An isolation ward for COVID-19 patients being prepared at the Balak Ram Hospital, Timarpur in New Delhi, Friday, July 31, 2020. (Express Photo: Amit Mehra)
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Monday said that the state is facing a threat from coronavirus spread because of its highest population density, and hence, needs to remain alert. “There is definitely a threat to Bihar (from coronavirus) as our population density is highest in the country. It is three-fold of the national average and hence we need to remain alert and cautious,” Kumar said in the state assembly.
Meanwhile, West Bengal government revised the dates for the statewide lockdown, which will now be observed on August 5, 8, 20, 21, 27, 28, and 31. The state BJP took a swipe at the Bengal government for “deliberately selecting” August 5 for the lockdown, when the ‘bhoomi pujan’ (groundbreaking rituals) for the construction of Ram temple in Ayodhya is scheduled. It demanded that the TMC 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.