At a Covid testing clinic in Delhi. Express photo by Amit MehraCoronavirus Live updates: With 55,079 fresh cases and 876 deaths, India on Tuesday recorded highest ever number of tests in the last 24 hours – a little more than 8,99,000, the health ministry said. The Covid tally in the country rose to over 27 lakh (27,02,743) including 51,797 deaths. India also recorded the highest single-day recoveries of 57,584 in the last 24 hours taking the tally nearly 20 lakh (19,77,780) recoveries. This is higher than the confirmed cases added during the same period. With today’s data, the recovery rate rose to 73.18 per cent and fatality rate stands at 1.92 per cent.
Meanwhile, the Election Commission (EC) today said that it would come up with “broad” guidelines within three days for holding elections during the COVID-19 pandemic. The matter of issuing broad guidelines for elections and by-elections during “COVID-19 period” was discussed at the commission meeting, said a EC statement.
Earlier in the day, days after testing negative for Covid-19, Union Home Minister Amit Shah was admitted to AIIMS after complaining of “fatigue and body aches”, the premier hospital said in a statement. He had tested negative for the viral infection on August 14. “He has been admitted to AIIMS for post COVID care. He is comfortable and is continuing his work from hospital,” the statement added.
Globally, 21,826,342 people have been infected so far, 773,152 have died while 13,830,466 have recovered.
Coronavirus India LIVE news updates: The health ministry declared that a "new landmark" has been achieved as the country crossed the 3-crore mark of tests conducted.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged citizens on Tuesday to take precautions during the ongoing monsoon season, noting that this is the time when tropical and vector-borne diseases spread. The government is also closely monitoring the situation and ensuring care to those affected, he said.
"This is the season of tropical and vector-borne diseases. I urge you all to take the right precautions. The government is also closely monitoring the situation and ensuring care to those affected. Stay safe, be happy," he tweeted.
Niti Aayog member VK Paul on Tuesday said that three vaccines are being developed in India and are in different stages. He assured that "one of them will enter phase 3 trial today or tomorrow. The other 2 are in phase 1 and 2 trials."
The Election Commission (EC) would come up with "broad" guidelines within three days for holding elections during the COVID-19 pandemic. An EC statement said the matter of issuing broad guidelines for elections and by-elections during "COVID-19 period" was discussed at the commission meeting on Tuesday. The commission considered the views and suggestions given by the political parties. It also considered the suggestions and recommendations made by chief electoral officers of states and union territories. "After considering all these, the commission directed to frame broad guidelines within three days," it said. The commission also directed that on the basis of these guidelines, chief electoral officers of election-going states should also prepare a comprehensive plan for state or district concerned for COVID-19 related measures, taking into account the local conditions, while holding elections.
Scheduled international passenger flights continue to remain suspended in India since March 23 amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The Delhi airport is likely to have a COVID-19 testing facility for international passengers who if tested negative will get exemption from the seven-day mandatory institutional quarantine, said senior government officials on Tuesday.
As per the Union health ministry, passengers arriving from abroad have to undergo seven days of institutional quarantine followed by seven days of home quarantine.
“The government is considering establishing a COVID-19 testing facility at the Delhi airport. It takes around eight hours to get the results, which means the international passenger will have to remain at the airport premises for that duration,” said a government official.
The State Human Rights Commission (SHRC), Tamil Nadu Monday sent a notice to the director of Medical and Rural Health Services after an incident of a government hospital employee dragging a patient out of his wheel-chair came into light. A video of the assault, which was purportedly recorded by another patient, went viral on social media.
The incident took place at the in-patient ward in Krishnagiri Government Hospital. In the video, hospital employee Baskaran, 40, is seen losing his cool after he was asked by the patient to help him reach his bed. Baskaran was also heard mouthing expletives at the patient before leaving him on the floor.
India has also recorded the highest single-day recoveries of 57,584 in the last 24 hours. This is higher than the confirmed cases added during the same period (55,079).
Also, India has set another record in COVID-19 tests conducted per day. Nearly 9 lakh (8,99,864) tests conducted in a single day, the highest tests/day so far. With this, the cumulative tests have reached 3,09,41,264.
Uttar Pradesh Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, Atul Garg, Tuesday said he has tested positive for COVID-19 and requested all those who came in contact with him recently to get tested for the disease. “On August 15, RTPCR test was done and I had tested negative. Yesterday, in the rapid test conducted at around 9 pm, I tested positive. People who came in contact with me from August 16 to August 18 should get themselves tested,” he tweeted.
Earlier, two UP ministers, Kamal Rani Varun and Chetan Chauhan, succumbed to the pandemic.
The results of a serological survey in Pune has indicated that over 50 per cent of the population could already have been infected by novel Coronavirus. This is significantly higher than the results of similar serological surveys carried out in some other cities, like Delhi and Mumbai, but not surprising.
The sero-survey in Delhi had found 23 per cent of the sampled people to be carrying novel Coronavirus-specific anti-bodies, showing that they would have been infected at some point or the other. In Mumbai, about 40 per cent of the sampled group was found to be infected.
The sero-surveys in Delhi and Mumbai were carried out a few weeks earlier, and therefore, the disease spread in the population could actually have been a little lower at that time. Also, the localities where the sero-survey was carried out in Pune are high-incidence areas, where the number of detected cases are much higher.
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan Tuesday announced that jobs in the state government will be exclusively for people from MP only.
A 27-year-old man has been arrested for allegedly spreading false information about the health of Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao on a social media platform. The man, who while living in Saudi Arabia allegedly posted rumours about KCR’s health, was detained at Mumbai international airport upon his return.
The accused, identified as Panyala Raju, had allegedly in a June 7 post on Facebook claimed that KCR was infected by the novel coronavirus and that it was confirmed by Gandhi hospital doctors. He had also allegedly posted a fabricated photograph of the CM surrounded by doctors, claiming his death, according to a note from the Cyber Crime police.
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has decided to ease a mild lockdown in the capital and four outlying provinces to further reopen the country's battered economy despite having the most reported coronavirus infections in Southeast Asia. Most businesses, including shopping malls and dine-in restaurants, and Roman Catholic church services will be allowed to partially resume on Wednesday with restrictions, including masks and social distancing. Duterte shifted metropolitan Manila and the nearby provinces of Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna and Rizal, a region of about 25 million people, back to a mild lockdown two weeks ago after leading groups of doctors warned hospitals were being overwhelmed again by COVID-19 patients and pleaded for a "time out."
The Supreme Court Tuesday said the money deposited in the Prime Minister’s Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations (PM Cares) Fund need not be transferred to the National Disaster Relief Fund (NDRF). Dismissing a petition filed by NGO, Centre for Public Interest Litigation, the apex court said no order could be issued for transferring money from the PM Cares Fund.
The NGO had moved the Court seeking direction to the government to transfer funds in light of the coronavirus pandemic. It claimed the Centre was “refraining from divulging information” about the money “contributed to the PM CARES Fund till date”.
The spread of the coronavirus is being increasingly driven by people aged in their 20s, 30s and 40s and many are not aware that they have been infected, the World Health Organisation’s regional director for the Western Pacific said on Tuesday. “This increases the risk of spillovers to the more vulnerable: the elderly, the sick people in long-term care, people who live in densely populated areas and underserved areas,” Takeshi Kasai told a virtual briefing
Coronavirus cases in the US increased 0.8% as compared with the same time Sunday to 5.42 million, according to data collected by Johns Hopkins University and Bloomberg News. The increase was lower than the average daily gain of 1% over the past week. Deaths rose by 0.3% to 170,277. Arizona reported no deaths, as virus cases continued to decline. Hawaii experienced a 4.5% increase in the number of cases.
Europe is tightening some restrictions on public life again as summer partying risks reigniting the spread of the coronavirus. Wary of returning vacationers spreading Covid-19 at workplaces and schools, European officials are caught between fostering an economic recovery and the threat of a widespread outbreak. The concerns prompted Spain and Italy to shut discos and Greece to restrict hours for bars and restaurants in hopes of avoiding more stringent measures after the holiday season winds down.
Globally, over 21.82 million have been infected with the novel coronavirus. The infection has killed 7.7 lakh people, while 13.80 million people have already recovered.
The pandemic has pushed Japan’s economy to the brink and also led to delay in polls in New Zealand. After finding virus samples on chicken, the Chinese coastal city of Guangzhou halted imports of frozen meat and seafood from coronavirus-hit areas. Follow Coronavirus global updates here
Former president Pranab Mukherjee’s condition remains critical, and he continues to be on ventilator support, the Army’s Research and Referral (R&R) Hospital said in a statement Tuesday The 84-year-old Bharat Ratna recipient underwent brain surgery on August 10 to remove a blood clot. He had also tested positive for Covid-19.The hospital said Mukherjee’s vital parameters were stable.
Bengaluru’s Kempegowda Institute of Medical Sciences (KIMS) Monday night faced a crisis in oxygen supply after which 47 patients, who had tested positive for COVID-19 and were on oxygen support, were shifted to other hospitals.
In crisis management mode, the Department of Health and Family Welfare Services ensured these patients get shifted to other facilities including state-run Victoria Hospital, Bowring and Lady Curzon Hospital, and Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Chest Diseases (RGICD) in the city.
Officials of the Health Department confirmed that the shifting of patients happened at around 7.30 pm on Monday. “An adequate number of ambulances that had advanced life support system was immediately sent to KIMS to ferry the patients to other hospitals as soon as we were alerted by the hospital authorities,” the official said.
Days after testing negative for Covid-19, Union Home Minister Amit Shah was admitted to AIIMS after complaining of “fatigue and body aches”, the premier hospital said in a statement. He had tested negative for the viral infection on August 14. “He has been admitted to AIIMS for post COVID care. He is comfortable and is continuing his work from hospital,” the statement added.
Despite the rising number of COVID-19 cases, flight movements at the Goa airport increasedalmost 12 times last month as compared to April this year, according to the Airports Authority of India. It said this is a sign of normalcy returning at the Goa airport, located at the INS Hansa base in Vasco town.
The Airports Authority of India (AAI) on Monday posted a chart on its Twitter handle, showing 27 flight movements at the Goa airport in April this year, followed by 59 in May, 265 in June and 318 in July. "AAI's Goa Airport @aaigoaairport saw steady rise in flight movement since Apr'20. From 27 flights in Apr to nearly 12 times that no. in Jul these are signs of normalcy returning. In the wake of #COVID19, we aim to bring Indian Civil Aviation back to normal, as soon as possible," AAI said in the tweet.