More than 12.3 lakh patients have recovered. (File)
Coronavirus Highlights: India's COVID-19 tally crossed the 18.5-lakh mark on Tuesday, two days after it went past 17 lakh, with 52,050 cases being reported in a day, according to the Union Health Ministry data.
The country now has 18,55,745 infections of the deadly virus which has affected more than 18 million people globally. With 803 COVID-19 deaths in the last 24 hours, the number of deaths count has climbed to 38,938, the government said. Several prominent public figures in the country, including Home Minister Amit Shah, Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa and Former Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, have tested positive for the virus, which has led to the death of a minister in the Uttar Pradesh government.
More than 12.3 lakh patients have recovered; the recovery rate stood at 66.30 per cent this morning. The positivity rate - percentage of patients who have tested positive for coronavirus - stood at 7.86 per cent.
Here are the Highlights on Coronavirus (COVID-19) Cases:
399 COVID-19 cases, 383 recovered/discharged and 1 death reported in Jharkhand today. Total number of cases in the state is now at 14,070, including 8,742 active cases, 5,199 recovered/discharged & 129 deaths: State Health Department
With Oximeters And More, Gyms Ready To Welcome "Fitness In COVID Era"Gyms and fitness centres on Tuesday geared up to open their doors after almost five months with managements busy fine-tuning operational details such as hourly sanitisation, spacing out equipment to ensure social distancing and minimising staff in accordance with government guidelines.
Thousands of small gyms and bigger chains will welcome customers to "fitness in the COVID era" on Wednesday though outlets in states where lockdown rules have not been relaxed will continue to be closed.
After the crippling losses and layoffs, the Ministry of Home Affairs'' July 30 notice allowing gymnasiums and yoga institutes to reopen from August 5 was a huge relief, said gym owners. On Monday evening, the Health Ministry issued its guidelines and establishments are quickly making sure that everything is in place before they reopen for business.
Mask Best Defence, Jack Up Fine For Not Wearing One: Gujarat High CourtThe Gujarat High Court has directed the state government to increase the fine for not wearing a mask in public places to a minimum of Rs 1,000.
In its order in a public interest litigation (PIL) about the state government's handling of the coronavirus pandemic, a division bench of Chief Justice Vikram Nath and Justice J B Pardiwala observed that "masks are logically the best defense individuals have against the COVID-19".
The order in the suo motu (taken up by the court on its own) PIL was passed on July 24 and became available on Tuesday.
The Gujarat government recently increased the fine for not wearing a mask to Rs 500 from Rs 200 which reduced the number of people who violated the rule significantly, it told the court.
But the court said some people still do not adhere to the rule.
"The fine of Rs 200 to Rs 500 appears to be not pinching the pocket of the violators, as such the state government/Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation or other municipal corporations/municipalities must consider fixing the fine between Rs 1,000 to Rs 5,000 with such enhancement on repetitions of the violation," it said.
Rapid Antigen tests comprise about 25-30 per cent of total COVID-19 tests: ICMROut of total COVID-19 tests being conducted every day across the country, about 25-30 per cent tests comprise of rapid antigen tests, informed the union health ministry on Tuesday. So far, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has reported over two crore tests, out of which 26.5 lakh tests are antigen tests.
In the last 24 hours, ICMR has conducted over 6,61,892 covid19 tests. With more than two crore tests done till date, ICMR reports 15,119 tests per million (TPM).
"When we started, antigen tests comprised only 5-6 per cent of the total tests being conducted in a single, but this proportion is consistently rising. Today, total antigen tests are nearly between 25-30 per cent tests of the total number of covid19 tests done so far," said ICMR Director-General Dr Balram Bhargava while addressing media on COVID-19 updates in India.
ICMR chief directs states to analyse COVID-19 data to know epidemic
The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has directed all state governments to "analyse the COVID-19 data to know the epidemic," said ICMR chief (Prof) Dr Balram Bhargava on Tuesday.
The top ICMR scientist said that since it has been more than 6 months when India reported the first COVID-19 case on January 30, country has been able to ramp up its testing speed.
So far the country has done more than 2 crores of testings and the government has been able to establish a large number of laboratories. And on August 3, ICMR performed about 6.6 lakh testing in a single day.
IIT-Kanpur director tests positive for coronavirus
Indian Institute of Technology-Kanpur Director Professor Abhay Karandikar tested positive for coronavirus on Tuesday, his deputy said.
Karandikar developed a mild fever two days back and went for a swab test on the advice of the institute's Medical Officer, Deputy Director Professor S Ganesh said. His test report came positive for COVID-19, Ganesh said.
"As a precautionary measure, and on the advice of the doctors, Karandikar has been taken to the Max Super Speciality Hospital in New Delhi," Ganesh said.
68 pc males, 32 pc females died due to COVID-19: Health Ministry
The Union Health Ministry on Tuesday said that of the people who died due to coronavirus in the country, 68 per cent are males and 32 per cent are females.
Addressing a press conference on COVID-19 update in India, Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan gave mortality analysis for COVID-19--gender and age-wise respectively.
"These are cumulative figures. If you see the mortality analysis i.e. the deaths caused by the coronavirus, you will find that 68 per cent deaths are reported among male patients. And 32 per cent of deaths are among female patients. This is broadly in line with the global scenario also, although the percentages may differ," he said.
Mizoram bans entry of paramilitary personnel till Aug 15 as COVID-19 cases spike
The Mizoram government has decided not to allow paramilitary personnel enter the state till August 15 in the wake of the surge in COVID-19 cases among the forces, an official said on Tuesday.
The decision was taken at a meeting between officials of the state government and the paramilitary forces on Monday, he said.
It was agreed at the meeting, which was chaired by Chief Secretary Lalnunmawia Chuaungo, that a decision on allowing the security personnel to enter the state would be taken after August 15 based on the prevailing coronavirus situation, the official said.
COVID-19: Thane dist sees sub-1000 case spike after long time
Thane district reported 947 COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, a welcome dip from four-figure spikes during earlier days, taking the infection count to 91,102, while 35 deaths took the toll to 2,516, an official said.
Among the deaths was that of a 46-year-old policeman, the 13th in the force in Thane so far, he added. Kalyan now has 21,061 cases followed by Thane with 20,151, the official said.
153 new coronavirus cases in Ahmedabad, three deaths
Ahmedabad recorded 153 new coronavirus patients on Tuesday which took the case tally in the district to 27,122, the Gujarat health department said.
The number of COVID-19 deaths in the district rose to 1,612 with three more patients dying, it said. The number of recovered cases rose to 21,908 with 107 patients getting discharged from hospitals during the day.
Ahmedabad city reported 138 new COVID-19 cases while remaining 15 were from rural parts of the district. All three fatalities were reported in the city area, the health department said in its release.
Coronavirus news: Noida varsity makes low-cost IoT-based ventilator for COVID patients
Researchers at a private university in Uttar Pradesh's Noida on Tuesday said they have developed a prototype of an internet-based ventilator whose parts can be 3D-printed for immediate deployment at hospitals at an affordable cost.
The portable ventilator, which has been priced below Rs 10,000 and specifically meant for COVID-19 patients, has been designed by a team of research scholars and scientists at the Amity University in Noida, PTI reported.
Coronavirus news: Odisha Chief Minister speaks to Dharmendra Pradhan, wishes for his speedy recovery from coronavirus
Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik spoke to Union Oil Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Tuesday and wished for his speedy recovery from COVID-19.
Mr Pradhan was admitted to a hospital earlier in the day after testing positive for COVID-19, PTI reported.
Coronavirus news: Gyms, yoga institutes likely to remain shut in Delhi
Gymnasiums and yoga institutes in Delhi are unlikely to re-open from Wednesday as no new order has so far been issued by authorities to allow them in the national capital, officials said.
On July 31, the Delhi Disaster Management Authority issued an order lifting restrictions on night curfew and since then, the DDMA has not issued other orders giving relaxations under "Unlock-3" phase, PTI reported.
Coronavirus news: J&K government declares entire Kashmir except Bandipora "red zone" amid rising COVID-19 cases
The Jammu and Kashmir government has classified the districts into red, orange and green zones depending on the severity of COVID-19 spread in the areas and declared the entire Kashmir region, except Bandipora, as a "red zone".
The categorisation has been done to implement restrictions after August 5, when the current phase of lockdown in the union territory ends, PTI reported.
Coronavirus news: Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan tests positive for COVID-19, admitted to hospitalUnion Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas Dharmendra Pradhan on Tuesday informed that he has tested positive for COVID-19.
Taking to Twitter, Pradhan said that he has been hospitalised as per doctor's advice and is in a healthy condition.
"I decided to get myself tested after noticing some symptoms of COVID-19 and my report came back positive. As per the doctor's advice, I have admitted myself in a hospital and I am in healthy condition," his tweet read.
Union Minister Amit Shah also tested positive for COVID-19 on Sunday, ANI reported.
Coronavirus news: Top Senate Democrat says COVID-19 relief talks "moving in the right direction"
Negotiations between congressional Democrats and the White House on a new round of coronavirus relief have begun to move in the right direction, though the two sides remain far apart, the US Senate's top Democrat said on Tuesday.
After a week of almost daily negotiations, Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said that he, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows have moved closer in several areas, Reuters reported.
Coronavirus news: Biggest single day spike of 6,259 new cases in KarnatakaKarnataka on Tuesday reported its biggest single day spike of 6,259 COVID-19 cases and 110 fresh deaths, taking the total infection count to 1,45,830 and the toll to 2,704, the health department said.
The day also saw a record 6,777 patients getting discharged after recovery, outnumbering the fresh cases, PTI reported.
Coronavirus news: Case against Ex-Tripura minister for visiting COVID-19 facility without permission, says policeA case was filed against former Tripura health minister Sudip Roy Barman for visiting a COVID-19 Care Centre allegedly without authorisation, police said
Wearing a PPE kit, the BJP MLA visited the COVID-19 Care Centre set up at the Bhagat Singh Youth Hostel on Sunday and distributed fruits among the patients, PTI reported.
Coronavirus news: Focus on reducing mortality rate among critically ill COVID-19 patients, says Union Home Secretary to J&KUnion Home Secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla on Tuesday directed authorities in Jammu and Kashmir to focus on reducing the mortality rate among the critically ill COVID-19 patients in the Union territory.
Mr Bhalla, while reviewing the COVID-19 death audit report for Jammu and Kashmir at a meeting through video conference, observed that most of the critical patients die within 72 hours of hospitalization.
"He emphasized on the need to tackle the issue," an official spokesman said after the meeting.
Mr Bhalla chaired a high-level meeting to review the management of COVID-19 pandemic in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, PTI reported.
Coronavirus news: AIIMS, Rishikesh begins plasma therapy for COVID-19 patients RishikeshThe All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Rishikesh on Tuesday began convalescent plasma therapy for coronavirus patients as per ICMR guidelines.
Giving this information, AIIMS, Rishikesh director Ravi Kant appealed to people cured of COVID-19 to donate their plasma and help save the lives of others suffering from the disease.
With the start of this therapy for the first time at any healthcare facility in Uttarakhand, people who have recovered from COVID-19 in the state can play a significant role in saving the lives of infected people who do not have the antibodies to fight the disease, he said.
The first group of interested plasma donors was informed about the process of plasma donation on July 24 and three units of convalescent plasma were obtained from them on July 27, July 29 and August 1, to be used for coronavirus patients, PTI reported.
Coronavirus news: Flight operation in Kolkata to remain suspended on statewide lockdown daysAs per the West Bengal government's order, the flight operations at the Kolkata Airport will remain suspended on revised lockdown day, informed the Kolkata Airport authorities on Tuesday.
According to the airport authority, flight operation on August 5, 8, 20, 21, 27, 28, and 31 will remain suspended in Kolkata. The state government on July 31 had declared a complete lockdown on these dates in an effort to control the spread of COVID-19 in the state, ANI reported.
Coronavirus news: COVID-19 cases in Uttar Pradesh cross 1 lakh-mark; death count climbs to 1,817 The total number of coronavirus cases in Uttar Pradesh crossed the one lakh mark as the state recorded 2,948 fresh cases on Tuesday, an official statement said.
A total of 41 fatalities were recorded in the state in the past 24 hours, taking the death count due to the disease to 1,817, PTI reported.
Coronavirus news: Over 50% of COVID-19 deaths in India in patients aged 60 and above, says Health MinistryOver 50 per cent of COVID-19 deaths in India have taken place among people aged 60 years and above and 37 per cent deaths have been reported among patients in the age group of 45 to 60 years, Health Ministry said on Tuesday.
Addressing a press conference, Rajesh Bhushan, Secretary, Health Ministry said that 11 per cent COVID-19 deaths took place in the age group of 26 to 44.
The 18 to 25 age group and those below 18 years reported one per cent deaths each, ANI reported.
Coronavirus news: More than 1 billion school children worldwide affected by COVID-19, says UN ChiefThe coronavirus pandemic has prompted the largest educational disruption in history that has affected more than 1 billion school students worldwide, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Tuesday.
"The COVID-19 pandemic has led to the largest disruption of education ever. In mid-July, schools were closed in more than 160 countries, affecting over 1 billion students," Guterres said in a video address, marking the launch of a new global policy brief on Education and COVID-19.
It is true that the schooling crisis existed long before the pandemic, as around 250 million children were out of school worldwide, but COVID-19 amplified it and brought the world to the edge of what Guterres described as a "generational catastrophe."
While commending efforts to keep up education via distant learning, the UN chief said that many students stayed out of reach, for example, learners with disabilities, those in the minority of disadvantaged communities, displaced and refugee students.
The schooling crisis has, in turn, had a knock-on effect on child nutrition, child marriage, gender equality and fair distribution of unpaid care work, among other things, ANI reported.
LNJP records "zero death" from COVID on two days in a week, says Medical directorLNJP Hospital, the Delhi government's biggest COVID-19 treatment facility, did not report any death due to the disease on two days in a week, signalling an improvement in the pandemic situation.
The 2,000-bed hospital's medical director Suresh Kumar said on Tuesday the number of people on a ventilator at the facility has come down by nearly 25 per cent, compared to the figure a month ago, PTI reported.
Coronavirus news: Recovered COVID-19 cases now double of active cases, says Health MinistryThe number of recovered COVID-19 patients in India is increasing daily and is now over double the number of active cases, Health Ministry said on Tuesday.
Addressing a press conference here, Rajesh Bhushan, Secretary, Ministry of Health said that the case fatality rate (CFR) is lowest since the first lockdown, ANI reported.
Coronavirus news: Release data on registered deaths to understand mortality impact of COVID-19, says researchersMore than 200 researchers, epidemiologists and public health professionals from India and abroad have urged government agencies to release data on registered deaths to understand the mortality impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in India, PTI reporrted.
Coronavirus news: Odisha's COVID-19 caseload may increase by 50,000 in August, says OfficialAs COVID-19 cases continue to rise in Odisha with over 1,000 new cases being reported daily since July 21, the state's caseload may increase by 50,000 in August, a senior official said.
However, the director of a prominent research laboratory said, considering the rising number of positive cases now, the pandemic will be stable in Odisha by the last week of August after reaching its peak, PTI reported.
Coronavirus news: Disposed PPE could be turned into biofuel, say Indian scientistsIndian scientists have suggested a method to convert the plastic used in personal protective equipment (PPE) into renewable liquid fuels, an advance that could help mitigate the problem of dumped PPE, currently being disposed of at unprecedented levels due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to the study, published in the journal Biofuels, billions of items of disposable PPE can be converted from its plastic state into biofuels using a high-temperature chemical process called pyrolysis, PTI reported.
Coronavirus news: 95 fresh cases push Sikkim's COVID-19 tally to 783Ninety-five more people have tested positive for COVID-19 in Sikkim, taking the Himalayan state's virus count to 783 on Tuesday, a senior health official said.
Fifty-eight new cases were reported in East Sikkim district while South Sikkim registered 37 fresh infections, PTI reported.
Coronavirus news: Currently, 5,86,298 active COVID-19 cases are in India
Coronavirus news: Swab samples of Jharkhand Chief Minister, his family members, CMO officials collected for COVID-19 test
A team of health workers on Tuesday collected swab samples of Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren and his family members for COVID-19 tests, the second time in a month, after several employees at his office were found to have contracted the disease, PTI reported.
Coronavirus news: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister directs officials to arrange 50,000 additional beds in hospitals
Amid rising cases of coronavirus, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Tuesday directed officials to arrange 50,000 additional beds in hospitals, PTI reported.
The state's infection tally stands at 97,362 and the death count at 1,778, an official statement said on Monday.
Coronavirus news: Indonesia reports 1,922 new coronavirus cases, 86 deathsIndonesia recorded 1,922 new coronavirus infections on Tuesday, bringing the total number of cases in the Southeast Asian country to 115,056, official data by the country's COVID-19 task force showed.
The data also showed there were 86 additional deaths, taking the overall number of fatalities to 5,388, Reuters reported.
Sero Survey For COVID-19 In Delhi Extended For 2 More Days: Health Minister Satyendar Jain
Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain on Tuesday said that the government will have to extend the serological survey for COVID-19 in the national capital by two more days due to Eid and Rakshabandhan holidays.
The health minister added that around 15,000 samples will be collected during the serological survey in Delhi. He said, "We have to extend the serological survey for 1-2 days more due to the holidays, as there was Eid and Rakshabandhan in between."
While speaking about the COVID-19 cases in the national capital, Mr Jain said that Delhi is now at the 14th number in terms of active cases. "There are 10,207 active cases in Delhi as of now and the total COVID-19 count now stands at 1,38,482. Yesterday, 937 people recovered from the virus after treatment," he added.
Puducherry Reports 168 New COVID-19 Cases
As many as 168 new COVID-19 cases, one death and 96 discharges were reported in Puducherry, said the Union Territory's Directorate of Health and Family Welfare Services on Tuesday.
With these new cases, Puducherry's coronavirus tally has climbed to 4,146, including 1,552 active cases, 2,537 recovered cases and 57 deaths.
India witnessed a single-day spike of 52,050 COVID-19 cases as the total cases in the country reached 18,55,746, the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said on Tuesday.
Jubilant Launches Remdesivir In India For Treatment Of COVID-19
Jubilant Life Sciences has launched Remdesivir for injection under the brand name JUBI-R in Indian market at a price of Rs 4,700 per vial of 100 mg and said it will make the drug available to over 1,000 hospitals providing COVID-19 treatment through its distribution network.
Jubilant's 24-hour helpline will enhance access to JUBI-R during these pandemic times where timely access to the drug may prove critical to treatment outcomes.
In order to increase its accessibility to patients below the poverty line and to frontline paramedical staff, Jubilant Bhartia Foundation -- a not-for-profit organisation of Jubilant Group -- is launching programmes aimed at the distribution of the drug.
Philippines Orders Millions To Stay Home As Global Virus Cases Soar
Millions of people in the Philippines were ordered to stay home Tuesday as global coronavirus infections kept soaring, with the World Health Organization warning against relying on a vaccine "silver bullet" to end the pandemic.
More than 18 million people worldwide have been infected with the virus since it first emerged in China late last year and it shows no sign of slowing down.
Brazil is driving a surge in Latin America and the Caribbean where infections have topped five million.
JustIn| 18.55 lakh coronavirus cases in India so far, 38,938 deaths, over 66% recovery rate
Former Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah Tests Positive For COVID-19
Former Karnataka Chief Minister and Leader of Opposition in the State Assembly, Siddaramaiah on Tuesday said that he has tested positive for COVID-19 and admitted himself to a hospital.
"I have been tested positive for COVID-19 and also been admitted to the hospital on the advice of doctors as a precaution. I request all those who had come in contact with me to check out for symptoms and to quarantine themselves," Siddaramaiah tweeted.
India's COVID-19 Testing Hits Record High As Over 6.6 Lakh Tests Conducted In Last 24-Hour
India has recorded highest single-day testing by conducting over 6.6 lakh tests to diagnose Covid-19 in last 24 hours, said the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) on Tuesday.
"In its fight against COVID-19, India scales a new high of 6,61,715 tests in the last 24 hours," said the Health Ministry in a tweet.
A total of 2,08,64,206 samples for COVID-19 have been tested across the country so far said the Health Ministry on Tuesday.
Delhi Reports 805 New COVID-19 Cases, Lowest In Over 2 MonthsThe national capital recorded 805 fresh coronavirus cases on Monday, the lowest in over two months, taking the infection tally to 1,38,482, authorities said on Monday.
According to a health bulletin, 10,133 tests -- 3,904 RTCPR and 6,229 Rapid Antigen -- were conducted in the last 24 hours.
On an average, 18,000-19,000 tests were being conducted daily since testing was ramped up significantly in mid-June.
The number of tests conducted a day before was also low -- 12,730 -- due to Eid al-Adha. So far, 10,73,802 tests have been conducted in Delhi, the bulletin said.
Maharashtra: 81 Inmates Of Sangli Test Coronavirus PositiveAs many as 81 inmates and three staff members of the Sangli district prison in Maharashtra have contracted the coronavirus infection, a senior official said on Monday.
He said 94 inmates and six staff members had given their swab samples for testing.
"Of the 100 samples tested, 81 inmates and three staff members are found to be coronavirus positive," said Anil Khamkar, Superintendent, Sangli Prisons.
He said the virus might have spread as the prison is overcrowded.
"We have the capacity to house 235 inmates, but the current occupancy is 319," the superintendent said, adding that only one case was reported at the facility last month. He said the infected inmates will be shifted to a temporary isolation facility in Sangli in western Maharashtra.
Impose Lockdown In An Area If Number Of COVID-19 Cases Rise: Rajasthan Chief Minister To CollectorsRajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot asked district collectors on Monday to clamp a lockdown in an area if the number of coronavirus cases is on the rise there.
He said the collectors may impose other restrictions such as declaring containment zones and announcing a night curfew, according to the requirements.
Chairing a review meeting, Gehlot also directed officials to ensure compliance of the COVID-19 health protocols, adding that the situation may worsen if the same are violated.
The chief minister also said if those in home quarantine violate rules, they should be shifted to institutional quarantine.
State Health Minister Raghu Sharma, Chief Secretary Rajeeva Swarup and other senior officials were present at the meeting.
Rajasthan recorded 13 deaths due to COVID-19 on Monday, taking the total number of such fatalities in the state to 719, while with 1,145 fresh cases, the tally went past the 45,000-mark, the health department said.
Manipur Chief Minister Inaugurates 300-Bedded COVID-19 Care CentreChief Minister N Biren Singh on Monday inaugurated a 300 bedded COVID care centre at Manipur Trade and Expo Centre, Lamboikhongnangkhong in Imphal West.
Speaking to ANI, Chief Minister stated that there is evidence of local transmission of COVID-19, however, there is no community transmission of the disease in the State.
With a surge in positive cases of Covid-19, a proper decision will be taken in the upcoming Cabinet meeting whether to strengthen the present lockdown and its extension, he added.Singh maintained that awareness among the people is very much needed to contain further spread of the disease. He also appealed to the people to come out openly for early treatment instead of concealing their COVID-19 status if tested positive.
"Presently, a total of 300 beds have been installed in the CCC, Lamboikhongnangkhong and it will be upgraded to a 1000-bedded Centre as it has enough space for extension. He appreciated the Health Department and other officials for setting up the COVID Care Centre so that infected people can get timely treatment," said Mr Singh.
Odisha's COVID-19 Death Count Climbs To 207 With 10 More FatalitiesThe death count due to COVID- 19 in Odisha crossed the 200-mark on Monday with 10 more fatalities taking the total to 207, a Health Department official said.
At least 1,384 more people have tested positive for the disease, pushing the tally to 36,297, he said.
The state also registered the highest single-day recovery of 1,119 COVID-19 patients taking the number of people who have been cured of the disease to 23,074, which is 63.56 of the total caseload in the state, the official said.