Swab testing for coronavirus in Lucknow on Tuesday. (Express photo by Vishal Srivastav)

India Coronavirus Cases: India on Wednesday reported 64,531 new cases of Covid-19, taking its total tally to 27,67,273, according to data from the Union Health Ministry. With 1,092 people succumbing to the disease in the last 24 hours, the death toll touched 52,889.

There are 6,76,514 active cases of coronavirus in the country at present, accounting for about 24.45 per cent of the total caseload, while the number of recoveries stand at 20,37,870.

According to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), a cumulative total of 3,17,42,782 samples have been tested so far, with 8,01,518 samples tested on Tuesday for the second consecutive day.

A health worker takes a woman’s swab sample for COVID-19 testing at a government school in New Delhi, Monday, Aug. 17, 2020. (Express photo by Amit Mehra)

DDMA gives nod to opening of hotels, weekly markets in Delhi

The Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) on Wednesday gave approval for opening of hotels and weekly markets in the city, the Delhi government sources said. The decision was taken in a meeting of DDMA which was also attended by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal through video conference.

A street in Delhi’s Paharganj

The proposal to open gyms was not approved in the meeting headed by Lt Governor Anil Baijal. The LG said gyms can be allowed to open in the coming days. The weekly markets will be first opened on trial basis to assess the situation on the ground, the sources added. Hotels, weekly markets and gyms were closed in the city with the announcement of the lockdown in March in the wake of coronavirus pandemic.

Kerala daily cases at new high of 2333

Setting a new high, Kerala on Wednesday recorded 2333 fresh cases. Of these 2151 are local transmission cases. With this the total number of Covid cases in the state rose to 50,231.

As on Tuesday and Monday, the state recorded 1,758 and 1,725 infections. Thiruvananthapuram continued to report the highest number of cases at 540 followed by Malappuram at 322. In the last 24 hours, 1217 people turned negative.

Strong immunity key for fighting COVID-19: Health Min

Health Minister Harsh Vardhan on Wednesday said people with poor immunity are more vulnerable to contracting coronavirus infections and stressed on the need to boost the immune system by eating right and safe food. Speaking at the virtual launch of the ‘Eat Right India Challenge’ initiative by food safety regulator FSSAI, the Minister said a strong immune system is not only important for fighting coronavirus but also diseases like tuberculosis.

“It is rightly said that food plays an important role in building immunity. Today those people are getting more infected by COVID-19 whose immunity is not strong,” he said.

People who don’t focus on their food have many deficiencies, that weaken their immune system, he said, and emphasised on the need to eat right and safe food.

AP’s COVID-19 tally touches 3.16 lakh with 9,742 fresh cases

Maintaining the steep ascent, Andhra Pradesh’s COVID-19 tally touched 3.16 lakh on Wednesday as 9,742 more cases were added in the last 24 hours. The coronavirus toll mounted to 2,906 as 86 fresh casualties were reported.

The latest bulletin said 8,061 COVID-19 victims got cured and discharged from hospitals across the state in the last 24 hours. After showing a declining trend for three days last week, the number of active cases once again saw a spike and now stood at 86,725 after 2,26,372 patients had recovered.

Kerala starts testing all prison inmates, staff across state

Covid-19 tests are being carried out for inmates and staff at central and district prisons across Kerala after a big cluster of the virus was detected at the Poojappura central prison.

According to jail officials, 470 inmates, which is nearly half of the Poojappura prison’s strength, and 12 staff members have tested positive for the virus earlier this week. The cluster was established after a 72-year-old inmate, who was lodged in block 7 of the prison, tested positive before undergoing treatment at the Medical College Hospital in Thiruvananthapuram. He later passed away due to Covid-19 complications on Sunday. The source of infection of the prisoner is unclear. Following his death, testing using rapid antigen kits was carried out among inmates and staff at the prison whose results threw up indications of a big cluster.

The prison at Poojappura, considered the oldest correctional home in the state, was established in 1886 when the region was a part of erstwhile Travancore state

Union minister goes into quarantine

Union minister Sanjeev Balyan has gone into self-quarantine after he came in contact with UP minister Atul Garg, who tested positive for Covid-19, PTI quoted his aide as saying on Wednesday.

Balyan, the Union Minister of State for Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries went into self-quarantine in Delhi after he came to know about Garg’s infection on Tuesday.

Sixty-three-year-old Garg, an MLA from Ghaziabad, was admitted to a hospital Tuesday. Balyan had lunch with Garg at his residence in Ghaziabad.

Delhi serological survey

Delhi recorded 1,374 coronavirus cases and 12 deaths Tuesday, taking the total case count to 1,54,741, while the death toll mounted to 4,226. At 11,068, active cases saw a slight increase from Monday. Of these, 5,351 patients are under home isolation. As many as 1,146 people have recovered and been discharged from hospitals, officials said.

The results of the second round of serological survey in the city, conducted in the first week of August, has suggested that 28.35% of the people tested have developed antibodies against the novel coronavirus. The previous serological survey carried out by the National Centre for Disease Control on a sample size of 21,387 showed that 22.86% of the people surveyed had been exposed to the virus.

Arunachal tally nears 3,000

Arunchal Pradesh reported its highest single-day spike in coronavirus cases, as 133 more people tested positive for the virus on Wednesday, PTI quoted a health official as saying.

The state now has 2,875 Covid-19 cases.

State Surveillance Officer Dr L Jampa said 65 of the 133 new cases were reported from Upper Subansiri district, 22 in West Kameng, 16 in the Capital Complex region, eight each in Tirap and Changlang, three in Tawang, two each in Shi-Yomi, East Kameng and Papumpare and one each in Leparada, Siang, West Siang, Namsai and East Siang districts. “Twenty-nine paramilitary personnel – 17 in West Kameng, six in Changlang, three in Tawang and one each in Shi-Yomi, Leparada and Siang are among the new patients.”

Telangana reports 1,763 new Covid-19 cases

Telangana on Wednesday reported 1,753 cases of coronavirus, taking the state tally to 95,700, PTI reported.
The death toll in the state rose to 719, with 8 more deaths in the last 24 hours.

The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GMCH), the state’s Covid-19 hotspot, recorded around 484 infections.

A state government bulletin said the case fatality rate was 0.75 per cent, below the national rate of 1.92 per cent. As many as 73,991 people have recovered from the disease, while 20,990 remain under treatment.

Mizoram Covid-19 tally climbs to 860

Forty-five more people, including three army jawans, have tested positive for Covid-19 in Mizoram, taking the state tally to 860, PTI quoted a health official as saying.

Two of the new cases have no travel history. Fourteen truck drivers from other states are also among the new cases, the official said.

While 379 people have recovered from the disease, 481 cases are still active. The recovery rate in the state stands at 44 per cent.

UN non-profit body hails Bengal govt’s handling of pandemic

West Bengal on Tuesday recorded 3,175 new Covid-19 cases, pushing the total number of cases in the state to 1,22,753, according to an official bulletin, reported PTI.

The state death toll touched 2,528, with 55 additional deaths in the last 24 hours.

There are 27,535 active cases at present, the bulletin issued by the Health Department said. Around 92,690 people have recovered from the disease.

Meanwhile, Japan-based United Nation World Peace Association (UNWPA), a non-profit organisation, hailed chief minister Mamata Banerjee and her government for its handling of the Covid-19 pandemic in the state.