A Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) bus being sanitised before commencement of inter-district services. (Express Photo: Ashish Kale)

A day after cases crossed 28 lakh, India’s tally breached 29-lakh mark with a single-day spike of 68,898 infections, while the recoveries increased to 21,58,946 on Friday, the latest update by the Union Health Ministry said.

With the daily growth rate continuing to slow down, the doubling time of Covid-19 cases in India has now dropped to 30 days. The halfway stage was crossed on July 27, which means the present doubling has happened in 24 days. But the next doubling, at the current rate of growth, would happen only after 30 days, signalling a slowdown.

The total number of coronavirus infections rose to 29,05,823, while the death toll rose to 54,849 with 983 new deaths reported in a span of 24 hours. 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 in the country which forms 23.82 per cent of the total caseload.

According to the ICMR, 3,34,67,237 samples have been tested so far with 8,05,985 samples being tested on Thursday.

Along with the rest of the country, Pune too is likely to see a very subdued Ganpati celebrations due to the Covid-19 pandemic. (Express Photo: Ganesh Festival)

Here are the developments on the coronavirus situation across India

Haryana reimposes weekend curfew

A day after Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar went into home-quarantine as a “precautionary measure”, the weekend curfew was re-imposed across the state. Beginning Saturday (August 22), all offices and shops (except essential services) across Haryana have been ordered to remain shut on Saturdays and Sundays. The ban shall continue to remain in effect “till further orders”.

“All offices and shops except essentials will remain closed in Haryana on every Saturday and Sunday due to Covid-19,” tweeted Haryana’s health and home minister Anil Vij. The state has, however, yet not decided if there will be any restrictions on movement of people on roads.

Talking to The Indian Express, Vij elaborated the need behind state’s decision to re-impose weekend curfew across Haryana. “Despite best efforts, cases continue to rise. There is a need to re-impose the weekend restrictions. We hope that by doing this, at least the chain will be broken. There will be some impact,” Vij told The Indian Express.

Scientists recommend at least 40% humidity in public buildings to curb Covid-19 spread

An Indian-German team of scientists have recommended controlling indoor humidity conditions to arrest the spread of coronavirus which causes COVID-19. The researchers, including those working in CSIR National Physical Laboratory in New Delhi, said in order to effectively contain the disease, it is important to implement standards for air humidity inside rooms with many people, such as in hospitals, open-plan offices, or even public transport.

In a review of studies, published in the journal Aerosol and Air Quality Research, the scientists said a relative humidity of 40 to 60 per cent is effective in reducing the spread of viruses and their absorption through the nasal mucous membrane.

Mumbai: Institutional isolation must for 50-plus patients

In a bid to bring down morality rate, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has made institutional isolation a must for all Covid patients above 50 years of age from this week. According to the modified quarantine guidelines issued on August 19, all the patients above 50 years with or without co-morbidities, and irrespective of symptoms, should be insisted to get admitted to Covid Care Centres.

“No home isolation should be allowed,” reads the news BMC guidelines. An analysis of data shows that mortality rate among the patients in the 50 to 60 age group is very high. The BMC guidelines further stated that home isolation should be allowed only to those below 50 years of age, asymptomatic or having mild symptoms and are without any co-morbidity.

Karnataka: Inquiry ordered into Covid warrior’s suicide, Rs 50 lakh ex-gratia for family

Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa Friday ordered an inquiry into the suicide of a government doctor, who was working with COVID-19 patients in a taluk, allegedly due to work pressure. An ex gratia of Rs 50 lakh was also announced for the family of Nanjangud Taluk (Mysuru district) Health Officer, S R Nagendra.

“Dr S R Nagendra has said he was committing suicide as he was frustrated due to the harassment by his superiors. I will order a detailed inquiry into the matter to find out the truth behind the incident,” news agency PTI quoted the Chief Minister as saying.

Yediyurappa expressed also grief over Dr Nagendra ending his own life. “Generally Rs 30 lakh is given to the doctors who die in line of duty but considering this as a special case, Rs 50 lakh will be given (to his family) and I have also decided to give a government job to anyone of the family,” he was quoted by PTI as saying. Later, the Chief Minister states that the inquiry will be completed in seven days.

27 Maharashtra jails record 1,478 cases; six deaths

A total of 1,478 Covid cases and six deaths have been reported from 27 jails across Maharashtra so far, PTI reported. As many as 1,166 inmates and 312 jail staffers contracted the disease and six prisoners have died of it, an official of prisons department said.

The overall Covid-19 tally rose to 2,905,823 after 68,898 fresh cases were registered within a span of 24 hours.

With 219 cases among its inmates, Nagpur Central Jail is the worst-affected in the state, followed by Pune’s Yerwada Central Jail with 190 inmates contracting the infection, he said. While Arthur Road Jail and Sangli Prison have recorded 182 and 145 cases respectively among the prisoners, he added. With regard to the viral spread among prison staff,
Nagpur has recorded 62 cases, whereas Mumbai, Thane, Aurangabad, Kalyan and Yerawada prisons have 46, 35, 34, 31 and 26 cases respectively, the official said.

“Of the 1,166 infected inmates, 848 have recovered, while of the 312 jail personnel, 272 have recovered so far,” PTI quoted him as saying added.

14 Air India passengers have tested positive for COVID-19 till Thursday: Hong Kong govt

Fourteen passengers, who on August 14 had travelled from Delhi to Hong Kong on an Air India flight, have tested positive for coronavirus till Thursday, the Hong Kong government confirmed.

Following this, Air India passenger flights have been barred from landing in Hong Kong till August-end, it added Friday. According to the safety rules issued by the Hong Kong government in July, a passenger from India can arrive in the country only if he or she has a COVID-19 negative certificate from a test done 72 hours before to the journey.

“A flight operated by Air India (AI314) arriving Hong Kong from India on August 14 had 11 passengers confirmed to have infected with COVID-19,” PTI quoted a spokesperson of the Department of Health of the Hong Kong government as saying on Friday.

The department has hence invoked the “Prevention and Control of Disease (Regulation of Cross-boundary Conveyances and Travellers) Regulation (Cap. 599H) on August 17 to prohibit landing of passenger flights operated by Air India for two weeks from August 18 to 31 in Hong Kong”, the spokesperson said.

(With inputs from PTI)