India, in terms of its confirmed cases, is closing in on three European countries, whose health systems collapsed under the pandemic — Italy, the U.K. and Spain. These three countries have, however, registered deaths five-six times more than India.
According to the Union Health Ministry, India’s current fatality rate is 2.80%. Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Delhi and Gujarat continue to lead in terms of cases.
Here is a list of State Helpline numbers. You can track coronavirus cases, deaths and testing rates at the national and State levels here.
Here are the latest update:
102 more test positive for COVID-19 in Tripura
At least 102 more people have tested positive for COVID-19 in Tripura, taking the number of such cases in the state to 622, officials said.
A total of 173 patients have recovered so far. The number of active cases in the state stands at 449. All active patients are undergoing treatment at GP Pant Hospital here.
In a tweet late on Wednesday, Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb said, “Out of 728 samples tested today, 102 people found COVID-19 positive. Most of them have travel history and contacts.”
Belur math to allow in devotees from June 15
Belur Math, the global headquarters of Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission, has decided to throw open its gates to the devotees from June 15.
The timing of the opening and closure of the shrine and all other details conforming the health protocol and guidelines will be announced before opening date. - PTI
Maharashtra allows inter-district movement in Mumbai region
The Maharashtra government on Thursday allowed inter-district movement of people within the Mumbai Metropolitan Region.
In revised guidelines issued on Thursday, the state government said the inter-district movement elsewhere in the state as well as inter-state movement will continue to be regulated.
Movement of stranded labourers, migrant workers, pilgrims, tourists will continue to be regulated as per the standard operating procedures.
Gardens and open air gym equipment will not be allowed to operate as part of outdoor physical activities.
From June 5, all shops on one side of the road, lane or passage will open for full working hours on one day,while all shops on the other side of the road will remain open the next day and so on.
From June 7, home delivery of newspapers will be done with the knowledge of the customer and the delivery personnel will wear masks, use hand sanitiser and follow social distancing guidelines.
Offices and staff of educational institutions can operate for non-teaching purpose, including for developing e-content, evaluation of answer sheets and declaration of results.
From June 8, private offices can operate with up to 10 per cent staff or 10 people, whichever is more, with remaining employees working from home.
Himachal govt succeeded in preventing community spread of coronavirus: CM
The Himachal Pradesh government has succeeded in checking community spread of coronavirus by ensuring institutional quarantine for returnees to the state from various red zones across the country, Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur said.
The State government spent Rs 4 crores for bringing back 51,015 stranded Himachalis to the state by arranging 2,200 buses and 13 trains.
There was only one active case during the first week of May which has now risen to 206 after the return of 1.70 lakh state natives. - PTI
94 more COVID-19 positive cases in Bihar take the total number to 4,420 in the state. 2,025 people have recovered while death toll is 25. - Amarnath Tewary
Minister Ashok Chavan recovers from COVID-19, discharged
Maharashtra PWD Minister and senior Congress leader Ashok Chavan, who tested positive for coronavirus last month, was discharged from a hospital in Mumbai after recovering from the disease.
Mr. Chavan was admitted to a private hospital on May 25 after his test report came out positive for coronavirus.
He was in Nanded when he tested positive for the infection last month and was brought to Mumbai for treatment.
He is an MLA from Bhokar constituency in Nanded district. - PTI
47 more test positive for COVID-19 in Assam; flight from Ukraine arrives with 67 people
At least 47 more people tested positive for COVID-19 in Assam on Thursday, a day after the state recorded its highest single-day spike of 269 coronavirus cases, Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said.
The total number of COVID-19 cases in the state currently stands at 1,877.
Among the fresh cases, 33 are from Hojai, six from Dhemaji, four from Bongaigaon, three from Barpeta and one from Baksa, the minister said.
As many as 76 people were released from various hospitals following their recovery, taking the total number of those discharged to 413. - PTI
Arunachal witnesses spurt in COVID-19 cases
Arunachal Pradesh, which was declared coronavirus-free after its first patient got discharged from a hospital here on April 16, has witnessed a spurt in COVID-19 cases, with 37 people testing positive for the disease in just 11 days.
The spike could be largely attributed to the return of migrants from other states, after the Union government eased travel curbs last month, official sources said.
More than 8,000 people have returned to the northeastern state by ‘Shramik Special’ trains, flights, buses and private vehicles over the last few weeks, while another 5,000 were on their way, Chief Minister Pema Khandu had said at a press meet on Monday.
He, however, assured people there was no reason to panic, as his government has put in place a robust mechanism to prevent the spread of the virus in the state. - PTI
SC extends order of no coercive action against employers for non-payment of full wages
The Supreme Court on Thursday extended till June 12 its earlier order of May 15 asking the government not to take any coercive action against companies and employers for violation of Centre’s March 29 circular for payment of full wages to employees for the lockdown period.
A bench of Justices Ashok Bhushan, S.K. Kaul and M.R. Shah reserved the verdict on a batch of petitions filed by various companies challenging the circular of the Ministry of Home Affairs issued on March 29 asking the employers to pay full wages to the employees during the nationwide lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic.
In the proceedings conducted through video conferencing, the top court said there was a concern that workmen should not be left without pay, but there may be a situation where the industry may not have money to pay and hence, the balancing has to be done.
- PTIHaryana to open schools in phased manner from July
Haryana government would reopen schools in a phased manner across the State from this July. The government has also resumed plying of buses on inter-state routes that were put on halt amid the lockdown.
Education Minister Kanwar Pal told reporters that the government would reopen the schools in a phased manner and will take feedback from teachers, parents and experts surrounding issues about holding classes in two shifts keeping in mind the norms of social distancing.
“First, the classes between 10 to 12 would be started in July, in the next phase classes between 6 to 9, and then classes between 1 to 5 would start. We will also run demo session of classes to see how social distancing would be ensured. We will come to know about any other possible problems that could be faced when the schools are open,” he said.
- Vikas Vasudeva
"Some Delhi hospitals being fully changed to COVID-19 treatment facilities"
"Coronavirus cases are increasing in Delhi and the government's focus is on saving lives," Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said while addressing a video address.
"Till now five government hospitals and three private hospitals have been declared fully COVID-19 hospitals," he said.
He said that some hospitals have told the government that it is difficult to treat both COVID and non-COVID patients and these hospitals will be changed to full COVID treatment facilities.
"Delhi government is making sure that moderate and severe category people get immediate healthcare. Three dedicated private COVID hospitals were there earlier and three were declared yesterday," Health Minister Satyendar Jain said.
- Nikhil M. Babu
Coronavirus positive elderly dies after 5 Delhi hospitals ‘denied’ him treatment
The family of a 68-year-old coronavirus positive man has alleged that around five city hospitals denied him treatment on Thursday morning, including Delhi government-run Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan (LNJP) Hospital, where he eventually passed away.
“My dad is having (sic) high fever. We need to shift him to hospital. I am standing outside LNJP Delhi & they are not taking him in. He is having (sic) corona, high fever and breathing problem. He won't survive without help. Pls help,” Amarpreet, the deceased’s daughter, posted on Twitter on Thursday morning.
About an hour later, at around 9 a.m., she tweeted, “He is no more. The govt failed us.”
Spectre of community spread looms over Kerala
Even as the government states categorically that community transmission is yet to happen in the State, the time may have indeed come for every doctor in both COVID and non-COVID hospitals to treat every patient as a potential source of COVID-19.
The death of a 77-year-old priest here on Tuesday of COVID-19, who might very well have contracted the infection in either the Government Medical College Hospital (MCH) here or the Peroorkada District Hospital where he was treated, has also raised the spectre of hospitals becoming epicentres of the disease.
Pakistan surpasses China in COVID-19 cases; infections surges to 85,246
Pakistan on Thursday surpassed China, the first epicentre of the coronavirus, after a record 4,688 new cases were registered during the last 24 hours to take the tally to 85,246.
China with 84,160 patients has been placed at 18th position, one step lower than Pakistan, according to the data of Johns Hopkins University.
On Thursday, the Ministry of National Health Services said till now Pakistan has witnessed the deaths of 1,770 patients with COVID-19, including 82 in the last 24 hours. - PTI
Another Chinese city orders mass testing for COVID-19 after Wuhan
A Chinese city close to the Russian border has ordered the COVID-19 tests for all 2.8 million residents, becoming the second city in the country after Wuhan, the first virus epicentre, conducted mass testing of its entire population, state-media reported on Thursday.
People wearing face masks wait in line to be tested for the COVID-19 coronavirus on a street in Mudanjiang, China’s northeastern Heilongjiang province on June 3, 2020. COVID-19 testing was made available for free to Heilongjiang province residence starting from June 1, for a week. | Photo Credit: AFP
According to the China’s National Health Commission (NHC), one imported case was reported in Guangdong Province on Wednesday.
90 new cases in Odisha
Ninety more COVID-19 cases were detected in Odisha on Thursday taking the State’s total to 2,478, Health Department official said.
The number of active cases stands at 1,053, while 1,416 had recovered. Nine people have died – seven of COVID and two of other ailments.
Of the 90 new cases, 79 were detected in quarantine centres and 11 were local contacts, according to the Health Department.
Nine COVID-19 admissions confirmed in Puducherry on Thursday, taking the active case count in the UT to 63.
The cumulative count is 99 cases, of which 36 have been discharged.
Major uptick in COVID-19 cases in the past week and it's not just the usual suspects
In the past two weeks, 90,986 new COVID-19 cases were recorded in India. Four States - Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Delhi and Gujarat - continued to record a large bulk (70%) of the cases.
But, in the recent weeks, there has been a significant uptick in cases in other States such as Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Bihar and Karnataka. There has also been a noticable increase in deaths recorded in Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.
India flattened the wrong curve, decimated the economy, says Rajiv Bajaj
Industrialist Rajiv Bajaj in conversation with former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi, edited video of which was released online on Thursday, said a draconian lockdown flattened the wrong curve and decimated the economy.
Mr. Bajaj also claimed that a friend of his suggested that he should avoid speaking to Mr. Gandhi to avoid ‘trouble’.
Bihar saw 53 new COVID-19 positive cases on Thursday, taking the total number of cases in the State to 4,326.
All new cases are from Samastipur, Saharsha, Sheohar, West Champaran, East Champaran, Saran, and Jehanabad districts.
Spike in cases continue; India registers 9,304 new cases in past 24 hours
The sharp increase in COVID-19 cases in India continued on Thursday as the country registered 9,304 new cases and 260 deaths in the past 24 hours.
With this, the total number of cases in the country is now 2,16,919, of which 1,06,737 is active. As many as 6,075 people have succumbed to the infection till date.
CPI(M) to stage countrywide protests on June 16 demanding cash transfers, free foodgrains to poor
CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury on Wednesday announced countrywide protests on June 16 demanding immediate cash transfers and free foodgrains to the poor.
Accusing the Narendra Modi government of using the COVID-19 pandemic as an excuse to replace the secular, democratic and federal structure of the country with a unitary form of theocratic government, Yechury said the Centre has now virtually left the people of the country to fend for themselves in combatting the pandemic.
Defence secretary tests positive for COVID-19: Sources
Defence Secretary Ajay Kumar tested positive for COVID-19, a defence official said on Wednesday.
Mr. Kumar tested positive but continues to work and look into files from quarantine, one official said.
Brazil reports a record 1,349 virus deaths in 24 hours
Brazil reported a record 1,349 coronavirus deaths in a 24-hour period Wednesday, the health ministry said, as the pandemic continued to take a grim toll on Latin America's hardest-hit country.
The figure brought the total death toll from the new coronavirus in Brazil to 32,548, with 5,84,016 confirmed infections — the second-highest caseload worldwide, after the United States.
Brazil's death toll, which has doubled in 17 days, is currently the fourth-highest worldwide, after the U.S., Britain and Italy. - AFP