Coronavirus roundup: Developments in India and rest of world

TIMESOFINDIA.COM | Jul 26, 2020, 20:20 IST

NEW DELHI: India's Covid-19 recovery rate is better compared to other countries and its case fatality rate is much less as well, but the threat of the deadly virus is far from over, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Sunday.
In his monthly 'Mann ki Baat' radio address, he also said that at many places, the virus is spreading fast and people need to be extra vigilant.

Here are the top developments:

1

India

As a tribute to soldiers who fought in the Kargil war, President Ram Nath Kovind on Sunday donated Rs 20 lakh to the Army hospital in New Delhi to buy equipment that will help doctors and paramedics combat Covid-19 effectively. The contribution from the President will be used to procure units of PAPR (powered air purifying respirator), which are state-of-the-art equipment to enable medical professionals breathe during surgeries and protect them from infection.
Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu expressed anguish over instances of stigmatising of Covid-19 patients and denial of dignified last rites to people who succumb to the virus. He said such incidents were totally uncalled for and urged local communities and the society at large to prevent the recurrence of such happenings.
As many as 36,145 patients have recuperated from Covid-19 in a span of 24 hours, the highest recorded in a day, pushing the recovery rate to 63.92 per cent, the Union health ministry said on Sunday.
The Covid-19 case fatality rate has further dropped to 2.31 per cent, the ministry said. The total recoveries has surged to 8,85,576 so far, as India's Covid-19 tally climbed to 13,85,522 on Sunday.
More patients are recovering and their total number exceeds active coronavirus infections by 4,17,694. "Recovered cases are 1.89 times the active cases," the ministry said.
Besides, for the first time a record number of more than 4,40,000 tests have been conducted in a single day. Also, the number of tests for detection of the Covid-19 has crossed the 16 million mark in the country.
Even as the Drugs Controller General of India has given permission to Itolizumab drug for restricted emergency use on moderate to severe Covid-19 patients, the Union health ministry has decided not to include the drug in the national treatment protocol for coronavirus patients.

2

States

Maharashtra: With a single-day spike of 9,431 cases, Maharashtra's Covid-19 tally has reached 3,75,799 while the death toll has gone up by 267 to 13,656.
Nagaland: An eight-day total lockdown began in Dimapur, the commercial hub of Nagaland, from Sunday to stem the spread of Covid-19, district task force officials said. Out of the 1,339 coronavirus positive cases in the State, Dimapur district with 527 has the highest number of people infected by the virus.
Sikkim: The Sikkim government has extended the statewide lockdown till August 1 to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus. A complete, six-day lockdown, imposed by the hilly state, was scheduled to end on Sunday. The state reported its first Covid-19 death on Sunday after a 74-year-old man succumbed to the disease.
Delhi: Delhi's Covid-19 recovery rate reached nearly 88 per cent, with chief minister Arvind Kejriwal saying the national capital is now in the 10th position among states and Union territories as the number of active cases are "steadily" going down.
Karnataka: Forest minister Anand Singh has tested positive for Covid-19, sources close to him said. Anand Singh, whose swab was collected on Friday, was found infected with the coronavirus on Saturday night.
Telangana: Hyderabad Mayor Bonthu Rammohan on Sunday said he has tested positive for Covid-19 but was asymptomatic. His family members have tested negative for the virus.
Andhra: Andhra Pradesh's coronavirus tally touched 96,298 as it raced closer to the one lakh mark with the addition of 7,627 new cases. The Covid-19 toll crossed the 1,000-mark, reaching 1,041 after 56 fresh casualties were reported in the last 24 hours.
Kerala: Kerala reported 927 new Covid-19 cases, including 16 health workers, taking the infection tally to 18,140. The state capital reported 175 cases, followed by Kasaragod 107, Pathnamthitta 91 and Kollam 74
UP: Uttar Pradesh recorded its highest single-day spike of 3,246 Covid-19 cases, taking the state's tally to 66,988. As many as 39 more people died due to Covid-19 in the state, pushing the toll to 1,426.
Puducherry: Chief minister V Narayanasamy, his cabinet colleagues, the territorial Assembly Speaker V P Sivakolundhu and all the legislators would undergo Covid-19 test after an AINRC MLA who attended the budget session tested positive for the virus.
Rajasthan: Rajasthan reported eight more Covid-19 deaths, taking their number to 621 as 611 new cases of the infection pushed the state's tally to 35,909. There are 9,935 active cases at present and 24,250 people have been discharged after treatment.
Andaman and Nicobar Islands: Thirty-one more people have tested positive for Covid-19 in Andaman and Nicobar Islands, taking the Union territory's caseload to 290. The fresh infections have taken the number of active cases in the Union territory to 114.
Bihar: A two-member team of the DRDO visited Bihar's Muzaffarpur district to find a suitable location for setting up a 500-bed temporary Covid-19 hospital. The hospital, to be built on the lines of another facility set up by the DRDO in Delhi, will cater to coronavirus patients in north Bihar.
Arunachal Pradesh: Seventy more people, including nine security personnel, tested positive for Covid-19 in Arunachal Pradesh, taking the northeastern state's tally of such cases to 1,126.
Jharkhand: Seven more persons have succumbed to Covid-19 in Jharkhand, taking the death toll due to the disease in the state to 83, while 214 new cases pushed its tally to 7,841.

3

World

The number of confirmed Covid-19 cases in the world has surpassed 16 million, Johns Hopkins University Center data showed. Of these, more than 9.2 million people have recovered, and over 644,000 have died.
The US has the highest tally of 4.1 million cases. More than 146,000 patients with Covid-19 have died in the country.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un placed the city of Kaesong near the border with South Korea under total lockdown after a person was found there with suspected Covid-19 symptoms, saying “the vicious virus” may have entered the country, state media reported. If the person is officially declared a coronavirus patient, he or she would be North Korea's first confirmed case.
China reported 46 new Covid-19 cases, the highest daily tally in more than a month, as it took steps to stem recent outbreaks that have infected more than 160 people at opposite ends of the country. China has recorded 83,830 cases and 4,634 deaths since the pandemic began.
Nepal registered 130 new coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours, taking the nationwide Covid-19 tally to 18,613. The Himalayan nation's coronavirus death toll stands at 45.
Nightclubs, bars and beaches — some of Spain's most beloved summer venues — are facing new lockdown restrictions after turning into coronavirus hot spots, and some European nations are warning citizens not to visit the country. The northeast region of Catalonia now hosts two of the most worrying virus hotspots in Spain, prompting authorities to tighten restrictions in Barcelona and a rural area around Lleida that were relaxed only a month ago.
Singapore reported 481 new Covid-19 cases, all foreigners, on Sunday as the nationwide tally of the infections touched 50,369, the health ministry said.
Of the new cases, 476 are migrant workers living in dormitories, while five community cases reported are also foreigners holding work passes.
The death toll in Australia due to the coronavirus rose to 155, with the country's second most populous state Victoria registering a record 10 fatalities in the last 24 hours. Seven men and three women died since Saturday while 12 more people succumbed to Covid-19 since Friday, taking the state's death toll to 71, the highest in the country so far.