Coronavirus Cases In India: The recovery rate now stands at 77.7 per cent.
With 97,570 cases has push India's coronavirus tally to 46,59,984 the Union Health Ministry data this morning showed. The death count has risen to 77,472 with 1,201 more fatalities.
36,24,196 patients have recovered from the infection in the country.
Maharashtra remains the state hit hardest by the pandemic, followed by Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Uttar Pradesh. India is the country with the second-highest coronavirus caseload in the world after the United States.
The country's recovery rate now stands at 77.77 per cent, the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) informed on Saturday.
Here are the Updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) Cases:
COVID-19: Kerala records 2,885 new cases, 15 fatalities
COVID-19 was confirmed in 2,885 persons in Kerala on Saturday even as 1,944 patients under treatment for the same have recovered from the disease, said Health Minister KK Shailaja.
Of those diagnosed today, 2,640 were cases of local transmission and the source of infection of 287 was not traceable. Forty-two are returnees from abroad and 137 from other states. Fifty-five healthcare workers were also infected by Coronavirus.
Fifteen recent deaths were confirmed on Saturday due to COVID-19. The district-wise figures for those who tested positive yesterday are Thiruvananthapuram 566, Malappuram 310, Kozhikode 286, Kollam 265, Kannur 207, Ernakulam 188, Palakkad 184, Thrissur 172, Kottayam 166, Alappuzha 163, Kasargod 150, Pathanamthitta 88, Idukki 86 and Wayanad 54.
COVID-19: With highest single-day spike of 351 cases, Indore's tally reaches 16,782
With the highest single-day spike of 351 new COVID-19 positive cases, Indore has reported total 16,782 cases, said the office of the Chief Medical Officer (CMO) in a bulletin.
With seven new fatalities, the death count stands at 458 in Indore.
With the increasing number of patients, there is a shortage of beds in the hospitals. While many hospitals also lack oxygen and ventilator beds.
COVID-19 patients must not be denied beds: Health Ministry to hospitals
Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan on Saturday affirmed the government's resolve to ensure that patient of COVID-19 must not be denied beds and must be provided prompt treatment.
He said the collective goal must be to have a health system that is available, affordable and accessible to all and the aim of the Centre along with the states was to achieve a mortality rate of less than one per cent.
Bhushan inaugurated a virtual conclave for private hospitals providing COVID-19 treatment in the country organised by the ministry in collaboration with FICCI and AIIMS New Delhi.
"He reiterated the resolve of the Government to ensure that patient of COVID-19 must not be denied beds and must be provided prompt treatment. The collective goal must be to have a health system that available, affordable and accessible to all. He highlighted that the aim of the Centre along with the state/UT governments is to achieve a mortality rate of less than one per cent," the release said.
Coronavirus: Ready To Restart, Says Indian Drug Firm After UK Covid Vaccine Trials ResumeThe Serum Institute of India (SII) is ready to restart coronavirus vaccine trials - pending permission from the Drug Controller General of India (DGCI) - the manufacturer said in a statement on Saturday evening.
The SII had suspended recruitment for Phase 2 and Phase 3 India trials of the Covishield vaccine - being developed by pharma giant AstraZeneca and the University of Oxford - after concerns over the health of a trial participant in the United Kingdom. British regulators directed the UK trials to be halted.
On Wednesday a show-cause notice was sent to the SII by the DGCI, asking why it was continuing trials that had been stopped elsewhere. The DGCI also demanded a report detailing symptoms of the UK patient and directed the SII to increase monitoring of trial patients who had already been vaccinated.
Replying to the notice, the SII said there had been no safety or health issues in the India trials, so far. Nevertheless, the Data Safety Monitoring Board recommended pausing further enrolment.
Coronavirus: Maharashtra Reports Over 22,000 Covid Cases, 391 Deaths In Last 24 Hours
Continuing the trend of reporting higher number of COVID-19 infections, Maharashtra on Saturday added 22,084 new cases, taking the total caseload to 10,37,765, state health department said.
With 391 more deaths due to infection, the cumulative count crossed the 29,000 mark and reached 29,115, it said.
A total of 13,489 patients were discharged after treatment in the day, raising the number of recoveries to 7,28,512.
The state now has 2,79,768 active cases, the department said in a release.
The case recovery rate now stands at 70.2 per cent, while the fatality rate is 2.81 per cent.
Mumbai saw 2,350 new cases in the day, taking its total tally to 1,67,656, it said, adding that the city's death count rose by 42 to 8,109.
COVID-19: Delhi Records Highest Single-Day Jump Of 4,321 CasesDelhi recorded its biggest single-day jump in coronavirus cases with 4,321 fesh infections in 24 hours taking the city's tally to over 2.14 lakh, government data showed today. The spike comes as the capital resumed metro services just days ago and reopened bars on a trial basis.
Twenty-eight people died in the last 24 hours taking the number of fatalities in the national capital to 4,715, state government's latest health bulletin showed.
The previous highest spike was on Thursday when 4,308 people tested positive for the deadly disease that has affected millions across the world.
This is the fourth consecutive day when over 4,000 fresh cases have been recorded in the national capital.
In the last 10 days, cases in the national capital have been on a steady rise. On September 2, number of reported infections was 2,509 which has almost doubled now.
COVID-19: India reports 81,533 recoveries, highest in a day
A total of 81,533 COVID-19 recoveries were reported in the country in last 24 hours which is the highest single-day recovery, Health Ministry said on Saturday.
With this, the total number of recoveries has crossed 36 lakh taking the coronavirus recovery rate to 77.77 per cent. The number of recoveries stands at 36, 24,196.
A ministry release said that around 60 per cent of the total recovered cases have been reported from five states - Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and Uttar Pradesh. These states are also the worst COVID-hit states in the country.
In the last 24 hours, 97,570 new cases were reported from the country with Maharashtra contributing over 24,000 of the additional cases. Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka both have contributed more than 9,000.
The death count has gone to 77472 with 1,201 more persons dying due to the virus.
COVID-19: Assam reports record 23 more fatalities, death count mounts to 453Assam reported 23 more COVID-19 deaths on Saturday, the highest singe-day spike so far,
pushing the death toll to 453, Health and Family Welfare Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said.
A total of 2,132 fresh cases raised the state's tally to 1,40,471, he said.
Mr Sarma said the deaths were reported from 14 districts in the state, and include four women.
"Very sad & anguished to inform that 23 more COVID-19 positive patients have succumbed to the disease... My deepest condolences are with the bereaved families," he said on Twitter.
Coronavirus news: Amarinder Singh trashes AAP's claim of scam in procurement of Covid care kits
Reacting to AAP MLA Aman Arora's allegations of a scam in COVID kit procurement, Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Saturday ridiculed the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) for seeing a scam in the procurement of COVID Care Kits even before the kits were procured by the state government.
"In their desperation to attack the government in Punjab they seem to have lost all sense of proportion," the CMO said.
The Chief Minister further pointed out that Mr Arora's allegations came even before the tender for procurement of the kits was finalised by the state's health department, pointing ou that Punjab government finalised the cost at Rs 748 per kit with additional GST of Rs 360 for Pulse Oximeter.
As per the release, the Chief Minister pointed out that Arora based his allegation on a rate list which actually listed only 13 items as against the 16 that are being procured by the state government. His list did not mention Capsule Vitamin D, Betadine gargles, and balloons, while sanitiser listed by him was of 100 ML in comparison with the 500 ML sanitiser that is being included in the government kit.
COVID-19: Odisha reports 3,777 new cases, 11 more deaths
Odisha's COVID-19 tally mounted to 1,46,894 on Saturday with 3,777 more people testing positive for the disease, while 11 fresh fatalities pushed the state's death count to 616, a health department official said.
Three deaths were reported in Cuttack, two in Khurda, and one each in Bolangir, Jajpur, Kandhamal, Keonjhar, Nayagarh and Rayagada, he said.
Of the 3,777 new cases, 2,191 were recorded in various quarantine centres, and 1,586 detected during contact tracing. Khurda district, of which state capital Bhubaneswar is a part, registered the maximum number of fresh cases at 815, followed by Cuttack at 368.
Odisha currently has 34,163 active cases, while 1,12,062 people have recovered from the infection.
Fifty-three COVID-19 patients have died in the coastal state due to comorbidities, the official said.
COVID-19: 29 new cases in SikkimSikkim reported 29 new COVID-19 cases including a two-day-old infant boy, taking the Himalayan state's coronavirus tally to 2,057, an official said on Saturday.
Two more persons, including an army man, died on Saturday due to Covid-19, pushing the death count to 13, the official said.
State Information Education Communication (IEC) Member Sonam Bhutia said that a 40-year-old army personnel succumbed to Covid-19 in North Sikkim, while a 37 year-old male died due
to the infection in STNM hospital here.
He said 29 fresh COVID-19 positive cases have been reported in the last-24 hours.
CRPF personnel in Jammu make face masks for public, fellow jawans
As COVID-19 numbers continue to rise across the country, personnel from the Central Reserve Police Force in Jammu and Kashmir have taken on the task to make face masks for the public and their fellow jawans on the frontlines.
According to Assistant Commandant, Ajay Sharma, the CRPF in Jammu started to make the face masks around January this year, after Personal Protective Equipment was not readily available in the area.
"The pandemic came at the beginning of the year, and we had a hard time getting our hands on PPE kits as they were not readily available everywhere. We decided that we would prepare our own equipment and distribute it to all those who needs it," Mr Sharma told ANI.
Family of 2 COVID-19 victim cops get Rs 50 lakh compensation cheques
The family of two Nagpur policemen who died due to the coronavirus infection were on Saturday given compensations cheques of Rs 50 lakh each by commissioner Amitesh Kumar.
The two had lost their lives on August 6 while under treatment, a police department release said.
COVID-19 recovery rate increases to 89.99 per cent in BiharThe recovery rate of COVID-19 patients increased to 89.99 per cent in Bihar on Saturday, while 1421 fresh cases took the tally of coronavirus cases to over 1.56 lakh in the state, health department bulletin said.
The death count due to the deadly virus jumped to 808 with 11 new casualties in the past 24 hours, it said.
Out of a total 1,56,866 COVID cases, the number of people getting cured from the contagion has increased to 1,41,158, hiking the recovery rate to 89.99 per cent.
There are 14,899 actives cases in the state, the bulletin said.
The recovery rate has been showing a steady rise in Bihar since August 17 at over 80 per cent. It was 89.72 Friday.
Punjab mobile coronavirus testing van reaches rural areas for free walk-in Covid test
The ambulance providing free walk-in COVID-19 testing has reached Tharike village here on Saturday. The facility has been provided by the Punjab government for the people in rural areas.
The ambulance called Corona Testing Mobile Clinic and Ambulance reached the village to conduct COVID-19 tests free of cost.
"I have come with the corona ambulance here in Tharike. We have earlier made a camp in a different village. In Ludhiana, there are four vans like this. The benefit is that we can reach people in rural areas where there are no testing facilities," Dr Deep Arora told ANI.
"The report also comes in quick time so we can advise people to stay in isolation based on their reports. We can educate local communities. It is free of cost," Dr. Arora said.
"The aim of the government is to conduct maximum testing, we have plans to go to other villages," he added.
Karnataka adds 9,140 fresh COVID-19 cases, 94 deaths take count to 7,161Karnataka on Saturday reported 9,140 new coronavirus cases taking the total number of
infections to 4,49,551 while the death count touched 7,161 with 94 fatalities, the Health department said.
The total infections comprised 3,44,556 discharges including 9,557 on Saturday whereas there were 97,815 active cases in the state including 795 in the ICU, the department said in a statement.
Ahmedabad's COVID-19 cases up by 175 to 33,553The number of COVID-19 cases in Ahmedabad district rose by 175 to 33,553 on Saturday,
Gujarat health department said.
With three fatalities, the count in the district went up to 1,770, it said.
A total of 151 patients were discharged in the day after treatment, taking the number of recoveries to 27,557.
Of the 175 new cases, Ahmedabad city added 153 patients while 22 cases were reported from rural areas, the department said.
COVID-19 tally in Tamil Nadu edges close to 5-lakh mark; state adds 5,495 new casesTamil Nadu on Saturday logged 5,495 fresh COVID-19 infections taking the tally close to the
five lakh mark with 4,97,066 positive cases being reported till date, the Health department said.
With 76 deaths reported today, the count mounted to 8,307 in the state, the Health department said in a bulletin.
Recoveries continued to outnumber fresh infections as 6,227 people walked out from various healthcare facilities, taking the tally of those cured so far to 4,41,649.
Active cases which dropped below the 50,000 mark a few days ago stood at 47,110 in the state.
UP jail minister, who tested positive for COVID-19, says he is better nowUttar Pradesh Minister of State for Jails, Jai Kumar Singh Jaiki, who had tested positive for COVID -19, on Saturday said his condition was better.
"There is an improvement in my health condition. I am resting at home. No one in my family has tested positive for the virus," said the 50-year-old minister.
Mr Singh had on Friday tweeted, "After detecting primary symptoms of the corona, I had got my test done on September 9. The result has come positive. As per the medical advice, I have isolated myself at home."
Record 1,569-case spike takes Nashik COVID-19 count past 52,000The COVID-19 caseload in Nashik district reached 52,329 after a record single-day spike of
1,569 cases on Saturday, an official said.
On Friday, the district had witnessed what was then a record spike with 1,551 cases.
Since September 8, the district has been seeing a daily jump of 1400-odd cases, he said.
The infection claimed 15 lives on Saturday, taking the count to 1,050, the official added.
Kerala reports 2,885 COVID-19 cases; count mounts to 425 with 15 deathsKerala reported 2,885 COVID-19 cases on Saturday, taking the tally to 1,05,139 as 75,848 people have recovered so far from the infection, Health minister K K Shailaja said.
The state had crossed the grim milestone of one lakh cases on Friday after 2,988 people tested positive.
With 15 deaths being confirmed over the past few days, including that of a 101-year-old man from Kalady in Ernakulam district, the toll has climbed to 425.
Of the positive cases, 2,640 were infected through contact and the source of infection of 287 persons was not known.
Don't delay visit to hospital, COVID-19 patients toldPeople with any symptoms of COVID-19 should visit hospital without delay so that their
lives can be saved, Puducherry Relief and Rehabilitation Commissioner A Anbarasu said on Saturday.
There were instances of patients going to hospitals at the last minute and dying despite the treatment given to them, he told reporters.
Stating that government and privately-run medical college hospitals were equipped with necessary infrastructure and manpower to treat coronavirus patients, he said that with the increase in testing facilities, more than 3,700 samples were tested on Friday leading to identification of 419 positive cases.
Nearly 4,000 coronavirus patients treated, no casualties at Sardar Patel COVID Care Centre
The 10,000-bed Sardar Patel COVID Care Centre and Hospital (SPCCCH) at the Radha Soami Satsang Beas in Chhatarpur has so far admitted a total of 3,716 patients, out of which 2,388 have been discharged after being successfully treated.
The world's largest COVID-19 care centre formally started taking patients from July 5 after the successful trial run by Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) following its inauguration by Union Home Minister Amit Shah on June 27.
"Only 66 of them have been referred to hospitals. Currently, we have more than 1,175 patients who are undergoing treatment at the SPCCC," said the ITBP in a statement.
It added that the numbers of patients have gone up substantially in recent days.
Record 75,000 tests done in Andhra PradeshA record 75,000-plus tests turned out 9,901 fresh COVID-19 cases in Andhra Pradesh on Saturday while over 10,000 more patients got cured.
Also, 67 fresh fatalities were reported in the state in 24 hours ending 9 am on Saturday, the latest bulletin said.
The states Covid-19 chart now read 5,57,587 total cases, 4,57,008 recoveries and 4,846 deaths till date.
The number of active cases fell to 95,733, the bulletin said.
The state completed 45.27 lakh sample tests so far, with an infection positivity rate of 12.32 per cent.
Another Uttarkhand MLA tests positive for COVID-19The BJP's Raipur MLA Umesh Sharma Kau said on Saturday that he has tested positive for COVID-19.
The legislator also advised his friends and acquaintances, who had come in contact with him recently, to go for a coronavirus test and stay safe.
"I am going into self-isolation at home after testing positive for COVID-19," Mr Kau said in a letter to the Chief Medical Superintendent of the Community Health Centre in Raipur on Saturday.
International passengers can opt for COVID-19 test, waiting lounge at Delhi airport for Rs 5,000Delhi airport on Saturday started its on-arrival COVID-19 testing facility wherein an international passenger can pay Rs 5,000 to avail a RT-PCR test and also use the waiting lounge, said senior officials of its operator DIAL.
The Civil Aviation Ministry had on September 2 said that international passengers, who have to take connecting domestic flights after landing in India, will have the option of getting themselves tested for COVID-19 at the entry airports.
Passengers who opt for the test will have to wait in a specified lounge in the airport or a designated hotel in the city till their results come, the ministry noted. If found negative, they will be exempted from mandatory institutional quarantine and can take the connecting flight.
"The COVID-19 test at the airport will cost Rs 2,400. The waiting lounge charges are Rs 2,600," said an official of the Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL).
Coronavirus: 3 new containment zones in ShillongThe district administration has declared three areas here as containment zones to allow health
officials to detect COVID-19 cases and map all influenza like infection (ILI) and severe acute respiratory infections (SARI) to arrest the surge of coronavirus death cases, officials said
on Saturday.
The East Khasi Hills district administration has declared Madan Laban, Riat Laban and Keating Road of the state capital as containment zones, they said.
At least three deaths have taken place in Madan Laban area and in Riat Laban area in the past one week while over 35 COVID-19 cases were detected from Keatinge Road area, they said.
COVID-19: Oxygen plants in Gujarat asked to ramp up productionConsidering the rise in COVID-19 cases, the Gujarat health department has directed
oxygen manufacturing units to ramp up production to maximum capacity and ensure that 50 per cent of it is "medical oxygen" meant for hospitals.
In a notification dated September 10, the department has directed manufacturing units to divert only up to 50 per cent of oxygen to industrial use, with priority given to hospitals in case need arises.
While the need for medical oxygen will increase manifold in the coming days in Gujarat, the opening up of industries in the Unlock period may adversely affect the supply of medical oxygen to hospitals, the notification stated.
In view of this, the government has decided to regularise the circulation and supply of oxygen from production units to address the needs of COVID-19 patients, it said.
COVID-19: Union minister Shripad Naik discharged from Goa hospitalUnion AYUSH Minister and Goa Lok Sabha MP Shripad Naik was on Saturday discharged from hospital after recovering from the novel coronavirus infection, said an official.
He was admitted in a private hospital here on August 12.
The opinion of experts from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) was taken before discharging Mr Naik, the official added.
Himachal Pradesh's COVID-19 tally stands at 8,848
Himachal Pradesh on Saturday reported 64 new COVID-19 cases, taking the overall count to 8,848 cases, said the state health department.
As per the bulletin, 70 recoveries were reported today, taking the overall recoveries to 5,894. There are 2,867 active cases in the state.
Seventy people have died due to the virus in the state so far and 15 patients have migrated.
Two more COVID-19 patients die in Ladakh
Two more coronavirus positive elderly persons succumbed to the infection in Ladakh, bringing the number of deaths linked to the disease to 38 in the Union Territory, officials said on Saturday.
Both the deaths were reported from Leh district on Friday, the officials said.
The deceased, aged 98 and 82, had tested positive for COVID-19 a few days back, they said. The officials said the two were also suffering from other ailments and age-related issues.
Of the total COVID-19 deaths in Ladakh, 15 were reported in Leh and 23 in Kargil district, they said.
Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) launched country's first airport COVID-19 testing facility at Indira Gandhi International Airport, today.
Puducherry logs 419 new COVID-19 cases, five more deaths
With 419 more people testing positive for coronavirus in Puducherry on Saturday, the overall tally of infections rose to 19,439 in the union
territory.
Director of Health and Family Welfare, S Mohan Kumar said in a release that five more people succumbed to the viral nfection during last 24 hours ending 10 am on Saturday, pushing the toll to 370.
The official said 455 patients recovered and were discharged on Saturday.
Most of the deceased had co-morbidities and they were in the age group of 42 to 71 years.
Philippines reports 186 more coronavirus deaths, record daily toll
The Philippines' health ministry on Saturday reported 186 more deaths related to the novel coronavirus, a new daily record and the highest single-day fatility rate recorded so far in Southeast Asia.
In a bulletin, the ministry said total deaths have increased to 4,292, while confirmed cases rose by 4,935 to 257,863. The Philippines has the most COVID-19 infections in the region.
Recoveries surge to 36,24,196, 60 per cent of total recoveries concentrated in 5 states
With a record 81,533 people recuperating from COVID-19 in a day, India's total recoveries on Saturday surged to 36,24,196 of which 60 per cent of the cases are from five states, including Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka.
India's COVID-19 case fatality rate has further dropped to 1.66 per cent while the recovery rate has risen to 77.77 per cent, according to the Union Health Ministry.
Sixty per cent of the total recovered cases are being reported from five states - Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Uttar Pradesh, the ministry said on Saturday.
Mobile testing vans by state government are operating at several locations in Ludhiana for COVID-19 testing.
A healthcare staff says, "4 such vans are running across the city to ensure easy accessibility by all. Tests are done free of cost. Test reports are provided instantly".
Mizoram's COVID-19 count reaches 1,379
A total of 1,379 coronavirus cases have been reported in Mizoram as of Saturday, according to the state government.
There are 589 active COVID-19 cases, while 790 people have recovered and been discharged in the state. So far, no deaths have been reported here due to the virus.
With 97,570 fresh COVID-19 cases reported in India -- the highest spike in new cases in the last 24 hours -- the national coronavirus cases tally has gone beyond the 46 lakh mark, the central government said on Saturday.
5.51 crore samples for COVID-19 tested so far: Indian Council of Medical Research
The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) on Saturday announced that 10,91,251 samples were tested for the novel coronavirus on Friday, taking the cumulative total to 5.51 crore samples, as of September 11.
"The total samples tested (for the screening for COVID-19) up to September 11 stand at 5,51,89,226 while the samples tested on September 11 stand at 10,91,251," ICMR tweeted.
Previously on September 10, the ICMR had tested 11,63,542 samples for COVID-19 taking the total number of tests conducted for the pathogen to 5,40,97,975 in the country.
154 new cases take Arunachal Pradesh's COVID-19 tally to 5,825
Arunachal Pradesh's COVID-19 tally mounted to 5,825 as 154 more people, including three security personnel and two health workers, have tested positive for the disease, an official said on Saturday.
The number of deaths rose to 10 in the northeastern state after a 38-year-old woman succumbed to the infection, State Surveillance Officer Dr L Jampa said.
"The woman was working at the Ramakrishna Mission Hospital here and admitted to a COVID Health Centre at Midpu after she had tested positive for the disease on September 6. She was suffering from respiratory distress syndrome," he said.
Delhi metro reopens all routes, to run from 6 am to 11 pm
Delhi Metro resumed all operations on Saturday with the resumption of the Airport Express Line. All services shall be available from 6 am to 11 pm across all routes.
"With the resumption of service on the Airport Express Line, all lines of the Delhi Metro network are now open! Remember to follow the guidelines when travelling. #MetroBackOnTrack," DMRC tweeted.
DMRC resumed its services on the Magenta and Grey lines yesterday under Stage-II of restarting its operations with all COVID-19 protocols in place.
Delhi Metro services continue to function for the sixth consecutive day post resumption of services in a phased manner in three stages beginning from September 7, after a gap of more than five months.
Canada reports zero COVID-19 deaths for first time since March
Canada reported zero COVID-19 deaths in the past 24 hours for the first time since March 15, according to public health agency data released late on Friday.
Canada's death toll from the pandemic stood at 9,163 as of Sept. 11, the same as the number of the deaths reported on Sept. 10, government data showed. The number of positive cases rose by 702 to 135,626 on Sept. 11 from the previous day, the data showed.
With most provinces easing lockdown restrictions and as schools reopen for in-person classes, Canada's infections have seen a mild pick-up in recent days. Authorities have been on high alert to avoid fresh outbreaks, and provinces including British Columbia have imposed new curbs to tackle the spread of the virus.
Australia coronavirus deaths pass 800 but new daily infections fall
Deaths related to the novel coronavirus in Australia reached 803 on Saturday, but new daily infections in the country's largest hot spot continued to fall.
Victoria state, the epicentre of the outbreak, reported six new deaths related to the coronavirus over the past 24 hours, bringing its total to 716, or more than 90% of all deaths in Australia.
However, new cases in the country's second-most populous state continued to fall from a peak of more than 700 in a single day in early August. It reported 37 new cases on Saturday, its lowest since late June.
COVID-19: Rs 500 fine for not wearing face mask in Thane city
In view of the rising coronavirus positive cases, those not wearing face masks in Thane city of Maharashtra will be fined Rs 500.
Thane Municipal Commissioner Vipin Sharma issued an order to this effect on Friday night.
The step is necessary in view of the rapid increase in positive cases in the city, the order said.
Till Friday night, Thane city has recorded 29,463 coronavirus positive cases and 885 deaths.
Other municipal corporations in Thane district have issued similar orders recently.
US Hospitals Turn Down Remdesivir, Limit Use To Sickest COVID-19 PatientsU.S. hospitals have turned down about a third of their allocated supplies of the COVID-19 drug remdesivir since July as need for the costly antiviral wanes, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) confirmed on Friday.
Some hospitals said they are still buying the Gilead Sciences medicine to build inventory in case the pandemic accelerates over the winter. But they said current supplies are adequate, in part because they are limiting use to severely ill patients.
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JustIn| India records biggest single-day jump with 97,570 new coronavirus cases, total cases cross 46 lakh
More than 3/4th of India's COVID-19 cases have recovered, discharged: Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
Over three-fourth of reported COVID-19 cases in India have either recovered or been discharged, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) informed on Saturday.
In a tweet, Union Heath Ministry shared a picture which showed the country's recovery rate at 77.65 per cent while the percentage of active cases stands at 20.7 per cent.
"The gap between the percentage of Recovered Cases and percentage of Active Cases progressively growing wide. More than 3/4 of total cases (more than 36L) recovered & discharged," the tweet also read.
The active cases in the country are known to be only a "small portion", which is less than one-fourth of total cases, according to MoHFW.
Brazil virus death toll passes 130,000
Brazil's death toll from Covid-19 surpassed 130,000 Friday, amid cautious optimism over signs the virus is finally slowing in the hard-hit South American country.
With the second-highest death toll in the pandemic after the United States, Brazil has been devastated by the new coronavirus, which has now claimed 130,396 lives in the country, according to the health ministry.
Brazil, home to 212 million people, has registered nearly 4.3 million infections, behind only the US and India.
Delhi Metro resumes full services, Airport Line reopens
Delhi Metro resumed its full services on Saturday with the Airport Express Line reopening after a hiatus of over 170 days due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
All corridors of the Metro network are now in operation and the timing of services will follow the pre-COVID-19 schedule of 6 AM to 11 PM.
"With the resumption of service on the Airport Express Line, all lines of the Delhi Metro network are now open! Remember to follow the guidelines when travelling. #MetroBackOnTrack," the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) tweeted.
On Monday, the Delhi Metro had resumed services with curtailed operation of the Yellow Line and Rapid Metro.
The Metro services were shut on March 22 to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus.
Serum Institute Ordered To Suspend Recruitment For Covid Vaccine Trials
Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) has directed Serum Institute of India to suspend till further orders new recruitment in phase 2 and 3 clinical trials of the Oxford COVID-19 vaccine candidate in the backdrop of pharma giant AstraZeneca pausing the trials in other countries.
In an order, a copy of which has been accessed by PTI, DCGI Dr VG Somani on Friday also directed Serum Institute of India (SII) to increase the safety monitoring of the subjects already vaccinated as part of the trial, and submit the plan and report.
Mr Somani also asked the firm to submit clearance from Data and Safety Monitoring Board (DSMB) in the UK as well as in India to obtain clearance from his office (DCGI) prior to resumption of future recruitment in the trial.
Coronavirus: 1,938 new cases of infection found in Maharashtra's Pune city
Pune city reported 1,938 new coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours, taking its COVID-19 count to 1,15,770, a health official said on late Friday evening.
The death count in the city reached 2,706 with 38 patients succumbing during this period, he said.
On the other hand, 1,573 patients were discharged from the hospitals on recovery.
COVID-19: Pune Police Fines 27,989 People In 8 Days For Not Wearing Masks
The Pune Police has fined as many as 27,989 people between September 2 and September 10 for not wearing face masks amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and collected over Rs 1 crore as fine, informed Bachhan Singh, DCP Crime Branch, Pune.
While speaking to ANI, Bachhan Singh said that it was observed that people were not wearing masks as a precautionary measure and so fines were imposed to ensure discipline among all.
"Pune city police have fined about 27,989 people between September 2 and September 10 for not wearing the mask, and collected about more than Rs 1 crore 39 lakh as fine. A fine of Rs 500 was collected from each one of them," said Mr Singh.
"It was observed that people were not wearing masks in the city and Pune municipal corporation had handed over the task to Pune police take action against them.The idea is only to increase the awareness and compliance level among people. We appealed to the people to wear a mask as it's the easiest way to prevent the spread of COVID-19," he added.
Coronavirus: AAP indulging in ''petty politics'' over COVID-19, alleges Punjab Chief Minister
Pointing at the COVID-19 situation in the national capital, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Friday accused the Aam Aadmi Party of indulging in "petty politics" over the pandemic.
The Punjab Chief Minister alleged that the party was involved in a "negative propaganda" against his government, which was "irresponsible".
Comparing Punjab's coronavirus situation with Delhi, where AAP is at the helm, Amarinder Singh said contrary to what the party was projecting, the situation in the national capital was much worse.
With around 2.90 crore population, Punjab has 18,000 active cases while Delhi with 1.80 crore population has 25,000 plus active patients, he said in a statement.
Even Haryana has lesser population than Punjab but an equal number of active cases, he said during a virtual meeting with Congress MLAs to discuss the coronavirus crisis in the state.
Amarinder Singh said India is facing a war-like situation just like the world and a united fight alone can tackle the problem, he said.
COVID-19: With 504 new cases, Puducherry reports total 19,026 cases
Puducherry reported 504 new COVID-19 cases, 394 discharges and 12 deaths on Friday, taking the total cases to 19,026, said Puducherry Health Department.
The total number of cases includes 13,783 discharges, 365 deaths and 4,878 active cases, according to the Puducherry Health Department.
Meanwhile, India's tally of active COVID-19 cases has reached 9,43,480 cases.
COVID-19: Will make oximeters available to people at affordable cost, says Punjab Chief Minister
Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Friday said oximeters will be made available to people at affordable cost through approved vendors in every district of the state.
Each oximeter will cost Rs 514 and the Department of Health will issue detailed guidelines in this regard within a week, he said during his 17th #AskCaptain Live" session on Facebook.
The announcement has come in the wake of AAP national convenor and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal saying his party workers will go to Punjab villages to check people''s oxygen levels.
Reacting to it, the Punjab CM had had asked him to stay out of the state and focus on managing coronavirus situation in his city.
On Friday, Punjab reported its highest single-day spike of 2,526 coronavirus cases, pushing the infection tally to 74,616. So far, the state has reported 2,212 deaths.
The CM said till now the Health Department was purchasing oximeters at Rs 514 each for the health staff and now these will be made available through authorised vendors to the general public on a no-profit-no-loss basis.