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:
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 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.
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.
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.
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.
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 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
The total number of COVID19 cases in Rajasthan rises to 1,08,494 with 814 fresh cases reported today till 10.30am. The numbers of active and recovered patients are 17,838 and 89,370; death toll 1286: State Health Department pic.twitter.com/RMIdTzl5Jj
- ANI (@ANI) September 17, 2020
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. 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."
"382 Doctors Died Of Covid": Medical Body Says Centre "Abandoning" Heroes@SukirtiDwivedi reports
- NDTV (@ndtv) September 17, 2020
Read more: https://t.co/xGuNC1SIKM pic.twitter.com/Lcsmsb0H3W
26 new #COVID19 cases reported in Mizoram till 7 am today, taking the total tally to 1,506 so far. Number of active cases is 567 while 939 people have been discharged. No death reported in the state till date: Government of Mizoram pic.twitter.com/h6Tp5rQ01I
- ANI (@ANI) September 17, 2020