India had, a few days ago, overtaken Brazil to become the second country with the highest caseload after the United States, which has over 6.3 million cases. However, in terms of deaths, India ranks third after the US and Brazil.

Here are the top coronavirus news from across the country:

Oxford trial paused after volunteer developed neurological symptoms

The volunteer whose serious ailment halted clinical trials of the coronavirus vaccine candidate developed by AstraZeneca and Oxford University is a woman who has shown symptoms of a neurological disorder that affects the spinal cord, according to a report in Stat News.

The report said information about the woman was released by AstraZeneca CEO Pascal Soriot during a “private conference call” with company investors. It said the CEO had informed the investors that the woman had symptoms of a rare disease called transverse myelitis, but that her condition was improving and she was likely to be discharged from the hospital soon. Soriot also said that the woman participant had indeed received a real vaccine and not a placebo, or a dummy.

A sign featuring the AstraZeneca Plc logo stands at the company’s DaVinci building at the Melbourn Science Park in Cambridge, U.K (Photographer: Jason Alden/Bloomberg)

Delhi scales new high of daily coronavirus cases

Delhi scaled a new high of daily detection of coronavirus cases, with being discovered on Wednesday. Delhi’s new high has been aided by a substantial increase in over the last few days. On Wednesday, more than 54,000 samples were tested in the national capital, its highest, and more than double the numbers that were tested just about a week ago.

However, since the results of tests, especially those of the RT-PCR tests, do not all come on the same day, the record rise in cases on Wednesday is not directly attributable to the record number of tests carried out. However, as the tests continue to remain at this level, the number of positive cases is likely to increase further in the coming days.

Delhi also became the second city in the country to have more than with the virus till now. Pune had reached the two-lakh figure last weekend. Incidentally, Pune also recorded its highest single-day rise on Wednesday, with more than 5,000 new cases.

Odisha now among top 10 worst-hit states

Odisha has moved into the list of top ten states with the maximum caseload in the country, overtaking Assam. Odisha has been steadily adding up a large number of cases over the last month and a half. In the last three weeks, it has been reporting more than 3,000 cases every day. With a growth rate of more than three per cent per day, Odisha currently is the fastest growing amongst the top ten states.

Khurda district has overtaken Ganjam to become the worst affected district now. It has more than 23,000 confirmed infections, while the Cuttack-Bhubaneswar region has less than 12,000 right now. Ganjam, for long the epicentre of the epidemic in Odisha, has about 18,000 cases. In fact, Ganjam is now being shown as a success story in Odisha, with timely interventions through increased testing and effective contact tracing, having significantly altered the situation from about a month ago.

Delhi Metro’s Red, Violet, Green lines resume services

Delhi Metro’s Red Line, Violet Line and Green Line resumed services on Thursday after being closed for 172 days due to the COVID-19 pandemic, officials said. Yellow Line and Rapid Metro were the first to reopen on Monday, followed by Blue Line and Pink Line on Wednesday. “Seven lines of the Delhi Metro network are now open! Thank you dear commuters for following the safety guidelines and helping us maintain good service. #MetroBackOnTrack,” the DMRC tweeted after the three new lines resumed services.

The Ministry of Home Affairs recently issued guidelines allowing the Delhi Metro to resume operations in a graded manner, following which the DMRC said it would be done in three stages from September 7-12.

Commuters travel in a metro train after Delhi Metro resumed services with curtailed operation of the Yellow Line and Rapid Metro, amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, in New Delhi, Monday. (PTI Photo)

Amit Shah: India putting up well-planned fight against Covid-19

Terming coronavirus as an unprecedented challenge, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday said India is putting up a well-planned fight against the pandemic under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership. The BJP president asked people to take necessary precautions until a vaccine is found. “Coronavirus is an unprecedented challenge for us. But we are fighting against it in a well-planned manner under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the entire world has recognised our efforts,” he said.

Though coronavirus has slowed down the pace of ongoing developmental works in Gandhinagar, the pandemic won’t be able to hold back Gujarat or India for long, said Shah, who recently recovered from coronavirus infection.

Gujarat BJP chief contracts Covid-19, hospitalised in Ahmedabad

Gujarat BJP president CR Paatil. (File)

Gujarat BJP president CR Paatil tested positive for Covid-19 on Wednesday and is undergoing treatment at the Apollo Hospitals in Ahmedabad. Paatil got himself admitted to the hospital Tuesday after feeling tiredness. The BJP chief’s Rapid Antigen Test (RAT) was negative, following which he underwent RTPCR test that returned positive on Wednesday.

On the result of his RTPCR test, Paatil said, “It has come positive… The (CT – cycle threshold – value) has come 28.9 and it can be recovered with three days’ treatment. I got admitted yesterday and three days will be over tomorrow (Thursday). So, my report will be done (again) day after tomorrow.”

Karnataka Minister Prabhu Chavan tests positive

Karnataka Animal Husbandry Minister Prabhu Chavan has tested positive for COVID-19, official sources told PTI Thursday. The Minister underwent a test on Wednesday after his car driver, his gunman and personal assistant had contracted the infection and the result came out positive.

Officials said Chavan had been under home quarantine in Bidar after his staff tested positive on Tuesday. The Minister’s office has requested all those who had come into contact with him recently to undergo tests and take precautions. Chavan is the new addition to the list of Ministers in the B S Yediyurappa cabinet who had tested positive for coronavirus.

Ahead of festival season, Kejriwal urges people to take precautions

With the festival season kicking in next month, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has urged people to take precautions against COVID-19 infection. “Many festivals are approaching in the coming months. While the COVID-19 pandemic is under control in Delhi, it is important to have preventive measures in place to contain the spread of COVID-19 at religious places of worship,” he said.

“I would like to appeal to the general public as well as the organisations managing religious places to adhere to all the preventive measures to contain the spread of COVID-19 in the religious places during the upcoming festival season,” the chief minister said in his appeal.