Latest News LIVE Updates: Mumbai on Thursday reported the highest COVID-19 cases in a 24-hour period
India yet again saw the biggest daily surge in Covid cases with 81,466 fresh infections reported since yesterday, taking the tally to 1.23 crore. The country saw 469 daily new fatalities, the highest since December 6, the data updated at 8 am showed.
On Thursday, Mumbai reported the highest COVID-19 cases in a 24-hour period, government data shows. The financial capital reported 8,646 cases of COVID-19 infection in the last 24 hours, making it the highest one-day spike since the pandemic reached the city early last year. 18 deaths were reported in the last 24 hours.
COVID-19 cases have been rising fast in Maharashtra and the state has been taking steps like enforcing safety guidelines more strictly. The Maharashtra government on Wednesday brought down the rates of coronavirus RT-PCR tests to Rs 500 from Rs 1,000. The charges for rapid antigen tests were also brought down.
Meanwhile, alcoholic drinks will be prohibited in French parks and other outdoor public spaces as part of the new limited nationwide lockdown to stem the COVID-19 crisis, Prime Minister Jean Castex announced Thursday.
Addressing the National Assembly, Castex also said authorities would be quick to disperse groups of more than six people on riverbanks or squares after the new restrictions unveiled by President Emmanuel Macron late Wednesday, AFP reported.
Here are the Latest News Live Updates:
Focus On Testing, Treatment: Uttarakhand Chief Minister Amid Spike In CasesExpressing concern over a spike in coronavirus cases, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Tirath Singh Rawat on Friday directed officials to focus on testing and treatment of coronavirus patients besides extending vaccination facilities to rural areas, according to a statement, reported news agency PTI.
Uttarakhand should become a state with 100 per cent vaccination, the chief minister said during a review meeting, asking officials to prepare a fool-proof plan for this.
He asked officials to ensure compliance with the treatment protocol to reduce the fatality rate.
Mr Rawat said fresh awareness campaigns should be held involving people who command social respect to teach people the importance of masks, hand sanitisation and social distancing.
The chief minister, who is working from isolation after testing positive for coronavirus on March 22, asked officials to ramp up testing in view of the ongoing Kumbh Mela in Haridwar and make required arrangements for the safety of people during the forthcoming "Char Dham Yatra" season.
Maharashtra Logs Highest-Ever Daily Count Of 47,827 Coronavirus CasesMaharashtra on Friday recorded 47,827 new COVID-19 cases, the highest daily count since the coronavirus pandemic began, reported news agency PTI.
The new figure took the state's tally of positive cases to 29,04,076, a Health Department statement said.
As many as 202 coronavirus patients died in the state on Saturday, taking the death count to 55,379, it said.
Bengal Logs Highest Single-Day Spike Of 2021 With 1,733 Fresh Covid CasesThe coronavirus tally in West Bengal mounted to 5,89,922 on Friday, as another 1,733 people tested positive for the infection, the highest single-day rise this year, a health department bulletin said, reported news agency PTI.
The death count rose to 10,335 after four more people - two each from Kolkata and Howrah - died, it said.
Kolkata reported the highest number of fresh cases (513), followed by North 24 Parganas (331).
At least 550 people were cured in the last 24 hours, taking the total number of recoveries to 5,71,895.
The recovery rate among currently stands at 96.94%, the bulletin said. West Bengal now has 7,692 active cases.
92,25,351 samples have so far been tested for coronavirus in the state, including 26,986 on Friday, the bulletin added.
2 Temporary Jails Set Up In Madhya Pradesh District For Those Without MasksAs a warning against those stepping out without a mask, authorities in Madhya Pradesh's Khargone district have set up two temporary jails to confine violators, reported news agency PTI.
Violators will be lodged in these facilities for at least six hours and all COVID-19 rules will be followed, it was stated.
One of the temporary jails was set up at a dharamshala to confine those found without masks, a police station in-charge Prakash Vaskale said.
As many as 100 people can be lodged at the dharamshala in keeping with the social distancing norms, the official said.
A similar facility has been created at the Government Boys Middle School in Maheshwar town of the district by designating three rooms for the purpose.
At least 50 people can be lodged in this temporary jail, a district official said.
Wear Masks, Maintain Social Distancing At Golden Temple: Gurdwara Body ChiefShiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) chief Bibi Jagir Kaur on Friday asked devotees to follow COVID safety protocols while offering prayers at the Golden Temple, reported news agency PTI.
The administrative officials of Amritsar district, including deputy commissioner (DC) Gurpreet Singh Khaira, Inspector General of Police (IGP) Sukhchain Singh Gill, Sub-Divisional Magistrate Vikas Hira and of the Municipal Corporation on Friday held a meeting with the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee president at the SGPC office.
"The
sangat (pilgrims) paying obeisance at Sachkhand Sri Harmandar Sahib should follow the instructions given by the health department. The pilgrims should wear masks, use sanitisers, take care of cleanliness and keep a distance between them to prevent the spread of the disease," Ms Kaur said.
BJP Seeks Action Poll Body Against Mamata Banerjee For "Violating" Election Rules In NandigramA BJP delegation today met Election Commission (EC) officials in Delhi and demanded action against West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, accusing her of violating election rules in Nandigram while votes were being cast during the second phase of polling on Thursday, reported news agency PTI.
The delegation comprised Union ministers Prakash Javadekar, Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, BJP general secretary Bhupender Yadav, and the party's national media incharge Anil Baluni.
"For the first time in the country's history, a chief minister sat on dharna in a polling booth when voting was on. Before she (Mamata Banerjee) sat on her dharna, 74 per cent votes were polled in Nandigram and the polling was by and large peaceful," Prakash Javadekar told reporters after meeting the EC officials in Delhi.
As soon as the Trinamool Congress chief sat on
dharna, her party workers started pelting stones at the polling booth, the minister alleged.
"We have given all proofs, including photographs, of her misconduct. A chief minister, which is a constitutional post, sitting on a dharna while the polling was on is against democracy and also against the Election Commission's rules for polling. Therefore, we have demanded urgent action against her from the poll panel," Mr Javadekar said.
Rebel BJP Leader Withdraws Nomination From Rajasthan's Sahara Assembly Seat
Rebel BJP leader Ladulal Pitliya today withdrew his nomination for the Sahara Assembly seat of Rajasthan's Bhilwara, according to state party leaders, reported news agency PTI.
This is being seen as a big relief for the BJP as Mr Pitliya's rebellion after he was denied the party ticket in the 2018 Assembly elections had cost the party the seat.
He had jumped into the fray as an Independent, receiving 30,573 votes and finishing third. Congress candidate Kailash Chandra Trivedi had won the seat, defeating BJP's Rooplal Jat by a margin of around 7,000 votes.
Nearly a month ago, Mr Pitliya had rejoined the BJP. When the party announced Ratanlal Jat as its candidate for the April 17 bypolls, Mr Pitliya again filed his nomination papers as an Independent candidate.
A BJP spokesperson in Jaipur said Ladulal Pitliya withdrew his nomination and decided to serve the party, expressing faith in public welfare policies of the Union government, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Kerala Records Over 2,500 Cases, 14 DeathsKerala logged 2,508 fresh COVID-19 cases, including 10 health workers and 14 related deaths on Friday, pushing the caseload to 11.29 lakh and the death count to 4,646, reported news agency PTI.
As many as 2,287 people were cured of the disease, taking the total recoveries to 10,98,526 and active cases stood at 26,407.
A total of 51,783 samples were examined on Friday, taking the overall number to 1,32,64,994, health Minister KK Shailaja said in a release.
The test positivity rate stood at 4.84 per cent.
Positivity Rate Of Cases In Last Two Weeks Jumps From 0.93% To Over 3.5% In DelhiAmid a surge in COVID-19 cases in Delhi, the positivity rate has mounted from just below one per cent to 3.57 per cent in the last two weeks, according to official data, reported news agency PTI.
Delhi had recorded 2,790 fresh COVID-19 cases on Thursday, the highest daily count this year while nine more people had died due to the infection, taking the death count to 11,036, according to the city health department.
The positivity rate also had mounted to 3.57 per cent amid a massive surge in cases in the span of the last few weeks.
Delhi had reported 1,819 coronavirus cases on Wednesday with a positivity rate of 2.71 per cent, while 11 more people died.
The number of cumulative cases on Thursday stood at 6,65,220. Over 6.43 lakh patients have recovered from the virus.
The spike in cases is a matter of concern but nobody should panic. The spike in cases is very rapid. But the fourth wave of Covid (for Delhi) is less serious than the previous ones since the fatality rate is lower and there are less severe ICU cases. In the previous waves, we saw huge numbers of ICU cases: Arvind Kejriwal
We discussed about the situation in hospitals and availability of beds for Covid today: Arvind Kejriwal
On Thursday, 71,000 were vaccinated in Delhi: Arvind Kejriwal
No Plans For Lockdown In Delhi: Arvind Kejriwal
No plans for a lockdown. If need arises, a decision will be taken after discussion with you: Arvind Kejriwal on second wave of Covid in Delhi.
Two Sides Continue To Remain In Touch Through Military, Diplomatic Channels: India On China Border Row
Two sides continue to remain in touch through military and diplomatic channels, the External Affairs Ministry said on India-China border row in eastern Ladakh, reported news agency PTI.
Robert Vadra Tests Positive For Covid, Priyanka Gandhi Self-Isolates, Cancels Election TourTop Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and her husband, Robert Vadra, are in self-isolation at their Delhi home after Mr Vadra tested positive for coronavirus. The businessman made the announcement on Facebook, saying that he is asymptomatic so far. Ms Vadra has cancelled her trips to Assam, Tamil Nadu and Kerala for election campaigns in the three states.
"As per the Covid guidelines, Priyanka and I are self-isolating although she has tested negative," he said in his social media post.
In a video on Twitter, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, 49, said though she tested negative for the virus yesterday, she is self-isolating for a few days on the advice of doctors. She was scheduled to travel to Assam today, Tamil Nadu tomorrow and Kerala on Sunday.
Read Arrested Mumbai Cop Sachin Waze Ran Extortion Hub From 5-Star Hotel Room: NIA ProbeArrested Mumbai cop Sachin Waze was running his alleged extortion racket from a room in a Nariman Point five-star hotel booked for him for 100 days at a cost of ₹ 12 lakh by a businessman, the National Investigation Agency's (NIA) probe has revealed. The policeman had used a fake identity to check into the property, it shows. The probe body, looking into the recent bomb threat against industrialist Mukesh Ambani, has also questioned several police officers in connection with their now-suspended colleague's affairs. Some of them could possibly be arrested in the near future, NIA officials have said.
The probe shows that Mr Waze, a shootout specialist, was operating out of room number 1964 of the hotel, which he checked into using a forged Aadhaar card and the fictitious name Sushant Sadashiv Khamkar.
"A businessman had booked this hotel for 100 days and for ₹ 12 lakh. Waze was helping this businessman in some dispute," a senior NIA official claimed. The booking was done through a travel agent, the officer said, adding that the suspended cop had stayed there in February while reporting for duty at the Crime Branch.
Read "Tamil Culture Is Important": PM Plays Jallikattu Card Ahead Of Polls
In Tamil Nadu to campaign for the AIADMK-BJP alliance ahead of next week's election, Prime Minister Narendra Modi played the 'Jallikattu' card to appeal to voters in Madurai - where the controversial activity is popular - as he accused the DMK and Congress of disrespecting and outlawing the practice, and lying to the people of the state.
The Prime Minister - who spoke in English, with a translator by his side - also praised the Tamil language, hailing it as the world's oldest and Madurai's connection to Tamil literature and culture.
"When there was a DMK government here and a UPA government at the centre, they banned Jallikattu. An UPA minister said it is a barbaric practice... is that right? Is that how one speaks about an age-old tradition that is so important to Tamil culture?" he asked voters.
Pune 6 pm-6 am Night Curfew From Tomorrow
Faced with an alarming spike in Covid cases the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) on Friday afternoon ordered a 12-hour curfew starting 6 am tomorrow for a period of at least one week.
In addition, religious places, hotels and bars, shopping malls and movie theatres have also been directed to shut down for seven days. PMC bus services will also be shut for the next week.
Tax Raids On DMK Chief's Son-In-Law, 4 Places In Chennai SearchedDMK chief MK Stalin's son-in-law was raided by Income Tax officials today, just four days before the Tamil Nadu election. Searches started around 8 am at four places in Chennai owned by Sabareesan and his associates. The DMK has complained to the Election Commission, calling it "abuse of power" by the Income Tax department.
Tax officials were "working for the poll prospects of the AIADMK-BJP under the garb of discharge of their duties," the Tamil Nadu opposition party alleged, urging the election body to top the tax department.
Among the premises searched by taxmen was a home in Neelangarai, just outside Chennai, where Mr Stalin's daughter Senthamarai lives with Sabareesan. Tax department sources told NDTV there were inputs on the movement of cash related to the election campaign.
Sachin Tendulkar hospitalised days after testing positive for COVID-19
Five days after testing positive for COVID-19, legendary India batsman Sachin Tendulkar has been hospitalised for "abundant precaution under medical advice".
Last Saturday, Tendulkar had informed that he tested positive for coronavirus and added that all other members at his home have returned a negative COVID result.
On Friday, he tweeted: "Thank you for your wishes and prayers. As a matter of abundant precaution under medical advice, I have been hospitalised. I hope to be back home in a few days. Take care and stay safe everyone."
Newborn Twins Test Positive For Covid-19 In Gujarat's Vadodara
A set of newborn twins have tested positive for Covid-19 infection in Gujarat's Vadodara.
The newborns are currently stable and are being given supportive treatment in the hospital, senior doctor Sheel Iyer said.
"The babies were brought back to the hospital after 15 days of being discharged with severe diarrhea and dehydration. We initially looked for all the normal causes of infections, but later when we got them tested for Covid-19 infection, and their reports came positive," the doctor said on Thursday.
81,466 Fresh Covid Cases In India, Biggest 1-Day Jump In 6 MonthsIndia yet again saw the biggest daily surge in Covid cases with 81,466 fresh infections reported since yesterday, taking the tally to 1.23 crore. The country saw 469 daily new fatalities, the highest since December 6, the data updated at 8 am showed.
Read BREAKING NEWS: 81,466 fresh COVID-19 cases in India, biggest one-day jump since start of October
BREAKING NEWS: 81,466 fresh COVID-19 cases in India, biggest one-day jump since start of October.
Over 34.20 Lakh Vaccinated On Thursday, Highest In A Day
As many as 34.28 lakh people were vaccinated on Thursday, highest in a day, health ministry said.
Alia Bhatt Tests COVID-19 Positive
Actress Alia Bhatt has tested positive for COVID-19, as revealed by her in an Instagram story. In a statement shared late night on Thursday, the 28-year-old actress wrote: "Hello all, I have tested positive for COVID-19. I have immediately isolated myself and will be under home quarantine. I am following all safety protocols under the advice of my doctors." Alia also thanked concerned fans in her post, adding: "Grateful for all your love and support. Please stay safe and take care." Alia Bhatt has been busy filming Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Gangubai Kathiawadi in Mumbai.
"Polling Not Disrupted": Election Commission On Nandigram ChaosThe huge tension at Nadigram's Boyal -- from where Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had to be rescued by the Central forces -- found no mention in the investigation report sought by the Election Commission on Thursday. The two general observers sent by the Commission have reported that the polling process went on smoothly at the station, without any word on the drama that went on for nearly two hours and had to be resolved by hundreds of security forces.
"Polling at PS no 7 ( Boyal Moktab Primary School) is going on smoothly. Hon'ble CM, who is also a contesting candidate, has left the place at about 3.35 pm after staying here for nearly one and half hour.
It may kindly be noted that polling was not disrupted at any moment," read the report by the observers, the Commission said in a statement.
Read Coronavirus LIVE Updates: Tunisia reports 1,290 new COVID-19 cases, 255,308 in total
Tunisian Health Ministry on Thursday reported 1,290 new COVID-19 cases, raising the total number of infections in the country to 255,308.
The death count from the virus rose by 31 to 8,843, the ministry said in a statement.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates: COVID-19 deaths surpass 12,000 in Ecuador
Ecuador registered 26 more Covid-19 deaths in the last 24 hours, taking the total to 12,003, the Ministry of Public Health said, adding that another 1,633 infections were reported in this period, taking the total caseload to 330,388, ANI reported.