Coronavirus cases in India: The number of active cases remained below 8-lakh for third consecutive day
The number of new coronavirus infections reported daily in India dropped below 60,000 for the second time this month, while the number of fresh fatalities registered across the country dipped below 600 almost after three months, the Union Health Ministry data stated on Monday.
The total cases mounted to 75,50,273 with 55,722 infections being reported in a day. On October 13, India had last registered daily cases below 60,000. The number of deaths climbed to 1,14,610 with 579 fatalities being registered in a span of 24 hours, the data updated at 8 am showed.
The active cases of coronavirus infection remained below 8 lakh for the third consecutive day.
There are 7,72,055 active cases of coronavirus infection in the country which comprises 10.23 per cent of the total caseload, the data stated. The number of recoveries have surged to 66,63,608 and the national recovery rate has improved to 88.26 per cent. The case fatality rate due COVID-19 stands at 1.52 per cent.
According to the ICMR, a cumulative total of 9,50,83,976 samples have been tested up to October 18 with 8,59,786 samples being tested on Sunday. The health ministry stressed that more than 70 per cent of the deaths occurred due to comorbidities. "Our figures are being reconciled with the Indian Council of Medical Research," the ministry said on its website, adding that state-wise distribution of figures is subject to further verification and reconciliation.
Here are the Highlights on Coronavirus (COVID-19) Cases:
New US COVID-19 cases rise 13% last week to nearly 4,00,000
The number of new COVID-19 cases in the United States last week rose 13% to more than 393,000, approaching levels last seen during the summer peak, according to a Reuters analysis.
Deaths fell 2% to about 4,900 people for the week ended October 18, according to the analysis of state and county reports. Since the outbreak started, nearly 220,000 people in the country have died and over 8.1 million have become infected with the novel coronavirus.
Canada's COVID-19 cases exceed 200,000
Canada reported a new COVID-19 milestone on Monday with total infections rising above 200,000 since the pandemic began in early March and as the country's second wave was expected to be worse than the first.
Ontario and Quebec, which account for around 60% of Canada's 37.6 million people and just under 80% of the country's reported COVID-19 cases, have seen sharp increases in cases in recent weeks
France's new COVID-19 cases slow but deaths sharply up
France reported a massive increase of the number of people hospitalised with COVID-19 on Monday, while also becoming the eighth country in the world to report more than 900,000 cases since the start of the outbreak.
The daily data showed the partial curfew imposed on nine major cities, including Paris, since Saturday has yet to yield some results
Ireland moves to highest level of COVID-19 restrictions
Ireland announced some of Europe's toughest COVID-19 constraints on Monday, shutting non-essential retail, limiting restaurants and pubs to take away service and telling people not to travel more than five kilometres from their home.
Ireland imposed one of Europe's longest lockdowns during the first surge in cases and has tightened restrictions over the last number of weeks as infections climbed again.
Unlike the first lockdown, this time schools will stay open and essential services such as construction allowed to continue, Prime Minister Micheal Martin said as he moved the country to the highest level of restrictions, Level 5, for six weeks.
Coronavirus news: Swiss Armed Forces Chief tests COVID-19 positive
Swiss Armed Forces Chief Thomas Sussli tested positive for coronavirus, he has been in quarantine since Monday, the country's government said in a statement.
"Due to contact with a person who tested positive for coronavirus, Army Chief Thomas Sussli took a test today. The result was positive," the statement said.
Sussli currently has no symptoms and continues to work from home, ANI reported.
Coronavirus news: Moscow's COVID-19 death count rises to 6,058
Moscow has registered 49 deaths of patients infected with COVID-19 over the past 24 hours, bringing the Russian capital's death count to 6,058, the city's coronavirus response centre said in a statement on Monday.
Coronavirus news: Europe tightens virus curbs as global cases top 40 million
A number of European countries took urgent new measures on Monday to combat a second wave of coronavirus infections, as the World Health Organization blamed the surge in worldwide cases -- now more than 40 million -- on countries' failure to quarantine infected people properly.
Ireland and Wales became the first EU countries to re-enter lockdown as the number of people who have died from Covid-19 in Europe passed 250,000, according to an AFP tally.
Coronavirus news: Bihar's COVID-19 death count breaches 1,000-mark; recovery rate touches 94%
Bihar's COVID-19 death count crossed the 1,000-mark on Monday as seven more patients died due to the disease, while 912 fresh infections pushed the state's caseload to 2,05,123, a health bulletin said.
Coronavirus news: Greece allows fans back to football stadiums
Greek government health authorities on Monday gave permission for a limited number of football supporters to attend football matches starting this week, albeit under strict rules.
Spectators had been banned since last March at the start of the coronavirus outbreak in the country, AFP reported.
Coronavirus news: Tamil Nadu reports 3,536 new COVID-19 cases, 49 deaths
Tamil Nadu on Monday reported 3,536 new positive cases of COVID-19 and 49 deaths, said the state health department.
According to Tamil Nadu Health Department, the total number of COVID-19 cases in the state stands at 6,90,936 while the death count is at 10,691.
Coronavirus news: 49 new coronavirus cases in Pune districtPune district reported 549 new coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours, taking its caseload to
3,15,011, a health official said on Monday evening. With 42 fatalities, the death count in the district reached 7,491, PTI reported.
Coronavirus news: Assam reports 698 new COVID-19 cases, 7 more deaths
Assam reported 698 new COVID-19 cases on Monday, taking the tally to 2,01,407, Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said.
Coronavirus News: Kolkata Police To Distribute Masks During Durga Puja
Kolkata Police Commissioner Anuj Sharma urged people on Monday to strictly follow the COVID-19 safety protocols during the festive season, reported news agency PTI. Launching the Kolkata Traffic Police's "Pujo Guide Map", Mr Sharma said the police will distribute masks among people from puja pandals.
Coronavirus News: Staring At Huge Losses, Say Durga Puja Organisers After Court's No-Visitors Order
Community Durga Puja organisers in Kolkata said today that they are staring at huge financial losses after Calcutta High Court ordered that pandals will be no-entry zones for visitors in wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, reported news agency PTI. The organisers said that they hope the state government will issue a fresh advisory, following the court order, making the situation clearer.
Coronavirus News: Odisha's Bhitarkanika National Park Opens For Day Visitors
A fortnight after partial reopening, the Bhitarkanika National Park in Odisha's Kendrapara district has been thrown open to public today with strict adherence to COVID-19 protocol, an official said, reported news agency PTI. The national park, shut since March following the outbreak of coronavirus, had reopened on October 1 allowing only overnight stays at tourist cottages. The national park today allowed day visitors in a graded manner. In view of the pandemic, only 500 visitors are being provided entry permits to the park. The visitors were subjected to thermal screening.
Coronavirus News: Number Of New Virus Cases In Gujarat Dips Below 1,000
Gujarat reported 996 new coronavirus cases today, taking the caseload in the state to 1,60,722, the health department said, reported news agency PTI. With eight deaths, the COVID-19 death count rose to 3,646, it said. 1,147 patients were discharged from various hospitals, increasing the number of recovered cases in the state to 1,42,799, the department said in its release. With this, Gujarat's recovery rate further improved to 88.85 per cent.
Coronavirus News: Delhi's COVID-19 Death Count Rises To 6,040, Infection Tally Over 3.3 Lakh
Delhi recorded 31 more fatalities today, taking the COVID-19 death count to 6,040, while 2,154 fresh cases pushed the infection tally to over 3.33 lakh, authorities said, reported news agency PTI. The relatively low number of fresh cases came out of the 36,445 tests conducted the previous day. Thirty-one more fatalities have been recorded, taking the death count to 6,040, the latest bulletin issued by the Delhi health department said. The tally of active cases on Monday dropped slightly to 22,570 from 23,292 the previous day. The total number of cases has climbed to 3,33,171, the bulletin added.
Coronavirus News: Kerala's COVID Tally Touches 3.33 Lakh With 5,022 Fresh Cases
Kerala today has recorded 7,469 recoveries and 5,022 new COVID-19 cases, pushing the infection count to 3,33,881 while the death count mounted to 1,182 with 21 fatalities, reported news agency PTI. 92,731 patients are currently under treatment, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan told reporters. The fresh cases included 59 health workers. In the last 24 hours, 36,599 samples were tested and results of 7,469 returned negative, taking the recoveries so far to 2,52,868. All districts reported less than 1000 cases, with Malappuram accounting for 910 cases, Kozhikode 772, Ernakulam 598, Thrissur 533 and Thiruvananthapuram 516.
Coronavirus News: Andhra Pradesh Logs 2,918 COVID-19 Cases, 24 Deaths
Andhra Pradesh's COVID-19 tally rose to 7,86,050 today as the state reported 2,918 new cases, reported news agency PTI. However, the number of active cases reduced to just about 35,000. The latest bulletin said 4,303 patients were cured in 24 hours ending 9 AM today, taking the total number of recoveries to 7,44,532. The overall death count increased to 6,453 after 24 more casualties were reported in 24 hours. East Godavari district reported the highest number of cases and Vizianagaram the lowest. Kadapa became the 10th district in the state to cross the 50,000 cases mark after it added 155 cases in 24 hours. However, it has only 2,620 active cases now. Chittoor, Guntur, Krishna and Visakhapatnam districts reported four fresh fatalities each, while Kadapa saw three more deaths.
Coronavirus News: Maharashtra's Amravati Logs 28 New COVID-19 Cases Today, 96 Recoveries
The number of COVID-19 cases in Maharashtra's Amravati rose by 28 today to reach 15,521 while 96 people were discharged, an official said, reported news agency PTI. One person died during the day, he added. The district has 1,100 active cases. 14,070 patients have been discharged and 351 have died due to the infection so far, the official said.
Coronavirus News: Dr Harsh Vardhan Reviews Gujarat's COVID Situation Ahead Of Festive Season
Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan today reviewed the COVID-19 situation of Gujarat ahead of the onset of winter and the beginning of the festive season, reported news agency ANI. The Union Minister was briefed about the state's COVID situation in the presence of Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel and district collectors through video conferencing. "We conducted our first review meeting with Gujarat (ahead of the festive season). The purpose of these meetings was to analysis the (COVID) situation in detail especially before the commencing of winter and the festive season. Stress was laid on following COVID-appropriate behaviour meticulously," said Dr Vardhan. "Initially Gujarat's situation was worrisome. However, gradually the condition has changed for better. There are several programmes being organised to make people aware of COVID-appropriate behaviour," he added.
Coronavirus News: No More One-Day Salary Cut For Uttarakhand Government Staffers
Uttarakhand today issued an order to not deduct the one-day salaries of state government employees under the COVID fund with effect from October 1, reported news agency PTI. The order comes days after the state cabinet decided to exempt the state government staffers from the pay cut, which was imposed for a year in June. However, one-day salaries of ministers, MLAs, IAS, IPS and IFS officers will continue to be deducted for a year as their contribution to the fund, the order signed by Secretary (Health) Amit Negi read.
Coronavirus News: UP COVID Tally At 4,56,865 With 1,746 Fresh Cases In 24 Hours
The coronavirus death count in Uttar Pradesh rose to 6,685 on Monday with 27 more fatalities, while 1,746 fresh cases pushed the infection tally to 4,56,865, officials said, reported news agency PTI. Briefing reporters, Additional Chief Secretary (Medical and Health) Amit Mohan Prasad said that in the past 24 hours, 3,093 patients have recovered from the infection and have been discharged. UP's recovery rate stands at 91.64 per cent, Mr Prasad said. There are 31,495 active cases in the state and 14,765 patients are in home isolation.
Coronavirus News: Six Staffers Of Delhi Commission For Women's 181 Helpline Test Positive
Six employees of the Delhi Commission for Women's 181 helpline have tested positive for coronavirus, the women panel today, reported news agency PTI. The helpine operates from Delhi's Naraina area where 36 counsellors work, according to the official statement. Two of the six employees who have tested positive are supervisors, while four are helpline counsellors, it said. All of them have been put under home isolation and the office has been thoroughly sanitised. The helpline's evening shift staffers have been asked to work from home, while proper sanitisation and social distancing have been maintained in the morning shift, the statement said.
Poland to use national stadium as hospital as virus surges
Poland's national stadium will double as a field hospital for Warsaw, a senior government official said on Monday, as a spike in coronavirus cases has strained health care facilities to the breaking point.
The decision came days after the government asked Poles to "stay home" and "work remotely" if possible as it announced a raft of restrictions to stem infections.
Built for the UEFA Euro 2012 football championships, the 60,000-seat stadium has conference rooms under its stands able to accomodate patients.
Russia's new coronavirus cases hit new record high of 15,982
Russia's daily tally of coronavirus cases surged to a new record high of 15,982 on Monday, including 5,376 in the capital Moscow, pushing the national case total to 1,415,316 since the pandemic began. Authorities reported 179 deaths in the last 24 hours, bringing the official deaths to 24,366.
Finnish Prime Minister tests negative for COVID-19
The Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin has tested negative for coronavirus, her office said on Monday, after she had left the European Union summit prematurely on Friday due to coming near people who later tested positive.
"The prime minister will continue her self-isolation and she will be tested again on Monday," the office said in a statement.European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen abruptly left the two-day summit less than an hour after it started on Thursday, followed by Marin on Friday.
Gujarat government to take everyone's opinion on reopening of schools
Gujarat Education Minister Bhupendrasinh Chudasama on Monday said his department will seek everyone's opinion before taking a final decision on reopening schools in the state.
Talking to reporters in Gandhinagar, Mr Chudasama indicated that schools cannot remain shut forever. "It's been six months since the schools are shut due to the coronavirus. We have to open the schools someday. But, the state governmentwill not take such a crucial decision on its own," Mr Chudasama said.
Ladakh reports 64 fresh COVID-19 cases; 80 patients cured
Sixty-four people tested positive for coronavirus in Ladakh, taking the virus caseload in the Union Territory to 5,598, officials said on Monday.
With 80 more patients recovered from the disease during the past 24 hours, the active cases in the region dropped to 917 - 755 in Leh district and 162 in Kargil district, the officials said.
Ladakh had recorded a total of 66 COVID-related deaths, while 4615 infected people have been cured since the outbreak of the disease in March.
Odisha reports 1,982 new COVID-19 cases
As many as 1,982 new COVID-19 cases were reported in the last 24 hours, taking the total count of active cases to 22,304 in Odisha, according to the state Health Department on Monday.
A total of 2,70,346 positive cases of coronavirus were reported in the state till Sunday.
According to the department, 1,152 people were recovered and 17 died due to the disease in the last 24 hours.
Puducherry adds 108 fresh COVID-19 cases, tally rises to 33,247
Puducherry on Monday reported 108 new coronavirus cases taking the overall tally in the union territory to 33,247.
A 58-year old woman from the Puducherry region died due to the infection during the last 24 hours ending 10 am today taking the deaths to 575, the Department of Health and Family Welfare said in a release.
76 more COVID-19 cases in South Korea
South Korea reported 76 more cases of the COVID-19 as of midnight on Sunday compared to 24 hours ago, raising the total number of infections to 25,275.
The daily caseload stayed below 100 for the fourth straight day, but the double-digit expansion continued owing to small cluster infections in Seoul and its surrounding Gyeonggi province as well as imported cases. Of the new cases, 11 were Seoul residents and 15 were people residing in Gyeonggi province.
New restrictions as Europe surges past 2,50,000 virus deaths
Belgium imposed a nationwide overnight curfew on Monday as Switzerland made wearing face masks compulsory in indoor public spaces, the latest desperate measures by European governments to fight a powerful second coronavirus wave.
More than 250,000 people have died of the virus in Europe but the deepening crisis there stands in contrast to Australia, where the nation's second-biggest city began easing a lockdown that kept millions of people largely confined to their homes for months.
Cafes and restaurants across Belgium were shuttered for four weeks as the country tackled its own infection spike, part of a continent-wide surge that has seen a 44 percent increase in cases across Europe in the past week.
COVID-19 recovery rate jumps to 92% in Jharkhand: Hemant Soren
Expressing gratitude to the people of the state for their support, Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren on Sunday said that the COVID-19 recovery rate has jumped to 92 per cent, which is higher than the national average.
With seven new COVID-19 deaths reported on Sunday, the overall death count increased to 839 in the state. The mortality rate currently stands at 0.87 per cent.
Mr Soren said Jharkhand is among the eight leading states of the country in terms of the number of COVID-19 tests per lakh population.
"It is ahead of large and developed states like Haryana, Madhya Pradesh0 and Punjab," said the Jharkhand CM, adding that all this was possible with the cooperation of the people of Jharkhand. "Jharkhand has set an example in front of the entire country."
948 new COVID-19 cases, 4 deaths in Telangana
For the first time after several weeks, Telangana reported new COVID-19 cases below the thousand mark with 948 fresh infections taking the tally to 2,23,059 while four more deaths pushed the toll to 1,275, the state government said on Monday.
The silver lining amidst the pandemic is that the total number of recoveries surpassed the two lakh mark at 2,00,686 with 1,896 people testing negative after treatment, it said in a bulletin, providing data as of 8 PM on October 18.
Global coronavirus cases surpass 40 million cases
Worldwide coronavirus cases crossed 40 million on Monday, according to a Reuters tally, as the onset of winter in the northern hemisphere fuelled a resurgence in the spread of the disease.
The Reuters tally is based on official reporting by individual countries.
Experts believe the true numbers of both cases and deaths are likely much higher, given deficiencies in testing and potential under-reporting by some countries.
No new cases reported in Mizoram in the last 24 hours
The state's COVID-19 tally stands at 2253, including 2148 discharges. Active cases stand at 105, the Department of Information and Public Relations, Government of Mizoram said.
Schools, except those in containment zones, reopen for Classes 9-12 in Ghaziabad
Jharkhand reports 385 new COVID-19 cases, 7 deaths
Seven more people have died due to COVID-19 in Jharkhand, raising the toll to 839, while 385 fresh cases pushed the tally to 96,352, a health department official said on Monday.
Three deaths were recorded in Ranchi and one each in Palamu, Koderma, Dhanbad and Deoghar. Of the 385 new cases, 198 were reported from Ranchi, 23 from Bokaro, and 20 from East Singhbhum.
Jharkhand currently has 6,502 active cases, while 89,011 have recovered so far. As many as 16,638 samples were tested for COVID-19 in the state on Sunday.
Europe surges past 2,50,000 virus deaths
Europe passed the milestone of 2,50,000 deaths from Covid-19 on Sunday as Israel and Australia's second-largest city of Melbourne began to gradually ease their strict lockdowns.
European nations have ratcheted up restrictions on daily life to tackle soaring infections, with a 44 per cent increase in cases this week.
Nighttime curfews on millions came into force in France this weekend and Switzerland required all its citizens to wear masks in indoor public places.
Italy unveils new COVID-19 restrictions amid rising infections
Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte gave mayors the power to shut public squares from 9 pm to halt gatherings as he unveiled a further package of measures on Sunday to try to halt a sharp rise in COVID-19 cases.
As daily cases in Italy hit a new record 11,705 on Sunday, Conte said the situation had become critical but his government has been determined to avoid a repeat of the lockdown imposed at the start of the crisis in March.
"The situation is critical, The government is there but everyone must do their part," he told a news conference.
China reports 13 new COVID-19 cases, same as a day earlier
China reported 13 new coronavirus cases in the mainland for October 18, the same as a day earlier, the health commission said on Monday. All of the new infections were imported, according to a statement by the National Health Commission. China reported 33 new asymptomatic patients, compared with 34 a day earlier.
As of Sunday, mainland China had 85,685 confirmed coronavirus cases, the health authority said.
Indore sees dip in fresh COVID-19 cases, rural areas less affected by infection
The spread of coronavirus is on the decline in Indore, which noticed a dip in the number of new positive cases on a daily basis.
As per Indore's Corona Nodal Officer, Dr Amit Malakar, there is a stark difference in the number of cases found from the rural and urban regions of the district, with over 90 per cent cases arising from the latter.
"The condition in rural areas is still better, while 93.34 per cent of urban population is affected the figure is just around 6.6 percent in rural areas. A big reason for this is business is taking place at a large scale in urban areas and there is also a lot of intermixing. But in the rural areas, the intermixing is low, therefore, the people are less likely to get affected here," Dr Malakar told ANI here.
Coronavirus deaths cross 6,000-mark in West Bengal, tally races to 3,21,036
The COVID-19 death count in West Bengal went past the 6,000-mark on Sunday with 64 more fatalities, even as a record number of 3,983 fresh cases pushed the tally to 3,21,036, the health department said.
A total of 6,056 people have succumbed to the virus so far in the state, it said in a bulletin.
Since Saturday, 3,113 people have recovered from the disease, bettering the discharge rate to 87.55 per cent. The total number of recoveries stood at 2,81,053.
North 24 Parganas district accounted for 17 deaths, while the metropolis registered 13 fatalities and Howrah (7), it said.
COVID-19: Tamil Nadu reports 3,914 new cases, 56 deaths
As many as 3,914 new COVID-19 cases and 56 deaths were reported in Tamil Nadu in the last 24 hours, taking the total number of positive cases in the state to 6,87,400.
The total figure includes 39,121 active cases and 6,37,637 recoveries.
So far, 10,642 deaths have been reported from the state.
Meanwhile, India reported 61,871 new COVID-19 cases and 1,033 deaths in the last 24 hours, taking the national COVID-19 count to 74,94,552, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) informed on Sunday.
COVID-19: 1,894 new cases, 39 deaths in Chhattisgarh
With 1,894 new COVID-19 cases and 39 more deaths, Chhattisgarh's count rose to 1,60,396 and fatalities to 1,478 on Sunday, a health official said.
The number of recovered patients increased to 1,32,168 after 305 people were discharged from various hospitals while 1,772 others completed their home isolation during the day.
The state now has 26,750 active cases, the official informed.
"Raipur district reported 144 new cases, taking its total count to 39,089, including 518 deaths. Balrampur district recorded 179 new cases, Raigarh 176, Korba 159, Rajnandagon 119 and Janjgir-Champa 118, among other districts," he said.
China Extends Emergency Use Of Its Covid Vaccines To Three More Cities
Days after joining the World Health Organisation's (WHO) COVAX alliance to equitably distribute COVID-19 vaccines across the world, China has stepped up the usage of its coronavirus vaccines to three more cities for urgent use.
Three more cities in East China's Zhejiang Province are stepping up efforts to offer COVID-19 vaccines for urgent use, with priority being given to key groups in need before they can be rolled out to the general public, official media reports here said.
The cities of Yiwu, Ningbo and Shaoxing are targeting key groups with urgent need for vaccinations against COVID-19 following the city of Jiaxing, state-run Global Times quoted another daily, The Paper, as reporting on Saturday.
COVID-19: Kolkata restaurant provides masks with zips to customers
Amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, a restaurant in Kolkata is providing its customers with masks that have zips attached to them.
It is given to the customers upon entry and allows the patrons to relish the delicacies served at the restraunt without the hassle of removing the masks.
According to Wok'ies, a 2D theme restaurant, owner Somoshree Sengupta, the masks are being given free of cost to customers keeping the COVID-19 threat in mind.
"In the COVID-19 situation wearing masks is very important for the individuals safety and that of the society at large. We are thankful to the government for allowing the restaurant to reopen, and our business to resume. It's a customised mask which can be worn even while they are having their food, it has a zipper which they can zip in or out as per the need," Sengupta told ANI.