Coronavirus India lockdown day 242 live updates | November 23, 2020

In Delhi, two evening markets were ordered to be shut for violating COVID-19 norms.

November 23, 2020 09:59 am | Updated November 24, 2020 10:01 am IST

Sushila Devi was admitted in a Bhubaneswar-based hospital on November 2 following a COVID-19 infection and had been there since then.

Sushila Devi was admitted in a Bhubaneswar-based hospital on November 2 following a COVID-19 infection and had been there since then.

A large percentage of the world’s population is gripped by vaccine hesitancy , experts believe as a coronavirus vaccine appears more likely in the next couple of months.

Vaccine hesitancy, which is defined as reluctance or refusal to vaccinate despite availability of vaccines, is feared to grip up to 40 to 50% of the world’s population, according to Ronald T. Peirvincenzi, CEO, United States Pharmacopeia.

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:

Gujarat

60 health workers at Ahmedabad civil hospital infected by COVID-19

Nearly 60 health workers at a civil hospital in Ahmedabad, the largest COVID-19 facility in Gujarat, are currently infected by coronavirus amid a recent spike in cases across the city, officials said on Monday.

The civil hospital’s medical superintendent, J.V. Modi, said with this, around 430 doctors, nurses and other staff of the facility, including paramedics and sanitation workers, have contracted COVID-19 so far since the outbreak of the disease in March this year. Three of these staff members - a nurse and two sanitation workers - died of COVID-19, he said.

The civil hospital, located in Aswara area and having a capacity of 1,200 beds, has seen a rise in number of new COVID-19 patients since the last week, with several of them in moderate and severe health condition and requiring oxygen, officials said. - PTI

Madhya Pradesh

16 held in Indore for partying during night curfew

Ten men and six women were arrested in Indore in Madhya Pradesh for allegedly partying and firing a celebratory shot in the air during night curfew imposed to stem the coronavirus spread, police said on Monday.

All 16 were charged under relevant sections of the Epidemic Diseases Act and the IPC and taken into custody on Sunday night from Paradise Garden in the Dwarkapuri area, an official said.

“One of the arrested persons, identified as Gaurav Puri, is a history-sheeter and we have seized a country-made pistol and some bullets from him. He has been charged under the Arms Act as well. Music was being played loudly and guests were without face masks at the party, where social-distancing was not being observed,” he said.

Liquor bottles, a motorcycle and three four-wheelers were also confiscated from the party site. - PTI

Delhi

Delhi records five deaths an hour

At least five persons died due to COVID-19 every hour on an average in Delhi in the last 24 hours, accounting for the largest chunk of such fatalities across the country, which recorded an average of 21 deaths in this period.

The analysis was based on the data from the Union Health Ministry which gave the total number of deaths recorded in the country and all States and UTs due to COVID-19 in the past 24 hours.

While a total of 511 COVID-19 deaths were recorded across the country in the past 24 hours, Delhi accounted for the largest chunk of such fatalities with 121 fatalities, the data updated at 8 am showed. - PTI

United Kingdom

Jurgen Klopp says Salah to return after negative coronavirus test

Mohamed Salah is set to return to training with Liverpool following a negative test for COVID-19, manager Jurgen Klopp said.

Salah missed the 3-0 win over Leicester on Sunday following two positive tests for the coronavirus during the international break while on duty with Egypt.

“I think from now he is pretty normal in all the testing. He can train with us. There are two tests in the next two days so he will be tested,” Klopp said after the Leicester match.

Liverpool’s next game is at home to Atalanta in the Champions League on Wednesday. - AP

Himachal Pradesh

Himachal schools, colleges shut till December 31; night curfew in 4 districts

The Himachal Pradesh government decided on Monday to keep all schools and colleges closed till December 31 and imposed a night curfew in four districts to fight the recent spurt in coronavirus cases.

The curfew will be in place from Tuesday to December 15 in Shimla, Mandi, Kangra and Kullu districts from 8 pm to 6 am, State’s Parliamentary Affairs minister Suresh Bhardwaj said.

The decision to clamp the fresh curbs was taken at a Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur.

All educational institutions had been closed till November 25. Now, they will remain shut till December 31.

- PTI

Karnataka

Karnataka schools and PU colleges will not reopen in December

Schools and pre-university colleges will not reopen in Karnataka in December.

Speaking at a press conference on Monday after a meeting with Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa, Primary and Secondary Education Minister S. Suresh Kumar said that the department had taken this decision in the interest of students.

He said that the next decision on reopening would be taken in the third week of December after the State technical advisory committee meets again.

 

Order on closure of two prominent markets in west Delhi withdrawn

The district administration ordered the shutting down of two prominent markets for not adhering to COVID-19 norms in west Delhi here on Sunday. The order was, however, withdrawn soon after.

According to the order, the Punjabi Basti Market and the Janta Market in Nangloi were directed to close till November 30 for violating COVID-19 guidelines and social distancing norms.

An order to this effect was issued by Dharmendra Kumar, additional DM, for the West district. In another order, however, the previous one directing the closure was withdrawn.

Delhi, Gujarat

Supreme Court says COVID-19 situation has worsened in Delhi, Gujarat, asks Centre; States to file status reports

The Supreme Court on Monday asked the Centre and all States to file within two days status reports detailing steps taken to deal with the current COVID-19 situation, noting that the pandemic has worsened in places like Delhi and Gujarat.

The Court said the situation is going out of control in Gujarat .

  Things have worsened in Delhi especially in November.

 

Odisha

Wife of Odisha Governor passes away

Sushila Devi, wife of Odisha Governor Ganeshi Lal, passed away on Monday three weeks after testing positive for COVID-19. She was 74 and is survived by Mr. Lal, seven sons and daughters.

According to Raj Bhavan sources, she was admitted in a city-based hospital on November 2 following her infection and had been there since then.

Six of her family, including the Governor, had tested positive for the pandemic. While all had recovered, she was undergoing treatment.

 

Uttarakhand

Uttarakhand governor tests positive for COVID-19

Uttarakhand Governor Baby Rani Maurya has tested positive for COVID-19.

In a tweet on Sunday evening, Maurya said, “My corona report has come out positive. I am asymptomatic and have no problems. I have isolated myself under the supervision of doctors. I request everyone who came in contact with me over the last few days to get themselves tested.”

His Maharashtra counterpart Bhagat Singh Koshyari had met him on Saturday. _ PTI

Case count update

COVID-19 caseload in India breaches 91-lakh mark

India’s COVID-19 caseload went past 91 lakh with 44,059 coronavirus infections being reported in a day, while the recoveries surged to 85,62,641, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Monday.

The total coronavirus cases mounted to 91,39,865 while the death toll climbed to 1,33,738 with 511 new fatalities, the data updated at 8 a.m. showed.

The number of active cases remained below 5 lakh for the thirteenth consecutive day.There are 4,43,486 active cases of coronavirus infection in the country as on date which comprises 4.85% of the total caseload, the data stated.

The national recovery rate was recorded 93.68%, while the COVID-19 case fatality rate stands at 1.46%. - PTI

Vaccine update

Serum Institute of India stocking emergency doses of COVID-19 vaccine

The Pune-based vaccine manufacturer Serum Institute of India (SII) is expecting the results of the clinical trials of the COVID-19 vaccine candidate Covishield by January.

“We have started manufacturing the product,” the SII’s Executive Director, Suresh Jadhav, said on Saturday, adding that the institute would produce 50 million to 60 million doses of the vaccine candidate developed by AstraZeneca and Oxford University every month from January.

“But, till January, we will also have about 80 to 100 million doses in stock for supply if we get permission for emergency use by the government.”

Tamil Nadu

Bus services between T.N. and A.P. from Nov. 25

The State government has issued orders to permit inter-State bus transport between Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh without e-registration from November 25.

A G.O. issued in this regard by Chief Secretary K. Shanmugam said both private and government bus operators would be allowed. The Tamil Nadu government had earlier allowed inter-State bus services to Karnataka and Puducherry.

The Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC) will resume its inter-State services to Tamil Nadu from various depots of Chittoor district from November 25, after a gap of eight months since the start of the COVID-19 lockdown.

 

Telangana

KCR cautions against second wave of COVID

Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao has asked officials to gear up to face the second wave of COVID if it occurred because an assessment of such a nature was being made.

At an official meeting attended by Chief Secretary Somesh Kumar, Principal Health Secretary Murtaza Rizvi and other senior officials, Mr. Rao pointed out to the high incidence of COVID in seven other States to put the officials on alert.

 

Haryana

Gurugram battles third wave

With the third wave of novel coronavirus hitting the Millennium City a couple of weeks ago amid festive rush, the district administration has responded to the situation by increasing testing and augmenting the number of hospital beds.

 

Telangana

TIMS rules out one-week ‘quarantine leave’ after work

A day after senior resident doctors at Telangana Institute of Medical Sciences (TIMS) boycotted services demanding one-week quarantine after a week of work to be restored, the institute’s officials on Sunday said that quarantine leave was not advised by Government of India.

TIMS Director Dr Vimala Thomas said the leave was provided earlier, during the lockdown. However, with unlock leading to new normalcy, provision of the leave was removed as it was not advised.

Kerala

Doctors hint at another post-COVID threat: Multisystem inflammatory syndrome

 

The 23-year-old youth, when he was admitted to the Government Medical College Hospital, Thiruvananthapuram (MCH), appeared to be a case of septic shock.

All the inflammatory markers – BNP, D-Dimer, CRP, Ferritin, IL-6 – and Trop-T levels (cardiac marker indicative of heart damage) in blood were elevated. He was negative for COVID-19 rapid antigen as well as PCR test.

The possibilities were several, for it could have been leptospirosis or dengue shock syndrome, septic shock, infective endocarditis or tropical fever syndrome... But the turning point was when he tested positive for the IgG antibody test for COVID-19.

Karnataka

Change in bed blocking protocol

With nearly 78% of beds in government hospitals being unoccupied following a drop in COVID-19 cases, the State government has now said blocking of general and high dependency unit (HDU) beds will be first allowed only in government medical establishments. Referral of government patients to private facilities can be done only after the bed occupancy reaches 90% in government-run facilities, stated a circular issued on Saturday.

As of now, only 22% of beds are occupied in government hospitals and government medical colleges in the State. Recently, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) had issued a similar circular on bed blocking in government hospitals within Bengaluru.

Kerala

Kerala targets reopening of colleges on Jan. 1

Targeting the reopening of colleges in the State in a phased manner, the government has commenced deliberations on resuming academic activities from January 1.

While holding classes for undergraduate (UG) course could present challenges in adhering to COVID-19 norms, the government is actively pursuing the resumption of classes for the postgraduate (PG) batches, especially in the teaching departments of State universities, most of which have fewer than 30 students.

Karnataka partially opened its colleges and universities for final-year UG and PG classes last week and other States are going ahead with plans to follow suit.

 

COVID will soon be past episode of 21st century: Health Minister

The rapidness at which coronavirus vaccines are being developed will have a significant effect on new technologies that will help in faster drug discoveries, lowering the cost and making it more affordable for the poor, Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan said on Sunday.

The process, which used to take 10 years to produce vaccines, is now done in almost 10 months, Vardhan said while addressing the Boston Center of Excellence (BoCE) for Health and Human Development through video conference.  PTI

Delhi

Two Delhi evening markets ordered shut for violating COVID-19 norms

The West Delhi district authorities Sunday ordered two evening markets in Nangloi to be shut for flouting various COVID-19 safety guidelines including on social distancing and face mask, officials said. The District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) in West Delhi issued an order Sunday, directing for closure of Punjabi Basti Market and Janta Market till November 30, a senior district official said.

“The government directives for wearing face mask, maintaining physical distancing and other such COVID-19 safety measures were being flouted both by the vendors and shoppers in the two rehri-patri (street side) markets despite repeated instructions and warnings by officials,” he said.

The district authorities, accompanied by police and North Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC) teams, conducted inspection to ensure the closure of the markets and removal of encroachments in both the markets.

Over 200 vendors dealing in various daily use items used to set up shops in the markets that opened in the evening hours daily. - PTI

 

South African great-grandson of Mahatma Gandhi succumbs to COVID-19

Satish Dhupelia, the South African great-grandson of Mahatma Gandhi, succumbed to COVID-19 complications here on Sunday, three days after his 66th birthday, a family member said.

Satish Dhupelia

Satish Dhupelia

 

Dhupelia’s sister Uma Dhupelia-Mesthrie confirmed that her brother had died of COVID-19 related complications after he contracted the disease in hospital where he had been under treatment for a month due to pneumonia.

“My beloved brother has passed on after a month of illness with pneumonia, a superbug contracted in hospital and then COVID-19 also contracted while he was being treated. He suffered a major cardiac arrest this evening,” Uma said in a social media post.

Besides Uma, Dhupelia leaves back another sister, Kirti Menon, who lives in Johannesburg, where she is active in various projects honouring the memory of Gandhi. The three siblings are descendants of Manilal Gandhi, who Mahatma Gandhi left behind in South Africa to continue his work after he returned to India after spending two decades.

 

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