Coronavirus India LIVE Updates: Complete lockdown in West Bengal containment zones for two days every week

West Bengal Home Secretary Alapan Bandyapadhyay on Monday said that the state recorded community transmission in some areas. "Community transmission of COVID-19 has been recorded in a few areas in West Bengal," the minister said.

The number of COVID-19 cases in Maharashtra's Aurangabad district rose to 10,854 after 51 more people tested positive for the disease on Monday, an official said. Three more deaths due to COVID-19 were also reported in the district, taking the toll to 399, he said. Out of the 51 new cases, 17 were reported from Aurangabad city and 23 from rural parts of the district. The other 11 cases were found during rapid-antigen tests at checkposts set up by the Aurangabad Municipal Corporation. As of now, there are 4,314 active cases in the district, while 6,141 patients have been discharged after recovery, the official said. (PTI)

Amidst reports of a shortage of beds for COVID-19 patients in hospitals here in Maharashtra, a housing society has converted its clubhouse into an isolation facility. The facility in Sigma One Housing Society in Kothrud area houses six beds, an oxygen cylinder, and concentrator, side tables, wheel-chairs, and medicines. It took just four days for members of the society to make necessary arrangements after the idea was suggested by Dr Abhijeet Mantri, an ENT surgeon and a resident of the housing complex. The facility will cater to members of the society and office-bearers when needed. District collector Naval Kishore Ram has welcomed the efforts, but said such facilities set up in housing societies cannot be recognised as a hospital.

As cases continue to rise in West Bengal, state Home Secretary Alapan Bandyapadhyay on Monday announced a complete lockdown in the containment zones in the state, that had been announced by the government last week. This week, a complete lockdown in containment zones will be enforced on Thursday and Saturday.

Former Gujarat Congress President Bharatsinh Solanki, who had tested positive for the novel coronavirus infection last month, is currently on ventilator support at Ahmedabad's CIMS hospital, his spokesperson said. The statement added that the leader is on C-PAP support while doctors are attending to him and trying to reduce the dependence on ventilator. "He is now on lower sedation and is able to move his arms and follow instructions. His vitals are stable," the statement added.

Former Gujarat Congress President Bharatsinh Solanki, who tested positive for #Covid19 on June 22, is currently on ventilator support at CIMS hospital in Ahmedabad, as per a release from the leader's spokesperson. @IndianExpress

— Aditi Raja (@aditijf) July 20, 2020

India's coronavirus infection number crossed 11-lakh on Monday, with a record single-day high of 40,425 cases being reported in the last 24 hours, health ministry data said. With 681 fresh fatalities, the death toll rose to 27,497. The 11-lakh mark comes three days after the country reported 10 lakh cases. There are 3,90,459 active cases in the country, while 7,00,086 people have recovered and one person has migrated. The recovery rate stands at 62.62 per cent.

Of the 681 deaths reported in the last 24 hours, 258 were reported from Maharashtra, 91 from Karnataka, 78 from Tamil Nadu, 56 from Andhra Pradesh, 38 from Uttar Pradesh, 36 from West Bengal, 31 from Delhi, 20 from Gujarat and 15 from Madhya Pradesh. The total fatalities in one day include nine from Bihar, eight each from Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir, six each from Rajasthan and Telangana, five each from Haryana and Odisha, four from Assam, three from Jharkhand, two from Kerala, and one each from Goa and Ladakh.

According to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), a cumulative total of 1,40,47,908 samples have been tested up to July 19 with 2,56,039 samples being tested on Sunday.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday stressed that many people are still hiding their COVID infection, and directed officials to allow home quarantine only if all protocols related to the disease are followed, an official release said. Fearing that there may be a spurt in cases as a large number of asymptomatic people are hiding their infection, the CM said it will be essential that the patient and his family complies with the protocol. Besides, he said people should be apprised of the necessary precautions for which an awareness campaign should also be launched with the help of the print, electronic and social media. He also said the use of masks and social distancing norms should be strictly followed.

First it was Delhi, then Tamil Nadu, then Telangana, followed by Karnataka. Now it seems to be the turn of Andhra Pradesh to experience an extraordinary surge in novel Coronavirus numbers. On Sunday, Andhra Pradesh reported as many as 5,041 new cases. No other state, except Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu, have ever gone beyond the 5,000-mark in a single day.

After the surge of the last four days, Andhra Pradesh now has the fastest-growing Coronavirus numbers in the country, faster than even Karnataka. The Coronavirus cases in Andhra Pradesh are now growing at 7.9 per cent (seven-day compounded daily growth rate) every day.

Over 20,000 of Andhra Pradesh’s total of 50,000 cases, about 40 per cent, have come in the last one week. This is higher than any other state, barring Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, and Karnataka. As a result, Andhra Pradesh jumped two places on Sunday to become the state with the fifth-largest caseload in the country, overtaking Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh in the process.

Sasan Gir village in Gujarat's Junagadh district, renowned as the gateway to the Gir Lion Sanctuary and National Park, on Monday went into a self- imposed 4-day lockdown in view of the coronavirus outbreak. The decision was taken at a meeting in the village on Monday which was attended by shopkeepers and hoteliers after two people tested positive for the virus, said Sasan village sarpanch Jumabhai Katiya.

"To stop further spread of the virus, we thought the only way was to completely stop human interaction. So we have unanimously decided to observe a self-imposed lockdown for four days, starting Monday," said Katiya. "Luckily there are no tourists to manage at present. We got total support for the lockdown from the administration as well as the hotel owners association. The village will be shut for four days," Katiya informed.

Sasan Gir has a population of around 3,500, while some 5,000 tourists arrive every day during peak season to catch a glimpse of the magnificent Asiatic lion in its last abode. There are over 200 hotels in and around Sasan along with numerous eateries. (PTI)

With the cases of novel coronavirus infection rising in the southern state of Kerala, the state government is now making arrangements to treat 50,000 patients at a time, thus doubling the first line treatment centres to 56, news agency PTI reported on Monday. State Health Minister K K Shailaja said experts have forecast a surge in the number of cases next month but sounded confident that the government can manage any such situation with the measures being taken by it.

"We already have two COVID hospitals in each district. Then as the number increased, we opened one FLTC for each COVID hospital. Thus we already have 28 FLTCs. Now we have given direction to increase the number to 56. That is one COVID hospital will have two FLTCs," Shailaja told PTI.

Kerala reported 821 fresh cases on Sunday, the highest single day count so far. While the tally has risen to 12,480, the active cases stood at 7,063. The death toll is 42. According to officials, at least 60 per cent of the patients are asymptomatic in the state.

With 26 new cases reported on Monday, South Korea witnessed its lowest daily jump in local COVID-19 transmissions in two months, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said. Out of the new cases, 22 have been reported from international travellers. Vice Health Minister Kim Ganglip said the local cases were below 10 for the first time since May 19. He encouraged people to avoid crowded places or even stay at home during the summer holiday period.

More than 1.1 million people have so far been infected with the novel coronavirus in India now. Covid-19 disease is present in every state and Union Territory, except Lakshadweep. Twenty-seven of these have seen more than 1,000 people getting infected till now. Even Andaman and Nicobar Islands, which is the lowest number of cases in the country, has more than 150.

The government, however, continues to insist that the disease has still not reached a stage where community transmission starts to happen. Several scientists and health experts told The Indian Express this was not true, that the government position was entirely “untenable”, that community transmission was no doubt taking place, but that it did not matter in any case.

Community transmission simply means that the epidemic has become so widespread in a community that it gets difficult, if not impossible, to determine who is passing on the infection to whom. The source and chain of infections can no longer be established. Determining the chain of infections is key to the containment strategy that is being followed. Contact tracing, identification, testing and isolation of suspect cases are all dependent on establishing this chain.

The lockdown imposed in Kalaburagi district has been extended till the midnight of July 27 by district administration. According to an order issued by Kalaburagi Deputy Commissioner, B Sharat, the decision to extend the lockdown was taken as the number of COVID-19 cases in the district is increasing. Kalaburagi district in North Karnataka reported 69 new cases of COVID-19 on Sunday. The district has a total of 2743 COVID-19 cases so far, this includes 1,771 cured and discharged patients, and 926 active cases. 46 deaths have been reported due to the virus, taking the toll to 789 in the district.

Three more DMK MLAs in Tamil Nadu tested positive for coronavirus on Sunday, taking the number of DMK legislators who have tested positive to eight. P Karthikeyan, MLA for Vellore, R Gandhi, MLA of Ranipet and Krishnagiri MLA Senguttuvan have tested positive for the virus. The three legislators had been involved in Covid-19 relief work in their respective constituencies. With this, the number of legislators who have tested positive in the state has risen to 17, with four of them serving as ministers in the Tamil Nadu cabinet.

The Chilean government officials introduced a “step-by-step” plan to gradually relax coronavirus lockdown and restrictions on Sunday. The plan will be implemented in five stages, ranging from “total quarantine” to “advanced opening”, and will be applied depending on epidemiological criteria, the capacity of the healthcare system and the ability to trace cases, officials said. “These five weeks of improvement allow us to start a new stage today … This plan, which will be step by step, cautiously, prudently, will be applied gradually and flexibly,” said President Sebastian Pinera in the announcement.

Days after the Karnataka government announced a one-time incentive of Rs 5,000 to recovered Covid-19 patients, the state's first free plasma bank has been set up in Bengaluru.

According to a health department official, the same will operate in Victoria Hospital in collaboration with Sai Krushna Charitable Trust. "Initially, this is open to donors who wish to contribute life-saving plasma. Once we get adequate donors, the free plasma bank will open for recipients as well," a health officer in Bengaluru Urban told Indianexpress.com. To donate plasma, those who have recovered from the coronavirus infection can call 080-47190606, the officer added.

RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav slammed the Nitish Kumar government over the handling of pandemic in Bihar. "Bihar is gradually going to become a global hotspot of COVID19, as state govt is not worried about the rising number of cases. They are doing nothing to increase testing. The number of COVID deaths is also increasing in Bihar. Different COVID19 numbers are being given for Bihar by Centre&state. Ppl are receiving test report even when they have not given any sample for test. Medical staff at COVID centres do not have PPE kits. We demand that state govt must give a clear picture," news agency ANI reported. 

He is one of India’s most promising middle-distance runners but he may now have to give up athletics to support his family of six. She is an Asian youth gold-winning long-jumper but wants to take a break to help her father, an autorickshaw driver. He is an Asian youth bronze medallist but fears that he will end up selling bananas on a cart in the market. The COVID shutdown in sports, with no training for months, is beginning to wear down the country’s young athletes, many of whom are from underprivileged families without organisational support.

“People don’t know I am an international medallist. Everyone in the market area knows me as the kela wala (banana seller). I have to support my family." - Ali Ansari, bronze medallist at 2019 Asian Youth Athletics Championships,

READ: 👉 https://t.co/KRYFy6TNNP pic.twitter.com/ZCULlEBPVF

— Express Sports (@IExpressSports) July 20, 2020

Today, Bhagalpur is second in Bihar’s Covid tally with 1,601 cases, and 16 deaths, after Patna’s 3,696. The district has also been left rudderless, with several senior officials testing positive, including the District Magistrate and the officer appointed in his place. With Bhagalpur battling a case spike, lack of manpower and complaints of negligence, the 800-bed hospital in Mayaganj, one of Bihar’s four dedicated Covid facilities covering several eastern districts, is under severe strain. Read our special Bhagalpur Unlockdown series