Coronavirus roundup: Developments in India and rest of world

TIMESOFINDIA.COM | Jul 21, 2020, 20:04 IST

NEW DELHI: India's Covid-19 fatality rate has dropped significantly to 2.43 per cent from 3.36 per cent on June 17 due to effective clinical management of coronavirus cases, the Centre said on Tuesday, asserting the country has handled the pandemic "relatively well".
Thirty states and Union territories have Covid-19 positivity rate lower than that of the national average which stands at 8.07 per cent, Rajesh Bhushan, officer on special duty in the Union health ministry, said.

Here are the top developments:

1

India

In India, the Covid-19 deaths per million population stand at 20.4 per million which is amongst lowest in the world, Bhushan informed.
There are currently 4,02,529 active cases in India and 7,24,577 people have recovered. The recovery rate in India is increasing. Today it is 62.72 per cent.
India recorded 37,148 Covid-19 cases in the last 24 hours, pushing its tally to 11,55,191 , while the total number of recoveries increased to 7,24,577, according to Union health ministry data issued on Tuesday.
The death toll due to the disease rose to 28,084 in the country with 587 fatalities reported in a day, the data showed.
Delhi's sero-prevalence study has found that 23.48 per cent of the people have been affected by Covid-19 in the city, which has several pockets of dense population, the health ministry said. The study, which was conducted from June 27 to July 10 by the National Center for Disease Control in collaboration with the Delhi government, also indicated that a large number of infected persons remain asymptomatic.
The government said that it has started discussions on the availability of Covid-19 vaccines to all those who need it, Dr VK Paul, Member (Health), Niti Aayog confirmed. On being asked about India's strategy on choosing vaccines, Dr Paul said, "The initial results of the Oxford and Wuhan vaccine are encouraging. Two indigenous vaccines are in Phase one and two of the trials in the country. Discussions have already begun on how will the vaccines be made available to all those who need it."
The Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board said on Tuesday said that this year's Amarnath Yatra has been cancelled due to conditions created by the coronavirus pandemic.
The National Green Tribunal said that segregation of Covid-19 waste from others is a must to avoid further contamination adversely affecting public health.
Generation of Covid-19 related biomedical waste in the country is about 101 metric tonnes per day, noted a bench headed by NGT chairperson justice Adarsh Kumar Goel.
India will have to undergo a two-week quarantine period, most likely in Adelaide, once they touch down in Australia for the much-anticipated tour later this year, said Cricket Australia acting chief Nick Hockley. Hockley's statement is in complete contrast to the views of BCCI president Sourav Ganguly, who had already made it clear that he was not in favour of a two-week quarantine period for the Indian team once they disembark in Australia.

2

States

Delhi: Delhi recorded 1,349 fresh Covid-19 cases, taking the tally in the city to over 1.25 lakh, while the death toll mounted to 3,690. After reporting new cases in the range of 1,000 to 2,000 for nine consecutive days, fresh infections in the national capital had dipped to 954.
Karnataka: Lockdown is not the solution for controlling Covid-19 and resource mobilisation equally important for a government to function, Karnataka chief minister B S Yediyurappa said as he ruled out extension of the week-long shutdown in the city and elsewhere.
West Bengal: West Bengal will remain in lockdown on July 23, July 25 and July 29 from 6am to 10pm each day in the view of coronavirus outbreak, according to an order by the state government. On Monday, the West Bengal government announced a lockdown in the state for two days every week starting from July 23.
Kerala: Kerala reported 720 fresh cases of Covid-19, taking the number of infected people in the state to 13,994, while 1,62,444 people are under observation in the state.
Sikkim: Sikkim reported 25 new Covid-19 cases, taking the states tally to 330. East Sikkim has accounted for the highest number of Covid-19 cases at 255, followed by 45 in South Sikkim, 29 in West Sikkim and one in North Sikkim.
Maharashtra: A 53-year-old Mumbai police constable died due to Covid-19 in the early hours of Tuesday, taking the toll in the metropolis' force to 52.
Andhra: Shooting further up with the addition of nearly 5,000 cases, Andhra Pradeshs Covid-19 tally touched 55,773 while the state saw 62 deaths, the highest in a day so far. The Covid-19 toll in the state now stood at 758 with 62 fresh deaths.
UP: The Ballia district administration extended the lockdown in the district headquarters and adjoining areas till July 26 amid the rising number of Covid-19 cases. The lockdown was imposed on July 3 and was initially intended to be in place till July 10.
Telangana: The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation area, the Covid-19 hotspot in Telangana, has seen a slight decline in cases during the last about a week even as a few districts witnessed a considerable rise in the number of infections. The cases reported in GHMC during the last one week are as follows: July 14- 815, July 15- 796, July 16- 788, July 17- 806, July 18- 667, July 19-557 and July 20- 510.
Odisha: The Covid-19 death toll in Odisha crossed the 100-mark, with six more fatalities taking the total to 103 in the state. At least 647 more people have tested positive for the disease, pushing the tally to 18,757.
Tripura: Over 200 more people, including 19 BSF personnel, have tested positive for Covid-19 in Tripura, taking the total number of cases in the state to 3,094. The state also reported two fresh deaths due to the disease in the last 24 hours.
Rajasthan: Six more people succumbed to Covid-19 in Rajasthan, taking the toll to 574, while 351 fresh cases pushed the state's tally to 30,741. It said 21,494 patients have been discharged so far and the state now has 7,868 active Covid-19 cases.
Puducherry: A 68-year-old man succumbed to Covid-19 while 91 new cases were reported, taking the tally in the Union territory to 2,179. Total active cases in Puducherry on Tuesday were 831, while total patients recovered and discharged were 1,318 and fatalities were 30.
Arunachal Pradesh: Fifty more people, including nine Army jawans and six police personnel, have tested positive for Covid-19 in Arunachal Pradesh, taking the northeastern state's tally to 790.
HP: A total of 10 new Covid-19 cases have been reported in Govindgarh area of Sirmaur district in Himachal Pradesh. With 10 more Covid-19 cases reported in Himachal Pradesh, the tally of coronavirus cases has reached 1,641 in the state.

3

World

The novel coronavirus has killed at least 610,604 people since the outbreak emerged in China last December. At least 14,736,130 cases of coronavirus have been registered in 196 countries and territories.
Some half-a-dozen influential Republican lawmakers on Monday introduced a legislation in the Senate to allow Americans to sue China in federal court for its role in causing the coronavirus pandemic. Introduced by senators Martha McSally, Marsha Blackburn, Tom Cotton, Josh Hawley, Mike Rounds and Thom Tillis, the bill strips China of its sovereign immunity for reckless actions that caused the pandemic and creates a cause of action. It also authorises federal courts to freeze Chinese assets.
All foreigners and Chinese nationals should carry the negative Covid-19 test certificate before entering China. The certificate should be no older than five days at the time of boarding a flight.
Pakistan reported 1,013 new coronavirus cases, its lowest daily infection count in more than two and a half months, taking the nation-wide tally to 2,66,095 cases. The Covid-19 death toll stands at 5,639, including 40 deaths in the last 24 hours.
Nepal will resume domestic and international flight operations starting from August 17, over four months after they were suspended due to the Covid-19 pandemic. On March 20, the government had banned all passengers, including Nepalis, from entering the country.
Singapore reported 399 new Covid-19 cases, a large majority of them from the dormitories of foreign workers, which have emerged as the main virus hotspots in the country. With no deaths reported in the last 24 hours, the coronavirus death toll in the island nation remained at 27 with 48,434 confirmed cases.
Australia's hotspot Victoria state has reported 374 new cases of Covid-19, the second-highest daily tally ever recorded. Victoria Premier Daniel Andrews also announced on Tuesday three more deaths in the state, bringing the national toll 126.
South Korea's new virus cases have bounced back to above 40, a day after it reported its smallest daily jump in local Covid-19 transmissions in two months. The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said it has reported 45 additional coronavirus cases over a 24-hour period.