Coronavirus Cases in India: After US, India is the 2nd worst-hit country in the world by pandemic (File)
India's COVID-19 tally of cases went past 69 lakh with 70,496 infections being reported in a day, while active cases of infection fell below 9 lakh after a month, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Friday.
The total COVID-19 cases mounted to 69,06,151 and the death count reached 1,06,490, the data showed.
The total recoveries have surged to 59,06,069 pushing the recovery rate to 85.52 per cent, while there are 8,93,592 active cases of coronavirus infection in the country which comprises 12.94 per cent of the total caseload, the data stated.
Here are the LIVE updates on Coronavirus cases:
Coronavirus News: Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant Launches "Home Isolation Kit"
Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant launched "home isolation kit" in the presence of Health Minister Vishwajit Rane in Panaji on Friday, reported news agency ANI. Mr Sawant said that the kit will provide treatment and allow better monitoring of patients at the comfort of their home. "Launched Home Isolation Kits for COVID-19 patients who have opted for home isolation. The kit will provide treatment and allow better monitoring of patients at home comfort. This is another pro-people step in our COVID-19 management in the state," Mr Sawant said in a tweet. With this home isolation kit, the patient can start his own treatment from the first day onwards, he added.
Coronavirus News: Odisha Reports 2,697 New COVID-19 Cases, 17 Fatalities
Odisha's COVID-19 tally rose to 2,46,839 on Friday with 2,697 more people testing positive for the infection, while 17 fresh fatalities pushed the death count to 991, a health department official said, reported news agency PTI. At least 3,404 patients were cured of the disease during the day, taking the total number of recoveries to 2,20,388, which is 89.28 per cent of the state's caseload, he said.
Coronavirus News: Actor Soumitra Chatterjee Shifted To Intensive Care As COVID Symptoms Worsen
Veteran actor Soumitra Chatterjee has been shifted to intensive care in a private hospital where he is undergoing treatment for COVID-19 after his health condition worsened, a senior doctor at the facility said on late Friday night, reported news agency PTI. The 85-year-old actor was at an "acute confusional stage" following which the neurologist advised him to be shifted to the ITU, he said. "Mr Chatterjee has been shifted to the ITU after he has been experiencing restlessness and reached an acute confusional stage. We have shifted him to the ITU for close monitoring. He is having several co-morbidities, that's why we need to be more careful," the doctor told news agency PTI. Soumitra Chatterjee was hospitalised on Tuesday after he tested positive for coronavirus.
Coronavirus News: 152 New Cases Push Nagaland's COVID Tally To 6,888
At least 152 more people, including 24 security personnel, tested positive for coronavirus in Nagaland on Friday, taking the state's tally to 6,888, Health Minister S Pangnyu Phom said, reported news agency PTI. Of the fresh cases, 133 were reported from Dimapur, 15 from Kohima and one each from Peren, Mon, Longleng and Mokokchung districts, he said.
Punjab CM Amarinder Singh tests negative for COVID-19
Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Friday tested negative for COVID-19, an official has said.
The report comes days after he shared the stage with Health Minister Balbir Singh Sidhu who has tested positive for the virus.
"Punjab CM@capt_amarinder's RT-PCR & RAT (Rapid Antigen Test) #COVID19 tests have both tested negative.
"He had shared the stage with his cabinet colleague Balbir Singh Sidhu, who had later tested Covid positive earlier this week," Amarinder Singh's media advisor Raveen Thukral tweeted Friday evening.
Coronavirus Update: Delhi reports 2,860 new COVID-19 cases
Delhi's cumulative COVID-19 infection count rose to 3.03 lakh, with the authorities reporting 2,860 new cases on Friday.
The national capital saw 39 fatalities, taking number of deaths to 5,692.
Delhi reported 39 deaths on Friday. The fatality count was 37 on Thursday and 35 on Wednesday.
COVID-19 Update: 796 cases, 14 deaths in Nashik in 24 hours
The number of coronavirus patients in Maharshtra's Nashik increased by 796 on Friday, taking the total count 84,370. With this, the number of deaths due to the virus icreased by 14 to touch 1,498, an official said. He said 74,112 people have been discharged so far, including 1,001 on Friday.
Coronavirus Update: Chhattisgarh Schools To Remain Closed
The Chhattisgarh government has said that schools in the state will continue to remain closed in view of the coronavirus pandemic.
The cabinet took a decision in a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel here, a government spokesperson said.
Pay Us Or We Stop Work, Warn Covid Warriors At Delhi's Hindu Rao HospitalDoctors and frontline healthcare workers at Delhi's Covid-dedicated Hindu Rao Hospital - run by the North Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC) - have threatened to withdraw their services within 48 hours in protest against non-payment of salaries for almost 4 months.
The warning comes after a months-long symbolic protest, which did not disrupt services, failed to move the authorities towards the plight of Hindu Rao Hospital's Covid Warriors.
Read Coronavirus News: "Food Best Vaccine Against Chaos" - Nobel Peace For World Food ProgrammeThe United Nations food agency, the World Food Programme (WFP), won the Nobel Peace Prize on Friday for its efforts to combat hunger and improve conditions for peace in areas affected by conflict.
The Rome-based organisation says it helps some 97 million people in about 88 countries each year, and that one in nine people worldwide still do not have enough to eat.
"The need for international solidarity and multilateral cooperation is more conspicuous than ever," Berit Reiss-Andersen, chairwoman of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, told a news conference.
Read Coronavirus News: 10 Priests At Padmanabhaswamy Temple Infected, No 'Darshan' Till Oct 15The famous Padmanabhaswamy Temple in Kerala's Thiruvananthapuram has been temporarily closed for devotees till October 15 as 12 staff members, including 10 priests, have tested positive for coronavirus.
"Daily pujas will be done by the 'tantri', but no 'darshan' will be allowed," Padmanabhaswamy Temple's Executive Officer Ratheeshan IAS said, adding that the 'tantri' usually heads only special ceremonies, but he will fill in now because both the chief priests have COVID-19.
"The decision was taken after two chief priests, eight sub-priests and two guards at the Padmanabhaswamy temple tested positive for coronavirus. They all were asymptomatic", Mr Ratheeshan added.
Read Coronavirus News: Goa to rope in AYUSH doctors to treat patients
Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant today said the state government will rope in AYUSH doctors in providing treatment to COVID-19 patients with mild to moderate symptoms from next week.
"From next week, the government will involve AYUSH doctors in treating COVID-19 patients with mild to moderate symptoms, along with other government doctors," Mr Sawant said. "They would also be involved in post-COVID management of patients in the state," he added.
Coronavirus news: 4 COVID-19 cases reported in Chief Secretary's Office in Uttarakhand
Four COVID-19 positive cases were found in the Chief Secretary's Office (CSO) of Uttarakhand, and as a precaution, the CSO will remain closed till next Monday, the government informed on Friday.
According to information received from the secretariat administration, two drivers posted in the office of the Chief Secretary, a computer operator and a fourth-grade employee were found COVID-19 positive today.
Coronavirus news: Novel coronavirus can survive on skin for 9 hours, says study
The SARS-CoV-2 virus, which causes COVID-19, may linger on human skin for nine hours, much longer than the flu viruses can, according to a study.
The influenza A virus (IAV), in contrast, remained viable on human skin for nearly two hours, said the researchers including those from Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine in Japan.
The study, published in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases, found that both the viruses were rapidly inactivated on skin with a hand sanitiser, PTI reported.
Coronavirus news: Indonesia reports 4,094 new coronavirus infections, 97 new deaths
Indonesia reported 4,094 new coronavirus infections on Friday, taking the total number of cases to 324,658, official data from the country's COVID-19 task force showed.
It also reported 97 new deaths from the virus, taking the total number of fatalities to 11,677, Reuters reported.
Coronavirus news: Over 1,800 students, staff at north England universities test positive
More than 1,800 students and staff from universities across the north-east of England, currently under tougher localised lockdowns, tested positive for coronavirus over the past week.
Newcastle University said 1,003 students and 12 members of staff were confirmed to have been infected with coronavirus in the past week, compared with 94 last Friday. At Northumbria University, there were also 619 new cases and Durham University confirmed 219 cases in students in the last week.
Coronavirus news: Russia sees record official number of new virus cases
Russia on Friday registered a record number of new coronavirus cases, according to a government tally, surpassing the previous record set at the beginning of the pandemic in May.
Officials reported 12,126 new infections bringing the country's total caseload to 1,272,238 -- the fourth highest in the world, and edging above the previous daily high of 11,656 on May 11.
Coronavirus news: Odisha reports 2,697 new COVID-19 cases, 17 fatalities
Odisha's COVID-19 tally mounted to 2,46,839 on Friday with 2,697 more people testing positive for the infection, while 17 fresh fatalities pushed the count to 991, a health department official said.
Of the 2,697 cases, 1,576 were reported from various quarantine centres, and the remaining detected during contact tracing, PTI reported.
Coronavirus news: Coronavirus cases in Bulgaria hit new daily high record
Bulgaria reported 516 new coronavirus cases on Friday, breaking the daily high record since the start of the pandemic in March for a third consecutive day, official data showed.
The Balkan country has now 23,279 COVID-19 cases, including 880 deaths. A total of 1,063 people are hospitalised and 56 are in intensive care, data from the coronavirus information platform showed, Reuters reported.
Coronavirus news: Nagaland government issues guidelines for Durga Puja celebrations
The Nagaland government has issued guidelines for the celebration of the forthcoming Durga puja, allowing pandals to be set up only at temples in view of the COVID-19 pandemic, an official said.
The guidelines issued by the principal secretary, Home Department, R Ramakrishnan on Thursday said as Durga Puja pandals usually see a congregation of a large number of people, it is imperative that suitable regulations are put in place and appropriate measures are taken during the celebration to prevent the spread of COVID-19, PTI reported.
Coronavirus news: Arunachal reports 212 new COVID-19 cases, one more death
At least 212 more people, including five security personnel, have tested positive for COVID-19 in Arunachal Pradesh, pushing the tally to 11,479, a health department official said here on Friday.
Coronavirus news: Czech Republic's daily count of coronavirus cases rises to 5,394, third record in row
The Czech Republic's daily count of the new coronavirus rose to 5,394 on Thursday, the third record tally in a row, as the country tightened anti-pandemic measures in an attempt to curb the recent surge.
The overall number of cases reached 100,757 in the country of 10.7 million and 869 people have died in connection with the COVID-19 illness, Reuters reported.
Coronavirus Updates: Jharkhand reports 784 new COVID-19 cases, 8 more fatalities
At least 784 more people have tested positive for COVID-19 in Jharkhand, which pushed the tally to 90,486, while eight fresh fatalities raised the count to 775, a health department official said on Friday.
Five deaths were recorded in Ranchi, and one each in Palamu, Ramgarh and Bokaro, he said.
Coronavirus news: Seven more cases of COVID-19 in Mizoram, active tally at 220
Mizoram has reported seven new COVID-19 cases, taking the tally of people infected with the virus in the State to 2,157, said the State government on Friday. The total COVID-19 count includes 220 active cases and 1,937 discharges.
Mizoram has not witnessed any COVID-19 fatality so far, ANI reported.
Coronavirus news: Active cases in India dip below 9 lakh, recoveries cross 59 lakh
India's COVID-19 tally of cases went past 69 lakh with 70,496 infections being reported in a day, while active cases of infection fell below 9 lakh after a month, PTI reported.
Coronavirus news: Australia records second day without COVID-19 death for first time in three monthsAustralia reported its second straight day without any COVID-19 deaths on Friday, the longest stretch without any fatalities from the virus in three months.
Australian states and territories reported 16 cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, down from 28 on Thursday, and no deaths for two days, the first time Australia has gone 48 hours without a COVID-19 death since July 11.
The results cement optimism that Australia has contained a second wave of COVID-19 infections, Reuters reported.
Coronavirus news: Eli Lilly in deal to supply COVID-19 drugs to low-income countries
Eli Lilly and Co said on Thursday it had entered into an agreement with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation for potential supply of its experimental antibody treatments for COVID-19 to low and middle-income countries.
As part of the deal, Lilly said it will make antibody therapies available to lower-income countries prior to April 2021, but did not elaborate on the number of doses. Separately, Fujifilm Holdings Corp said its facility in Denmark would manufacture treatments next year.
Coronavirus news: Cuba opens most of country to tourism as enters "new normality"
Cuban Prime Minister Manuel Marrero said late on Thursday that most of the Caribbean island nation would open to international tourism starting next week as it moved towards a "new normality" after containing its coronavirus outbreak.
The country, which closed its borders six months ago in a bid to contain the spread of the virus, has been gradually opening up to tourism ahead of the November-March high season, first in the northern keys and then its Varadero beach resort.
Coronavirus news: Trump eyes return to rallies Saturday after doctor says COVID-19 therapy completed
President Donald Trump said on Thursday he may return to the campaign trail with a rally on Saturday after the White House physician said he had completed his course of therapy for the novel coronavirus and could resume public events.
In an interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity, Trump said he was likely to take a test for the coronavirus on Friday after testing positive for it a week ago. The White House has declined to say when the president last tested negative for COVID-19, Reuters reported.
Coronavirus news: McConnell avoids White House, citing laxity on masks, COVID-19 precautions
US Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, one of President Donald Trump's most powerful allies in Washington, has avoided visiting the White House for more than two months because of its handling of the coronavirus, he told reporters on Thursday.
The top Republican in Congress relies instead on phone conversations to discuss important issues such as COVID-19 economic stimulus legislation and Supreme Court moves with Trump, he told a news conference in Kentucky, his home state, reuters reported.
Coronavirus news: Takeda-led COVID-19 plasma treatment enters clinical trial with first patient
Japan's Takeda Pharmaceutical Co said on Friday an alliance of drugmakers it spearheads has enrolled its first patient in a global clinical trial of a blood plasma treatment for COVID-19 after months of regulatory delays.
The phase 3 trial by the group, known as the CoVIg Plasma Alliance, aims to enroll 500 adult patients from the United States, Mexico and 16 other countries, reuters reported.
Coronavirus news: China backs global COVAX vaccine facility to fight COVID-19
China's foreign ministry said on Friday the country has formally joined the global COVID-19 vaccine initiative known as COVAX, becoming the biggest economy to date to pledge support to help finance doses for low and middle-income countries.
A ministry statement did not give details on the level of support Beijing will provide, though President Xi Jinping in May pledged $2 billon over the next two years to help deal with the coronavirus pandemic that has claimed more than 1 million lives to date, reuters reported.
China says joins COVAX vaccine facility for COVID-19
China said on Friday it has formally joined the global COVID-19 vaccine facility known as COVAX, becoming the biggest economy to back the initiative to date.
Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said in a statement that China has ample COVID-19 vaccine manufacturing capabilities and will prioritise supplying developing countries when vaccines are ready.
The COVAX facility, led by the World Health Organization (WHO), aims to deliver at least 2 billion doses of vaccines by the end of 2021.
Sikkim reports 12 fresh COVID-19 cases, one fatality
Sikkim reported 12 fresh COVID-19 cases and one more coronavirus death on Thursday, an official said.
The state has 545 active cases, while 2,569 patients have recovered from the disease so far, she said. Eighty-one people have migrated migrated out of Sikkim.
The Himalayan state also reported the death of an 82 year-old woman at STNM Hospital due of the contagion, pushing the toll to 52, the official said.