Swab sample being taken at Covid-19 testing centre in New Delhi.
Coronavirus India News Live Updates: The human trial of Bharat Biotech’s anti-COVID-19 vaccine Covaxin began at Rohtak’s Post-Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences on Friday, Haryana Health Minister Anil Vij said in a tweet on Friday.
“Human trial with Corona vaccine (COVAXIN) of Bharat Biotech started at PGI Rohtak today. Three subjects were enrolled today. All have tolerated the vaccine very well. There were no adverse effects,” Vij, who is also the Home and Science & Technology minister said.
The Covid-19 tally in India crossed the grim milestone of one million to stand at 10,03,832 on Friday, after nearly 35,000 cases were registered within a span of 24 hours. As many as 25,602 deaths were recorded, according to data released by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
With the increase in cases, the Centre has told the three eastern states–Bihar, West Bengal, and Assam– that have imposed part or full lockdowns that while it is “not questioning” their decision, this period “must be utilised gainfully” by implementing a three-pronged strategy to contain the spread of the infection, The Indian Express has learnt.
Globally, over 13 million people have been infected with the virus and 5,86,174 have died, with the most number of cases (3,536,658) and deaths (137,897) reported from the United States. Britain, the United States and Canada have accused Russia of trying to steal information from researchers seeking a COVID-19 vaccine.
States including West Bengal, Assam and Bihar have announced full or partial lockdowns to contain the spread of the virus
In the initial days of India’s first lockdown in March, consumers responded to the Covid-19 crisis with anxiety and fear, leading to panic buying of staples and hygiene products. As cases continue to increase and the economy shrinks, the consumer is adapting.
A recent report on the impact of Covid-19 on consumer sentiment and behaviour by Mckinsey & Co, published on July 8, after conducting weekly, bi-weekly and monthly surveys in 12 countries, said that 91 per cent Indians changed their shopping behaviour due to the crisis. Many urban consumers, increasingly working from home and reluctant to deal with crowded public places, are moving online for their shopping needs. If demonetisation compelled people to shift toward cashless payments, Covid-19 has made them adopt online shopping.
There has been more than 10 per cent growth in online shopping across categories during the pandemic globally, according to Mckinsey, and it is expected that consumers will continue with this practice even if brick-and-mortar stores reopen. Globally, one in five consumers who ordered their last groceries online did so for the first time. For consumers aged 56 years and above, this figure was one in three, said Accenture, in a similar research report published in April. These days, people are buying larger pack-size products or multiple units at once. Click here to read our explainer.
Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa Friday reiterated that the lockdown announced in different parts of the state including capital city Bengaluru will not be extended further.
In a meeting with MPs, ministers and top government officials in Bengaluru, the CM said, “Lockdown is not a solution to Covid-19 woes. We will not be extending the lockdown further.”
Yediyurappa had said the same earlier this week after a meeting with the Karnataka Covid-19 task force as well.
The Karnataka government had decided to enforce a full lockdown in the Bengaluru urban and rural districts from July 14 evening to July 22 in the wake of mounting Covid-19 cases over the last week. Several other parts of the state including Dakshina Kannada, Dharwad, and Kalaburagi are also in lockdown currently. More info here.
The COVID-19 tally shot past the 40,000 mark in Andhra Pradesh on Friday as 2,062 fresh cases were added in the last 24 hours.
The state's COVID-19 table now showed a total of 40,646 positive cases, with 19,814 of them being active after 20,298 patients were discharged, news agency PTI reported.
With 42 new casualties reported in the last 24 hours, the overall toll mounted to 534, the latest bulletin said. It said 837 patients had recovered and been discharged from hospitals in the last 24 hours.
The Madhya Pradesh Assembly's Monsoon session, which was scheduled to begin here from July 20, has been postponed in light of the coronavirus pandemic, news agency PTI reported on Friday.
The decision to defer the session was taken unanimously at an all-party meeting on Friday chaired by pro-tem speaker Rameshwar Sharma, an Assembly official said.
The meeting was attended by Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Leader of Opposition Kamal Nath and Home and Legislative Affairs Minister Narottam Mishra, among others, he said.
The Uttarakhand government Friday decided to impose a complete lockdown in the state on weekends in view of the surging cases of COVID-19.
"To curb the spread of Covid-19, it has been decided to impose lockdown on Saturdays and Sundays in the state. Guidelines for the same to be issued soon," Uttarakhand CM Trivendra Singh Rawat was quoted as saying by ANI.
A total of 3,982 people have been infected by the novel coronavirus in Uttarakhand. As many as 50 people have also died of Covid-19 in the state.
Districts in Madhya Pradesh may be the most vulnerable to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, followed by those in Bihar and Telangana, according to a study in The Lancet journal which assessed several key indicators like housing, hygiene, and the health system in these states, news agency PTI reported.
According to scientists, including Rajib Acharya from the Population Council, New Delhi, vulnerability in the research means the risk of consequences of infection, including spread, morbidity, mortality, and social and economic effects of the pandemic. The study noted that nine of 30 large states -- Madhya Pradesh, Bihar and Telangana, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, West Bengal, Odisha, and Gujarat -- have high vulnerability to be impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
It rated the vulnerabilities of the states to the pandemic on a scale from zero to one, measured using 15 indicators across five domains -- socioeconomic, demographic, housing and hygiene, epidemiological, and health system.
Fifty-two more people, including seven ITBP personnel, tested positive for the virus in Arunachal Pradesh on Friday, taking the state's tally to 543, a health department official said. Of the new cases, 42 were reported in the Capital Complex region, seven in East Siang district and three in Upper Subansiri, State Surveillance Officer Dr L Jampa said. "The detection of 52 patients is the second-highest single-day spike of Covid-19 cases in Arunachal Pradesh as 75 people had tested positive for the disease on July 15," he said.
A 92-year-old Italian national was among the three people who succumbed to coronavirus in Puducherry, taking the tally of infections in the union territory to 1,832 on Friday. Director of Health and Family Welfare Services S Mohan Kumar told a virtual press conference that the Italian national had co-morbidities and was admitted to JIPMER on July 2. He tested positive for the virus and died on Thursday. With the death of three people, the toll has shot up to 25 in Puducherry during the last 24 hours.
With the detection of 35,000 new infections on Thursday, India now has more than one million people who have been infected with the novel Coronavirus at some point of time. Only two other countries have had more infections till now – the United States where more than 3.4 million people have so far been infected, and Brazil, where this number is touching two million. In all these three countries, the disease is still spreading at a rapid rate. India has just started to add more than 30,000 cases per day. In the last two days, about 32,000 and 35,000 new infections were detected. The other two countries are routinely adding many more per day. In the United States, for example, more than 50,000 infections were detected every day for the last one week. The numbers have fluctuated in Brazil, but for most of this month, it has added more than 40,000 cases every day. Click here to read more.
A four-member team from the Central government visited Surat on Friday to review the coronavirus situation in the city, which has emerged as the new hotspot in Gujarat, and to provide necessary guidance to the local authorities, PTI reported. AIIMS director Dr Randeep Guleria, a member of the team, expressed confidence that just like Ahmedabad, the viral outbreak will be brought under control in Surat as well. The expert team comprised Guleria, NITI Aayog member Vinod Paul, director general of ICMR Dr Balram Bhargava and additional secretary in the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare Arti Ahuja. The team held discussions with senior officials and doctors of the civil hospital about the present situation, treatment protocols and availability of medicines to fight the pandemic, an official said. The team also visited containment zones in the city before leaving for Ahmedabad. Speaking to reporters, Guleria said he was hopeful of curbing the COVID-19 spread in Surat, a hub of diamond and textile units. "We held detailed discussions on various aspects like patient management, medicines and plasma therapy. We understood the issues and gave solutions. We are confident that cases will come down in the near future just like they did in Ahmedabad," he said. Surat district in south Gujarat has seen a sharp rise in infections in recent days and recorded 9,451 Covid-19 cases and 395 deaths so far, second only to Ahmedabad.
Even as Bengaluru is under a week long lockdown till July 22, the city Mayor and commissioner of the civic body have favoured its extension, aimed at controlling the spread of the virus. Speculations are once again rife that the current lockdown is likely to be extended for 15 days, as that much time is required to break the chain. "We are seeing that people are still coming out despite the lockdown. The awareness has not come among the people and even those who have an understanding about the virus are not maintaining social distancing," Mayor M Goutham Kumar was quoted as saying by PTI. Speaking to reporters, he opined that in such a situation, it was fine if there was an extension, "because we have to cut the chain." "If there is a serious lockdown for fourteen days, I feel that the chain can be cut," he said. Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike Commissioner B H Anil Kumar said if the chain has to be broken, the 15 day cycle has to end. "There is already a one week long lockdown. The Chief Minister is holding a meeting, where a decision will be taken. In my personal opinion it will be good if the lockdown is for 15 days," he said.
At least 250 casual workers of Air India have approached the Bombay High Court seeking direction to the government-run airline to provide them work as the coronavirus-induced lockdown has rendered them jobless and deprived them of wages, PTI reported. Their plea was heard on Friday by a bench of Justices R D Dhanuka and V G Bisht, who issued a notice to Air India and directed the national carrier to respond within two weeks. In the interim application filed through Air India Ltd Kamgar Sangh, the petitioners stated that most casual workers belong to economically weaker sections and that they are dependent on daily wages from the airline. The application by at least 250 casual workers of the airline has been filed through senior counsel Gayatri Singh and advocate Mini Mathur.
Tamil Nadu Labour Minister Nilofer Kafeel has tested positive for coronavirus, becoming the fourth minister in the state to get affected. Chief Minister K Palaniswami on Friday wished her a speedy recovery. Kafeel holds the portfolios, including labour, urban and rural employment and the Wakf Board. After learning that Kafeel tested positive for the virus, Palaniswami said he spoke to her over phone and enquired about her health. On his Twitter handle, the Chief Minister said he prayed to the Almighty for her speedy recovery.
Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra today attacked the Uttar Pradesh government over its handling of the pandemic, saying that at a time when cases are rapidly rising, the Yogi Adityanath dispensation must adopt transparent policies instead of making false claims. "Sitting in Lucknow, the UP government makes big claims on fighting coronavirus, but two kilometers from there, its claims are exposed," Priyanka Gandhi said in a tweet in Hindi. "The number of coronavirus cases in UP is continuously rising. In such a situation, the government must adopt strong and transparent policies, instead of making false claims," she said, tagging a TV media report which claimed that the government claims on dealing with the Covid crisis were "hollow".
A 22-year-old migrant labourer who returned home during the coronavirus lockdown allegedly committed suicide in Inguna village of Uttar Pradesh, police said on Friday, PTI reported. Manoj was found hanging from a tree in a jungle under Marka police station area on Thursday, they said. He was missing from his house since Wednesday afternoon, they added. His brother informed the police that Manoj had returned from Mumbai in May and was facing financial problems as he was not getting work in the village, the police said. Investigations are underway, they added.
Domestic airline IndiGo today launched a scheme that allows a passenger to book two seats for himself or herself to ensure additional safety amid the coronavirus pandemic. "The charges for the extra seat will be effectively up to 25% of the original booking cost. This offer is effective travel starting July 24, 2020," the airline said in a statement. The low-cost carrier said the "6E double seat" scheme will not be available through travel portals, IndiGo call centre or airport counters. The scheme can only be availed using IndiGo's website. Lack of social distancing by other passengers is a top concern among flyers, according to a survey by IndiGo that was conducted online between June 20 and June 28 among 25,000 travellers. "Factors such as lack of social distancing by other passengers (62% of respondents), quarantine measures by states (55%) and sitting in the aircraft with so many people (55%) have been identified as key deterrents for air travel," the survey said. On Friday, IndiGo's chief strategy and revenue officer Sanjay Kumar said, "Even though air travel is the safest mode of travel at this point, we understand the customers' emotional need for safety."
The positivity rate for novel coronavirus infection in Bihar is 5.7 per cent – lower than the national average of 7.6 per cent; however, adjusted for the low testing base, the picture changes dramatically. Bihar has carried out only 3.3 lakh tests so far – and taking this low base into account, the positivity rate is among the highest in the country. Only Delhi, Maharashtra, and Gujarat had higher positivity rates than Bihar when they reached 3.3 lakh tested samples, according to data in state government bulletins. “The positivity rate in 14 districts around Patna has increased from 4 per cent to 15 per cent over the past two weeks. That is worrying,” Dr S K Shahi, who oversees Covid-19 testing at the Indira Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences (IGIMS) in the state capital, said. “The positivity rate in Patna is the worst – 8 to 10 per cent,” Dr Shahi said.
India and the US are working together on combating the coronavirus and collaboration is underway for co-development of a virus vaccine and a partnership between the two countries in health, life sciences and technology sectors can bring benefits to the entire world, the Indian envoy in Washinton has said, PTI reported. During a virtual interaction with the eminent members of the Indian-American community from the Mid-Western parts of the US, India's Ambassador to the US, Taranjit Singh Sandhu said, "During the pandemic, India and the United States have been collaborating closely. Our network of scientific institutions, in India and the United States, are in touch with each other, on a real-time basis."
The Centre has told the three eastern states that have imposed part or full lockdowns that while it is “not questioning” their decision, this period “must be utilised gainfully” by implementing a three-pronged strategy to contain the spread of the infection, The Indian Express has learnt. During an extended video conference on Wednesday, the Centre asked the three states to implement a three-point strategy during the period of the curbs: one, redefining of containment zones, provisioning of buffer zones, and adding new containment zones; two, strictly monitoring patients in home isolation through teleconsultation or physical surveillance; and three, augmenting bed capacity in hospitals. The three states were told that “merely announcing or notifying a lockdown is not sufficient,” a senior government official told The Indian Express. “You (the states) must know what is it that you have to do during the period of lockdown. You not only enforce and ensure that lockdown is implemented strictly but you also plan during the lockdown,” the states were told, according to the official.
The coronavirus is spreading, there are very few green shoots, lockdowns are getting increasingly local, and yet the markets are rising. What this means for the nation’s economy — and your money. Click here to find out.