Eighty per cent of the new COVID-19 cases are concentrated in 10 States and Union Territories, with Kerala (7,025), Delhi (5,664), Maharashtra (5,369) and West Bengal (3,987) reporting the highest numbers in the past 24 hours, according to data released by the Union Health Ministry on Monday.
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:
Pandemic claims Hyderabad’s beloved bookstore
Walden, one of Hyderabad’s most loved bookshops, is no more. After a successful run of 11,083 days, or 30 years, four months and three days, the store’s glass door enamelled with ‘WALDEN’ was pulled shut on the last day of October in Banjara Hills.
“The competition from online retailers was hurting but the COVID-19 lockdown had a big impact on our business. How can we run a business without being physically present?” said Shobha Prasad, who started the shop along with her husband Ram Prasad, more than 30 years ago in Somajiguda on June 28, 1990.
The Somajiguda outlet was closed in July 2019 and the bookshop was functioning from its Gachibowli and Banjara Hills branches.
As cases soar, ventilator beds go scarce in Delhi
Delhi, which currently has the second highest number of new COVID-19 cases in the country and the third highest number of virus-related deaths according to the data released by the Union Health Ministry on Monday, is now seeing an increased pressure on its healthcare infrastructure.
Several private hospitals have indicated that they have near 100% occupancy of ICU beds with ventilators and only a few government hospitals are showing availability of beds with ventilator support for COVID-19 patients.
The Delhi government’s mobile app — Delhi Corona — providing COVID-related information shows that of the 1,244 ICU beds with ventilators, 845 are occupied currently (Monday evening).
Ajit Pawar discharged from hospital
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, who was admitted to a city-based hospital after testing positive for COVID-19 last month, was discharged from the medical facility on Monday.
Disclosing this, Mr. Pawar, who was admitted to the Breach Candy Hospital on October 26, said he would be in home quarantine for next some days and thanked those who had wished him a speedy recovery.
- PTI
Over 80 vaccinated as part of BCG booster trial against COVID-19
More than 80 volunteers had been vaccinated as part of a trial under way at JSS Hospital in Mysuru to give a booster dose of BCG to the elderly to prevent COVID-19-related morbidity and mortality.
As part of the trial initiated at the behest of Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) in view of the ongoing pandemic, a total of 150 participants had already been screened at the hospital since September 23. More than 80 had been vaccinated so far to study if the booster dose would provide immunity against not only COVID-19, but also other respiratory infections.
“BCG has been part of our infant immunisation schedule with a proven safety profile over many decades. Apart from preventing tuberculosis in the young, this vaccine’s off-target effect in preventing many respiratory complications in children is the idea behind ICMR giving a booster dose of the same vaccine to the elderly since they are more susceptible to the COVID-19 infection, complications and mortality,” said B. Suresh, Pro Chancellor, JSS Academy of Higher Education and Research (JSSAHER), Mysuru.