India's coronavirus count crossed the seven lakh-mark on Monday, just four days after the number of infections in the country reached six lakh. 22,252 fresh cases and 467 deaths in the last 24 hours have pushed the total cases in the country to 7,19,665 and the death count to 20,160, figures from the Union Health Ministry this morning show.
India now trails only the United States and Brazil in the number of COVID-19 cases and it has recorded eight times as many cases as China, where the virus was first identified in late 2019. But its death rate per 10,000 people is still a low 0.15, compared with 3.97 in the United States and 6.65 in the United Kingdom, according to a Reuters tally
Here are the updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) Cases In India
At a time when the world is facing its biggest social, economic and health challenge in decades - the coronavirus pandemic - children across the globe are coming forward to do their bit, ensuring that the innate compassion for fellow humans remain intact even in the face of adversity. Take Delhi's 16-year-old twin sisters - Asheer and Asees Kandhari - for instance. Along with their teenage friends, Aman Banka and Aditya Dubey, they have been running a COVID-19 helpline without any donation. Read
At a time when Assam's coronavirus positive numbers are on the rise and Guwahati is facing a major spread of the virus, the Assam chapter of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) has written to Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday, urging the state health department not to take "whimsical decisions".
The IMA has expressed immense resentment over the recent changes in the policy of the government over the management of the COVID-19 situation.
"IMA strongly protests the government's order of engaging health workers and doctors in 11 days' continuous service in the COVID wards and thereafter only three days of quarantine before re-engaging them in COVID duties subject to testing negative for the disease," says the letter. Read
The Drug Controller General of India (DGCI) has raised concerns over black marketing and profiteering of Remdesivir, an antiviral drug prescribed for treatment of suspected or severe lab-confirmed cases of COVID-19. The DGCI has written to all states and union territories asking them to keep "strict vigil" and prevent sale of the drug above MRP.
"Immediate enforcement is needed to stop the sale of COVID-19 drug Remdesivir above MRP (maximum retail price)," the agency said, noting that unscrupulous persons were indulging in black marketing and over-pricing of the drug.
DGCI chief Dr VG Somani said complaints had been received from an Uttar Pradesh-based community engagement and social media platform via the Ministry of Health.
On Monday drug manufacturer Mylan NV said it would launch a generic version of Remdesivir, originally developed by the US-based Gilead Sciences Inc., in India. Read
Tamil Nadu: A Chennai based company claims that they've developed, 'Etticos #COVID19 Patient Care System', a device that can bridge the gap between COVID-19 patients&health workers. Vigneshwar, CEO says,"With this smart button a patient can easily communicate with health workers" pic.twitter.com/92Y8yif8oV
- ANI (@ANI) July 6, 2020
Hyderabad: P Vijayalaxmi, a 94-year-old woman who was undergoing treatment for #COVID19 at Gandhi Hospital was discharged from the hospital yesterday. #Telangana pic.twitter.com/dbgIuaiXqE
- ANI (@ANI) July 6, 2020
India recorded 425 deaths coronavirus-linked deaths in the previous 24 hours, Health Ministry data showed Monday morning. Only one country recorded more - Brazil with 602.
The United States, which is the country worst affected by the COVID-19 pandemic with nearly 29 lakh infections, was third on that list with 271 deaths.
Overall India has reported 19,693 COVID-19-related deaths, compared to 64,867 by Brazil and 1,29,947 by the United States.
India's fatality rate - number of deaths as a percentage of total cases - was 2.8 per cent this morning. This compares well to 3 per cent a week ago and 3.2 per cent two weeks ago. Read