Covid-19 Cases in India: The recovery rate was recorded at 98.20 per cent.
With 16,156 people testing positive for coronavirus infection in a day, India's total tally of COVID-19 cases rose to 3,42,31,809, while the active cases declined to 1,60,989, the lowest in 243 days, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Thursday.
The number of deaths climbed to 4,56,386 with 733 fresh fatalities, according to the data updated at 8 am.
The daily rise in new coronavirus infections has been below 30,000 for 34 straight days and less than 50,000 daily new cases have been reported for 123 consecutive days now.
The active cases comprise 0.47 per cent of the total infections, the lowest since March 2020, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate was recorded at 98.20 per cent, the highest since March 2020, the health ministry said.
Here are the updates on coronavirus (COVID-19) cases:
Covid Plan Needs $23.4 Billion Over Next Year: WHOThe World Health Organization said Thursday it needed $23.4 billion over the next 12 months for its plan to conquer Covid-19, urging the G20 to show some leadership and pay up, reported AFP.
WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus bluntly told the Group of 20 global powers, meeting this weekend in Rome, they could no longer leave poorer countries hanging out to dry in the pandemic.
Chinese City Mandates Covid Vaccine Booster Shots For Some WorkersBeijing city is demanding a COVID-19 vaccine booster shot for some key workers, making it the first key Chinese metropolis to publicly articulate a booster mandate, as the country combats a fresh outbreak caused by the highly transmissible Delta variant, reported Reuters.
Having vaccinated about 76% of its 1.41 billion population with complete doses as of Oct. 23, China is pushing eligible people to get an additional injection, in a bid to strengthen immunity.
UK To Remove Last 7 Countries From COVID-19 Travel "Red List"The UK will remove next week the last seven countries on its coronavirus "red list", which currently requires newly arrived travellers from these destinations to spend 10 days in hotel quarantine, transport minister Grant Shapps said on Thursday, reported Reuters.
The seven countries which will be removed from the list from Nov. 1 are Colombia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Haiti, Panama, Peru and Venezuela. Britain's chief medical officers ruled that they were no longer of concern.
Kerala Reports 708 More Covid Deaths, Total Count Crosses 30,000A day after it registered an uptick in daily fresh cases, Kerala on Thursday witnessed a decline, reporting 7,738 new COVID-19 infections and 708 related deaths which raised the caseload to 49,37,135 and the death count to 30,685. The state had logged 9,445 fresh infections yesterday.
Of the 708 deaths, 56 were reported in the last few days, 542 were those which were not confirmed until June 18 last year due to lack of adequate documentation and 110 were designated as COVID deaths after receiving appeals based on the new guidelines of the Centre and Supreme Court directions, a state government release said.
COVID-19 Live Updates: Karnataka Reports 478 New Cases, 17 More Deaths
COVID-19 India News: Maharashtra's Nashik Adds 70 New Cases, 2 DeathsSeventy people tested positive for COVID-19, while two died of the infection in Maharashtra's Nashik district on Thursday, an official said, reported news agency PTI. With this, the tally of infections in the district has reached 4,10,671 and the death count stood at 8,677, he said.
At least 142 patients were discharged from hospitals during the day, taking the count of recoveries to 4,01,343, the official said. Of the total cases reported so far, 2,31,226 were detected in Nashik city, 1,56,933 in other parts of the district, 12,675 in Malegaon and 5,921 from outside the district, it was stated.
A total of 27,26,273 swab samples have been tested till date, of which 4,517 were tested on Thursday, the official added.
COVID-19 News: Bengal Cops Take Strict Action Against Those Violating Covid NormsThe police are keeping a close watch on public movements in Kolkata, South 24 Parganas, North 24 Parganas and Hooghly - places that have largely contributed to the spike in COVID-19 cases post Durga puja -- and have arrested people in parts of the state for violating health protocols, reported news agency PTI.
At least 72 people have been arrested in South 24 Parganas for not wearing masks -- 30 in Narendrapur and 42 in Sonarpur, a police officer said. The state government has earmarked 24 containment zones in Sonarpur and Narendrapur, shutting down marketplaces and non-essential shops for three days to curb the spread of the disease.
At Chandannagar in Hooghly district, 16 wards have been declared as micro-containment zones and people without masks on roads were asked to do sit-ups in public, the officer said. In Barasat, North 24 Parganas, some locals were detained for flouting COVID norms. In the city, too, the police distributed masks and warned people of consequences for violating protocols, the officer added.
COVID-19 India News: Delhi Reports 42 Fresh Cases, Zero DeathDelhi recorded 42 new COVID-19 cases and zero death on Thursday, while the positivity rate was 0.07 per cent, according to data shared by the Delhi health department, news agency PTI reported. Delhi has recorded only four Covid-related deaths in October so far. Last month, five people had succumbed to the infection.
Forty-five patients were discharged in the last 24 hours, according to the bulletin. The infection tally in the city climbed to 14,39,751. Of this, over 14.14 lakh patients have recovered from the disease. The death count stands at 25,091, the bulletin said. Authorities conducted 63,174 tests, including 47,895 RT-PCR the previous day, according to the bulletin.
There are 345 active cases, down from 348 a day ago.
COVID-19 India News: Kerala Adds 708 New Fatalities, Total Deaths Cross 30,000A day after it registered an uptick in daily fresh cases, Kerala on Thursday witnessed a decline, reporting 7,738 new COVID-19 infections and 708 related deaths which raised the caseload to 49,37,135 and the death count to 30,685, reported news agency PTI. The state had logged 9,445 fresh infections yesterday.
Of the 708 deaths, 56 were reported in the last few days, 542 were those which were not confirmed until June 18 last year due to lack of adequate documentation and 110 were designated as COVID deaths after receiving appeals based on the new guidelines of the Centre and Supreme Court directions, a state government release said.
With 5,460 more people recovering from the virus since Wednesday, the total recoveries touched 48,36,928 and the active cases reached 78,122, the release said.
COVID-19 Live Updates: Moscow Locks Down As Virus Deaths Surge To New HighsRussia's capital Moscow has brought in its strictest COVID-19-related lockdown measures in more than a year on Thursday as nationwide one-day pandemic deaths and infections hit new highs amid slow vaccination take-up across the world's biggest country, reported Reuters.
Moscow's partial lockdown, in which only essential shops like pharmacies and supermarkets are allowed to remain open and schools and state kindergartens are shut, comes ahead of a week-long nationwide workplace shutdown from October 30.
Like Moscow, some regions decided to kick off their partial lockdowns on Thursday or even earlier in an effort to cut infection numbers ahead of the nationwide initiative.
COVID-19 India News: Odisha Reports 412 New Cases, 4 DeathsOdisha on Thursday registered 412 new COVID-19 cases, 137 less than the previous day, which pushed the coastal state's caseload to 10,40,230, while the death count mounted to 8,322 after four more patients succumbed to the infection, a health department official said, according to news agency PTI.
Of the 412 new cases, 63 are children and adolescents below the age of 18 years. The rate of infection among them stands at 15.29 per cent, the official said. Odisha currently has 4,747 active cases, while as many as 10,27,108 patients, including 334 on Wednesday, have recovered from the highly infectious disease.
COVID-19 Live Update: Centre Extends Containment Measures Till November 30The Centre on Thursday extended the nationwide COVID-19 containment measures till November 30 as there has been localised spread of the virus in a few states and the disease continues to be a public health challenge in the country, reported news agency PTI.
In a communication to chief secretaries of all states and union territories, Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla also said that existing protocols for curbing the spread of COVID-19 will continue till November 30.
Last month, he had said that there was a possibility that Covid-appropriate behaviour might not be adhered to strictly, especially during the festival season and hence it was critical to enforce guidelines which allowed regular festivities in a cautious, safe and Covid-appropriate manner.
COVID-19 News: 6th Sero Survey Shows Delhi Has Seropositivity Rate Of 97%: MinisterThe sixth serological survey showed that the national capital had a seropositivity rate of 97 per cent, Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain said on Thursday, reported news agency PTI. All districts were found to have a seroprevalence of more than 95 per cent, he said.
"Women had a higher seropositivity rate than men. Those aged below 18 had a seropositivity rate of 88 per cent, while those aged above 18 had a seropositivity rate of 97 to 98 per cent," Mr Jain told reporters.
The people who have been vaccinated had a seropositivity rate of over 97 per cent, while those who have not been inoculated had a seropositivity rate of 90 per cent, he added.
"This was the largest sero survey carried out and 28,000 samples were collected," he said.
COVID-19 News: Russia Reports Record Daily Covid Cases, Deaths
Russia on Thursday reported record numbers of daily coronavirus cases and deaths as Moscow shut down non-essential services for 11 days to combat the surge in infections, reported news agency AFP. The official government tally reported 40,096 new cases and 1,159 fatalities, as Europe's hardest-hit country struggles with low vaccination rates.
COVID-19 News: 139 Children Among 54 Fresh Cases In MizoramMizoram on Thursday reported 547 new COVID-19 cases, 193 less than the previous day, which raised the tally to 1,19,496, an official said, reported news agency PTI. At least 139 children are among the newly infected people, the official said. The death count climbed to 424 as two men, aged 91 years and 52 years, succumbed to the infection in Mamit district. Both of them had comorbidities, the official said.
Mizoram currently has 7,320 active cases as 991 more people recuperated from the disease on Wednesday, taking the total number of recoveries to 1,11,752. The recovery rate stands at 93.51 per cent and the death rate at 0.35 per cent. As many as 12.93 lakh sample tests have been conducted thus far, including 6,831 on Wednesday.
COVID-19 News: 32 Students Test Positive In Karnataka Residential School32 students have tested positive for COVID-19 at a residential school in Karnataka's Kodagu. The students include 10 girls and 22 boys, belonging to Classes 9-12. Initially, 22 students were found positive while 10 more were found infected later. Ten of them are symptomatic while the rest are not. The students are being treated at the district hospital. One staff member was also found infected and asymptomatic. All 270 students studying in the school have been tested.
The Principal of the school told NDTV that none of the students are critical and their condition is improving. He said the campus has been sanitized and other precautionary measures are being taken in a strict manner.
COVID-19 News: India's Vaccination Coverage Exceeds 104.04 Crore
COVID-19 News: Single-day Recoveries Surpass New Cases In Arunachal PradeshSingle-day COVID-19 recoveries outnumbered fresh cases in Arunachal Pradesh as 28 more persons recuperated from the disease, while six new infections pushed the tally to 55,120, a senior health department official said on Thursday, according to news agency PTI. The state currently has 115 active COVID-19 cases.
A total of 54,725 people have recovered from COVID-19 so far, including 28 on Wednesday, the official said. The recovery rate has improved marginally to 99.28% from 99.24% the previous day, State Surveillance Officer (SSO) Dr Lobsang Jampa said. The positivity rate currently stands at 0.69% while the percentage of active cases stood at 0.21 respectively.
The COVID-19 death count in the state remained at 280 as no fresh fatality was reported in the last 24 hours, the SSO said.
COVID-19 News: Israel Envoy Congratulates India For One Billion Vaccination Feat
Maharashtra Home Minister Dilip Walse Patil tests positive for coronavirus 2nd time in one year
Maharashtra Home Minister Dilip Walse Patil has tested positive for coronavirus for the second time in a year.
He had taken both the doses of vaccine against COVID-19.
Mr Walse Patil in a Twitter post on Thursday said after experiencing mild symptoms, he decided to get tested for COVID-19.
"I have tested positive. My condition is stable and I am following my doctor''s advice. I urge all those who came in contact with me during Nagpur & Amravati tour, & other programs, to get themselves tested," he tweeted.
The NCP leader had tested positive for the viral infection in October last year also.
On Wednesday, Maharashtra reported 1,485 new coronavirus cases and 38 fatalities, taking the tally of infectionas in the state to 66,06,536 and death toll reached 1,40,098, the state health department earlier said.
Coronavirus Updates: Ladakh reports eight new COVID-19 cases
Ladakh recorded eight fresh COVID-19 cases, taking the tally to 20,925 while the active cases in the union territory rose to 47, officials said.
Ladakh has registered 208 Covid-related deaths -- 150 in Leh and 58 in Kargil -- since the outbreak of the pandemic last year.
Two patients of coronavirus were cured and discharged from hospitals, taking the tally of cured patients to 20,670, they said.
Coronavirus Live Updates: India conducts over 12,90 lakh COVID-19 tests
Over 12.90 lakh COVID-19 tests were conducted in the country in the last 24 hours, informed the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) on Thursday.
With 12,90,900 samples tested on Wednesday to detect the presence of the virus, 60,44,98,405 COVID-19 tests have been conducted in the country so far.
Meanwhile, the Health Ministry on Wednesday informed that India reported 13,451 new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours.
With this, the active caseload in the country stands at 1,62,661, which is the lowest in 242 days.
Update| 16,156 fresh COVID-19 cases in India, 20% higher than yesterday
Maharashtra Home Minister Dilip Walse Dilip Walse Patil says he has tested positive for COVID-19 with mild symptoms.
Coronavirus Updates: Andaman and Nicobar reports 2 new COVID-19 cases
The union territory of Andaman and Nicobar Islands reported two new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, pushing the tally to 7,650, a health department official said on Thursday.
The archipelago had recorded zero COVID-19 cases on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday.
The union territory now has five active COVID-19 cases and all the patients are in the South Andaman district while the other two districts - North and Middle Andaman and Nicobar - are coronavirus free, the official said.
One more person recuperated from COVID-19, taking the total number of recoveries to 7,516, he said.
The COVID-19 death toll remained at 129 as no fresh fatality was reported in the last 24 hours.
Update| Total number of samples tested up to 27th October is 60,44,98,405 including 12,90,900 samples tested yesterday: Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR)
90% In Delhi Have Covid Antibodies, Shows Sero Survey: Sources More than 90 per cent of people in Delhi are carrying anti-bodies for coronavirus, sources said after the sixth sero-survey report of the national capital was prepped. Every district has registered no less than 85 per cent sero-positivity. More women than men have developed anti-bodies, sources said. The figure includes antibodies formed through vaccination, which has progressed at a rapid pace.
Till Sunday, more than two crore people in Delhi -- 86 per cent of the population -- received the first dose of vaccine. Nearly 48 per cent have received both doses.
Scientists are yet to be certain what percentage of antibody carrying population is required for herd immunity for Covid. The figure varies for various diseases.
The Delta variant had pushed the threshold for herd immunity to "well over 80 per cent and potentially approaching 90 per cent", according to an Infectious Diseases Society of America briefing in early August.
Centre's Door-To-Door Vaccination Campaign In Poor Performing Districts
Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Wednesday said 'Har Ghar Dastak' campaign will be launched over the next one month for door-to-door COVID-19 vaccination in poor performing districts to enthuse and motivate people towards full vaccination against the deadly infection.
"No district should be without full vaccination," he said during a national review meeting with health ministers of various states and Union territories (UTs), according to a statement by the health ministry.
"Har Ghar Dastak campaign to start soon in the poor performing districts to enthuse and motivate people towards full Covid vaccination. Let us aim to cover all eligible with the first dose of COVID-19 vaccine by end-November 2021," he said.
Antidepressant Fluvoxamine May Reduce Covid Hospitalisation Risk: Study
Treating high-risk Covid-19 patients with the antidepressant fluvoxamine may reduce the risk of prolonged hospitalisation by up to a third, a large-scale study showed Thursday.
Authors said the research could help boost low-cost protection against severe sickness or death in countries that have yet to receive adequate vaccine doses during a grossly uneven rollout.
Fluvoxamine is traditionally used to treat mental health conditions such as depression and obsessive-compulsive disorders and was selected for trial due to its anti-inflammatory properties.