercise of powers conferred under Section 18(3) read with Section 18(2)(d) of the Disaster Management Act, 2005, the undersigned hereby directs all departments and authorities concerned of NCT of Delhi, to ensure that ICMR strategy for COVID-19 testing in India issued on 18.05.2020 is strictly observed in NCT of Delhi without any deviation,” the order states. Read more here

23:41 (IST)08 Jun 2020
13 test positive at Dawoodi Bohra head's Malabar Hills residence

At least 13 people from the Saifee Mahal, where Dawoodi Bohra head Syedna Mufaddal Saifuddin resides, have tested positive for Covid-19.

The first case, according to a BMC officer, came on June 6. However, officials from the community said the first case came much earlier. Forty people in the residence, spread over a vast area on Malabar Hills, had been tested with the help of Saifee hospital. Till now, 13 have tested positive.

A few with comorbidities have been shifted to Saifee hospital, while the others remain under isolation on the residence premises. All 13 cases were found in one of the three buildings in the Saifee Mahal complex.

The building has been declared a containment zone.

Those who tested positive include security and house help. Civic officers did not confirm whether anybody from the Syedna’s family came positive. 

Officials said the Syedna's immediate family is in Khandala and has been living there for the past few weeks.

22:52 (IST)08 Jun 2020
Arunachal Pradesh reports six new cases, tally at 57

Six new cases were reported in Arunachal Pradesh Monday, taking the total tally to 57, out of which 56 are active. According to an order from the Directorate of Health Services, signed by D L Jampa, the newly detected positive cases have been reported from Changlang, Lower Dibang Valley, Tirap and East Siang. “All were shifted to the Covid Care Centre. They were all detected at the quarantine facility” said the order.

22:23 (IST)08 Jun 2020
Tripura: 38 more people test positive for Covid-19

Thirty eight more people tested positive with COVID-19 in Tripura on Monday, raising the state's total corona tally to 841. Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb tweeted: "38 people found COVID-19 #POSITIVE in Tripura out of 1480 samples tested. All of them are from Sepahijala District and have returned from Chennai by train. #TripuraCOVID19Count". According to latest reports, 37,415 persons have been tested till date in the state at the rate of 9,359 tests per million.

22:20 (IST)08 Jun 2020
No bigger sin than trying to make money out of pandemic: Himachal CM Jai Ram Thakur

There is no bigger sin than exploiting a pandemic that is claiming so many lives for monetary gains, says Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur, as he speaks to The Indian Exptress about his ”swift action” in the PPE scam, the perception that he was mild, and the recent party survey that ranked Himachal as No 1 among the NDA-ruled states. Read excerpts from Jai Ram Thakur's interview here

21:48 (IST)08 Jun 2020
List of containment zones rises to 54

With 18 new cases, the list of containment zones in Bengaluru now rises to 54 

  • Active cases in the city: 178
  • Total positive cases: 501
  • Recovered cases: 304
  • Death: 19

21:45 (IST)08 Jun 2020
Manipur: 63 more COVID-19 positive cases reported

A total of 63 more COVID-19 positive cases have been reported in Manipur late Monday evening taking the total tally of positive cases to 272 and active cases to 214. Monday recorded the highest single-day spike in the state with 100 cases of positive cases. Manipur Health Department said, of the total, 37 samples were tested late last night and 63 were tested on Monday. All those who have tested positive had returned from outside the state.

21:14 (IST)08 Jun 2020
Globally, there are 7 million Covid cases: Here are top developments

  • Globally, there are more than 7 million Covid cases with over 4 lakh deaths
  • Officials in New York urge Floyd protesters to get coronavirus tests
  • Germany wants anti-racism protesters to stick to social distancing norms
  • UN headquarters preparing for three-phase reopening to 'new normal' amid COVID-19
  • Pakistan reports 4,728 new coronavirus cases, tally crosses 100,000-mark

21:12 (IST)08 Jun 2020
Cases near 30,000-mark in Delhi

A total of 1,007 COVID-19 cases and 17 deaths reported in Delhi today. Total number of cases in the national capital is now at 29,943, including 17,712 active cases, 11,357 recovered/discharged/migrated and 874 deaths, Delhi Health Department.

21:03 (IST)08 Jun 2020
INS Shardul cast off from Bandar Abbas, Iran, with 233 Indian nationals

INS Shardul cast off from Bandar Abbas, Iran with 233 Indian nationals onboard. The ship is headed to Porbandar, Gujarat and expected to arrive on 11th June. (Video Source: Indian Navy)

20:35 (IST)08 Jun 2020
Appoint full-time health minister for effective COVID handling: BJP to Mamata

he BJP unit in West Bengal on Monday claimed that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who also holds the health portfolio, is not devoting enough time to deal with the COVID-19 outbreak, and demanded appointment of a full-time health minister in the state. In a letter to the CM, BJP president Dilip Ghosh suggested several measures to handle the crises of coronavirus outbreak and the devastation caused by cyclone Amphan, and demanded that those affected by the natural disaster be given financial aid and jobs through MNREGA. (PTI)

20:12 (IST)08 Jun 2020
‘Better safe than sorry’: #Unlock 1.0 trends online as malls, restaurants open after 2 months

Using hashtag #Unlock 1.0, Twitter was flooded with netizens sharing memes and posts wondering how the relaxation in the rules would play out amid the new normal in a post-Covid-19 world.

20:09 (IST)08 Jun 2020
Delhi LG strikes down Kejriwal’s Covid-19 order: ‘Can’t deny treatment to non-residents’

Delhi Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal Monday directed the departments and agencies to “not deny” treatment to non-residents of the city, effectively striking down the AAP government’s decision on reservation of hospital beds taken on Sunday. In an order, issued in his capacity as the chairperson of the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA), Baijal pointed out that the Supreme Court has time and again upheld the right to health as an integral part of “Right to Life” under the Indian Constitution. Read more

A priest cleans temple bells in Lucknow on Sunday. (Express photo/Vishal Srivastava)

Coronavirus India News Live Updates:

Amid the surge in cases, India has opened the doors of public places like malls and places of religious significance today.  Besides coming up with their lists of dos and don’ts for the people, authorities have ensured that premises of religious places, restaurants and malls have been cleaned and provisions for adherence to social distancing and other protocols been made. Malls, hotels, and restaurants; places of worship; schools and colleges, all have been allowed to open in a phased manner over the next couple of months.

Shopping malls and places of worship across the country, barring states like Maharashtra and Goa, are ready to throw their doors open to people from Monday after remaining closed for nearly two-and-a-half months due to the lockdown prompted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

While entrances to religious places and malls must have hand sanitiser dispensers and thermal screening provisions, not more than 50 per cent of seating capacity is going to be permitted at food courts and restaurants, the guidelines say. Instead of dine-ins, the SOPs call for takeaways to be encouraged.

Moreover, the Union Culture Ministry has approved opening of 820 Archaeological Survey of India-protected monuments that have places of worship from Monday. The ministry has decided to open only those monuments among the over 3,000 ASI-maintained monuments where religious events take place, such as Nila Mosque at Hauz Khas enclave, the Qutub archaeological area and Lal Gumbad in Delhi.

Covid vaccine by September?

With the search for a Covid-19 vaccine becoming nothing less than the holy grail for scientists, enormous attention and funding have been focused on developing and mass-producing an injection. The rapid spread of SARS-nCov-2 has led experts to declare that it would continue to spread if a vaccine cannot be found.

In latest developments, British pharma giant AstraZeneca, which is developing a vaccine in partnership with Oxford University, said it was “on track” to roll out up to two billion doses in September. Meanwhile, US also said that it had already produced two million vaccine doses that are “ready to go” if they “check out for safety”.

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