Coronavirus cases in India: The recovery rate now stands at 83.33 per cent.
India's COVID-19 tally crossed the 62-lakh mark with 80,472 new coronavirus cases and 1,179 deaths reported on Wednesday, according to Health Ministry data. For the first time in 28 days, coronavirus deaths over the one-day period have fallen below 1,000, government data shows.
A total of 97,497 people have died due to the disease till now. The country now has a total of 62.25 lakh coronavirus cases, including 97,497 deaths, 51.87 lakh recoveries and 9.40 lakh active cases.
India's COVID-19 recoveries have crossed 51 lakh, which is highest in the world, and the last 10 lakh recoveries came about in 11 days, the Union Ministry of Health said sharing the "big picture" on the country's fight against the novel coronavirus.
As India's coronavirus tally stands at 62.25 lakh, 12 lakh short of USA's Covid count - the highest in the world - there has been concern over the new cases reported in India each day. The number has remained the highest in the world since August.
Here are the LIVE updates on Coronavirus cases:
New York battles COVID-19 hotspots
New York City restaurants welcomed patrons back inside for the first time in months on Wednesday as authorities scrambled to contain COVID-19 outbreaks in some neighborhoods.
Coronavirus infection rates continued to climb in many of the nine ZIP codes in the boroughs of Queens and Brooklyn where new clusters have emerged, Mayor Bill de Blasio said on Wednesday. The city is deploying 400 police officers as well as other officials to improve compliance with social-distancing rules and a face-covering mandate in the affected neighborhoods.
The US is reporting 43,000 new infections on average each day, compared with 35,000 two weeks ago, according to a Reuters tally.
Moderna's Covid-19 vaccine won't be ready by US election: Report
US biotech firm Moderna won't seek an emergency use authorization for its coronavirus vaccine before November 25, its CEO told the Financial Times.
The news deals a blow to US President Donald Trump's hopes of having an injection ready before the election to give his campaign a much-needed boost.
Stephane Bancel told the newspaper: "November 25 is the time we will have enough safety data to be able to put into an EUA file that we would send to the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) - assuming that the safety data is good, i.e. a vaccine is deemed to be safe."
Odisha reports 3,443 new COVID-19 cases
Odisha's COVID-19 tally rose to 2,19,119 as 3,443 more people tested positive for the disease, while 14 fresh deaths pushed the count due to the disease in the state to 842, a health department official said.
The state also registered the recovery of as many as 4,219 patients taking the total number of cured persons to 1,85,700, which is 84.71 per cent of the states caseload.
The case death ratio continues to stand at 0.38 per cent since a week, the official said.
UN needs "immediate infusion" of $15 billion for global vaccine fund
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for an "immediate infusion" of $15 billion to a global pool for the procurement and distribution of Covid-19 vaccines at a virtual summit hosted by the world body.
The ACT-Accelerator, led by the World Health Organization, has received around $3 billion of the $38 billion needed to meet the goal of producing and delivering two billion vaccine doses, 245 million treatments and 500 million diagnostic tests over the next year.
Notable new pledges included an additional 100 million euros ($117 million) by German Chancellor Angela Merkel, beyond the 675 million euros Germany has already committed.
Spain to put entire capital under partial lockdown
With coronavirus cases spreading like wildfire, the entire city of Madrid is to be put under partial lockdown, Spain's government said Wednesday as it stepped up measures to fight the epidemic. But Madrid's regional government reacted furiously to the new restrictions that affect mobility and gatherings.
"The situation in Madrid is complex and worrying," Health Minister Salvador Illa told reporters, saying that of 11,016 new cases diagnosed in Spain over the past 24 hours, nearly 44 percent were in the Madrid region.
Spain is currently fighting a second wave of the virus, which has now killed more than 31,000 people and infected close to 760,000 in what is the highest infection rate within the European Union.
West Bengal reports 3,281 new COVID-19 cases
At least 3,281 more people tested positive for COVID-19 in West Bengal on Wednesday, which raised the tally to 2,57,049, while 59 deaths pushed the death count in the state to 4,958, the health department said in its bulletin.
A total of 2,954 people recovered from the disease, taking the number of people cured of the disease to 2,25,759, the bulletin said. The discharge rate stands at 87.83 per cent.
Need to keep watch on Covid situation in Darjeeling region, says Mamata Banerjee
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday asked officials not to lower guard despite decline in COVID-19 cases in Darjeeling hills and continue testing and tracing protocols in the region.
"The situation has improved in Darjeeling and Mirik. But we need to keep a watch on the situation. We cannot lower guards, more because the festive season is coming," she said at an administrative review meeting in Darjeeling district.
Durga Puja committees should set up pandals with open spaces to prevent the spread of the virus, Ms Banerjee said.
Coronavirus is out of control, says UK health experts
British health experts admitted Wednesday that the coronavirus was out of control as case numbers and hospital admissions rise despite a slew of new restrictions on social gatherings.
"Things are definitely heading in the wrong direction," UK chief scientific adviser Patrick Vallance told a government press conference, as a further 7,108 cases and 71 deaths were reported.
As England's chief medical officer, Chris Whitty, warned that hospitalisations and admissions to intensive care were also rising, Vallance added: "We don't have this under control at the moment."
Maharashtra reports 18,317 new COVID-19 cases, 481 deaths
Maharashtra continues to remain the worst-hit state from coronavirus after 18,317 new COVID-19 cases were reported in the state on Wednesday.
The state also reported 481 deaths and 19,163 discharged patients, according to Public Health Department.
The total number of coronavirus cases in the state has increased to 13,84,446, including 36,662 deaths and 10,88,322 discharges. The active cases stand at 2,59,033.
Coronavirus update: Assam tests record 1,48,780 COVID-19 samples on Wednesday, 17 more dead
Assam tested a record 1,48,780 coronavirus samples on Wednesday, the highest for a day and reported 17 fatalities and 3,590 new infections, state Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said.
Coronavirus update: Himachal Pradesh reports 229 fresh COVID-19 cases, infection tally nears 15,000; death count rises to 182
Himachal Pradesh reported three more COVID-19 fatalities on Wednesday, taking the death count in the state to 182, while 229 new cases pushed the infection tally to 14,977.
Coronavirus update: J&K extends lockdown in containment zones till Oct 8
The Jammu and Kashmir government on Wednesday extended lockdown in COVID-19 containment zones till October 8, an official spokesperson said.
The State Executive Committee had issued guidelines on August 30 to extend lockdown in containment zones till September 30 and reopening of some more activities in areas outside the red zones.
Coronavirus update: COVID-19 count breaches 6 lakh mark in Karnataka
The total number of coronavirus infections in Karnataka breached six lakh mark as the state on Wednesday reported 8,856 new cases, the health department said.
Coronavirus update: Andhra Pradesh reports 48 deaths, 6,133 new COVID-19 cases
As many as 48 deaths and 6,133 new novel coronavirus cases have been reported from Andhra Pradesh in the last 24 hours, taking the total number of Covid-19 positive cases in the State to 6,93,484.
Coronavirus update: Haryana reports 26 more COVID-19 deaths, 1,625 fresh cases
The COVID-19 death count in Haryana rose to 1,382 on Wednesday with 26 fatalities, while the infection tally reached 1,28,599 after 1,625 more people tested positive for the disease, according to a health bulletin.
Coronavirus update: Hotels to reopen, train services to resume amid covid in Maharashtra
The Maharashtra Government on Wednesday extended coronavirus-induced lockdown till October 31, but also said that hotels, restaurants and bars will be allowed to operate from October 5 with restricted capacity.
All the trains originating and ending the journey within the state will be restarted with immediate effect subject to health protocols for COVID-19, the latest guidelines said.
Coronavirus update: Madhya Pradesh records 2,004 new COVID-19 cases, 2,289 recoveries
Madhya Pradesh on Wednesday recorded 2,004 new coronavirus cases, pushing its caseload to 1,28,047, while 35 fresh deaths took the count to 2,316, an official said.
Kerala logs single day highest spike of 8,830 COVID-19 cases
Kerala on Wednesday reported a record single-day high of 8,830 new COVID-19 cases, taking the total infection count to 1,95,106, PTI reported.
Coronavirus update: Delhi records 41 new COVID-19 deaths
The national capital reported 41 COVID-19 fatalities on Wednesday, taking the count to 5,361, while 3,390 fresh cases pushed the tally to over 2.79 lakh, PTI reported.
Coronavirus update: Amravati records 256 fresh COVID-19 cases; five deaths
As many as 256 persons tested positive for coronavirus, while 289 recovered from the infection in Maharashtra's Amravati district on Wednesday, an official said.
Maharashtra Governor felicitates health workers for COVID-19 treatmentMaharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari on Wednesday felicitated government health workers for their continued dedication in treating COVID-19 patients, an official from Raj Bhavan in Mumbai said.
As per an official release, a representational felicitation of doctors, nurses, medical officers and matrons from various government-run hospitals was held at Raj Bhavan.
28 working for Bengaluru Metro found COVID-19 positive since resumption of services: Official
As many as 28 people associated with the Metro Rail in Bengaluru have tested positive for coronavirus since the services resumed on September 7 after remaining suspended for over five months due to lockdown, an official of the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) said on Wednesday.
At least 28 people working with the BMRCL had been found infected with coronavirus, the official told PTI, requesting anonymity.
COVID-19 antibody seroprevalence down at 25% in Delhi: Survey report in High CourtSeroprevalence of antibodies to COVID-19 reduced to 25 per cent in September from nearly 29 per cent last month among people in the national capital, the Delhi High Court was informed on Wednesday.
These are the findings of the third round of sero surveillance carried out by the AAP government in the national capital between September 1 to September 7.
The report was placed before a bench of Justices Hima Kohli and Subramonium Prasad during the hearing on a PIL seeking increase in the COVID-19 testing numbers in the national capital and getting speedy results.
The report, filed through Delhi government additional standing counsel Satyakam, indicated that there was a reduction in the "antibody seroprevalence" from 28.7 per cent in August to 25.1 per cent in September.
Nitin Gadkari recovers from COVID-19
Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari on Wednesday said that he has recovered from COVID-19.
"I am very happy to tell all of you that on the strength of all your blessings and good wishes, I have recovered from Corona. Thank you for your affection," Mr Gadkari tweeted.
The Minister had tested positive for COVID-19 on September 16, following which he had isolated himself.
UP reports 69 more COVID-19 deaths, 4,271 fresh casesUttar Pradesh reported 69 more fatalities due to COVID-19 on Wednesday, pushing the death count due to the disease to 5,784, while 4,271 fresh cases took the state's infection tally to nearly four lakh.
"The number of active COVID-19 cases in the state stands at 50,883, while 3,42,415 people have been treated and discharged. The state reported 4,271 fresh COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, while 5,434 patients were discharged," Additional Chief Secretary, Medical and Health, Amit Mohan Prasad said.
The recovery rate among the COVID-19 patients in the state is 85.80 per cent, he added.
The total number of cases in the state has reached 3,99,082, according to a health department bulletin.
Mr Prasad said with one lakh tests conducted for the detection of COVID-19 in the last 24 hours, the state has crossed the milestone of one crore testing, which is a record.
Ladakh reports 43 fresh COVID-19 casesForty-three people have tested positive for the novel coronavirus in Ladakh, taking the infection tally in the union territory to 4,195, while 43 more patients recovered from the disease, officials said on Wednesday.
The union territory did not report any death due to COVID-19 for the third day, the officials added.
The number of active COVID-19 cases in Ladakh stood at 1,030 -- 637 in Leh district and 393 in Kargil district, they said.
Among the fresh cases, 39 were in Leh and four in Kargil, the officials said.
Among the recoveries, 23 patients were in Leh and 20 in Kargil.
The total number of recoveries reached 3,107, which is 74 per cent of the confirmed cases.
Supreme Court refuses to postpone civil services exam due to COVID-19
The Supreme Court Wednesday refused to postpone UPSC civil services preliminary exam, to be held on October 4, because of COVID-19 pandemic and floods in several parts of the country.
A bench of Justices A M Khanwilkar, B R Gavai and Krishna Murari asked the Centre to consider granting one more chance to those aspirants who may not appear in their last attempt allowed for the exam due to the pandemic.
It also refused to consider the plea for clubbing of this year's exam with that of 2021 saying "this will have a cascading effect".
The bench was hearing a plea seeking postponement of the Civil Services Exam for two to three months, so that the flood/ incessant rains recede and the COVID-19 curve flattens.
The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) opposed the plea saying all necessary precautions have been taken and adequate arrangements have been made for holding the exam.
Gurmeet Choudhary, Debina Bonnerjee test positive for COVID-19
Actor couple Gurmeet Choudhary and Debina Bonnerjee have tested positive for coronavirus and are currently quarantining at home.
Mr Choudhary, who starred with Mr Bonnerjee in 2008 television series "Ramayan", shared the news in a post on Twitter on Wednesday.
"My wife Debina and I have tested positive for COVID-19 today. We are, touch wood, doing fine and are taking all the necessary precautions, in isolation at home," the 36-year-old actor wrote.
Mr Choudhary also requested all the people who came in contact with them to get tested for the novel disease.
Russia completes clinical trials of second potential COVID-19 vaccine: Report
Russia has completed clinical trials of a second potential vaccine against COVID-19, developed by Siberia's Vector Institute, the RIA news agency cited Russian consumer safety watchdog Rospotrebnadzor as saying on Wednesday.
The institute completed early-stage human trials, known as Phase II, earlier this month.
Odisha reports 3,443 more COVID-19 cases, 14 deaths
As many as 3,443 new COVID-19 cases and 14 deaths were reported in Odisha on September 29, taking the State''s coronavirus count to 2,19,119, informed the State Health and Family Welfare Department on Wednesday.
At present, there are a total of 36,743 active cases while 842 have succumbed to the virus in the State.
Odisha has recorded 3,896 recoveries of COVID patients on Tuesday and the total number of the recovered patients is 1,81,481 in the State.
COVID-19: Delhi government extends water bill waiver scheme till December-end
The Delhi government on Wednesday extended its scheme, offering a one-time waiver of water bill arrears and late payment surcharge in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, till December 31.
Under the scheme, launched in August last year, all categories of houses get an exemption from late-fee payments, while their pending water bills are waived partly or fully, depending on the housing category.
"In wake of the pandemic, the water bill waiver scheme of the Delhi Jal Board has been further extended by three months and will now end on December 31," the water utility's vice-chairman, Raghav Chadha, said in a tweet.
Delhi's colonies are categorised from A-H.
The A-D category colonies are considered as middle and upper-middle class residential areas.
Number of deaths due to coronavirus in Belgium passes 10,000
Belgium, one of the European countries hardest hit by the coronavirus, on Wednesday reported its death toll from the pandemic had surpassed 10,000.
The country, which has a population of 11.5 million, recorded 10,001 deaths by Wednesday, 14 more than in the previous 24 hours.
Reported infections rose to 117,115 from 115,353, the Sciensano research institute said.
Since the start of the pandemic seven months ago, Belgian authorities have included as wide a number of cases as possible in the toll, adding fatalities in hospitals and care homes, and those people whose deaths may have been caused by the virus but were not tested.
23 security personnel among 28 new COVID-19 patients in Mizoram
At least 28 people, including 23 security personnel, have tested positive for COVID-19 in Mizoram, taking the northeastern state's tally to 1,986, a health department official said on Wednesday.
Of the fresh cases, 14 were reported from Aizawl, 11 from Serchhip, two from Lunglei and one from Champhai districts, he said.
"Fifteen Border Security Force (BSF) jawans, seven Assam Rifles personnel and an employee of the Assam Regiment of the Indian Army are among the new patients," he said.
Twenty-five of the 28 fresh patients have recently returned to the state from different parts of the country, and three were detected during contact tracing, he said, adding that all are asymptomatic.
1,259 new COVID-19 cases in Thane, tally reaches 1,73,074
The number of COVID-19 cases in Thane has risen to 1,73,074 after detection of 1,259 new cases in the Maharashtra district, an official said on Wednesday.
The death toll has gone up to 4,426 with 30 more fatalities on Tuesday, he said.
Among the new COVID-19 cases, Thane city reported 330 cases, followed by Navi Mumbai-323, Kalyan-178 and Mira Bhayander-132, he said.
So far, Kalyan has reported the maximum COVID-19 cases at 41,951, Thane city-36,313, Navi Mumbai-36,257 and Mira Bhayander-18,207, the official said.
As of now, there are 17,117 active COVID-19 cases in the district, while 1,51,531 patients have recovered, he said.
11 deaths, 2,103 new COVID-19 cases in Telangana
Telangana recorded 2,103 fresh coronavirus cases, pushing the tally of infections to 1.91 lakh while the toll rose to 1,127 with 11 more fatalities.
The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) reported 298 fresh cases, followed by Medchal Malkajgri 176, Rangareddy 172, Nalgonda 141, Karimnagar 103, Bhadradri- Kothagudem 102 and other districts, a state government bulletin said on Wednesday, providing data as of 8 PM on September 29.
The bulletin said 55,359 samples were tested on September 29.
Maldives thanks India for $250 million support amid COVID-19 pandemic
The Maldives has thanked India for the financial assistance of USD 250 million -- "the single largest financial assistance from a donor" -- to support the island nation amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
"The pandemic has also highlighted the importance of global cooperation. In the Maldives, without the support of our friends, our bilateral and multilateral partners, we would not be able to continue weathering this storm," Minister of Foreign Affairs of Maldives Abdulla Shahid said in his address to the General Debate of the 75th Session of the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday.
"I thank all our partners who have generously extended financial, material and technical support during this crisis, even when they themselves are going through challenging times. One such example is India. The recent budget support of 250 million US dollars, was the single largest financial assistance from a donor during this pandemic," he said.
Jharkhand reports 1,123 new COVID-19 cases, 12 more fatalities
Jharkhand's COVID-19 tally has climbed to 82,540 with 1,123 fresh cases, even as 12 more fatalities pushed the death toll to 700, a health official said.
The state now has 11,942 active cases, while 69,898 people have recovered from the disease so far, he said.
The deaths were reported from state capital Ranchi, Bokaro and East Singhbhum, and the fresh cases from Ranchi and Jamshedpur.
Australia's Victoria marks steady downward trend in new COVID-19 cases
Australia's coronavirus hotspot of Victoria state maintained its steady downward trend in new infections on Wednesday as states began easing internal border closures, fuelling optimism about a return to normal.
Victoria's quick containment of a second wave of the outbreak prompted Western Australia state to relax its travel restrictions, allowing travelers from the southeastern state to quarantine at home rather than in a hotel from Monday.
Australia's iconic Sydney Opera House, a national symbol, said it would work to reopen its venues from November after the New South Wales state government raised the seating capacity in theatres to 50% from Thursday.
JustIn| Over 62 lakh COVID-19 cases in India with 80,472 fresh cases; 1,179 deaths in 24 hours, 97,497 total deaths
GlaxoSmithKline CEO optimistic COVID-19 vaccine widely available in 2021
The chief executive of GlaxoSmithKline, the world's largest maker of vaccines, said she was optimistic the industry will be able to make an immunisation against COVID-19 widely available next year.
"I share the optimism that we will have solutions next year. The challenge here is getting to the scale that is required," GSK CEO Emma Walmsley said at an online event of the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) on Tuesday.
GSK is contributing adjuvants, efficacy boosters that play a vital role in many vaccines, in several development alliances for potential future vaccines against the novel coronavirus that has claimed more than a million lives globally.
Lonza confident of 2020 target for Moderna COVID-19 vaccine supply
Lonza is confident that U.S. and Swiss plants it is building to help make Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine candidate will be ready for commercial production this year, executives at the Swiss company said on Tuesday.
New production lines at Lonza's site in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, aim to start making vaccine ingredients in November, while three lines in Visp, deep in a valley in the Swiss Alps - to supply 300 million vaccine doses annually - should begin delivering by December.
There is no approved COVID-19 vaccine yet, but several are in advanced trials, including from Pfizer Inc, Johnson & Johnson and Moderna, whose candidate relies on technology never previously approved that enlists human cells to help trigger an immune response.
World Bank Seeks $12 Billion For COVID-19 Vaccine In Developing Nations
The World Bank on Tuesday said it has asked its board of directors to approve $12 billion to help poor countries purchase and distribute eventual vaccines against Covid-19.
The bank has already implemented emergency response programs in 111 countries and the extra money, if approved, would be aimed at low- and middle-income countries.
"An effective and safe Covid-19 vaccine is the most promising path forward for the world to reopen safely," a World Bank spokesman said.
China Ropes In More Countries For Its COVID-19 Vaccine Trials
China has roped in more than a dozen countries to conduct the final phase trials of its experimental COVID-19 vaccines, as it looks to stay ahead in the international race to immunise global population as part of its charm offensive to gain goodwill.
Across the world, in many countries, including Peru, Argentina, Brazil, Bahrain, the UAE, Egypt, Pakistan, Turkey, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Bangladesh, Indonesia and Russia, thousands of people have been injected with experimental vaccines made by China's three front-running vaccine makers or soon will be, Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post reported on Tuesday quoting company, government statements and media reports.
7.1% Of Adults Exposed To Covid By August, Up From 0.73% By May: Centre
Around 7.1 per cent of India's adult population (aged 18 and above) showed evidence of exposure to the coronavirus by the end of August,
the results of the second national sero-survey, conducted by top medical body ICMR between August 17 and September 22, have revealed. This is a massive increase from the 0.73 per cent logged in the first survey, which was conducted across the same 700 villages and urban wards as the second, between May 11 and June 4.
Worryingly, the findings of the second sero-survey showed there is still a considerable section of the population that has not yet been exposed to the virus and remains at risk of infection.
India Has Highest Covid Recoveries In World: Health Ministry
The number of COVID-19 recoveries in the country has crossed 51 lakh, the health ministry said. "It is the highest in the world. India took 57 days for one lakh recoveries to become 10 lakh. However, the last 10 lakh recoveries were recorded in just 11 days. It is a significant fact. It is the big picture," Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan said.