Sunday 19 July 2020

Coronavirus Updates: Weekend lockdown to be imposed in Jammu from 24 July; J&K reports 701 new cases

23:23 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in Goa Latest Updates

Goa's cases up by 173 to 3,657

 
Goa on Sunday added 173 new COVID-19 cases, taking the total count to 3,657, reports PTI quoting the state health department. With a 67-year-old man succumbing to the infection, the toll has risen to 22, it said. A total of 180 patients were discharged in the day, taking the number of the recovered cases to 2,218.
The coastal state now has 1,417 active cases, the state health bulletin said.

23:04 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in Telangana Latest Updates

Telangana reports 1,296 new cases, six deaths

 

Telangana recorded 1,296 new COVID-19 positive cases and six deaths today, taking the total number of cases to 45,076 including 12,224 active cases, 415 deaths and 32,438 recovered cases, reports ANI.

22:46 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in Assam Latest Updates

Test result report not required to re-open shops in Assam

The Assam health department on Sunday did away with the condition of having a COVID-19 test result report for shopkeepers, delivery persons and employees to operate shops in Assam. However, the such persons must co-operate if authorities carry out rapid anti-gen tests at the shop premises, said an order signed by the Principal Secretary in the health department.

22:31 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in Kerala Latest Updates

Kerala's capital to be under lockdown till 28 July

The entire area under theThiruvananthapuram Corporation will continue to be under strict lockdown till the midnight of 28 July, according to orders issued by the District Collector and Chairperson of the District Disaster Management Authority, reports ANI.

22:04 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in Jammu and Kashmir Latest Updates

Jammu to have weekend lockdown from 24 July

 
Jammu district authorities on Sunday announced a complete weekend lockdown beginning from 24 July to prevent the spread of coronavirus cases that had witnessed a spike over the past week, officials said. Jammu District Magistrate Sushma Chauhan ordered the lockdown from 6pm on all Fridays till 6 am on all Mondays beginning from the Friday falling on 24 July. There shall be complete restriction on movement of individuals, vehicles and all activities within the entire jurisdiction of district Jammu, except the movement for emergency medical requirements for which no pass is required, Chauhan said in an order issued on Sunday night.

21:56 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in Assam Latest Updates

BJP MLA in Assam tests positive

 
Assam BJP MLA Nabanita Handique has tested positive for the novel coronavirus, an official said on Sunday. Handique, who represents Sonari in the Assam legislative Assembly, is the fourth legislator in the state to test positive for COVID-19, the official said.  The legislator's son, driver and a personal assistant
had earlier tested positive while her test results came positive on Sunday, an official of the Charaideo district administration told news agency PTI.

21:34 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in Delhi Latest Updates

Harsh Vardhan urges recovered COVID-19 patients to donate plasma

 
Despite India having one of the highest COVID-19 recovery rates, plasma donation by recovered patients is yet to pick up, Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan said Sunday, urging people to come forward to help fight the pandemic.Vardhan launched a plasma donation campaign at the AIIMS hospital in Delhiduring an event co-organised by Delhi police, where 26 police personnel who have recovered from COVID-19 volunteered to donate their blood plasma, the health ministry said.
PTI

21:13 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in Andhra Pradesh Latest Updates

AP's cases near 50,000 with 5,041 new infections

 
A staggering 5,041 COVID-19 cases, the single largest number in a day so far, were registered in Andhra Pradesh as the overall aggregate inched closer to the 50,000 mark on Sunday.Also, the state saw the highest spike in deaths in a day as 56 coronavirus patients succumbed, pushing the toll to 642, a government bulletin said.
 
PTI

20:55 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in Maharashtra Latest Updates

Mumbai reports 1,046 new cases

Mumbai reported 1,046 new COVID-19 cases and 64 deaths in the last 24 hours, pushing total cases to 1,01,224 and toll to 5,711. The number of active cases stands at 23,828, reports ANI quoting the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC(.

20:43 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in Maharashtra Latest Updates

Lockdown in Thane's containment zones extended to 31 July

 
The ongoing lockdown in Thane district of Maharashtra, which was supposed to end on July 19 midnight, has been extended till July 31 in select areas in
view of the rise in COVID-19 cases, a senior official said. The extended lockdown is applicable for municipal corporations of Mira Bhayandar, Kalyan-Dombivali and Bhiwandi-Nizampur, which all fall under the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR), where cases are on the rise. The extended shutdowns will remain in force in existing and new containment zones, stated an order issued by Thane district collector Rajesh Narvekar.
 
PTI

20:22 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in Maharashtra Latest Updates

Maharashtra records 9,518 new cases, 258 deaths

 
Maharashtra reports 9,518 fresh infections and 258 deaths, taking total to 3,10,455  and death count to 11,854. As many as 3,906 people were discharged today, taking the number of those discharged to 1,69,569, reports ANI quoting the state health department.

20:03 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in India Latest Updates

DCGI seeks clarification from Glenmark over false claims about and pricing of COVID-19 drug FabiFlu
 
India's drug regulator has sought a clarification from Glenmark Pharmaceuticals over its alleged "false claims" about the use of anti-viral FabiFlu on COVID-19 patients with comorbidities and also over the "pricing" of the drug, after receiving a complaint from a member of Parliament.In a letter to the Mumbai-based company, Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) Dr V G Somani stated that hisoffice received a representation from an MP that the total cost of the treatment with FabiFlu(favipiravir) will be around Rs 12,500 and that the"cost proposed by Glenmark is definitely not in the interest of the poor, lower middle class and middle-class people of India."
 
"Further it has been mentioned in the representation that Glenmark has also claimed that this drug is effective in co-morbid conditions like hypertension, diabetics, whereas in reality, as per protocol summary, this trial was not designed to assess the FabiFlu in comorbid condition," the letter dated 17 July read.
 
PTI

19:48 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in Punjab Latest Updates

Bodies of two COVID-19 patients swapped at Amritsar hospital, inquiry ordered

 
The bodies of two COVID-19 patients got swapped at Amritsar's Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), prompting district authorities to launch a magisterial probe into the matter, officials said on Sunday.The incident came to light on Saturday when family members of a 92-year-old man, a COVID victim, insisted on seeing his face before the cremation in Hoshiarpur. They were shocked to find the body of a woman wrapped in a PPE kit. However, the family of a 37-year-old woman in Amritsar, another COVID victim, had already performed the last rites. The two patients succumbed to COVID-19 at the hospital on Friday evening, the officials said, adding that their bodies were shifted to the mortuary. While sending the bodies wrapped in PPE kits to their homes, the staff of the hospital had put wrong labels on the caskets, they said.
 
PTI
 

19:27 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in Bihar Latest Updates

Central team arrives in Bihar to review COVID-19 situation

 
A three-member central team reached here on Sunday to take stock of the COVID-19 situation in Bihar, which has witnessed a surge in novel coronavirus cases, an official said.  The team sent by the Union health ministry is being led by Luv Agarwal, who is a joint secretary in the ministry. The director of the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Dr S K Singh, and Associate Professor of Medicine, AIIMS, New Delhi, Dr Neeraj Nishchal are also part of the team.The team will hold meetings with authorities of the health department and other officials concerned to discuss ways to contain the spread of the disease, the official said.

19:16 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in Assam Latest Updates

Assam's Raj Bhavan reports 70 cases

 
Seventy COVID-19 cases have been reported from Assam's Raj Bhavan in Guwahati, which has already bee declared a containment zone, an official said on Sunday.Of the 70 cases, 27 were detected Saturday night and the rest tested positive since 1 July, the Raj Bhavan official said. The entire Raj Bhavan campus was declared a containment zone on 4 July after two staff members of the governor's office tested positive. However, Governor Jagadish Mukhi, his wife Prem Mukhi have tested negative for the infection.
 
PTI

19:01 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in India Latest Updates

Modi holds talks with CMs of seven states

 
Earlier on Sunday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a telephonic conversation with the chief ministers of Bihar, Assam, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand to discuss the COVID-19 situation in the respective states, reports ANI.

18:46 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in Delhi Latest Updates

Delhi registers 1,211 new cases, total crosess 1.22 lakh

 
A total of 1,211 new cases of the novel coronavirus infection and 31 deaths were reported in Delhi today. The total number of positive cases has climbed to 1,22,793 including 1,03,134 recovered/discharged/migrated and 3,628 deaths, reports ANI.
 

18:23 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in Tamil Nadu Latest Updates

Tamil Nadu reports 4,979 new cases

Tamil Nadu on Sunday registered 4,979 new COVID-19 cases and 78 deaths. Total number of cases has rise nto 1,70,693 including 50,294 active cases and 2,481 deaths, reports ANI quoting the state health department

18:13 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak  Latest Updates

Global toll crosses six lakh

Confirmed global deaths from or with COVID-19 rose to more than 602,000, according to data compiled by the Johns Hopkins tracker. The United States tops the list with over 1,40,000 deaths, followed by more than 78,000 in Brazil, 45,000 in the United Kingdom and 38,000 in Mexico.

The number of confirmed infections worldwide has passed 14.2 million, with 3.7 million accounted for by the United States alone. Brazil has witnessed more than two million cases while India has recorded over 1 million. Experts believe the true numbers around the world are higher because of testing shortages and data collection issues in some nations.

AP

18:07 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in Kerala Latest Updates

Kerala records 821 new cases, 172 recoveries

Kerala on Sunday reported 821 new COVID-19 patients and 172 recoveries, taking the number of active cases in the state to 7,063. Of the new cases, 222 cases are from Thiruvananthapuram which has been put under complete lockdown after Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan confirmed community transmission in two villages of the district. According to News18, 629 persons caught the infection through contacts while the source of infection in 43 cases was not known. The toll has risen to 42 with two deaths.

17:43 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in India Latest Updates

COVID-19 spread may spike in monsoon, winter with fall in temperatures: IIT-AIIMS study

 
A study conducted jointly by researchers at IIT-Bhubaneswar and the AIIMS has shown that the spread of COVID-19 may pick up pace during peak monsoon and winter with a fall in the mercury. The rainfall, decrease in temperatures and cooling of the atmosphere coupled with progression towards winter may environmentally favour the spread of COVID-19 in the country, according to the study led by V Vinoj, Assistant Professor of the School of Earth, Ocean and Climatic Sciences at IIT-Bhubaneswar.
 
The report titled "COVID-19 spread in India and its dependence on temperature and relative humidity" took into account the pattern of the coronavirus outbreak and the number of such cases in 28 states between April and June. The study revealed that the rise in temperatures leads to a decline in the transmission of the virus, Vinoj said. "The study, which is in its pre-print stage, shows that the temperature and relative humidity have a significant impact on the disease growth rate and doubling time. It suggests that a one-degree-Celsius rise in temperature leads to a 0.99 percent decrease in cases and increases the doubling time by 1.13 days, implying a slowdown of the virus spread," he told news agency PTI.

17:28 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in Karnataka Latest Updates

Lockdown in Bengaluru won't be extended, clarifies new BBMP Commissioner

There was no question of extending the ongoing week-long lockdown in Bengaluru set to end on 22 July, newly appointed commissioner of the city civic body
N Manjunatha Prasad said on Sunday, amid speculations it may be continued for another fortnight in view of rising cases. The government has imposed complete lockdown in Bengaluru Urban and Bengaluru Rural districts among a few others since 8 pm on 14 July till 5 am on 22 July.  "The Chief Minister has made it clear that the lockdown will not be extended for any reason, after Tuesday there will not be any lockdown. We will follow the government's orders. There is no question of lockdown," PTI quotes Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike Commissioner N Manjunatha Prasad as saying.

17:20 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in India Latest Updates

100% agree with IMA's assessment of community transmission: Dr Arvind Kumar

 
Dr Arvind Kumar, Chairman at the Centre for Chest Surgery,Sir Ganga Ram Hospital on Sunday said that he agreed with the IMA's assessment that there was community transmission of the coronavirus infection in India. According to reports, the Indian Medical Association had on Saturday said that the coronavirus situation in India was “really bad” and the fact that the infection was now spreading to rural areas points to community transmission.
Kumar said that earlier there were localised pockets of community transmission, like in Delhi and Mumbai's Dharavi area. There were some cases where one could pinpoin the contact but in many cases you couldn't, he said. "But Today, there is spread of the infection across the country and I 100% agree with the IMA that there is community transmission,". However, it should not come as a surprise as it's there for everyone to see, he added.
 

17:00 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in Maharashtra Latest Updates

Seven held in Mumbai for selling Remdesivir injections at exorbitant prices

 
Seven persons have been arrested in Mumbai for allegedly selling Remdesivir injections. used for treatment of COVID-19 at a higher price, a police official said on Sunday. The accused were selling a vial of the injection for Rs 30,000, much higher than the MRP of Rs 5,400, he said. Officials of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and crime branch also recovered stock of Remdesivir injection after raiding two places in the city on Saturday, he said.

16:44 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in Tamil Nadu Latest Updates

Average of 48,000 COVID-19 tests done in Tamil Nadu daily, CM tells Modi

 
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday spoke to Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K Palaniswami on COVID-19 prevention measures and aspects related to treatment in the state, where the infection count has crossed 1.65 lakh, the government said. During the phone conversation, Palaniswami apprised Modi
that 48,000 coronavirus tests - a national high - were being done daily (average) in Tamil Nadu, an official release said. The state government has been taking all steps for prevention of virus spread and to facilitate an early return to normalcy, the statement quoted Palaniswami as having told Modi.

16:22 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in Maharashtra  Latest Updates

Actor Pratik Gandhi, his wife test  coronavirus positive  

 
Actor Pratik Gandhi on Sunday said he, along with actor-wife Bhamini Oza and brother Punit, has tested positive for COVID-19. The actor has featured in hit Gujarati movies such as "Bey Yaar", "Wrong Side Raju", "Love Ni Bhavai" and has starred in Hindi projects, including "Mitron" and Salman Khan-backed "Loveyatri". In a Twitter post Pratik said while he and Bhamini were quarantining at their home, his brother has been hospitalised. 
 
PTI

16:04 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in Odisha Latest Updates

Odisha's case count rises t0 17, 437

 
Odisha's COVID-19 caseload crossed 17,000 on Sunday with 736 more people testing positive for the infection, while five fresh fatalities pushed the toll due to the disease in the state to 91, a health official said. The fresh cases reported from 25 districts have taken the state's COVID-19 tally to 17,437, he added.
 
PTI

15:43 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in India Latest Updates

India's case fatality rate 'progressively falling', claims health ministry

 
India's COVID-19 case fatality rate is "progressively falling" and is currently at 2.49 percent, which is one of the lowest in the world, the Union Health Ministry said on Sunday, crediting efficient clinical management of hospitalised cases for it. There are 29 states and Union Territories with a case fatality rate (CFR) lower than India's average, with five of them having a CFR of zero and 14 having fatality rate of less than 1 percent. The focused efforts of the Centre and state and UT governments on efficient clinical management of hospitalised cases have ensured that India's case fatality rate has fallen below 2.5 percent, the ministry said.

15:39 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in Singapore Latest Updates

Uttar Pradesh reports 2,250 new cases

 
As many as 2,250 new coronavirus positive cases were reported in Uttar Pradesh in the last 24 hours. Total active cases now stand at 18,256. A total of 19,845 people have been discharged after recovering from the disease. while the toll stands at 1,146, reports ANI quoting Uttar Pradesh Principal Health Secretary Amit Mohan Prasad

15:27 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in Singapore Latest Updates

Singapore reports 257 new COVID-19 cases

Singapore on Sunday reported 257 new COVID-19 cases, taking the country's total count to 47,912. Among the new cases in the community, two are Singaporeans (citizens) or permanent residents (foreigners) and six are foreigners holding work passes living outside the dormitories.

15:10 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in India Latest Updates

Two Congress MLAs test positive for COVID-19

Two Congress legislators in Punjab have tested positive for COVID-19, Chief Minister Amarinder Singh said on Sunday. Singh wished both of them a speedy recovery, reports PTI.

15:00 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in Arunachal Pradesh Latest Updates

Total lockdown in Arunachal's Capital Complex extended till 3 August

The Arunachal Pradesh government has extended the total lockdown in the Capital Complex for another two weeks in the wake of the spurt in COVID-19 cases in the region, Chief Secretary Naresh Kumar announced on Sunday.

The restrictions, which were imposed till Monday evening, have been extended till 5 am on August 3, he said addressing a virtual press conference.

14:43 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in Tamil Nadu Latest Updates

Under "Sunday lockdown," all activities halt in Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu came under an intense lockdown, the third successive Sunday of full curbs without any relaxations to help fight COVID-19 and roads everywhere wore a deserted look as people stayed indoors, reports PTI.

Barring milk supply and health care services, all other activities came to a halt and markets were closed down. Shops, including those selling essential commodities, were shut.

14:29 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in India Latest Updates

Parliamentary panels have started scrutinising handling of COVID-19 in India; Venkaiah Naidu

Parliamentary panels have started scrutinising the handling of the COVID-19 pandemic in the country a little over three months after Parliament was adjourned ahead of its schedule due to the virus and a shorter timeframe to hold the standing committee meetings would not have been possible given the present situation, Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu, reports PTI.

In a Facebook post hailing the media's role during the pandemic, the vice president also said Parliament is "on course" for holding the Monsoon session.

14:11 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in India Latest Updates

Telugu poet Varavara Rao, who tested COVID positive, moved to Nanavati Hospital

Poet and Elgar Parishad case accused Varavara Rao, a COVID-19 patient, was on Sunday shifted to the Nanavati Hospital in Mumbai for neurological and urological treatment, an official said.

Rao, 80, was undergoing treatment at the state-run St George Hospital in south Mumbai since Thursday after being tested coronavirus positive.

Read full report here

13:33 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in Madhya Pradesh Latest Updates

Indore COVID-19 case count crosses 6,000 mark

As many as 129 new COVID-19 cases were reported in Indore in the last 24 hours, taking the tally in Madhya Pradesh's worst hit district to 6,035, an official said on Sunday. There has been a rapid rise in the number of COVID-19 cases in the state's industrial hub during the last 10 days.

13:18 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in Bihar Latest Updates

Joint Secy arrives in Patna

A three-member team, including health ministry Joint Secretary Lav Agarwal, arrives in Patna to assess the situation in Bihar.

13:00 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in Delhi Latest Updates

Delhi Sikh body starts free ambulance service for COVID-19 patients

The Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) has started free ambulance service for COVID-19 patients in need of mobility support in the national capital, reports PTI.

In the first phase, 12 ambulances equipped with "ultra-modern medical facilities" have been rolled out for this purpose, the Sikh body said. DSGMC President, Manjinder Singh Sirsa, said more ambulances will be made available as and when required.

12:56 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in Meghalaya Latest Updates

2 patients, including BSF jawan succumb to COVID-19 

Two more patients, including a Border Security Force jawan, die in Meghalaya, reports PTI. With this, the state’s toll rises to four.

12:23 (IST)

Coronavirus in Delhi Latest Updates

Recovery rate in Delhi at 83.3 percent

Delhi has recorded recoveries of 1,01,274 coronavirus patients, this posting a recovery rate of 83.3 percent.

A total of 1.38 crore COVID-19 tests have been conducted so far in the country, with 2,800 fewer tests done on 18 July as compared to 17 July. Moreover, recovered case now exceed active cases by a figure of 3.04 lakh.

12:12 (IST)

Coronavirus in Maharashtra Latest Updates

Maharashtra's cases cross UK tally

The number of coronavirus cases crossed 3 lakh in Maharashtra as of Sunday, surpassing the number of cases reported in the UK. If Maharashtra were a country, it would have been ranked 10th in the list of countries with the highest coronavirus cases.

11:28 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in Odisha Latest Updates

Odisha reports 736 new cases, takes total to 17,437

Odisha’s caseload rises to 17,437 with 736 new cases in 24 hours, ANI reports quoting the state health department. The total number of positive cases in the state rises to 17,437 including 11,937 recovered.

11:14 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in India Latest Updates

'BJP has institutionalised lies': Rahul Gandhi

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday accused the BJP of "institutionalising lies" by "restricting testing and misreporting deaths." "The illusion will break soon and India will pay the price," he said in a tweet.

10:56 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in Karnataka Latest Updates

Inter-state travellers responsible for spurt in cases in Bengaluru, says state govt

With the city witnessing a sharp increase in COVID-19 cases in the past few days, the Karnataka government holds inter-state travellers responsible for the spurt in infections, saying those from hot spot states like Maharashtra could have brought the infection.

State Minister for Medical Education K Sudhakar said there was no community transmission of the pandemic, adding if it were to be the case, the number of infections would be running into 'lakhs.'

10:09 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak Latest Updates

Global toll for pandemic now above 6 lakh

Johns Hopkins University says the global death toll from COVID-19 has surpassed 600,000. The university's tally as of Saturday night says the United States tops the list with 140,103 deaths. It is followed by 78,772 fatalities in Brazil and 45,358 in the United Kingdom.

The number of confirmed infections worldwide has passed 14.2 million, out of which 3.7 million are in the United States. There are over 2 million in Brazil and more than 1 million in India. The World Health Organisation again reported a single-day record of new infections with 259,848

09:52 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in India Latest Updates

Over 1.37 crore samples tested for COVID-19 so far

According to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), a cumulative total of 1,37,91,869 samples have been tested for COVID-19 up to July 18 with 3,58,127 samples being tested on Saturday.

09:45 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in India Latest Updates

India reports over 38,000 new cases, takes total to 10.7 lakh

India reports 38,902 new cases of the coronavirus on Sunday, taking the total to 10,77,618. This is the highest single-day rise in the number of fresh infections. The toll rises by 543 to 26,816.

09:08 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in South Africa Latest Updates

South Africa now 5th in world for infections

South Africa now ranks fifth in the world for confirmed coronavirus cases caseload as the African continent faces the pandemic's first wave head-on, reports AP.

South Africa on Saturday reported 13,285 new confirmed cases for a total of 350,879. That puts the country ahead of Peru and makes up roughly half the cases in Africa.

08:39 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in Brazil Latest Updates

Jair Bolsonaro says coronavirus restrictions kill economy

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro said on Saturday that lockdown measures used to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus “kill” and have “suffocated” the country’s economy, reports Reuters.

“Without salaries and jobs, people die,” he said referring to restrictions imposed by some states and municipalities. “Lockdown kills,” he added, saying that some politicians have suffocated the economy with forced curfews.

08:24 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in US Latest Updates

US reports over 75,000 new cases

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Saturday reported 3,630,587 cases of new coronavirus, an increase of 74,710 cases, and said the number of deaths had risen by 918 to 138,782, reports Reuters.

The CDC reported its tally of cases of the respiratory illness known as COVID-19, caused by a new coronavirus, compared to a day earlier. The CDC figures do not necessarily reflect cases reported by individual states.

Coronavirus LATEST Updates: Jammu district authorities on Sunday announced a complete weekend lockdown beginning from July 24 to prevent the spread of coronavirus cases that had witnessed a spike over the past week, officials said.

 Maharashtra reports 9,518 fresh infections and 258 deaths, taking the total to 3,10,455  and death count to 11,854.

Delhi has recorded 1,211 fresh coronavirus cases, the lowest in over a month, and 31 deaths due to the disease in the last 24 hours.

Meanwhile, a three-member central team reached Patna to take stock of the COVID-19 situation in Bihar, which has witnessed a surge in novel coronavirus cases.

Kerala on Sunday reported 821 new COVID-19 patients and 172 recoveries, taking the number of active cases in the state to 7,063.

India's COVID-19 case fatality rate is "progressively falling" and is currently at 2.49 percent, which is one of the lowest in the world, the Union Health Ministry said on Sunday, crediting efficient clinical management of hospitalised cases for it.

Delhi has recorded recoveries of 1,01,274 coronavirus patients, this posting a recovery rate of 83.3 percent.

India reports 38,902 new cases of the coronavirus on Sunday, taking the total to 10,77,618. This is the highest single-day rise in the number of fresh infections. The toll rises by 543 to 26,816.

The World Health Organization reported a record increase in global coronavirus cases for the second day in a row, with the total rising by 259,848 in 24 hours.

With 34,884 people testing positive for COVID-19 in 24 hours, India's coronavirus case count on Saturday soared to 10,38,716 while the death count rose to 26,273 with 671 fatalities, the Union health ministry said in its morning update.

This is the third consecutive day when the number of COVID-19 cases in the country has increased by more than 30,000.

According to figures reported during the day by state governments, many states reported record jumps in daily cases. Maharashtra's overall case count went past three lakh while Mumbai crossed one lakh cases.

Nearly 18,000 recover in 24 hours

The health ministry said that the number of recoveries has also been continuously increasing due to "timely, proactive, and graded strategy initiatives" for effective management and an expansion of hospital infrastructure.

In a statement, the ministry said, "The last 24 hours saw 17,994 COVID-19 patients recovering. The recovery rate is now 63 percent."

The ministry said that as many as 6,53,750 patients have recovered from the disease so far, and at present, there are 3,58,692 active cases in the country. Thus, recoveries outnumber active cases by over 2.95 lakh, it stated.

The recovery rate in Mumbai rose to 70 percent on 15 July, said a release issued by the Press Information Bureau. Mumbai's recovery rate is nearly 15 percent more than that of Maharashtra, which is 55.62 percent, it claimed. The COVID-19 recovery rate in Mumbai stood at 50 percent around mid-June, when the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) launched "Mission Zero" under the Rapid Action Plan to contain the spread of the contagion.

The rate improved to 57 percent on 1 July and further to around 70 percent on 15 July, the PIB statement said.

The Delhi government in its daily bulletin said that more than one lakh people have recovered from the viral infection in the National Capital and the recovery rate has thus risen to 83 percent.

According to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), a cumulative total of 1,34,33,742 samples have been tested for COVID-19 up to 17 July with 3,61,024 samples being tested on Friday.

Of the 671 deaths reported in the last 24 hours, 258 are from Maharashtra, 115 from Karnataka, 79 from Tamil Nadu, 42 from Andhra Pradesh, 38 from Uttar Pradesh, 26 each from West Bengal and Delhi, 17 from Gujarat, nine each from Jammu and Kashmir and Punjab, and eight each from Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan.

Of the total 26,273 deaths reported so far, Maharashtra accounted for the highest with 11,452 fatalities followed by Delhi with 3,571 deaths, Tamil Nadu 2,315, Gujarat 2,106, Karnataka 1,147, Uttar Pradesh 1,084, West Bengal 1,049, Madhya Pradesh 697 and Rajasthan 546, according to the health ministry's morning update.

The health ministry stressed that more than 70 percent of deaths occurred due to comorbidities.

Maharashtra has also reported the highest number of cases at 2,92,589 followed by Tamil Nadu at 1,60,907, Delhi at 1,20,107, Karnataka at 55,115, Gujarat at 46,430, Uttar Pradesh at 45,163 and Telangana at 42,496.

"Our figures are being reconciled with the ICMR," the ministry said, adding that 163 cases are being reassigned to states.

Total lockdown in coastal Thiruvananthapuram

Meanwhile, day after Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan sounded the alert over community transmission in two villages of Thiruvananthapuram district, the district administration clamped a complete lockdown for 10 days in the coastal areas of the district from Saturday midnight.

The district's coastal area stretching from Edava in the north to Pozhiyoor in the south has been declared as Critical Containment Zone (CCZ) and will be under complete and strict lockdown from Saturday midnight to 28 July midnight, an order from the district Collector Dr Navjot Khosa said.

During this period, existing lockdown relaxations shall not be apply to the containment areas and strict lockdown measures shall be in force. The district has been divided into three zones, with three IAS officers functioning as 'Incident Commanders' who will oversee implementation of zone-wise cluster containment and intervention strategies. Movement of people within or out of these zones would not be allowed and the police should strictly enforce this, the collector stated.

In Andhra Pradesh's Srikakulam, the district collector announced a fortnight-long lockdown starting Saturday, reported news agency ANI. Shops selling essential items including dairies and vegetable shops will remain open between 6 am and 1 pm, it said quoting the Srikakulam Municipal Corporation Commissioner.

Assam prohibits inter-district travel from 22 July

In Assam, the state government has decided to bar inter-district movement of individuals from 22 July till further orders. Chief Secretary Kumar Sanjay Krishna said that movement will be allowed for last rites and medical emergencies only with written permission from the  deputy commissioner of the originating district.

Movement of goods and essentials, however, will continue uninterrupted, he said.

At the same time, the state government announced the easing of some curbs in the Kamrup Metropolitan district, under which Guwahati falls.

The chief secretary said that night curfew and weekend lockdown will continue in the district which has been under lockdown since 28 June but shops and businesses will be allowed to operate on any one side of any street on any given day and on the opposite side on alternate days between Monday and Friday from 7 am to 5 pm.

Shopkeepers will be allowed to operate only with 50 percent employees and after all staff and owner test negative for COVID-19 with strict compliance of all COVID-19 protocols issued by the health department.

Home delivery of vegetables, meat and fish will be allowed from Monday to Friday, but street and footpath vending of any sort is not allowed and all designated markets under the municipality will remain closed.

Cab aggregators, auto rickshaws and manual rickshaws except e-rickshaws are allowed to operate with only two passengers at any given time.

Technical service providers such as plumbers, electricians, carpenter, AC mechanic and other electronic repairing will be allowed from Monday to Friday during non-curfew hours.

All central and state government offices including banks, insurance companies, NBFCs, Gauhati Tea Auction Centre and private offices shall operate with 30 percent attendance and testing, and maintenance shall be the responsibility of the head of the office.

Night curfew will remain in force from 6 pm to 6 am everyday and these new guidelines will come into effect from 7 pm of 19 July to 7 pm of 2 August.

Maharashtra cases surge past three lakh; Karnataka reports 4,537 new cases

Many states continued reporting increasing numbers during the day, with Maharashtra crossing the grim milestone of three lakh cases.

According to a bulletin issued by the state health department, the state's case count surged to 3,00,937  with the addition of 8,348 while the toll climbed to 11,569 with 144 fatalities. Meanwhile, Mumbai crossed the one lakh cases with the addition of 1,186 new cases in the day. The number of the cases in the city now stands at 1,00,350 while the toll rose by 65, it said.

On Saturday, restrictions were lifted in Maharashtra's Thane city, barring the infection hotspots where they will continue to operate till 31 July, according to order issued by Thane Municipal Commissioner Dr Vipin Sharma.

West Bengal reported over 2,000 new COVID-19 cases on a single-day for the first time as the state's tally breached the 40,000, as per the state health department. The state detected 2,198 new cases, following which its active cases soared to 15,594, it said in a bulletin.

Twenty-seven more people died, taking the state's total fatalities to 1,076, the department said. The state has so far reported 40,209 cases of the viral infection.

Delhi recorded 1,475 fresh infections, taking the total in the city to  1,21,582, while the toll mounted to 3,597 as 26 more succumbed to the disease.

The southern states also continued reporting an upward trend. While Karnataka reported its highest single-day spike of 4,537 new cases and 93 deaths, Andhra Pradesh recorded a high of 3,963 cases and 52 deaths.

Tamil Nadu reported its highest single-day jump infections as well as the number of daily deaths, with the total infection count crossing 1.65 lakh. As many as 4,807 new positive cases of the novel coronavirus infection were reported from different parts of the state while 88 people died due to it. The toll mounted  to 2,403, a health department bulletin said.

Kerala's COVID-19 infection count touched 11,659 with 593 fresh cases being reported on Saturday as the  toll climbed to 39 with two
fatalities.

Central team to reach Bihar on Sunday

The health ministry asked states like Bihar, West Bengal, Assam and Odisha — which have been reporting surge in daily infections— to step up efforts to curb the transmission of the infection and keep the case fatality rate below one percent.

With these states again imposing lockdown restrictions, the health ministry stressed that the curbs should be utilised to focus on containment, surveillance and testing in the containment and buffer zones for early detection of cases and fatality management.

"The focus of the containment strategy remains on house-to-house survey, perimeter control activities, timely contact tracing, surveillance of containment and buffer zones, aided by effective clinical management of severe cases through a standard of care approach," the ministry said.

A central team has been deployed in Bihar to assist the state in the assessment of COVID-19 management and to provide all necessary support. The team comprising Joint Secretary Lav Agarwal, Dr S K Singh, Director, National Centre for Disease Control and Dr Neeraj Nischal, associate professor of medicine at AIIMS, New Delhi, will reach Bihar on Sunday.

AIIMS ethics panel gives nod for Covaxin trial

In another development, the AIIMS Ethics Committee gave its approval for  human clinical trial of the indigenously developed COVID-19 vaccine candidate COVAXIN following which the premier hospital is likely to begin the exercise by enrolling healthy volunteers from Monday.

AIIMS-Delhi is among the 12 sites selected by the ICMR for conducting phase I and II human trials of COVAXIN. In phase I, the vaccine would be tested on 375 volunteers and the maximum of 100 of them would be from AIIMS.



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