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New Delhi:
The number of recovered COVID-19 patients crossed the 10-lakh mark on Thursday and is now 1.9 times the total active cases, the Union Health Ministry said.
The coronavirus positivity rate in Rajasthan is 3.5 per cent, Punjab 3.9 per cent, Madhya Pradesh 4 per cent, and Jammu and Kashmir 4.7 per cent, officer on Special Duty in the Health Ministry Rajesh Bhushan said.
In Delhi, The coronavirus tally went past 1.34 lakh with 1,093 fresh cases, even as the city government constituted four committees of medical specialists who will inspect hospitals from where a large percentage of COVID-19 fatalities are still being reported.
Meanwhile, Brazil's first lady, Michelle Bolsonaro was also tested positive for the new coronavirus, after her husband spent two weeks in quarantine with it.
The announcement came five days after President Jair Bolsonaro said he was over his illness and resumed his normal work routine.
Michelle Bolsonaro, 38, "is in good health and will follow all established protocols," the president's office said.
Here are the Highlights on Coronavirus (COVID-19) Cases:
Odisha's COVID-19 Cases Cross 31,000-Mark, Death Count At 177
Odisha's COVID-19 caseload crossed the 31,000-mark on Friday with 1,499 more people testing positive for the infection, while eight more fatalities pushed the death count due to the disease to 177 in the state, a health official said.
The fresh cases were reported from 29 of the state's 30 districts, he said.
With an average 827 new cases being added to the tally every day in July, the virus count in the state now stands at 31,877, the official said.
Odisha reported the third-highest single-day spike in COVID-19 cases on Friday. The state registered the highest single-day spike of 1,594 cases on July 3 and the second- highest spike of 1,503 infections on July 26.
Karnataka Minister BC Patil Tests Positive For COVID-19
Karnataka Minister BC Patil on Friday said that he has tested positive for coronavirus.
"The report has confirmed me to be corona positive. I am in home quarantine at my residence in Bangalore," he said in a tweet.
"During a recent visit to Koppal district, five of the staff members who accompanied me were reported to be coronavirus positive," he tweeted.
Meanwhile, a total of 5,483 new COVID-19 cases and 84 deaths were reported in Karnataka, the state's health department informed on Friday.
Noida Cinema Halls, Gyms To Remain Closed Till August 31
All cinema halls, gyms, swimming pools and amusement parks will remain closed till August 31, said Noida Police.
Except for medical services and essential emergencies, other movements are prohibited in the containment zone.
No person will visit public places without a mask/face cover while spitting in public places will be forbidden.
Out of the total 81,039 cases so far, the state currently has 32,649 active cases. As many as 46,803 have been cured. The state also saw 1,587 deaths till now.
826 new cases and 2 new deaths have been reported in Jharkhand today. Total number of cases rise to 11,314 including 6,894 active cases, 4,314 recovered and discharged cases and 106 deaths: State Health Department
336 new COVID-19 positive cases and 3 deaths have been reported in Chhattisgarh today. Total number of cases now at 9,192 including 2,908 active cases, 6,230 discharged cases and 54 deaths: State Health Department
1,862 new COVID-19 cases detected out of 38324 tests in 24 hrs. Positivity rate at 4.85%. Total number of cases now at 40,269 including 29,080 discharged cases, 11,088 active cases and 98 deaths: Himanta Biswa Sarma, Assam Health Minister
1,147 new COVID-19 cases reported from Rajasthan
A total of 1,147 new COVID-19 cases and 13 deaths have been reported from Rajasthan as of 8 pm on Friday, the state's health department informed.
The total number of cases in Rajasthan now stands at 42,083, including 11,558 active cases and 29,845 recoveries.
So far, 680 deaths have been reported from the state.
Bihar COVID-19 Tally Breaches 50,000-Mark With Highest One-Day Spike Of 2,986 Cases
Bihar recorded its biggest one-day spike of 2,986 COVID-19 cases on Friday, which pushed the state's tally to 50,987, the health department said. Thirteen more fatalities in the state raised the coronavirus death toll to 298, the department said.
The COVID-19 tally in Bihar has witnessed more than five-fold increase since the beginning of the month, while the deaths nearly quadrupled during the period.
Patna reported the maximum number of fresh cases at 535, raising the count in the district to 8,764. Other districts recording a sizeable number of new cases include Gaya at 126, Madhubani at 122, Muzaffarpur at 125, Nalanda at 146, Rohtas at 156 and Vaishali at 123.
Rajasthan Governor calls upon people who have recovered from COVID to donate plasma
Rajasthan Governor Kalraj Mishra on Friday called upon people who have recovered from COVID-19 to come forward and donate plasma for the treatment of other patients suffering from the novel coronavirus.
"Plasma therapy is an effective treatment of the coronavirus. Plasma is taken from the person who has recovered. Around 27,000 persons who were infected have recovered in the state," he was quoted as saying in a release.
Mr Mishra said donating plasma by those who have recovered will help in the treatment of critical COVID-19 patients.
Chhattisgarh's COVID-19 count crosses 9,000-mark with 230 new cases
Chhattisgarh's COVID-19 count rose to 9,086 with 230 people testing positive on Friday, while the deaths reached 53 after two people died, a health official said.
Of the fresh cases, 132 were from Raipur, 23 from Kondagaon, 19 from Durg, 17 from Rajnandgaon, nine from Mahasamund, six from Korba, four each from Balrampur, Bastar and Balodabazar, three from Bilaspur and two from Jangir-Champa, he said.
India, Israel Conducting Trials For Rapid Testing That Detects COVID In 30 Seconds
Israel and India are conducting trials in New Delhi on a large sample of patients for four different kinds of technologies that have the potential to detect COVID-19 in about 30 seconds, including a breath analyser and a voice test, according to an Israeli statement. Read more
Human Clinical Trial Of COVID-19 Vaccine "Covaxin" Begins At UP Hospital
The human clinical trial of indigenously developed Covaxin, a possible vaccine against coronavirus, began at a hospital here, officials said on Friday. Read more
The human clinical trial of indigenously developed Covaxin, a possible vaccine against coronavirus, began at a hospital here, officials said on Friday. Read more
Odisha Opens Third Plasma Bank
Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik inaugurated the third plasma bank at Rourkela on Friday and said the state has collected 70 units of plasma in a fortnight for the treatment of critically ill COVID-19 patients.
Mr Patnaik, who inaugurated the plasma bank at Ispat General Hospital in Rourkela through video conferencing, said eight patients have so far been discharged from hospitals in the state after being cured of coronavirus through plasma therapy.
Seventeen other patients are improving after undergoing the new medical procedure, he said.
Vice-President M Venkaiah Naidu Urges People To Follow COVID-19 Guidelines Amid Eid Celebrations
Vice-President M Venkaiah Naidu, in his greeting to the country on the occasion of Eid al-Adha, urged people to celebrate the festival while following COVID-19 safety protocol, a statement from the Vice-President's Secretariat informed.
"I extend all my warm greetings and good wishes to the people of our country on the auspicious occasion of Id-ul-Zuha. Id-ul-Zuha is a celebration of unswerving devotion to God and the boundless compassion and loves the Almighty has for His creation. The festival inspires us to inculcate empathy, practice sacrifice and promote peace and universal brotherhood. As India and the world continue to fight a relentless battle against the spread of COVID-19 pandemic, we have been forced to celebrate almost all of our traditional festivals, which were otherwise celebrated with great splendour, at home in a more subdued manner," the statement quoted the Vice-President.
Total Lockdown Extended In Kohima Till August 7 As COVID-19 Cases Spike
The total lockdown in Kohima was extended by a week till August 7, officials said on Friday.
The decision to extend the total lockdown, which was ending at midnight, was taken at an emergency meeting of Kohima District Task Force (DTF), they said.
The restrictions were imposed on July 25 to stem the spread of the coronavirus.
The extension of the total lockdown was necessitated after taking into consideration the recent surge in the COVID-19 cases in the district, stated an order issued by Deputy Commissioner Gregory Thejawelie, who is also the chairman of the task force.
Delhi Government's Five-Day Sero-Survey To Begin Saturday
The next round of sero-prevalence survey in the national capital is slated to begin on Saturday, with authorities gearing up for the five-day exercise to comprehensively analyse the COVID-19 situation in Delhi. Read more
At 2.18%, India's COVID-19 Fatality Rate Among Lowest: Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan
India's COVID-19 case fatality rate is progressively declining and now stands at 2.18 per cent, one of the lowest globally, while just 0.28 per cent of the total active patients are on ventilator, Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan said on Friday.
He also said of the total 5,45,318 active cases, 1.61 per cent patients need ICU care and 2.32 per cent are on oxygen support.
Chairing the 19th meeting of the Group of Ministers (GoM) on COVID-19 through video-conference on Friday, Mr Vardhan said India has achieved the milestone of more than 10 lakh recoveries, a recovery rate to 64.54 per cent.
"This shows that the active cases under medical supervision are only 33.27 pc or approximately 1/3rd of total positive cases," he was quoted as saying in a health ministry statement.
UK To "Put Brakes On" Reopening As Coronavirus Cases Rise
Britain on Friday "put the brakes on" easing lockdown measures and imposed new rules on millions of households in northern England, following concerns over a spike in coronavirus infections. Read here
Gymnasiums, Yoga Centres To Open In Punjab; Night Curfew To Continue
The Punjab government on Friday allowed gymnasiums and yoga centres to operate while continuing with the night curfew for the next phase of the coronavirus lockdown from August 1 to 31.
Schools, colleges and coaching institutions will remain closed till August 31 while online or distance learning will continue.
Cinema halls, swimming polls, entertainment parks, theatres, bars, auditoriums, assembly halls and similar places will not be permitted to open.
The revised guidelines have been issued by the state government two days after the Union Home Ministry allowed more relaxations in a bid to further open up the economy.
105-Year-Old Afghan Woman, Living In Noida, Recovers From Coronavirus
A 105-year-old woman from Afghanistan was discharged from a hospital in Greater Noida on Friday after recovering from COVID-19 in a fortnight, officials said. Read more
A 105-year-old woman from Afghanistan was discharged from a hospital in Greater Noida on Friday after recovering from COVID-19 in a fortnight, officials said. Read more
Train Passenger Tests Positive For Covid-19, Deboarded And Sent To Kochi Hospital
A 29-year-old man, who tested positive for coronavirus, was admitted to the government medical college hospital in Kochi on Friday after he was deboarded from the train he was travelling from Kozhikode.
The coach of the Kozhikode-Thiruvananthapuram Jan Shatabdi Express in which he was travelling was disinfected and sealed after accommodating his over 20 co-passengers to another coach when the train reached Ernakulam North railway station, a railway official said.
Nitish Kumar's August 7 Virtual Rally Postponed Due To COVID-19, Floods
A much-anticipated virtual rally of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar next week, where he was expected to sound the bugle for assembly polls, has been put off for the time being in view of raging problems of Covid-19 and floods in the state, a top JD(U) leader said in Patna on Friday.Read more
A much-anticipated virtual rally of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar next week, where he was expected to sound the bugle for assembly polls, has been put off for the time being in view of raging problems of Covid-19 and floods in the state, a top JD(U) leader said in Patna on Friday.Read more
Doctor Gives A Peek Into Bengaluru's Enormous COVID Care Centre
Bengaluru's enormous COVID Care Centre with a capacity for 10,000 beds has started functioning with a few hundred asymptomatic patients. Read here
Bengaluru's enormous COVID Care Centre with a capacity for 10,000 beds has started functioning with a few hundred asymptomatic patients. Read here
UP Conducts Average 97,516 COVID-19 Tests In Last Three Days
With COVID-19 tests in full swing in Uttar Pradesh, the state has averaged 97,516 testings in last three days, said Alok Kumar, Secretary to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister on Friday.
"UP govt registered a new high of 115,618 in COVID-19 testing. Last three days average 97,516. Along with this, we traced maximum infection in a day 4,453. Our priority remains to minimise the deaths due to COVID-19, cumulative CFR goes down below 2.0" Alok Kumar tweeted on Friday.
JustIn| Delhi Lt Governor cancels Arvind Kejriwal government's move allowing hotels, weekly markets on trial basis in Unlock3
JustIn| Delhi records 1,195 fresh coronavirus cases, taking tally to 1,35,598; number of deaths rises to 3,963, says Authorities: Press Trust India
43 COVID-19 Deaths, Highest Single-Day Spike Of 4,453 Cases In UP
Uttar Pradesh on Friday reported the highest single-day spike of 4,453 COVID-19 cases and 43 deaths due to the disease, taking the infection tally to more than 85,000 and the number of deaths to 1,630 in the state.
"In the past 24 hours, 4,453 fresh cases of COVID-19 cases were found. There are 34,968 active cases in the state and 48,663 patients have been discharged after treatment," Additional Chief Secretary, Medical and Health, Amit Mohan Prasad told reporters.
Sikkim Extends Lockdown Till August 3
The Sikkim government on Friday extended the complete lockdown in the state till August 3 in view of a spurt in COVID-19 cases, a senior official said.
As per the revised guidelines from the Home Department, the lockdown remains extended till 6 am on August 3, a notification issued by Chief Secretary S C Gupta said.
A set of revised guidelines with regard to restrictions on movement and gathering of people, however, will come into force on August 3 and will be applicable till August 31, he said.
Coronavirus News: Delhi Government's Five-Day Sero-Survey To Begin Saturday
The next round of sero-prevalence survey in the national capital is slated to begin on Saturday, with authorities gearing up for the five-day exercise to comprehensively analyse the COVID-19 situation in Delhi.
Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain on July 22 had announced that after analysing the results of the last survey, it was decided that more such exercises would be done every month to formulate better policies for tackling the COVID-19 situation in the national capital.
The next sero-prevalence survey is scheduled to take place from August 1-5.
Japan secures 120 million doses of potential corona-vaccine: German pharmaceutical group
Japan has signed a deal to secure 120 million doses of a potential coronavirus vaccine, German pharmaceutical group BioNTech, which is developing the drug with US pharma giant Pfizer, said Friday.
Financial details of the deal were not disclosed, with BioNTech saying the terms were based on the timing of the delivery and volume of doses.
But an agreement announced recently between the labs and the United States put the price of 100 million doses of the potential vaccine at almost $2 billion.
Karnakata CM BS Yediyurappa & state Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai today met Governor Vajubhai Vala & discussed about the present COVID-19 situation in the state, & explained the actions taken by the govt to control the COVID-19: Raj Bhavan pic.twitter.com/bMi3PZLyWy
- ANI (@ANI) July 31, 2020
COVID-19 recovery rate stands at 64.54%: Centre
The country's COVID-19 recovery rate now stands at 64.54 per cent, Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan has said.
"In the last 24 hours, we have crossed the 1-million mark of patients who have recovered from COVID-19. Today we have 10,57,805 people who have recovered. The total number of cases across the country now stands at 16,38,870 cases," Dr Harsh Vardhan says at the Group of Ministers (GoM) meeting in Delhi.
He adds, "Two-third of the cases have recovered and have gone home. The fatality rate is also coming down and today it stands at 2.18 per cent. The recovery rate has improved to 64.54 per cent. The doubling rate is right now standing at 21 days."
Britain imposes new lockdown rules around Manchester
Millions of households in Manchester and nearby parts of northern England woke up to new lockdown rules on Friday, hastily imposed following concerns over a spike in regional coronavirus infections.
Under the measures, people from different households in the affected areas are banned from meeting indoors.
They apply to some four million people across Greater Manchester and parts of the counties of Lancashire and Yorkshire.
China Rejects Accusations Of Hackers Targeting US COVID-19 Vaccine Firm ModernaChina rejected on Friday charges that hackers linked to its government targeted biotech firm Moderna Inc, a leading US-based coronavirus vaccine research developer, to steal data.
74 new COVID-19 cases in Arunachal, count rises to 1,484
In Arunachal Pradesh, 74 more people, including five security personnel, have tested positive for COVID-19, taking the state's count to 1,484, a Health Department official has said.
Of the fresh cases, 21 were reported from the Capital Complex region, 17 from Changlang district, 10 from Lower Subansiri, nine from Namsai, seven from Tawang, four from Papum Pare and one each from East Kameng, East Siang, Lohit, Dibang Valley, Siang and Tirap, State Surveillance Officer Dr L Jampa said.
Arunachal Pradesh now has 654 active cases, while 827 people have recovered from the disease and three have died of it.
Vietnam reports first coronavirus death after months of successful countermeasures
Vietnam recorded its first death from COVID-19 after winning plaudits worldwide for one of the most successful pandemic responses to containing the novel coronavirus outbreak.
The country of 96 million had gone 100 days without infection before an unexpected cluster of new cases surfaced in the central and popular resort city of Danang a week ago.
Vietnam's health ministry today reported 45 new infections in the city, marking the country's biggest single-day jump in cases since the beginning of the pandemic.
Rajasthan reports seven more COVID-19 deaths, 362 fresh cases
The COVID-19 death count in Rajasthan has reached 674 as seven more people died due to the disease, while 362 fresh cases pushed the infection count to 41,298, a health department official said.
Four deaths were reported from Bikaner, two from Ajmer and one from Barmer, he said. In Jaipur, the total death count due to COVID-19 stands at 184.
Fiji records first COVID-19 death of man who returned from India
Fiji announced its first coronavirus death Friday, but health officials assured people in the Pacific island nation that it was not the precursor to a major outbreak.
Health Minister Ifereimi Waqainabete said the victim was a 66-year-old man who tested positive after returning from India, where he had undergone surgery for a long-standing heart condition.
He said the man was one of nine active cases who had been held in quarantine since they were repatriated from India on July 1.
Dutch airline to cut upto 5,000 jobs due to coronavirus
Dutch airline KLM said Friday it would shed up to 5,000 jobs due to a "crisis of unprecedented magnitude" caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
The carrier, part of the Air France KLM group, said the cuts through the end of 2021 were necessary as it had made huge losses despite a 3.4-billion-euro ($4.0-billion) Dutch government bailout.
The cuts would involve around 1,500 compulsory layoffs from KLM's current workforce of 33,000, the airline said.
Delhi: Group of Ministers (GoM) meeting under the chairmanship of Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan on #COVID19, is underway, through video conferencing. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar & Union Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri also present. pic.twitter.com/VynaKkn0Mr
- ANI (@ANI) July 31, 2020
Four states failed to pay COVID-19 frontline workers on time, Centre tells Top Court: Report
The Centre has informed the Supreme Court that Punjab, Maharashtra, Tripura and Karnataka have not made timely payment to frontline COVID-19 healthcare workers and doctors despite its direction, according to news agency ANI.
The top court has asked the Centre to do needful to ensure that salaries of health workers involved in coronavirus fight are paid on time.
Careless Young People Driving Some COVID-19 Spikes: WHOThe World Health Organization on Thursday warned that spikes in coronavirus transmission in a number of countries were being driven by young people "letting down their guard".
Aam Aadmi Party to protest against Punjab's decision to sell plasma
Harpal Singh Cheema, the Aam Aadmi Party MLA from Dirba in Punjab, has called for a state-wide strike in protest against the Punjab government's decision to sell plasma units from its plasma bank to private hospitals.
"The government's decision to sell the plasma of recovered patients to private hospitals at Rs 20,000 a unit is wrong. The state is literally sucking the blood of its people," he said.
He said this would put a heavy burden on patients who are affected by the virus.
US counts nearly 1,400 deaths in 24 hours: Report
The United States counted 1,379 new deaths from the coronavirus in the 24 hours leading up to 8:30 pm Thursday (0030 GMT Friday), according to a count by Johns Hopkins University.
It was the third day in a row with more than 1,200 deaths, according to the Baltimore-based school.
The US has tallied a total of 151,826 deaths from COVID-19, making it the hardest-hit country in the world. There were also 72,238 new infections officially recorded on Thursday, meaning the US has seen a total of nearly 4.5 million infections since the beginning of the pandemic, with at least 1.4 million of them having recovered.
Over 55,000 coronavirus cases in 24 hours take count to 16.38 lakh in India
Over 55,000 coronavirus cases were recorded in the biggest one-day jump in India. There are 16.38 lakh total cases so far with 35,747 deaths in the country due to COVID-19.
Over 17 million people infected with COVID-19 worldwide: Report
Six months after the World Health Organization (WHO) declared a global emergency, the novel coronavirus has infected more than 17 million people worldwide.
The WHO warned Thursday that young people are "not invincible" and were helping to drive resurgences in many places that had largely curbed the disease.
COVID-19 has killed more than 668,000 people and is forcing governments into a persistent balancing act between saving lives and preventing economic devastation.
Coronavirus Load In Children Up To 100 Times High Than In Adults: ReportChildren younger than five carried major amounts of coronavirus in their upper respiratory tract, a small study published on Thursday showed, raising new questions about whether kids can infect others.
Brazil's first lady tests positive for coronavirus
Brazil's first lady Michelle Bolsonaro tested positive for the new coronavirus Thursday, the government said, after her husband spent two weeks in quarantine with it.
The announcement came five days after President Jair Bolsonaro said he was over his illness and had resumed his normal work routine.
Michelle Bolsonaro, 38, "is in good health and will follow all established protocols," the president's office said.
Coronavirus news: Five Army, one Navy jawans among 103 new COVID-19 cases in Himachal Pradesh; tally 2,507
Himachal Pradesh reported 103 new COVID-19 cases including those of five Army and one navy jawans on Thursday, taking the infection tally to 2,507 in the state.
Among the fresh cases, 35 were reported from Solan, 24 from Mandi, 22 from Sirmaur, nine from Kangra, six from Shimla, three from Una, two from Kullu and one each from Kinnaur and Bilaspur, Additional Chief Secretary (Health) R D Dhiman said. In Kangra, the fresh cases include three Army and one Navy jawans, Deputy Commissioner Rakesh Prajapati said.
Besides a 45-year-old employee of CSIR, Palampur also tested positive, PTI reported.
Coronavirus news: 3,658 new coronavirus cases found in Pune district
The Pune district reported 3,658 new coronavirus cases on Thursday, taking the case tally to 81,771, a health official said.
The death count due to the pandemic in the district rose to 1,922 with 64 patients dying, PTI reported.
Coronavirus news: Jharkhand extends lockdown restrictions outside containment zones till Aug 31
The Jharkhand government on Thursday extended the lockdown restrictions due to COVID-19 outside the containment zones till August 31.
An official notification also issued directions to departments concerned for strict implementation of guidelines and state directives on COVID-19, PTI reported.
