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Economic Times | 18 Jul, 2020 | 10.34PM IST
Coronavirus Updates: Delhi's recovery rate at 83.29%
"1,973 patients have recovered from COVID-19 in the last 24 hours taking the total recovered patients to 1,01,274. The recovery rate now stands at 83.29 per cent," said the Delhi Government in the bulletin.
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DU admission registrations extended till July 31
- The Delhi University on Saturday announced that the online registration process for admission to undergraduate, postgraduate, M.Phil and Ph.D programmes has been extended till July 31.
- The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has already announced the results for the Class 12 exams.
- Earlier, the last date for applying was July 4 but it was extended to July 18. Now, the date has been extended to July 31.
AIIMS panel nod to human clinical trial of Covaxin
- The AIIMS Ethics Committee on Saturday gave its nod for a human clinical trial of the indigenously developed COVID-19 vaccine candidate Covaxin following which the premier hospital is likely to begin the exercise by enrolling healthy volunteers from Monday.
- AIIMS-Delhi is among the 12 sites selected by the Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR) for conducting phase I and II human trials of Covaxin.
- In phase I, the vaccine would be tested on 375 volunteers and the maximum of 100 of them would be from AIIMS.
Barring infection hotspots, lockdown lifted in Thane city
- Lockdown in Thane city for containment of coronavirus was lifted on Saturday, barring the areas which are infection hotspots.
- Municipal Commissioner Dr Vipin Sharma said in a late evening order that the latest lockdown, imposed on June 10, was being withdrawn from areas where the coronavirus spread is not very serious.
- But the infection hotspots will have extended lockdown till July 31, the order stated.
NDMA updates on Assam flood situation:
- 511 people rescued in last 24 hours; 47,465 displaced people are currently taking shelter at relief camps: Disaster management authority.
MEA briefs on Pak ceasefire violation
- Charge d’Affaires of Pakistan High Commission was summoned today and a strong protest lodged on the death of 3 civilians, including a child, in an unprovoked ceasefire violation by Pakistani forces in the night of 17 July 2020 in Krishna Ghati Sector in Jammu and Kashmir.
- India condemns the deliberate targeting of civilians by Pakistan forces. This year alone, 21 Indians have been killed and 94 injured in over 2711 unprovoked ceasefire violations by Pakistani forces.
- Pakistan was called upon to adhere to the 2003 Ceasefire Understanding for maintaining peace and tranquillity along the Line of Control and the International Boundary.
Delhi's COVID-19 recovery rate stands at 83.29%
- The number of patients recovered from COVID-19 in the national capital crosses 1 lakh mark with 1,01,274 patients recovered as of Saturday, said the Delhi Government.
- "1,973 patients have recovered from COVID-19 in the last 24 hours taking the total recovered patients to 1,01,274. The recovery rate now stands at 83.29 per cent," said the Delhi Government in the bulletin.
- The bulletin further states that in the last 24 hours, Delhi reported 1,475 more COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours taking the total cases to 1,21,582.
Maharashtra cases go past 3-lakh mark
- The COVID-19 tally in Maharshtra crossed the 3 lakh-mark on Saturday with the addition of 8,348 new cases while the death toll mounted by 144, including 86 fatalities in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region, to 11,596, state Health department said.
- The total number of cases in the state now stands at 3,00,937 while the tally of active cases has reached 1,26,926.
- A total of 5,306 patients were discharged in the day, taking the total count to 1,65,663, a statement said.
IMF exploring additional tools to provide aid to pandemic-hit countries
- The International Monetary Fund is exploring additional tools to provide financing to the world's poorest countries and others hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic, Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva said on Saturday.
- Georgieva told finance ministers and central bank governors from the Group of 20 major economies that they should consider extending a freeze in official bilateral debt service payments offered to the poorest countries beyond the end of the year, and work to promote greater private-sector participation.
Mumbai cases cross 1 lakh mark
- Mumbai reported 1,199 new COVID-19 cases and 65 deaths in the last 24 hours, taking total cases to 1,00,178 and 5,647 deaths.
- Number of active cases stands at 24,039
Assam CM Sarbananda Sonowal orders judicial probe into illegal coal mining at Dehing Patkai Wildlife Sanctuary
Four die while cleaning effluent tank at textile factory
- Four workers died after inhaling a poisonous gas while cleaning a chemical effluent tank at a textile factory in Ahmedabad district on Saturday, the police said.
- The incident took place on the premises of Vishal Fabrics, a unit of Chiripal Group, in Koth area of Dholka town.
Gujarat adds highest 960 cases in one day
- Gujarat on Saturday recorded the highest single-day rise of 960 new COVID-19 cases, taking the total count to 47,476, state Health department said.
- The number of fatalities has risen by 19 to 2,127, it said.
- As many as 1,061 patients were discharged in the day, taking the number of the recovered cases to 34,005, release said.
Now a modular container ICU to be put to use
- A private firm here has developed a mobile modular container intensive care unit to facilitate treatment of COVID-19 patients.
- According to a release, Rinac India Limited, which has developed it, has donated some units to the government as part of efforts to combat the COVID-19.
- Each container has five beds. Entry of health officials will be through an air lock and patients through a different door.There will be two doors for patients and it can be increased if needed.
All judicial and administrative works of the Calcutta High Court shall remain suspended from July 20 till July 22 and also on July 24: Chief Justice, Calcutta High Court
Yediyurappa directs private medical college hospitals to give 50% beds for COVID cause
- Cracking the whip against some private medical college hospitals for their non-cooperation, Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa on Saturday directed them to provide 50 per cent of beds as promised by them "with effect from tomorrow itself."
- "The Chief Minister directed the private medical college hospitals to provide 50 per cent of the beds with effect from tomorrow itself as there is an acute increase in the number of COVID 19 cases reported in Bengaluru," his office said in a press release.
Assam relaxes lockdown guidelines
Assam Chief Secretary Kumar Sanjay Krishna issues guidelines on relaxations in lockdown in Kamrup Metropolitan dist… https://t.co/LddSOUXrK9
— ANI (@ANI) 1595080553000Child patients in Delhi exhibit Kawasaki-like syndrome
- Some Delhi hospitals are treating young patients, mostly children, who have been exhibiting symptoms of Kawasaki-like syndrome and there is presumably a link with COVID-19, doctors have said.
- Pediatric experts at a leading hospital here said in nearly fifty per cent of these cases, patients become "more serious" than those suffering from regular Kawasaki disease.
- Kawasaki disease is an illness with an unknown cause that leads blood vessels to become inflamed. It affects children, mostly aged below five.
Rajasthan crisis: Eight-member team constituted to probe horse-trading case
- The team will be headed by Superintendent of Police (SP) Vikas Sharma of Criminal Investigation Department - Crime Branch, Jaipur.
Kerala count
COVID-19 infection count touches 11,659 in Kerala with 593 fresh cases; death toll climbs to 39.
Strengthening ties for clean energy
- India and the US have announced new areas of research on transformational power generation based on supercritical CO2 (sCO2) power cycles and advanced coal technologies, including carbon capture, utilisation, and storage (CCUS).
- The ongoing collaboration on smart grids and energy storage is being implemented by a consortium comprising 30 Indian and US entities with an investment of USD 7.5 million each by India's DST and US Department of Energy (DoE), with matching amounts provided by the consortium
Coronavirus in Tamil Nadu
- All time daily high of 4,807 new cases recorded.
- 88 deaths, highest recorded.
Some people are trying to spread confusion on Rajasthan's political developments without any facts
- Vasundhara Raje, Former Rajasthan CM
Delhi Covid Update
1,475 fresh cases take the Capital's tally to 1,21,582; death toll climbs to 3,597
Trump says he won't order Americans to wear masks
- President Donald Trump has said he would not order Americans to wear masks to contain the spread of the coronavirus, saying people should have a "certain freedom."
- In a 'Fox News Sunday' interview, Trump said, "I don't agree with the statement that if everybody wear a mask, everything disappears.”
- Commenting on the initial comments from top health officials, Trump said: “Hey, Dr Fauci said don't wear a mask. Our Surgeon General – terrific guy – said don't wear a mask. Everybody who is saying don't wear a mask – all of sudden everybody's got to wear a mask, and as you know masks cause problems, too.”
Kerala demarcates 'critical containment zones'
Kerala: Thiruvananthapuram District Collector declares & divides coastal areas of the district in three 'critical c… https://t.co/QoPXkc53D8
— ANI (@ANI) 1595077797000Community spread has started and the situation is bad, observes IMA
- With one million people getting affected by COVID-19, the Indian Medical Association (IMA) is of the view that community spread has started and the situation is pretty bad.
- While speaking to ANI, Dr V K Monga, the Chairman of IMA Hospital Board of India said, "This is now an exponential growth. Every day the number of cases is increasing by more than around 30,000. This is really a bad situation for the country. There are so many factors connected with it but overall this is now spreading to rural areas. This is a bad sign. It now shows a community spread.
- According to the latest update by the Union Health Ministry, the total confirmed cases reached 10,38,716. There are 3,58,629 active cases and 6,53,751 cured/discharged/migrated. A total of 26,273 deaths have been registered to date.
Kerala CM confirms community transmission in state
- Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said that 60% of COVID-19 cases are due to local transmission.
- He also said that community spread of coronavirus has been confirmed at two places in Thiruvananthapuram.
- The CM said everyone should strictly adhere to COVID-19 guidelines to break the chain.
Assam floods: 96 animals die at Kaziranga National Park
- "So far, 96 animals have died in the park including eight rhinos, seven wild boars, two swamp deers, 74 hog deer and two porcupines," park officials said.
- A report from the government of Assam stated that a total of 132 animals had been rescued from the Kaziranga National Park. The park is currently 85 per cent submerged under floodwaters.
Nepal's coronavirus tally reaches 17,502
- Nepal's coronavirus tally reached 17,502 with the detection of 57 new cases in the past 24 hours, the health ministry said on Saturday.
- The virus has so far claimed 40 lives in the Himalayan nation.
- A total of 11,637 people have recovered from COVID-19, with 103 people getting discharged from hospitals in the last 24 hours, a health ministry official said.
110 Army personnel test positive
110 Army personnel in Dehradun have tested #COVID19 positive, out of which around 100 cases have come up in last 2-… https://t.co/TkSP9kQ2gd
— ANI (@ANI) 1595073459000AGR dues: Vodafone-Idea pays another Rs 1,000 crore
The company had earlier deposited Rs 6,854 crore in three tranches, Vodafone Idea said in a regulatory filing, which takes its total payment to an aggregate Rs 7,854 crore.
Andhra Pradesh records single day high of 3,963 cases
Overall tally rises to 44,609; Fifty-two deaths take toll to 586.
Twitter says hackers 'manipulated' employees to access accounts
"We know that they accessed tools only available to our internal support teams to target 130 Twitter accounts," said a statement posted Saturday on the company's blog.
Rouhani estimates Iran has 25 million coronavirus infections
Hassan Rouhani cited a new Iranian Health Ministry study in offering the unprecedentedly high numbers. Rouhani also said about 30 to 35 million will be infected to the virus in the coming months.
Ahmedabad Medical Association moves HC in bid to increase testing
The AMA has filed a civil application to be heard with a public interest litigation (PIL) about the handling of the coronavirus situation in Gujarat, taken up by the court on its own. The matter is likely to come up for hearing next week.
Scientists identify six distinct clusters of COVID-19 symptoms
- Scientists have claimed that there are six distinct 'types' of COVID-19, each distinguished by a particular cluster of symptoms in patients.
- The study noted that patient symptoms can fall under one of the six following categories: 'flu-like' with no fever, ‘flu-like' with fever, gastrointestinal, severe level one with fatigue, severe level two with confusion, and severe level three accompanied by abdominal and respiratory pain.
IMF calls for sustainable food systems in a post-Covid world
In developing countries, the United Nation's Food and Agriculture Organisation and the World Food Programme expect that a 'hunger pandemic' and a doubling of people starving may soon eclipse the coronavirus, unless action is taken. An IMF blogpost said 2020 will be a year of reckoning for the world's food systems. In just months, Covid-19 shut down half the globe. Images of panic buying, empty grocery shelves and miles-long queues at food banks have suddenly shown how important food systems are and how imbalanced they have become.
Iran sends Ukrainian plane black box to France
Iran had accidentally shot down the Boeing 737-800, killing all 176 people aboard, after mistaking it for an incoming missile.
BJP's CBI probe demand an admission of guilt: Congress
"We all witnessed over the last week the daylight murder of democracy being attempted by the BJP...everyday a new layer comes out exposing the direct links of the BJP in creating some kind of a crisis in Rajasthan.... Their (BJP's) only grievance is that when they were murdering democracy, why were they being recorded and if...it was legal," Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera told a virtual press conference in Delhi.
Russian COVID-19 vaccine developers ready to share data
Russia's Gamaleya Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology has produced a coronavirus vaccine that is patented and more advanced than Western competitors and will be happy to share the technology with foreign colleagues, should they require, the institute's head, Alexander Gintsburg has said.
Government issues notice to Twitter
The notice comes in light of the recent hack into the social media platform that targeted high profile users like Bill Gates and Kim Kardashian-West.
Aaditya Thackeray moves SC against final exams decision
Maharashtra cabinet minister Aaditya Thackeray on Saturday filed a plea before Supreme Court challenging the University Grants Commission's decision to hold final year exams for colleges and universities in September.
Mayawati says Rajasthan should go under President's rule
Bahujan Samaj Party supremo Mayawati on Saturday said Rajasthan Governor Kalraj Mishra should take cognisance of the instability in the state and recommend President's Rule. Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, she said, had openly violated the Anti-Defection law and cheated the BSP for a second time by getting its MLAs included in the Congress.
Chidambaram terms Rajnath's statements 'rhetoric'
All talk of “no one had intruded into Indian territory and no one is inside Indian territory” was empty rhetoric.… https://t.co/1zUtRbmWN9
— P. Chidambaram (@PChidambaram_IN) 1595042232000Kerala gold smuggling case:
- NIA requests Interpol to issue blue corner notice against Faisal Fareed
- A blue corner notice is an international request for cooperation or alerts for sharing critical crime-related information to help track individuals allegedly involved in criminal activities and suspected to be in other countries.
- The NIA had earlier informed the special court that they will hand over the warrant to Interpol as Faisal Fareed is currently suspected of being in Dubai.
Aishwarya Rai, daughter hospitalised due to COVID-19
118 fresh cases take Tripura's COVID-19 tally to 2,380
66 fresh COVID-19 cases in Arunachal Pradesh
Sixty-six more people, including five police and security personnel, have tested positive, taking the northeastern state's tally to 609.
Jharkhand's COVID-19 tally rises to 5,110
The total number of cases includes 2,577 recovered/discharged, and 46 deaths
Two dead after Patna-Ranchi train collides with car
According to the Railways, a vehicle collided with train number 02365, Patna Ranchi Janshatabdi Special while attempting to illegally cross the railway tracks at an un-authorized location in the Patna-Gaya section. The accident happened between Potahi and Nadwan, about 20 kilometres south of Patna.
China battles new outbreak in far west Xinjiang
The outbreak in the city of Urumqi is the latest to pop up since China largely contained the domestic spread of the virus in March. The largest was a recent outbreak in Beijing that infected more than 330 people.
EC seeks suggestions from political parties on conducting campaigns
"You are aware that some by-elections and General Assembly elections of Bihar are due in 2020. The Commission has desired to seek the views of the political parties regarding the above subject. Accordingly, you are requested to kindly send your views and suggestions latest by July 31, 2020 so that necessary guidelines may be firmed up for the election campaign by candidates or political parties for the conduct of election during the pandemic period," said a letter from the Election Commission.
Odisha's COVID-19 tally rises to 16,701
591 fresh infections were reported while the death toll reached 86 with three more patients succumbing to the disease.
BJP demands CBI probe into Rajasthan audio tapes
"Is the phone of every person in Rajasthan, who has any concern with politics, is being tapped? Is Emergency not being imposed indirectly in Rajasthan?," asked BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra in a press conference.
E-education could cause 43% of children with disabilities to drop out
- About 43 per cent of children with disabilities are planning to drop out of studies due to difficulties faced by them in online education, according to a survey.
- The survey was conducted by Swabhiman - a community-based organization working for the rights of persons with disability - in Odisha, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Tripura, Chennai, Sikkim, Nagaland, Haryana and Jammu and Kashmir in the month of May.
- A total of 3,627 people, including students, parents and teachers, participated.
- According to the survey, 56.5 per cent of children with disabilities were struggling yet attending classes irregularly, while 77 per cent of students said they would not be able to cope and would fall behind in learning due to their inability to access distance learning methods.
- The survey found that 56.48 per cent students are continuing their study, while the rest 43.52 per cent are planning to drop out.
US GDP in Q2 to contract by annualized rate of 37%: IMF
The longest economic expansion in US history has been derailed by the unanticipated advent of the COVID-19 pandemic, with the poorest households facing "particularly precarious prospects", according to the concluding statement, which describes the preliminary findings of IMF staff.
Lockdown imposed in Andhra's Narasaraopet
"The decision was taken as the number of coronavirus cases are increasing in the town since the past ten days," Narasaraopet MLA Gopireddy Srinivas Reddy said today at the Municipal Guesthouse.
Twitter says attackers downloaded data
- Twitter Inc said on Saturday that hackers were able to download account information for up to eight accounts involved in the hack of its systems this week, but said none of them were verified accounts.
- The company said the attackers targeted 130 accounts, and were able to reset passwords and take control of 45 of them and tweet from those accounts.
US deeply disappointed over data sharing deal ruling: Pompeo
"We are deeply disappointed that the Court of Justice of the European Union (EU) has invalidated the EU-US Privacy Shield framework," Xinhua news agency quoted Pompeo.
US court gives nod to WhatsApp's case against Israel's NSO
- The social network filed the case last October against the NSO Group, saying that its Pegasus software exploited a vulnerability in WhatsApp to send malware to about 1,400 prominent people, including journalists, human rights activists, political dissidents, diplomats and senior government officials.
- Facebook had earlier submitted detailed proof in the court about the Israeli company NSO Group and its allegedly hacking via its controversial surveillance software Pegasus.
- The NSO Group argued that "its business dealings with foreign governments, which it said use its technology to fight terrorism and other serious crimes, granted it immunity from lawsuits filed in U.S. courts under the Foreign Sovereign Immunity Act (FSIA)".
- A separate joint investigation by The Guardian and El Pais this month revealed that several politicians in Spain were among those who became targets of surveillance carried out with the help of Israeli company NSO Group's spyware.
