Coronavirus Updates: Maharashtra remains the hardest-hit in the pandemic, accounting for 7,03,823 cases.
There has been a "marginal increase" in coronavirus cases in Delhi over the past few days, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said Wednesday afternoon, adding that testing rates in the national capital would be doubled as a precautionary measure. Insisting that his government's primary strategy to contain the Covid outbreak - to test and isolate - had not changed, the Chief Minister also declared that the Covid situation in the city - once the worst-affected in the country - is "fully under control".
67,151 new coronavirus cases and 1,059 new deaths were recorded in India in the last 24 hours, the Union Health Ministry said. The fresh numbers have pushed the national total since the start of the pandemic to 32,34,474 cases, including 59,449 deaths. 24,67,758 patients have recovered from the infection in the country, pushing the recovery rate to 76.29 per cent.
Maharashtra remains the hardest-hit in the pandemic, accounting for 7,03,823 cases.
In a worrying indication that the COVID crisis in Delhi is far from over, the capital on Tuesday saw the highest spike in cases in the last 40 days, with 1,544 fresh cases. Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has called a high-level meeting today to discuss the situation.
Here are the Highlights Coronavirus Pandemic:
Odisha Chief Minister approves package of Rs 200 crore for poor families affected due to COVID-19
Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Wednesday approved a special assistance package of Rs 200 crore for the poor and extremely poor families in the State affected due to COVID-19 pandemic.
Mr Patnaik approved the package while reviewing the COVID-19 situation and its management in the state with senior government officials and Collectors through Video Conferencing.
"Chief Minister Patnaik emphasizing upon the revival of the rural economy, approved a special assistance package of Rs 200 crore for the poor and extremely poor families in the State affected due to COVID-19 pandemic. The special package will help the development of livelihood activities of rural poor, very poor and the migrants," said an official release.
Delhi reports 1,693 new COVID-19 cases, 17 deaths
As many as 1,693 new COVID-19 cases and 17 deaths were reported in Delhi on Wednesday, taking the total number of cases to 1,65,764 in the national capital.
According to the official data, a total of 1,154 people were discharged/recovered/migrated in Delhi on Wednesday, taking the total number of such cases to 1,48,897.
A total of 4,347 deaths were reported due to coronavirus including 17 deaths on Wednesday.
There are currently 12,520 active cases in Delhi. There were 11,998 active cases on Tuesday.
Assam reports its highest 24-hour jump in COVID-19 deaths
Assam Wednesday reported its highest single-day spike of 14 COVID-19 deaths, taking the overall toll to 274, while 2,179 new infections pushed the total cases to 96,771, as four MLAs including former chief minister Tarun Gogoi tested positive.
Of the 14 deaths, two each were reported from Karimganj, Cachar and Nalbari, and one each from Sivasagar, Tinsukia, Lakhimpur, Dhubri, Nagaon, Golaghat, Hojai and Kamrup Metropolitan districts.
"Very sad and anguished to inform that 14 more COVID-19 patients have succumbed to the disease. My condolences to the families. We stand by you in this hour of grief", Health and Family Welfare Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma tweeted.
West Bengal reports 55 more COVID-19 deaths, 2,974 fresh cases
The COVID-19 death toll in West Bengal rose to 2,964 on Wednesday after 55 people died due to the disease, a bulletin issued by the health department said. The state's coronavirus tally went up to 1,47,775 with 2,974 fresh cases, it said.
3,244 new coronavirus cases in Pune district, 62 deaths
Pune district reported 3,244 new coronavirus cases since previous evening which took its case count to 1,53,141, a health official said on Wednesday. The deaths reached 3,804 with 62 patients who died to the infection, he added.
Religious places in Rajasthan to reopen from September 7
All religious places in Rajasthan will reopen for public from September 7, months after they were closed due to the coronavirus-induced lockdown, an official statement said on Wednesday.
The decision was taken during a review meeting on the coronavirus situation in the state chaired by Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot.
Social distancing norms will have to be followed and all religious places will be sanitised from time to time, the statement said. District collectors and superintendents of police will carry out inspections and ensure all safety measures are taken, it said.
Bihar's COVID-19 tally rises to 1,26,989; deaths mount to 653
Bihar's COVID-19 caseload rose to over 1.26 lakh on Wednesday as 2,163 more people tested positive for the infection, while nine fresh fatalities pushed the state's coronavirus deaths to 653, a health bulletin said.
The fresh infections have taken the total number of COVID-19 cases in the state to 1,26,989, it said. Patna district reported the highest number of new cases at 339, followed by East Champaran (132), Muzaffarpur (124), Araria (117) and Saran (97). All the fresh COVID-19 fatalities were reported from Patna district, taking its death toll 144.
Two more die due to COVID-19 in Himachal; infection tally at 5,322
Himachal Pradesh on Wednesday recorded 167 fresh COVID-19 cases, raising the infection tally to 5,322, while the deaths from the disease climbed to 31 with two more fatalities.
The total number of active cases in the state stands at 1,428, Shimla Additional Chief Secretary (Health) RD Dhiman said. Of the latest fatalities, one each was reported from Kangra and Chamba districts.
A 45-year-old woman in Palampur tehsil died due to the virus in Kangra's Tanda medical college Wednesday morning, a district official said.
Health ministry recommends COVID tests for all tuberculosis patients and vice versa
Tuberculosis is associated with a 2.1-fold increased risk of a severe COVID-19 disease, the health ministry said on Wednesday, recommending that all newly-diagnosed tuberculosis patients or those currently on treatment should be tested for COVID-19 and vice versa.
The prevalence of tuberculosis among COVID-19 patients has been found to be 0.37 to 4.47 per cent in different studies, the ministry said and highlighted that there has been an overall decline in tuberculosis notification by 26 per cent during January to June, as compared to the previous year, due to the coronavirus pandemic.
In its "Guidance note on Bi-directional TB-COVID screening and screening of TB among ILI/SARI cases" issued on Wednesday, the ministry said studies have shown that a history of active as well as latent tuberculosis is an important risk factor for the SARS-CoV-2 infection.
COVID-19 can affect almost all organs, say experts at AIIMS
Not just the lungs, COVID-19 can affect almost all organs and the initial symptoms may be totally unrelated to chest complaints, experts at AIIMS here said on Wednesday.
They stressed that classification of cases into mild, moderate and severe categories based just on respiratory symptoms should be relooked to include other organ involvement.
Experts from the institute, including its director Dr Randeep Guleria, Dr MV Padma Srivastava, head of department of Neurology, Dr Ambuj Roy, Professor of Cardiology and Dr Neeraj Nischal, Associate Professor in the department of Medicine during their their weekly ''National Clinical Grand Rounds'' organised in collaboration with NITI Aayog discussed various possible extra-pulmonary complications of COVID-19.
COVID-19: Delhi Government Launches Fitness Campaign For Students Restricted To Homes
The Delhi government on Wednesday launched ''Healthy Body, Healthy Mind'' campaign for students confined to their homes as schools remain closed in view of coronavirus pandemic.
"We have started a YouTube channel on which every Wednesday, a video will be uploaded which the students can practice for the week to maintain fitness and make up for the loss of physical activity during the pandemic," a government official said.
Universities and schools across the country have been closed since March 16, when the Centre announced a countrywide classroom shutdown as part of measures to contain the pandemic.
COVID-19 recoveries 3.5 times more than active cases in India
In the fight against COVID-19, the number of patients recovering from the coronavirus in India has exceeded the active cases by 3.5 times. While 63,173 patients recovered in the last 24 hours, the total recoveries reached 24,67,758.
The single-day recovery figure has been more than 60,000 for many days. The recovery of 63,173 COVID-19 patients in the last 24 hours has resulted in the cumulative recoveries of 24,67,758 people.
This has contributed to the rapidly widening chasm between the number of the percentage recovered and percentage active cases further.
530 Fresh COVID-19 Cases Take Uttarakhand's Tally To 16,549
Uttarakhand's COVID-19 tally rose to 16,549 on Wednesday with 530 more people testing positive for the disease, while the state's toll climbed to 219 as six more patients died, a health department bulletin said.
Of the latest fatalities, four were reported from AIIMS, Rishikesh, and two from Sushila Tiwari Government Hospital, Haldwani, it said.
Dehradun reported the maximum number of fresh cases at 170, followed by 81 in Nainital, 80 in Haridwar, 64 in Udham Singh Nagar, 36 in Tehri, 25 in Pauri, 20 in Champawat, 17 in Chamoli, 15 in Uttarkashi, 13 in Bageshwar, seven in Pithoragarh, and two in Rudraprayag, according to the bulletin.
Nagpur Sees Highest Single-Day Spike Of 1,270 COVID-19 Cases
With the detection of 1,270 new cases, Maharashtra's Nagpur district on Wednesday recorded the highest single-day spike that took its COVID-19 tally to 23,495, an official said.
Apart from this, the district also registered 45 casualties that raised the toll to 859, of which 648 deaths were reported from Nagpur and 211 from rural areas and outside the district, the official said.
As many as 641 patients were discharged from various hospitals on Wednesday and the number of recoveries stood at 13,709, he said.
The district now has 8,927 active cases, he added.
Gujarat's COVID-19 Cases Go Past 90,000; 17 Die
Gujarat's COVID-19 tally crossed the 90,000-mark and rose to 90,139 on Wednesday with addition of 1,197 new cases, the state health department said.
With 17 fatalities, the total count mounted to 2,947, it said.
A total of 1,047 patients were discharged in the day, taking the overall count of recoveries in the state to 72,308, the department said in its release.
The state's recovery rate now stands at 80.22 per cent, it said.
Kerala reports record single day high of 2,476 COVID-19 cases
Kerala on Wednesday added 2,476 fresh COVID-19 cases, the highest ever single day surge, taking the total infection count to 64,354.
The state recorded 13 deaths as the number of deaths rose to 257, Health minister K K Shailaja said.
As many as 69 healthcare workers were among the fresh cases of whom 2,243 were infected through contacts while the source of infection of 175 was not traceable, she said.
At least 1,351 people were discharged from various hospitals following recovery while 22,344 patients were undergoing treatment, the Minister said in a release.
Bengal Extends Lockdown, Flights Banned From 6 Cities Allowed From Sept 1Bengal has extended the ongoing general coronavirus lockdown in the state to September 20, with "hard lockdowns" scheduled for September 7, 11 and 12. However, in a significant relaxation of existing restrictions to fight the virus, the Mamata Banerjee government has partially eased its July 6 ban on flights to Kolkata from six metros, including Delhi, Mumbai and Chennai.
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Rise In COVID-19 Case Count In Rural Maharashtra: Official
In a worrying trend, coronavirus infections are steadily moving towards rural areas of Maharashtra, reflected in rise in number of fresh cases as well as deaths from these regions, said a senior health department official on Wednesday.
In initial months of the pandemic, most COVID-19 cases were being reported from big cities, large urban and semi- urban centres, but this is slowly changing now.
At the end of the fifth month of lockdown in the state, rural areas have reported a rise in number of fresh COVID-19 cases as well as deaths, the official said.
Fair Distribution Of COVID-19 Vaccine A Big Challenge: WHO Chief Scientist Soumya Swaminathan
Distributing COVID-19 vaccine around the world fairly without letting the rich countries corner the limited doses is going to be a big challenge, the World Health Organisation's Chief Scientist Soumya Swaminathan said on Wednesday.
On vaccine development for the novel coronavirus, she said: "By early 2021, we should have some good news."
Then, there is the big challenge of being able to scale, distribute and allocate fairly around the world without letting the rich countries corner the limited doses, Ms Swaminathan said.
Early Detection Of Cases Through Timely Testing Played Pivotal Role In Fighting COVID-19: Government
Early identification of the COVID-19 infections through timely and aggressive testing has played a pivotal role in India's strategy to fight the pandemic, the Union Health Ministry said on Wednesday as the cumulative testing reached 3,76,51,512.
Following the Centre-led policy of ''test-track-treat'', collaborative efforts of the state and UT governments have led to India consistently ramping up its testing infrastructure to touch a capacity of 10 lakh tests/day, the ministry said.
The cumulative testing as on date has reached 3,76,51,512, with 8,23,992 tests being conducted in a span of 24 hours on Tuesday.
"Such high level of testing on a sustained basis leads to early diagnosis. Early diagnosis provides opportunities to isolate or hospitalise the positive cases adequately in advance. This in turn facilitates lower mortality rates," the ministry said.
Cambridge University Kicks Off Vaccine Race To Fight All Coronaviruses
The University of Cambridge on Wednesday confirmed plans to begin trials of a potential new vaccine not only against COVID-19 but all coronaviruses that may spill over from animals to humans in the future.
The new vaccine candidate, DIOS-CoVax2, uses banks of genetic sequences of all known coronaviruses, including those from bats, believed to be the natural hosts of many relatives of human coronaviruses.
A vaccine that clears all trials can then be delivered pain-free without a needle into the skin through a spring-powered jet injection.
"Our approach involves 3D computer modelling of the SARS-CoV-2 [Covid-19] virus' structure. It uses information on the virus itself as well as its relatives - SARS, MERS and other coronaviruses carried by animals that threaten to "spill-over" to humans again to cause future human epidemics," said Professor Jonathan Heeney, head of the Laboratory of Viral Zoonotics at the University of Cambridge, and founder of DIOSynVax - a Cambridge spin-out company.
14 Test Positive For COVID-19 In Mizoram, Tally Rises To 967
The COVID-19 tally in Mizoram rose to 967 on Wednesday as 14 more people tested positive for the infection, a statement issued by the state's Information and Public Relations Department said.
Six cases were reported from Aizawl district, two from Serchhip district and three each from Kolasib and Mamit districts, it said.
Of the 14, a BSF jawan and a volunteer of local level task force had no recent travel history.
Phase II Human Trial Of Oxford Vaccine Begins In Pune
The Phase II clinical trial of the Oxford COVID-19 vaccine, being manufactured by the city-base Serum Institute of India (SII), began at a medical college and hospital on Wednesday.
Two male volunteers were administered the vaccine at Bharti Vidyapeeth's Medical College and Hospital, a senior office-bearer of the hospital said.
The trial began around 1 pm, he said.
"Doctors at the hospital administered the first shot of the ''Covishield'' vaccine to a 32-year-old man after his reports of COVID-19 and antibodies tests came out negative," Medical Director of Bharti Vidyapeeth's Medical College, Hospital and Research Centre, Dr Sanjay Lalwani, said.
Haryana Agriculture Minister Jai Prakash Dalal Tests Positive For COVID-19
Haryana Agriculture Minister Jai Prakash Dalal tested positive for coronavirus on Wednesday. The Minister confirmed the news on his official Facebook page. After being tested positive for COVID-19, he has isolated himself at home, reports ANI.
Coronavirus News: Uttarakhand Chief Minister Tests Negative For Covid
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat has isolated himself for three days "as a precautionary measure", he said on Tuesday after he tested negative for coronavirus. Mr Rawat on Tuesday tweeted that he and his family underwent a COVID-19 test along with the staff and the security personnel at the CMO as a precautionary measure.
Corinavirus: Lockdown In Kathmandu Valley extended For A Week
Chief District Officers (CDOs) of Kathmandu, Bhaktapur, and Lalitpur unanimously agreed to extend lockdown imposed in the Valley for another week owing to surge in COVID-19 cases in last seven days. In a meeting conducted on Wednesday morning, the CDOs of the Kathmandu Valley agreed to extend the lockdown imposed last week by another seven days as COVID-19 cases continue to rise, reports ANI.
Coronavirus News: UP Hits Record High With 1,44,802 COVID-19 Tests
Uttar Pradesh achieved a remarkable feat as over 1.44 lakh tests were conducted in the state on Tuesday, informed Alok Kumar, Secretary to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.
Number of COVID-19 cases reaches 5,206 in Himachal Pradesh; active cases stand at 1,352: State Health Department.
Coronavirus News: Arunachal Reports 100 New Cases Of COVID-19
Arunachal Pradesh on Wednesday reported 100 new cases of COVID-19, taking the state's tally to 3,412, a senior Health Department official said. Among the fresh cases are 22 security personnel and a health worker, he said, reports PTI.
Record 3,371 Cases Push Odisha's COVID-19 Tally To 87,602
Odisha registered its highest single-day spike in COVID-19 cases on Wednesday as 3,371 more people tested positive for the infection, while 13 fresh fatalities pushed the state''s coronavirus death toll to 441, a health official said.
Coronavirus News: Puducherry Reports 511 COVID-19 Cases, 8 Deaths
A total of 511 new coronavirus cases and eight deaths were reported here on Wednesday, according to the Puducherry health administration. The total number of reported cases in the Union Territory (UT) stands at 11,930, which includes 7,486 recovered cases and 180 deaths to date, reports ANI.
Testing Will be Doubled in coming days, says Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.
The recovery rate in Delhi is over 90%. The strategy is to test and isolate. People are under home isolation. Oxymeters are provided at home. Since 14th, there hasn't been a single death in home isolation due to COVID-19, says Arvind Kejriwal.
The number of cases have increased marginally in Delhi, but so has the number of recoveries. There are sufficient beds in the state. The situation is fully under control, Says Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.
Former Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi has tested positive for Coronavirus.
Uttar Pradesh Cabinet Minister Tests Positive For Coronavirus
Uttar Pradesh Cabinet Minister Bhupendra Singh Chaudhary on Wednesday informed that he has tested positive for coronavirus. "After getting the initial symptoms of corona, I was tested for COVID-19 and my report came positive. I am being admitted to a hospital on the advice of doctors. I request that all those who came in contact with me in the last few days, please isolate yourself and get tested," Bhupendra Singh Chaudhary tweeted.
Coronavirus News: Telangana Reports 3,018 New COVID-19 Cases
Telangana reported 3,018 new COVID-19 cases in last 24 hours, taking the total number of positive cases in the state to 1,11,688, the state''s health department said on Wednesday. The total COVID-19 count includes 25,685 active cases and 85,223 people who have recovered from the virus. The death toll due to the coronavirus has reached 780, reports ANI.
Coronavirus News: 610 More COVID-19 Cases Reported In Rajasthan
With 610 more COVID-19 cases, the total number of reported cases in Rajasthan have reached 73,935, informed the State Health Department on Wednesday. Three districts -- Jodhpur (136), Bikaner (127), and Jaipur (126) -- reported more than 100 positive cases for the novel coronavirus, reports ANI.
Delhi Health Minister and other officials arrived at the residence of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to attend the meeting over the increase in number of COVID-19 cases in the national capital.
Coronavirus News: Over 1.16 COVID-19 Cases In Thane
With the addition of 788 positive cases of coronavirus, the infection count in Maharashtra's Thane district has gone up to 1,16,413, an official said on Wednesday, reports PTI.
Kerala: In wake of advisory not to purchase imported flowers during Onam celebrations, children in Kuttiady, Kozhikode search for flowers in their neighbourhood to make Pookkalam (floral decoration).
Thiruvananthapuram: Padmanabhaswamy temple opens for devotees from today since it was closed in March due to COVID-19 induced lockdown.
Coronavirus News: Arvind Kejriwal To Chair COVID-19 Review Meeting Today
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has on Wednesday called a review meeting to discuss the coronavirus situation in the national capital. Delhi government Health Minister, Chief Secretary and all top officials of the Health Department will be present at the meeting, reports ANI.
Coronavirus Latest News: 67,151 Coronavirus Cases In India In 24 Hours
A fresh surge of 67,151 new infections registered in the last 24 hours has taken India's coronavirus tally to 32,34,474, the Union Health Ministry said this morning. The number of fatalities linked to the outbreak rose to 59,449 after 1,059 deaths were recorded in the last 24 hours. The recovery rate stood at 76.29 per cent this morning.
Coronavirus: Andaman-Nicobar Reports 41 New COVID-19 Cases
The COVID-19 tally of Andaman and Nicobar Islands rose to 2,945 on Wednesday as 41 more people tested positive for the infection, while two fresh fatalities pushed the Union territory''s coronavirus death toll to 37, a health official said.
Over 1,700 Vehicles Penalised For Flouting COVID-19 Curbs In Noida
Owners of over 1,700 vehicles were issued challans across Noida and Greater Noida on Monday over alleged violation of the curbs imposed due to the COVID-19 outbreak, Gautam Buddh Nagar police said, reports PTI.
Haryana Assembly Session to begin today; Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar not to attend the session as he had tested positive for COVID-19.
Russia In Touch With India To Manufacture COVID Vaccine Sputnik V: Health Ministry
In a significant development related to the COVID-19 vaccine, Russia has expressed its willingness to the Indian government for collaboration in the manufacturing of COVID vaccine - Sputnik V, a government official said on Tuesday, reports ANI.
India has exponentially scaled its testing from one in January to 10 lakhs/day in August 2020. With Positivity Rate progressively falling, testing has worked as an effective tool to limit the spread of COVID-19 infection: Ministry of Health, Govt of India
Bihar: People make purchases at a crowded market in Patna, amid COVID-19 pandemic.
14 new COVID-19 cases reported in Mizoram taking the total cases in the state to 967, including 464 cured/discharged.
Decline positivity rate despite increasing tests exponentially: Centre
There has been a steady decline in the positivity rate of COVID-19 despite an exponential increase in testing, the Union Health Ministry said on Tuesday, underlining that the number of active cases of the infection have reduced by 6,423 in a day for the first time.
Presenting a mortality analysis on the basis of age and gender, Health Ministry Secretary Rajesh Bhushan said COVID-19 fatalities include 69% male and 31% female.
Jharkhand Reports 1,056 New COVID-19 Cases, 12 Deaths
As many as 1,056 new COVID-19 cases and 12 deaths were reported in Jharkhand on Tuesday, said State Health Department in a bulletin. According to the bulletin, the total number of cases now stands at 32,174 including 10,077 active cases, 21,750 recoveries and 347 deaths, reports ANI.
Coronavirus Latest News: Assam Reports 1,973 New COVID-19 Cases
As many as 1,973 new COVID-19 cases were reported in Assam on Tuesday, taking the total number of cases to 94,592, reports ANI.