The global death count due to COVID-19 has crossed 937,000 (Representational)
India added its highest single-day spike of 97,894 coronavirus infections in 24 hours, taking its tally past the 51-lakh mark, the Health Ministry data this morning showed. The total number of cases in the country now stand at 51,18,253, only next to the United States, which has a caseload of around 66 lakh.
For the first time, the number of active cases in the country have crossed the 10-lakh mark, the data showed. In the 24-hour period, India reported 1,132 deaths linked to the virus, taking the total number of fatalities to 83,198.
On Wednesday, Union minister Nitin Gadkari has said that he tested positive for coronavirus.
In the mandatory COVID-19 tests for parliamentarians conducted before the monsoon session started on Monday, 17 members of the Lok Sabha and eight from the Rajya Sabha had tested positive. Mr Gadkari had tested negative at the time. His positive result came from a test conducted in Nagpur, sources said. Mr Gadkari had attended parliament on Monday.
Meanwhile, the global death count due to COVID-19 has crossed 937,000 and the number of cases is almost 29.7 million, as per the latest updates by Johns Hopkins University.
Here are the Updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) Cases:
Coronavirus news: Sikkim reports 53 new COVID-19 cases, 3 fresh fatalities
Sikkim's COVID-19 tally rose to 2,274 as 53 more people tested positive for the virus, while three new fatalities pushed the coronavirus death count to 22, an official said on Thursday.
The new cases were reported from different places in the state, PTI reported.
Coronavirus news: Moderna Shares Covid-19 Vaccine Trial Blueprints, Pfizer Follows US biotech firm Moderna, one of nine companies in the late stages of clinical trials for a Covid-19 vaccine, became the first to publish the complete blueprints of its study following calls for greater transparency.
Pfizer, the other American company currently carrying out Phase 3 trials in the US, followed suit a short time later and there is now added pressure for the remainder to do the same, AFP reported.
Coronavirus news: Half of Covid patients in Irish study suffer ongoing fatigue
More than half of patients and staff with Covid-19 monitored by an Irish hospital suffered persistent fatigue in the aftermath of the initial disease, according to a new study Friday highlighting the "significant burden" of lingering symptoms.
It comes as patient groups and doctors call for more research into the medium- and long-term effects of the new coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, which has sickened more than 30 million people across the world and killed at least 943,000.
Coronavirus news: Mahalaya celebrated amid COVID-19, Durga Puja a month later
Lakhs of people offered "tarpan" on the auspicious Mahalaya across West Bengal on Thursday, while Durga Puja festivities this year are going to start more than a month later in an unusual departure from the traditional seven-day gap.
The day started with lakhs of people paying obeisance to their forefathers on the banks of Hooghly and other rivers and water bodies across the state amid the COVID-19 pandemic, but it appeared that they are not keen to observe social distancing norms.
They were seen standing close to one another and many of them were not wearing masks, PTI reported.
Coronavirus news: No reopening of schools in Goa till next month, says Pramod Sawant
Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Thursday ruled out reopening of schools in the state before October 2.
The government will review the coronavirus situation on October 2 after consulting the stakeholders before deciding to open the schools, he said.
Coronavirus news: BJP MP Vinay Sahasrabuddhe tests positive for COVID-19BJP national vice-president and Rajya Sabha MP Vinay Sahasrabuddhe on Thursday said that he tested positive for COVID-19.
Mr Sahasrabuddhe had tested negative for the virus last Friday, following which he attended the monsoon session of Parliament.
Coronavirus news: Mumbai Police requests citizens not to panic following Section 144 imposition
The Mumbai Police on Thursday requested the people of the city not to panic as no new restrictions have been imposed and said all exemptions as per the state government's guidelines will continue, after Section 144 was imposed in the country's financial capital due to a rise in COVID-19 cases.
Coronavirus news: 7 deaths, 395 fresh virus cases in Himachal; total count 11,191Seven people died from coronavirus in Himachal Pradesh on Thursday as 395 fresh infections surfaced, pushing the number of cases to 11,191, according to an official. So far, the state has reported 97 coronavirus deaths, PTI reported.
Coronavirus news: Odisha reports 4,241 new COVID-19 cases, 13 fresh fatalitiesOdisha's COVID-19 tally rose to 1,67,161 on Thursday as 4,241 more people tested positive for the infection, while 13 fresh fatalities pushed the state's coronavirus death count to 669, a health official said.
Coronavirus news: Newly elected Rajya Sabha member Ashok Gasti dies of COVID-19
Newly elected Rajya Sabha member Ashok Gasti, who was admitted to a private hospital after testing positive for the novel coronavirus, died on Thursday night, the hospital said.
Coronavirus news: Assam reports 17 more COVID-19 fatalities, 1,380 new cases
Assam reported 17 more COVID-19 fatalities on Thursday, pushing the death count to 528, while the tally climbed to 1,50,349 with 1,380 fresh cases, Minister for Health and Family Welfare Himanta Biswa Sarma said.
Coronavirus news: YSRCP MLA launches free ambulance service for COVID-19 bodies
Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party (YSRCP) MLA Hafeez Khan on Thursday launched a free ambulance service for the transportation of the body of COVID-19 patients in the Kurnool district.
"Taking the body of a COVID-19 patient from the hospital to conduct final rites is one major problem faced by the kin of the deceased. Private ambulance services charge exorbitant prices. This service has been launched to provide some respite to the kin of the deceased," Mr Khan said.
Coronavirus News: Kerala Reports 4,351 New Cases, 10 Deaths
4,351 new COVID-19 cases were reported in Kerala on Thursday, taking the total number of active cases in the state to 34,314, according to the Chief Minister's Office (CMO), reported news agency ANI. 10 deaths were reported in the state on Thursday, the CMO said in a tweet.
"September 17 | #COVID19 Update 4351 new cases, 2,737 recoveries, 10 deaths. Active cases: 34,314,Total Recoveries: 87,345, 2,13,595 under observation. A total of 22,87,796 samples tested(across all categories). 608 hotspots," CMO said in a tweet.
Meanwhile, the Kerala government has revised its order on asymptomatic COVID migrant workers.
Coronavirus News: 280 COVID-19 Cases Recorded In Surat District In Last 24 Hours
Gujarat's Surat district has recorded 280 new coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours, taking its tally to 24,405 on Thursday, the state Health Department said, reported news agency PTI. Surat's tally of 24,405 cases is the second biggest after Ahmedabad district (34,408) in Gujarat. Out of the 280 new cases, 171 cases were from Surat city and 109 from rural parts of the district, said a release by the Health Department.
Coronavirus News: West Bengal COVID-19 Death Count Mounts To 4,183
West Bengal reported 60 fatalities taking total count to 4,183. With 3,197 fresh cases, the total cases now stand at 2,15,580, the state health department said, reported news agency PTI.
Coronavirus News: Gujarat Records Highest One-Day Spike In COVID-19 Cases
Gujarat records highest one-day spike of 1,379 COVID-19 cases taking tally to 1,19,088, the state Health Department said, reported news agency PTI. The death count in the state now stands at 3,273.
Coronavirus News: Andhra Pradesh's COVID-19 Tally Crosses 6 Lakh, Recoveries Over 5 Lakh
Coronavirus cases in Andhra Pradesh today crossed the six lakh-mark while recoveries surpassed five lakh, reported news agency PTI. With 8,702 fresh cases added in the last 24 hours, the state's COVID-19 tally touched 6,01,462. With 10,712 patients cured in the 24-hour period, the total number of recoveries from the pandemic stood at 5,08,088, the latest bulletin said. It said the death count stands at 5,177.
Coronavirus News: Maharashtra State Transport Buses To Operate With Full Passenger-Capacity
The Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) will operate all its buses with 100 per cent passenger capacity instead of the present 50 per cent from Friday, a top official said, reported news agency PTI. Currently MSRTC buses are being run at half the passenger capacity in view of the coronavirus pandemic. "The state government has allowed us to run the buses with 100 per cent passenger-carrying capacity instead of 50 per cent," said Shekhar Channe, vice chairman and managing director of the corporation. Passengers will have to follow COVID-19 protocol such as wearing masks and using sanitizers, he said. MSRTC restarted inter-district services from August 20 as the lockdown was eased. It is operating 5,000 buses at present, carrying on average 5.5 lakh passengers every day.
Coronavirus News: Tamil Nadu Reports 5,560 New COVID-19 Cases
Tamil Nadu on Thursday registered 5,560 new coronavirus cases taking the tally to 5.25 lakh while the death count stands at 8,618 with 59 more fatalities, reported news agency PTI. Of the 5.25 lakh plus positive cases, Chennai accounted for 1.52 lakh cases. There are 46,610 active cases with 5,524 patients being discharged from various hospitals and in total 4,70,192 people have been cured. 84,524 samples were tested and cumulatively 62,17,923 specimens have been examined.
Coronavirus News: Noida Logs 206 New COVID-19 Cases, Tally Nearing 11,000
Uttar Pradesh's Gautam Buddh Nagar today recorded 205 new COVID-19 patients and the district's infection tally has reached 10,908, official data showed, reported news agency PTI. The number of active cases rose to 2,004 from 1,966 on Wednesday and 1,928 on Tuesday, according to data released by the Uttar Pradesh Health Department for a 24-hour period, reported news agency PTI. 165 patients have been discharged during the period and the total number of recoveries in the district reached 8,856, the data showed. The district, adjoining Delhi, has so far recorded 48 deaths linked to the pandemic, with one of the lowest mortality rates - 0.44 per cent - in the state, official data showed.
Coronavirus News: 14.6 Lakh Stranded Indians Repatriated From 21 Countries Till Now, Says Centre
Ministry of External Affairs on Thursday said 14.6 lakh Indians, who were stranded across the world due to COVID-19 restrictions, have been repatriated so far under the Vande Bharat Mission, reported news agency ANI. Addressing a weekly briefing today, MEA Spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said that the Ministry is expecting to repatriate another 1,20,000 Indians. "As on September 16, 14.6 lakh Indians have been repatriated through different modes from 21 countries reaching 22 airports across India and repatriating an estimated 82,000 people," said Mr Srivastava. He further said, "This phase will continue till end of this month. We expect another 1,20,000 people to be repatriated." The Vande Bharat Mission started in early May to repatriate Indians stranded abroad due to coronavirus-induced travel restrictions. The mission, in its sixth phase, will continue till October 24.
Coronavirus News: COVID-19 Cases In Dharavi Reaches 2,975
Coronavirus cases in Asia's largest slum-cluster Dharavi, in Mumbai, rose to 2,975 with 15 new cases today, said a Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) official, reported news agency PTI. Dharavi, spread over 2.5 square kilometres and with a population of over 6.5 lakh, had recorded 15 new patients on Wednesday. 2,557 patients from the area have already recovered from the infection while there are 146 active COVID-19 cases.
Coronavirus News: Former UP Chief Minister Kalyan Singh Stable, Likely To Recover By Next Week, Doctors Say
Former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Kalyan Singh is responding well to COVID treatment and should recover fully in four to five days, the hospital where he is admitted said on Thursday, reported news agency PTI. Kalyan Singh, 88, was on Wednesday airlifted to Ghaziabad's private Yashoda Super-Specialty Hospital from Lucknow's Sanjay Gandhi Post Graduate Institute (SGPGI) of Medical Sciences at his family's request. "His health is much better than yesterday. Specialist doctors of heart, kidney, diabetes, among others, are attending to him as he has comorbidities (multiple health disorders)," said Dr Ankit Sinha, who is in the COVID-19 treatment team of the Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine of the hospital located in Kaushambi. "He is responding well to all medicines. His CT scan also has less involvement (not much complications), which has enabled him to respond well to medicines. If he continues this way, he is expected to fully recover in four or five days," the doctor said.
Coronavirus News: 43 New COVID-19 Cases Reported In Nagaland
Forty three new COVID-19 cases have been reported from Nagaland in the last 24 hours, S Pangnyu Phom, the state's minister for Health and Family Welfare informed on Thursday, reported news agency ANI. The highest number of new cases was reported from Dimapur with 24 cases, followed by 18 in Kohima and one from Mon. S Pangnyu Phom also informed that 111 patients have recovered in the last 24 hours, including 80 from Dimapur, 30 from Kohima, and one from Zunheboto.
Coronavirus News: UP's Coronavirus Death Count Climbs To 4,771, Total Cases Over 3.36 Lakh
The coronavirus death count has risen to 4,771 in Uttar Pradesh today with 81 more fatalities, while 6,029 fresh cases pushed the infection tally in the state to 3,36,294, officials said, reported news agency PTI. The state now has 68,235 active COVID-19 cases and 2,63,288 people have recovered from the disease till date, Additional Chief Secretary (Medical and Health) Amit Mohan Prasad said. The death count due to the virus has climbed to 4,771 and the total number of cases has risen to 3,36,294, he added. Amit Mohan Prasad said that the recovery rate of COVID-19 patients in the state is 78.29 per cent and in September the positivity rate till now is 4.7 per cent in the state.
Coronavirus News: 1,796 New COVID-19 Cases Recorded In Thane District, Tally Above 1.5 Lakh
Thane district of Maharashtra added 1,796 new COVID-19 cases, taking it tally above 1.50 lakh, an official said on Thursday, reported news agency PTI. With these new cases, the district's COVID-19 tally stood at 1,51,236, he said. The death count in the district rose to 4,009 with the addition of 26 fatalities, the official said. Kalyan recorded 537 new cases followed by Navi Mumbai (375) and Thane city (364), among other areas, he said.
Coronavirus News: Maharashtra Police Record 364 New COVID-19 Cases, 4 Deaths In Last 24 Hours
364 Maharashtra Police personnel tested positive for coronavirus and four died in the last 24 hours, reported news agency ANI. The coronavirus count of the state police force now stands at 20,367. There are 3,796 active cases in the force while 16,363 have recovered. So far, 208 police personnel have died due to the illness, the Maharashtra Police said.
Coronavirus News: Tripura's COVID-19 Tally Rises To 20,699 With 521 Fresh Cases
At least 521 people tested positive for coronavirus in Tripura today, pushing the state's tally to 20,699, a health official said, reported news agency PTI. The death count has risen to 222 with five more fatalities, he said. West Tripura district, which also comprises state capital Agartala, accounted for 122 of the COVID-19 deaths, the official said. The state now has 7,498 active cases. With the discharge of 521 patients, the total number of people who were cured of the disease has touched 12,956, he said. Twenty-three patients have migrated to other states, the official said. 3,44,921 samples have been tested for COVID-19 so far.
COVID-19 cases likely to rise in Delhi following increased testing: Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain
Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain on Thursday said that COVID-19 cases are likely rise in Delhi as testing in the national capital has been increased four times.
The health minister added that the number of coronavirus cases is likely to rise for around 10 to 15 days as a result of increased testing.
"We have increased #COVID19 testing four times due to which numbers are likely to rise in Delhi, for 10-15 days. This will help in isolating the positive cases and have a positive impact on the national capital," he said.
Mr Jain said that current bed availability in Delhi is 14,521 out of which 50 percent beds are occupied. He added that some big private hospitals in Delhi have been asked to reserve 80 percent of their ICU beds.
Himachal Pradesh reports 77 more COVID-19 cases
As many as 77 new COVID-19 cases were reported in Himachal Pradesh on Thursday, said the State Health Department.
With this, the total number of COVID-19 cases in the State has reached 10,886 so far, including 4,143 active cases. While the recoveries stand at 6,620, the death toll has reached 94.
India''s COVID-19 case tally crossed the 51-lakh mark with a spike of 97,894 new cases and 1,132 deaths in the last 24 hours, according to the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Thursday.
Over 14 lakh Indian citizens brought back to India during COVID-19 pandemic: Ministry of External Affairs
Over 14 lakh Indian citizens from all around the globe were repatriated during the ongoing COVID-19 crisis, according to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Thursday.
The Minister of State (MoS), MEA, V Muraleedharan, in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha said that this includes 56,874 students who have returned under the Vande Bharat mission.
"The total number of Indian citizens brought back to India during the coronavirus pandemic is 14,12,835. As per information provided by passengers at the time of registration, around 56,874 students have returned to India under the Vande Bharat Mission," the reply read.
814 new COVID cases, 7 deaths in Rajasthan
Seven more people died from the novel coronavirus in Rajasthan, taking the toll to 1,286 on Thursday, while the number of infections rose to 1.08 lakh with 814 new cases, the Heath Department said.
There are 17,838 active cases of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and 87,849 people have recovered, according to a health bulletin.
Out of the 814 new coronavirus cases, 134 were Jaipur, 119 in Jodhpur, 73 in Kota, 48 in Alwar and 49 in Ajmer districts, among others. The total number of people infected with the virus rose to 1,08,494, it said.
In Jaipur, the death toll from the pathogen is 305, followed by 127 in Jodhpur, 100 in Bikaner, 91 in Ajmer, 90 in Kota, 73 in Bharatpur, 51 in Pali, 44 in Nagaur, 38 in Udaipur, 31 in Alwar, 27 in Barmer and 24 in Dholpur.
83-year-old among 26 new COVID-19 cases in Mizoram; tally crosses 1,500-mark
Mizoram's COVID-19 tally crossed the 1,500-mark on Thursday as 26 more people, including an 83 -year-old man, were found to be positive, an official said.
Thirteen cases were detected at the Zoram Medical College, three people were found positive through TrueNat tests at three district hospitals, while 10 cases were found through rapid antigen tests, he said.
Of the fresh cases, 21 were reported from the Aizawl district, three from the Serchhip district and one each from Lunglei and Hnahthial districts, he said.
Three Border Security Force (BSF) jawans, five personnel of the Mizoram Armed Police (MAP), three children aged between five and 10, and two health workers were among the newly-infected patients.
Seven of the new patients are from two families of a neighbourhood in Aizawl, the official said.
Targeting to bring down mortality rate to less than 1 per cent: Health Minister
Health Minister Harsh Vardhan on Thursday said India's COVID-19 mortality rate at 1.64 per cent is lowest in the world and the government is targeting to bring it down to less than 1 per cent.
Replying to a debate in the Rajya Sabha, he said India''s recovery rate of 78-79 per cent is one of the highest in the world.
He said though total cases may have crossed 50 million, active cases are less than 20 per cent.
Deaths in India due to coronavirus pandemic are less than many nations in Europe, he said, adding the government was determined to cross the US in testing rate as well.
19 new cases push COVID-19 tally of Andamans to 3,593
The COVID-19 tally of Andaman and Nicobar Islands rose to 3,593 on Thursday as 19 more people tested positive for the infection, a health official said.
Seven new patients have travel history, while 12 infections were detected during contact tracing, he said.
Twenty-seven more people have been cured of the disease, the official said.
The Union territory now has 196 active cases, while 3,345 people have recovered from the disease and 52 patients have succumbed to the infection so far, he said.
The administration has so far sent 47,794 samples for COVID-19 tests, of which 47,546 reports have been received and 248 are awaited, the official added.
Puducherry adds 323 fresh COVID-19 cases; 13 deaths takes number to 431
Puducherry on Thursday logged 323 fresh coronavirus cases while 13 related fatalities pushed the number of deaths in the union territory to 431.
The 323 new cases were identified after examination of 4,867 samples during the last 24 hours while 330 patients were discharged from hospitals, Director of Health and Family Welfare S Mohan Kumar said in a release.
He said the overall tally of COVID-19 cases in Puducherry stood at 21,428 (after transfer of six cases to Tamil Nadu).
The active cases stood at 4,744 while the number of patients who had recovered and were discharged was 16,253.
He said the fatality rate touched 2.01 per cent, adding this was the first time it had reached such a level in Puducherry and recovery rate was 75.85 per cent.
On Wednesday, Union minister Nitin Gadkari has said that he tested positive for coronavirus. Before Nitin Gadkari, at least seven union ministers, including Union home minister Amit Shah, and two dozen lawmakers have contracted the disease
Telangana recorded 2,159 COVID19 cases, 2,108 recoveries and 9 deaths on Wednesday, taking total cases to 1,65,003, news agency ANI reported. 1,33,555 have recovered in the state, it said.
India COVID-19 Cases: Record 97,894 New Covid Cases In India, Active Cases Cross 1 MillionIndia reported a record daily jump of 97,894 coronavirus infections in 24 hours, taking its tally past the 51-lakh mark, the Health Ministry data this morning showed. With 51,18,253 infections, India is the world's second-worst affected country, and trails only the United States, which has a caseload of around 66 lakh. For the first time, the number of active cases in the country have crossed the 10-lakh mark, the data showed. In the 24-hour period, India reported 1,132 deaths linked to the virus, taking the total number of fatalities to 83,198."
Donald Trump says staffer tested positive for COVID-19 but was "not near" him
US President Donald Trump said a White House staffer tested positive for COVID-19 but the individual was not "near" him or "associated with" him. "It was not anybody that was near me," Trump said at a press conference.
"It was one person," Trump added. "It was not a person that I was associated with."
97,894 coronavirus infections in India in a day take case count to 51,18,253
India reported a record daily jump of 97,894 coronavirus infections in 24 hours, taking its tally past the 51-lakh mark, the Health Ministry data this morning showed. The number of cases in the country now stand at 51,18,253.
Global coronavirus cases to soon surpass 30 million: Report
Global coronavirus cases are expected to pass 30 million on Thursday, according to a Reuters tally, with the pandemic showing no signs of slowing. India was firmly in focus as the latest epicentre, although North and South America combined accounted for almost half of the global cases.
Global new daily case numbers reached record levels in recent days and deaths neared 1 million as the international race to develop and market a vaccine heated up.
India on Wednesday became only the second country in the world, after the United States, to record more than 5 million cases.
Japan's new PM vows to tackle coronavirus
Japan's new Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga pledged to keep coronavirus infections under control and kickstart an economy in recession, as Shinzo Abe left office after a record-breaking tenure.
In his first remarks after being elected by parliament earlier Wednesday, Mr Suga emphasised his will be a cabinet of continuity, seeking to further the policies championed by Shinzo Abe.
"We need to carry forward the policies that the Abe administration was pushing, I feel that is the mission for which I have been called," he said. "Achieving both the prevention of the spread of infection and rebuilding the economy is what they desire most... We hope to do our best on this issue first."
Rich nations have cornered half of future Covid-19 vaccine supply: Report
A group of wealthy nations representing 13 percent of the global population have already bought up more than half of the promised doses of future Covid-19 vaccines, according to a report by Oxfam on Wednesday.
The non-governmental organization analyzed deals struck by pharmaceuticals and vaccine producers for the five leading vaccine candidates currently in late-stage trials, based on data collected by the analytics company Airfinity.
"Access to a life-saving vaccine shouldn't depend on where you live or how much money you have," said Robert Silverman of Oxfam America.
Masks not more effective than vaccine: Donald Trump
US President Donald Trump expressed renewed confidence Wednesday that a viable Covid-19 vaccine would be ready by October, directly contradicting a top administration health expert and facing fierce criticism from his Democratic election rival Joe Biden.
The president, who is rarely seen wearing a mask in public and long refused to push Americans to adopt the habit, told the town hall that "a lot of people don't want to wear masks and people don't think masks are good."
"I think there are a lot of problems with masks," Trump said. "It's not more effective than a vaccine."
Coronavirus update: Andhra Pradesh reports 8,835 new cases, 64 deaths
As many as 8,835 new COVID-19 cases were reported in Andhra Pradesh on Wednesday, taking the total number of cases in the state to 5,92,760.
As per the health department bulletin, the death count due to the virus stands at 5,105 after 64 more died due to COVID-19 on Wednesday.
Coronavirus update: 100-year-old woman defeats coronavirus in Assam
A 100-year-old woman Mai Handique has defeated coronavirus in Guwahati.
She lives in Mothers Old Age Home in the Hatigaon area of Guwahati, ANI reported.