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:
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.
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).
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
As of now, there are around 1000 ICU beds available in Delhi: Satyendar Jain, Delhi Health Minister. #COVID19 pic.twitter.com/euK5Z0gWH3
- ANI (@ANI) September 21, 2020
A huge gathering of the Islamic sect Tablighi Jamaat in March in Delhi, despite orders issued by various authorities after the outbreak of coronavirus, "also" led to the spread of the virus among "many persons", the government today informed parliament."
#AssamPlasmaHero ~ Sept 20
- Himanta Biswa Sarma (@himantabiswa) September 20, 2020
1. Biki Boro
2. Lakshyadhar Das
3. Nibasish Paul
4. Prasenjit Sarkar
Gratitude 🙏 pic.twitter.com/WBE5QHl3Ks
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"".
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.Agra: Thermal screening of visitors being done at Taj Mahal, as the monument reopens for public from today. pic.twitter.com/YqHR94eub8
- ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) September 21, 2020
Jammu & Kashmir: Preparations underway at Kendriya Vidyalaya in #Jammu as it reopens today (ANI) pic.twitter.com/LZJlxbD1Go
- NDTV (@ndtv) September 21, 2020