Over five lakh COVID-19 positive cases, and more than 15,600 deaths — India's coronavirus numbers continue to climb nearly five months after the first case was detected in the country.
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:
Science: Novel coronavirus infection might trigger type-1 diabetes
Diabetes poses one of the key risk factors for developing severe COVID-19, and chances of dying are elevated in people with diabetes. Now, there is growing evidence that novel coronavirus might actually be triggering diabetes in some people who have so far remained free of it. These patients typically develop type-1 diabetes. The virus seems to be causing diabetes spontaneously in people.
IRDAI frames COVID-19 health cover norms
A standard, indemnity-based health insurance cover for COVID-19 or a policy reimbursing the cost of the treatment, up to the sum insured, including on homecare and AYUSH treatment, will be offered by all health insurers on or before July 10.
This follows insurance regulator IRDAI firming up guidelines for such a standard COVID-19 specific product and making it mandatory for all general and health insurers to launch the same within the deadline. The product, to be called Corona Kavach Policy, followed by the name of the insurance company, will be an individual health policy, with an option to cover the family members.
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Over 600 fined for not wearing mask in the last 48 hours
Despite strict instructions, a number of people have not been wearing face masks in the city, which has been made mandatory by the police. After Police Commissioner R.K. Meena passed orders to collect ₹100 as fine on people moving without masks, the city police teams slapped fine on over 600 persons in the last 48 hours.
Positivity rate highest in Chennai
Tamil Nadu’s positivity rate, or the number of samples that test positive among the total figure, is between below 1% and 20%, with the higher percentile in high-incidence centres such as Chennai, at 23.2%. Data analysed by scientists at the National Institute of Epidemiology (a unit of the Indian Council of Medical Research), shared on Twitter on Saturday, showed that the highest positivity rate went just over 20% in the State.
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Cellphone data helps in contact tracing
Cellphone location data is aiding Health officials and the police fill the blanks while tracing contacts of COVID-19 patients in Ernakulam. The source of infection of the dubbing artist at Nayarambalam who tested positive on June 21 was traced after the police verified his call data records and tower locations.
Central team stresses on reducing mortality rate
Volunteers prepare meals for the homeless and daily wagers at a shelter in Thane on Thursday amid the nationwide lockdown.
A Central team on Saturday visited Thane district to review the COVID-19 situation and told local authorities to concentrate on reducing the mortality rate. As on Friday night, the district had a total 27,479 cases, with Thane city, Kalyan-Dombivali and Bhiwandi numbers being particularly worrisome, while 911 people have succumbed to the infection.
Rural Gurugram stays ahead of the curve in virus crisis
Two days before the nationwide ‘janata curfew’ on March 22 — a precursor to a series of lockdowns to prevent the spread of COVID-19 — the Wazirpur panchayat, on the outskirts of Gurugram, held a camp near the district’s AYUSH department and distributed ayurvedic medicine to villagers to boost their immunity.