Coronavirus cases in India: About 43 lakh Covid patients have recovered so far. (File)
India's coronavirus tally reached 54,87,580 with the fresh spike of 86,961 new cases, the Health Ministry data this morning showed. 1,130 deaths in the last 24 hours have pushed the total death count to 87,882. 93,356 patients have recovered from the infection in the country in the last 24 hours.
Twelve lakh samples- the highest in a day so far- were tested since Saturday, the Health Ministry said in a tweet. This takes the total number of samples collected to 6,36,61,060.
1,133 deaths linked to Covid registered since yesterday has taken the number of fatalities to 86,752.
Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Uttar Pradesh are the worst-hit states by the outbreak.
Meanwhile, Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan has played down fears the Covid outbreak in India has reached community transmission stage, pointing out that "only 10 states are reporting maximum cases" and that the bulk of these are in "few districts".
During an hour-long social media interaction on Sunday, the minister also turned away questions about the pandemic peaking in India, stating that different parts of the country were "at multiple trajectories".
"Large outbreaks in certain districts indicate an acute spread... only 10 states are contributing 77 per cent of active cases. If you see state-specific data, you will find that these cases are concentrated in few districts," Dr Vardhan said.
"India is at multiple trajectories across the urban, semi-urban and rural populations," he added.
The Health Minister's comment comes a day after his Delhi counterpart, Satyendar Jain, took a swipe at the centre over its insistence that India has still not entered the community transmission stage.
Here are the highlights on Coronavirus (Covid-19) cases:
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.
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.
22 new COVID-19 cases reported in Andaman and Nicobar, taking the total number of cases to 3,673; death count stands at 52. Total 3,469 patients have recovered so far: Andaman and Nicobar Administration
Parliament Passes Bill To Protect Healthcare Workers Against ViolenceThe Lok Sabha on Monday passed a legislation that provides for up to seven years in jail for those attacking healthcare workers fighting the coronavirus or during any situation akin to the current pandemic.
The Epidemic Diseases (Amendment) Bill, 2020, will replace an ordinance issued in April by the government. The Rajya Sabha has already passed the bill on Saturday.
With the Lok Sabha giving its nod, it will soon become an act, which is going to amend 123-year-old legislation.
2,640 new COVID-19 cases reported in Assam on Monday. The total cases in the state rise to 1,59,320 including 1,27,335 recoveries and 578 deaths. Active cases stand at 31,404: State Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma
Coronavirus News: Nagpur Police Gets Dedicated COVID-19 Hospital
Police personnel in Maharashtra's Nagpur can now avail of treatment in a new dedicated COVID-19 hospital to them, reported news agency PTI. "A seperate and independent Covid hospital was needed for the police department which was set up within weeks," Nagpur police commissioner Amitesh Kumar said in a release on Monday. Earlier in the day, the hospital was virtually inaugurated by Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh and district guardian minister Nitin Raut at the police headquarters.
Coronavirus News: Schools In Haryana Partially Reopen After Being Shut For Six Months
After remaining shut for the past six months due to coronavirus, schools in Haryana partially reopened on Monday to enable students studying in Classes 9 to 12 to visit their institutions on a voluntary basis for taking guidance from their teachers, reported news agency PTI. The Haryana government had recently allowed students of class 9 to 12 to visit their schools in areas outside COVID containment zones only, on voluntary basis for academic guidance. The decision was taken in compliance with the Unlock4 guidelines issued by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).
Coronavirus News: Ahmedabad Reports 177 New COVID-19 Cases, 120 Recoveries
Gujarat's Ahmedabad district reported 177 new COVID-19 cases, taking its tally to 35,118 on Monday, the state health department said, reported news agency PTI. With three more fatalities, the death count rose to 1,801, it said. Also, 120 patients were discharged from hospitals in the last 24 hours, raising the number of recovered cases to 29,241, the department said. Ahmedabad city reported 157 new cases and the rural parts of the district 20. All three deaths were reported from the city.
Coronavirus News: Maharashtra Adds 15,738 COVID-19 Cases; Record 32,007 Recover
Maharashtra on Monday reported a record number of 32,007 recoveries from COVID-19 infection even as 15,738 new cases took the total count of infections in the state to 12,24,380, the health department said, reported news agency PTI. The number of recovered persons in the state has reached 9,16,348, it said, adding that the recovery rate stands at 74.84 per cent, while the fatality rate is at 2.7 per cent. With 344 people succumbing to the infection, the cumulative death count crossed the 33,000 mark and reached 33,015, it said. The number of new cases in the day was significantly lower compared to 20,598 additions on Sunday. The state now has 2,74,623 active cases.
Coronavirus News: West Bengal Reports Record 62 Fatalities, Death Count Jumps To 4,421
West Bengal reported 62 COVID-19 deaths on Monday, the highest single-day spike so far, pushing the death count to 4,421, a bulletin released by the health department said, reported news agency PTI. The state's caseload climbed to 2,28,302 with 3,165 new infections, it said. A total of 3,011 people have recovered since Sunday, bettering the discharge rate to 87.16 per cent, the bulletin said. West Bengal now has 24,898 active cases.
Coronavirus News: 814 Test Positive For Coronavirus In Uttarakhand
814 people have tested positive for coronavirus in Uttarakhand on Monday, taking the state's case tally to 41,777, while 10 more people died, according to official data, reported news agency PTI. Among the fresh cases, Dehradun district reported the maximum cases (309), followed by Nainital (111), Haridwar (110), Udham Singh Nagar (95), Almora (74), Pauri (24), Tehri (23), Uttarkashi (22), Rudraprayag (15), Champawat (13), Chamoli (nine), Bageshwar (five) and Pitgoragarh (four), a state health department bulletin said. Meanwhile, 10 more COVID-19 patients died, taking the cumulative count to 501, it said.
Coronavirus News: 2 More Die Of COVID-19 In UP's Muzaffarnagar
Two more COVID-19 patients died in Uttar Pradesh's Muzaffarnagar pushed the death count to 58, while 97 new coronavirus cases took the active cases in the district to 1,192, officials said on Monday, news agency PTI reported. The fresh cases, include 20 jail inmates and a bank employee, they said. According to Muzaffarnagar District Magistrate Selvakumari J, 568 sample results were received by the authorities, of which 97 were positive. She said 87 more coronavirus patients in the district have recovered, taking the total number of recoveries to 2,855 in the district.
Coronavirus News: 4,703 New COVID-19 Cases Take UP's Tally To Over 3.58 Lakh, Death Count To 5,135
The death count due to COVID-19 in Uttar Pradesh rose to 5,135 on Monday with 88 more fatalities, while 4,703 fresh cases pushed the infection tally in the state to 3,58,893, officials said, reported news agency PTI. Briefing reporters, Additional Chief Secretary (Medical and Health) Amit Mohan Prasad said 2,89,594 COVID-19 patients have recovered and have been discharged. The recovery rate of the state is at 80.69 per cent, he said. Of the 88 new COVID-19 deaths, 13 deaths were reported from state capital Lucknow, while nine fatalities were reported from Kanpur.
Coronavirus News: 6,235 New COVID-19 Cases Reported In Andhra Pradesh In 24 Hours
Andhra Pradesh reported 6,235 new COVID-19 cases today, taking the total number of cases to 6,31,749 in the state, the State Health Department said, reported news agency ANI. The total number of cases include 5,51,821 recoveries, 74,518 active cases, and 5,410 deaths, according to the State Health Department. Meanwhile, with a spike of 86,961 new cases and 1,130 deaths in the last 24 hours, India's COVID-19 count reached 54,87,581 on Monday.
Coronavirus News: Head Constable Dies Of COVID-19 In Maharashtra's Akola
A 51-year-old head constable died of COVID-19 in Maharashtra's Akola district on Monday, a senior police official said, reported news agency PTI. This is the first case of a police personnel's death due to the viral infection in the district, he said. He was undergoing treatment in the ICU of a government hospital in Akola since September 14. He died around 3 am on Monday, Akola Superintendent of Police G Shridhar said.
Coronavirus News: Orissa High Court To Be Shut For Sanitisation Tomorrow Over COVID-19 Cases
The Orissa High Court will remain closed tomorrow for sanitisation after various cases were reported from several departments of the court, the Registrar General of the High Court said on Monday, reported news agency ANI. The court premises was also shut today.
Coronavirus News: 1,000 ICU Beds Available In Delhi, Says Satyendar Jain
Delhi Health Minister, Satyendar Jain today said that as of now, there are around 1,000 ICU beds available in Delhi. He further said the 30 per cent of the COVID-19 patients admitted to Delhi hospitals are from other states. "Delhi had reported 3,812 COVID-19 positive cases. The death ratio for 10 days is 0.77 and so far we have conducted over 25 lakh tests in the national capital. As of now, there are around 1,000 ICU beds available in Delhi," Mr Jain said while speaking to reporters. "There is no problem in the availability of plasma right now in Delhi. People coming from outside Delhi, mostly require ICU beds. Anyone can check on the Delhi COVID app regarding the availability of beds, nothing is concealed... anyone can check it," he added.
7 new cases push COVID-19 tally of Andamans to 3,651
The COVID-19 tally of Andaman and Nicobar Islands rose to 3,651 on Monday as seven more people tested positive for the infection, news agency PTI reported quoting a health official said.
Four new patients have travel history, while three fresh infections were detected during contact tracing, he said.
The Taj Mahal in Agra reopened this morning with strict coronavirus safety guidelines after being shut for tourists for over six months. The Agra Fort too reopened today. Uttar Pradesh is the fifth most-affected state in the country with over 3.54 lakh COVID-19 cases.
Karnataka Legislature Session Begins Under COVID-19 Shadow
An eight-day monsoon session of the Karnataka legislature began in Bengaluru's Vidhana Soudha today (Monday) in the backdrop of the Covid 19 pandemic that has seen well over five lakh cases reported in the state.
Many restrictions are in place, including compulsory Covid negative certificate for entry into both the Houses at the Vidhana Soudha. This applies to the MLAs, MLCs, bureaucrats, staff and media personnel.
Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa -- who contracted the virus and have since recovered -- is in favour of shortening the session because of Covid 19. "Because of the current situation about 55 to 60 MLAs have not been able to attend today. In this situation - it would be better to discuss the most important issues and end the session earlier. I will make this request to the Opposition," he said. Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai and Deputy Chief Minister Dr Ashwath Narayan are among the several Ministers and legislators who have tested positive for the infection. (Read full story
here)
Assam Covid tally at 1,56,680
The total number of coronavirus cases presently in Assam stands at 1,56,680, of which, 30,575 cases are active and 1,25,540 people have recovered.
The statewide number of deaths is at 562.
Madhya Pradesh Covid tally crosses 1 lakh
The total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Madhya Pradesh is 1,03,065. Currently, there are 21,964 active cases, 79,158 recoveries and 1,943 deaths, the Union Health Ministry said.
The total number of cases in Indore has gone up to 19,937, while the total fatalities have risen to 505.
Coronavirus: 10 Chhattisgarh Districts Under Lockdown
Ten districts in Chhattisgarh, including state capital Raipur, have been put under lockdown from today amid spike in COVID-19 cases in these districts. The state capital -- which has been reporting 900-1,000 daily cases -- has been declared a containment zone.
Read Here Maharashtra remains the worst-hit state with over 12 lakh cases
Maharashtra remains the worst-hit state with over 12.08 lakh COVID -19 cases, including 32,671 deaths. Maharashtra is followed by three southern states - Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.
103 new coronavirus cases take Meghalaya's tally to 4,660
At least 103 people, including four health workers, tested positive for COVID-19 in Meghalaya on Sunday, pushing the state''s infection tally to 4,660, an official said.
Of the new cases, 78 were reported from East Khasi, 14 from Ri-Bhoi, seven from West Garo, three from West Khasi and one from South West Garo hills district, Health Services Director Aman War said.
This morning, India added 86,961 new infections, taking the total number of cases to 54,87,580. 1,130 deaths in the last 24 hours have pushed the total death count to 87,882. 93,356 patients have recovered from the infection in the country in the last 24 hours.
With rising COVID cases in Chhattisgarh, 10 districts including Raipur have announced a week-long lockdown from Monday. The state capital has also been declared a containment zone till September 28.
Section 144 Imposed In 11 Rajasthan Districts After Surge In Covid Cases
The Rajasthan government has imposed prohibitory orders under Section 144 in eleven districts, including state capital Jaipur, from today in view of rising COVID-19 cases.
Rajasthan added 1,865 fresh cases on Sunday, taking the total number of cases to 1,14,989. The maximum of the fresh cases were reported from Jaipur, where 328 persons tested positive for the virus.
Taj Mahal reopens with all COVID-19 norms in place
Thermal screening of visitors being done at Taj Mahal, as the monument reopens for public after nearly six months. It was closed on March 17 after all heritage monuments protected under the Archeological Survey of India, after discussion with the union ministry of culture, were asked to close for the visitors following the rapid outbreak of SARS-CoV-2.
1,227 new COVID-19 cases and 1795 discharges reported in Assam on Sunday. The total cases in the state rise to 1,56,680 including 1,25,540 recoveries and 562 deaths. Active cases stand at 30,575: State Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma
Jharkhand's Covid Case Count Rises To 71,352Jharkhand recorded 1,492 fresh COVID-19 cases on Sunday, taking the tally to 71,352, according to the state government.
There were 1,235 recoveries and discharges reported in the state.
The total number of cases include 56,944 recovered and discharged cases while 617 have died due to the virus.
India's total case count stands at 54,00,620 including 10,10,824 active cases, 43,03,044 cured/discharged/migrated cases and 86,752 deaths, said the Union Health Ministry.
Coronavirus: Four Vaccines In Advanced Stages Of Pre-Clinical Trial, Says CentreUnion Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan on Sunday informed that over four coronavirus vaccines are in advanced stages of pre-clinical trial in India.
"145 vaccine candidates across the world are under pre-clinical evaluation, around 35 under clinical trials. In India, we gave all support to 30 vaccine candidates -3 of these are in advanced trials of phases 1, 2, and 3. Over 4 in advanced stages of the pre-clinical trial," Harsh Vardhan said in the Lok Sabha during the discussion on the COVID-19 pandemic
The Minister also said that the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare received Rs 893.93 crores from PM-CARES Fund for 50,000 made in India ventilators.
"On January 30, World Health Organisation (WHO) warned the world about such disease. But we had started work from January 8. By January 17, we had issued a detailed health advisory and started point of entry surveillance and community surveillance. On January 30, when the first case in India was reported, authorities did 162 contact tracing," he said.
Stubble Burning Can Exacerbate Coronavirus Crisis, Says ExpertThe stubble burning which is likely to start later this month ahead of the Rabi crop sowing season can exacerbate the Coronavirus crisis, an agricultural-cum-environment expert has cautioned.
"If alternate arrangements to stubble burning are not made, pollutants like particulate matters and toxic gases like Carbon Monoxide and Methane could give rise to severe respiratory problems, which will further worsen the COVID 19 situation, as the Coronavirus also impacts the respiratory tract," Sanjeev Nagpal, also an advisor to the Union and the Punjab governments on the crop residue management, told PTI on Sunday.
"Last year, nearly 50,000 cases of stubble burning were reported in Punjab. Stubble burning contributes about 18 to 40 per cent of particulate matter to atmosphere in northern plains. It also emits large amounts of toxic pollutants like Methane, Carbon Monoxide and carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons," said Mr Nagpal, also the MD of Sampurn Agri Ventures Pvt Ltd (SAVPL).
Odisha Sees Record One-Day Spike Of 4,330 Covid Cases, Death Count Crosses 700COVID-19 cases, which pushed the state's infection count to 1,79,880, a health department official said.
The death count rose to 701 with 10 more people succumbing to the infection, he said, adding that the case fatality ratio (CFR) stands at 0.38 per cent.
"Regret to inform the demise of Ten #COVID19 positive patients while under treatment in hospitals," the state''s Health and Family Welfare Department said on Twitter.
According to the official, 4,018 patients were cured of the disease during the day, taking the total number of recoveries to 1,45,675, which is 80.98 per cent of the state's caseload.
Of the 4,330 new cases, 2,556 were reported from various quarantine centres, while the rest were detected during contact tracing, the official said.