The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has said that the total number of samples tested till June 25 is 77,76,228 and the number of samples tested on June 25 is 2,15,446.

Citing thousands of public representations seeking extension of the mandatory 60-day notice period to the draft Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) 2020 notification published during the Covid-19 lockdown, officials in the Environment Ministry proposed that the deadline for receiving objections and suggestions to the draft be extended by another two months to August 10.

On May 5, however, Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar set June 30 as the new deadline — an order to this effect was issued on May 7.

With India registering 407 deaths and 17,296 coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours, the total number of infections crossed the 4.9 lakh-mark to reach 4,90,401 including 15,301 fatalities, 1,89,463 active cases, and 2,85,637 people who have been treated and discharged so far.

With fatalities from the novel coronavirus infection doubling every 14-16 days in India, more than half the country’s districts (407 out of 720) have now seen at least one Covid-19 death. However, around 7 out of 10 Covid deaths in the country have been concentrated in only a handful of districts.

So while the number of districts that have been touched by at least one Covid death has risen from 272 a month ago to 348 two weeks ago to the current number, the 10 districts with the most deaths have accounted for about 70 per cent of fatalities throughout this period.

WITH more than 16,000 fresh coronavirus cases reported on Thursday in a new single-day high, the Centre announced it will be sending a team of experts to Telangana, Maharashtra and Gujarat — three states with high positivity rates that are considered critical in the efforts against the pandemic. Sources said experts may also be sent to Tamil Nadu and West Bengal, which are also seen as requiring advice and assistance on clinical management. The Centre is already closely monitoring the Covid-19 situation in Delhi, the city with the most number of cases.

Maharashtra witnessed a massive spike in Covid-19 cases, with 4,841 new cases being reported on Thursday. This is the highest number of cases that have been registered in a single day in the state. The previous highest of 3,890 was reported on June 24. With this, the total number of cases in Maharashtra now stands at 1,47,741. Read more here

The family of a 59-year-old Covid patient admitted at Lok Nayak Hospital got him discharged within 24 hours of admission, alleging that the hospital did not provide him adequate treatment. The patient, R P Sharma, is now under isolation at his Burari home.

The hospital denied claims of negligence. Dr Ritu Saxena, Lok Nayak deputy medical superintendent, said: “Our doctors helped the patient with medication, this was also written in the discharge summary. They didn’t tell us about the patient suffering from heart disease. We ordinarily don’t allow patients to leave but if the family insists, we can’t stop them. The district surveillance officer was also informed about the discharge and home quarantine of the patient.”

A hospital spokesperson said Sharma was discharged on “personal request”.

Patients admitted at Lok Nayak will be able to speak to their family members through video conferencing facilities that started at the government hospital on Thursday. Family members of several patients have been complaining that once the patient is admitted, it is hard to get in touch with them. The problem is seen especially with elderly patients who do not have smart phones.

While many private hospitals are extending video calling facilities to patients, in government hospitals, doctors and nurses have been the only link for many. Lok Nayak hospital, where 759 patients are admitted, was the first dedicated Covid facility in the city. It is the biggest Covid hospital and has 2,000 beds.