Coronavirus live updates: Schools, colleges in Assam may open on September 1

Schools, colleges in Assam may open on September 1

The Assam government has made preliminary plans to reopen educational institutions on September 1 but the final decision will depend on the directives of the Centre, state Education Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Saturday.

WHO suggests Ahmedabd Covid-19 measures as case study: Gujarat Govt

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has appreciated the management of Covid-19 in Gujarat's Ahmedabad and suggested to take up various measures being implemented in the city as a case study for rest of India and other countries, the state government said on Saturday.

Worldwide coronavirus cases cross 17.61 million, death toll at 679,094

More than 17.61 million people have been reported to be infected by the novel coronavirus globally and 679,094 have died, according to a Reuters tally.Infections have been reported in more than 210 countries and territories since the first cases were identified in China in December 2019.

'Google searches during pandemic hint at future increase in suicide'

Researchers have found that Google searches for information about financial difficulties and disaster relief have increased sharply compared to the pre-pandemic times while googling related to suicide decreased. Read more

Karnataka Agriculture Minister B C Patil, wife and son-in-law test positive for Covid-19

Karnataka Agriculture Minister B C Patil on Saturday said he and his wife have been under home quarantine after they were tested positive for coronavirus.In a video message posted on Twitter, the Minister said he and his wife Vanaja were asymptomatic and there was no need for anyone to panic.

Kolkata gang duped people over Covid tests, arrested

Three persons were arrested in Kolkata for allegedly duping people after taking money from them for Covid-19 tests, police said on Saturday.Two of them were working as contractual laboratory assistants at different state-run hospitals in the city, a senior officer said.

Hong Kong opens makeshift hospital for Covid-19 patients

Hong Kong opened a temporary field hospital with 500 beds on Saturday to house stable Covid-19 patients as the city battles a new wave of virus infections.

US says unlikely to use China, Russia virus vaccine as race heats up

America's top infectious diseases official has raised concerns over the safety of Covid-19 vaccines being developed by China and Russia as the world scrambles for answers to a pandemic the WHO warned will be felt for decades.

Russia preparing mass vaccination against coronavirus for October

Russia's health minister is preparing a mass vaccination campaign against the novel coronavirus for October, local news agencies reported on Saturday, after a vaccine completed clinical trials. Read more

Philippines confirms nearly 5,000 new coronavirus cases, largest single-day increase

The Philippines on Saturday reported 4,963 additional coronavirus infections, the largest single-day jump on record.In a bulletin, the health ministry said total infections have reached 98,232, while deaths increased by 17 to 2,039. In the region, the Philippines is second only to Indonesia in coronavirus deaths and cases.

Eid al-Adha celebrated in Bengal amid Covid-19 pandemic

Eid al-Adha was celebrated in West Bengal in a low-key manner this year as Muslim devotees on Saturday offered prayers at mosques and homes while maintaining social distancing norms amid surging coronavirus cases in the state.

Himachal Pradesh detects 10 new Covid-19 positive cases, pushing the Covid tally in the state to 2,574 including 1,086 active cases, 1,459 recoveries and 12 deaths: State Health Department

Dr Anthony Fauci confident virus vaccine will get to Americans in 2021

Dr Anthony Fauci has said that he remains confident that a coronavirus vaccine will be ready by early next year, telling lawmakers that a quarter-million Americans already have volunteered to take part in clinical trials. But if the future looks encouraging, public health alarms are still going off in the present.

Mumbai hospital devises transport chamber 'kavach' for contactless movement of Covid-19 patients within the premises.

Puducherry reports 139 new Covid-19 positive cases, taking the total number of positive cases to 3,593 including 1,357 active cases, 2,185 discharges and 51 deaths: UT Health Department

Patients hospitalised for Covid-19 at low risk of stroke

A new study has suggested that patients hospitalised with Covid-19 are at low risk of stroke. Notably, the majority of afflicted patients had existing risk factors, such as high blood pressure and diabetes. These findings provide more clarity about the role Covid-19 plays in causing stroke in a diverse population of the US. The study paper was published in the journal Stroke from Penn Medicine.

Lockdowns rob Dal of its romance, shikarawallahs of their livelihood

Rows of desolate shikaras anchored on the banks of Srinagar’s picture perfect Dal lake remind 75-year-old Ghulam Ahmad Kallu of the not-so-perfect yet contented life he once led. The past year, divided into two distinct halves of misery, has turned those memories into his only source of solace. Read more

Tamil Nadu: Government cancels permission for BeWell hospital to treat Covid patients.

The hospital was found to be charging patients fees more than what is prescribed by the government. Two days ago patients' relatives complained that they were asked to pay Rs 10 lakh for the treatment.

Record single-day jump of 1,602 cases push Odisha's Covid-19 tally to 33,479, death toll rises to 187 with 10 more fatalities: Officials