This Article is From Aug 21, 2020

Coronavirus Live Updates: COVID-19 Cases In India Cross 28.36 Lakh-Mark

Coronavirus Updates: A total of 20,96,664 COVID-19 patients have recovered from the infection.

Coronavirus Live Updates: COVID-19 Cases In India Cross 28.36 Lakh-Mark

COVID-19 Cases India Updates: India's recovery rate is 73.90 per cent.

New Delhi:

Coronavirus India Live Updates: India has logged 69,652 cases of coronavirus in the last 24 hours with 977 deaths, the Union Health Ministry said today. The total number of cases in the country has now shot up to 28,36,925 with 53,866 deaths. A total of 20,96,664 COVID-19 patients have recovered from the infection, taking the recovery rate to 73.90 per cent, the ministry said today.

Meanwhile, on Wednesday the total recoveries crossed 2 million pushing the recovery rate to 73.64 per cent, while the COVID-19 case fatality rate hit a new low of 1.91 per cent, the Union Health Ministry said.

Here are the updates of coronavirus (COVID-19) cases:

Aug 21, 2020 06:02 (IST)
Germany to take on more debt in 2021 due to virus: Finance Minister

Germany will need to take on yet more debt in 2021 to mitigate the impact of the coronavirus on the economy, Finance Minister Olaf Scholz said Friday.

"Next year we will continue to be forced to suspend the debt rule and spend considerable funds to protect the health of citizens and stabilise the economy," Scholz said in an interview with the Funke media group, referring to Germany's cherished policy of keeping a balanced budget.
Aug 21, 2020 05:40 (IST)
Mexico to get at least 2,000 doses of Russia's Sputnik vaccine to test

Mexico will receive at least 2,000 doses of Russia's potential COVID-19 vaccine, dubbed 'Sputnik V', to test among its population, a senior Mexican government official said on Thursday.

"Mexico was offered at least 2,000 doses of the vaccine to do its protocol to start testing it in Mexico, which is very good news because again we buy ourselves time," said Mexican Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard.

On Wednesday, Mexico's government told Moscow it would like to carry out phase 3 testing of the vaccine, as part of the Latin American country's efforts to secure early supplies of an effective medicine to control the coronavirus pandemic.
Aug 21, 2020 05:06 (IST)
Assam reports 1,735 new coronavirus cases

As many as 1,735 new coronavirus cases were recorded in Assam taking the number of cases to 86,052, according to Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma. He informed that 34,376 samples were tested in the last 24 hours.

The coronavirus positivity rate in the state is at 5.04 per cent, Mr Sarma said.

The total number of cases now stands at 86,052 including 60,348 discharges, 25,480 active cases, and 221 deaths.
Aug 21, 2020 04:43 (IST)
Brazil coronavirus cases cross 3.5 million, over 112,000 deaths recorded

Brazil reported 45,323 new cases of the novel coronavirus and 1,204 deaths from the disease caused by the virus in the past 24 hours, the health ministry said on Thursday.

Brazil has now registered 3,501,975 cases of the virus since the pandemic began, while the official death count from COVID-19 has risen to 112,304, according to ministry data.

The death count reported on Thursday takes the total number of deaths across Latin America past 250,000.
Aug 21, 2020 04:08 (IST)
Rajasthan announces additional honorarium for medical staff in COVID-19 care hospitals

To encourage doctors and nursing staff working in COVID-19 care hospitals, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has announced to give additional honorarium to them, a statement said.

The chief minister gave directions to give additional honorarium to doctors and nursing staff of ICU and wards of COVID care hospitals for providing good care to patients, it said.
Aug 21, 2020 03:39 (IST)
Coronavirus Pandemic Could Cause Extreme Poverty To Surge By 100 Million: World Bank
The coronavirus pandemic may have driven as many as 100 million people back into extreme poverty, World Bank President David Malpass warned Thursday.
Aug 21, 2020 03:11 (IST)
Italy registers highest number of coronavirus cases since May

Italy has recorded its highest number of coronavirus infections since May 23, with 845 new cases reported over the last day, health ministry officials said Thursday. The new high comes after the health ministry on Wednesday counted 642 new cases, confirming an upward curve.

Six people also died over the last 24 hours, bringing the death count to 35,418 in a total of 256,118 cases, health officials added.
Aug 21, 2020 02:51 (IST)
Goa to document how it fought COVID-19 pandemic: Chief Minister

Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said the state will document the steps taken to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic, which could be used as a ready reference for any future health emergency.

Mr Sawant said the document will be a reference of how Goa fought the COVID-19 pandemic.

Years later, if such a situation arises, we will be able to get knowledge from such a documentation, he said.
Aug 21, 2020 02:16 (IST)
New York gyms set to re-open to athletes, members shedding 'quarantine 15'

Before coronavirus shut down the United States, gym re-opening used to mean simply unlocking the front door and greeting the herds squeezed into spandex pants.

Now, as New York gyms gird to re-open as soon as Monday, exercise centers like Chelsea Piers Fitness in Manhattan are upgrading air filters to hospital grade, disinfecting sand on the beach volleyball court, spreading work-out equipment 6 feet apart, and cleaning, cleaning, cleaning.

"Reopening is going to be intense. It's going to be tough," said Chelsea Piers trainer Oscar Herrera as preparations to re-open one of the largest gyms in New York City kicked into high gear.
Aug 21, 2020 02:00 (IST)
Spain's emergencies chief says coronavirus fight not going well 

Spain's emergencies director warned Thursday that "things are not going well" in his country's fight to ramp down COVID-19 transmission as cases keep rising.

Spain has been one of the world's worst hit countries with close on 30,000 coronavirus-related deaths and recent fresh cluster outbreaks more than two months since one of Europe's toughest lockdowns was eased.

Fernando Simon, the health ministry's emergencies director, urged social media influencers to help make young people in particular aware of the ongoing danger of contamination.
Aug 21, 2020 00:57 (IST)
France reports over 4,000 new virus cases in 24 hours

France reported 4,771 new coronavirus cases over 24 hours on Thursday, 1,000 more than Wednesday, health authorities said.

The spike in new cases marked the first jump of more than 4,000 in a day since May, although the number of new patients hospitalised at 149 was down on 162 for Wednesday, the DGS public health directorate said.

Currently, 4,748 people are hospitalised with the virus across the country, which is down on Wednesday (4,806) and Tuesday (4,823).
Aug 21, 2020 00:10 (IST)
Maharashtra Records Highest One-Day Count Of 14,492 COVID-19 Cases

Maharashtra reported its highest single-day spike of 14,492 coronavirus cases on Thursday, which pushed its overall count to 6,43,289, the state health department said.

The death of 326 patients increased the count to 21,359, it said.

A total of 12,243 patients were discharged on Thursday following their recovery, the department said in a statement.

With this, 4,59,124 COVID-19 patients have been discharged so far, it added.

Aug 20, 2020 23:43 (IST)
COVID-19: Over 11.2 lakh Indians have returned from abroad under Vande Bharat Mission, says Centre
Over 11.2 lakh Indians have returned from abroad after the government launched the "Vande Bharat" evacuation mission on May 7 in view of the coronavirus pandemic, the Ministry of External Affairs said on Thursday.

Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said the bilateral air bubbles arrangements with US, Canada, UK, France, Germany, UAE, Qatar and Maldives are functioning well.

An air bubble is a bilateral arrangement with a set of regulations and restrictions in which the carriers of the two countries can operate international flights.

Referring to an announcement by the Minister of Civil Aviation earlier this week, Mr Srivastava said negotiations on air travel arrangements with 18 more countries -- Australia, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, Nigeria, Bahrain, Israel, Kenya, Philippines, Russia, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Bhutan, Nepal and Sri Lanka -- are ongoing.
Aug 20, 2020 23:13 (IST)
COVID-19: Maharashtra's Nashik's tally crosses 27,000-mark with 903 new cases
The count of COVID-19 cases in Nashik district of Maharashtra crossed the 27,000-mark on Thursday with a single-day rise of 903 cases, health officials said.

The tally stands at 27,677 at present, they said. With the virus claiming 17 more lives, the death count in the district reached 745, they said.

Six of the deceased were from areas within Nashik Municipal Corporation (NMC) limits, nine from other parts of the district and two from Malegaon.
Aug 20, 2020 22:55 (IST)
COVID-19: 5,986 cases reported in Tamil Nadu
A total of 5,986 new COVID-19 cases and 116 deaths were reported in Tamil Nadu on Thursday, taking the total number of cases to 3,61,435 in the state.

According to the health department, 5,742 recoveries were also reported on Thursday. The total number of cases includes 53,283 active cases, 3,01,913 recovered cases and 6,239 deaths till date.

India's coronavirus count breached the 28-lakh mark with 69,652 COVID-19 cases reported in the country on Thursday, informed the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
Aug 20, 2020 22:37 (IST)
COVID-19: Chandigarh records sharpest single-day spike of 119 cases, tally rises to 2,515
Chandigarh on Thursday recorded the biggest single-day jump of 119 COVID-19 cases, taking the union territory's tally to 2,515, a medical bulletin said.

Chandigarh's previous record high of 114 fresh cases was recorded on Monday.

A one-and-half-year-old boy and a two-year-old boy are among the fresh cases reported on Thursday, according to the bulletin.

The cases were detected in many areas including sectors 3, 7, 8, 9, 11, 15, 17, 18, 21, 22, 23, 32, 33, 34, 35, 44, 45, 46, 47, 51, Mani Majra, Burail and Hallo Majra.

There are 1,092 active COVID-19 cases in Chandigarh at present, the bulletin said.
Aug 20, 2020 22:37 (IST)
COVID-19: Chandigarh records sharpest single-day spike of 119 cases, tally rises to 2,515
Chandigarh on Thursday recorded the biggest single-day jump of 119 COVID-19 cases, taking the union territory's tally to 2,515, a medical bulletin said.

Chandigarh's previous record high of 114 fresh cases was recorded on Monday.

A one-and-half-year-old boy and a two-year-old boy are among the fresh cases reported on Thursday, according to the bulletin.

The cases were detected in many areas including sectors 3, 7, 8, 9, 11, 15, 17, 18, 21, 22, 23, 32, 33, 34, 35, 44, 45, 46, 47, 51, Mani Majra, Burail and Hallo Majra.

There are 1,092 active COVID-19 cases in Chandigarh at present, the bulletin said.
Aug 20, 2020 22:28 (IST)
COVID-19: Arvind Kejriwal's ''Delhi model'' improved COVID-19 situation, says AAP government
 Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's ''Delhi model'' of tackling COVID-19 has led to significant improvement in the situation and the national capital's case doubling rate has gone up to 101.5 days as against 28.8 days for the rest of India, an official statement said on Thursday.

The case fatality rate in Delhi for the month of August has also come down substantially to 1.4 per cent, as against 1.92 for rest of the country, it said, adding that the recovery rate in Delhi is 90.2 per cent as compared to 72.5 for rest of the country.

A large drop has also been witnessed in positivity rate between June 18 and August 16, the statement said.
Aug 20, 2020 21:59 (IST)
Coronavirus news: COVID-19 casts shadow over UP monsoon session
The brief monsoon session of the Uttar Pradesh Legislature began under strict COVID-19 protocols on Thursday with obituary references for its present and former members including two ministers who died due to coronavirus.

It was a record of sorts on the first day as lawmakers occupied visitors' galleries and media persons kept away in order to maintain social distancing norms, PTI reported. 

In the Legislative Assembly, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath paid tributes to 20 Indian soldiers who laid down their lives in the Galwan valley on June 17 and "COVID warriors" who died while serving the people.
Aug 20, 2020 21:39 (IST)
Coronavirus news: 7,385 new COVID-19 cases in Karnataka, 102 deaths
Karnataka on Thursday reported 7,385 new cases of COVID-19 and 102 related fatalities, taking the total number of infections to 2,56,975 and the death count to 4,429, the health department said.

The day also saw 6,231 patients getting discharged after recovery, PTI reported. Out of 7,385 fresh cases reported on Thursday, 2,912 cases were from Bengaluru urban alone.
Aug 20, 2020 21:16 (IST)
Coronavirus news: Airbnb bans parties at rental properties amid pandemic
Citing public health concerns amid the coronavirus, home-sharing company Airbnb on Thursday imposed a worldwide party ban at its rental properties and capped occupancy at larger homes to 16.

The ban on parties and events will be "in effect indefinitely until further notice," the company said on its website, adding that guests "may be legally pursued by Airbnb if they violate our policy."

Airbnb began cracking down last year as rowdy parties were causing problems with neighbors in some communities, AFP reported.
Aug 20, 2020 21:01 (IST)
Coronavirus news: Biggest single-day spike of 3,197 COVID-19 cases push West Bengal's tally to 1,29,119

Biggest single-day spike of 3,197 COVID-19 cases push West Bengal's tally to 1,29,119; death count jumps to 2,634 with 53 more fatalities, according to Health Department.
Aug 20, 2020 20:53 (IST)
Coronavirus news: Vietnam's coronavirus infections pass 1,000 mark

Vietnam's tally of coronavirus infections since January passed the 1,000 mark on Thursday, after 14 new cases were reported.

More than half of the total confirmed cases are linked to a new outbreak that began late last month in the central coastal city of Danang, the health ministry said.

Vietnam's tally now stands at 1,007 infections and 25 deaths, among the lowest in the region, having successfully contained earlier outbreaks. The ministry said 86,644 people are currently undergoing quarantine, most in their homes.
Aug 20, 2020 20:30 (IST)
Coronavirus news: As coronavirus surges, Spain's back-to-school plans sow confusion, anger

With coronavirus cases surging and less than two weeks of the school holidays left, parents, teachers and opposition politicians in Spain are angry and critical about the government's plans for reopening classrooms.

Latest government data showed daily infections peaked at 7,609 on Friday - the highest level since late March - before dropping to 3,715 on Wednesday. However, the fall may not represent a trend as similar declines have persistently been followed by new peaks in recent weeks, reuters reported. 
Aug 20, 2020 20:07 (IST)
Coronavirus news: All historic monuments except Taj Mahal, Agra Fort to reopen from September 1
All historic monuments other than the Taj Mahal and the Agra Fort will be reopened in Agra from September 1, 2020, the Agra District Magistrate (DM) said.

These monuments were earlier closed in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, ANI reported. 
Aug 20, 2020 19:52 (IST)
Coronavirus news: Army distributes 350 Covid kits to Gujjars, Bakarwals in Jammu and Kashmir
The Indian Army distributed 350 Covid kits to the Gujjar and the Bakarwal communities at various districts of Jammu and Kashmir, said the Defence public relation officer (PRO) on Thursday.

"In order to facilitate the civil population, the Indian Army distributed COVID Kits for Gujjar and Bakarwal at Kotranka, Khawas, Samote, Budhal, Chasana, and Makhidhar of Rajouri and Reasi Districts." Lt Col Abhinav Navneet, Defence PRO said.

The PRO added that 350 Covid kits that were distributed contained soaps, face masks, and sanitisers, ANI reported. 
Aug 20, 2020 19:31 (IST)
Coronavirus news: With 1,968 fresh cases, Kerala's coronavirus tally crosses 52,000 mark

Kerala logged 1,968 fresh COVID-19 cases, including 48 health workers, and nine related deaths, taking the infection count in the state to 52,199 so far.

As many as 1,737 were infected through contact and the source of infection of 100 people was not yet known, Health Minister KK Shailaja said.
Aug 20, 2020 19:13 (IST)
Coronavirus news: Concerned over numbers, Says Telangana Governor on study that 6 lakh people in Hyderabad may carry COVID-19

Telangana Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan on Thursday expressed concern over the estimates of a new study that at least six lakh people in the city may have been infected by coronavirus. 

Concerned on the numbers. Congratulations @ccmb_csir for your efforts to study the problems in depth, she tweeted, tagging a report on the findings of the study based on harvested sewage samples in the city. 

Ms Soundararajan, a medical doctor herself, had on Tuesday last stressed the need to conduct adequate numbers of COVID-19 tests in the state, saying eradication of the virus would be difficult without sufficient testing. 
Aug 20, 2020 18:57 (IST)
Coronavirus news: After 16 Days, Dharavi Records Double Digit COVID-19 Count

The tally of COVID-19 cases in the slum-dominated Dharavi area of Mumbai increased to 2,697 on Thursday after 17 more people tested positive for the infection, a senior BMC official said.

It is after a gap of more than a fortnight that Dharavi has recorded double digit COVID-19 case count in a day.

Aug 20, 2020 18:41 (IST)
Coronavirus news: Alibaba beats estimates as pandemic fuels online, cloud computing demand

China's Alibaba Group Holding Ltd (BABA.N) beat quarterly revenue and profit estimates on Thursday, as its core commerce and cloud computing businesses continued to grow following China's emergence from the coronavirus lockdown.

Sales from the commerce business alone jumped 34% to 133.32 billion yuan ($19.27 billion) in the quarter ending in June, slightly slower than a year earlier but still enough to prod its shares higher after the results.

The company's stock has soared 23% this year as investors globally poured money into technology businesses seen as "stay-at-home" winners from the pandemic, and Alibaba said it had bounced back from a hit to Chinese consumer spending at the start of this year.
Aug 20, 2020 18:24 (IST)
Coronavirus news: Jharkhand moving ahead in fight against COVID-19, government scaling up tests, contract tracing, says Chief Minister

Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren on Thursday said his government was striving hard to contain the COVID-19 pandemic, and the people of the state need to support this endeavour by wearing masks and following other safety measures.

In an official release issued by the chief minister's office, Mr Soren asked people to immediately visit a health centre if they experience COVID19-like symptoms, PTI reported. 
Aug 20, 2020 18:08 (IST)
Coronavirus news: Nagaland reports 25 new COVID-19 cases

A total of 25 new COVID-19 cases and 215 recoveries were reported from Nagaland on Thursday, informed S Pangnyu Phom, Nagaland's Minister for Health and Family Welfare.

"25 new COVID-19 reported in Nagaland today. State also reports 215 recoveries in the last 24 hours," said S Pangnyu Phom.

India's coronavirus tally breached the 28-lakh mark with 69,652 COVID-19 cases reported in the country in the last 24 hours, informed the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

Aug 20, 2020 17:49 (IST)
Coronavirus news: Africa reports "hopeful" daily drop in coronavirus cases
Average daily cases of coronavirus in Africa fell last week, a "hopeful sign" for the continent's fight against the disease, the head of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) said Thursday.

The continent-wide daily average was 10,300 last week, down from 11,000 the week before, Dr John Nkengasong said at a press briefing, adding that officials were greeting the news with "cautious optimism". 

"We have begun to bend the curve slowly," he said. 
Aug 20, 2020 17:07 (IST)
Coronavirus news: 2 deaths, 117 new COVID-19 cases reported in Maharashtra Police
As many as 117 new COVID-19 cases and two deaths have been reported in the Maharashtra Police in the last 24 hours, said the police on Thursday.

With this, the total number of Coronavirus positive police personnel in Maharashtra reached 12,877, including 2,255 active cases, 10,491 recoveries, and 131 deaths till date.

According to the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the active cases stand at 1,60,728 in Maharashtra. While the cured/discharged/migrated cases stand are 4,46,881, the death count has reached 21,033 in the state. 
Aug 20, 2020 16:50 (IST)
Coronavirus news: Rajasthan reports 690 fresh infections, 5 deaths

Rajasthan reported 690 fresh COVID-19 infections and five deaths due to the disease on Thursday, taking the caseload to 65,979 and the number of fatalities to 915, according to an official report.

Three deaths were reported from Jaipur and one each from Ajmer and Bikaner.

Ajmer recorded the maximum number of fresh coronavirus infections at 138, PTI reported. 
Aug 20, 2020 16:33 (IST)
Coronavirus news: India's COVID-19 recovery rate nears 74 per cent, only 0.28 per cent of active cases on ventilator support
Recoveries among COVID-19 patients in the country surged to 20,96,664 on Thursday, pushing India's recovery rate to 73.91 per cent, while only 0.28 per cent people of 6,86,395 active cases are on ventilator support, the Union health ministry said.

Of the active cases of coronavirus infection, 1.92 per cent are in ICU and 2.62 per cent on oxygen support. The country's case fatality rate has further declined to 1.90 per cent, it said.

Recovery of 20,96,664 patients has been made possible because of effective implementation of the policy of testing aggressively, tracking comprehensively and treating efficiently, the ministry said in a statement.
Aug 20, 2020 16:15 (IST)
Coronavirus news: UK accused of ignoring warnings over virus-hit exams

The British government came under fresh pressure Thursday over its botched policy for grading exams cancelled during the coronavirus lockdown, as a new set of results showed a surge in top 
marks.

Schools minister Nick Gibb admitted he was warned weeks ago about the risks of using an algorithm to moderate assessments made by teachers, which the government abandoned this week after an uproar.

He insisted the model, which was intended to protect against potential widespread grade inflation, was fair but said it was implemented incorrectly.

The government said it would revert to teacher assessments after pupils took to the streets in protest at last week's A-level results, sat by 17 and 18-year-olds, AFP reported. 
Aug 20, 2020 16:00 (IST)
Coronavirus news: 26, Who Helped Passengers Of Crashed Kerala Plane, Tests Covid +Ve
As many as 26 volunteers who reached the Air-India Express plane crash site in Kozhikode, 48 km from Malappuram, and evacuated the injured passengers on August 7, have tested positive for COVID-19.

"As far as my information from the airport sources goes, as many as 26 localpeople, involved in the rescue operations, have tested positive for the virus so far and are now under medical care," the Malappuram District Medical Officer Dr K Sakeena told PTI.

Aug 20, 2020 15:44 (IST)
Coronavirus news: 190 fresh COVID-19 cases push Tripura's tally to 7,853
As many as 190 more people have tested positive for COVID-19 in Tripura, taking the northeastern state's tally to 7,853 on Thursday, a health official said.

The fresh infections have pushed the number of active COVID-19 cases in the state to 2,205, while 5,565 people have recovered from the disease so far, and 18 patients have migrated to other states, the official said.

Sixty-five COVID-19 patients have died due to the infection in the state so far, PTI reported. 
Aug 20, 2020 15:31 (IST)
COVID-19: Rajasthan Reports 690 Fresh Infections, 5 Deaths

Rajasthan reported 690 fresh COVID-19 infections and five deaths due to the disease on Thursday, taking the caseload to 65,979 and the number of fatalities to 915, according to an official report.

Three deaths were reported from Jaipur and one each from Ajmer and Bikaner.

Ajmer recorded the maximum number of fresh coronavirus infections at 138.

Bhilwara district reported 106 fresh cases, followed by Alwar 100, Jaipur 99, Udaipur 82, Nagaur 50, Bundi 38, Jodhpur 36, Chittorgarh 22, and Pratapgarh 19 cases.

A total of 50,393 COVID-19 patients have recovered and there are 14,671 active cases in the state at present.
Aug 20, 2020 15:12 (IST)
Union Minister GS Shekhawat Says He Has Tested Covid +ve
Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat tweeted this afternoon that he has tested positive for coronavirus, which has affected over 28 lakh people in India since the beginning of the pandemic. He is the sixth Union Minister to test positive for the highly contagious disease.Read more

Union Minister GS Shekhawat Says He Has Tested Covid +ve
Aug 20, 2020 15:00 (IST)
COVID-19: Rajasthan Reports 690 Fresh Infections, 5 Deaths

Rajasthan reported 690 fresh COVID-19 infections and five deaths due to the disease on Thursday, taking the caseload to 65,979 and the number of fatalities to 915, according to an official report.

Three deaths were reported from Jaipur and one each from Ajmer and Bikaner.

Ajmer recorded the maximum number of fresh coronavirus infections at 138.

Bhilwara district reported 106 fresh cases, followed by Alwar 100, Jaipur 99, Udaipur 82, Nagaur 50, Bundi 38, Jodhpur 36, Chittorgarh 22, and Pratapgarh 19 cases.

A total of 50,393 COVID-19 patients have recovered and there are 14,671 active cases in the state at present.

Aug 20, 2020 14:14 (IST)
49 Security Personnel Among 63 Fresh COVID-19 Cases In Meghalaya

Sixty-three more people, including 49 security personnel, have tested positive for
COVID-19 in Meghalaya, taking the northeastern state's tally to 1,598, a health official said on Thursday.

Fifty fresh infections were reported in East Khasi Hills district, seven in West Garo Hills, five in Ri-Bhoi and one in East Garo Hills, Health Services Director Aman War said.

"Forty-one Armed Forces personnel and eight BSF jawans are among the new patients," he said.

Aug 20, 2020 13:41 (IST)
8 Deaths, 554 New COVID-19 Cases Reported In Puducherry

A total of eight deaths and 554 new COVID-19 cases were reported in Puducherry in the last 24 hours, the Union Territory's health department informed on Thursday.

With this, Puducherry''s COVID-19 count stands at 9,292, including 3,521 active cases and 5,634 recoveries.

So far, 137 deaths have been reported from here.

India's coronavirus tally breached the 28 lakh-mark with 69,652 COVID-19 cases reported in the country in the last 24 hours, informed the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

Aug 20, 2020 13:10 (IST)
29.1 Per Cent People Have Developed Antibodies Against COVID-19, Shows Second Serological Survey: Delhi Health Minister

A total of 29.1 per cent people in the national capital have developed anti-bodies against COVID-19, according to the second serological survey conducted earlier this month.

"The second serological survey which was conducted between 1-7 August shows that 29.1 per cent of people have developed antibodies against COVID-19. A total of 15,000 samples were collected during the survey," said Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain.

According to the Health Minister, if Delhi's population is considered to be 2 crore, then about 58 lakh people have developed antibodies and they have recovered. The North East district has shown 29 per cent, South 27 per cent while South East has shown 33 per cent prevalence of anti-bodies in the survey.
Aug 20, 2020 12:51 (IST)
Germany Records Highest Daily Infection Toll Since April

Germany has recorded 1,707 new cases of the coronavirus in the past 24 hours, the highest daily toll since April, official figures showed Thursday.

Germany has fared better than many European neighbours in suppressing the virus so far but like elsewhere, the number of cases has jumped significantly over the summer holidays.

Much of the rise has been blamed on returning holidaymakers as well as parties and family gatherings.

The latest figures, from the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for infectious diseases, bring to 228,621 the number of infections in the country since the start of the pandemic.
Aug 20, 2020 12:15 (IST)
Telangana Reports 1,724 New COVID-19 Cases, 10 Deaths

Telangana reported 1,724 new COVID-19 cases, pushing the state's overall tally of positive cases to 97,424.

The death toll rose to 729 with 10 more fatalities, a state government bulletin said on Thursday, providing data as of 8 pm on August 19.

The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) recorded 395 fresh infections, followed by Rangareddy (169), Medchal-Malkajgiri (105) and Karimnagar (101) districts.
Except Jayashankar Bhupalpally (7), Kumram Bheem Asifabad(7), and Narayanpet (9), all other districts reported cases in double digits.
Aug 20, 2020 11:46 (IST)
75 New COVID-19 Cases In Arunachal Pradesh

Seventy-five more people, including 17 security personnel, have tested positive for COVID-19 in Arunachal Pradesh, raising the state's total caseload to 2,950, a senior Health department official said on Thursday.

The Capital Complex region reported 16 new cases, West Aameng (9), Papumpare (6), five each from Lower Siang and Tirap, four each from Upper Subansiri, Changlang and Lohit, three each from Namsai, Anjaw and East Siang.

Leparada, West Siang, East Kameng, Tawang and Longding districts reported two cases each and one case each from Upper Siang, Lower Subansiri and Dibang Valley, the official said.
Aug 20, 2020 11:23 (IST)
Normal Life Affected In West Bengal Due To Bi-Weekly Lockdown

Normal life was affected across West Bengal due to the imposition of a bi-weekly lockdown on Thursday to stem the rise in COVID-19 cases.

The twice-a-week lockdown will also remain in force on Friday.

All government and private establishments, shops, markets and banks remained closed due to the restrictions. 

Medical shops, milk booths and petrol pumps, however, were kept out of the purview of the lockdown.

Aug 20, 2020 11:13 (IST)
JustIn|Nearly 29% of Delhi has antibodies for COVID-19, shows new sero-survey

Aug 20, 2020 10:03 (IST)
Record Number Of Over 9 Lakh COVID -19 Tests Conducted In 24 Hours, Says Health Ministry

India scaled a new peak in daily testing as more than 9 lakh COVID-19 tests were conducted in the last 24 hours, informed Union Ministry of Health on Thursday.

The Ministry further stated that the positivity rate has come down to below 8 per cent.

"India scales a new peak in daily testing. More than 9 lakh COVID19 tests conducted in the last 24 hours. The positivity rate comes down below 8 per cent," the Ministry tweeted.

Aug 20, 2020 09:42 (IST)
JustIn| 69,652 coronavirus cases in India in biggest 1-day jump; 28.36 lakh total cases, 53,866 deaths

Aug 20, 2020 09:20 (IST)
Jharkhand Reports 967 New Coronavirus Cases

Jharkhand reported 967 new COVID-19 cases and 9 deaths on Wednesday, according to the State Health Department.

The total cases in the state have climbed to 26,300, including 16,566 discharges and 278 deaths.

At present, the number of active cases stands at 9,456.

Aug 20, 2020 08:44 (IST)
Indore Woman Makes Coronavirus-Themed Lord Ganesha Idols With Chocolate
A woman in Madhya Pradesh's Indore has made a Lord Ganesha idol ahead of Ganesh Chaturthi using chocolate on the theme of coronavirus and is planning to immerse it in milk. Read more

Indore Woman Makes Coronavirus-Themed Lord Ganesha Idols With Chocolate

Aug 20, 2020 08:24 (IST)
Jharkhand To Start Special Rapid Antigen Testing Drive In All Districts

Jharkhand government will start a Special Rapid Antigen Testing Drive (SRATD) in all districts of the state to identify coronavirus patients, according to the state Directorate of Information and Public Relations.

The state government has appealed to people who have symptoms related to COVID-19 or has come in contact with an infected person to go to designated centres for testing.

In view of the rapid increase in the number of patients infected with COVID-19 in some districts of Jharkhand, SRATD was conducted by Jharkhand Rural Health Mission Committee on August 17-18 in Ranchi, East Singhbhum, Palamu, and Dhanbad.

Aug 20, 2020 07:52 (IST)
West Bengal's COVID-19 tally climbs to 1,25,922 with 3,169 fresh cases

West Bengal's COVID-19 tally rose to 1,25,922 on Wednesday following a single-day spike of 3,169 cases, while the death toll mounted to 2,581 with 53 more fatalities, the state health department said.

The discharge rate in the state improved to 75.97 per cent after 2,973 patients recovered from the disease since Tuesday, it said in a bulletin. The total number of recoveries
stood at 95,663. 

North 24 Parganas district accounted for 16 fatalities, followed by 11 in the metropolis.

Aug 20, 2020 06:38 (IST)
Concentrated focus required on increasing COVID-19 testing in Delhi: High Court
The Delhi High Court on Wednesday called for a concentrated focus on ramping up laboratory testing for COVID-19 in the national capital as 1,300-odd cases are still reported daily.

The high court also raised the question of migrant labourers returning to Delhi after Unlockdown-3 has been declared by the government and construction and industrial activity have picked up.

A bench of justices Hima Kohli and Subramonium Prasad asked whether adequate arrangements have been made by the Delhi government at the borders and other places, where industries or construction sites exist in the national capital, for large scale testing to detect COVID-19 cases and for segregating them without causing any inconvenience.

The bench directed the Delhi government to file a detailed status report on this aspect.
Aug 20, 2020 06:21 (IST)
Donald Trump touts convalescent plasma as a coronavirus treatment
President Donald Trump on Wednesday touted the use of convalescent plasma as a treatment for COVID-19 and suggested a reported decision by regulators to put on hold an emergency authorization for its use could be politically motivated.

"I've heard fantastic things about convalescent plasma," Trump told a briefing.

An emergency approval by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the use of blood plasma as a coronavirus treatment has been put on hold over concerns the data backing it was too weak, the New York Times reported on Wednesday.

"It could be a political decision," Trump said.
Aug 20, 2020 05:39 (IST)
Coronavirus Vaccine Won't Be Mandatory In US, Says Top Health Expert Anthony Fauci
Anthony Fauci, the United States' top infectious diseases official, said Wednesday the government wouldn't make any future COVID-19 vaccine obligatory for the general public -- though local jurisdictions could make it mandatory for some groups, like children.
Aug 20, 2020 05:38 (IST)
Jharkhand reports 967 new coronavirus cases
Jharkhand reported 967 new COVID-19 cases and 9 deaths on Wednesday, according to the State Health Department.

The total cases in the state have climbed to 26,300, including 16,566 discharges and 278 deaths.

At present, the number of active cases stands at 9,456.
.