Coronavirus India News Live Updates: Migrant workers leaving Noida on Wednesday.
Coronavirus India News Live Updates: The Karnataka government on Thursday suspended arrival of flights, trains and vehicles from Maharashtra, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan into the state to contain the spread of Covid-19. This comes after the total positive cases in the state crossed the 2,500 mark on Thursday.
The government Thursday said there are about 30 groups in India, big industry to individual academics, who are trying to develop a vaccine for the coronavirus. Dr K Vijayraghavan, principal scientific advisor to Government to India, said it takes a long time to develop a vaccine but since we need to develop it in one year, the world is investing in over a 100 vaccines at the same time. The entire process will cost 2-3 billion dollars.
With India reporting 6,566 coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours, the total tally in the country reached 1,58,333 on Thursday including 4,531 deaths and the 67,691 people who have been treated and discharged so far.
On the global front, the United States has surpassed a jarring milestone in the coronavirus pandemic: 100,000 deaths. That number is the best estimate and most assuredly an undercount. But it represents the stark reality that more Americans have died from the virus than from the Vietnam and Korea wars combined. As many as 5,695,155 people have been infected worldwide so far. While the death toll stood at 355,688, at least 2,380,088 have recovered, according to a tally by John Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Centre.
Coronavirus India LIVE updates: The ICMR has outlined the need for research on the effects of the coronavirus in lungs and other organs of the human body
Karnataka bans flights from Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, and Rajasthan in view of COVID-19 cases increasing from these states, govt decides in a Cabinet meeting. Incoming passengers by rail/road from Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat also banned.
A 58-year-old fireman succumbed to COVID-19 on Thursday. He is second staff from Mumbai Fire brigade who died due to infection. He was posted at Goregaon Fire Station and due for retirement next month. So far 40 fire fighters have been infected.
Three flyers of IndiGo's Delhi-Jammu flight 6E955 on Tuesday have tested positive for COVID-19, the airline said. Six more passengers on IndiGo's Bengaluru-Coimbatore flight and 2 on Delhi-Coimbatore flight on Wednesday test positive for COVID-19. (PTI)
Vadodara on Thursday reported 28 new coronavirus cases, taking its overall tally to 951. While the death toll in the district stands at 42, total 548 people have been discharged after recovery.
South Korea on Thursday reported its biggest jump in coronavirus cases in more than 50 days a setback that could erase some of its hardwon gains Health officials warned that the resurgence is getting harder to track and social distancing and other steps need to be taken.
The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said 67 of the 79 new cases reported were from the Seoul metropolitan area where about half of South Koreas 51 million people live.
Health Minister Park Neunghoo called for residents in the metropolitan area to avoid unnecessary gatherings and urged companies to keep sick employees off work.
At least 69 infections so far have been linked to workers at a massive warehouse operated by local ecommerce giant Coupang Hundreds of other infections have been linked to nightclubs and other entertainment venues which saw huge crowds in early May after officials relaxed social distancing guidelines. (AP)
BSP president Mayawati on Thursday said the plight of migrant workers and reports of their deaths while trying to return to their homes reflected lack of concern on the part of the Centre and state governments.
"The manner in which the bitter truth of the sorry state of migrant labourers forced to return home and their deaths on the way are coming before the country and the world through the media, re-establish that the central and state governments have no concern for them, this is very sad," she said in a tweet.
Nine migrants have been found dead in Shramik trains since Monday.
"On the 65th day of lockdown today, this news gives some relief that the hon'ble courts have started questioning the central and state governments about the malfunctioning in government hospitals in testing and treatment of coronavirus, neglect of private hospitals, plight of migrant labourers and deaths," she added. (PTI)
Dr V K Paul, member, Niti Aayog: "We are trying many drugs, including Favipiravir, one indigenous phytopharmecutical ACQH, BCG vaccine, Tocilizumab, convalescent plasma, arbidol, hydroxychloroquine, remdesivir."
"Eight vaccine candidates in the world, of which four are in relatively advanced stages."
On the use of hydroxychroloquine, Dr V K Paul, member of Niti Aayog said, "Hydroxychroloquine is used for long periods. Research will reveal new things. We have examined this. The way it make the cell alkaline and stops the virus is well known."
"We think that benefits of hydroxychroloquine outweighs risks if any. We want it to be used as per recommendations made by the scientific community," he added.
Dr K Vijayraghavan, principal scientific advisor to Government to India: No Indian companies or collaborations are in the clinical trial stage for vaccines yet.
He also said while a vaccine is coming, social distancing will help us live with not just this virus but others too.
The Railway Food Vendors Association has told the Railway Board chairman that they are not ready to start food stalls on platforms, adding that most vendors have gone back to villages amid the coronavirus pandemic.
"With train services yet to normalise, there are hardly any passengers to avail vending services on platforms," PTI reported the association as saying.
They also highlighted that no arrangement has been made to protect vendors while Shramik train passengers loot, vandalise platform stalls that have opened.
"Train passengers are not strictly following social distancing norms, are crowding platform stalls," they added.
Dr K Vijayraghavan, principal scientific advisor to Government to India: "Vaccine is not a switch that it will be available to everyone from Day 1. In this disease everybody will need it. So access is a big challenge."
On the development of Covid-19 drug, Raghavan said a drug designed to attack the virus has to attack only its unique parts so that it doesn't start affecting our body cells. Remdesivir works on virus replication, there are other drugs that change the pH of the cell.
"Designing new drugs is a big challenge. In India CSIR and AICTE have started a high end hackathon where students are trained in drug designing," he said. "RT-PCR tests for virus genetic material, a second test in the offing to check for virus particles. There are variations of RT-PCR, IIT Delhi developed one," he added.
Dr K Vijay Raghavan, principal scientific advisor to Government to India: "Four categories of vaccines - mRNA vaccines, attenuated vaccines, inactivated vaccines, adjuvant vaccines. Some companies in late pre-clinical stage, some others in February 2021."
Dr K Vijay Raghavan, principal scientific advisor to Government to India: "There are about 30 groups in India, big industry to individual academics, are trying to develop a vaccine."
Dr K Vijay Raghavan, principal scientific advisor to Government to India: "To develop a vaccine it takes at least 10 years. Because we have to do it in one year, the world is investing in over a 100 vaccines. The entire process will cost 2-3 billion dollars. Instead of working on one vaccine, we have to do parallel testing. We have to invest on a hundred vaccines at the same time."
"Our vaccine manufacturing is very good. Every third vaccine provided to a child in the world is made in India."
VK Paul, Member, Health, Niti Aayog: "The fight against Coronavirus will be won through vaccine and drugs. Our country's science and technology institutions and pharma industry are very strong."
The SG called the people questioning the government's handling of the pandemic as “prophets of doom”, saying they “only spread negativity”. 'State governmentss and ministers are working overnight. None of these people acknowledge that... These arm chair intellectuals do not recognise the nation's effort,' he said.
He also said that people in the country, from the safai karamcharis to the prime minister, are working tirelessly. 'Don’t allow this to become a platform for political speeches,' he told the bench.
Railway Protection Force (RPF) head constable posted at Ludhiana dies of coronavirus. He was 49. Native of Jalandhar. He was on ventilator at Christian Medical College and Hospital (CMCH). So far, 57 RPF men including those from Delhi have tested positive in Ludhiana.
Supreme Court: "Destination state can't give food till they get there. It would have to be origin state or centre. Who is giving them food?..we need to ensure that till the time migrants are transported back to their homes, their food & other essentials should be taken care of. Look into the future. How much time do you need to shift the migrants...? What will be monitoring mechanism to ensure food & basic necessities are taken care of...It’s not that govt is not doing anything but looking at number of stranded, some concrete steps needed."
Solicitor General: "States would be in a better position to estimate that."
On migrants, Supreme Court says "We accept it's not possible to transport everyone at same time. But food and shelter must be given till they can get transport."
To this, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta says, "Govt is providing food...This is an unprecedented crisis and we are taking unprecedented measures."
BJP national spokesperson Sambit Patra has been admitted to a private hospital in Gurgaon after he showed symptoms of COVID-19, sources said. He is admitted to the Medanta hospital in Gurgaon, hospital sources said on Thursday. The BJP leader has shown symptoms of COVID-19, a source said.