The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in India crossed 90 lakh (9 million) on November 19, according to data collated from various State Health Departments. As of 10.45 p.m. IST on November 19, the figure stood at 90,00,486 with 1,32,177 deaths.
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 updates:
Haryana to shut all schools till November 30
The Haryana government on Friday decided to shut all private and government schools in the State till November 30 in view of the increase in COVID-19 cases.
The Haryana Secondary Education Director, in a letter to all District and Block Education Officers, said the decision was keeping in mind the well-being of students. All school premises would be sanitised during this period to disinfect them. School heads and managers would be held responsible for violation of the directions, said the letter.
Haryana health minister gets trial dose of indigenous vaccine
Haryana Health Minister Anil Vij was administered a trial dose of potential coronavirus vaccine Covaxin in Ambala, becoming the first volunteer in the state for the third phase trial of the vaccine.
The third phase trial of Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin began in the state on Friday and the 67-year old senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader was administered the trial dose at the Civil Hospital at Ambala Cantt.
Mr. Vij is stated to be the first cabinet minister of any state government who has volunteered to take the trial dose of a potential vaccine against COVID-19. - PTI
COVID-19 patients dying even after recovery worries doctors
Doctors are now worried about a small but increasing number of patients dying suddenly due to a heart attack or stroke or succumbing to bacterial infection once they leave hospital after being cured of COVID-19 .
In Kolkata, two practising doctors died earlier this week shortly after recovering from COVID-19. Urologist Subrata Mitra, who was in his early 50s, died of a massive heart attack within days of rejoining work, while physician Dr. Aniket Neogi, in his late thirties, died in his sleep.
Door-to-door survey in Delhi containment zones amid COVID-19 spike
Amid a surge in coronavirus cases in the national capital, a door-to-door survey for identifying and testing people symptomatic for COVID-19 in containment and densely packed areas of the city commenced on Friday.
The survey will be completed within five days and will cover over 57 lakh people in containment zones, dense areas and identified clusters of virus transmission, officials said.
Delhi Health minister Satyendar Jain told reporters that the survey is aimed at identifying and testing symptomatic people living in containment zones and densely packed areas. - PTI
Schools in Mumbai to remain closed till Dec 31
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Friday announced that schools in the city will remain closed till December 31, a change from the earlier decision to reopen them from November 23, as the metropolis witnesses an upward trend in COVID-19 cases.
However, schools in other cities of Maharashtra can reopen as per schedule taking into account local conditions and the prevailing pandemic situation.
CDC warns Americans not to travel for Thanksgiving
With the coronavirus surging out of control, the nation’s top public health agency advised Americans on Thursday not to travel for Thanksgiving and not to spend the holiday with people from outside their household.
It was some of the firmest guidance yet from the government on curtailing traditional gatherings to fight the outbreak.
The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention issued the recommendations just one week before Thanksgiving, at a time when diagnosed infections, hospitalisations and deaths are skyrocketing across the country. In many areas, the health care system is being squeezed by a combination of sick patients filling up beds and medical workers falling ill themselves.
The CDC’s Dr Erin Sauber-Schatz cited more than 1 million new cases in the US over the past week as the reason for the new guidance The safest way to celebrate Thanksgiving this year is at home with the people in your household, she said.
Observe Chhath at home: Mamata
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday appealed to people to perform Chhath puja in their homes or neighbourhood ponds in their locality as two major water bodies of Kolkata , the Rabindra Sarovar and the Subhas Sarovar will be out of bounds. Despite the government willingness to allow devotees to perform puja at these water bodies, courts have rejected the proposition on grounds of outbreak of COVID-19 and pollution caused to the water bodies.
During the day, the Calcutta High Court made it clear that devotees won’t be allowed at the Subhas Sarovar, located in the northern parts of the city, and directed the police to take necessary steps in this regard.
HC raps Delhi govt. on rising COVID cases
The Delhi High Court on Thursday called out the AAP government over its handling of the COVID-19 situation in the Capital, saying it was “disheartening” that the daily number of deaths had steadily climbed from 71 on November 9 to 131 on November 18.
“You (Delhi government) saw from November 1 which way the wind was blowing. The bell should have rung loud and clear when the numbers were spiralling,” a Bench of Justices Hima Kohli and Subramonium Prasad remarked.
The High Court questioned the Delhi government on why it waited till November 11, when the Bench intervened, to act on issues such as decreasing the number of persons who can participate during marriage ceremonies to 50.
“Do you know how many lives were lost during this period? Can you explain it to those who lost their near and dear ones,” the court told the Delhi government.
Effective strategy kept positivity rate in schools, colleges low in A.P.: officials
Only 1,491 persons, who included students and teachers, tested positive for COVID-19 out of 5,12,890 people tested ahead of reopening of schools and colleges in the State, registering a positivity rate of 0.3%, the government claimed on Thursday.
“ This is a reflection of the government’s effective strategy ,” an official release said.
Andhra Pradesh was one of the very few States to reopen schools and colleges post the COVID-19 outbreak, the release said.
Teachers and students in as many as 39,111 schools had been tested. Out of 1.29 lakh teachers who were tested, 1,023 turned positive. Similarly, out of 2.08 lakh students who were tested, 458 turned positive.
Also, in 5,515 colleges, 1.40 lakh students were tested and only eight of them were infected. Among the 34,056 lecturers who were tested, only two tested positive, the release said.
Mexico becomes fourth country to cross 1,00,000 COVID-19 deaths
Mexico passed the 1,00,000 mark in COVID-19 deaths, becoming the fourth country to do so amid concerns about the lingering physical and psychological scars on survivors.
Josş Luis Alomţa Zegarra, Mexico’s director of epidemiology, announced late Thursday that Mexico had 1,00,104 confirmed COVID-19 deaths, behind the United States, Brazil and India.
The milestone comes less than a week after Mexico topped 1 million registered coronavirus cases, though officials agree the number is probably much higher because of low levels of testing.
Oxford vaccine will cost ₹1,000, says Adar Poonawalla
Vaccine maker Serum Institute of India’s CEO Adar Poonawalla on November 19 said the Oxford COVID-19 vaccine should be available for healthcare workers and elderly people by around February 2021 and by April for the general public, and will be priced at a maximum of ₹1,000 for two necessary doses for the public, depending on the final trial results and regulatory approvals.
Probably by 2024, every Indian would get vaccinated, he said at the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit, 2020.
“It will probably take two or three years for every Indian to get inoculated, not just because of the supply constraints but because you need the budget, the vaccine, logistics, infrastructure and then, people should be willing to take the vaccine.”
