India on July 5 recorded the third highest coronavirus caseload in the world, overtaking Russia. The country now has more than 6,83,000 coronavirus 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 updates:

Will take safety measure before reopening Koyambedu market, TN govt tells HC

The Tamil Nadu government, on Monday, told the Madras High Court that all safety measures, including establishment of disinfection tunnels, will be taken into consideration before reopening Koyambedu wholesale market complex, which was as a major COVID-19 cluster in Chennai.

 

India’s response to COVID-19 will be new case study in Harvard on failures: Rahul Gandhi

As India reached the third spot in terms of countries having the highest number of novel coronavirus cases, former Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Monday launched a fresh offensive against the Narendra Modi government.

In a tweet, Mr. Gandhi said India’s fight against COVID-19 would be a new case study in Harvard Business School (HBS) on failures and put up a video in which Mr. Modi had expressed the confidence of winning the battle against the pandemic in 21 days.

 

Start-ups bear the brunt of COVID-19 impact, finds survey

Around 70% of India’s start-ups have been adversely impacted by COVID-19, and 12 have closed down operations since the outbreak, according to a nation-wide survey. The survey, which had a sample size of 250, was conducted by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), jointly with the Indian Angel Network (IAN).

While 12% of the start-ups have shut operations, 60% said they are operating with disruptions.

 

Entomology workers under the shadow of disease

Disease prevention is an onerous task fulfilled by the GHMC Entomology field workers under testing circumstances, putting their own safety in peril. They are on the forefront, be it control of vector-borne diseases or COVID-19 spread.

However, allegations are that they are not being provided enough safety gear by the corporation, even while being expected to disinfect areas where COVID-19 positive cases have been detected.

 

10,100-bed capacity care centre set up at exhibition centre in Bengaluru

 

A COVID Care Centre with a bed capacity of 10,100 has been set up at the Bangalore International Exhibition Centre (BIEC) on Tumakuru Road in the city. It is said to be the largest COVID Care Centre in India. A press release issued on Sunday stated that asymptomatic persons who have tested positive for COVID-19 would be housed here.

 

Hundreds of scientists say coronavirus is airborne, ask WHO to revise recommendations: media report

Hundreds of scientists say there is evidence that novel coronavirus in smaller particles in the air can infect people and are calling for the World Health Organization to revise recommendations, the New York Times reported on Saturday.

The WHO has said the coronavirus disease spreads primarily from person to person through small droplets from the nose or mouth, which are expelled when a person with COVID-19 coughs, sneezes or speaks.

 

As cases mount, Thiruvananthapuram placed under 7-day triple lockdown

The Kerala government has imposed a stringent triple lockdown in Thiruvananthapuram city Corporation area for a week from Monday, in view of the increasing number of COVID-19 cases through contact. State Police Chief Loknath Behera said all roads leading to the city would be closed from 6 a.m. on Monday. Vehicular traffic would not be allowed in any of the city roads.

 

Social vaccine is only remedy for now, says CCMB director

 

Scientists of CSIR-Centre for Cellular & Molecular Biology (CCMB), after studying 940 COVID-19 sample genome sequencing, reiterated that the ‘A2a’ is the most prevalent virus strain in the country from March to June. Most of the samples came from nine States — Gujarat, Telangana, Maharashtra, Odisha, Karnataka, Delhi, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.

That 90% of the virus strain in the country conforms to those prevalent in rest of the world “means mutations are not happening as much and the research process on finding new drugs and vaccines can go on more sound lines”, said CCMB director Rakesh Mishra on Sunday. Though hectic efforts are being made to treat COVID-19 patients with available repurposed anti-viral drugs, he asserted that since vaccine development is a lengthy process, the only option left is a ‘social vaccine’.

 

People coming to city from Tamil Nadu have a tough time

People coming from Tamil Nadu with Seva Sindhu e-pass had a tough time entering the city on Sunday. Owing to the lockdown, the police had denied entry for vehicles coming from Tamil Nadu at Attibele check-post. It was only after the higher-ups intervened that people with passes were allowed into the State.

 

Testing in A.P. crosses 10-lakh mark

 

The State which has been on the forefront in detecting the coronavirus cases has tested 10 lakh samples by Sunday.

Having tested 10,17,140 samples by 9 a.m. on Sunday, the authorities put the positivity rate is 1.84%, which means only less than two persons in every 100 suspects tested have confirmed positive for the virus.

 

Govt. decides to go for pool testing in low prevalence areas

The Tamil Nadu government has decided to go in for pool testing of COVID-19 samples. The protocols are expected to be ready in a few days.

Pool testing is a method by which multiple samples, up to a total of five, are tested together, in one single RT-PCR test. In mid-April, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) put out an advisory, recommending pool testing as the number of positive cases began to rise rapidly.

 

Delhi govt orders compulsory rapid antigen detection test for high-risk individuals

 

The Delhi government on Sunday instructed all health care facilities to carry out compulsory rapid antigen detection testing of patients with ILI symptoms, patients admitted with SARI and other high-risk individuals who visit their facilities.

An order issued by the Delhi Health department directed all medical directors, medical superintendent and directors of all Delhi government-run hospitals to ensure that “rapid antigen detection testing” of all individuals/patients falling in the categories listed, who visit their hospital, is mandatorily done.

₹1 lakh COVID-19 bill for a day’s treatment

Ever since COVID-19 treatment was left to select private hospitals, there were complaints galore that the patients were fleeced for heavy tariff.

The latest one such was by none other than a COVID warrior at Fever Hospital who was slapped a bill of over ₹1 lakh just for a day’s treatment. The management of the private hospital was said to have refused her discharge until she cleared the bill. The patient, a top official at the Fever Hospital, narrated her saga in a video that caught the attention of Health Minister Eatala Rajender.

On her discharge, Mr. Rajender immediately issued instructions for her treatment at Nizam’s Institute of Medical Sciences free of cost. These incidents have come to light at a time when private labs came under scanner for bungling in reports of people who tested themselves for virus. They take us to initial claims of government that it will not permit any kind of testing or treatment in private sector.