Indian companies have sought technical details on the trials of Russia’s COVID-19 vaccine from the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) for possible production in India, an Indian Embassy source in Moscow said.
Separately, in an interview to Russian state media Sputnik, Indian Envoy in Moscow D.B. Venkatesh Varma said, “I had a productive discussion with CEO of RDIF, Mr. Kirill Dmitriev, and we are hopeful of positive outcome.”
You can track coronavirus cases, deaths and testing rates at the national and State levels here . A list of State Helpline numbers is available as well.
Here are the latest updates:
90 inmates of govt. shelter home for girls in Bareilly test COVID-19 positive
Ninety inmates of a government shelter home for girls here have tested positive for COVID-19, an official said.
Deputy Director of Women Welfare Department Nita Ahirwar said, “In the past two days, 90 inmates of Nari Niketan here have tested positive for COVID-19. All of them have been isolated.”
How the inmates got contracted the coronavirus infection is being investigated, she said.
- PTI
Religious places reopen in J&K
Religious places were re-opened in Jammu and Kashmir on Sunday after a gap of about five months, officials said.
The religious places were shut due to the lockdown imposed in view of the COVID-19 pandemic.
On August 4, the Jammu and Kashmir administration decided to open the religious places and places of worship from August 16, but religious processions and large religious gatherings remain prohibited.
The religious places re-opened across the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir on Sunday, the officials said.
They said people as well as the management committees of all the religious places have been directed to strictly follow the guidelines and standard operating procedures (SOPs) in place in view of the pandemic.
- PTI
Recovery rate rises to over 90% in Delhi; processions during Ganesh Chaturthi, Muharram prohibited
The recovery rate from COVID-19 in Delhi improved to more than 90% on Sunday while 652 fresh cases were recorded, even as the state disaster management authority has prohibited pandals and processions on religious occasions due to the coronavirus pandemic.
As many as 1,310 recoveries were reported in the last 24 hours. The death toll due to the disease increased to 4,196 with eight more fatalities during the period. This is the second time in a week that the daily number of deaths has dropped below 10, according to the Delhi government’s health bulletins.
The number of fresh cases (652) on Sunday is the lowest after July 27, when Delhi recorded 613 cases. The number of recoveries (1,310) on Sunday is also the highest since July 27, when 1,497 patients recovered from the virus.
In an order issued on August 14 to all district magistrates, DCPs and other authorities concerned, the Delhi Disaster Management Authority said that people will be encouraged to celebrate festivals at their homes in the city.
- PTI
Unite against COVID-19 the common enemy: Kiran Bedi
People must unite against the common enemy - COVID-19 - by working together and volunteering to serve, Puducherry Lieutenant Governor Kiran Bedi said.
All private colleges and also the nursing and the paramedics institutes too need to come together and offer their service voluntarily, she said in a Whatsapp message.
The government must co-operate with all without any further delay, the former IPS officer said.
No other place in the country has so many medical institutions and facilities as Puducherry has, yet the Union Territory lacks in manpower and resources, she said.
- PTI
Punjab Revenue Minister tests positive for COVID-19
Punjab Revenue Minister Gurpreet Singh Kangar has tested positive for COVID-19, a health official said.
He is now under home isolation and samples of his family members have also been taken for testing, the official said.
Mr. Kangar had hoisted the national flag in Mansa during Independence Day celebrations on Saturday.
A health official said the health teams have been tracing people who came in contact with the Minister. Those who were in close contact with Mr. Kangar would be tested for COVID-19, said an official.
- PTI
TASMAC shops within Chennai Corporation limits to reopen from Aug. 18
TASMAC shops within the limits of Greater Chennai Corporation will be opened from August 18. The TASMAC outlets outside the corporation limits opened on May 7, 2020.
A release said that the TASMAC shops will be opened from 10 a.m to 7 pm. Only 500 tokens will be issued to the customers. It also said wearing of masks and social distancing is mandatory inside the TASMAC outlets.
- Dennis S. Jesudasan
AAP to make oximeters available in 30,000 villages to help in COVID-19 fight: Kejriwal
To give a boost to the fight against the coronavirus pandemic, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) will set up centres for testing saturation of oxygen content in blood in 30,000 villages across the country, its national convener and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal announced.
He said he has already received a commitment for 30,000 oximeters from people.
“Already received commitments for 30,000 oxymeters. Am overwhelmed. Will now set up ‘oxygen jaanch kendra’ in 30,000 villages. Commitments still pouring in. Will help set it up in more villages. Thank you donors. We will train village youth and give them oxymeters to set up oxy kendras,” Mr. Kejriwal said in a tweet.
- PTI
Will definitely heal, recover and get back to us, says S.P. Charan in update about SPB's health
Singer and producer S.P. Charan said that his father veteran singer S.P. Balasubrahmanyam who is on life support after testing positive for COVID-19 is on the road towards getting better.
Taking to social media, Mr. Charan posted a video where he said that Mr. Balasubrahmanyam was showing some signs of mobility and is breathing a little more comfortably even though he is still on life support. “His doctors are seeing this as a positive sign. He is able to recognise his doctors and even showed them a thumbs up sign. It will take a lot of time for him to recover but we are very hopeful,” Mr. Charan said.
Post-coronavirus scare, Rajasthan HC Chief Justice tests negative
Chief Justice of Rajasthan High Court Indrajit Mahanty has tested negative for coronavirus after a scare that he has contracted the infection.
Jaipur Chief Medical and Health Officer (CMHO) Dr Narottam Sharma said the first report had come out positive due to a technical error in the RT-PCR test.
However, he has tested negative in two subsequent reports,” Sharma said, adding that there is a possibilty of an error cropping up due to mistakes by the health staff or technical issues.
BSF personnel succumbs to COVID-19 in Manipur; toll rises to 14
A Border Security Force (BSF) personnel succumbed to COVID-19 in Manipur on Sunday, taking the northeastern State’s coronavirus death toll to 14, a health official said.
The 44-year-old BSF personnel was admitted to state- run Regional Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) on Friday with chronic kidney disease and pneumonia besides COVID-19, he said.
He died on Sunday morning while undergoing treatment, the official said.
- PTI
Over 350 prisoners test positive for COVID-19 in Thiruvananthapuram central jail
Coronavirus pandemic has hit the central jail with more than 350 inmates testing positive in the last one week and a murder accused succumbing to the pathogen on Sunday, a top prison official said.
The undertrial prisoner was the first to test positive for the virus in the prison at Poojappura and in the last one week 359 more cases, including a staff member, have been reported, its superintendent Santhosh S. said.
As many as 145 cases were detected on Sunday alone, he said adding barring three, shifted to hospital, others have been kept in a special isolation area within the prison.
- PTI
Public opinion to decide reopening of Assam schools
The outcome of an analysis of suggestions from people will decide whether or not schools, colleges and other educational institutions in Assam would be reopened , Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said.
Educational institutions have remained closed since March due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The State government had a fortnight ago proposed some guidelines for reopening schools and colleges from September 1 besides seeking feedback from the stakeholders.
Former cricketer Chetan Chauhan dead due to COVID-19 related complications, says younger brother
Former India opener Chetan Chauhan died on Sunday due to COVID-19 related complications after being put on life support for nearly 36 hours, his brother Pushpendra Chauhan said.
Chauhan, who played 40 Tests for India, was 73 and is survived by his wife and son Vinayak, who is scheduled to arrive from Melbourne later in the day.
— PTI
Over 350 prisoners test positive for COVID-19 in Thiruvananthapuram central jail
Coronavirus pandemic has hit the central jail here with more than 350 inmates testing positive in the last one week and a murder accused succumbing to the pathogen on Sunday, a top prison official said.
The undertrial prisoner was the first to test positive for the virus in the prison at nearby Poojapura and in the last one week 359 more cases, including a staff, have been reported, its superintendent Santhosh S. said.
— PTI
Dilip Kumar’s brothers test positive for COVID-19, admitted to hospital
Legendary actor Dilip Kumar’s brothers, Ehsaan Khan and Aslam Khan, have tested positive for COVID-19 and are currently in hospital. Ehsaan, 90 and Aslam, 88, were admitted to Lilavati Hospital late Saturday night after they complained of breathlessness.
Both the brothers, who live separately from Dilip Kumar, are being treated by Dr. Jalil Parkar.
— PTI
Number of COVID-19 recoveries breach 1 lakh-mark in Uttar Pradesh
The number of COVID-19 patients who have recovered from the disease crossed the one lakh-mark in Uttar Pradesh on Sunday even as the state reported 56 more fatalities due to the coronavirus, pushing the death toll to 2,449, an official said.
The number of patients who have recovered from the disease now stands at 1,00,432 in Uttar Pradesh and the recovery rate is 65.03 per cent, Additional Chief Secretary, Medical and Health, Amit Mohan Prasad told reporters here.
— PTI
DDMA prohibits setting up pandals during Ganesh Chaturthi; calls for strict vigil ahead of festivals
The Delhi Disaster Management Authority has issued an order prohibiting setting up of pandals during Ganesh Chaturthi and said there will be no religious procession on any occasion, including Moharram, in the city because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In an order issued on August 14 to all district magistrates, DCPs and other authorities concerned, the DDMA said that people will be encouraged to celebrate the festival at their homes.
Lockdown in Maharashtra to be lifted in stepwise manner: Uddhav Thackeray
Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray has said the process of lifting the lockdown in the state would be done in a stepwise manner.
The threat of COVID-19 still persists, Thackeray said on Saturday, and added that he does not want a second wave of the deadly viral infection in the state.
The Maharashtra government last month extended the lockdown in the state till August 31.
— PTI
COVID-19: Public view to decide reopening of Assam schools, says Himanta Biswa Sarma
The outcome of an analysis of suggestions from people will decide whether or not schools, colleges and other educational institutions in Assam would be reopened, Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said.
Educational institutions in Assam have remained closed since March due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The State government had a fortnight ago proposed some guidelines for reopening schools and colleges from September 1 besides seeking feedback from the stakeholders.
— Special Correspondent
French government pushes for wider mask use
After France recorded its highest one-day rise in virus infections since May, the government is pushing for wider mask use and tighter protections for migrant workers and in slaughterhouses.
But France still plans to reopen schools nationwide in two weeks, and the labor minister says the government is determined to avoid a new nationwide lockdown that would further hobble the economy and threaten jobs.
— AP
Mizoram’s coronavirus tally rises to 777 with record 64 new cases
Mizoram reported its highest single-day spike of 64 COVID-19 cases on Sunday, pushing the tally to 777, an official said.
Of the new cases, 50 were reported from Aizawl district and 14 from Kolasib bordering Assam, he said. The figure also includes 40 security personnel.
— PTI
U.K. plans new specialist pandemic response health institute: Report
The U.K. government is planning to replace Public Health England (PHE) with a new specialist pandemic response insititute based on a German model in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak, according to a media report on Sunday.
U.K. Health Secretary Matt Hancock is expected to announce a merger of the pandemic response work of PHE, an executive agency sponsored by the government’s Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), and the National Health Service (NHS) Test and Trace scheme to create the National Institute for Health Protection, the ‘Sunday Telegraph’ reported.
— PTI
44% of Singapore’s population tired of health measures against coronavirus: Survey
44% of the population in Singapore are tired of following the strict health measures, including wearing masks, to contain the spread of the coronavirus as they feel the pandemic has lasted longer than they anticipated, according to a survey by the Sunday Times.
The online survey, which is representative of the Singapore resident population aged 16 and above, and was carried out with a sample size of 1,000 by an online market research firm, showed that 44 per cent of people here are tired of following the necessary health measures.
— PTI
Monsoon Session of Parliament to witness many first-time measures in view of COVID-19
Hectic preparations are underway for the Monsoon Session of Parliament with several first-time measures in view of the COVID-19 pandemic such as staggered sitting of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha and use of both chambers and galleries to accommodate members while following physical distancing norms, officials said.
The Monsoon Session is likely to begin in the last week of August or early September.
— PTI
Intense ‘Sunday’ lockdown shuts Tamil Nadu
Only health care services and milk supplies were operational as Tamil Nadu implemented a complete lockdown on Sunday with people staying at their homes and roads getting deserted.
Cargo vehicles alone could be seen on roads while police put up barricades and set up check posts across the State to check violations for effective implementation of the curbs.
— PTI
63 more test positive for COVID-19 in Meghalaya, tally 1,354
At least 63 more people, including 39 BSF personnel, have tested positive for COVID-19 in Meghalaya, taking the northeastern state’s virus count to 1,354 on Sunday, an official said.
Sixty more people were discharged from hospitals following their recovery, he said.
Of the 63 new cases, 48 were reported from West Garo Hills district -- 39 of them BSF personnel and nine civilians, the official said.
— PTI
Manohar Parrikar's son Utpal tests coronavirus positive
BJP leader Utpal Parrikar, who is the son of former Goa chief minister Manohar Parrikar, said he has tested positive for coronavirus and got admitted to a hospital on the advice of doctors.
After his test results came out, Uptal Parrikar told reporters on Saturday evening that he tested positive for COVID-19. “Its a mild infection, so I would be home quarantined, he then said.
— PTI
Coronavirus | Sanjay Raut takes dig at Centre citing Russian vaccine
Taking a dig at the Narendra Modi government over its push for self-reliance, Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut on Sunday said Russia gave the first lesson to the world on being ‘Aatmanirbhar’ by introducing a COVID-19 vaccine while India has just been preaching about it.
Lauding Russia for the vaccine, Mr. Raut, in his weekly column ‘Rokhtokh’ in the Shiv Sena mouthpiece Saamana , said this was a sign of being a superpower, and added that Indian politicians will not follow Russia’s example as a model since “they are in love with America“.
— PTI
Rajasthan’s COVID-19 toll rises to 875, tally climbs to 60,666
Thirteen more people died due to COVID-19 in Rajasthan on Sunday, taking the state’s toll to 875, while 687 fresh cases pushed its tally to 60,666, a health department official said.
Of the latest fatalities, three each were reported from Bikaner and Jaipur, two each from Ajmer, Bhilwara and Sikar, and one from Udaipur, the official said.
— PTI
Scientists invent low-cost emergency ventilator
Using standard parts that cost less than USD 400, scientists have developed an emergency ventilator which could be an affordable option when more sophisticated technology is not available, or in short supply, an invention that may help save the lives of those suffering from COVID-19.
While in the simplest ventilators, doctors squeeze a self-inflating bag by hand to pump air into the lungs, and high-end automated versions use complex electronics to control multiple parameters, the current innovation, described in a yet-to-be peer-reviewed study in medRxiv, is a cost-effective device with a mechanism that automatically squeezes the self-inflating bag.
— PTI
98-year-old war veteran defeats COVID-19
Sepoy Ramu Laxman Sakpal (Retd.), a 98-year-old war veteran who contracted COVID-19 , was discharged from the Navy hospital in Mumbai on August 15 after being fully cured, the Navy said on Sunday.
“Sepoy Sakpal, a resident of Nerul, was admitted to Indian Naval Hospital Ship Asvini in a critical state and diagnosed with pneumonia due to COVID-19 a few weeks ago. The veteran’s condition was successfully managed at the Naval Hospital, leading to freedom from COVID-19 on August 15, India’s Independence Day,” the Navy said in a statement.
— PTI
97 caught for obscenity, flouting COVID-19 norms at restaurant
Mumbai Police nabbed 97 people, including 28 women, from a restaurant here in the wee hours of Sunday for allegedly disobeying COVID-19 prevention protocols and indulging in obscene acts, officials said.
The women were later let-off while others, including the restaurant’s manager and three waiters, were arrested, they said.
— PTI
51 more COVID-19 cases in Arunachal take tally to 2,658
At least 51 more people, including 28 security personnel, have tested positive for COVID-19 in Arunachal Pradesh, raising the state’s tally to 2,658, a senior health department official said on Sunday.
Barring two, all of them are asymptomatic, he said.
Twenty-three people were discharged from various hospitals in the state, pushing the number of recoveries to 1,771, the official said.
— PTI
FDA approves rapid, inexpensive saliva test for novel coronavirus
In what might turn out to be an important step in easy, inexpensive SARS-CoV-2 testing, a new rapid diagnostic test for novel coronavirus infection that uses saliva samples was granted an emergency use authorisation by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on August 15.
It was submitted for authorisation by the FDA on July 14. The test uses a new method of processing saliva samples for testing coronavirus infection.
The test, called SalivaDirect, has high sensitivity, according to a preprint posted on medRxiv on August 4. According to the preprint, SalivaDirect test can detect when the number of virus copies in the saliva sample is as low as six-12 copies per microlitre.
In contrast, testing nasopharyngeal swabs leads to false negative test results due to errors at the time of sample collection. The sensitivity was about 93%.
— R. Prasad
23 prisoners of Rajkot Central jail test coronavirus positive
As many as 23 prisoners of the Rajkot Central Jail in Gujarat have tested positive for coronavirus, a senior official said on Sunday.
Rapid antigen tests were conducted on 94 inmates and results of 23 of them, including undertrials and convicts, came out positive on Saturday night, jail superintendent Banno Joshi said.
— PTI
India's case fatality rate drops to 1.93%, recovery rate nearly 72%: Health Ministry
According to Ministry of Health and Family Welfare , India's case fatality rate stands at 1.93% as of today. "India's Recovery Rate has reached nearly 72% ensuring more and more patients are recovering. 53,322 have recovered and been discharged in the past 24 hours. With this number, the total recovered COVID-19 patients have increased to more than 18.6 lakh (18,62,258," the ministry stated in a press release.
Pranab Mukherjee continues to be on ventilator support: Hospital
The condition of former president Pranab Mukherjee remained unchanged on Sunday and he continued to be on ventilator support, doctors attending to him said.
They said his vital and clinical parameters are stable.
— PTI
Pakistan’s coronavirus tally jumps to 288,717, death toll at 6,168
Pakistan’s coronavirus tally reached 288,717 on Sunday after 670 new cases were detected in the last 24 hours, the health ministry said.
Six more fatalities were reported overnight, pushing the death toll to 6,168, it said.
While 266,301 patients were recovered so far, 769 are in critical condition at various hospitals across the country.
— PTI
4 more deaths take COVID-19 toll to 110, 384 cases reported
Four more people, including a 75-year-old-woman woman succumbed to COVID-19 in Puducherry, taking the total number of fatalities to 110, while 384 fresh cases took the tally to 7,732 in the Union territory.
The four deceased were aged between 43 to 75 years.
— PTI
Odisha’s COVID-19 tally climbs to 60,050 with record 2,924 fresh cases
Odisha’s COVID-19 tally jumped to 60,050 on Sunday with a record 2,924 new cases, while 10 more fatalities pushed the death toll to 343, a health department official said.
Four deaths were reported from Khurda and Ganjam districts and one each from Bhadrak, Bolagir, Cuttack, Jajpur, Kandhamal and Sonepur, he said.
— PTI
South Korea reports largest virus jump since March
South Korea has reported 279 newly confirmed cases of the coronavirus, it’s highest daily jump since early March, as fears grow about a massive outbreak in the greater capital region.
The figures released by the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Sunday brought the national caseload to 15,318, including 305 deaths.
— AP
New Zealand counts 13 new cases, most linked
Health authorities reported 13 new cases of the coronavirus in New Zealand on Sunday, including 12 linked to an outbreak in the city of Auckland and one returning traveler who was already in quarantine.
The outbreak in Auckland, discovered Tuesday, has prompted officials to put the nation’s largest city back into a two-week lockdown.
— AP
Prisoner succumbs to COVID-19 at Kerala's Poojappura Central Prison
The Poojappura Central Prison, which has been ravaged by COVID-19, reported its first casualty after an aged prisoner succumbed to the illness late Saturday.
The 72-year old Kilimanoor native was the first inmate to be diagnosed with the disease. Suffering from various other co-morbidities including asthma, he tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 after collapsing and falling unconscious on August 11.
— Sarath Babu George
Assam’s COVID-19 tally tops 75,000 with 1,057 fresh cases, death toll climbs to 182
Assam’s COVID-19 tally surpassed the 75,000-mark with 1,057 fresh cases, while the death toll mounted to 182 as eight more people succumbed to the virus, Minister for Health and Family Welfare Himanta Biswa Sarma said.
The state’s coronavirus caseload stood at 75,558, while 53,286 people have so far recovered from the disease, he said.
— PTI
Telangana records 1,102 new COVID-19 cases, nine deaths
As many as 1,102 fresh COVID-19 cases and nine deaths were reported in Telangana, taking the tally to 91,361 and the toll to 693, the state government said on Sunday.
Out of the freshcases, 234 were reported from the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC), followed by districts of Karimnagar 101, Ranga Reddy 81, Warangal Urban 70, Medchal 63,a state government bulletin said on Sunday, providing data as of 8 PM on August 15.
— PTI
COVID-19: Over 63,000 fresh cases, India’s virus tally climbs to 25,89,682
India’s COVID-19 tally rose to 25,89,682 with a single-day spike of 63,490 infections, while the total number of recoveries rose to 18,62,258 pushing the recovery rate to 71.91 per cent on Sunday, according to the Union Health Ministry data.
The death toll due to coronavirus infection climbed to 49,980 with 944 people succumbing to the disease in a span of 24 hours, the data updated at 8 a.m. showed.
— PTI
India must pay homage to COVID-19 warriors, frontline workers on its 74th I-Day: Muraleedharan
As India celebrates its 74th Independence Day, the country must pay its regards to the multitude of COVID-19 warriors and frontlines workers who have been working tirelessly to stop the spread of the coronavirus pandemic, Union Minister V Muraleedharan said on Sunday.
The Minister of State for External Affairs & Parliamentary Affairs was the chief guest at a ‘Virtual Kavi Sammelan’ organised by Jaipur Foot USA to celebrate India’s Independence Day.
— PTI
Devotees start thronging Vaishno Devi Shrine
Khushvinder Singh is part of a 12-member group from Jammu who reached Katra before dawn to pay obeisance at the famous Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine atop Trikuta hills in Reasi district of Jammu and Kashmir.
The shrine along with other religious places across the Union Territory reopened for devotees on Sunday morning after remaining closed for almost five months due to the COVID-19 outbreak.
‘No idol immersion during Ganeshotsav’
Immersion of idols will not be allowed in public places in the city during Ganeshotsav due to COVID-19, and the government will not set up any artificial ponds for the same as it did in previous years, said officials.
Manipur extends lockdown
A health worker showing the swab sample for Coronavirus testing camp in Tiruchi on August 16, 2020
The Manipur government has extended the COVID-19 lockdown till August 31, Rajesh Kumar, chief secretary and chairman of the State Executive Committee, announced on Saturday. He said that there were reports of new COVID-19 cases involving persons who had no history of travel outside the State.
32 doctors died of COVID-19 in Tamil Nadu: IMA
Doctors wearing a personal protective equipment (PPE) face mask and gloves conducted Yoga training to Coronavirus patients at Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital (RGGGH) in Chennai on August 14, 2020
A total of 32 doctors have died of COVID-19 in Tamil Nadu so far and another 15 doctors who died had symptoms of COVID-19 but tested negative for the infection, the Indian Medical Association (IMA), Tamil Nadu State branch, has stated.
Not all COVID survivors can donate plasma
A child posing as a novel coronavirus was a part of the tableau spreading awareness about COVID-19 at the Independence Day celebrations at Police Parade Grounds in Kalaburagi August 15, 2020
Everyday, family members and friends of COVID patients are tapping into all their contacts earnestly hoping to find a recovered person who is willing to donate plasma. Convalescent plasma therapy is one of the options explored to save some patients.
Transfusion medicine specialist Dr. Hitesh Kumar, also head of the blood bank at KIMS, explained about who all can donate plasma, how many times a person can donate plasma, and if there will be any changes to one’s health after the donation.
Also read:Plasma therapy may look promising in treating COVID-19, but it is no magic bullet
COVID-19 cases mount in central prison in Thiruvananthapuram
COVID-19 cases continued to emerge in large numbers in the Poojappura Central Prison in Thiruvananthapuram where 53 prisoners more tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 on Saturday, taking the number of inmates diagnosed with the infection within five days to 217.
