India was in a much better position than other countries in the fight against COVID-19 as a result of ‘right decisions taken at the right time’, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Monday, asserting that the country had expanded its health infrastructure at a rapid pace to deal with the pandemic.
Here is a list of State Helpline numbers. You can track coronavirus cases, deaths and testing rates at the national and State levels here.
Here are the latest updates:
District Magistrate of Tripura's Sepahijala tests positive
Sepahijala District Magistrate Chandra Kumar Jamatia tested positive for COVID-19 on Tuesday.
Mr. Jamatia said that after noticing symptoms of COVID-19, he visited a hospital for a swab test, and the report came in as positive.
I was having fever and body ache since Monday and decided to get myself tested for COVID-19. I underwent a rapid antigen test in our district hospital and the report came positive,” Mr. Jamatia said.
COVID-19 community spread in West Bengal started early April, biweekly lockdown of no help: Virologist
The Bengal government has largely failed to address the COVID-19 crisis, and its recent decision to impose complete lockdown twice a week till August will be of no help in stemming the community spread in the state, noted virologist Dr Amitabha Nandy said on Tuesday.
His assertions, however, were rebuffed by senior TMC leader and Rajya Sabha MP Santanu Sen, who claimed that the “unplanned approach” of the Centre towards the pandemic was to blame for the spike in coronavirus cases across the nation.
— PTI
COVID-19: Centre asked to restrict troop movement in Mizoram
Union Home Minister Amit Shah has been asked to restrict the movement of the personnel of paramilitary forces for preventing the spread of COVID-19 infection in Mizoram.
The State’s lone Lok Sabha member C. Lalrosanga wrote to Mr Shah after troops of Border Security force (BSF) and other paramilitary forces accounted for 46% of the COVID-19 positive cases in Mizoram.
“I have petitioned the Union Home Minister on the need to restrict the movement of troops of Assam Rifles, BSF, Central Reserve Police Force and National Disaster Response Force in Mizoram to the extent possible,” the MP said on Tuesday.
— Special Correspondent
Fire at COVID -19 hospital in Belgavi
Three persons, including a junior doctor, were injured when oxygen leaking from a cylinder caught fire in the district designated COVID-19 hospital in Belagavi on Sunday.
A medical student, a nurse and a ward boy were injured in the fire. They received minor burn injuries and were admitted to the burn ward in the hospital.
— Special Correspondent
Puducherry Chief Minister, Speaker, Ministers and legislators test negative for COVID-19
Chief Minister V. Narayanasamy, Speaker V. P Sivakolandhu, Ministers and legislators tested negative for COVID-19 on Tuesday.
The Chief Minister, Speaker and the others took the test for novel coronavirus on Monday, after an MLA and two watch and ward staff, who attended the recently-concluded Assembly session, tested positive for the virus.
— Special Correspondent
West Bengal extends lockdown till August 31
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday announced extension of two days complete lockdown every week in the State till August 31.
She also announced that general lockdown restrictions which were enforced in the State will continue till August 31. For nine days in August there will be complete lockdown in the State which according to Ms Banerjee is essential to "break the chain of transmission of COVID-19".
The Chief Minister said that there will a complete lockdown on every Sunday of the month of August (on dates 2, 9, 16, 23 and 30). The State will also observe total lockdown on August 5, August 8, August 17 and August 24.
The Chief Minister said that she wanted to enforce complete lockdown on Saturday and Sunday but had to make changes due due certain festivals like Eid-Ul- Adha and Independence Day that will be observed on Saturday.
— Shiv Sahay Singh
U.P. reports 3,458 new COVID-19 cases, tally crosses 73,000-mark
Uttar Pradesh on Tuesday reported 3,458 new COVID-19 cases taking the tally to more than 73,000, while 41 more fatalities pushed the death toll to 1,497.
“There are 27,934 active COVID-19 cases in the state and 44,520 patients have been discharged after treatment. The death toll due to the diseases have reached 1497,” Additional Chief Secretary, Information, Awanish Kumar Awasthi told reporters said.
— PTI
West Bengal govt directs pvt hospitals to admit expecting women who are COVID-19 positive
The West Bengal Clinical Establishment Regulatory Commission has directed private hospitals to admit expectant women for delivery even if they test positive for COVID-19.
This follows complaints received by the Commission that pregnant women are being denied admission by private hospitals where they had registered themselves during the gestation period.
— PTI
Odisha Police issues SOP for dealing with visitors at police station
Odisha police has issued a standard operating procedure (SOP) listing safeguards to be adopted at police stations while dealing with visitors during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The guidelines, issued by Director General of Police (DGP) Abhay, emphasised on the need to shift the reception desks at the police stations from the main building to some isolated place on the campus and strengthen phone-based grievance system in order to curtail the number of visitors in view of the pandemic.
— PTI
DST selects Bengaluru start-up for developing COVID risk assessment app
The Centre for Augmenting WAR with COVID-19 Health Crisis (CAWACH), an initiative by the Department of Science and Technology (DST), has selected a Bengaluru based start-up to develop a covid risk assessment mobile application, an official statement said on Tuesday.
— PTI
Need to create awareness about higher COVID-related risks due to comorbidities: Harsh Vardhan
While the mortality rate due to COVID-19 is approximately 2 to 3%, most cases of the contagious disease are largely asymptomatic, Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan said while stressing on the need to create awareness about the higher risk of both morbidity and mortality due to the virus in people who have conditions like diabetes, obesity, fatty liver and chronic liver diseases.
— PTI
Additional 6.7 million children under 5 could suffer from wasting due to COVID-19: UNICEF
An additional 6.7 million children under the age of five across the world could suffer from wasting this year due to the socio-economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the UNICEF warned on Tuesday.
According to the UNICEF, in India, there are still around 20 million children under five years of age who are suffering from wasting.
— PTI
India’s COVID-19 Case Fatality Rate falls to 2.25%: Ministry of Health
India’s COVID-19 Case Fatality Rate (CFR) has reduced from around 3.33% in mid-June to 2.25% today, tweeted Ministry oh health. According to a press release, the total recoveries crossed the 9.5 lakh mark today. More than 35,000 recoveries have been recorded till now.
COVID-19:Test children, elderly, pregnant women on priority, says U.P. CM to officials
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Tuesday directed officials to test children, pregnant women and elderly for COVID-19 on priority.
He stressed on enhancing the testing capacity and ordered the officials to everyday conduct one lakh rapid antigen tests, 40,000-45000 RT-PCR and 2,500 to 3,000 tests through truenat machines.
— PTI
Thane mayor calls for action against errant COVID-19 hospitals
Thane city mayor Naresh Mhaske on Tuesday called for stringent action against private hospitals that violate the civic administration’s instructions about COVID-19 treatment.
In a letter to Thane municipal commissioner Dr. Vipin Sharma, the mayor cited that several hospitals had failed to inform the civic war room before admitting COVID-19 patients and treating them.
— PTI
500 people fined, two fair price shops sealed for violating COVID-19 SoPs in Doda
At least 500 people were fined and two government fair price shops sealed in Doda for violating Standard Operating Procedures (SoPs) put in place to check the spread of the novel coronavirus, officials said Tuesday.
They said the action was taken after District Magistrate Sagar Dattaray Doifode visited various areas and markets in the additional district Bhaderwah to take stock of the situation.
— PTI
Only 700 cases in Mumbai today, city records highest testing figures: Aditya Thackeray
'Mumbai has registered only 700 new cases today,' said Aditya Thackeray. He tweeted that the city has also recorded the highest testing figures till date (8776). He added: "Caution: don’t let the guard down! Don’t let your mask down! Only get numbers down!"
Nurse dies of COVID-19 in Kolkata
A nurse at the state-run SSKM Hospital here died due to COVID-19 on Tuesday, health department officials said.
Priyanka Mondal (33) was diagnosed with coronavirus infection a week ago and was shifted to the Beliaghata ID Hospital for treatment, they said.
— PTI
Gujarat: 60 inmates test positive for coronavirus in Vadodara jail
At least 60 inmates of Vadodara Central Jail in Gujarat have tested positive for coronavirus infection in the last two days, an official said on Tuesday.
The jail authorities are in the process of setting up an 80-bed COVID-19 care centre inside the premises to ensure proper treatment for infected prisoners, the official said.
— PTI
If detected early, COVID-19 not incurable: Shivraj Singh Chouhan
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, who tested positive for coronavirus, on Tuesday chaired the first virtual cabinet meeting from hospital and said if the infection is detected early, then it is not incurable and is like any other cold, cough and fever.
Sharing his experience with his ministerial colleagues while chairing the cabinet meet from hospital through video conferencing, Mr. Chouhan said there is no need to panic about coronavirus and it can be controlled by remaining alert.
— PTI
Conduct last rites of COVID-19 suspects without waiting for test report: Odisha govt. to Collectors
The Odisha government has instructed all district collectors, SPs, municipal commissioners and health officials to conduct the last rites of COVID-19 suspects without insisting on testing of swab or waiting for the report, an official said.
The State government issued a letter on Monday after it was noticed that cremation of bodies was being delayed as officials waited for the coronavirus test reports of the victim after his/her death, the official said.
— PTI
Puducherry reports 141 new COVID-19 cases; CM, Ministers test negative
Puducherry Chief Minister V Narayanasamy, his cabinet colleagues and legislators of various political parties here tested negative for coronavirus on Tuesday.
The results came negative after testing of the swabs collected from them at a special camp held on the premises of the Assembly Monday.
— PTI
COVID-19 | Country’s first mother-child vertical transmission case recorded, claims Pune hospital
The Sassoon General Hospital here in Maharashtra claimed to have reported the country’s first case of ‘vertical transmission’ of COVID-19 from a mother to her child through the placenta.
Vertical transmission takes place when the baby is in the uterus. If the mother is infected, the transmission of the virus takes place through the placenta — a temporary organ that develops in the uterus during pregnancy and provides oxygen and nutrients to the growing baby.
— PTI
Telangana reports 1610 new COVID-19 cases
Health department on Tuesday. List of containment zones in Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) and other districts in the State, age and gender wise distribution of positive cases, and other details were mentioned too.
Unusually, the media bulletin was issued at early in the morning (7.13 A.M.) on Tuesday. Till Saturday, the media bulletin was issued between 8 p.m. to 10.30 p.m. It was released before 12 P.M. on Sunday and Monday.
— PTI
Pakistan’s coronavirus tally reaches 274,908
Pakistan’s coronavirus tally reached 274,908 with the detection of 936 new cases in the last 24 hours, the health ministry said on Tuesday.
Twenty-three more people died overnight due to coronavirus-related complications, pushing the nationwide death toll to 5,865.
— PTI
81 fresh COVID-19 cases in Arunachal Pradesh; count rises to 1,239
Eighty-one more people, including 14 BRTF and two Assam Rifles personnel, have tested positive for COVID-19 in Arunachal Pradesh, taking the northeastern state’s caseload to 1,239 on Tuesday, a senior health official said.
Fifty-one new cases were reported in the Capital Complex region, 12 in Tawang district, nine in Changlang, four in Tirap, two in West Siang and one each in Lohit, Lower Dibang Valley and Upper Siang districts, State Surveillance Officer, Dr L Jampa, said.
— PTI
Shame on opposition for hitting below belt: Sikkim’s ruling party on attack on CM over COVID management
Sikkim’s ruling SKM has attacked the opposition for “hitting below the belt” and “manipulating words” while accusing Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang of failing to handle the COVID-19 situation in the state.
A political slugfest erupted after opposition Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF) slammed the chief minister “for blaming the public” for the spread of the coronavirus in the Himalayan state.
— PTI
25 inmates of Thoothukudi district jail test positive
At least 25 remand prisoners, lodged in Perurani District Jail in Thoothukudi district, have tested positive for COVID-19. While the infected inmates, mostly asymptomatic, have been shifted to a government facility, other prisoners have been quarantined at the same jail. Prison authorities have launched intensive sanitising work in coordination with health officials.
Kakinada emerges as a hotspot
Out of the total 1,053 COVID-19 cases reported across East Godavari district in the last 24 hours, 305 were from Kakinada city alone.
However, despite an alarming rise in the cases in the district headquarters of Kakinada, people continued to throng the markets and gather in public places.
To tackle Pune’s COVID-19 surge, 2,400 beds in 3 jumbo facilities soon
Leading from the front: Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar (right) chairs a meeting at the Pune Divisional Commissioner’s Office on Monday.
In wake of the grim COVID-19 situation in Pune, Deputy Chief Minister and district Guardian Minister Ajit Pawar on Monday directed the district administration to set up three jumbo facilities by the end of August.
In a review meeting with senior authorities of the district administration, Mr. Pawar urged them to set up the facilities and arrange for requisite manpower in anticipation of the spike in cases by August-end. The facilities are collectively proposed to have 1,800 oxygenated beds and 600 ICU beds.
Concern in Idukki as contact cases increase
The district witnessed an increase in the number of local contact cases with 51 of the 75 cases reported on Monday belonging to that category. The District Collector announced triple lockdown in ward number 10 of the Vazhathoppe for seven days from Tuesday.
Andhra Pradesh Painting Artists and Workers Association and Vijayawada City Police enlightening public on COVID-19 preventive measures through wall paintings near Raghavaiah Park in Vijayawada. | Photo Credit: KVS Giri
With a single-day increase of 47,703 COVID-19 cases, India’s virus tally mounted to 14,83,156 on Wednesday, while the recoveries surged to 9,52,743, according to the Union Health Ministry data.
The country’s death toll due to the virus rose to 33,425 with 654 deaths being reported in a 24-hour span, data updated at 8 am showed.
- PTI
Mamata seeks more Central funds to fight COVID-19
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to release more funds to contain the COVID-19 situation in the State.
During the videoconference in which state-of-the-art COVID-19 testing facilities were inaugurated in Kolkata, Mumbai and Noida, Ms. Banerjee said the financial burden on West Bengal was growing. She said the State had already spent ₹25,000 crore to combat the pandemic, and from the National Health Mission (NHM), the State had received ₹125 crore.
Time to focus on reviving Delhi’s economy, says CM
Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday appealed to citizens to play their part in reviving the economy of the city while taking adequate precautions against COVID-19. He also announced the launch of a job portal intended to bridge the gap between potential employers and employees in Delhi.
The ‘Rozgaar Bazaar’, he said, could be accessed on jobs.delhi.gov.in and is particularly aimed at helping those who lost their jobs and businesses due to the novel coronavirus pandemic and successive lockdowns.
Now, Maharashtra records highest recoveries
A health worker screens people during a camp in residentialarea at Charkop in Mumbai on July 20, 2020. | Photo Credit: Aadesh Choudhari
Maharashtra reported 7,924 new COVID-19 cases on Monday to take the State’s total cases to 3,83,723. However, the surge was more than offset by a record-high discharge of 8,706 patients, as the cumulative number of recoveries rose to 2,21,944.
With 227 more deaths, the State’s fatality toll has reached 13,883.
No Statewide lockdown, but strict curbs: CM
The government has tasked the State police with imposing the COVID-19 health protocol without any dilution, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has said.
Wearing of masks, observing curfew hours, abiding by restrictions on travel and shopping and physical distancing had become legally enforceable norms, Mr. Vijayan said on Monday. He was speaking to the media here after chairing a special Cabinet session via videoconferencing. Any breach of the regulations would attract arrest and open the door for criminal prosecution.
Karan Singh worried over COVID-19 situation in J&K
Children of the Bakarwal community attend classes at an open-air community school in Doodpathri , central Kashmir Budgam district 45kms from Srinagar, Monday, 27 July 2020. | Photo Credit: NISSAR AHMAD
Dr. Karan Singh, MP, on Monday expressed concern over the alarming rise in the number of COVID-19 patients in J&K.
“I am deeply concerned and distressed over the growth of the coronavirus and the increasing number of unfortunate deaths, both in the valley and the Jammu region. I hope that the administration has ensured enough designated beds for such patients in both the capitals as well as the district headquarters along with sufficient ventilators. This needs to be done on an emergency basis,” Dr. Singh said in a statement.
Coronavirus cases breach 1-lakh mark in Karnataka
Nearly five months after recording its first COVID-19 case, Karnataka has breached the 1-lakh mark. The State now has 1,01,465 cases, as 5,324 persons tested positive on Monday. This is the highest single-day increase so far. With 61,819 active cases, Karnataka is now second in the country after Maharashtra.
T.N. records all-time single-day high of 6,993 cases
A robot which provides hand sanitiser has been launched on a trial basis at the Chennai Silks branch in Tiruchi to ensure social distancing. | Photo Credit: M. Moorthy
Tamil Nadu’s COVID-19 case tally increased to 2,20,716 on Monday, with 6,993 more persons testing positive for the infection. At 1,138, Chennai accounted for less than 20% of the fresh cases. A majority of the fresh infections were reported from the rest of T.N.
Israeli team arrives for trials of four rapid COVID-19 tests, brings high-tech equipment
An Israeli team, led by a “high ranking” research and development (R&D) defence official, arrived in Delhi on Monday with a multi-pronged mission, codenamed “Operation Breathing Space” to work with Indian authorities on the coronavirus (COVID-19) response, said a statement issued by the Israeli Embassy in Delhi.