COVID-19 patients inside a newly prepared isolation ward at the Shehnai Banquet Hall, in New Delhi, Monday, July 2, 2020. Express Photo By Amit Mehra
Coronavirus India News Live Updates: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday wished Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro a speedy recovery from Covid-19. “My friend President @jairbolsonaro, my prayers and best wishes for your speedy recovery,” he tweeted.
Meanwhile, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has sought a detailed analytical report from the Delhi government’s health secretary on factors responsible for COVID-19 deaths in the city in the last fortnight, according to PTI.
India has reported 482 deaths and 22,752 Covid-19 cases in the last 24 hours, pushing the total number of casualties to 20,642 and total number of infections to 7,42,417 which includes 2,64,944 active cases, and 4,56,831 people who have been treated and discharged so far, according to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. The number of recovered cases exceeded that of the active cases by 1,91,886 on Tuesday.
On Tuesday, the Health Ministry assured that the country’s tally per million population is one of the lowest in the world. Referring to the WHO Situation Report-168′ dated July 6, the ministry said India’s COVID-19 cases per million population is 505.37 as against the global average of 1,453.25.
However, four months into the pandemic, Indian medical manufacturers catering to the swelling Covid industry are facing a unique dilemma over the use of a life-saving device at the heart of every ICU: ventilators. On the other hand, while 12 hospitals chosen to conduct clinical trials of Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin prepare to enrol participants this month, samples of the vaccine are still undergoing quality and safety tests at a government facility, The Indian Express has learnt.
Globally, the total number of coronavirus cases has reached 11,798,678 while deaths stand at 543,535, according to Johns Hopkins University.
Coronavirus LIVE updates: Once seen as key in Covid fight, experts now say need for ventilators exaggerated. (Express Photo)
One of the passengers waves as they walk along the gangway during the boarding prior the first holiday flight of the Corendon Airlines Europe to the Greek destination Rhodos at the airport Erfurt-Weimar in Erfurt, Germany, Thursday, July 2, 2020. The tourist air traffic was interrupted for several months due to the corona pandemic. (AP Photo/Jens Meyer)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday wished Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro a speedy recovery from COVID-19. Bolsonaro had on Tuesday said that he has tested positive for coronavirus. "My friend President @jairbolsonaro (Jair Bolsonaro), my prayers and best wishes for your speedy recovery," Modi tweeted in Portuguese and English.
A 40-year-old Delhi Police constable who was undergoing treatment for liver related complications at a hospital here has passed away, 12 days after testing positive for COVID-19, officials said on Wednesday. Constable Yogender Yadav, was posted at Paschim Vihar West Police Station and passed away on Tuesday, a senior officer said. He was admitted to Park Hospital on June 12 due to a liver related ailment and had tested positive for COVID-19 on June 25. He hailed from Balaha Kalan village in Mahendergarh district of Haryana and lived with his family in police colony, Paschim Vihar, he said. He is survived by his wife -- Rekha (32), son Lakshay Yadav (14) and daughter Akshu Yadav (3), police said. Delhi Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal offered condolences to the family.
Ruling BJD MLA Prasant Behera has tested positive for COVID-19, the second legislator in Odisha to have contracted the disease, an official said on Wednesday. The lawmaker from Salipur in Cuttack district was admitted to a COVID-19 hospital, he said. Behera had come in contact with BJP's Nilgiri MLA Sukanta Kumar Nayak, who tested positive for the infection on Monday, and has been undergoing treatment at a hospital in Balasore, the official said.
Behera's personal security officer and driver have also contracted the disease, he said. The local administration has already launched contact-tracing of the legislator as he attended several programmes in his constituency. Meanwhile, Congress MLA Sura Routray has demanded a set of guidelines for legislators as they attend programmes and meet people.
Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has sought a detailed analytical report from the Delhi government's health secretary on factors responsible for COVID-19 deaths in the city in the last fortnight, officials said. Delhi reported 736 deaths in the last two weeks, with 397 people succumbing to the disease in the first week of July. Officials said the objective of seeking the report is to?take all possible measures to reduce coronavirus deaths in the national capital. A total of 3,165 COVID-19 deaths have occurred in Delhi so far.
A day after the Union Health Ministry recommended the Karnataka government to prioritise saving lives and to step up testing, Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa held an emergency meeting with ministers and top government officials in Bengaluru on Wednesday.
The meeting was attended by Deputy Chief Minister Ashwathnarayan C N, Medical Education Minister K Sudhakar, Chief Secretary T M Vijay Bhaskar, and BBMP Commissioner B H Anil Kumar among others.
While 12 hospitals chosen to conduct clinical trials of Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin prepare to enrol participants this month, samples of the vaccine are still undergoing quality and safety tests at a government facility, The Indian Express has learnt.
The tests, which began last Friday, are expected to be completed by the end of next week and cannot be rushed as they are expected to ensure the vaccines are safe to use in humans, said senior officials. Read More
Reserve players doing the job of ball boys, cleaning breaks to sanitise stumps and bails, reporters and photographers covering matches in personal protective equipment (PPE) — an unusual Test series between England and the West Indies starts on Wednesday.
In the middle of the novel coronavirus pandemic, international cricket will resume at the Ageas Bowl in Southampton. The Test — and the two that will follow in Manchester later this month — will be played without spectators in a bio-secure environment. The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has issued a list of do’s and don’ts in a 74-page booklet that it has sent to Southampton.
Only the two captains, Ben Stokes and Jason Holder, and match referee Chris Broad will go out for the toss, says the booklet. There will be no cameras at the toss, and no handshakes after.
The Assam branch of Indian Medical Association (IMA) on Tuesday expressed resentment over the state government’s recent policy changes on the management of COVID-19 situation, claiming that they are difficult to follow and will not serve any purpose.
In a strongly-worded letter to Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, it also sought to know why a large number of doctors were infected with coronavirus infection while treating patients. The minister did not reply to the message sent by PTI for his reaction till the filing of this report. Senior officials were also not available for comment. Read More
The use of hydroxychloroquine to treat coronavirus patients has become highly politicized in the US but it is used widely in India, a top White House official has said, asserting latest research showed the malaria drug is highly effective in early stages of COVID-19.
“It’s the politicization of this medicine by the mainstream media and portions of the medical community that somehow made this a battle between President Trump and them and created this undue fear and hysteria over a drug, a medicine that has been used for over 60 years relatively safely and is regularly prescribed to pregnant women if they are going to a malaria zone,” White House Office of Trade and Manufacturing Policy Director Peter Navarro told reporters.
IN THE STAFF room of the Primary School in Shahabad, Principal Devendra Kumar Singh and teacher Juhi Kumari squinted into the smartphone to read the latest state government order on mid-day meals. Parents of at least three children from Badbilla who study in the school were waiting outside for details with news in the air that students will be provided ration in lieu of mid-day meals.
“We have been instructed to make a roster, and do things systematically. So, it will take a few days. Parents will be called to the school; your children will not have to come. The money will be sent straight to children’s accounts, while you will get the rice from here,” Principal Singh told the parents. Read More
India has reported 482 deaths and 22,752 Covid-19 cases in the last 24 hours, pushing the total number of casualties to 20,642 and total number of infections to 7,42,417 which includes 2,64,944 active cases, and 4,56,831 people who have been treated and discharged so far, according to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. The number of recovered cases exceeded that of the active cases by 1,91,886 on Tuesday.
The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR)has said that a total of 1,04,73,771 samples have been tested for COVID-19 till date. Of these, 2,62,679 samples were tested on Tuesday.
Four months into the pandemic, Indian medical manufacturers catering to the swelling Covid industry are facing a unique dilemma over the use of a life-saving device at the heart of every ICU: ventilators.
In March, ventilators were considered vital to treat serious Covid cases, and with the countrywide inventory at an estimated 47,000, manufacturers raced to ramp up production. But now, with health experts pointing to a shift in treatment to non-invasive oxygenation, these manufacturers are staring at excess stocks and hoping for export channels to be opened.
In a bid to make the Covid-19 test “seamless and accessible” to all in Mumbai, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) will from Wednesday allow testing for all, irrespective of whether they have symptoms or not, and without a doctor’s prescription or self declaration. The civic body will also conduct antigen tests in containment zones and hospitals.
This is the ninth time that BMC has changed its testing protocol, mostly in conformity with central guidelines. The latest change also came after the Union Health Ministry instructed states to increase their testing capacity.
The World Health Organization on Tuesday acknowledged "evidence emerging" of the airborne spread of the novel coronavirus, after a group of scientists urged the global body to update its guidance on how the respiratory disease passes between people."We have been talking about the possibility of airborne transmission and aerosol transmission as one of the modes of transmission of COVID-19," Maria Van Kerkhove, technical lead on the COVID-19 pandemic at the WHO, told a news briefing.
The Delhi government said on Tuesday that foodgrains will be given for free to all ration card holders in the city till November. The cost was first waived off in April after the lockdown was imposed.
“The Delhi government will be providing PDS ration to NFS beneficiaries for the next 5 months…up to November, free of cost. The distribution of foodgrains for July 2020 is scheduled to start in a phased manner from July 8 onwards. In Delhi, under the Public Distribution System (PDS) covered by the National Food Security Act, more than 17.54 lakh households get ration. This scheme benefits nearly 71,40,938 and they get subsidised foodgrains from the Delhi government. These include 68,465 Antodya Anna Yojna (AAY) households, with 2,78,954 beneficiaries also who are provided subsidised foodgrains,” the government said in a statement.
Beneficiaries are provided with 4 kg of wheat and 1 kg of rice every month. Under AAY, 25 kg of wheat, 10 kg of rice and 1 kg of sugar is distributed per household.
Delhi government officials said that while ration distribution to those who do not have ration cards is also continuing at present, no decision has been taken yet on a time frame for when this will be applicable.
Food and civil supplies minister Imran Hussain said if beneficiaries are not given foodgrains free of cost, they can complain to the respective Assistant Commissioner, Food Supplies Officer or Food Supplies Inspector.
The Karnataka government has deployed 1,246 employees from various departments for contact tracing of COVID-19 patients with special focus on Bengaluru and surrounding areas and warned of strict action in case of refusal to undertake the work. Noting that contact tracing was crucial in controlling COVID-19 spread, Chief Secretary T M Vijay Bhaskar in an order on Monday said as more human resources were required for this purpose, group A, B and C officials and workers from various departments have been deputed for contact tracing. They have been asked to report to senior IAS officer Manjula, who heads a task force on Covid-19 contact tracing. The move comes at a time when the state is witnessing spike in cases and contacts of a majority of new patients are still under tracing. According to an analysis by Karnatakas Covid-19 War Room, of the 25,317 cases in the state till Monday, the source of transmission in 10,484 cases is still under investigation.
Tamil Nadu on Tuesday reported 3,616 COVID-19 cases and 65 fatalities, taking the tally to 1,18,594 and the toll to 1,636, the state health department said. The state crossed the 14 lakh mark in testing samples with nearly 40,000 being examined today alone, it said in a bulletin. The dead include 52 with co-morbidities and 13 with none. Two men aged 30 and 97 and a 25-year-old woman were among the deceased. Of the fresh cases, Chennai accounted for 1,203, reflecting a continuation of drop in new infections, while the remainder was spread across Tamil Nadu. On Monday, Chennai had reported 1,747 cases, 1,713 on Sunday and 1,842 on July 4. While the state's tally stood at 1,18,594, Chennai's share was 71,230. As many as 36,938 samples were tested today alone and the total number of specimens examined climbed to 14,13,435 in Tamil Nadu.
After a spike in COVID-19 cases, West Bengal has announced a strict lockdown in containment zones & buffer zones across the state from July 9, 2020. All private & government offices in containment zones & buffer zones will remain shut. Only essential services will be available in these zones & transport services will remain suspended till further notice.
The number of containment zones in Kolkata have been increased from 17 to 33 after the city recently witnessed a major spike in COVID-19 cases. This spike in numbers comes after the West Bengal government had announced lockdown relaxations across the state.
Door-to-door testing began in Ward No. 2 in the Pandu locality of Guwahati on Tuesday after the city reported a continuous spike in cases over the last week.“A series of door-to-door tests for #COVID19 conducted in Ward No. 2 (Pandu Area) of Guwahati Municipality today, as a part of our mass testing initiative in Assam.
I personally monitored the procedure & convinced people to not panic & cooperate with us in testing” tweeted Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday evening. The minister had earlier announced that the “first of its kind” initiative on mass testing will involve house-to-house tests in the Pandu area starting Tuesday. “We target to complete 3000 tests in the Ward in two days,” Sarma said. The total reported cases in Assam stand at 12,522 with 4,623 active cases. Guwahati — which is currently under a strict 14 day lockdown — accounts for over 3,000 cases. (Report by Tora aggarwala)