Coronavirus LIVE Updates: Biggest 1-day Spike of Over 40,000 Cases Takes India's Tally Beyond 11 Lakh; Highest-ever Positivity Rate at Nearly 16%

Delhi, which is placed third among the states and Union territories most affected by the pandemic, continued to show an improvement in the situation.

Amid Rising Cases, India Now Has Its Highest Positivity Rate | With over 11-lakh cases, India now has its highest ever positivity rate in India at 15.79 percent. 

Delhi Health Minister Recovers From Covid-19, To Join Office Today

Our Health Minister Satinder Jain has recovered. He will join work from today.

He was always on the field visiting hospitals and meeting health workers and patients. He contracted corona. After one month, he joins back today.

Welcome back Satinder and best wishes!

— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) July 20, 2020

Today's Data Highlights

- India's tests per million population crosses 10k mark

- 1 lakh fewer tests on Sunday compared to Saturday (2.56 lakh vs 2.58 lakh). Total tests 1.40 crore

- India's deaths per million population is now 20 (world average 78)

- Daily new cases crosses 40k mark. It took India 94 days from 0 to 40k cases 

- Total number of recoveries in India now more than 7 lakh (7,00,086)

- India's recovery rate falls from 62.9% to 62.6%

- Andhra Pradesh reports more than 5k daily new cases (5041), more daily cases than Tamil Nadu (4979)

- More than 15k new cases in southern states

- India accounts for 33% of total cases in Asia

FDA Approves Quest COVID-19 Test for 'Pooled' Sample Use | The US Food and Drug Administration has given emergency approval to a new approach to coronavirus testing that combines test samples in batches instead of running them one by one, speeding up the process. The FDA said Saturday that it reissued an emergency use authorisation to Quest Diagnostics to use its COVID-19 test with pooled samples. It is the first test to be authorised to be used in this way.

Here's the State-wise Breakup

India Records Fresh Cases, Total Tally Crosses 11 lakh-mark | With 40,425 fresh recorded in the past 24 hours, the total tally rose to 11,18,043. 

FDA Approves Quest COVID-19 Test For 'Pooled' Sample Use | The Food and Drug Administration has given emergency approval to a new approach to coronavirus testing that combines test samples in batches instead of running them one by one, speeding up the process.

1,40,47,908 samples tested for COVID-19 up to 19th July. Of these 2,56,039 were tested yesterday, stated the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR)

Covid-19 Cases Tick up in Northwest China City | Numbers of confirmed coronavirus cases in China's northwestern city of Urumqi continue to rise, with another 17 reported on Monday, bringing the total in China's latest outbreak to at least 47.  Another five cases were brought from outside the country, according to the National Health Commission. 

Maharashtra Cabinet Minister Aslam Shaikh Tests Positive

This is to inform that I’ve tested positive for #COVID19. I’m currently asymtomatic and isolating myself.

I request all those who have come in close contact with me to get themselves tested.

I will continue to work from home to serve the people of my state. 🙏🏻

— Aslam Shaikh, INC (@AslamShaikh_MLA) July 20, 2020

Confirmed Cases in Germany Increase to 201,823 |  The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Germany increased by 249 to 201,823, data from the Robert Koch Institute for infectious diseases showed. The reported death toll rose by two to 9,086, the tally showed.

South Africa Deaths Pass 5,000 | South Africa’s death toll from coronavirus has passed the 5,000-mark, according to official figures released by the continent’s hardest hit country. South Africa registered 85 new deaths from the virus in the previous 24 hours, bringing the death toll to 5,033.

France Decrees Masks Must be Worn Indoors | People in France will risk a fine of €135 ($154) for failure to comply with a new decree to wear a mask in public places indoors, the government announced, AFP reports. As officials noted signs of an uptick in virus circulation, Prime Minister Jean Castex on Thursday said masks will become compulsory in enclosed public spaces from next week in a bid to prevent a second wave of coronavirus infections.

India's COVID-19 case fatality rate is 'progressively falling' and is currently at 2.49 per cent, which is one of the lowest in the world, the ministry said on Sunday

Australian State of Victoria Records 275 Cases | In Australia another 275 coronavirus cases have been recorded in the state of Victoria. The state now has a total of 5,942 cases since the pandemic began, 2913 of those active.

New Zealand Reports Fresh Case | New Zealand has reported one new coronavirus case, a man in an isolation facility, the Ministry of Health announced, as the country marks 80 days without local transmission from an unknown source. 

China has reported 22 new coronavirus cases, according to the People’s Daily, with 17 of these community transmission cases from Xinjiang.

On Sunday, the Chinese mainland reported:
- No new #COVID19 deaths
- 22 new cases: 5 imported cases and 17 domestically transmitted cases in Xinjiang
- 13 new asymptomatic cases
- 249 active cases in total, including 5 in critical condition pic.twitter.com/Zt2FFWVlZL

— People's Daily, China (@PDChina) July 20, 2020

Mexico Reports Over 5,000 Cases in Past 24 Hours | Mexico’s Health Ministry reported 5,311 new confirmed coronavirus infections and 296 additional fatalities, bringing the total in the country to 344,224 cases and 39,184 deaths.

AIIMS Delhi to Start Enrolling Volunteers for Covaxin Trials from July 20

Record Spike in Covid Cases in Southern States; UP, Gujarat and Bihar Too Register Spurt | A record single-day spike in fresh cases was registered in many southern states on Sunday as India's COVID's tally neared 11 lakh.  Delhi, which is placed third among the states and Union territories most affected by the pandemic, continued to show an improvement in the situation, but Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat reported a sharp rise in cases.

Mexican President Pledges Better Health Care After Pandemic | Mexico's president promised to combat chronic health problems and improve health care, as the country's cases of COVID-19 continued to mount.  The Health Department reported 5,311 more confirmed cases, for a total of 344,224, and 296 more COVID-19 deaths, for a total of 39,184.

Raipur, Birgaon To Be Locked Down, Essential Services to Continue | Lockdown to be imposed in Raipur and Birgaon Municipal corporation areas effective from 22 July till 28 July midnight in view of Covid-19, while the essential services are exempted. 

Lockdown Extended in Karnataka's Kalaburgi Amid Rising Cases | Lockdown extended in the Kalaburgi district till July 27 midnight. Decision taken as the number of COVID19 cases has not come down, said B Sharat, Kalaburagi Deputy Commissioner 

Kentucky Reports Nearly 1,000 New COVID-19 Cases | Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear reported 979 new COVID-19 cases, a daily record that he said should be a “wake-up call” for the state’s citizens to abide by mask and social distancing restrictions to slow the spread of the virus.

Assam Records 1,018  Cases, Tally Rises to 23,999 | As many as 1,018 COVID19 cases were reported in Assam on 19th July, including 577 cases from Guwahati City. The total number of cases in the state stands at 23,999, including 16,023 discharged, 7,916 active cases and 57 deaths, stated Himanta Biswa Sarma, State Health Minister. 

The study revealed that the rise in temperatures leads to a decline in the transmission of the virus, researchers said.

EU Summit Leader Appeals For Unity On VIrus Fund | Seeking to tug at the hearts of all European Union leaders, EU Council president Charles Michel implored them to overcome their fundamental divisions and agree on an unprecedented 1.85 trillion-euro (USD 2.1 trillion) EU budget and coronavirus recovery fund to tackle the crisis, AP reports. 

US Recorded Over 63,000 Cases in Past 24 Hours | United States recorded 63,872 new coronavirus cases in the past 24 hours, Johns Hopkins University tally shows. That puts the total number of cases in the US, the nation hardest hit by the global pandemic, at 3,762,081.