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Coronavirus India lockdown Day 178 | September 19, 2020

September 19, 2020 09:19 am | Updated 10:42 pm IST

Mr. Narayan is the latest in the list of Ministers in Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa’s cabinet who have tested positive for coronavirus.

Rapid antigen test of Covid-19 virus in progress near a testing van in New Delhi on Saturday, September 19, 2020

The five States with high active caseload were also the ones that were now reporting a high recovery rate . Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Uttar Pradesh were reporting 59.8% of the active cases. They were also contributing to 59.3% of the total recoveries. 90% of the new recoveries were reported from 16 States and U.T.s, the Ministry said.

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.

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Here are the latest updates:

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10:30 p.m. | Ahmedabad

Ahead of session, five staff members of Gujarat Assembly test positive

Five out of 506 people who were tested for novel coronavirus ahead of the five-day session of the Gujarat Assembly starting on Monday have been detected with the infection, officials have said.

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COVID-19 tests were conducted on Speaker Rajendra Trivedi and 505 staff members of the Assembly over the past two days, and five had been found to be infected, a release said.

It added that Mr. Trivedi had tested negative, while those whose reports returned positive comprised two staff members and three security personnel. - PTI

10.15 pm | J&K

149 people fined for not wearing face masks in Jammu

As many as 149 people were fined on Saturday for allegedly violating COVID-19 protocol by not wearing face masks at public places in Jammu, police said.

A fine to the tune of Rs 74,500 was collected from the violators in different parts of Jammu district, a police spokesman said.

He said police acted tough against the violators amid a spike in coronavirus cases.

Jammu Police have once again requested the general public to follow the directions issued by government in order to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Also, those who are found violating the restrictions will be dealt strictly,” the spokesman said.

- PTI

9.45 pm | Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu records 5,569 fresh COVID-19 cases, 66 fatalities

Tamil Nadu on Saturday registered 5,569 new coronavirus cases taking the aggregate to 5.36 lakh, while the toll mounted to 8,751 with 66 more deaths.

Chennai shared 987, Coimbatore 565, Salem 286, Chengalpet 293, Tiruvallur 282, and Kancheepuram 175 of the fresh infections and the rest scattered across various districts, a health department bulletin said.

Of the 5.36 lakh plus positive cases, Chennai accounted for 1,54,624 till date.

While the active cases stood at 46,453, as many as 5,556 patients got discharged from various hospitals, taking the total number of those cured to 4.81 lakh.

Of the 66 people who died, 56 had comorbidities.

Nearly 34 patients who succumbed to the virus were above the age of 60 years, the bulletin said.

— PTI

9:30 pm | Bhopal

No garba pandals in Madhya Pradesh, Durga idol height capped

The Madhya Pradesh government has said garba pandals will not be allowed this year due to the coronavirus outbreak while idols for Durga Utsav must not be more than six feet.

The decisions, which includes one that restricts the size of pandals and tableaux to 100 square feet, were taken at a review meet chaired by Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, officials said.

District Collectors have been told to ensure crowd control during festivities to curb the spread of infection, they added. Only 10 people will allowed to take part in idol immersion, officials said - PTI

9.15 pm | Karnataka

Congress MLA Priyank Kharge tests positive for COVID-19

Congress MLA and former Minister Priyank Kharge on Saturday said he has tested positive for COVID-19.

“I have been tested positive for #Covid19 today. I have no symptoms,” Mr. Kharge tweeted.

He has also requested all those who had come in contact with him in the last couple of days to get themselves tested as a precautionary measure.

Mr. Kharge, who represents Chittapur assembly constituency, is the son of veteran Congress leader and Member of Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge.

- PTI

8.50 pm | Time

Noida: 174 new COVID-19 cases recorded, recovery rate over 83%

Uttar Pradesh’s Gautam Buddh Nagar on Saturday recorded 174 new COVID-19 cases that pushed the district’s infection tally to 11,217, official data showed.

The number of active cases, however, came down to 1,840 from 1,868 on Friday and 2,004 on Thursday, according to the data released by the UP health department.

As many as 202 more patients were discharged and the total number of recoveries in the district reached 9,329, the data showed.

The district, adjoining Delhi, has so far recorded 48 deaths linked to the pandemic and has one of the lowest mortality rates in the state at 0.42 per cent, it showed.

The state’s average fatality rate due to COVID-19 is 1.42%, according to government officials.

The recovery rate of patients, which saw a steady rise over the week, stood at 83.16% on Saturday. This is higher than the state’s average recovery rate of 79.39%, the data showed.

The district’s recovery rate was 82.64% on Friday, 82.18% Thursday and Wednesday, 81.14% on Tuesday, 80.38% on Monday and 79.82% on Sunday, it showed.

— PTI

8:30 pm | New Delhi

Downward trend in COVID-19 positivity rate in last few days, says Satyendar Jain

Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain has said there has been a downward trend in COVID-19 positivity rate in the national capital and it will lead to good results by next week.

“The positivity rate was 6.76% on Friday. It has remained below 7% in the last two-three days. Last week, it was around 8 per cent,” Mr. Jain said. The cumulative positivity rate has also dropped below 10% for the first time, he said.

The Minister said Delhi has been witnessing a “downward trend” in the COVID-19 positivity rate over the last two to three days. “It should lead to good results by next week,” he said. - PTI

8:00 pm | Gujarat

Record 1,432 new coronavirus cases in Gujarat, but more recover

Gujarat saw its highest single-day spike of 1,432 coronavirus cases on September 19, raising the total number of cases to 1,21,930, the state health department said.

With 16 patients succumbing, the COVID-19 death toll in the State rose to 3,305, it said.

The number of recoveries exceeded the number of new cases, with 1,470 patients getting discharged on September 19.

This raised the total number of recovered cases in the State to 1,02,571, the department said in its release.

As many as 61,432 tests were conducted for COVID-19 in the State over the last 24 hours, at the rate of 945.11 tests per day per million population.

Gujarat COVID-19 figures are as follows: Positive cases 1,21,930, new cases 1,432, death toll 3,305, discharged 1,02,571, active cases 16,054, and people tested so far 37,39,782. - PTI

7:45 pm | Meghalaya

Meghalaya reports 112 new COVID-19 cases, 2 fresh fatalities

Meghalaya’s COVID-19 tally rose to 4,557 on Saturday as 112 more people, including 33 security personnel, tested positive for the infection, while two fresh fatalities pushed the northeastern state’s coronavirus death toll to 36, a senior health official said.

East Khasi Hills district, under which Shillong falls, reported the highest number of new cases at 87, followed by West Garo Hills (18) and Ri-Bhoi (four), Health Services Director Aman War said.

Two COVID-19 patients, men aged 68 and 50, have died at hospitals in Shillong and Tura respectively, he said.

Forty-six more people have been cured of the disease, the official said.

Meghalaya now has 2,038 active coronavirus cases, while 2,483 people have recovered from the disease so far, he said.

The state has tested 1.31 lakh samples for COVID-19 so far, Mr. War added. — PTI

7:30 pm | Dehradun

Uttarakhand govt. orders action against private labs giving ‘wrong’ virus reports

The Uttarakhand government has ordered stern action against Dehradun private labs for giving wrong coronavirus test reports.

Chief Secretary Om Prakash asked Dehradun District Magistrate Ashish Kumar Shrivastava to take stringent action against such labs.

The Chief Secretary’s order came following complaints that some people who tested positive for coronavirus at private labs tested negative at government hospitals, an official said.

There are also complaints that 50% of people going to private labs in Dehradun are testing positive for the infection, he said. - PTI

7.15 pm | Karnataka

No shortage of oxygen for COVID-19 patients: Karnataka Minister

Karnataka is not facing shortage of medical oxygen for COVID-19 patients, State Medical Education Minister K Sudhakar said on Saturday.

To ensure that the State does not run out of supplies, the government is sourcing oxygen tanks from Gujarat, the Minister said.

Oxygen would be supplied to not only government hospitals but also private hospitals, an official press release quoted him as saying after inaugurating COVID Molecular Lab at Siddhartha Medical College and Research Centre in Tumakuru, nearly 70 km from here.

The lab can conduct 2,000 coronavirus tests per day, the release said.

Recently, a few hospitals faced a shortage of oxygen but the demand was addressed with cooperation from industrial zones at respective districts, he said.

- PTI

7.00 pm | Kerala

Kerala reports highest single day surge of 4,644 COVID cases, toll climbs to 519 with 18 more deaths

Kerala reported the highest single day surge of COVID-19 cases- 4,644 on September 19, taking the infection count to 1,31,025, while the toll mounted to 519 with 18 more deaths.

This is the third consecutive day that over 4,000 cases have been reported from the southern State.

As many as 4,351 and 4,167 positive cases were detected on September 17 and 18 respectively.

With 2,862 recoveries today, the active cases touched 37,487.

So far, 92,951 people have recovered from the infection, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan tsaid.

Of the positive cases today, 36 had come from abroad and 229 from other States, while 3,781 were infected through contact and the source of infection of 498 people is not yet known, Mr. Vijayan said.

Thiruvananthapuram recorded the highest number of cases 783, while Malappuram 517, Kollam and Kozhikode 389 each, Thrissur 342, Palakkad 330 and Ernakulam 320.

Two districts reported over 200 cases.

Eighty-six health workers were among those who were infected.

At least 2,17,695 people are under observation in various districts, including 25,161 in hospitals.

In the last 24 hours,m 47,452 samples were tested and so far 23,84,611 samples have been sent for testing, Mr. Vijayan added. — PTI

6.45 pm | Mumbai

Dharavi’s coronavirus infection count crosses 3,000

The tally of coronavirus cases in Mumbai’s Dharavi area crossed the 3,000 mark on Saturday with 25 new cases coming to light, said an official of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation.

The tally reached 3,018 on Saturday. It had crossed 2,500 on July 21.

2,585 patients from the area have recovered from the viral infection, and there are 160 active COVID-19 cases, the official said.

The civic body has stopped sharing the death toll from the area.

— PTI

6:30 pm | New Delhi

Venkaiah Naidu urges Rajya Sabha MPs to exercise caution

With more than two dozen MPs testing positive for coronavirus, Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu on Saturday urged members to wear masks, maintain a safe distance and follow good hygiene of washing hands frequently.

When the House met for the day, Mr. Naidu said the COVID-19 testing facility, both rapid antigen and RT-PCR, will be available in Parliament House everyday throughout the current session.

“Members are advised to avail this facility and get their test done,” he said, adding that a significant number of oximeters to check the oxygen saturation level are also available in Parliament House.

Mr. Naidu said officials have told him that the best safeguard against the virus is a mask. - PTI

6:15 pm | New Delhi

Over 190% rise in active COVID-19 cases in Delhi in a month

The number of active COVID-19 cases in Delhi increased by around 190% in a month with 84,087 people contracting the disease during the period, according to government data.

There were 11,068 active COVID-19 cases on August 18. The number increased to a record 32,250 on Friday, an analysis of Delhi government’s health bulletins showed.

A similar trend was witnessed in June, when the number of active COVID-19 cases rose from 11,555 on June 1 to 28,329 on June 27. It, however, tapered off to 10,705 active cases by July 31.

On August 4, it dropped below the 10,000-mark for the first time since May 30 and stood at 9,897, owing to a good recovery rate and less new cases. But just when it seemed the number might drop further, it started rising again with an increase in new cases. - PTI

6 pm | Maharashtra

Maharashtra police record 153 new COVID-19 cases; five more cops die

At least 153 personnel of Maharashtra police tested positive for coronavirus, while five died of the infection in the last 24 hours, an official said on Saturday.

With the addition of the latest infections, the police force’s COVID-19 tally has reached 20,954, the official said.

The fresh casualties have taken the toll in the department to 217, which includes 22 officers, he said.

As many as 17,006 personnel have recovered from the infection so far, while 3,731 are currently undergoing treatment at various hospitals, the official said.

Meanwhile, the police have registered 2,60,174 offences and arrested 35,086 people for violating prohibitory orders imposed to contain the viral spread, the official said. - PTI

5.45 pm | Tripura

Tripura reports 535 new COVID-19 cases, 7 fresh fatalities

Tripura’s COVID-19 tally rose to 21,507 on Saturday as 535 more people tested positive for the infection, a health official said.

Seven fresh fatalities pushed the northeastern state’s coronavirus death toll to 235, he said.

West Tripura district, under which Agartala falls, has accounted for 130 of the 235 COVID-19 deaths reported in the state so far, the official said.

Tripura now has 7,107 active coronavirus cases, while 14,142 people have recovered from the disease so far, and 23 patients have migrated to other states, he said. - PTI

5.30 pm | Uttar Pradesh

UP’s COVID-19 tally rises to 3,48,517 with 5,827 new cases

With 5,827 fresh COVID-19 cases, the total number of those infected by the virus in Uttar Pradesh went up to 3,48,517 on Saturday.

A total 4,953 fatalities have been reported in the state so far while the number of active cases stood at 66,874, Additional Chief Secretary Health, Amit Mohan Prasad.

As many as 2,76,690 patients have fully recovered and discharged from hospitals, he said, adding that the recovery rate in the state at present is 79.39%.

The number of patients who were discharged in the last 24 hours is 6,596, which is more than those the number of people who caught infection during this period, he said.

The overall case fatality rate in the state was 1.42% since March, he said, adding that it was 1.3% in September which is lower than the national average. Over 1.54 lakh tests were done on Friday taking the total number of tests conducted in the state to over 83 lakhs, he said. - PTI

5.15 pm | Jharkhand

Jharkhand: District judge tests positive for COVID-19

A district judge has tested positive for COVID-19 in Jharkhand, an official said on Saturday.

The samples of Latehar Principal District and Sessions Judge Vishnu Kant Sahay were collected for a COVID-19 test on Friday, the result of which returned as positive, Civil Surgeon Dr S K Srivastava said. - PTI

5 pm | New Delhi

41 armed forces personnel died of COVID-19; 22,353 infected

The coronavirus pandemic has killed 41 and infected 22,353 armed forces personnel, according to details provide by the government in Rajya Sabha on Saturday.

Minister of State for Defence Shripad Naik said a series of measures have been put in place to check the spread of the coronavirus infection in the armed forces which included a campaign on preventive measures.

“The total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases amongst serving armed forces personnel is 22,353,” he said, adding 41 personnel died of the infection till date.

“In line with the international and national treatment protocols for COVID-19, armed forces hospitals have a wide array of anti-viral drugs (Favipiravir and Remdesivir),” he said.

The minister said two hospitals in the armed forces are using plasma therapy for treatment of severely ill patients. - PTI

4.45 pm | Maharashtra

Phase-III trial of Oxford vaccine to begin in Pune next week

The phase-III human clinical trial of the COVID-19 vaccine developed by Oxford University and being manufactured by the Serum Institute of India (SII) will begin at the Sassoon General Hospital in Pune next week.

Dean of the state-run Sassoon General Hospital Dr Muralidhar Tambe told this to PTI on Saturday.

“The phase-III trial of ‘Covishield’ vaccine will begin at Sassoon hospital from next week. It is likely to start on Monday. Some volunteers have already come forward for the trial. Around 150 to 200 volunteers will be administered the vaccine candidate dose,” he said.

“From Saturday, the hospital started enrolling volunteers for the trial. Those who are willing to volunteer for the vaccination should contact the hospital,” he said.

Under phase-II, trials were conducted at Bharti Vidyapeeth Medical College and also KEM Hospital in the city. - PTI

 

4.30 pm | New Delhi

LS floor leaders likely to may meet later in the day to discuss curtailment of session

The government is contemplating curtailing the ongoing Monsoon Session in view of the rising COVID-19 cases amongst MPs, but nothing has been finalised so far, sources said on Saturday.

The Lok Sabha floor leaders of different parties are likely to meet later in the day to deliberate on the issue, the sources said.

However, before taking any final decision, the government wants to take all parties on board and also get 11 ordinances passed as laws by Parliament, they said.

The Lok Sabha has so far passed three Bills to replace agriculture sector related ordinances. Also, both the Houses have cleared an ordinance into law to cut by 30 per cent the salaries of members of Parliament to ramp up funds in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sources said that amid some Members of Parliament testing positive for COVID-19 during the session, Opposition parties conveyed to the government that conducting the full 18-day session could be a risky affair.

The government then started thinking in that direction, the sources said. - PTI

4 pm | Karnataka

K’taka Deputy Chief Minister Ashwath Narayan tests positive for COVID-19

Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister C N Ashwath Narayan on Saturday said he has tested positive for COVID-19.

“In anticipation of the upcoming Assembly sessions, I underwent a #COVID19 test on Saturday and my results have returned positive. I am asymptomatic and will be under home isolation,” Mr. Narayan tweeted.

He has requested all those who have come in contact with him to take the necessary precautions.

In the wake of the pandemic, Assembly Speaker Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri has made it mandatory for all those attending it to undergo RT-PCR test for COVID-19 infection, 72 hours prior to the start of the monsoon session from September 21.

Mr. Narayan is the latest in the list of Ministers in Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa’s cabinet who have tested positive for coronavirus.

Earlier this week, Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai and Food and Civil Supplies Minister K Gopalaiah had tested positive for COVID. - PTI

3.30 pm | Uttarakhand

Leader of Opposition in U’khand Assembly Hridayesh tests positive for COVID-19

Leader of Opposition in the Uttarakhand Assembly Indira Hridayesh has tested positive for COVID-19, Pradesh Congress vice president Dhirendra Pratap said on Saturday.

Her test report came positive late on Friday night. Ms. Hridayesh is being brought here to be admitted at the Max Hospital, he said.

She had been admitted at Shushila Tiwari Government Hospital, Haldwani on Friday morning after being diagnosed with pneumonia, Mr. Pratap said.

PCC president Pritam Singh also went into isolation on Saturday as a precautionary measure, he said.

However, his test report is yet to arrive, Mr. Pratap said.

Ms. Hridayesh will not attend Sunday’s meeting of the state assembly’s business advisory committee ahead of its monsoon session beginning on September 23. - PTI

3 pm | United States

Most homemade masks block large cough droplets, even as single layer, says study

Scientists examined the effectiveness of common household fabrics used in homemade masks in blocking droplets generated by coughing and sneezing, and have found that they are considerably protective even as a single layer.

While earlier studies have focussed on the transfer of tiny, nanoscale aerosol particles through masks, the researchers from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in the US said speaking, coughing, and sneezing generates larger droplets -- about one millimeter in diameter -- that can carry virus particles.

They said the larger droplets pose a problem as they can squeeze through the pores of some fabrics if they have sufficient momentum, and break into smaller droplets and become airborne.

In the study, published in the journal Extreme Mechanics Letters, the scientists filled the nozzle of an inhaler with distilled water seeded with easy-to-find ultrasmall fluorescent particles -- which happens to be the size of a novel coronavirus particle. - PTI

2.30 pm | New Delhi

Delhi Minorities Commision member dies due to COVID-19

A member of the Delhi Minorities Commission has died due to COVID-19, chairman of the panel Zakir Khan said on Saturday. Aam Aadmi Party leader Dilip Pandey condoled the death of Kawaljeet Singh in a tweet and called him as an old friend.

“Singh, around 60 years old, was admitted to Balak Ram hospital over ten days ago after (getting) infected with coronavirus. He died there on Friday,” Mr. Khan told PTI .

Mr. Singh became a member of the Delhi Minorities Commission last month. - PTI

2 pm | New Delhi

Downward trend in Delhi’s COVID-19 positivity rate in last few days: Jain

Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain on Saturday said there has been a downward trend in COVID-19 positivity rate in the national capital and it will lead to good results by next week.

“The positivity rate was 6.76 per cent on Friday. It has remained below 7 percent in the last two-three days. Last week, it was around 8 per cent,” he said.

The cumulative positivity rate has also dropped below 10 per cent for the first time, Jain said.

The minister said due to the increased testing over the last 10 to 12 days, Delhi has been witnessing a “downward trend” in the COVID-19 positivity rate over the past two to three days.

“It should lead to good results by next week,” he said. - PTI

 

1.30 pm | Sikkim

Three ministers, two MLAs test COVID-19 positive in Sikkim

Three ministers of the Prem Singh Tamang government and two BJP MLAs have tested positive for COVID-19, an official said on Saturday.

All legislators and staff of the state legislative assembly were tested for COVID-19 on Friday as a precautionary measure ahead of the proposed one-day assembly session on Monday.

Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang has tested negative for COVID-19, the official said.

Information and Public Relations (IPR) minister Lok Nath Sharma, Forest and Environment minister Karma Loday Bhutia and Power minister Mingma Norbu Sherpa have tested COVID-19 positive, the official said.

Two BJP MLAs Farwanti Tamang and T T Bhutia have also tested positive, he said - PTI

1 pm | Maharashtra

Himani Shivpuri discharged from hospital days after COVID-19 diagnosis

Veteran Bollywood and television actor Himani Shivpuri, who was tested positive for coronavirus, on Saturday said she has been discharged from a city hospital here.

The 59-year-old actor was receiving treatment for the novel disease at Holy Spirit hospital after getting admitted on September 12.

Shivpuri said the doctors have advised her to quarantine at home as there was an improvement in her health.

“There is improvement in my health and doctors suggested I should be in home quarantine for 15 days and then I will get myself tested again,” Ms. Shivpuri told PTI .

On Friday, the actor thanked healthcare workers in a post on her official Instagram page. - PTI

12.30 pm | New Delhi

India overtakes US to bag top spot in terms of COVID-19 recoveries

“In a landmark global achievement”, India has overtaken the US and become the top country in terms of COVID-19 recoveries, the Health Ministry said on Saturday.

The country has reported the highest number of recoveries with 42,08,431 COVID-19 patients having recovered from the disease so far, pushing the national recovery rate to nearly 80%, while the case fatality rate has further dropped to 1.61%, the ministry said.

“India now accounts for close to 19 per cent of the total global recoveries. This has strongly pushed the national recovery rate to 79.28%,” it underlined.

The Centre-led focussed, calibrated, responsive and effective measures of early identification through high and aggressive testing, a prompt surveillance and tracking, coupled with standardised high-quality clinical care, have together resulted in this global achievement, the ministry said.

A record 95,880 patients recuperated from COVID-19 in a span of 24 hours, with 90% of the new recoveries reported from 16 states and Union territories, the ministry’s data updated at 8 am showed.

About 60% of the new recoveries were reported from five states - Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Uttar Pradesh - the Ministry said. - PTI

 

12 pm | Puducherry

Puducherry adds 543 new COVID-19 cases, 11 deaths take toll to 448

Puducherry reported 543 new COVID-19 cases on Saturday taking the overall tally in the union territory to 22,456.

Eleven more people succumbed to the infection as the death toll rose to 448, Director of Health and Family Welfare S Mohan Kumar said.

The fatality rate was two per cent while the recovery rate was 76.63%, he added.

The Health Department has increased testing of samples with improvement in the infrastructure and deployment of more manpower in the hospitals, he said.

The 543 new cases were identified at the end of examination of as many as 5,159 samples of swabs and blood.

The Health department Director said 494 patients were discharged during the last 24 hours ending 10 a.m. on Saturday. - PTI

11.30 pm | Jharkhand

Jharkhand reports 1,478 new COVID-19 cases, 12 fresh fatalities

Jharkhand’s COVID-19 tally rose to 68,578 on Saturday as 1,478 more people tested positive for the infection, while 12 fresh fatalities pushed the state’s coronavirus death toll to 602, a health official said.

The fresh infections have taken the number of active cases in the state to 13,924, while 54,052 people have been cured of the disease so far, he said.

The state has tested 25,962 samples for COVID-19 in the last 24 hours, the official added. - PTI

11.00 am | New Delhi

India’s single-day recoveries exceed fresh cases as record 95,880 recuperate

India’s single-day recovery outstripped the number of new infections as nearly 96,000 people recuperated from the novel coronavirus, even as the total caseload went past 53 lakh, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Saturday.

The figures released at 8 am showed that while 95,880 people recovered from COVID-19 in a span of 24 hours, 93,337 new infections were recorded during the period.

With the latest inclusions, the total number of cases mounted to 53,08,014 and the recoveries to 42,08,431, pushing the recovery rate to 79.28%.

The death toll, meanwhile, climbed to 85,619 with the virus claiming 1,247 lives in a span of 24 hours, the updated data showed.

The COVID-19 case fatality rate has further dropped at 1.61%, the data showed.

There are 10,13,964 active cases of COVID-19 in the country, which constitute 19.10% of the total caseload, the data stated.

The country’s COVID-19 tally had crossed the 20-lakh mark on August 7, the 30-lakh mark on August 23, 40 lakh on September 5, and it went past 50 lakh on September 16.

According to the Indian Council of Medical Research, a cumulative 6,24,54,254 COVID-19 samples have been tested up to September 18 - 8,81,911 of them on Friday. - PTI

9.30 am | Tamil Nadu

Positivity rate less than 10% in all districts: Health Minister

Friday said positivity rates were less than 10% in all districts of Tamil Nadu.

“For the first time, the positivity rate is less than 10% in all districts in the State. At one point, the positivity rate was 30% in Chennai and we have brought it down to less than 10%. Now, COVID-19 cases are under control, including in districts such as Cuddalore, Krishnagiri, Coimbatore and Salem,” he told reporters, after inspecting a newly-set up 120-bed ward at the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital (RGGGH).

 

9.00 am | Maharashtra

At 22,078, Maharashtra records highest single-day recoveries

While Maharashtra reported 21,656 new COVID-19 cases on Friday, the State recorded its highest single-day recoveries as 22,078 patients were discharged.

The State’s total case tally now stands at 11,67,496 of whom 3,00,887 are active cases. The cumulative recoveries till date have risen to 8,34,432. As many as 440 more deaths — of whom 398 were reported on Friday while 70 were from an earlier period — pushed the death toll to 31,791.

“Of a total 56,93,345 laboratory samples tested thus far, 11,45,840 (20.51%) have returned positive with more than 89,000 samples across the State being tested in the last 24 hours. The State’s recovery rate stands at 71.47%,” State Surveillance Officer Dr. Pradeep Awate said, adding that the State’s case fatality rate was currently 2.72%.

 

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