The World Health Organisation is optimistic and hopeful that the COVID-19 vaccines could be available before the end of this year, according to the agency’s chief scientist, Dr. Soumya Swaminathan.
She said that there are about 10 candidates which are in human testing phase and at least three of them are entering the new promising phase-three stage which proves a vaccine’s efficacy.
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 updates:
Bengaluru to form 'Citizen Quarantine Squad' for monitoring
Another update from Bengaluru: The city officials are looking to rope in citizens to form a 'Citizen Quarantine Squad' to ensure that those in home quarantine comply with rules. An announcement has been made on social media platforms, and more than 500 citizens have already signed up to be a part of the squad.
“We want to have one citizen enrolled in the squad for every 50 to 100 houses in a locality. This person will be responsible for monitoring movement (inter-State/inter-country) within his/her limits, ensure those who are placed in 14-day mandatory home quarantine are following it and report to the booth level officer in-charge,” explains an official explained.
This move comes after it emerged that nearly half of the people who came to Bengaluru from other States did not register on ‘Seva Sindhu’ portal, making COVID-19 control a logistical nightmare.
Vikasa Soudha staff to work from home for a day
After an employee in the building tested positive for COVID-19, Karnataka government has asked all employees at the Vikasa Soudha in Bengaluru to work from home today to allow for sanitising the entire building by the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP).
On Tuesday, an employee of the Food and Civil Supplies Department located in the Vikasa Soudha tested positive for COVID-19. Following this, employees of both the Vikasa Soudha and the adjoining Vidhana Soudha are set undergo screening for COVID-19.
The order to work from home is first for State government employees, though Central Ministries had ordered work from home during lockdown.
Complete lockdown begins in Chennai, police use drones to monitor movement
The Chennai police have intensified security arrangements to implement the complete lockdown, brought in to control the spread of COVID-19, effectively. On Friday morning, iron barricades were installed on the city’s arterial roads restricting the movement of public on vehicles.
Chennai police department is using drones, fitted with a speaker, to announces a pre-recorded message on lockdown rules. | Photo Credit: R. Ragu
Anna Salai and a few other roads, and most bridges are closed for traffic. Many roads wore a deserted look on Friday morning, while some had just a few vehicles, mostly those of essential services, such as medical staff.
With another spike, Andhra witnesses 52% of total cases in the last 18 days
The 'Unlock 1' phase between June 1 and June 18 has proved costly for Andhra Pradesh, with the State recording 52% of its total COVID-19 cases in this period.
The State registered 3,925 cases in this period. The remaining 3,571 cases were reported between March 12 and May 31, and account for 48% of the total cases.
Of the total 7, 496 cases, as many as 3,772 persons have recovered including the cases of 131 new recoveries in the past day and 3, 632 persons are undergoing treatment in the State.
Village in Maharashtra’s Uran flattens the curve with 99% recoveries
Maharashtra's Navi Mumbai has reported more than 4,000 COVID-19 cases, with a recovery rate of around 57%. But in the adjoining Uran, one village has managed to bring its recovery rate to 99.2%, with only one patient currently under treatment.
Karanja village, which has eight padas and a population of around 10,000, had reported as many as 134 cases. Now, the sole active patient is likely to be discharged in the next four days. Officials credit the achievement to coordinated efforts between revenue officials, police, and teachers and doctors, to screen residents and simultaneously ensure strict enforcement of the lockdown.
13,586 new cases in India in past 24 hours
India added 13,586 new COVID-19 cases for the first time in a single day, pushing the tally to 3,80,532, while the death toll rose to 12,573 with 336 new fatalities, according to the Union Health Ministry data.
In some positive news, the number of recoveries crossed the two lakh mark and stands at 2,04,710, while there are 1,63,248 total COVID-19 active cases, according to the updated official figure at 8 a.m.
“Thus, around 53.79% patients have recovered so far,” an official said.
This is the eight day in a row that India has registered over 10,000 cases.
Dexamethasone, the 'wonder' drug
For around six months now, scientists and doctors across the world have been trying various antiviral medications such as remdesivir, plasma donated from people who have recovered from the virus and steroids such as dexamethasone to treat COVID-19 patients.
Of this, dexamethasone grabbed attention this week with reports confirming it can save the lives of many of the sickest patients. So what exactly is dexamethasone and what does it do? We explain in this video.
Mobile testing lab to boost last-mile testing
In a bid to improve India's last-mile COVID-19 testing abilities, a mobile I-Lab (Infectious disease diagnostic lab) was launched by the Union Health Minister.
The mobile unit can be sent on goods trains to various parts of the country. Photo: Special Arrangement
The lab has the capability to perform 25 RTPCR tests a day, 300 ELISA tests a day and additional tests for TB, HIV as per CGHS (Central Government Health Scheme) rates, and will be deployed to the interior and inaccessible parts of India.
Chennai's arterial roads to be off limits from today
Arterial roads in Chennai will be closed to the public and residents will have to walk to shops to buy essentials from today as the Tamil Nadu capital and its surrounding areas go into complete lockdown till June 30.
The lockdown will be enforced in parts of Tiruvallur, Chengalpattu and Kancheepuram districts as well.
Policemen putting up barricades on the usually Wallajah Road during the 1st day of the 12-day lockdown in Chennai, on Friday, June 19, 2020. | Photo Credit: S.R. Raghunathan
As the news of the lockdown broke, the number of people leaving Chennai via various flights doubled. A majority of the flyers had been travelling to cities like Delhi, Guwahati and Kolkata, says Airports Authority of India officials.
Metros continue to report spike in case count
The rise in COVID-19 cases in Mumbai, Chennai and Delhi continues, with Delhi reporting over 2,800 cases in the past 24 hours. Chennai and Mumbai both reported more than 1,300 cases each in the past day.
At the time of this update, the number of cases in the four major metro cities (according to State authorities) are as follows:
Chennai: 37,070
Delhi: 49,979
Kolkata: 4,269
Mumbai: 61,587