At least five States in the country registered record single-day spike in COVID-19 cases on Sunday, as India neared the 42 lakh mark with 84,701 fresh cases and 959 fatalities.
Metro services are set to re-start in a graded manner across States, except in Maharashtra as the State government decided against it, from Monday morning, after the Ministry of Home Affairs on August 28 gave the go-ahead and the MoHUA announced a standard operating procedure for the same on September 2.
You can track coronavirus cases, deaths and testing rates at the national and State levels here. A list of State Helpline numbers is available as well.
Here are the latest updates:
A.P. COVID-19 tally surges past 5 lakh mark
Andhra Pradesh on Monday crossed the five-lakh mark in COVID-19 cases, riding on a rapid surge particularly in the last month.
As 8,368 cases were added afresh in 24 hours ending 9 am on Monday, the state’s COVID-19 aggregate touched 5,06,493, while 70 more died, pushing the toll up to 4,487.
The latest bulletin said 10,055 more patients recovered, taking the overall number of those cured to 4,04,074.
The State now has 97,932 active cases.
- PTI
Another Odisha Minister tests positive for COVID-19
Odisha Minister of Tourism and Culture, J.P. Panigrahi, on Monday said he has tested positive for COVID-19 and was undergoing home isolation.
Mr. Panigrahi is the fourth Minister in the State to have contracted the disease. Earlier, Higher Education Minister Arun Kumar Sahoo, Rural Development Minister Susant Singh and Textile Minister Padmini Dian were diagnosed with the disease.
The Minister requested people who have come in contact with him recently to isolate themselves.
“Mid March’20 onwards doing public and official works. Not missed a day. Tried hard during this pandemic, people don’t feel alone and worked as desired by Hon’ble CM. Finally, COVID-19 caught hold of me. Who’re in my contacts in last 7 days, please isolate,” the Simulia MLA said on Twitter.
Twenty-one Legislators in the State have so far contracted the disease. In July, BJP MLA from Nilgiri, Sukanta Kumar Nayak, became the first Legislator in the coastal State to test positive for the infection.
Three Lok Sabha MPs - BJP’s Suresh Pujari from Bargarh and BJD’s Manjulata Mandal from Bhadrak and Ramesh Chandra Majhi from Nabarangpur - were diagnosed with the disease.
Over 100 employees including chairman, two directors of OIL get COVID; recover
More than 100 employees of state-owned Oil India Ltd. (OIL), including its chairman and two directors, were infected with coronavirus but have since recovered, sources said.
The employees, as well as senior executives of the company, had contracted the virus last month when they were in Tinsukia district of Assam to contain a massive fire at the Baghjan gas field.
— PTI
COVID-19 recoveries in India cross 32 lakh, fatality rate drops to 1.7%
The COVID-19 recovery rate in India has risen to 77.31 % with 69,564 patients recuperating from the disease in 24 hours pushing the total number of recoveries to 32.5 lakh, the Health Ministry said on Monday.
The case fatality rate has further dropped to 1.7 %, it said.
According to the Ministry, five States are contributing 60 % of the total cases with Maharashtra at the top accounting for 21.6 % cases, followed by Andhra Pradesh with 11.8 %, Tamil Nadu 11 %, Karnataka 9.5 % and Uttar Pradesh 6.3 %.
Maharashtra also contributed 26.76 % of the active cases in the country, followed by Andhra Pradesh 11.30 %, Karnataka 11.25 %, Uttar Pradesh 6.98 % and Tamil Nadu 5.83 %.
Haryana govt to conduct trial classes in two schools
The Haryana government has decided to start classes for students of Classes 10 to 12 in two state-run schools in Karnal and Sonipat districts on a trial basis after the vast majority of parents of the children in these two institutes gave their go ahead.
These two schools are Government High School in Sonipat’s Bazidpur Saboli village and Government Senior Secondary School in Nigdhu village in Karnal, the education department officials said Monday.
Haryana Education Minister Kanwar Pal told reporters in Hisar on Sunday that the state government was ready to open schools across the state once the Centre gives its nod.
Uttarakhand Cabinet minister Madan Kaushik tests positive
Uttarakhand Cabinet Minister Madan Kaushik has tested positive for COVID-19, an official said on Monday. Kaushik was admitted to AIIMS, Rishikesh on Sunday night after his antigen report came positive, its PRO Harish Thapliyal said.
Though he was in complete isolation since Saturday after coming in contact with an infected person he decided to admit himself at AIIMS, Rishikesh on the advice of doctors after his report arrived.
His sample has also been sent for an RT-PCR test for dual confirmation.
One-day session of Delhi Assembly on September 14
The Delhi Cabinet has decided to convene a special one-day session of the Legislative Assembly on September 14, government sources said on Monday.
A proposal by Principal Secretary (Law) for the one-day special session of Delhi Assembly was considered and approved by the Cabinet on September 5, they said.
In view of the COVID-19 pandemic, the session will be held with various safety measures in place, including testing of legislators and staff, they added.
Detail steps for senior citizens’ care during pandemic, SC tells States
The Supreme Court on Monday asked the States to provide a more detailed version of the measures in place to provide care, support and priority medical treatment to senior citizens, especially those who live alone during the COVID-19 pandemic.
A Bench led by Justice Ashok Bhushan gave the States four weeks to file comprehensive affidavits.
The court’s order was in response to a submission made by senior advocate Ashwani Kumar that the States have merely paid lip-service to the court order of August 4 by filing reports.
Mr. Kumar, a former Union Law Minister and petitioner-in-person in the case, referred to media reports showing continued instances of neglect shown to elderly people.
Colour-coded e-pass system to ensure maximum 400 passengers board a metro train
A colour-coded e-pass system using a mobile phone has been developed by a technology solutions company here for ensuring that a maximum of 400 passengers board a Metro Railway train in Kolkata to maintain Covid-19 health safety protocol after it resumes service.
A bot is being used for the purpose wherein it will ask the intending passenger his or her name, the boarding station, destination and the preferred time slot.
A passenger will be given a total of five questions, including one on language option, which he has to answer using the link in the mobile phone.
On the basis of availability, QR code will be generated immediately and e-pass will be given online to the user.
Most TMC MPs aged over 65 years likely to skip Parliament session
A majority of TMC MPs above the age of 65 years are likely to skip the upcoming monsoon session of the Parliament to avoid the risk of contracting COVID-19, party sources said.
Although there has been no official communication by the party leadership in this regard, the sources said MPs over 65 years of age have been advised not to attend the session.
SAT suspends judicial work till Sept 18 amid COVID-19
The Securities Appellate Tribunal (SAT) has suspended judicial work till September 18 amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Interim orders, if any, which are operational would remain in force till the next date of hearing, according to a recent notification.
“The judicial work of the tribunal shall further remain suspended till 18th September, 2020,” the notification said.
The directions already issued and permitted from time to time shall be continued and all earlier orders shall be aligned with the present order and shall remain in force up to and inclusive of September 18, it said.
The tribunal would function through video conference from September 7 from 11.30 am to 4.30 pm until further orders.
Uttarakhand Cabinet minister Madan Kaushik tests positive for COVID-19
Uttarakhand Cabinet Minister Madan Kaushik has tested positive for COVID-19, an official said on Monday. Kaushik was admitted to AIIMS, Rishikesh on Sunday night after his antigen report came positive, its PRO Harish Thapliyal said.
Though he was in complete isolation since Saturday after coming in contact with an infected person he decided to admit himself at AIIMS, Rishikesh on the advice of doctors after his report arrived.
His sample has also been sent for an RT-PCR test for dual confirmation.
Detail steps for senior citizens’ care during pandemic, SC tells States
The Supreme Court on Monday asked the States to provide a more detailed version of the measures in place to provide care, support and priority medical treatment to senior citizens, especially those who live alone during the COVID-19 pandemic.
A Bench led by Justice Ashok Bhushan gave the States four weeks to file comprehensive affidavits.
Former NC MLA dies of COVID-19
Senior National Conference leader and former legislator Thakur Rachpal Singh died of COVID-19 at a hospital in Jammu and Kashmir’s Reasi district on Monday.
The 69-year-old Singh is survived by wife, son and two daughters.
An official at the hospital said the National Conference leader was suffering from fever, cough and also complained of breathlessness.
Country’s biggest COVID Care Centre to be shut from Sept. 15
The COVID Care Centre at the Bengaluru International Exhibition Centre, that was touted to be the biggest such facility for the treatment of asymptomatic and mildly symptomatic patients in the country, will be shut from September 15, as it is not getting patients.
In an order dated September 4, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), the city civic body has said the decision to close the facility with a potential capacity of over 10,000 beds was taken at a meeting chaired by the Chief Minister on the advise of the head of the Covid Care Care Task Force.
Furniture bought for the centre, like beds, mattress, pedestal fans, dustbins and water dispensers, will be given to government-run hostels and hospitals free of cost.
- PTI
60% of 125 COVID-19 patients recovered with plasma therapy
Plasma therapy when administered at the right time can help patients in their fight against the novel coronavirus. Of the 125 COVID-19 patients who underwent convalescent plasma transfusion (CPT) in the State, 60% have recovered.
U.S. Vishal Rao, associate dean at HCG Hospitals and programme director of Mission COPE and who is part of the working group for plasma donation, said that an analysis of the 125 patients done so far has indicated that the therapy is yielding good results.
CPT involves administering the plasma of a person who has recovered from COVID-19 to a patient suffering from the disease. The antibodies developed in the former aid in the recovery of the latter.
CM inaugurates new COVID-19 hospital in Gorakhpur
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath inaugurated a 300-bed COVID-19 hospital at BRD Medical College.
The State government-run medical college already has 200 beds at the super-speciality block dedicated to COVID-19 patients.
Mr. Adityanath told reporters that there was “no dearth of beds for coronavirus patients” and that the State government was determined to defeat the virus.
- PTI
Online classes for class IX to XII of M.P. board cancelled
Online classes for students of class IX to XII of the Madhya Pradesh Board of Secondary Education could not begin on Monday following an order from the board for cancellation of the classes.
Notably, the board’s chairperson Radheshyam Julaniya on Sunday evening said the academic session for class IX to XII through online mode will begin from Monday with telecast of audio-visual lessons on Doordarshan from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m.
Later in the night, the board’s secretary Anil Suchari issued an order which said, “The telecast from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. is being cancelled. Thus, the classes will not be held.”
- PTI
Bus, train services resume between districts across T.N.
After a gap of nearly five months, the main transport hubs of Chennai -- Dr. MGR Bus Terminus, Dr. MGR Chennai Central Station and Egmore Railway Station -- sprang back to life after intra-state bus and train services began from Monday morning.
A total of 11 trains will be operated from the two railway stations from Monday. The first train from Dr. MGR Chennai Central left for Coimbatore at 6.10 a.m. and a train to Tiruchi left at 8 a.m. from Egmore. Elaborate safety arrangements were made at the stations.
SC grants four weeks to States to file affidavits in plea for care of elderly during pandemic
The Supreme Court on Monday granted another four weeks time to States that have not yet filed affidavits on a plea seeking directions to provide masks and sanitisers to the elderly amid the pandemic, to file their responses.
A Bench headed by Justice Ashok Bhushan, had, on August 4 directed that all eligible old age persons be regularly paid pension and that States provide them necessary medicines, masks, sanitisers and other essential goods.
The Bench was hearing a plea filed by former Union Minister and senior advocate Ashwani Kumar who has sought directions with regard to the elderly, saying they need more care and protection during the pandemic.
Mr. Kumar told the Bench that only some States, including Odisha and Punjab, had responded to the petition so far.
- PTI
Malaika Arora tests positive, quarantines at home
Actor Malaika Arora announced that she has tested positive for COVID-19 and was quarantining at her home. The Bollywood actor said she is asymptomatic and following all the required protocols.
"Today I have tested positive for coronavirus but I want to inform you all that I am feeling fine," she wrote in a statement posted on Instagram. "I am asymptomatic and following all the required protocols and will be quarantined at home as instructed by my doctor and authorities. I request you all to stay calm and safe. Thank you for all your support," she added.
South Korea reports 119 more coronavirus cases, its lowest daily jump in over 3 weeks
South Korea added 119 more cases of the coronavirus, its lowest daily jump in more than three weeks amid a downward trend in new cases. The Korea Centres for Disease Control and Prevention said on Monday that the additional figures took the country’s total to 21,296 with 336 deaths.
It’s the fifth straight day the country’s daily jump has stayed under 200.
- PTI
Mixed response to lockdown in West Bengal
Residents of Kolkata by and large complied with the State-wide lockdown norms imposed in West Bengal on Monday, while incidents of violation of the restrictions were reported in some other districts.
The West Bengal government has declared lockdown in the state on September 7, 11 and 12 despite the Centre, in its Unlock-4 guidelines, stating that restrictions outside containment zones can be imposed only after consultation with the Union Home Ministry.
Kolkata Police conducted naka-checking in several areas of the metropolis while mobile units made rounds in different localities to ensure that people remained indoors on the first day of lockdown this month. Police personnel also issued challans to people commuting without valid passes.
- PTI
Attorney General K.K. Venugopal in self-quarantine, SC informed
Attorney General K.K. Venugopal is in self-quarantine, the Supreme Court was informed as the Centre sought adjournment in a matter related to filling of vacancies in tribunals.
A Bench of Justices L. Nageswara Rao and Hemant Gupta was requested by Additional Solicitor General S.V. Raju that a short adjournment be granted in the case as the AG, who is appearing in the matter, is in self-quarantine. The Bench agreed and posted the matter for further hearing on September 15.
According to sources, Mr. Venugopal has gone into self quarantine after one of his staff tested positive for COVID-19.
- PTI
Maharashtra monsoon Session begins with COVID-19 prevention norms
The two-day monsoon Session of the Maharashtra Assembly began on Monday with Deputy Speaker Narhari Zhirwal asking members to observe physical distancing and wear face masks.
As part of the physical distancing protocols, Mr. Zhirwal asked members not to sit on chairs having a ‘cross’ sign. Only one member was seated in the seating area for two. Members were also seated in the students and visitors gallery. He also asked members to keep their masks on while speaking in the House.
He presided over the House proceedings since Speaker Nana Patole tested positive for the virus last week.
- PTI
Bengaluru Metro resumes services after a gap of over 150 days
After a gap of over 150 days, the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) resumed Namma Metro services on Monday. However, during the peak commuting morning hours, trains were almost empty. BMRCL is running services only on the purple line from Baiyappanahalli to Mysuru Road station.
Staff of the Metro undertook thermal screening of the passengers before allowing them inside the stations. Applying hand sanitisers before entering the station has been made compulsory. As per the standard operating procedure (SoP), only smart card holders were allowed to travel in the Metro.
Public parks in Tiruchi to reopen shortly
The government decision to allow the reopening of public parks and open-air gyms has brought cheer to morning walkers, children and regular visitors.
Since the imposition of a nationwide lockdown in view of COVID-19 pandemic on March 24, parks situated in different parts of Tiruchi were closed along with other public utilities.
With the State government easing lockdown restrictions, Tiruchi Corporation has started opening the parks and open air gyms gradually. It has decided to open all of them by Friday.
Akhilesh attacks Centre over India ranking second in COVID cases globally
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Monday attacked the Centre over India ranking second globally in terms of COVID-19 cases.
India’s COVID tally surpassed Brazil's to become the second most highest in the world.
“BJP government’s claims have been exposed with India becoming number 2 in the world in corona cases. The government took public data from the Arogya Setu but it failed to control spread of coronavirus. The truth of the BJP’s event management drama of ‘thali, tali’ and lighting diyas is also in front of the public,” Mr. Yadav tweeted in Hindi.
- PTI
Chaos ahead of Maharashtra monsoon Session over COVID-19 test reports
Chaotic scenes were witnessed in the Maharashtra Vidhan Bhavan premises before the commencement of the monsoon Session of the State legislature as several MLAs were not allowed inside since their coronavirus test reports were not available.
The two-day Session of the State legislature began under the shadow of COVID-19.
Former Speaker Haribhau Bagade and other legislators, who were not able to enter the Vidhan Bhavan, complained to State Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar when he arrived there. Mr. Pawar asked legislature secretary Rajendra Bhagwat to ensure that all legislators whose test reports are negative be allowed inside at the earliest.
Won’t be able to attend CIC meets till December: Kulkarni to MCA
Former India pacer Raju Kulkarni, a member of the Mumbai Cricket Association’s Cricket Improvement Committee (CIC), has informed the State body (MCA) that he won’t be able attend any meetings till December owing to doctor’s advise.
MCA had formed the new CIC recently, which has Mr. Kulkarni and Sameer Dighe as members. The committee is headed by former India player-cum-coach Lalchand Rajput. “This is to inform you that I have been medically advised by my Physician to confine myself at home till December 2020 during this unprecedented times of COVID-19 since I had a episode in 2018. Therefore I am unable to attend any CIC meeting till December 2020,” Mr. Kulkarni wote in an email to MCA.
“I would request MCA not to hesitate to take a appropriate decision incase you want to replace me in the CIC. Please note that I have not given any consent nor will be responsible for the decisions taken by the CIC in my absence,” he added.
When contacted, a senior MCA official said that top office bearers will speak to Mr. Kulkarni on this issue and take a call.
The CIC, which is responsible to select coaches and selectors, is expected to meet this week.
- PTI
Undertrial prisoner dies of COVID-19 in U.P.’s Banda
An undertrial prisoner died in the Banda district jail due to COVID-19, jail authorities said.
Gulbandan, 57, was found positive for the disease on September 1 and he died during treatment on Sunday, Jail Superintendent R.K. Singh said.
The Banda District Jail at present has 956 prisoners against its capacity of 656.
Mr. Singh said two barracks of the jail have been converted into isolation wards where COVID-19 infected prisoners are being isolated. According to Chief Medical Officer Dr. N.D. Sharma, 95 prisoners and jail officials in the district jail are currently infected with the virus.
- PTI
Puducherry records 11 deaths
Puducherry recorded 11 COVID-19 deaths on Monday taking the toll to 325 while new admissions fell to 292 against 503 patients discharged in the last 24 hours.
Puducherry accounted for all the deaths. The patients belonged to the 40 to 87 age range. The case fatality stood at 1.88%.
The current tally is 325 deaths, 4,856 active cases, a cumulative total of 17,316 and 12,135 patients discharged.
- Dinesh Varma
India’s Australia cricket series likely to begin in east coast after Western Australia denies quarantine relaxation
Indian cricket team’s much-anticipated tour of Australia will begin either in Adelaide or Brisbane instead of favoured Perth after Western Australia state government made it clear that there won’t be any relaxation in quarantine guidelines in their territory.
According to a report in ESPNCricinfo, the Adelaide Oval is prepared to host back-to-back Tests in case the iconic MCG is not available because of rising coronavirus cases in the state of Victoria.
Also the Indian and Australian players will be coming directly from the UAE after IPL where there is a second wave of COVID-19 cases.
- PTI
Chennai Metro resumes services after nearly six months
Chennai Metro resumes after shutting down operations due to the pandemic for nearly five months. Seen in the photo is the first train that departed from Chennai airport on September 7, 2020. | Photo Credit: B. Velankanni Raj
After a gap of almost six months due to COVID-19-induced lockdown, Chennai Metro Rail on Monday resumed services on the stretch between Washermanpet and Chennai airport, with the first train leaving Chennai airport at 7 a.m.
The stations and trains wore a deserted look and there were hardly any passengers in the first few rides. After two days, the other stretch linking Chennai Central and St. Thomas Mount will be thrown open for operations.
India surpasses Brazil's case tally to become second highest in the world
India's COVID-19 case tally became the second highest in the world after surpassing Brazil's on Saturday. Cumulative cases in the country stands at 42,04,734. The case tally of U.S. remains the highest.
The number of deaths in India stood at 71,724.
Madurai SSI dies after testing positive for COVID-19
A Special Sub Inspector of Police, P. Malarsami, 56, attached to Special Intelligence Cell of Madurai City Police, who had tested positive for COVID-19, died in the early hours of Monday.
According to the police, the SSI was on medical leave since August 15. He tested positive on August 25.
Mr Malarsami was admitted to the COVID-19 ward at the Government Rajaji Hospital where he succumbed at around 3:45 a.m. on Monday.
He is the second police personnel in Madurai City to have lost life after contracting COVID-19.
- Sundar Subbiah
Record 90,802 people infected in a day
India’s COVID-19 tally of cases went past 42 lakh with a record 90,802 people being infected in a day, while 32,50,429 people have recuperated so far, pushing the national recovery rate to 77.30% on Monday, according to the Union Health Ministry data.
The total number of coronavirus cases mounted to 42,04,613, while the death toll climbed to 71,642 with 1,016 fatalities being reported in a span of 24 hours, the data updated at 8 a.m. showed.
The COVID-19 case fatality rate has further declined to 1.70%.
- PTI
Kejriwal warns against showing negligence on Delhi Metro trains
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal expressed happiness over the restarting of Metro train services in the city, saying there should be no negligence in following precautions against COVID-19.
“I am happy Metro(services) starts today. Metro has made good arrangements. We also should not be negligent in following the precautions,” Mr. Kejriwal tweeted in Hindi.
- PTI
Delhi Metro resumes services with strict safety measures after 169-day COVID hiatus
The Delhi Metro resumed services with curtailed operation of the Yellow Line on Monday after being closed for over five months due to the COVID-19 pandemic, as both the DMRC and the commuters trod with caution amid the new normal in the rapid transport system.
The services resumed at 7 a.m. with strict safety and social distancing measures in place. The first trains left from Samaypur Badli station to HUDA City Centre station and simultaneously from HUDA City Centre to Samaypur Badli, a senior official of DMRC said.
Norms violated across Tamil Nadu on lockdown-free Sunday
Basic COVID-19 safety protocols, like maintaining adequate physical distance and wearing masks properly, were compromised in many places across Tamil Nadu, particularly in Chennai, during the first lockdown-free Sunday following the unveiling of ‘Unlock 4.0’.
Crowds thronged public places, including open markets, playgrounds and Marina Beach (though officially, the beach is closed to visitors), with people moving about shoulder-to-shoulder in some areas.
Situation turns the corner in rural areas in Chittoor
After a brief respite from COVID from mid of August till month-end, cases are on the rise once again in urban areas of Chittoor district, while the rural side is heaving a sigh of relief with many mandals registering single-digit cases.
The tally crossed the 45,000-mark in Chittoor by Sunday night, with Tirupati municipal corporation being a major contributor with about 20,000 cases, followed by Srikalahasti and Chittoor civic bodies with over 3,000 cases each.
UNICEF to lead global procurement, supply of COVID vaccines
In what could possibly be the world’s largest and fastest ever operation of its kind, the UNICEF will be leading the procurement and supply of coronavirus vaccines to ensure that all countries have safe, fast and equitable access to initial doses when they are available, it has said.
With several vaccine candidates showing promise, the UNICEF, in collaboration with the Revolving Fund of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), will lead efforts to procure and supply doses of COVID-19 vaccines on behalf of the COVAX Global Vaccines Facility for 92 low and lower middle-income countries, whose vaccine purchases will be supported by the mechanism.
The UNICEF will also serve as procurement coordinator to support purchases by 80 higher-income economies, which have expressed their intent to participate in the COVAX Facility and would finance the vaccines from their own budgets, it said.
Workers cleaning the railway station in Dindigul, Tamil Nadu, on September 7, 2020, as certain train services resumed after a hiatus owing to the COVID-19 lockdown. | Photo Credit: G. Karthikeyan
The Southern Railway had begun reservations for special trains on September 5. The trains will start running from September 7 as fully reserved services. Only passengers with confirmed tickets will be allowed into the stations. All other COVID-19 protocols prescribed by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs will be followed.
COVID-19 cases in Bengal cross 1.80 lakh, discharge rate crosses 85 %
West Bengal on Sunday recorded 3,087 COVID-19 cases, taking the infection tally in the State to 1,80,788. The State registered a death of 52 persons in the past 24 hours taking the total number of deaths due to COVID-19 to 3,562 . The discharge rate of the State further improved to 85.19%.
Of the 52 deaths, eight were recorded in Howrah, 10 in North 24 Parganas and 10 in Howrah district. The three districts have accounted to more than 70 % of all the deaths in the State. In terms of new COVID-19 infections in the past 24 hours Kolkata recorded 541 infections taking the total infections to 43,084. In terms of daily COVID-19 Infections North 24 Parganas recorded highest COVID-19 in West Bengal recording 590 infections in the past 24 hours taking the total infections in the district to 37,711. Kolkata , Howrah and North 24 Parganas have recorded more than 50 % of all infections in the State.
Similarity of common cold, COVID-19 symptoms leading to confusion
The fluctuating weather and intermittent rains in the State have resulted in the rise of seasonal viral illnesses including fevers, upper respiratory tract infections, vector-borne diseases such as dengue and water-borne diseases such as typhoid and gastrointestinal problems.
But, with the similarity of the symptoms of these diseases to COVID-19, people are becoming increasingly confused as to whether they have contracted a common cold and cough or COVID-19.
Since some prefer self-medication, assuming it to be a common viral illness, it is some cases leading to complications and resulting in late reporting of COVID-19. Sometimes, by then, doctors have very little time to manage patients.
Maharashtra records another single-day peak: 23,350 cases
Maharashtra touched another high in its single-day case surge, recording 23,350 fresh COVID-19 cases on Sunday to breach the nine lakh mark as the State’s total case tally soared to 9,07,212. As many as 328 more deaths pushed the fatality toll to 26,604.
Since Wednesday, the State has been hitting a new peak in case spike each day — posting more than 17,000 cases for the first time on September 2, crossing 18,000 the next day, recording more than 19,000 cases on September 4, and adding more than 20,000 cases on Saturday.
With Sunday’s figure, the number of active cases has risen to 2,35,857. In contrast, just 7,826 patients were discharged on Sunday to take the total recoveries till date to 6,44,400.
E-passes cause trouble for returning workers
Months after leaving Chennai, migrants are now returning to the city in flights, as their presence is crucial for the resumption of construction works.
Almost every other day, the Chennai airport has been receiving hundreds of migrant workers, returning from cities like Patna, Kolkata and Guwahati.
But many of them continue to struggle to get e-passes. A few days ago, several workers who landed at the Chennai airport had a tough time getting e-passes and were stranded inside the terminal.
COVID-19 patient flown to Chennai from Kolkata
A 58-year-old critically ill COVID-19 patient, who was on ventilator support, was airlifted from Kolkata to Chennai on Sunday by ICATT Kyathi Air Ambulance with a German-made isolation pod.
Rahul Singh Sardar, co-founder of ICATT Kyathi Air Ambulance, said this was most likely the first time a COVID-19 patient on ventilator support was airlifted in the country.
On landing in Chennai, the patient was taken in the pod to MGM Healthcare hospital and transferred to the bed. “From bed-to-bed, we used the isolation pod to eliminate the risk of COVID-19 contraction for the doctors and paramedics,” he said.
Green corridors were formed with the help of the police both in Kolkata and Chennai for swiftly transferring the patient to and from the airport respectively, the statement said.