India Coronavirus Cases: India is second only to the United States in terms of total infections (File)
With a jump of 54,044 fresh Covid-19 cases in the last 24 hours, India's coronavirus tally touched 76.5 lakh, government data shows. The country also recorded 717 deaths related to the viral disease in this period, taking the total number of deaths to 1,15,914 so far.
India recorded less than 50,000 new Covid cases on Tuesday for the first time since July end. The country has been reporting a steady decline in its daily coronavirus infections after reaching a peak of about 90,000 cases a day in September.
The daily recoveries have consistently remained higher than new infections since mid-September when Indias Covid infections peaked.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday warned the nation against any laxity in the vigilance against coronavirus ahead of the festive season, saying all safety measures must be observed till a vaccine for the contagion is found.
In a special address to the nation as the festival season begins, PM Modi said, "Till the time we get a vaccine shot, we absolutely cannot be complacent about the pandemic".
India, he said, is working on two or three possible vaccines and "we are trying our best to get a vaccine, as is the rest of the world".
"I want to let you know that once we get a vaccine, everyone will get it in a planned, phased and fast manner," he added.
"Till the time we do not get the vaccine, if behave even a little irresponsibly, we can harm ourselves and all those around us. Wear masks, maintain 'Do gaz ki doori (six-feet distance), wash hands regularly, use sanitisers and do not venture out unless absolutely necessary," he added.
On Sunday, Union Health Minister Dr Harshvardhan said two firms - the Serum Institute of India and Bharat Biotech -- are expected to begin late stage clinical trials of their vaccines after they receive approval.
Here are the Updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) Cases:
Coronavirus update: Odisha witnesses over 43% decline in road accident deaths during lockdown
Fatalities due to road accidents in Odisha have decreased by 43.5 per cent in four months of lockdown from April to July, according to the State Transport Authority (STA).
Coronavirus update: COVID-19 pandemic provided learning curve to be more resilient, prepared for future, Says Dr Harsh Vardhan
The coronavirus pandemic has provided a learning curve for us to be better prepared for the future, said Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan.
Dr Harsh Vardhan was addressing the World Bank- International Monetary Fund (IMF) annual meeting on Wednesday based on the theme -- "Unleashing the South Asian Century through Human Capital for All" and "Investing in COVID-19 Vaccines and Primary Healthcare Delivery System".
Coronavirus update: Spain's COVID-19 cases tally surpasses 1 million
The number of COVID-19 cases in Spain has reached 1,005,295m with 6,114 cases being registered over the past 24 hours, making the European country the sixth nation globally to confirm over 1 million infections, the Health Ministry data showed on Wednesday.
Coronavirus update: Rome and Italy's Lazio region to impose nighttime curfew
Italy's Lazio region, which includes the capital Rome, became the third in the country to institute a curfew on Wednesday, in an effort to contain dramatically rising coronavirus cases.
The new decree came after Italy reported 15,199 new coronavirus infections on Wednesday, its highest ever one-day count, as Europe battles a surge in coronavirus cases.
Coronavirus update: Bengal logs record 4,069 new infections
COVID-19 cases continued to surge in West Bengal as the state reported the highest single-day spike of 4,069 cases on Wednesday, pushing the tally to 3,33,126, the health department said in a bulletin.
Coronavirus update: Odisha reports 1,931 new COVID-19 cases, 13 more fatalities
Odisha on Wednesday reported 1,931 new COVID-19 cases, which took the tally in the coastal state to 2,74,181, while 13 fresh fatalities pushed the death count to 1,181, a health department official said.
The state also registered recovery of 2,716 patients taking the number of cured people to 2,54,913, which is 92.97 per cent of the total caseload.
Coronavirus update: Polish PM recommends nation-wide "red zone" lockdown
Poland's prime minister said Wednesday he wanted "red zone" lockdown measures to be extended to the entire country amid a record spike in infections.
"I will recommend that from Saturday all of Poland will become a 'red zone," Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki told the private Polsat TV station ahead of a crisis team meeting that will decide on the measure.
Coronavirus update: IIT Kharagpur's low cost COVID-19 testing method gets ICMR nod
A team of researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology in Kharagpur has developed a low-cost portable unit for rapid diagnostics of coronavirus, which produces results in under an hour.
According to the IIT team, the unit called COVIRAP has been approved by the Indian Council for Medical Research and various commercial units have already approached them for technology licensing, ANI reported.
Assam reports 701 new COVID-19 cases and 1664 discharges today. Total cases in the state rise to 2,02,774, including 1,76,075 discharges and 889 deaths. Active cases 25,807: State Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma
Mumbai reported 1,609 new coronavirus case and 48 deaths today, taking total cases to 2,45,871 including 2,15,269 recoveries and 9,869 deaths. Number of active cases in the city stands at 19,245: Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, Maharashtra
Mumbai reported 1,609 new coronavirus case and 48 deaths today, taking total cases to 2,45,871 including 2,15,269 recoveries and 9,869 deaths. Number of active cases in the city stands at 19,245: Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, Maharashtra
Number of active cases reaches 2,636 in Himachal Pradesh; death toll stands at 274: State Health Department
Madhya Pradesh reported 1,118 new COVID-19 cases, 1,222 recoveries and 17 deaths today, taking total cases to 1,63,296 including 1,48,082 recoveries, 12,386 active cases and 2,828 deaths: State Health Department
Maharashtra reports 8,142 new COVID-19 cases, 180 deaths and 23,371 discharges in the last 24 hours, as per the state's Public Health Department.
Total cases in the state rise to 16,17,658, including 42,633 deaths and 14,15,679 recovered patients. Active cases stand at 1,58,852.
Karnataka reported 5,872 new COVID-19 cases (2,717 cases in Bengaluru), 9,289 discharges and 88 deaths in the last 24 hours, taking active cases to 1,00,440, discharges to 67,1618 and death toll to 10,696: State Health Department
Kerala reports 8,369 new COVID-19 cases, taking active cases in the state to 93,425. A total of 2,67,082 people have recovered till now: Government of Kerala
Jammu and Kashmir reports 624 new COVID-19 cases and 5 deaths today. The total positive cases in the UT rises to 89,582 with 8,088 active cases, 80,092 recoveries, and 1,402 deaths: Government of Jammu and Kashmir
COVID-19: Over 5,180 Passengers Of Delhi Metro Penalised In Last 3 Weeks Of September For Norms ViolationOver 5,180 passengers of Delhi Metro were penalised for Rs 200 each for creating nuisance inside the premises of the network after being pointed out for not covering face with mask or wearing it improperly, officials said on Wednesday.
The metro resumed full operations from September 12 and since then people have broadly co-operated with the DMRC and have followed all new travel protocols.
However, there have been violation of norms by many commuters reported in September, as per data shared by the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation.
"Under Section 59 of the Delhi Metro Operation & Maintenance Act, 2002, as many as 5,181 passengers were penalised for Rs 200 each for creating nuisance inside metro premises on being pointed out for not wearing masks or wearing improperly, through a special drive conducted from September 11-30," a senior official said.
He said 13 cases of spitting were also reported.
"Social distancing was broadly found to be followed by passengers. Around 7,500 people were also counselled to adhere to social distancing norms and wear masks properly for their own and everyone else''s safety," the official said.
The national capital recorded 41 COVID-19 fatalities on Tuesday, taking the death count to 6,081, while 3,579 fresh cases took the infection tally to over 3.36 lakh.
COVID-19: Delhi Directs Clubs, Hotels, Liquor Shops To Ensure Strict Compliance Of SOPsThe Delhi government's excise department has directed clubs, hotels, liquor shops and restaurants to ensure strict compliance of standard operating procedures (SOPs) to be followed to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
Assistant commissioner (enforcement) has been asked to deploy teams to check compliance of SOPs at bars in hotels, clubs and restaurants.
An official said the department was taking action against those not following COVID-appropriate behaviour such as wearing masks and maintaining social distancing.
"All licensees of the excise department, GNCT of Delhi are hereby directed to ensure COVID-19 appropriate behaviour i.e wearing masks, washing hands regularly and maintaining social distancing and other relevant directions contained in the SOPs by their employees and their customers in letter and spirit at the licensed premises," the department said in an order.
Last month, the Delhi Disaster Management Authority had issued SOPs while allowing reopening of hotels, clubs and restaurants with only 50 per cent of the approved seating capacity.
According to the SOPs, no standing customer has to be served liquor and all establishments also have to ensure provision for sanitiser dispenser and thermal scanning at the entrance.
"Effective and frequent sanitisation within premises shall be done at regular intervals with particular focus on lavatories, drinking and handwashing areas. Rooms, other service areas, seats/tables will be sanitised each time a customer leaves," the DDMA had said in its SOPs last month.
Over 3,000 People Arrested For Flouting COVID-19 Protocol, Not Wearing Masks: Kolkata PoliceThe Kolkata Police has arrested over 3,000 people in the last 10 days for flouting COVID-19 protocol and not wearing masks, a senior officer said on Wednesday.
Besides, intensifying vigil in and around the city, Kolkata Police between October 11 to 20 has arrested at least 3,418 people for not wearing face masks to check the spread of coronavirus, the officer said.
"... We are trying to raise the awareness level of the people about wearing masks during this ongoing pandemic. But some people have taken this thing very casually and violating the norms. And now with the Durga Puja around and with doctors cautioning we have enhanced the vigil and started being strict with such violators," the senior Kolkata Police officer said.
The maximum number of 734 arrests were made on October 18, while on Tuesday there were 495 arrests.
Apart from the Naka checkings, police were arresting people from places in and around the market and shopping malls which have been witnessing people gathering in large numbers for Durga Puja shopping.
Tripura Reports 112 New Covid Cases, One More DeathAt least 112 people tested positive for COVID-19 in Tripura on Wednesday, pushing the tally to 29,800, a health department official said.
The death count rose to 329 with one more patient succumbing to the infection, he said.
West Tripura district, of which state capital Agartala is a part, has accounted for 174 of the 329 COVID-19 deaths.
Tripura currently has 2,458 active coronavirus cases, while 26,990 people have recovered from the disease.
Twenty-three patients have migrated to other states, the official said.
Altogether 265 people were on Tuesday discharged from GB Pant hospital, the main referral facility in the state for COVID-19 patients.
As many as 4,38,337 samples have been tested for the infection in the northeastern state so far, he added.
Assam's Kaziranga Reopens Today After Longest Shutdown In Its HistoryAssam's iconic Kaziranga National Park reopened today for tourists with all COVID-19 safety norms in place. The almost seven-month closure since March because of coronavirus lockdown and then the monsoon has been the longest in its 112-year history.
For now, only jeep safaris are allowed. The elephant safaris and other activities will start from November 1.
Home to the rare one-horned rhinoceroses and tigers, besides other wild life, the Kaziranga Park was formally opened by Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal today morning.
Kaziranga Park Director P Shivkumar explained the rules of resumption of tourist activity in the park amid the pandemic.
Read Elderly Couple Reunites After 7 Months Apart In Pandemic. Keep Tissues HandyA couple married for more than 60 years were reunited after seven months apart during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. The heartwarming moment that Joseph and Eve met each other again after being separated for 215 days was recorded by staff members of an assisted living facility in Florida.
The Rosecastle facility at Delaney Creek said that Joseph was in rehab after undergoing surgery in March. His wife Eve joined him at the assisted living centre and retirement home, but due to coronavirus-induced restrictions, the two were not able to meet in person until he recovered fully.
Read Calcutta High Court's Puja Pandal 'No-Entry Zone' Order Partially Eased
A day before Bengal's biggest festival begins, the Calcutta High Court today eased its order which declared Durga Puja pandals "no-entry zones" for visitors amid the novel coronavirus pandemic. After 400 top Durga Puja organisers in the city appealed for a review of the order, the court today allowed entry of up to 45 people at a time.
The organisers approached the court on Tuesday as part of the Durgotsav Forum, an umbrella body of Durga Puja organisers.
With a jump of 54,044 fresh Covid-19 cases in the last 24 hours, India's coronavirus tally touched 76.5 lakh, government data shows. The country also recorded 717 deaths related to the viral disease in this period, taking the total number of deaths to 1,15,914 so far. India recorded less than 50,000 new Covid cases on Tuesday for the first time since July end. The country has been reporting a steady decline in its daily coronavirus infections after reaching a peak of about 90,000 cases a day in September. The daily recoveries have consistently remained higher than new infections since mid-September when Indias Covid infections peaked.
ReadCOVID-19 Update From Telangana: 1,579 new cases, 5 deaths
The state of Telangana registered 1,579 new coronavirus cases taking the infection count to 2.26 lakh while five more fatalities pushed the geath count to 1,287.
Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) accounted for the most number of cases with 256, followed by Medchal Malkajgiri 135 and Khammam 106, a government bulletin said on Wednesday providing data as of 8 PM on October 20.
Coronavirus News - Need Concrete Solutions For Covid, Not "Sermons": Congress Attacks PMPrime Minister Narendra Modi should suggest concrete steps to tackle coronavirus, instead of giving "sermons", the Congress said on Tuesday evening after his seventh televised address to the nation since the outbreak. The party said instead of defeating the virus within 21days -- as PM Modi promised in March while imposing the lockdown -- the country has become the "Corona capital" of the world.
In a joint statement, senior Congress leaders Randeep Surjewala and Pawan Khera, said, "The prime minister must answer for the failure of the leadership".
"Kindly tell the country on how to control the volatile situation of the pandemic... How will he revive the falling economy? Does he have a solution or will he blame it on God," the two leaders said.
Safety, Well-Being Of All Indians Priority Of Modi Government: Amit Shah
Asserting that security and well-being of Indians was a top priority for the Modi government, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday asked everyone to support Prime Minister Narendra Modi's appeal on COVID-19, saying only a united and determined India can overcome this pandemic crisis.
Mr Shah's appeal came soon after the Prime Minister, in an address to the nation, asked people to follow the COVID-19 guidelines, saying this is not the time to be careless as the virus is still around and even a small negligence can dampen the festive spirit.
Coronavirus update: No Halloween trick-or-treating for Trudeau's kids due to virus
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Tuesday his children will not go trick-or-treating on Halloween this year due to Covid-19 restrictions, but may instead hunt "Easter-style" for candy around their house.
Public health officials have reintroduced a partial lockdown in the capital Ottawa and several other Canadian cities and towns to stem the spread of the novel coronavirus after a recent spike in the number of cases.
Among the recommendations in Ontario, the nation's most populous province, was to not send kids trick-or-treating, provoking a public outcry, AFP reported.
Coronavirus news: Bayern Munich winger Serge Gnarby tests positive for coronavirus
European champions Bayern Munich on Tuesday announced their first case of the coronavirus as Germany winger Serge Gnabry tested positive for COVID-19.
The 25-year-old is "doing well" and is in quarantine at home, the German giants said in a brief statement.
Coronavirus update: Nearly 300K excess US deaths since January, most from virus, says CDC
The United States has seen around 300,000 more deaths than usual since late January, with two-thirds attributable to Covid-19 and the rest due to other causes, a government study said Tuesday.
The report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said that overall, an estimated 299,028 excess deaths occurred from late January through October 3, 2020, with 198,081 of them (66 percent) caused by Covid-19.
Excess deaths are defined as the number of people who have died from all causes, in excess of the expected number of deaths for a given place and time, AFP reported.