Coronavirus cases in India: Total number of cases stand at 54,87,580. (File)
India's coronavirus tally crossed the 55-lakh mark with a spike of 75,083 cases and 1,053 deaths on Tuesday. However, the country has achieved record recoveries of 1,01,468 COVID-19 patients in the last 24 hours, the Health Ministry data shows. This is the fourth day when the number of daily recoveries is higher than the daily cases.
With almost 45 lakh people (44,97,868) having beaten COVID-19 since the beginning of the pandemic, the overall recovery rate has increased to 80.86 per cent. The active cases in the 24-hour period reduced to 9,75,861, these account for 17.54 per cent of all cases.
Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan has informed the Lok Sabha that over four coronavirus vaccines are in advanced stages of pre-clinical trial in India. Amid rising cases, Rajasthan has imposed prohibitory orders in 11 districts, including state capital Jaipur, from today.
Ten districts in Chhattisgarh, including state capital Raipur, have been put under lockdown from today. India is the country with the second-highest coronavirus caseload in the world after the United States.
Here are the highlights on Coronavirus (Covid-19) cases:
Odisha Asks Covid Treatment Centres To Set Up Help Desk For Family Of PatientsOdisha on Tuesday issued anadvisory asking all COVID-19 treatment facilities to set up help desks and provide necessary information to family members of patients, after several people complained that their requests for details were being snubbed by the centres.
The health and family welfare department, in its notification, said similar instructions were given to the medical facilities in the past, but "feedback from attendants and relatives of the patients clearly suggested that the directions were not followed".
"After careful examination of the matter, the government has come up with some guidelines, to be followed for establishing a dedicated help desk in each COVID-19 facility with immediate effect.
"The facilities (both government and private) should mandatorily establish a 24X7 help desk and have a dedicated phone number, preferably a toll free number, to reply to queries," the notification said.
The toll-free numbers should be "widely notified to the public", and the help desk be manned with sufficient people round the clock, the department said.
Total COVID-19 cases in Sikkim stand at 2,513 including 556 active cases and 1,928 recovered cases. The death count due to the infection stands at 4 while due to comorbidity at 25: State Government
96 deaths and 3,291 COVID-19 positive cases reported in last 24 hours in Pune, taking total cases to 2,57,797 including 5,870 deaths: Pune Zilha Parishad, Maharashtra
2,073 new COVID-19 cases reported in Assam on Tuesday. The total cases in the state rise to 1,61,393 including 1,29,130 recoveries and 586 deaths. Active cases stand at 31,674: State Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma
Coronavirus News: Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister Govind M Karjol Tests Positive
Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister Govind M Karjol today said he has tested positive for coronavirus, reported news agency PTI. "The COVID-19 test has confirmed me to be positive and I have been hospitalised on the advice of a doctor even though I had no symptoms," Mr Karjol, who holds the portfolio of public works department and social welfare, tweeted, soon after attending the assembly proceedings. He appealed to those who had come in contact with him to exercise caution, undergo tests and get themselves quarantined. He also exuded confidence that he will soon recover from COVID-19.
Coronavirus News: Three Punjab Medical Colleges To Participate In Phase-3 Trial Of Covaxin
The Punjab government today said three government medical colleges of the state will participate in the phase 3 trials of the anti-COVID vaccine "Covaxin" being tested by Bharat Biotech Ltd in collaboration with the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), reported news agency PTI. The trials are scheduled to start from October 15, said a government statement. Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, who chaired a COVID review meeting in Chandigarh, directed the Medical Education & Research Department to ensure full care and strict adherence to all precautions during the trials with mandatory consent of the participants.
Coronavirus News: Two Madhya Pradesh Ministers Among 2,544 Test Positive, 28 Die
Madhya Pradesh today reported 2,544 new coronavirus cases, including two state ministers, taking the overall count to 1,10,711, while 28 fresh deaths in the past 24 hours increased the death count to 2,035, an official said, reported news agency PTI. Four patients each died in Indore and Sagar, three in Jabalpur, two each in Vidisha and Rewa and one each in Bhopal, Gwalior, Shivpuri, Narsinghpur, Ratlam, Betul, Damoh, Sehore, Raisen, Chhatarpur, Bhind, Shajapur and Singrauli, he said. 2,412 patients were discharged from hospitals during the day, taking the number of recovered cases to 86,030.
Coronavirus News: Kerala's COVID-19 Tally Racing Towards 1.5 Lakh
The COVID-19 tally in Kerala is racing towards the 1.50 lakh-mark as 4,125 cases were added today, as Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan blamed violent protests by the Opposition Congress-led UDF and BJP outfits for having contributed to the spread of the virus, reported news agency ANI. The death count climbed to 572 with 19 more deaths. Presently, 40,382 people are under treatment, 3,463 were infected through contact and the source of infection of 412 people was not yet known, Mr Vijayan told reporters. As many as 1,01,731 people have so far recovered from the virus and the total infection count in the state has touched 1,42,756, he said. Of the positive cases today, 33 came from abroad and 122 from other states. In the last 24 hours, 38,574 samples were sent for testing.
Coronavirus News: Gujarat Records 1,402 New COVID-19 Cases, 1,321 Recover
Gujarat's COVID-19 tally rose to 1,26,169 today with the addition of 1,402 new cases, while fatalities grew to 3,355 with 16 more deaths, the state health department said, reported news agency PTI. At the same time 1,321 patients were discharged, taking the number of recovered cases in the state to 1,06,412, a department release said. There are 16,402 active cases in the state, of which 16,310 patients are stable while 92 are critical and on ventilator support, it said. The state conducted 62,097 tests in the last 24 hours, taking the total number of tests conducted so far to 39,24,463, it said.
Coronavirus News: 1,235 Fresh COVID-19 Cases In J&K, 18 More Die
Jammu and Kashmir today recorded 1,235 fresh COVID-19 cases, taking its tally to 66,261, while 18 more fatalities pushed its death count to 1,042, officials said, reported news agency PTI. It was for the 20th consecutive day that the number of fresh cases crossed 1,000 in a 24-hour period. "The Union Territory recorded 1,235 fresh cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours -- 736 in Jammu and 499 in the Kashmir Valley," the officials said. The cumulative figure of coronavirus positive cases in Jammu and Kashmir has now risen to 66,261.
Coronavirus News: Mumbai's Dharavi Area Reports 15 New COVID-19 Cases
The COVID-19 tally in Mumbai's Dharavi - Asia's largest slum cluster - rose to 3,065 today with the addition of 15 new cases, a senior BMC official said, reported news agency PTI. The official said 2,606 COVID-19 patients in the slum-dominated area have already recovered from the infection and been discharged from hospitals. He said at present Dharavi has 179 active COVID-19 cases. The civic body, however, has stopped sharing death figures from Dharavi, which has a population of over 6.5 lakh and is spread across 2.5 square km.
Coronavirus News: Another Himachal Pradesh MLA Vinod Kumar Chauhan Tests Positive For Coronavirus
Himachal Pradesh MLA Vinod Kumar Chauhan tested positive for coronavirus today, reported news agency PTI. He is the seventh legislator in the state who has contracted the infection. The BJP MLA represents Nachan assembly segment in Mandi district. Mr Chauhan, in a Facebook post, said he has isolated himself after his report came positive and requested all those who came in his contact in the last two days to isolate themselves and get tested. He recently attended several programmes in Nachan with agriculture minister Virender Kanwar. Mr Chauhan is among the seven Himachal Pradesh MLAs in the 68-member assembly who have tested positive for the virus. Sundernagar BJP MLA Rakesh Jamwal tested positive on Sunday, two days after the assembly adjourned sine die.
Coronavirus News: Karnataka Aims To Bring COVID Mortality Rate Below 1%, Says Minister In Assembly
The COVID-19 mortality rate in Karnataka is decreasing and the aim is to bring it below one per cent, the state government informed the assembly today, even as the opposition Congress accused it of suppressing figures, reported news agency PTI. As Leader of the Opposition Siddaramaiah noted during the debate on the COVID-19 situation that 272 people for every one lakh infected were dying in Karnataka, which has the seventh worst mortality rate in the country, Medical Education Minister K Sudhakar intervened to say the death rate is declining. He said the mortality rate in Bengaluru was 1.36 per cent, while it was about 1.54 per cent in the rest of Karnataka.
Coronavirus News: Aurangabad Hospital To Increase Bed Capacity By 300 In A Month
Considering the rise in COVID-19 cases, the Government Medical College and Hospital
(GMCH) in Maharashtra's Aurangabad city plans to increase its bed capacity by 300 beds in one month, an official said on Tuesday, reported news agency PTI. The institution has been treating COVID-19 patients who are referred from other districts as well and currently has 78 intensive care units and 456 oxygen-equipped beds, GMCH dean Dr Kanan Yelikar said. By the end of the month, 20 more ICU beds and 54 additional oxygen-equipped beds will be put up in the first phase, she said. There are plans to expand the COVID-19 services to the surgical department building, where at least 200 to 300 beds with oxygen can be accommodated, Dr Yelikar said.
Coronavirus News: Rs 199.87 Crore Released To Andhra Pradesh So Far By Centre To Fight COVID-19
The Centre has so far released Rs 199.87 crore to Andhra Pradesh to fight the coronavirus pandemic. Union Minister of State for Health Ashwini Kumar Choubey stated this in a written reply to Rajya Sabha member Parimal Nathwani, the MP's office said in a release today, reported news agency PTI. The Centre was yet to release another Rs 58.41 crore to the state towards coronavirus containment measures, the MP said.
Coronavirus News: 22 New Cases Push Andaman's COVID-19 Tally To 3,673
The COVID-19 tally of Andaman and Nicobar Islands rose to 3,673 today as 22 more people tested positive for the infection, a health official said, reported news agency PTI. Thirteen new patients have travel history, while nine infections were detected during contact tracing, he said. 18 more people have recovered, the official said.
Coronavirus News: Daily COVID Recoveries More Than New Infections For 4 Consecutive Days, Says Centre
Daily COVID-19 recoveries more than number of new infections reported per day for the past four days, the Health Ministry said reported news agency PTI.
Coronavirus News: India Accounts For 17.7% Of Global COVID-19 Cases
India's COVID-19 cases account for 17.7 per cent of global infections while those who have recuperated account for 19.5 per cent of the total global recoveries, the government said.
Coronavirus News: Odisha Reports 4,189 New Cases, 11 Deaths
Odisha today reported 4,189 new cases, taking the total number of coronavirus cases in the state to 1,88,311, reported news agency ANI. As per the state health department bulletin, 11 deaths were reported in the last 24 hours, leading the death count to 721. 3,704 patients have recovered, taking the total COVID-19 recoveries to 1,49,379. There are 38,158 active cases in the state.
Russia to register second COVID-19 vaccine by October 15: Report
Russia expects to register a second potential vaccine against COVID-19 by October 15, the TASS news agency cited Russian consumer safety watchdog Rospotrebnadzor as saying.
The vaccine has been developed by Siberia's Vector Institute, which completed early-stage human trials of the vaccine last week. Russia registered its first vaccine candidate, developed by Moscow's Gamaleya Institute, in August.
Late-stage trials, involving at least 40,000 people, are ongoing.
India trials for Russia's Sputnik-V vaccine could start in next few weeks: Official
Dr Reddy's Laboratories Ltd could begin late-stage Indian clinical trials of Russia's potential coronavirus vaccine in the next few weeks, an executive at the Indian drugmaker said.
Indian trials of the Sputnik-V vaccine candidate, being developed by Russia's sovereign wealth fund, will enroll 1,000-2,000 participants and be conducted at multiple government and private hospitals across the country, Deepak Sapra, CEO for API and pharmaceutical services at Dr Reddy's, said.
PM to review status of COVID-19 response in 7 states, UTs tomorrow
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will chair a high-level virtual meeting with the Chief Ministers and Health Ministers of seven COVID high burden States/Union Territories (UT) to review the status and preparedness of COVID response and management on Wednesday.
These states and the UTs include Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Delhi, and Punjab.
According to the Health Ministry, more than 63 per cent of the active cases of coronavirus in the country are concentrated in these seven States/ UT. They also account for 65.5 per cent of the total confirmed cases and 77 per cent of the total deaths. Along with the other five states, Punjab and Delhi have reported an increase in the number of cases being reported recently.
Ladakh COVID-19 death count rises to 50, total cases 3,832
The coronavirus death count has risen to 50 in Ladakh as one more patient died due to the disease, while 79 new infections took the caseload to 3,832, officials said.
There are 1,047 active coronavirus cases in the Union Territory now, of which 591 are in Leh and 456 in Kargil district, the officials said.
A total of 2,735 patients, 71 per cent of the total caseload, have recovered till Monday evening, they said.
UK says people should work from home as COVID-19 spreads
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson will advise that people should work from home if they can as part of a package of measures aimed at halting the swiftly accelerating second wave of the novel coronavirus outbreak
"One of the things we are going to emphasise is that if it is possible for people to work from home, we are going to encourage them to do so," Minister for the Cabinet Office Michael Gove said.
210 new cases take Arunachal Pradesh COVID-19 count to 7,595
Arunachal Pradesh's COVID-19 case count rose to 7,595 as 210 more people, including 13 security personnel, tested positive for the disease, a health department official said.
The Capital Complex region reported the highest number of new cases at 101, followed by Changlang at 18, Pakke Kessang at 12, Lower Siang at 11 and West Siang at 10, State Surveillance Officer Dr Lobsang Jampa said.
India's new coronavirus infections at lowest in almost a month
India reported 75,083 new cases of coronavirus in the last 24 hours, according to health data released today, the lowest daily tally in almost a month.
There were 1,053 deaths over the same period. There have been 5.6 million cases in total in the country, second only behind the US.
Hong Kong's Disneyland to reopen this week amid coronavirus restrictions
Hong Kong's Disneyland said on Tuesday it will reopen on Friday to a reduced number of visitors and limited days, with enhanced health measures after the latest wave of coronavirus infections forced it to close again in mid July.
Hong Kong relaxed more coronavirus restrictions last week, including reopening theme parks, after the testing of nearly two million people in a programme organised by the Chinese government found 42 cases.
Disneyland said all guests will be required to wear face masks, and the park will be closed on Tuesdays and Thursdays initially. Indoor live performances will also be suspended.
Over 1 lakh recover from Covid in a day, cases cross 55-lakh mark
India has achieved record recoveries of 1,01,468 COVID-19 patients in the last 24 hours, the health ministry data shows for the last 24 hours.
Its coronavirus tally crossed the 55-lakh mark with a spike of 75,083 cases.
The country has recorded 55, 62,664 COVID-19 cases so far. This is the fourth straight day when the number of daily recoveries is higher than the daily cases.
Record COVID-19 hospitalisations in six US states this month
Six US states so far this month have reported their highest daily number of hospitalised COVID-19 patients since the pandemic started as cases began rising again nationwide, according to a Reuters tally.
North Dakota set a hospitalisation record on Monday while Missouri and South Dakota hit their highest level to date on Sunday. Hawaii, Montana and West Virginia set records earlier in September.
Nationally, the number of coronavirus patients hospitalised has fallen to an average of 30,000 a day over the two weeks that ended on Sunday, down from an average of nearly 36,000 a day the previous two weeks.
US health agency takes down coronavirus airborne transmission guidance
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) took down its guidance warning on possible airborne transmission of the novel coronavirus, saying that the draft recommendation was posted in error.
The now-withdrawn guidance, posted on the agency's website on Friday, recommended that people use air purifiers to reduce airborne germs indoors to avoid the disease from spreading.
"CDC is currently updating its recommendations regarding airborne transmission of SARS-CoV-2. Once this process has been completed, the update language will be posted," the agency said.
The health agency had said that COVID-19 could spread through airborne particles that can remain suspended in the air and travel beyond six feet.
Over 4.2 lakh fined for violating COVID-19 norms in Uttarakhand
More than 4.22 lakh people have been fined in Uttarakhand for not abiding by COVID-19 norms, including not wearing masks while stepping outdoors, since the lockdown started. So far, the State has raised a fine amount of close to Rs 15 crore from this, informed Director General of Police (Law and Order) Ashok Kumar.
The data collated by the state police revealed that a total of 3.03 lakh people have been fined for not covering their face while 49,852 people violated social distancing rules in public places.
US closes in on 200,000 coronavirus deaths
The United States edged close to registering 200,000 Covid-19 deaths on Monday, the latest grim milestone for the country just weeks before voters decide if President Donald Trump will stay in office.
According to a rolling tally by Johns Hopkins University, 199,743 Americans have died and 6.8 million have been confirmed infected.
The US has had the world's highest official death count for months, ahead of Brazil and India, with 136,895 and 87,882 deaths respectively.
UK coronavirus alert level raised as cases rise
The UK government has raised its coronavirus alert level from three to four, which indicates that the transmission of the virus is high and rising "exponentially".
The Chief Medical Officers (CMOs) of all four regions of the United Kingdom - England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales - issued a joint statement to confirm the change in the alert level for all parts of the UK as the prospect of a second nationwide lockdown looks imminent.
Mexico's coronavirus cases surpass 700,000
Mexico's confirmed coronavirus caseload rose past 700,000, according to updated data from the health ministry officials, along with a reported death toll of 73,697.
Authorities reported 2,917 new cases, bringing the total to 700,580, along with 204 deaths on Monday, but the true figures are likely significantly higher due to little testing
Pune Covid Cases Cross 2.54 Lakh, Death Count Rises To 76The COVID-19 tally in Maharashtra's Pune district rose to 2,54,506 with the addition of 2,338 new cases in the last 24 hours, a health official said on Monday.
The overall death count rose by 76 to 5,774, he said.
"Of the 2,338 fresh cases, 884 cases were reported from Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) areas and 655 cases were added from Pimpri Chinchwad area," he said.
A total of 1,256 patients were discharged after treatment.
The tally of patients from PMC limits now stands at 1,32,665 while the number of patients from Pimpri Chinchwad is 70,827.
The number of cases in rural, civil hospital and Pune cantonment board areas increased to 51,014, he said.
Jharkhand reports 1,321 new COVID-19 cases and 8 deaths, taking total cases to 72,673 including 58,543 recoveries and 626 deaths. Number of active cases stands at 13,504: State Health Department
Kerala Record 2,910 New COVID-19 CasesKerala on Monday reported 2,910 new cases of COVID-19, while 3,022 patients who were undergoing treatment recovered. This is the highest number of recoveries reported in a single day so far.
Of those diagnosed, 2,653 people were infected through contact and the contact source of 313 was unknown. While 36 of them have come back from overseas and 133 from other states. Also, 88 healthcare workers were also infected, said the Health Minister''s Office.
As many as 18 fatalities in the state were confirmed due to COVID-19, taking the death count to 553.
Odisha Reports 4,242 New COVID-19 Cases, 9 fresh FatalitiesOdisha's COVID-19 tally rose to 1,84,122 on Monday as 4,242 more people tested positive for the infection, while nine fresh fatalities pushed the state's coronavirus death count to 710, a health official said.
The state also registered the recovery of 3,704 patients taking the total number of people who have been cured of the disease to 1,49,379, which is 81.13 per cent of the caseload.
Of the new cases, as many as 2,503 were reported in quarantine centres, while 1,739 people tested positive for the infection during contact tracing, he said.
Khurda district, under which Bhubaneswar falls, reported the highest number of new cases at 652, followed by Cuttack (595), Jharsuguda (205) and Puri (182), the official said.
No More Lockdown In Meghalaya: Chief MinisterMeghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma on Monday made it clear that his government is not in favour of imposing any further lockdown in the state again, despite increasing cases of COVID-19.
"Lockdown is not really a solution, but only a mechanism to delay the spread of coronavirus. Therefore, the government will not enforce further lockdown... We cannot simply close down the economy," he told reporters after chairing a review meeting.
People need to realise that COVID-19 is here to stay, and the only way to move ahead is to be cautious and be adaptive.
As of Monday, the state has recorded a total of 4,734 COVID-19 cases of which 2,169 are active, while 2,527 people have recovered from the disease. Thirty-eight people have died due to the virus so far.