Sunday 7 June 2020

Coronavirus Outbreak Updates: Confirmed cases in Pune climb to 9,342 as district records 342 new infections, six deaths in 24 hrs

23:44 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in Maharashtra Latest Updates

342 new coronavirus cases in Pune district, six deaths

Pune district reported 342 new coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours, taking its COVID-19 count to 9,307, a health official said on Saturday. The death toll due to the pandemic reached 407 with six persons succumbing to the infection, he said.
 
"Of the 342 cases, 290 are from the Pune Municipal Corporation limits, which now has 7,722 patients. On the other hand, 259 patients were also discharged from the hospitals," the official said

23:39 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in Odisha Latest Updates

Nine IAS officers relieved from COVID-19 duty amid corruption allegation

 
The Odisha government on Saturday said it has withdrawn nine senior IAS officers from COVID-19 duty in a bid to send "new warriors" to continue the long fight against the disease which has claimed eight lives in the state.The clarification came a day after the Opposition Congress and BJP alleged corruption in management and purchase of medical equipment and protective gear against the coronavirus. They alleged the same equipment were purchased at different prices from different suppliers.
 
Denying the allegations, Health and Family Welfare Minister N K Das said there has been no corruption in the purchase of equipment. "The allegation of different prices for a single item perhaps stemmed from two factors," Das said. "First, the incentive offered by the state government if a certain product is supplied by a vendor within a specified number of days. The second factor is the hike in prices of products by the central government in March. We purchased products at prices fixed by the Centre. Therefore, there is no corruption here as alleged by the Opposition.

23:36 (IST)

Institutional quarantine centres set up in all Arunachal districts

All the 25 districts of Arunachal Pradesh now has institutional quarantine centres to keep migrants coming from outside and the government has decided to establish one dedicated COVID-19 hospital in each district, official sources said on Saturday. In the quarantine centres set up with proper monitoring mechanism, there are provisions for segregation of people coming from red, orange and green zones, they said.

 
PTI

23:30 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in Delhi Latest Updates

Delhi govt directs hospitals to procure, stock PPE kits, oxygen masks for three months

Delhi government hospitals have been directed to procure and stock "sufficient supplies" of medical equipment like personal protection equipment kits and oxygen masks for at least the next three months amid a spurt in coronavirus cases in the city, officials said on Saturday. Delhi Health Secretary Padmini Singla in an order issued on Friday said it has been observed that there has been a surge in the number of cases of COVID-19 in the last one week in Delhi, resulting in additional demand of beds, consumable and infrastructure.

PTI

23:24 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in Jharkhand Latest Updates

COVID-19 toll in Rajasthan rises to 231 after 13 more fatalities

The death toll due to COVID-19 in Rajasthan rose to 231 as 13 patients succumbed to the disease on Saturday, officials said. Four deaths were reported from Jaipur and one each from Bharatpur, Bhilwara, Dholpur, Jodhpur, Kota, Nagaur and Swai Madhopur. Two patients who died here are of other states, they said. The number of cases in the state climbed to 10,337 as 253 more people tested positive for the disease, officials said.

23:17 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in Jharkhand Latest Updates

Jharkhand reports 90 new cases

23:07 (IST)

With 233 fresh cases, Bihar's COVID-19 case count rises to 4,831

Bihar reported 233 new cases of COVID-19 on Saturday as its tally for the dreaded disease shot up to 4,831, the health department said. Significant numbers of cases were reported from north Bihar districts such as Darbhanga, Samastipur, Supaul, East Champaran, West Champaran, Madhubani, Purnea, Saran and Kishanganj. South of the Ganges, the spike was notable in Munger, Bhagalpur, Bhojpur and Kaimur. Four people tested positive in Patna district. No fresh casualties were reported in the state where the death toll remained at 29.
 
PTI

23:03 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in Haryana Latest Updates

Haryana reports record jump of 355 new cases

 
Coronavirus cases count rises to 3,952 in Haryana with biggest single-day jump of 355 new cases, including 129 in Gurgaon, 89 in Sonipat and 39 in Faridabad, PTI quoted the state health department as saying.

22:57 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in Uttar PradeshLatest Updates

21 new COVID-19 cases in Noida, tally 591

Twenty-one more people were found positive for coronavirus in Uttar Pradesh's Gautam Buddh Nagar on Saturday, taking the total number of cases in the district to 591, officials said. Also, 29 COVID-19 patients were discharged after recovery, bringing down the active cases to 201, the officials said. A 41-year-old man died at the Government Institute of Medical Sciences (GIMS) in Greater Noida on Saturday. His COVID-19 test report is awaited, according to officials.

22:49 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in Haryana Latest Updates

No 'prasad' in temples, no touching of idols: UP issues unlock' guidelines

 
Devotees cannot make any offering of prasad' nor will be able to to touch statues, idols or holy books in places of worship as and when they visit them after their opening, the Uttar Pradesh government said on Saturday. In an elaborate guideline, issued on Saturday on relaxation of COVID-19 lockdown curbs, the government said the distribution of prasad or sprinkling of holy water too will not be allowed inside religious places after their opening on 8 June. The visitors to religious places will have to use their own mats for sitting there and their managing authorities will have to ensure social distancing in shrines, said Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Awanish Awasthi on Saturday while releasing an elaborate guidelines on reopening of religious places, offices, malls, hotels etc outside containment zones.
 
PTI

22:43 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in Haryana Latest Updates

Malls, places of worship to re-open in Haryana from Monday

 
The Haryana government has decided to allow reopening of places of worship and shopping malls for public in a regulated manner across the state from June 8, except in Gurgaon and Faridabad districts worst-hit by COVID-19, according to a statement issued on Saturday.Apart from this, hotels, restaurants and other hospitality services would be reopened with generic preventive measures across the state. The timing of opening for all would be between 9 am and 8 pm to ensure compliance of night curfew between 9 pm and 5 am, it said.
 
PTI

22:37 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in Uttar Pradesh Latest Updates

17 more coronavirus cases reported in Muzaffarnagar

Seventeen more people tested positive for COVID-19 in Muzaffarnagar district of Uttar Pradesh on Saturday raising the total cases to 120, an official said. According to Muzaffarnagar District Magistrate Selvakumari J, 150 results of samples were received in which 17 came out positive for the virus.

PTI

22:33 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in US Latest Updates

New York State records lowest number of COVID-19 deaths, hospitalisations

 
New York State, which has been the epicentre of the COVID-19 pandemic in the US, has recorded its lowest daily coronavirus deaths for the second straight day at 35, Governor Andrew Cuomo on Saturday. The state lost 35 people on Friday to COVID-19, down from a record-high of 800 just eight weeks ago. On Thursday, 42 New Yorkers died from the virus, another low since the pandemic began.
 
PTI

22:30 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak  Latest Updates

Global COVID-19 count tops seven million

Global cases of the novel coronavirus topped seven million on Saturday, as the number of cases surged in Brazil and India, according to a Reuters tally.

22:25 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in Jammu and Kashmir Latest Updates

Restoration work begins at Srinagar's Mughal Gardens

22:23 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in Odisha Latest Updates

Odisha state bus service to restart on Monday

The state-run OSRTC will resume bus services on 66 routes on Monday, an official said. The Odisha State Road Transport Corporation's bus services remained suspended since 22 March due to the lockdown. The services will restart with 96 buses connecting 22 towns in the state, OSRTC chairman-cum-managing director Arun Bothra said. He said more buses and routes will be added in the coming days.
 
PTI

22:17 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in Mizoram Latest Updates

Mizoram resumes issuing temporary ILPs

The Mizoram government on Saturday resumed issuing temporary inner line permits (ILP) to people from outside the state, more than two months after it was suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic. An ILP is an official travel document issued to Indian citizens for entry into protected areas. Normally, a temporary ILP is issued for 15 days.

22:07 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in Jammu and Kashmir Latest Updates

Jammu and Kashmir case count up by 143 to 3,467

Four more COVID-19 deaths were reported in Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday, taking the total number of fatalities due to the disease in the Union Territory to 40, while the infection count also went up by 143, officials said. Three of the four deaths took place in the Kashmir Valley and one in the Jammu region, they said, adding of the 143 fresh cases 100 were in Kashmir, 43 in Jammu. The total number of infections has now gone up to 3,467, they said.
 
PTI

22:02 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in Karnataka Latest Updates

Karnataka govt asks people above 65, children below 10 and pregnant women not to visit temples

 
With temples scheduled to open for public from 8 June, as per unlock 1.0 norms, the Karnataka government on Saturday asked people above 65, those below 10 years and pregnant women to cooperate by staying at home until further orders, and banned entry of those ill. The department of Hindu religious institutions and charitable endowments (Muzrai) in an announcement along with a circular said, only "darshan" will be allowed at A, B and C category temples that come under it, and has banned all kinds of temple fairs and "sevas" temporarily until further orders.

21:59 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in Chhattisgarh Latest Updates

Chhattisgarh records two deaths, 23 new infections

 
Twenty-three new coronavirus patients were detected in Chhattisgarh on Saturday while two patients died since previous evening, health officials said. The number of coronavirus cases in the state now stands at 923 while death toll has risen to four. There are 660 active cases as 259 people have beendischarged on recovery.
 
PTI

21:50 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in Madhya Pradesh Latest Updates

Madhya Pradesh reports 232 cases, 15 deaths

Madhya Pradesh on Saturday recorded 232 new infections and 15 deaths, taking total number of cases to 9228 and death toll to 399, reports ANI. 

 

21:47 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in Telangana Latest Updates

Cases in Telangana up by 206

Number of coronavirus cases rises to 3,496 in Telangana, with 206 more people testing positive today. 123 people have lost their lives due to the disease so far while 1,710 have recovered from the disease, according to a bulletin issued by the state health department.

21:35 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in Uttarakhand Latest Updates

89 more test positive in Uttarakhand

 
Uttarakhand's COVID-19 tally rose to 1,303 on Saturday with 89 more people testing positive for the disease, reports PTI. Haridwar district reported the maximum 21 cases, Pithoragarh 16, Dehradun 12, Tehri nine cases, Nainital seven, Chamoli and Champawat six cases each, Bageshwar and Almora four each, Udham Singh Nagar three and Uttarkashi one case, a state health department bulletin said.  Most of the new cases have a travel history to Mumbai, Delhi and NCR, it said. A total of 423 out of a total of 1,303 patients have recovered, five have migrated out of the state and 11 have died, it said.
PTI

21:24 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in Maharashtra Latest Updates

Mumbai reports 1,274 new cases, 57 deaths

Mumbai on Saturday reported 1,274 fresh cases and 57 deaths, taking the total number of cases to 47,128 and toll to 1,575, ANI quoted the  Greater Mumbai Municipal Corporation as saying.

21:20 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in Maharashtra Latest Updates

Maharashtra govt sets up panel to fix COVID-19 testing rate

 
The Maharashtra government has formed a four-member committee to ascertain charges of COVID- 19 tests conducted at authorised private laboratories in the
state, state Health Minister Rajesh Tope said on Saturday. According to an official statement, Tope said the rates will be fixed within seven days.
PTI

21:18 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in Delhi Latest Updates

Delhi reports 1,320 new cases in 24 hrs

 
According to the latest bulletin issued by the Delhi government, 1,320 new coronavirus cases  reported in Delhi in the last 24 hours. The total number of cases in the National Capital is now 27,654 and toll stands at 761. The number includes 10,664 recoveries and 16,229 active cases. Although the bulletin says that no tests were registered today, it states that 53 deaths were declared on 5 June. 

21:07 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in Delhi Latest Updates

AAP govt's medical panel bats for reserving Delhi health infra for city residents alone

A five-member panel constituted by the Delhi government has suggested that the health infrastructure of the city should be used only for treating residents of the national capital, in view of the raging COVID-19 crisis, sources said on Saturday.

The suggestion comes in the backdrop of Delhi recording over 1,000 coronavirus cases daily for the past few days and the AAP government fending itself against allegations of lack of hospital beds and other facilities. The panel, headed by Indraprastha University vice-chancellor Dr Mahesh Verma,has submitted its report to the government in which it has said that if Delhi health infrastructure is open for non-residents, all beds will be occupied within just three days, according to the sources.
 
Sources in the government had said on Friday that the borders can be reopened, but services of the Delhi government-run health facilities may be reserved only for the people of the national capital. However, health services in the Centre-run hospitals may be available for people belonging to other states.

20:56 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in India Latest Updates

NDRF personnel part of West Bengal rescue team tests positive; entire team quarantined

An NDRF personnel tested positive for COVID-19 positive on June 4 in West Bengal. The person was a part of the team which went to the state for restoration. All the team members have been quarantined at the NDRF's quarantine center at Mundali Battalion in Cuttack, Odisha, a NDRF official told ANI.

20:51 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in India Latest Updates

Goa reports 71 new COVID-19 cases in single day, tally 267

Goa on Saturday reported 71 new COVID-19 cases, the highest rise in a single-day, taking the total case count to 267, a Health department official said. Many of the fresh cases have been reported from Mangor Hill area in Vasco town of south Goa which was declared a containment zone on Wednesday. Of the 71 new cases, a significant 62 were linked to Mangor Hill, he said.

20:45 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in India Latest Updates

NE states emerged as role model in tackling COVID-19: Jitendra Singh

Union Minister Jitendra Singh on Saturday said the Northeastern region has emerged as a role model in more ways than one, especially in tackling the coronavirus pandemic. Releasing a book on the achievements of the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) in the first year of the Modi government's second term, Singh said the region achieved successes in many areas due to the priority and patronage received from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his government in the last six years.

20:42 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in Gujarat Latest Updates

Ahmedabad COVID-19 case count nears 14,000, fatalities 994

The number of COVID-19 cases in Ahmedabad rose to 13,967 on Saturday with 289 more people testing positive for coronavirus while the death toll rose by 26 to 994, a Health official said. A total of 210 patients were discharged from hospitals in the day, the official said.

20:37 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in Maharashtra Latest Updates

Maharashtra sees 2,739 new COVID-19 cases; death toll nears 3,000

Maharashtra on Saturday reported spike of 2,739 new COVID-19 cases, taking the overall case count to 82,968 while the death toll rose by 120 to 2,969, state Health department said. A total of 2,234 patients were discharged in the day, pushing the tally of the recovered cases to 37,390 so far, a statement said.

20:24 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in Delhi Latest Updates

Trial of clothing prohibited at malls, no 'prasad' distribution at religious places in Punjab

No trying out clothes in shopping malls, no dine-in at restaurants and no 'prasad' or 'langar' at places of worship when they reopen on June 8, the Punjab government has mandated in its guidelines issued on Saturday. The guidelines also provide for a token-based entry to malls, while allowing religious places to remain open between 5 am and 8 pm.

There shall be no distribution of 'prasad', food or serving 'langar' at the places of worship, according to the guidelines issued for shopping malls, restaurants, hotels and places of worship which have been allowed to open from 8 June. Mall visitors are required to have COVA app on their mobile phones.
However, a family can be allowed to enter a mall if one of the members has COVA app installed in his/her phone, the guidelines said.

20:18 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in Punjab Latest Updates

COVID infections breach 5,000 mark in Karnataka

The total number of COVID-19 infections in Karnataka breached the 5,000 mark, as 378 new positive cases and two related fatalities have been reported, taking the death toll to 59, the Health department said on Saturday. The day also saw 280 patients getting discharged after recovery.
 
Out of 378 new cases reported, 333 are returnees from other states, majority of them from neighboring Maharashtra. As of June 6 evening, cumulatively 5,213 COVID-19 positive cases have been confirmed in the state, which includes 59 deaths and 1,968 discharges, the Health department said in its bulletin.

19:55 (IST)

Kejriwal govt makes it mandatory for hospitals to admit COVID-19 suspected patients

19:43 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in Delhi Latest Updates

ED building sealed after 3 officials test positive for coronavirus 

The enforcement directorate headquarters in New Delhi was sealed on Saturday after 3 officials and two contract workers tested positive for the coronavirus, ANI reported. 

19:40 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in Karnataka Latest Updates

Udupi Krishna temple not to re-open for now, says junior seer

The Sri Krishna temple at Udupi would not re-open on June 8 although permission has been given to all temples to allow devotees for darshan, Admaru mutt junior seer Paryaya Swami Ishapriya Teertha said on Saturday. He told reporters in Udupi that the mutt has decided not to allow devotees at present to join the fight against COVID-19 by the government, health department and the police.

19:38 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in Jammu and Kashmir Latest Updates

Three more COVID-19 deaths push toll to 39 in

Three more COVID-19 deaths were reported in Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday, taking the total number of fatalities due to the disease in the Union Territory to 39, officials said. While two deaths took place in the Kashmir Valley, another was recorded in the Jammu region, they said.

 

19:32 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in Maharashtra Latest Updates

29 Aurangabad central jail inmates test positive

A few days after an inmate tested positive for novel coronavirus in the central jail in Harsul in Maharashtra's Aurangabad, 29 others who were in contact were detected with the infection on Saturday afternoon, said an official. 

Collector Uday Choudhari told PTI 25 of those who tested positive are from central jail while four are from a temporary facility created for undertrials. "All 29 are asymptomatic. A total of 110 swabs of inmates and prison staff have been collected and sent for testing on Saturday," he added.

19:26 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in India Latest Updates

FIR against Ganga Ram hospital for 'violating' COVID-19 norms

An FIR has been lodged against the Sir Ganga Ram Hospital (SGRH) here for allegedly violating COVID-19 regulation norms, after Delhi government registered a compliant with the police in this connection. According to the FIR, a copy of which is available with PTI, the complainant is a senior official of the Delhi government's heath department.

19:20 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in India Latest Updates

Pregnant woman dies in ambulance after running between hospitals for 13 hours

An eight-month pregnant woman died in an ambulance here after a frantic 13-hour hospital hunt failed to find her a bed as over half-a-dozen facilities denied her treatment, her family claimed on Saturday.  Neelam, 30, and her husband Vijender Singh, 30, knocked the doors of eight hospitals, including government ones, before she died in the ambulance outside a facility in Greater Noida on Friday, the family told PTI.

 
Taking note of the death and the claim, the Gautam Buddh Nagar district administration ordered an inquiry into the matter

19:15 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in India Latest Updates

Researchers at IIT-Hyderabad develop low-cost test kit

A team of researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Hyderabad claims to have developed a first-of-its kind COVID-19 test kit that can deliver results within 20 minutes.

The researchers claimed that the alternative test method is not based on the Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) -- the method currently being used for COVID-19 testing. The test kit has been developed at a cost of Rs 550 and it can be reduced to up to Rs 350 when taken to mass production, they said.
 
While a patent has been filed for the test kit, the team has conducted clinical trials at ESIC Medical College and Hospital in Hyderabad and sought an approval from the Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR).

19:04 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in Assam Latest Updates

COVID-19 cases in Assam climb to 2,397

73 more persons have tested positive for the coronavirus disease in Assam, taking the total number of cases in the state to 2,397, said Assam health minister Himanta Biswa Sarma. 

19:00 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in Maharashtra Latest Updates

MCX staffer succumbs to COVID-19; nine others test positive

A 36-year-old staffer of the Multi Commodity Exchange (MCX) has died of COVID-19, while nine others, who were part of a core team which helped ensure business continuity of the bourse during the lockdown, have tested positive for the novel coronavirus,reports PTI. The staffer died on Monday and the nine colleagues who have tested positive were from a team of 30 which used to spend a fortnight at the commodity bourse's office in suburban Andheri by rotation since the lockdown was announced in March, the officials said. 

However, it was still unclear if the office has been sealed and if so, how is the exchange continuing with its operations.  A query sent to MCX by the news agency remained unanswered. 

18:56 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in Odisha Latest Updates

NDRF man tests positive after return from cyclone-hit Bengal, 173 being tested

 
An NDRF personnel has tested positive for COVID-19 after his return to Odisha from cyclone Amphan-hit West Bengal following restoration work, official sources told PTI on Saturday. With detection of the case, the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) authorities have ordered testing of all 173 men who were deployed in the neighbouring state on post-cyclone duty, they said.
 
Six personnel showed coronavirus-like symptoms after returning from West Bengal on 3 June, and they were rushed to the SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack for examination, a senior officer of the NDRF's 3rd Battalion told PTI. One of them tested positive for the COVID-19 and admitted to Ashwini Hospital in Cuttack, he said.

18:40 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in Tamil Nadu Latest Updates

Tamil Nadu reports 1,458 new cases, 19 deaths

Tamil Nadu on Saturday reported 1,458 cases - of which 1,423 were from the state while the remaining had returned from abroad or from other states- taking the total number of cases in the state to 30,152. The state also reported 19 COVID-19 casualties today taking the number of deaths related to the disease to 251. Chennai, which accounts for 20,993 cases and 197 deaths, recorded 1,146 new cases, according to data released by the state health department. 

The number of active cases in state stands at 13, 501 as over 16,000 persons have recovered from the disease.

18:29 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in Maharashtra Latest Updates

Maharashtra to procure 10,000 vials of Remdesivir, says state health minister

 
The Maharashtra government will procure 10,000 vials of the drug Remdesivir for treating coronavirus patients, Public Health Minister Rajesh Tope said on Saturday. The expensive medicine is being made available for the poor and needy patients in the state, he said.

18:25 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in Karnataka Latest Updates

Karnataka reports 378 new cases, two fatalities

According to reports, Karnataka reported 378 new coronavirus cases and two fatalities on Saturday, taking the total number of cases in the state to 5,213 and 59 deaths. According to News18, the number includes 3,184 active cases and 1,968 discharges

18:18 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in Delhi Latest Updates

Fir filed against  Delhi's Sir Ganga Ram Hospital

An FIR has been lodged against the Sir Ganga Ram Hospital (SGRH) here for allegedly violating COVID-19 regulation norms, after Delhi government registered a complaint with the police in this connection. According to the FIR, a copy of which is available with PTI, the complainant is a senior official of the Delhi government's health department.The official has alleged that there has been a "violation" on part of the hospital in adhering to COVID-19 regulation norms as specified under the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897.
 
There was no immediate reaction from the authorities of the SGRH, a leading private hospital and a dedicated COVID-19 facility.
 
PTI
 

18:15 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in Maharashtra Latest Updates

Dharavi reports 10 new cases

 
Ten fresh cases of COVID-19  were recorded in Dharavi area of Maharashtra's Mumbai on Saturday, taking total number of cases to 1,899. 71 people have succumbed to the disease in the area so far, ANI quotes the  Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation as saying.

Coronavirus Outbreak Updates: Pune district reported 342 new coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours, taking its COVID-19 count to 9,307, a health official said on Saturday. The death toll due to the pandemic reached 407 with six persons succumbing to the infection, he said.

 

Bihar reported 233 new cases of COVID-19 on Saturday as its tally for the dreaded disease shot up to 4,831, the health department said.

 The Haryana government has decided to allow reopening of places of worship and shopping malls for public in a regulated manner across the state from June 8, except in Gurgaon and Faridabad districts worst-hit by COVID-19, according to a statement issued on Saturday.

Madhya Pradesh on Saturday recorded 232 new infections and 15 deaths, taking total number of cases to 9228 and death toll to 399, reports ANI.

Mumbai on Saturday reported 1,274 fresh cases and 57 deaths, taking the total number of cases to 47,128 and toll to 1,575, ANI quoted the  Greater Mumbai Municipal Corporation as saying.

An NDRF personnel tested positive for COVID-19 positive on June 4 in West Bengal. The person was a part of the team which went to the state for restoration. All the team members have been quarantined at the NDRF's quarantine center at Mundali Battalion in Cuttack, Odisha, a NDRF official told ANI.

Maharashtra on Saturday reported spike of 2,739 new COVID-19 cases, taking the overall case count to 82,968 while the death toll rose by 120 to 2,969, state Health department said. A total of 2,234 patients were discharged in the day, pushing the tally of the recovered cases to 37,390 so far, a statement said.

The enforcement directorate headquarters in New Delhi was sealed on Saturday after 3 officials and two contract workers tested positive for the coronavirus, ANI reported.

Tamil Nadu on Saturday reported 1,458 cases - of which 1,423 were from the state while the remaining had returned from abroad or from other states- taking the total number of cases in the state to 30,152. The state also reported 19 COVID-19 casualties today taking the number of deaths related to the disease to 251. Chennai, which accounts for 20,993 cases and 197 deaths, recorded 1,146 new cases, according to data released by the state health department.

Kerala on Saturday registered as many as 108 new cases, taking the total number of such cases in the state to 1,807. The number of active cases in the state stands at 1, 029, said the state health department.

Two Vistara pilots have tested positive for COVID-19 after undergoing flight simulator training, the airline said on Saturday.

Surpassing Italy, the number of coronavirus cases in India climbed past 2.35 lakh on Saturday, taking the country to the sixth spot worldwide, according to the data released by John Hopkins University.

The number of coronavirus positive cases in Uttar Pradesh crossed the 10,000 with 370 fresh cases reported on Saturday even as the number of casualties rose to 268, reports PTI.

All asymptomatic COVID-19 patients and those having mild symptoms are to be discharged from hospitals within 24 hours of admission, and district surveillance officers should be reported, according to a Delhi government order dated 4 June.

The number of confirmed cases in Assam on Saturday rose to 2,324 after 81 more tested positive. State health minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said that 38 more patients were also discharged following their recovery.

Over 58 lakh migrant labourers have reached their native states so far, said Vinod Kumar Yadav, Chairman Railway Board on Saturday. As many as 4,286 Shramik special trains have plied to help the migrant workers return to their home states, said the Indian Railways official.

"The demand for these trains has decreased from 250 to about 137 per day. We operated 56 trains in the last two days, he further added.

The Punjab government on Saturday issued guidelines on reopening of of places of worship, hotels, restaurants and other hospitality services from 8 June. It said restrictions will be on 'dine-in' restaurants till further orders but permitted home delivery of food and take-aways till 8 pm.

In a bid to tackle the rising coronavirus cases in West Bengal, the state government has included eight more hospitals from various districts to its list of 69 dedicated COVID-19 care centres.

The state has also augmented the number of hospital beds and escalated levels of another 14 hospitals across various districts.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal addressed the widespread complaints and issue of black-marketing of beds in hospitals earmarked for COVID-19 patients.

Odisha on Saturday reported its highest single-day spike in COVID-19 cases after 173 more people tested positive for the disease, taking the total in the state to 2,781, a health department official said.

Of the 173 cases, 150 were in quarantine centres, where people returning from different states are staying. Twenty-three others were detected with the infection during contact-tracing exercises, he said.

The Tamil Nadu government sets the price limit for COVID-19 treatment in private hospitals at Rs 15,000 per day in Intensive care unit (ICU), PTI reported. In the general ward, the charges have been limited Rs 7,500 per day.

In the past 24 hours, two Maharashtra Police personnel have succumbed to the novel coronavirus, said the police force on Saturday. However, no cops have tested positive for the viral infection in the past 24 hours.

"Total number of police personnel who have tested positive for the virus is at 2,561. While, the toll stands at 33," said the Maharashtra Police.

Air India sold over 22,000 tickets for west-bound Vande Bharat fights from 5 pm on Friday till 8 am on Saturday after the airline's website experienced 6-7 times more activity.

Under the third phase of Mission Vande Bharat, Air India opened bookings for select destinations in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom and Europe at 5 pm on Friday.

Of the total 45,24,317 COVID-19 samples tested so far, 1,37,938 were tested in the past 24 hours, said the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) on Saturday.

Another official at the Enforcement Directorate tested positive for the novel coronavirus, taking the total number of infections to six on Saturday, NDTV quoted sources as saying.

The headquarters in Delhi at the Lok Nayak Bhawan in Khan Market has been sealed till Sunday.

The Enforcement Directorate office has been shut until Sunday after five employees were found to be infected with coronavirus. The officials who have tested positive are - Special Director (HIU), Staff in Legal Section and Intelligence section, IO handling Aviation Scam.

India registered a total of 9,887 new COVID-19 cases and 294 deaths in the past 24 hours, according to the latest data released by the health ministry on Saturday. This takes the total confirmed cases to 2,36,657 nationwide.

Of the total 2.36 lakh COVID-19 cases, 1,14,072 people have been cured of the infectious disease as of Saturday, said the health ministry. This takes the COVID-19 recovery rate to 48.20 percent.

Surpassing Italy, the number of coronavirus cases in India climbed past 2.35 lakh on Friday, taking the country to the sixth spot worldwide, according to the data released by John Hopkins University. India on Friday registered 9,332 new COVID-19 cases and 297 deaths. The total stood at 2,36,047, including 6,647 deaths.

In terms of cases, India had crossed China - where the virus emerged late in 2019 - for the ninth spot just a week ago.

As India moves towards relaxing a two-and-half month-long stringent lockdown under a systematic unlock plan by the home ministry, COVID-19 cases have been rising exponentially with a jump of nearly 61,000 cases in the past one week. Medical experts feel that if the situation spirals out of control, the lockdown may have to be reimposed.

India saw 9,851 coronavirus cases and 273 deaths on Friday, pushing the nationwide infection tally to 2,26,770 and the toll from the deadly virus to 6,348, according to the Union health ministry. There has been a record spike in cases for three consecutive days now.

Representational image. AP

A 'failed' lockdown?

Most countries like Spain, Germany, Italy and the UK, lifted their respective lockdowns and curbs when their COVID-19 graphs either flattened or dipped, according to statistics shared on Twitter by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.

India's COVID-19 curve has been steadily rising throughout the lockdown period with a massive spike in cases in the fourth phase of the lockdown that ended on 31 May and afterwards.

The fourth phase of the coronavirus-triggered lockdown, which began on 18 May, saw 85,974 COVID-19 cases till 8 am on Sunday, according to health ministry data.

The lockdown 1, which was first clamped on 25 March and spanned for 21 days, had registered 10,877 cases, while the second phase of the curbs that began on 15 April and stretched for 19 days till 3 May, saw 31,094 cases.

The third phase of the lockdown that was in effect for 14 days ending on 17 May, recorded 53,636 cases till 8 am of 18 May.

Last Friday, the number of COVID-19 cases stood at 1,65,799, while a week before that on 22 May, there were 1,18,447 cases. Therefore, the spike in the last one week has been of 60,971 cases, while the increase in the number of infections in the week before that was 47,352.

At present, India is the world's seventh-worst hit nation in terms of overall case count, after the US, Brazil, Russia, the UK, Spain and Italy. When the lockdown started, India was nowhere on the chart and had just a 100 cases.

Experts say re-imposition of lockdown may be necessary

"Whenever lockdown is opened in phases, there will be a spurt in cases. A lockdown basically is used to prepare for the pandemic and halt the spread," said Dr Vikas Maurya, director and head of the Department of Pulmonology and Sleep Disorders at Fortis Hospital, Shalimar Bagh.

"Increase in cases will be there when unlocking is done in phases, but what is important is to be mindful that the situation should not spiral out of control, as if it does, then lockdown will have to be re-imposed," Maurya told PTI.

Noted lung surgeon Dr Arvind Kumar said that it was important to ensure that people continue to have a "self-imposed" lockdown and follow the "four golden principles" — don't go out unless necessary, always wear a mask, keep distance and keep washing hands.

"Right now the situation does not warrant a re-imposition of the lockdown, but if the situation spirals out of control, then we would have to go back to a lockdown," he told PTI.

Kumar, who works at the Sir Ganga Ram Hospital in Delhi, also asserted that it was too early to allow religious places and malls to open as there are not enough checks to ensure that people will not flout norms.

Religious places are likely to reopen in various places as the Central government readies to ease lockdown measures. AP

Dr Vivek Nangia, director and head pulmonology at Fortis Hospital in  Delhi's Vasant Kunj area, also said that the rapid rise in cases was worrying.

It is still early to open malls and religious places as if congregations start to happen, then things could spiral out of control, he told PTI.

Despite this, the Union Health Ministry on Thursday issued standard operating procedures to be followed by religious places, shopping malls, restaurants, hotels and offices to contain the spread of COVID-19 as India gears up to reopen the economy.

Businesses and shops reopened in many states as a three-phase plan to lift the nationwide coronavirus lockdown began despite an upward trend in new infections. AP

The preparations for reopening the economy, which has been severely hit by the coronavirus-triggered lockdown, from 8 June comes amid mounting cases and toll in the country.

Meanwhile, the health ministry data showed the number of active COVID-19 cases in the country at 1,10,960 while 1,09,461 people have recovered and one patient has migrated, it said.

Thus, around 48.27 per cent patients have recovered so far.

The first case of COVID-19 in India was reported on 30 January from Kerala after a medical student of Wuhan university, who had returned to India, tested positive for the virus.

Kerala's daily count touches three digit, UP, Tamil Nadu register spike in cases

For the first time, Kerala's COVID-19 daily figures touched three digits with the state recording 111 cases, prompting Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan to term the situation grim.

The surge in positive cases has pushed the infection count to 1,699 while 1.77 lakh people are under observation. On 8 May, Kerala had declared that it had flattened the coronavirus curve after reporting a solitary case and just 16 people under treatment. However, with more people coming to the state from abroad and other states, the cases have seen a sudden spike.

Likewise, Uttar Pradesh recorded its biggest single-day jump of 496 COVID-19 cases, taking the state's tally to 9,733, while 12 more people succumbed to the disease, a senior official said.

With the fresh deaths, the toll in the state has risen to 257, said principal secretary, health, Amit Mohan Prasad.
There are 3,828 active cases in the state, while 5,648 people have recovered and been discharged from hospitals, he said.

Maharashtra reported 2,436 new coronavirus patients on Friday, taking the tally of cases in the state to 80,229, a health department statement said. The state reported 139 COVID-19 deaths on Friday , taking the toll to 2,849.

Out of 139 deaths, 93 were reported from Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) including 54 from Mumbai city. Mumbai accounts for 46,080 coronavirus cases and 1,519 deaths. The larger MMR has recorded 60,604 cases and 1,903 deaths.

Tamil Nadu also continued to witness a surge in COVID-19 infections with 1,438 cases and 12 deaths reported on Friday, taking the count to 28,694 and fatalities to 232. Of the fresh positive cases, Chennai alone accounted for 1,116 with the state capital's aggregate touching a whopping 19,826. Continuing with the trend of a new high everyday, Tamil Nadu on the sixth straight day Friday reported 1,000 plus cases and the newly infected include six people from Qatar, five from Dubai and one from Sri Lanka, a health department bulletin said.

In Gujarat, 510 new coronavirus patients were detected since previous evening, the highest increase in a single day, while 35 patients died, the state health department said.

Gujarat is the fourth worst-affected state in the country as per health ministry figures.

The total number of positive cases in the state has gone up to 19,119, while death toll due to coronavirus rose to 1,190, it said.

Nurses at Delhi's AIIMS threaten one-day walk out

Meanwhile, according to AP, nurses at a Delhi's All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) threatened Friday to stage a one-day walkout next week if working conditions don't improve.

The nurses at AIIMS,  a leader in treatment of COVID-19 cases, have been protesting since Monday over long shifts and the need to use congested cubicles to change in and out of personal protective equipment, a possible health risk.

More than 350 medical workers at AIIMS and 150 family members have been infected by the virus since March, the hospital's medical superintendent Dr DK Sharma told AP. He said about 60 percent have recovered.

“If day after day our health care workers are infected... we are going to face a big issue,” said Fameer CK, general secretary of the union that represents 5,000 nurses at AIIMS.

The union issued the threat to stay home from work next Wednesday after talks with the hospital administration on Thursday ended without agreement, he said.

Hospital authorities refused to comment on the protest.

With inputs from agencies



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