India's coronavirus tally has crossed the 3-million mark. On August 21, the tally was 29,73,288. According to Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) at Johns Hopkins University, the global tally stands at 2,29,84,824.
According to John Hopkins, U.S. leads the tally with 56,26,284 followed by Brazil 35,32,330. At the time of publishing this report, India is at third at 30,04,834.
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:
14,492 new cases in Maharashtra, 297 deaths
Maharashtra on Saturday reported 14,492 new coronavirus cases, matching the highest single-day spike witnessed only two days ago, which took the case tally in the state to 6,71,942, a health official said.
With 297 COVID-19 patients succumbing, the death toll rose to 21,995, he said.
On August 20, the state had seen a record rise of 14,492 in the cases of the viral infection.
There are 1,69,516 active cases as 4,80,114 patients have been discharged after recovery in the state.
India's coronavirus tally crosses 3-milllion mark
India's coronavirus tally, on August 22, 2020, crossed the 3 million mark. On August 21, the tally was 29,73,288. According to Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) at Johns Hopkins University, the global tally stands at 2,29,84,824.
According to John Hopkins, U.S. leads the tally with 56,26,284 followed by Brazil 35,32,330. At the time of publishing this report, India is at third at 30,04,834.
Ladakh LG reviews COVID-19 situation, seeks public support to overcome challenge
Amid the recent surge in COVID-19 cases in Ladakh, Lt Governor R K Mathur on Saturday chaired a high-level meet to review the preparedness and steps taken to handle the situation in the Union Territory.
Reminding the public that they have a major role in curbing the spread of the disease, he appealed to them to work hand-in-hand with the administration and adhere to the standard operating procedure.
The Union Territory of Ladakh witnessed 19 coronavirus-related deaths, mostly in the past six weeks, while the total number of cases also reached 2,133 with 68 per cent of the patients having recovered from the disease.
A balance must be maintained between economic activities and coronavirus outbreak, Mathur said Ladakh must be prepared for any situation.
The L-G directed the health secretary to proactively procure all essentials items related to COVID-19 management in sufficient amount on an urgent basis.
India crosses crucial milestone of testing over 10 lakh people in a day
Keeping its commitment of exponentially increasing daily COVID-19 tests, India has crossed a significant milestone of testing more than 10 lakh samples in a day, taking the cumulative tests to more than 3.4 crore, Union Health Ministry said.
As has been reported from States and UTs that have pushed ahead with aggressive testing, there is a commensurate decline in the positivity rate, it said.
Central team to review steps taken by Puducherry
The Union Health Ministry has constituted a three-member team to assist the Health Department of Puducherry in reviewing measures and management of COVID-19 in the Union Territory.
The team would review the public health measures, infection prevention and control practice, clinical management protocol being implemented for COVID-19, according to the Centre’s communication that was highlighted in a Whatsapp message by Bedi to reporters on Saturday.
The team from the Centre would submit a daily report of steps taken by the Health Department of Puducherry with a copy marked to the Joint Secretary to the Health and Family Welfare Ministry, New Delhi, by e-mail.
“Before concluding its visit, the team will submit a report of the observation and suggestions to the office of Lieutenant Governor and the Health Department here with a copy to the Ministry to bring to its notice any issue of urgent importance,” it was stated.
Devotees, pandals go online in Ganesh festival
Amidst the COVID-19 crisis, technology has come handy for devotees and pandals who are using social media to offer virtual darshan of Lord Ganesh during the 10-day festival which began on Saturday.
Many families are using various applications to connect with their family members and friends, as the viral outbreak has restricted physical movements of people.
On the first day of the festival, many people as well as prominent Ganesh pandals took to social media to send invitations for online ‘aartis’ and consecration of idols.
The GSB Ganpati Mandal at Kings Circle in Mumbai went live on various social media platforms to avoid crowding of devotees at the pandal.
“We have been using apps like Zoom, Google meet etc for our professional works. These apps are now being used to connect with each other during the Ganesh festival,” said Savita Patil, an advertising professional who sent out online invites to her family members, friends and colleagues.
Children in Maharashtra villages reach out to NCPCR for internet
Around 200 children were forced to travel 50 kilometers everyday from remote coastal villages in Maharashtra to reach an area with Internet connection to attend online classes after they were hit first by COVID-19 lockdown and then by cyclone Nisarga.
Hit by a pandemic and then a natural disaster, the children had to deal with Internet disruptions since early June when connectivity along the coastal area of Ratnagiri district became patchy.
But when even after a month the situation did not improve, one of the students finally reached out to the apex child rights body NCPCR for help.
The National Commission for Protection Child Rights, in turn, ensured that the connectivity is restored in the fastest possible manner by reaching out to cellular companies and the district magistrate of the area, NCPCR Chairman Priyank Kanoongo said.
In his letter to the district magistrate of the area, Kanoongo stressed that the authorities must ensure that the issue gets resolved at the earliest.
“The commission has taken cognizance of a complaint received regarding poor and disrupted network connectivity along coastal area of Ratnagiri District, Maharashtra, particularly in the area of PIN Code 415714, which was deadly hit by cyclone Nisarg on June 3, 2020 and since then, the residents of area do not have mobile and data connectivity,” Kanoongo said in the letter to the district magistrate on July 25.
Weekend lockdown comes into force in Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh
All shops except those dealing with essential items remained shut in Punjab, Haryana and UT Chandigarh with weekend lockdown restrictions coming into force on Saturday amid rising coronavirus cases.
The Punjab government had announced weekend lockdown in all cities and towns on Thursday, while authorities in Haryana and Chandigarh ordered the closure of all shops except those providing essential services on Friday to check the spread of COVID-19.
Punjab, Haryana and UT Chandigarh have come up with stricter restrictions in the wake of rising cases of the infection.
While in Punjab and Haryana, the COVID tally has reached 39,327 and 52,129 respectively, in Chandigarh, there are 2,631 cases so far.
Shopkeepers who were dealing with non-essential commodities kept their shops shut in both states and their common capital Chandigarh.
Shibu Soren, his wife test positive
Former Jharkhand Chief Minister and JMM president Shibu Soren and his wife Roopi, along with seven others in their household, have tested positive for COVID-19, official sources said.
All of them are undergoing home quarantine, they said.
Samples of 29 people in Soren’s household were collected for examination, of which seven were found to have contracted the disease.
Lok Sabha MP in Odisha tests positive for COVID-19
Lok Sabha MP and ruling BJD leader Manjulata Mandal on Saturday said she has tested positive for COVID-19, and was undergoing home quarantine.
Taking to Twitter, the Bhadrak MP requested people who recently came in contact with her to get themselves tested.
“On getting the initial symptoms of #COVID19,I got the test done and the report came back positive. My health is fine and stable & I’m in home quarantine. I request that all of you who have come in contact with me in the last few days, please isolate yourself and get your test done,” she tweeted.
COVID-19 tally breaches one lakh mark in Telangana
The total coronavirus caseload in Telangana crossed the one lakh mark with 2,474 fresh cases being added, health officials said on Saturday.
With seven more people succumbing to the virus, the toll in the state mounted to 744.
Out of the fresh cases, 447 were reported from the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC), followed by districts of Ranga Reddy 201, Nizamabad 153, Medchal 149, Khammam 125, Warangal Urban 123, Nalgonda 122, a state government bulletin said on Saturday, providing data as of 8 PM on August 21.
The overall tally of COVID-19 rose to 1,01,865 as 2,474 new cases were added.
It said 1,768 people were discharged on Friday taking the total number of people getting discharged to 78,735 so far, while 22,386 were under treatment.
According to the bulletin, 43,095 samples were tested on Friday. Cumulatively, 8,91,173 samples have been tested.
KL Rahul donates PPE hoods to CISF personnel
Playing the Good Samaritan, India cricketer K L Rahul has donated Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) hoods to the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel posted at Bengaluru airport, helping them fight the COVID-19 pandemic.
India has so far recorded nearly 30 lakh cases of COVID-19 with over 55,000 people succumbing to the contagious disease.
Talking about the pandemic, Rahul said, “The CISF is protecting us day and night. They are risking their lives so that we can live comfortably.
“It is not only mine but everybody’s responsibility to make them feel safe and comfortable. This is just a small gesture from my end for them.”
Rahul, who is getting to ready to lead Kings XI Punjab in the upcoming IPL, is among the many athletes to have helped the frontline workers amid the unprecedented health crisis, which has engulfed the entire world.
A philanthropist at heart, the elegant wicketkeeper-batsman has often been in news for his selfless gestures. Right from auctioning his ODI T20 jersey and donating his World Cup cricket kit to helping Thalassemia patients, he has inspired the youth of the country time and again.
Nasal vaccine prevents coronavirus infection in mice, says study
Scientists have developed a vaccine against COVID-19 that can be given in one dose via the nose, and is effective in preventing infection in mice susceptible to the novel coronavirus, an advance that may lead to protective candidates that can curb the pandemic.
While there are several COVID-19 vaccine candidates currently under development, the study, published in the journal Cell, noted that unlike these, the one delivered via the nose targets the initial site of infection, and causes more widespread immune response.
According to the researchers, including those from the Washington University School of Medicine in the US, the nasal delivery route created a strong immune response throughout the body, but it was particularly effective in the nose and respiratory tract, preventing the infection from taking hold in the body.
Fresh curbs to check virus spread
Amid a surge in COVID-19 cases in Haryana, State Home Minster Anil Vij on Friday announced that all offices and shops, except those providing essential services, will remain closed on every Saturday and Sunday till further orders.
5 districts speeding towards full recovery
Five districts in Rajasthan are speeding towards full recovery from the COVID-19 infection, having crossed 90% recuperation rate, while 11 districts have registered a recovery rate of more than 80%. The betterment of health infrastructure in the State has led to the recoveries crossing the 50,000 mark earlier this week.
CET: Students who tested positive come out with flying colours
The Hindu spoke to two students who were both asymptomatic and have now secured high ranks in the CET. They admitted it was extremely challenging and stressful both mentally and physically. They, however, praised their colleges and the government for making all the arrangements, including their transportation to the examination centre.
Dengue virus tests may sometimes return ‘positive’ for coronavirus, says study
Because the viruses that causes dengue and coronaviruses belong to entirely different families, it is not expected for one to show affinity to the other.
Can dengue be sometimes mistaken for COVID-19? Two independent research studies — one from a group in Israel and another from the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research-Indian Institute of Chemical Biology (CSIR-IICB) in Kolkata — show that tests specific to check for dengue sometimes led to a positive SARS-CoV-2 test and this, the scientists warn, could lead to misdiagnoses and skew public health responses in places where dengue is endemic and known to seasonally spike
Notices being issued to pvt. hospitals for late referrals: Health Minister
Notices are being issued to private hospitals referring COVID-19 patients late to government hospitals, Health Minister C. Vijayabaskar said.
Late referrals are a challenge. When persons with co-morbidities come in late with breathlessness, a drop in oxygen saturation levels and lung damage it becomes a challenge for doctors and nurses, he said.
Dasara festivities to remain simple this year
Thanksgiving: Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa offering ‘bagina’ at the Krishnaraja Sagar on Friday.
Clearing the cloud of uncertainty over Dasara celebrations this year amid COVID-19 pandemic, Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa on Friday said the festivities would remain simple this year.
After offering bagina at the Kabini reservoir in H.D. Kote taluk of Mysuru district, Mr. Yediyurappa told reporters that the government would discuss the matter and chalk out the modalities. He said the Dasara High-powered Committee would meet shortly in this regard.
Another plasma bank in Bengaluru
Another plasma bank is now ready in the city to pitch in for plasma therapy for treatment of COVID-19 patients. The Ramaiah Blood Bank is equipped to obtain and store convalescent plasma from recovered COVID-19 patients, a press release from M.S. Ramaiah Medical College and Hospital said.
