The COVID-19 pandemic continues to be a challenge and this is a long-drawn battle to be fought by each one of us, warned V.K. Paul, member of the Central government’s COVID-19 response team, on Sunday, speaking exclusively to The Hindu .
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:
Chhattisgarh records 372 new COVID-19 cases
Chhattisgarh reported 372 new COVID-19 cases and six more deaths, taking the statewide tally to 15,993 and the toll to 148 on Monday, a health official said.
While three patients died on Monday and two others on Sunday, the COVID-19 report of a man who was brought dead to a hospital here on Sunday was found to be positive, he said.
The day also saw the discharge of 363 patients following their recovery from the infection, he said.
COVID-19: EC likely to issue campaign guidelines for Bihar polls
The Election Commission is likely to issue a set of guidelines on campaigning for the Bihar assembly election, which would be held amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
The proposed guidelines, to be issued in the coming days, would be framed based on the feedback received from political parties, sources in the poll panel said on Monday.
The authorities have asked people to wear face masks and maintain social distancing, among others, to check the spread of the novel coronavirus, which has infected over 1 lakh people in Bihar.
The EC had last month asked the parties to send their “views and suggestions...so that necessary guidelines may be firmed up for the election campaign by candidates or political parties for the conduct of election during the pandemic period“.
Parties such as the RJD and the CPI(M) are learnt to be opposed to the concept of “virtual campaigning” in the assembly polls.
Earlier too, in a memorandum submitted to the EC in July, nine opposition parties had questioned the digital campaign launched by the BJP in Bihar, saying it disturbs the level-playing field.
They demanded normal electioneering. - PTI
20 UP Assembly staff test COVID positive
Twenty staff members of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly tested positive for the novel coronavirus on Monday, three days before the session begins, Speaker Hriday Narayan Dixit said.
The brief session of the state legislature is scheduled to start from Thursday and coronavirus tests were carried out on its 600 secretariat staff on Monday.
“Of these, only 20 tested positive for COVID-19, while the rest 580 tested negative,” Mr. Dixit said. “Those who tested positive have been sent to quarantine.” - PTI
Punjab MLA tests positive for COVID-19; Finance Minister goes into self-quarantine
Punjab MLA Manpreet Singh Ayali said on Monday that he had tested positive for COVID-19, while Finance Minister Manpreet Singh Badal announced he was going into self-quarantine after he came into contact with the Bathinda district police chief who has been infected with the virus.
Ayali, the Shiromani Akali Dal legislator from Dakha constituency, made the announcement on Facebook. He said he had undergone a test after developing mild symptoms of the disease and his report came positive.
Meanwhile, Finance Minister Badal shared on social media that he had come in contact with the Bathinda Senior Superintendent of Police who tested positive for the virus.
“Our SSP from Bathinda has been tested coronavirus positive and I met him on August 15 for the Independence Day function. On medical advice and for the safety of my family and workers, I am going into self-quarantine and as such no public meetings will be held by me during this period,” Badal wrote on his Facebook page.
On Sunday, Punjab Revenue Minister Gurpreet Singh Kangar had tested positive for the novel coronavirus. - PTI
Surat now better placed to defeat COVID-19: Govt tells HC
Surat is better positioned now to defeat the coronavirus pandemic than last month as reflected in encouraging signs like drop in growth rate of new cases, doubling rate and deaths besides more testing, the state government told the Gujarat High Court on Monday.
While hearing aPIL on issues related to COVID-19 and lockdown, a division bench of Chief Justice Vikram Nath and Justice J B Pardiwalahad earlier asked the government to file a reply on its preparedness to tackle the pandemic in the south Gujarat district.
The bench had earlier observed that “delayed response” from the government and local administration has caused the pandemic situation to go “from bad to worse.
Surat has been reporting the highest number of COVID- 19 cases in the last few weeks, overtaking Ahmemdabad which was earlier the worst-hit district in Gujarat. - PTI
161 more discharged from Delhi’s largest COVID care centre
A total of 161 people were discharged on Monday from the ITBP-run Sardar Patel COVID care centre in the national capital after they recovered from coronavirus, officials said.
The patients who got well and were allowed to go home included 39 women, they said.
“Till now, 1,515 COVID-19 positive patients have been admitted to this centre out of which 1,127 patients have been successfully treated by the team of ITBP doctors and paramedical staff. 161 people were discharged on Monday,” an Indo-Tibetan Border Police spokesperson said.
ITBP Additional Director General (ADG) Amrit Mohan Prasad and other senior officials sent off the recovered patients after presenting them a rose bud and a health certificate each, he said. - PTI
SPB’s health remains critical, says hospital; Stalin, Rajini wish speedy recovery
Popular playback singer S P Balasubrahmanyam, battling COVID-19, remained in critical condition and was on life support, the hospital treating him here said on Monday as wishes continued to pour for his recovery.
The veteran singer-actor’s son SPB Charan said his father was in “stable” condition while a host of people, including DMK president M K Stalin and top actor Rajinikanth, wished him a speedy recovery even as his lakhs of fans continued to pray for him.
MGM Healthcare, where the 74-year old is undergoing treatment since August 5, said: “Thiru S P Balasubrahmanyam who had been admitted at MGM Healthcare due to COVID-19 continues to be on life support in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU).
“His condition remains to be critical. The expert medical team treating him is closely monitoring his vital parameters,” a bulletin issued by hospital Assistant Director (Medical Services) Dr Anuradha Baskaran said.
Punjab’s infection tally, death toll almost double in 16 days
The coronavirus infection tally and death toll have nearly doubled in Punjab in the last 16 days with four districts -- Ludhiana, Jalandhar, Amritsar and Patiala -- accounting for around 55 per cent of the state’s total cases and 65 per cent of its COVID-19 fatalities, officials said.
The state health authorities attributed the rise in the coronavirus deaths and spread of the disease to comorbidity and delay in reporting to hospitals by symptomatic patients.
The state’s COVID-19 tally nearly doubled to 31,206 on Sunday evening when compared to 16,119 on July 31, according to the official medical bulletins.
There was also no let up in the death toll during this period. The fatalities due to COVID-19 rose to 812 on Sunday from 386 on July 31. - PTI
Tamil Nadu records 5890 fresh COVID-19 cases
5890 persons tested positive for COVID-19 in Tamil Nadu on Monday taking the State's tally to 343945. 5667 persons were discharged today and in total, 283937 individuals have been discharged till date.
The State has recorded 5886 total deaths, 120 of them being reported today. Currently, Tamil nadu has 54122 active cases
— Tamil Nadu Bureau
Not averse to imposing stricter restrictions to check further COVID-19 spread: Punjab CM
Amid a spike in COVID-19 infections and deaths, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Monday said he was not averse to taking harsher measures to check further spread of the virus.
Though Singh did not rule out a fresh lockdown, especially in areas witnessing a surge in cases, he made it clear that economic activities would not be allowed to suffer.
— PTI
COVID-19 cases in Indore cross 10,000-mark
The total number of COVID-19 cases in Indore crossed the 10,000-mark as 245 more people tested positive for the disease in the Madhya Pradesh district in last 24 hours, an official said on Monday.
Out of the total 3,359 samples tested in the last 24 hours, 245 came out positive in-charge Chief Medical and Health Officer Poornima Gadaria said.
— PTI
17 prisoners in Dhanbad Divisional Jail test positive for COVID-19
As many as 17 inmates of Dhanbad Divisional Jail in Jharkhand have tested positive for novel coronavirus, an official said.
Sub Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Dhanbad Raj Maheswaram said, rapid antigen tests were conducted on 76 prisoners on Sunday and 17 results came out positive.
— PTI
Tripura reports 143 new COVID-19 cases, four more deaths
Tripura on Monday reported 143 fresh COVID-19 cases, taking the state’s tally to 7,222, while the death toll reached 59 as four more patients succumbed to the disease, a health department official said.
The state now has 1,859 active cases while 5,286 people have recovered from the disease.
— PTI
Nepal’s coronavirus cases cross 27,000-mark
Nepal’s COVID-19 tally crossed 27,000-mark on Monday after 581 new coronavirus cases were reported across the country, a senior heath official has said.
Addressing a virtual press briefing, spokesperson for the Ministry of Health and Population Jageshwar Gautam said that 581 people were found infected with COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, taking the national tally to 27,241
— PTI
Sharp rise in COVID-19 cases in Lebanon after Beirut blast
As the novel coronavirus began to spread through Minneapolis this spring, Health Commissioner Gretchen Musicant tore up her budget to find funds to combat the crisis. Money for test kits. Money to administer tests.
Money to hire contact tracers. And yet even more money for a service that helps tracers communicate with residents in dozens of languages.
— AP
U.S. Federal virus money slow to trickle to local public health
As the novel coronavirus began to spread through Minneapolis this spring, Health Commissioner Gretchen Musicant tore up her budget to find funds to combat the crisis. Money for test kits. Money to administer tests.
Money to hire contact tracers. And yet even more money for a service that helps tracers communicate with residents in dozens of languages.
— PTI
Some Delhi hospitals seeing COVID re-emergence in recovered patients
Some hospitals in the national capital have said they are are seeing recovered coronavirus patients returning to them with recurrence of the infection.
Earlier this month, the Delhi government-run Rajiv Gandhi Super Speciality Hospital saw two instances of patients with relapse of coronavirus, almost one-and-a-half months after they were cured of the infection. In both the instances of relapse, the patients had moderate symptoms.
— PTI
In-person clinic visits not tied to increased COVID-19 risk: U.S. study
In-person health care visits are not an important risk factor for contracting the novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19, according to a study of pregnant US patients during the pandemic.
The analysis, published in the journal JAMA, found no association between the number of in-person health care visits and risk of infection with SARS-CoV-2.
— PTI
Tripura reports 143 new COVID-19 cases, four more deaths
Tripura on Monday reported 143 fresh COVID-19 cases, taking the state’s tally to 7,222, while the death toll reached 59 as four more patients succumbed to the disease, a health department official said.
The state now has 1,859 active cases while 5,286 people have recovered from the disease.
— PTI
Susanta Singh becomes first Odisha minister to test COVID-19 positive
Odishas Rural Development and Labour Minister Susanta Singh on Monday said he has tested positive for COVID-19. The MLA from Bhatli assembly constituency is the first minister in Odisha to have been infected with the virus.
“I have tested positive for Corona and I am stable now. Those who have came in contact with me recently are requested to stay isolated and get tested,” the minister tweeted.
— PTI
Record 57,584 COVID-19 patients recover in one day
The number of people who have recuperated from COVID-19 in India went past 19 lakh on Monday with a record 57,584 patients recovering within a span of 24 hours, pushing the recovery rate to over 72 per cent, according to the Union Health ministry data.
This is the result of successful and coordinated implementation of an effective containment strategy, aggressive and comprehensive testing coupled with standardized clinical management of the critical patients, the ministry said in a statement.
Yanam to be under total lockdown on Sundays
Health Minister of Puducherry Malladi Krishna Rao on Monday said Yanam region, an enclave of the Union Territory in Andhra Pradesh would be fully locked down every Sunday as is the case in the neighbouring state.
Puducherry, Karaikal and Mahe would have total lockdown on Tuesdays.
Chennai’s Cancer Institute launches COVID-19 testing
Cancer Institute (WIA) has launched COVID-19 testing for cancer patients.
According to a press release, the pandemic, the institute is starting COVID-19 testing, using the RT-PCR technique, for cancer patients, to facilitate seamless cancer care during the pandemic.
With no aid coming due to COVID fear, family transports body on bicycle
With no one reportedly coming to their aid due to the COVID-19 scare, a family was forced to transport a body on a bicycle amid heavy rains at a village in Belagavi district on Sunday.
As the video of the incident went viral, the Congress state unit flayed the government for its “apathy” to provide an ambulance to transport the body.
— PTI
CB-CID office shut for fumigation as 2 contract COVID-19
The office of CB-CID in Coimbatore, where three accused in the case relating to the death of Sri Lankan don Angoda Lokka were interrogated, was closed on Monday as two police personnel tested COVID-19 positive.
One Special Sub-inspector in the CB-CID team tested positive on Saturday last necessitating other team members to take a test and the results today showed a woman inspector and a head constable-cum-driver having got the infection.
— PTI
COVID-19: TMC MLA Samaresh Das, who tested positive, dies
Trinamool Congress MLA Samaresh Das who tested positive for COVID-19 recently, died on Monday morning at a health facility in Kolkata. He was 76.
Also read:Trinamool MLA Tamonash Ghosh dies of COVID-19
He represented Egra Assembly constituency in West Bengal’s Purba Medinipur district. The three-time MLA had other co-morbidities along with the contagious viral infection.
— Shiv Sahay Singh
Andaman & Nicobar Islands COVID-19 tally rises to 2,399
The number of COVID-19 cases in Andaman and Nicobar Island rose to 2,399, with 93 more people testing positive for coronavirus, an official said on Monday.
All the new cases were detected during contact tracing, he said.
— PTI
Bihar extends lockdown till September 6
Government of Bihar has issued a fresh order according to which, the lockdown regulations in the State will be in place till 6th September.
On July 30, Bihar had announced the imposition of a lockdown in state headquarters, district headquarters, sub-divisional headquarters and all municipal areas from August 1 to 16.
Australia records highest daily COVID-19 deaths
Australia on Monday recorded its highest count in daily COVID-19 deaths with 25 fatalities, taking the country-wide coronavirus death toll to 421.
Apart from the 25 deaths, 282 new COVID-19 cases were confirmed in the last 24 hours. Now, the country’s total number of COVID-19 cases stands at 23,576, including 14,080 cases of recovery.
— PTI
Safety, efficacy main concerns with Russia’s COVID-19 vaccine: Nobel laureate Peter Doherty
Echoing the scientific community’s scepticism over Russia’s COVID-19 vaccine rolled out for emergency use, Nobel laureate Peter Charles Doherty says his big worry is there could be refusals for other vaccines if doubts over its safety turn out to be true.
Russian President Vladimir Putin last week announced that his country has developed the world’s first vaccine against COVID-19, which works “quite effectively” and forms “stable immunity” against the disease. He also disclosed that one of his daughters has already been given the vaccine, named Sputnik V.
— PTI
Steps taken by Modi govt in 6 years ensured India’s success in containing pandemic effect: Naqvi
The steps taken by the Narendra Modi government in the healthcare sector in the last six years ensured India’s success in containing the effects of the coronavirus pandemic to a large extent, Minority Affairs Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said on Monday.
The passionate commitment of the people and the strong will of the government during the pandemic have resulted in the country speedily becoming self-reliant in the health sector, he said while flagging off a mobile clinic provided by the Ministry of Minority Affairs’ National Minorities Development and Finance Corporation (NMDFC) to the Holy Family hospital here.
— PTI
SC rejects plea seeking postponement of JEE (Main) & NEET-UG exams amid COVID-19
The Supreme Court on Monday refused to entertain a petition by students to postpone the NEET and JEE examinations citing the pandemic after recording the exam authorities assurance that all necessary precautions will be taken to keep the candidates, who run into lakhs, safe.
"Education should be opened up. COVID may continue for a year more. Are you going to wait for another year. Do you know what is the loss to the country and the career peril to the students?" Justice Arun Mishra, who headed the three-judge Bench, asked the petitioners.
— Legal Correspondent
COVID-19 death toll in Rajasthan climbs to 886
Rajasthan reported 10 COVID-19 deaths and 693 fresh cases of the virus on Monday, according to an official report. The deaths were reported from Banswara (2), Bikaner (3), Jaipur (3) and Kota (2).
With the fresh fatalities, the death toll in Rajasthan has climbed to 886. Maximum cases were reported from Jodhpur where 157 people have tested positive for COVID-19.
— PTI
S.P. Balasubrahmanyam battling COVID-19, has crossed the critical phase: Rajinikanth
Top actor Rajinikanth on Monday said renowned playback singer S.P. Balasubrahmanyam, being treated for COVID-19 at a private hospital here has crossed the critical phase and prayed for his speedy recovery.
“Get well soon dear Balu sir,” the Tamil superstar said on his Twitter account and posted a short video in which he praised the singer for entertaining people for decades.
— PTI
Pakistan registers 488 new coronavirus cases; tally reaches 289,213
Pakistan registered 488 new coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours, taking the nationwide tally to 289,213, the health ministry said on Monday.
The death toll reached 6,175 with seven more fatalities reported overnight.
While 269,087 coronavirus patients have recovered so far, 771 others are in critical condition, the ministry said.
— PTI
MMCRI evaluating outcome of plasma therapy on COVID-19 patients
Mysore Medical College and Research Institute (MMCRI), whose doctors and nursing staff are in the forefront of COVID-19 treatment here at the designated hospital, is evaluating the outcome of plasma therapy on COVID-19 patients.
“We have been told that the patients are showing signs of recovery after being transfused with plasma of the recovered patients. The degree and extent of recovery may vary from patient to patient and the same is being documented to check its benefit on the patients,” said MMCRI Dean and Director C.P. Nanjaraj.
COVID-19 tests in India cross 3 crore mark
The total number of tests for detection of COVID-19 has crossed the 3 crore mark in India, according to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) data .
A total of 3,00,41,400 samples have been tested until August 16 with 7,31,697 samples being tested on Sunday, the ICMR said.
Policemen checking travellers at Thoppumpady in West Kochi on Wednesday.
New COVID-19 guidelines in Kerala explore more treatment options
The State has brought out revised treatment guidelines for the management of COVID-19, a comprehensive document drawn from the best of evidence-based practices from across the globe and encompasses the experience of the State’s clinicians in treating those infected till date.
Public opinion to decide reopening of Assam schools
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.
Tasmac liquor outlets to open in Chennai from August 18
Retail liquor shops run by Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation (Tasmac) Ltd. in areas within Greater Chennai Police limits will be reopened from August 18.
“Liquor shops will be open between 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. Every shop will distribute only 500 tokens a day,” an official release said.
Law department office sealed after officers found COVID-19 positive
The office enclosure of the law department at the civil secretariat here has been sealed on Sunday after a few senior officials tested positive for coronavirus. The officers and staffs of the law department have been quarantined following the detections, health department sources confirmed.
Lockdown extended till month-end in Tirupati
TTD Executive Officer Anil Kumar Singhal feeds a cow marking ‘Go Puja’ in Tirupati on Wednesday.
The government has announced extension of the lockdown in Tirupati till August 31 in view of an ever-increasing number of COVID-19 cases.
Municipal Corporation of Tirupati (MCT) Commissioner P.S. Gireesha on Sunday announced that the restrictions on public movement would be in force till the said period.
90 inmates of girls home test positive
Ninety inmates of a government shelter home for girls here have tested positive for COVID-19, an official said on Sunday.
Deputy Director of Women Welfare Department Nita Ahirwar said, “In the past two days, 90 inmates of Nari Niketan in Bareilly have tested positive. All of them have been isolated.”
How the inmates got the infection is being investigated, she said.
- PTI
ICMR-Vector Control Research Centre sets up COVID-19 diagnostic lab
Greater Chennai Corporation health worker wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) checking people at a fever camp at Collector colony, Amijikarai in Chennai on August 16, 2020
The ICMR-Vector Control Research Centre (VCRC) has set up a COVID-19 diagnostic laboratory to help the Government effort to build testing capacity for the viral infection in the region.
The lab with equipment including centrifuge and vortex for RTC-PCR testing has been established as bio safety level 3 (BSL-3) facility to be managed by a set of technicians trained at Jipmer.
