The number of confirmed infections in India crossed the 18-lakh mark on Monday.
Coronavirus India News Live Updates: West Bengal government on Monday revised the dates for the statewide lockdown. The complete shutdown will now be observed on August 5, 8, 20, 21, 27, 28, and 31. Meanwhile, the state BJP took a swipe at the Bengal government for “deliberately selecting” August 5 for Covid-19 lockdown when the ‘bhoomi pujan’ (groundbreaking rituals) in Ayodhya for the construction of Ram temple is scheduled. It demanded the TMC ministry to shift the date as it did for the Eid festival, news agency PTI reported.
With nearly 53,000 new cases (52,972), the number of confirmed infections in India crossed the 18-lakh mark on Monday. As many as 771 casualties took place in the last 24 hours, pushing the death toll to 38,135. Of the 18,03,696 cases, 5,79,357 are active, while 11,86,203 have been cured.
Global coronavirus cases surpassed 18 million as the pandemic is now adding a million infections every four days, prompting more lockdowns. The World Health Organisation, has meanwhile, said that the said it expects the Covid-19 pandemic to be of “lengthy duration” and that it remains “a public health emergency of international concern.”
Maharashtra continues to remain the worst-affected state at over 4 lakh cases.
After eight days of complete lockdown, Tripura Monday announced to introduce unlock measures in all areas except those under containment zones. After the first phase of lockdown in March, the state re-imposed total lockdown for three day on July 27; the lockdown was extended for 72 more hours till August 04 dawn As the lockdown approaches closure, Chief Minister Manoj Kumar issued a notification this evening and said, “….on review of situation, it is felt that more activities need to be reopened in a calibrated manner while continuing with some measures to combat the situation and break the transmission chain of COVID-19 pandemic in the state”
The unlock measures outside containment zones from 5 AM on August 04 till 5 AM on August 11 Tripura has over 200 containment zones, with high concentration in Gomati and Sepahijala districts As per latest reports, Tripura has 5392 COVID-19 cases out of which 27 people have died so far. 3605 others recovered and were discharged from hospitals.
The UK government on Monday said that its new manufacturing pact with the Mumbai-based global pharmaceutical and biotechnology company Wockhardt will guarantee the supply of millions more doses of a COVID-19 vaccine whenever it is ready.
The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy confirmed it has entered into an 18-month agreement with the company to carry out the crucial “fill and finish” stage of the manufacturing process, which involves dispensing the manufactured vaccine substance into vials ready for it to be distributed.
Described as an essential part of the vaccines supply chain, the deal means Wockhardt will provide these services for the UK government and producers of vaccines being developed around the world in large quantities. “Ensuring the UK has the capability to research, develop and manufacture a safe and effective vaccine is critical in our fight against coronavirus,” said UK Business Secretary Alok Sharma. Click here to read the full report.
The Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru has set up a dedicated Covid-19 testing facility for fast detection of coronavirus infection among people living on its campus. The premier science institute had obtained the approval to set up the in-campus lab from the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP).
.”IISc. has got approval from BBMP to start a sample collection facility for COVID-19 testing and for testing the samples at IISc’s COVID-19 test centre to obtain results quickly,” Deputy Registrar Veeranna Kammar said in a press statement.
Officials added that the Institute is in the process of contacting hospitals in the city to help manage dedicated Covid care centres for mild and asymptomatic patients, and for more serious cases being treated at hospitals.
A day after Manipur Speaker Y. Khemchand Singh claimed that community transmission of Covid-19 has started in Manipur, state Chief Minister N Biren Singh Monday that there is no such thing happening.
“Though evidence of local transmission has been detected there is no community transmission in the state yet,' Singh told reporters.
Singh said that awareness among the people is very much needed to contain further spread of the disease. He also issued an appeal asking people to come out openly for early treatment instead of concealing their Covid-19 status.
CPIM politburo member and former Lok Sabha MP Mohammed Salim, has tested positive for COVID-19 on Monday. He has been admitted to a private hospital in Kolkata for treatment.
West Bengal government on Monday revised the dates for the statewide lockdown. The complete shutodown will now be observed on August 5, 8, 20, 21, 27, 28 and 31.
Meanwhile, the state BJP took a swipe at the Bengal government for "deliberately selecting" August 5 for Covid-19 lockdown when the 'bhoomi pujan' (groundbreaking rituals) in Ayodhya for the construction of Ram temple is scheduled. It demanded the TMC ministry to shift the date like it did for the Eid festival, news agency PTI reported.
As per the Unlock-3 guidelines, the Ministry of Home Affairs has removed restrictions on the movement of individuals during the night and has allowed yoga institutions and gymnasiums to open from August 5. On August 3, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare released its guidelines to contain the spread of COVID-19 in gymnasiums and yoga institutes.
What are the generic preventive measures?
While yoga institutes and gymnasiums have been allowed, they will remain closed in containment zones. The generic preventive measures will be applicable here too. So, persons above 65 years of age, persons with co-morbidities, pregnant women and children below the age of 10 years are advised not to use gyms in closed spaces. Yoga institutes and gymnasiums are expected to advise members accordingly.
For those using these facilities or working in them, a new set of guidelines have been released. To know more, read our explainer.
Preparations for the Ram mandir bhoomi poojan in Ayodhya, scheduled for August 5, are on in full swing, with the city being painted in yellow – the colour of knowledge and auspiciousness.
The prayers and the ceremony are to start Tuesday morning with the worship of Lord Hanuman’s mark in Ayodhya, as he is believed to preside over the city. The programme was scheduled for Sunday but was postponed due to the weekend lockdowns in Uttar Pradesh amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Continuous Akhand Ramayan recitation in all local temples and a Deepotsava by lighting oil lamps in houses, temples and the Saryu River on the night of August 4 and 5 have been announced.
An invitation to the programme, written in red and black over a yellow background, has already been mailed to the guests, asking them to be present at Karsevakpuram in Ayodhya by Tuesday 4 pm for the historical bhoomi poojan. The event on Wednesday is to be attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Sources close to the Shri Ram Janambhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, which is the organiser of the event, said that the list of more than 260 invitees has been trimmed to 175, to ensure social distancing. Click here to read the full report.
Uttar Pradesh reported 4,441 new COVID-19 cases on Monday, taking the total to 97,362 as 50 more fatalities pushed the death toll in the state to 1,778. Of the new deaths reported, seven were from Kanpur, six from Varanasi, five each from Lucknow and Lakhimpur Kheri and four each from Meerut and Gorakhpur, among others, an official statement said here. Among the fresh cases of the infection, the highest number of 507 was reported from Lucknow, followed by 415 in Kanpur Nagar and 194 in Varanasi, it said. (PTI)
Social distancing is among the key precautionary measures to protect against and stop the spread of the novel coronavirus. In a study published in PLOS One, a peer-reviewed open access scientific journal published by the Public Library of Science, researchers have tried to quantify the efficacy of social distancing measures by analysing the spread of Covid-19 in 134 nations which have varying policies on social distancing. The study was published on July 30. Read our explainer to find out what the study says.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath Monday said that the Covid-19 protocol will be strictly followed during the ceremony for Ram temple in Ayodhya. "COVID-19 protocol will be strictly followed at the event. As the prime minister will be here representing 135 crore people, I appeal that only those who have been invited should visit Ayodhya. The rest should remain at their respective places," Adityanath said, adding no laxity will be allowed.
As part of the Maharashtra government's "Mission Begin again," the BMC on Monday in an order said that shops in Mumbai can now remain open on all days on both sides of the road. It also said that malls will also be open for the public from August 05 from 9 am to 7 pm.
Hours after former Tripura health minister and BJP MLA Sudip Roy Barman visited a Covid care centre in a PPE suit, he was a memo by the local administration stating that his visit was "unautorised" and that he would be put under quarantine for 14 days.
The memo, served by West Tripura District Magistrate Sandeep Namdeo Mahatme claimed that Barman had exposed himself to Coivd patients at the centre and had put himself at a high risk of catching the virus. It also said that he would be put under institutional quarantine for seven days followed by seven more days of home quarantine.
In a reply, Barman on Monday said that he feels the DM wrote the notice "under duress" and claimed that some vested interest group has hatched a concerted conspiracy to get him exposed to coronavirus and put his life at risk by quarantining him with other COVID patients and that no Covid test was conducted.
Barman further defended himself saying his visit was not unauthorized as the Director of Health Services, Medical Superintendent of Govind Ballabh Panth (GBP) Hospital – the apex dedicated COVID Care Hospital were informed of his visit prior to his arrival. Barman said he visited the centre after seeing a video clip of a pregnant woman and Covid patient housed in Bhagat Singh Youth Hostel on social media, where she complained of lack of doctor visits and observation at the centre. He also said he visited the patients wearing a full-body PPE kit.
According to the latest list of the World Health Organisation, at least 165 vaccines for novel Coronavirus were being developed across the world. There are possibly more, but still in the early stages, and not listed by WHO. Those that are listed have all entered at least the pre-clinical trials stage. Some of them are in the final stage of human trials, possibly only a few months away from hitting the market (a Russian vaccine promises to be ready in weeks, if not in days), while many others are just getting into animal trials, and are perhaps a couple of years away from becoming ready.
But why are so many vaccines being developed? Do we need so many Coronavirus vaccines? Wouldn’t one be enough? Wouldn’t the first one to hit the market make others redundant? Aren’t then we wasting huge amount of money and resources in duplicating efforts? Shouldn’t everyone collaborate to produce just one effective vaccine, and concentrate our efforts in ensuring that it is made available to all? Click here to read about some possible answers.
The World Health Organization warned on Monday that while there were strong hopes for a COVID-19 vaccine, there might never be a "silver bullet" for the coronavirus that has infected millions around the world.
"There is no silver bullet at the moment and there might never be," director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told a virtual news briefing from the UN body's headquarters in Geneva.
Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa, who is currently undergoing treatment for COVID-19 at a hospital here, on Monday said there was no need for anyone to worry and he will soon get back to work after recovery.
Two new tests, both able to detect the novel coronavirus in just 90 minutes, will be rolled out to hospitals, care homes and laboratories across the UK to increase testing capacity and distinguish between COVID-19 and winter flu in the coming months, the British government said on Monday.
One of the tests, the 90-minute LamPORE swab tests, will be supplied by Oxford Nanopore, an Oxford University spin-off co-founded by Indian-origin CEO Gordon Sanghera, who believes it also offers an "accessible global testing solution," news agency PTI reported.
About 2,300 people, who tested positive for COVID-19 in Lucknow, had given false information pertaining to their names, mobile numbers and addresses, news agency PTI reported on Monday.
While 1,171 people out of those who gave false information have been tracked, a hunt is on for the others.
A senior health official said, "2,290 people who had undergone COVID-19 tests at various private and government laboratories between July 23 and July 31 had given false names, mobile numbers and addresses. This came to the fore when our department could not contact them. We have informed the police about it."
These people are not only from Lucknow but other cities also who were tested in the state capital, he said.
IT and Telecom Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad has gone into self-isolation, as he had met Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday evening, a source said. Prasad does not have any symptoms and the self-isolation is purely based on the existing protocol, the source added. Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday said that he had tested positive for COVID-19 and is getting admitted to a hospital following the advice of doctors. (PTI)
Delhi, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu have begun to show signs of a stabilisation in their active cases. But these trends are only a few days old, and can change anytime. In the case of Tamil Nadu at least, such a dip in active cases has been observed in an earlier period as well. But for Maharashtra, this is a relatively new trend.
No other major state, apart from Delhi, Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra is showing any signs of reduction in active cases right now. In fact, the active cases in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Bihar, Kerala, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, all fast growing states, have been rising rapidly in the last one month