Punjab has so far recorded over 44,500 Covid positive cases Coronavirus India News Live Updates: Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Wednesday said twenty-three ministers and MLAs were coronavirus positive two days before the Vidhan Sabha session on August 28. He gave the figure during a video conference convened by Congress President Sonia Gandhi with the chief ministers of seven Opposition-ruled states to discuss various issues. As three more MLAs tested positive today, Vidhan Sabha Speaker Rana K P Singh madecoronavirus negative test report mandatory for ministers, MLAs, officers and employees to attend the session.
Earlier in the day, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee announced complete lockdown on September 7, 11 and 12. The state government also extended the existing partial lockdown, which ends on August 31, to September 20 . The Chief Minister also announced a series of relaxations by allowing to resume flights operations from six COVID hotspot states, but extended the closure of educational institutes till September 20.
In the 24 hours ending 9 am Wednesday, India recorded 67,151 new cases of the novel coronavirus and 1,059 deaths. This takes the country’s tally to 32,34,475 Covid-19 cases, including 7,07,267 patients who are under treatment, 24,67,759 who have recovered and 59,449 deaths, the Union Health Ministry said.
Meanwhile, over 23 million people have been infected with the novel coronavirus across the world, including over eight lakh who succumbed. The World Health Organization (WHO) has taken note of reports that a Hong Kong man became infected twice, the first documented cases of re-infection, saying it provided important information for scientists studying immunity and developing a vaccine.
An employee wears a face shield and mask while serving food during a trial-run at Bukhara Restaurant inside ITC Maurya Hotel, New Delhi, on Saturday.
Haryana reported the highest single-day spike of 1,397 coronavirus cases on Wednesday, while 11 more fatalities took the death toll due to the disease to 634 in the state. The state continued to record a sharp spike in the number of COVID-19 cases for the last more than 15 days, with its tally currently standing at 58,005. Of the 11 fresh fatalities, two each were from Faridabad, Panipat and Fatehabad while one person each died in Kurukshetra, Bhiwani, Jhajjar, Karnal and Ambala districts, according to the state health department's daily bulletin. The districts that reported fresh cases include Panchkula (172), which witnessed the highest single-day spike, Hisar (139), Gurugram (126), Faridabad (111), Karnal (99), Panipat (92), Sonipat (91) and Kaithal (78), according to the bulletin.
Tamil Nadu on Wednesday saw 5,958 fresh coronavirus cases that pushed the tally close to the four lakh mark while 118 deaths took the toll to 6,839. Recoveries were 5,606 as the cumulative number of people cured rose to 3,38,060, a health department bulletin said. While the total infection count reached 3,97,261, active cases stood at 52,362, it said. The state tested 75,500 samples as the total specimens examined so far rose to 44,22,361. Meanwhile, the government said it has introduced a new SMS facility at the testing centre in the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital here for sending COVID-19 test results on mobile phones of patients or relatives within 24 hours. The state capital, which has been seeing a slight increase in the cases in recent days, accounted for 1,290 new COVID-19 infections.
Chennai: A 94-year-old woman and her 71-year-old daughter discharged from hospital after completely recovering from #COVID19. So far, the total number of COVID19 cases in Tamil Nadu is 3,91,303 including 3,32,454 recoveries.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday announced a series of relaxations by allowing to resume flights operations from six COVID hotspot states, but extended the closure of educational institutes till September 20. Announcing complete Lockdown across West Bengal on September 7, 11 and 12, Banerjee said Metro Railway can resume services by observing social distancing and other precautionary norms. "We have received several requests to resume flight operations from six COVID hotspot states. So from September 1, flight services from these six states can resume thrice a week," she said after a Cabinet meeting.
— India records 67,151 new Covid-19 cases, total tally rises to 32,34,474
— As cases rise in Delhi, CM Kejriwal says COVID-19 testing to be doubled
— SC disposes of plea seeking payment of salary to healthcare workers
— Former Assam CM Tarun Gogoi tests positive for COVID-19
— West Bengal Assembly session to begin on September 9
— Nearly 24 million people infected by Covid-19 worldwide, death toll rises to 819,830
— Japan facing second wave of Covid-19, which is larger than first, officials say
— Hong Kong to accept online registration for mass testing
— South Korea dismisses rumours of tighter curbs
— Mask rules tightened for English schools
Early identification of the COVID-19 infections through timely and aggressive testing has played a pivotal role in India's strategy to fight the pandemic, the Union Health Ministry said on Wednesday as the cumulative testing reached 3,76,51,512. Following the Centre-led policy of 'test-track-treat', collaborative efforts of the state and UT governments have led to India consistently ramping up its testing infrastructure to touch a capacity of 10 lakh tests/day, the ministry said. The cumulative testing as on date has reached 3,76,51,512, with 8,23,992 tests being conducted in a span of 24 hours on Tuesday. "Such high level of testing on a sustained basis leads to early diagnosis. Early diagnosis provides opportunities to isolate or hospitalise the positive cases adequately in advance.
The total number of COVID-19?recoveries in India has surged to 24,67,758 and exceeds the active cases of the infection by?3.5 times as on date, pushing the coronavirus recovery rate to over 76 per cent, the Union health ministry said on Wednesday. The record high recoveries have ensured that the number of active cases of COVID-19, which is the "actual caseload" of the country,comprises only 21.87 percent of the total cases, it highlighted. Recovery of 63,173 COVID-19 patients in 24 hours has resulted in 24,67,758 cumulative recoveries, according to the data updated at 8 AM. This has contributed to the rapidly widening chasm between the percentage of recovered cases and percentage of active cases, the ministry said. There are 17,60,489 more recovered people than the active cases. "With this, India's recovery rate amongst COVID-19 patients has risen to 76.30 per cent?today," the ministry.
Phase-2 trials of the Oxford University vaccine for novel Coronavirus begin in India today, with the first doses being given to a set of six volunteers at Pune’s Bharati Vidyapeeth medical college and hospital. This vaccine, developed in collaboration with AstraZeneca, is considered the most promising to be successful, and is undergoing phase-3 trials in some other countries. Indian regulatory rules require a vaccine to be tested within India for it to be authorised for use on Indian population. Accordingly, Pune’s Serum Institute of India, which has an agreement with AstraZeneca to produce and market this vaccine in India and many other countries, has initiated human trials. Both phase-2 and phase-3 trials would take place in India. Phase-1, during which the vaccine’s safety is assessed, is not mandatory to be repeated in India.
Union Minister Shripad Naik's health is improving and his vital parameters are within limits, the Manipral Hospital in Goa said today. Naik is undergoing treatment for Covid-19. On Tuesday, the results of his RT-PCR test once against showed positive. He will be tested again after 24-48 hours, reported ANI.
Delhi has become the first state to cross the 90 per cent recovery rate of novel Coronavirus patients. More than 1.46 lakh people out of the 1.62 lakh infected so far have been declared to have recovered. There are three states, Tamil Nadu, Bihar and Haryana, where the recovery rate is more than 80 per cent, while another 13 have recovery rate more than 70 per cent. Read Amitabh Sinha's report
Mysuru Police Commissioner Chandragupta has tested positive for the novel coronavirus, a week after a Superintendent of Police contracted the disease. Mysuru Deputy Commissioner Abhiram G Sankar has going into isolation as well after one of his staff in the DC Office tested positive.
Mysuru reported 1,331 new Covid-19 positive cases on Tuesday taking the city's total to 13,929. On Tuesday, 469 patients were discharged after being treated for the infection, while 16 people succumbed, the district administration said.
Former president Pranab Mukherjee is being treated for a lung infection, the Army's Research and Referral Hospital in New Delhi said Wednesday. “Hon’ble Shri Pranab Mukherjee is being treated for lung infection. His renal parameters are slightly deranged since yesterday. He continues to be in deep coma and on ventilator support (SIC)," a statement issued by the hospital read. The 84-year old Congress veteran tested positive for Covid-19 when he was brought to the hospital on August 10 for a brain surgery. Mukherjee is being treated for a respiratory infection that he developed at the hospital. Read more here
Tarun Gogoi, the former chief minister of Assam, tested Covid-19 positive on Wednesday. "I have been tested Covid-19 positive yesterday. People who came in contact with me during the last few days, should go for Covid test immediately," the 85-year-old said on Twitter. His wife, Dolly Gogoi, however, tested negative, reported PTI. Gogoi, MLA from Titabor constituency in Jorhat district, is the 13th legislator in the state to contract the disease.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal held a meeting to review the Covid-19 situation in the national capital this morning. The meeting was attended by state Health Minister Satyendar Jain, the Chief Secretary and other officials of the health ministry. Delhi detected 1,544 news Covid-19 cases on Tuesday, the highest single-day spike the city has seen. It now has over 1.64 lakh cases and 4,330 deaths. Here are some pictures from the meeting:
Additional Superintendent of Police of Jagtial district, K Dakshina Murthy died of a heart attack at 5.30 am, a week after he contracted Covid-19. The 58-year-old had been admitted to a private hospital Karimnagar, where he was being treated for Covid-19. He was set to retire at the end of this month. "Dakshina Murthy was a dedicated police officer. Unfortunately, we lost him," Karimnagar Police Commissioner, V B Kamalasan Reddy told PTI.
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat tested negative for the novel coronavirus. He went into self-isolation on Tuesday as a precaution after a security personnel stationed at the Chief Minister's Office contracted the disease. "With the grace of God and your blessings the report is negative. However, as a precaution, I will remain in isolation for the next three days and discharge my duties from my residence telephonically or by using virtual platforms," he said.
In the 24 hours ending 9 am Wednesday, India recorded 67,151 new cases of the novel coronavirus and 1,059 deaths. This takes the country’s tally to 32,34,475 Covid-19 cases, including 7,07,267 patients who are under treatment, 24,67,759 who have recovered and 59,449 deaths, the Union Health Ministry said.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal will hold a meeting with senior officials at 11 am this morning to discuss the increase in Covid-19 cases in the national capital and positivity rate.
Here is the latest from the field of vaccine development in India and the world:
Read more from our vaccine tracker here