Coronavirus LIVE Updates: Nearly 69,000 Infections, 983 Deaths in a Day as Case Count Crosses 29 Lakh

Recovery Rate Rises to 74.3% | Case fatality rate has declined to 1.89 per cent while the recovery rate has risen to 74.30 per cent. There are 6,92,028 active cases of coronavirus infection in the country which is 23.82 per cent of the total caseload. India's COVID-19 tally had crossed the 20-lakh mark on August 7.

On Thursday, India's Covid-19 caseload went past 28 lakh with a record single-day spike of 69,652 infections, according to the Union Health Ministry data. When asked about when infections are…

Police patrols in areas around Kharagpur in West Bengal as bi-weekly lockdown is being observed to contain Covid-19. 

West Bengal: Police patrols in areas around Kharagpur as bi-weekly lockdown is being observed to contain #COVID19.

The state will observe complete lockdown for 2 days every week until end of August. There are 1,29,119 COVID19 cases, as per the latest state health dept bulletin. pic.twitter.com/2TB7QqoYBP

— ANI (@ANI) August 21, 2020

Today's Data Highlights

- Highest single day recoveries at 62.3k. India's recovery rate is now 74.3%

- Total cases cross 29 lakh, likely to cross 30 lakh in the new two days.

- India's deaths per million population is now 40. World average: 102

- Uttar Pradesh, Assam and Bihar report dip in active cases

- Maharashtra reports a spike of 14.6k new cases

- Recoveries in Tamil Nadu now over 3 lakh, with a recovery rate of 83.5%

- While total cases in Haryana have crossed 50k, the state has 7.5k active cases with a recovery rate of 84%, second only to Delhi's.

- Andhra Pradesh total cases now more than that in UK. Deaths in Andhra cross3k.

- Bangladesh likely to overtake Pakistan in total number of cases over the next couple of days

Covid-19 World Update

Bi-weekly lockdown is being observed in Birbhum in view of Covid-19 outbreak. 

West Bengal: Bi-weekly lockdown is being observed in Birbhum in view of #COVID19 outbreak.

The state will observe complete lockdown for 2 days every week until the end of August. There are 1,29,119 COVID19 cases in the state, as per the latest state health department bulletin. pic.twitter.com/Xqk983vCzQ

— ANI (@ANI) August 21, 2020

Covid-19 India Update

India Tally Crosses 29 Lakh-mark | Spike of 68,898 cases and 983 deaths have been reported in India, in the last 24 hours. The Covid-19 tally in the country rises to 29,05,824 including 6,92,028 active cases, 21,58,947 cured/discharged/migrated and 54,849 deaths: Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

Kolkata observes bi-weekly lockdown in view of Covid-19 outbreak. 

West Bengal: Kolkata observes bi-weekly lockdown in view of #COVID19 outbreak.

The state will observe complete lockdown for two days every week until the end of August. There are 1,29,119 COVID19 cases in the state, as per the latest state health department bulletin. pic.twitter.com/OaUhhy3ddg

— ANI (@ANI) August 21, 2020

Testing Update | Total number of samples tested up to 20th August is 3,34,67,237 including 8,05,985 samples tested yesterday:  Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).

Siliguri observes bi-weekly lockdown to contain the spread of Covid-19.

West Bengal: Siliguri observes bi-weekly lockdown to contain the spread of #COVID19.

The state will observe complete lockdown for two days every week till the end of August. pic.twitter.com/w6HvVo14Sv

— ANI (@ANI) August 21, 2020

ICMR says this is crucial because it will enable easy self-collection, relieve healthcare workers and also lead to substantial cost savings by reducing the need for swabs and personal protective…

Gehlot Announces Additional Honorarium for Medical Staff | To encourage doctors and nursing staff working in COVID care hospitals, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has announced to give additional honorarium to them. The decision was taken in a corona review meeting on Thursday. The chief minister gave directions to give additional honorarium to doctors and nursing staff of ICU and wards of COVID care hospitals for providing good care to patients, it said

Virus Spike in South Korea Capital May be Spreading | South Korea has reported 324 new cases of the coronavirus, its highest single day total since early March as the recent surge of Covid-19 in the greater capital area now appears to be spreading nationwide. Friday was the eighth consecutive day that South Korea has reported a triple-digit daily increase, for an eight-day total of 1,900 infections. Most of the recent new cases have been in the densely populated Seoul metropolitan region. 

‘We Can Manage Virus’: WHO Says Complete Lockdowns Not Required as Europe Frets Over Covid-19 Spikes | Rise in coronavirus infections in European countries caused alarm but the World Health Organization (WHO) said the continent should be able to fight the pandemic without reimposing full lockdowns. While Italy registered 845 new cases on Thursday, its highest daily tally since May, France reported 4,700 fresh infections -- a massive increase on the previous day. While Spain's daily increases topped even those of France, Germany was examining its own resurgence. READ MORE

The bench, headed by Justice Sanjay K Kaul, took a grim view of such unsubstantiated claims and wastage of judicial time.

Testing Increases to 9L Tests/Day: Govt | Testing in India has steeply increased to more than 9 lakh tests per day. This is bolstered with all States/UTs testing more than 140 tests per day per million population as advised by the World Health Organisation (WHO): Ministry of Health & Family Welfare.

Defer Bihar Polls Amid Pandemic: Yashwant Sinha | Former Union minister and United Democratic Alliance (UDA) convenor Yashwant Sinha joined a host of political leaders to seek postponement of the Bihar assembly polls in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. Polls are due in the months of October-November in the state, which has, till date, witnessed 1.15 lakh Covid-19 cases, including 574 fatalities. The Election Commission, however, has not made any official announcement about the poll schedule.

As part of emergency measures, Chief Minister Amarinder Singh also ordered a complete ban on all gatherings, except weddings and funerals, across the state till August 31.

Corona Facts | What is the age group in which Covid-19 spreads?

Pfizer Looks at Vaccine with Fewest Side Effects | Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech will take its Covid-19 vaccine candidate with the fewest side effects into final-stage testing. Pfizer researchers compared data from early-stage testing of two vaccine candidates. Both revved immune systems similarly, and neither caused severe side effects. Final testing of Pfizer's lead candidate has begun as researchers recruit about 30,000 people in the US and other countries. It's one of a handful of experimental vaccines to reach end-stage tests around the world.

Goa CM Pramod Sawant met and interacted with patients who had recovered from Covid-19 from across the state. They informed him that there is still discrimination in society. In the coming days, the state government will not only try to control the disease but also remove this discrimination.

Odisha Tally Rises to Over 70K | Odisha's Covid-19 caseload crosses the 70,000-mark as 2,898 more people test positive for the infection, while eight fresh fatalities take the state's coronavirus death toll to 380, says a health official. The fresh infections reported from all the 30 districts have taken the state's Covid-19 tally to 70,020.

Idol makers in Delhi, preparing idols of Lord Ganesh ahead of Ganesh Chaturthi, say their business is affected due to Covid-19 pandemic. 

Delhi: Idol makers, preparing idols of Lord Ganesh ahead of Ganesh Chaturthi, say their business is affected due to #COVID19 pandemic.

An idol maker says,"There is less customer in the market these days. We are making small idols this year." pic.twitter.com/BkAk9dxLeU

— ANI (@ANI) August 21, 2020