The Union Health Ministry on Saturday issued an updated advisory for COVID-19 testing simplifying the process and giving more flexibility to the State authorities to facilitate enhanced ease of testing.
Cumulative cases in the country stands at 41,04,497, nearly 11,600 more than Brazil’s tally. However, Brazil’s death toll is about 1.7 times more than India’s. Saturday saw 84,385 confirmed cases and 1,019 deaths. This marked the fourth straight day when more than 80,000 infections were identified.
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:
U.K. sees biggest jump in COVID-19 cases since May
Britain has recorded its highest daily number of new coronavirus cases since May, with 2,988 new infections announced on Sunday.
Like other European countries, the UK is seeing the number of infections rise as society reopens after lockdown.
Some of the increase can be accounted for by expanded testing, which is identifying people who have mild or no symptoms.
The number of hospital admissions and deaths has so far not shown a corresponding rise. Two new deaths were reported Sunday.
The increased number of cases comes as British schoolchildren return to class, a milestone in the resumption of normal life.
Britain’s confirmed coronavirus death toll stands at 41,551, the highest in Europe. - AP
Rajasthan mulls free COVID treatment in private hospitals if govt. facilities occupied
Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Sunday said COVID-19 patients will get free treatment in private hospitals if government health care facilities are occupied.
The Chief Minister also maintained that there is no shortage of beds in ICU for COVID-19 patients.
Mr. Gehlot said this at a routine meeting to review COVID-19 situation in the state.
Rajasthan has 3,018 oxygen beds, of which 872 are in use, while 406 out of 913 beds are occupied in ICU, the meeting was informed. Of the total 490 ventilators, 113 are occupied.
The state recorded eight fatalities and 726 new COVID-19 cases on Sunday, according to an official report here. Rajasthan’s COVID-19 tally has now reached 90,089, while the death toll has mounted to 1,130.
On Saturday, the state recorded 14 deaths and 1,566 new cases.
“We have arranged that if the beds are fully occupied in government hospitals then in case of need, the treatment of COVID patients in private hospitals can be provided free of cost. District collectors have been issued instructions in this regard,” the Chief Minister said. - PTI
Need to remove fear of coronavirus from people’s mind: Baghel
Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bupesh Baghel on September 6 called for the need to remove the fear of COVID-19 from the mind of people, especially patients, amid the rising infection count in the state, an official said.
Mr. Baghel also said that the State has so far won half the battle against the pandemic and it has to be won completely without getting tired, he said.
The Chief Minister said this while taking stock of the coronavirus situation in the State during a review meeting with his cabinet colleagues, District Collectors, Superintendents of Police (SPs) and health officials via video conference.
“With spiraling COVID-19 cases in the State, a fear factor has entered the mind of people, especially the patients, and there is a need to eliminate it. Similarly, there is a need to boost the morale of coronavirus patients admitted in hospitals,” the Chief Minister said in the meeting.
Doctors should make regular routine rounds to follow up the status of patients in wards. Telemedicine or video/WhatsApp call can be used for giving advice, he said.
“We have won half the fight and it is the peak period of the pandemic. Under these circumstances, the war has to be won without getting tired and halting at any point. The joint efforts of health and all departments’ officials and employees will naturally pay off soon,” he said.
He asked the Collectors to make proper arrangements for treatment at the district level, so that patients do not have to turn up to cities for it.
If one or two members of any family test positive, then all other family members and their close contacts should be provided prophylactic drug kits as a precautionary measure.
They should be advised to follow the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) and take all necessary preventive medicines, he said.
Asymptomatic and mild symptomatic patients should be advised to stay in home isolation and should be provided medical consultancy through online or phone calls, he said.
During the meeting, Ministers also gave suggestions to contain the spread of infection, he added.
Till Saturday, the State had recorded 43,163 COVID-19 cases.
Of these cases, 22,320 were active cases as 20,487 people have been recovered and 356 have died. — PTI
Kerala Finance Minister tests positive for COVID-19
Finance Minister T.M. Thomas Isaac on Sunday tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 and has been admitted to the Government Medical College Hospital, Thiruvananthapuram.
Dr. Isaac was shifted to the VIP room of Government Medical College Hospital, Thiruvananthapuram, on Sunday night after he tested positive for SARS-CoV-2.
Official sources said Dr. Isaac attended the office till 5.30 p.m. at the Secretariat and decided to undergo an antigen test after he developed a cough, mild cold, and fever. The 12 others, including his personal staff and those at the Minister’s residence, tested negative for the virus. But they had also been asked to undergo quarantine by the health authorities.
Maharashtra records highest single-day spike in COVID-19 cases
Maharashtra on Sunday recorded the highest single-day spike of 23350 cases, taking the State’s COVID-19 tally to 907212, an official said.
The death toll in the State reached 26604 after 328 fresh fatalities were reported in the day, the official said.
The number of discharged patients in the state stands at 644400, while there are 235857 active cases. The number of tests done is 4647742, he added. - PTI
Maharashtra NCP leader offers palace, bungalow for COVID-19 fight
NCP leader Ramraje Naik-Nimbalkar has offered two properties, including a grand royal heritage palace located in Phaltan in western Maharashtra’s Satara district, to the administration to set up COVID-19 centres.
Mr. Nimbalkar wrote to the Satara district administration about the decision.
“We have offered Vikram Vilas, a bungalow in Songaon owned by my cousin Raghunath Raje Naik Nimbalkar, as well as Mudhoji Manmohan Rajwada, a heritage palace in Phaltan, to the district administration,” he said.
“There are several rooms in the palace and it can be turned into a temporary COVID-19 centre. Cases are increasing in rural centres and infrastructure is lacking so it was decided by the trust to offer these two properties,” Mr. Nimabalkar said. - PTI
Bengal’s COVID discharge rate improves to 85.19%
The COVID-19 discharge rate of West Bengal rose to 85.19% on Sunday after 3,207 patients recovered from the disease, the health department said in a bulletin.
The discharge rate was 84.86% on September 5.
So far, 1,54,008 people have been cured of coronavirus infection in the State.
The death toll rose to 3,562 with 52 more fatalities, while 3,087 fresh cases of the contagion pushed the tally to 1,80,788, the bulletin said.
The State now has 23, 218 active cases.
Since September 5, 46,505 samples have been tested for COVID-19. — PTI
M.P. reports 1,694 new cases
Madhya Pradesh on Sunday recorded 1,694 new COVID-19 cases, taking the tally to 73,574. The number of active cases stands at 16,115.
As many as 29 patients died of the illness on the day, taking the State-wide death toll to 1,572. As for recoveries,1,238 patients were discharged from hospitals on the day. So far, 55,887 persons have been cured of the illness, says the State Directorate of Health Services.
PIL in SC for CBI probe for using two antiviral medicines as treatment for COVID-19 patients
A plea filed in the Supreme Court has sought registration of an FIR by CBI against ten Indian pharmaceutical firms for manufacturing and selling Remdesivir and Favipiravir allegedly as medicines that treat COVID-19 patients without valid licences.
Remdesivir and Favipiravir are antiviral drugs and their efficacy in treating COVID-19 patients have been a matter of debate among medical experts.
Lawyer M.L. Sharma has filed a PIL in the apex court, alleging the medicines are being manufactured and sold for treating COVID-19 patients without valid licences from the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation.
“That respondents...are Indian pharmaceutical companies who have signed partnership agreements with foreign companies, that are Gilead Science Inc-USA and Fujifilm-Japan, to manufacture and sale impugned drugs, Remdesivir and Avagin (Favipiravir), in India. Without having a licence, they are manufacturing and selling impugned drugs as a medicine for corona in India,” the PIL alleged.
- PTI
Bengaluru Metro to resume operations from September 7
The Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Ltd will resume its services from Monday in a phased manner, after remaining suspended for almost 6 months in view of national lockdown imposed due to coronavirus pandemic.
The first run will start on the Purple Line from Monday while the trains on Green Line will operate from September 9.
In the Purple Line, the trains will run for six hours till September 10 only during the peak hours -- three hours in the morning from 8 am to 11 am and 4.30 pm to 7.30 pm.
In the Green Line, the trains will operate for two days only during peak hours -- three hours in the morning and three in the evening.
From September 11 onwards, the trains will ply on both the lines from 7 am to 9 pm.
“The number of commuters allowed in each train is limited to 400 passengers to ensure social distancing norms,” a BMRCL official said. - PTI
IIIM devises novel COVID-19 test kit for rapid diagnosis of infection, seeks ICMR nod for it
Jammu-based CSIR-IIIM has devised a novel, simpler and cost-effective diagnostic kit for rapid testing of large numbers of suspected Coronavirus-infected people and has approached ICMR for its evaluation and approval, IIIM director said on September 6.
The new Reverse Transcriptase-Loop Mediated Isothermal Amplification (RT-LAMP) assay-based COVID-19 diagnostic kit has been developed as an alternative to the standard quantitative PCR (qPCR) after reverse transcription (RT) method, which is very sensitive but requires expensive instrumentation, IIIM Director, Dr. D. Srinivasa Reddy told PTI .
The new RT-LAMP assay-based kit has been developed by CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine in partnership with the Reliance Industries.
“We have developed an RT-LAMP assay-based diagnostic kit. Our lab and Reliance Industries Limited have together developed this kit,” he said.
He said the novel kit has been submitted to ICMR and is presently under evaluation with it.
Giving further details, Dr Reddy said that the RT-LAMP assay does not require sophisticated and expensive equipment like a real-time PCR machine, required for RT-PCR test kits.
“It does not need a PCR machine. So it will be a cheaper and faster kit [for testing]. They will have to approve it. We are awaiting approval to go to market,” he said.
Explaining the significance of the novel RT-LAMP assay-based diagnostic kit, an IIIM official said that amid the existing wave of infection, large-scale diagnostic methods are needed to determine the spread of the virus in populations quickly, comprehensively and sensitively for the rapid isolation of infected persons.
Although the cost of the kit is yet to be decided, it will be much cheaper than the existing RT-PCR machines’ cost, he said. — PTI
Top shuttlers to resume training from Monday in Hyderabad, SAI clears national camp
Top singles players such as Saina Nehwal and Kidambi Srikanth will finally resume training from Monday as the Sports Authority of India (SAI) gave its go-ahead to the national badminton camp at the Pullela Gopichand Academy in Hyderabad under strict COVID-19 guidelines.
The camp, to continue till September 27, is being organised to help 26 players prepare for the Thomas and Uber Cup tournaments, beginning in Aarhus, Denmark from October 3.
The players who will be part of the camp are Nehwal, Sai Praneeth, P Kashyap, Srikanth (all singles), women’s doubles pair of Sikki Reddy and Ashwini Ponappa, along with seven coaches, four support staff and three sparring partners.
Keeping the current situation of the ongoing pandemic in mind, all players, coaches and support staff would have to undergo mandatory RT-PCR test for COVID-19 before they travel to Hyderabad.
They would only be allowed in the academy after they produce COVID-19 negative certificate, the SAI said in a release.
- PTI
Hazrat Nizamuddin Dargah reopens for devotees
The famous Hazrat Nizamuddin Dargah, which was closed over five months ago after the outbreak of the coronavirus, opened for devotees on Sunday, with a “moderate” number of people visting the shrine to pay obeisance to the Sufi saint.
Union Minister for Minority Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi was among the people who paid obeisance to Sufi saint Hazrat Nizamuddin Aulia on the first of the reopening of the shrine, caretakers of the dargah said.
The Minister appreciated measures taken by the shrine to protect devotee from the coronavirus disease, they said.
"The graves of Hazrat Nizamuddin Aulia and Amir Khusro in the dargah complex have been covered from all sides with plastic sheets “so that people do not touch them while paying obeisance, as it could lead to people getting infected with the virus,” Nazim Nizami, one of the caretakers of the shrine, said.
Qawwali evenings devoted to the Sufi saint have been suspended for the time being to avoid gatherings in the shrine’s courtyard.
“We were able to manage well the devotees who turned up in moderate numbers on the first day of the opening of the dargah. The number of devotees was more in the morning hours and it reduced in the afternoon, and again increased in the evening,” Mr. Nizami said.
People adhered to various safety measures like use of sanitisers and face covers as well as social distancing, he said, adding that there were separate entry and exit gates for devotees, and markings were made on the floor to ensure social distancing by them.
Lucknow Metro: In a first, UV technology to sanitise tokens
With Lucknow Metro set to resume operations from September 7, it will become the first metro service in India to use ultraviolet (UV) technology for token sanitisation for passenger safety, the organisation said in a statement in Lucknow.
Kumar Keshav, Managing Director of Uttar Pradesh Metro Rail Corporation (UPMRC), on September 6 conducted an inspection and checked an overview of operational preparedness from Hazratganj to Munshipulia stations.
A special interactive session was also conducted at CCS Airport metro station for media persons showcasing the safety measures adopted and other arrangements done by Lucknow Metro catering for the safety of commuters.
In a statement issued in Lucknow, the Lucknow Metro said it has laid special emphasis on contactless travel, sanitisation, social distancing, hygiene and cleanliness. Various rigorous steps have been undertaken to ensure a safe and convenient commuting experience for passengers.
Social distancing markers have been placed on alternate seats to maintain sufficient gap between passengers inside the train.
Frequently touched areas inside trains like grab rails, grab poles, grab handles, passenger seats and door surfaces from the inside are sanitised regularly.
Lucknow Metro has also become the first metro with cashless facility of multiple tokens/tickets with GoSmart card.
A GoSmart user has a contactless trip right from entering the metro station, boarding the train to exiting the premises. The automatic sensor of AFC gates detects the card from a distance without tapping it. So, the only thing a GoSmart card user comes in contact with are the sanitised train seats.
Social distancing markings and signages are in place at all stations to ensure an adequate gap among passengers while queuing up near ticket counters, ticket vending machines, security check frisking points, entry-exit AFC gates, etc, the statement further said. — PTI
Delhi Metro set to resume services from tomorrow after 169-day hiatus
After being closed for over five months due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Delhi Metro is all set to resume services in three stages from Monday, even as it appealed to people to use the rapid transport only if urgently needed.
The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) authorities on Sunday reiterated that stations located in containment zones, as per the status on the day of journey, will remain closed.
Officials of the urban transporter had earlier cautioned that “trains may not stop at some of the stations” if social distancing norms are not adhered to by passengers.
The Delhi Metro services will be resumed in a staggered manner in three stages from September 7-12, with the Yellow Line or Line 2 connecting Samyapur Bali in Delhi to HUDA City Centre in Gurgaon and the Rapid Metro to be the first ones to be made operational on September 7.
Trains will operate in batches of four-hour each from 7-11 am in the morning and 4-8 pm in the evening in the first stage, officials said.
Metro services in Delhi-NCR have been closed since March 22 due to the pandemic. The services will be resumed after a gap of 169 days, the DMRC said in a statement on Sunday.
- PTI
Tamil Nadu reports 5,783 new cases
Tamil Nadu on Sunday reported 5,783 new cases, taking the total positive to 4,63,480. No. of those discharged today are 5,820, taking the total to 4,04,186. There were 88 deaths today, taking the death toll to 7,836. Active positive cases as on date are 51,458.
YSRCP Pithapuram MLA airlifted to hospital in Bengaluru
The Pithapuram YSR Congress Party MLA Pendem Dorababu, 60, was air lifted in a private helicopter from Kakinada to Bengaluru city for critical care treatment for COVID-19, on September 6 afternoon. His family members accompanied him.
Speaking to The Hindu , East Godavari Collector D. Muralidhar Reddy said, "Mr. Dorababu tested positive for COVID-19 on Friday. Permission was given for landing of the helicopter following a request made by him.” — T. Appala Naidu
A.P. records 10,794 fresh COVID-19 cases; tally inches closer to 5-lakh mark
The coronavirus positives increased by the new normal 10,000-plus but the number of active cases dropped below the one-lakh mark in Andhra Pradesh on Sunday.
With the addition of 10,794 in 24 hours ending 9 a.m on Sunday, the aggregate Covid-19 cases now reached 4.98 lakh- just short of the five-lakh mark..
The latest bulletin said 11,915 patients had recovered from the infection and walked home but another 70 succumbed in 24 hours.
A total of 3.94 lakh coronavirus patients had so far been cured while 4,417 died.
The number of active cases now stood at 99,689, the bulletin said.
With the caseload increasing daily by thousands, the infection positivity rate shot further up to 12.13% after a total of 41.07 lakh sample tests were conducted.
The recovery rate too showed an improvement to 79.10% while the mortality rate remained stable at 0.89%, according to the bulletin. - PTI
BITS Pilani Hyderabad incubated startup develops IoT-enabled smart facemask
Technology Business Incubator of BITS Pilani Hyderabad incubated startup Baiid Auto Technologies has developed an IoT-based smart facemask for a medical condition such as COVID-19 and pulmonary disorder.
This Internet of Things (IoT) facemask helps in protecting an individual from being exposed to infection and also monitors their health parameters remotely, a release from Technology Business Incubator of BITS Pilani Hyderabad said.
“The smart facemask helps COVID-19 warriors to efficiently monitor patients through their smartphones and thereby reducing the time, they spent in the isolation ward to collect basic parameters, which reduces the risks of them being infected,” it said.
The IoT device attached to the mask processes and screens the body’s essential factors such as temperature and blood oxygen levels etc, and monitors the humidity levels that develop inside the mask layers over a period.
The feature called OBV (Oxy-Breathe Ventilators) attached along with the smart mask, which helps the user to expel the heat and removes moisture from the mask so it can be worn continuously without causing any discomfort and also reduces the probability of infection caused due to constantly wearing a mask, according to the release. - PTI
80% rise in home isolation cases; over 65% jump in containment zones count in Delhi
There has been a rise of 80% in the number of home isolation cases of COVID-19 in the national capital in the last 16 days, and parallely the containment zones count too has spiralled up to 976 over the same period, according to official data.
Amid steady rise in fresh and active coronavirus cases in the last several days, the number of people in home isolation here on Saturday reached the five-figure mark again after over a month’s time.
The number of home isolation cases of COVID-19 on September 5 stood at 10,514. The corresponding figure a day before was 9,822, according to the Delhi health department.
On August 21, the home isolation cases count was 5,818, so from that date, the rise is of 80% in 16 days.
Parallely, the number of containment zones too have multiplied from 589 on August 21 to 976 on September 5, according to official figures. - PTI
Caution thrown to wind on lockdown free Sunday in Chennai
After nearly two months, the city witnessed its first lockdown free Sunday on September 6.
As can be expected, personal distancing went for a toss as people ventured out for their morning walk on the Marina Beach, playing cricket and football in the play grounds across the city and purchasing fish in Kasimedu .
From the time complete lockdown on Sundays was enforced in the city on June 21, as many as 11 Sundays have passed devoid of any activity as people stayed indoors. When the government extended the lockdown till September 30 with various relaxations, it also removed complete lockdown on Sundays.
Uttar Pradesh reports record COVID-19 cases
Uttar Pradesh on Sunday reported its highest single-day spike of 6,777 COVID-19 cases and 77 deaths, the state health department said.
With this, the state’s infection tally has reached 2,66,283 and the death toll mounted to 3,920.
Additional Chief Secretary, Medical and Health, Amit Mohan Prasad said 6,777 fresh COVID-19 cases were registered in the state.
The previous single-day highest spike of 6,692 COVID-132535051325350519 cases was recorded on Saturday.
Ensure follow up of updated advisory allowing COVID-19 testing on-demand: Centre to States
The Centre has asked all states and Union Territories to ensure necessary follow up of its updated advisory on COVID-19 testing strategy, allowing ‘testing on-demand’, to achieve a higher number of examination with greater flexibility and simplicity.
The ‘Advisory on Strategy for COVID-19 Testing in India’ (version VI) lists the scope for testing in containment zones, non-containment areas, in hospitals, and also for the first time provides for testing on-demand with simplified modalities to be decided by the states and Union territories.
It also indicates the choice of testing in order of priority for each of the settings.
A letter jointly written by Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan and ICMR Director General Dr Balram Bhargava to chief secretaries and administrators highlighted that having adequate testing capacities and simplified testing protocol are important components in the management of COVID-19 pandemic in the country.
The country has so far conducted more than 4.66 crore tests in more than 1,600 laboratories in the country, they said in the letter, adding there has been tremendous progress in upscaling testing infrastructure both in terms of the number of laboratories and daily testing capacity.
-PTI
Jharkhand reports 1,774 new cases, 7 fresh fatalities
Jharkhand’s COVID-19 tally inched towards the 50,000-mark on Sunday with the detection of 1,774 new cases, while seven fresh fatalities pushed the state’s coronavirus death toll to 462, a health bulletin said.
The fresh infections have taken the state’s caseload to 49,817, it said.
Ranchi district reported the highest number of new cases at 656, followed by East Singhbhum (244), West Singhbhum (164) and Dhanbad (145), the bulletin said.
There are now 15,025 active COVID-19 cases in the state, while 34,330 people have been cured of the disease so far, it said.
Immense self-discipline, caution exercised at places of worship during pandemic: Naqvi
Immense self-discipline and caution were exercised at places of worship in India during the coronavirus pandemic, setting an example for the entire world, Minority Affairs Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said on Sunday.
He said followers of almost all religions of the world reside in India and various festivals and other auspicious occasions were observed during the coronavirus crisis.
“The people of the country displayed restraint, caution, sensibility, and celebrated all the festivals taking all precautions and followed the guidelines of social distancing to help to curb the coronavirus infection,” Mr. Naqvi said after paying obeisance at the Hazrat Nizamuddin Dargah where he prayed for the health and well-being of the people of the country.
IIT Guwahati researchers design engineered surfaces to detect, prevent coronavirus
Researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Guwahati have developed methods to detect and prevent the novel coronavirus using bio-interface interactions between the virus and the surface spike protein.
According to the team of researchers, the novel coronavirus (SARS CoV-2) is composed of inner nucleic acid which is covered with surface spike glycoprotein and the engineered surfaces can be potentially applied for the detection as well as prevention of COVID-19 -- the disease caused by the virus.
“So far we are using antibody-based assays and RT-PCR based methods for testing during pandemic. However, longer assay time, cost, complex procedures and false positive or negative results are a few bottlenecks of these methods,” Lalit M. Pandey, associate professor, Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, told PTI.
Recovery rate rises to 77.32%; case fatality rate drops to 1.72%
With a record 73,642 patients having recuperated in a day, India’s COVID-19 recoveries have surged to nearly 32 lakh, pushing the recovery rate to 77.32% while the case fatality rate, one of the lowest globally, has further dropped to 1.72% as on date, the Union Health Ministry said on Sunday.
There are 8,62,320 active cases of coronavirus infection in the country accounting for only 20.96% of the total caseload, it highlighted.
“The spike in the daily recovered COVID-19 patients continues in the country. For the second successive day, India has clocked a record recovery of more than 70,000 patients in a single day,” the Ministry said.
Chhattisgarh anganwadis to open from September 7
Anganwadis will reopen from Monday in Chhattisgarh for the first time since they were shut in March due to the coronavirus outbreak, officials said.
However, these centres, which provide health and nutrition services to children and pregnant women, will continue to remain closed in containment zones, he added.
There are 51,455 anganwadi centres and the National Health and Family Welfare Phase 4 survey put the malnutrition level in the state at 37%.
“The state Women and Child Development department has written to district collectors, divisional commissioners and district programme officers to ensure preventive measures are in place,” he said.
Arjun Kapoor tests positive for COVID-19
Actor Arjun Kapoor on Sunday said he has tested positive for COVID-19 and is asymptomatic. The 35-year-old actor said he is “feeling ok” and will be under home quarantine.
“It is my duty to inform all of you that I have tested positive for coronavirus. I’m feeling ok and I’m asymptomatic.
“I have isolated myself at home under the advice of doctors and authorities and will be under home quarantine,”Arjun posted a statement on Instagram.
604 new COVID-19 cases, 8 deaths reported in Tripura
At least 604 more people tested positive for COVID-19 in Tripura on Sunday, raising the tally in the state to 15,130, a health department official said.
The death toll rose to 144 after eight more people succumbed to the infection, he said.
West Tripura district, of which state capital Agartala is a part, has accounted for 77 of the 144 COVID-19 deaths.
The state currently has 6,220 active cases, while 8,745 people have recovered from the disease.
Twenty-one patients have migrated to other states.
A total of 2,97,103 samples have been tested for COVID-19 so far, he added.
-PTI
Congress’ Rajya Sabha MP Deepender Hooda tests COVID-19 positive
Congress’ Rajya Sabha MP from Haryana Deepender Singh Hooda tested positive for COVID-19 on Sunday.
The 42-year-old, who is the lone opposition MP from Haryana, is currently in Delhi.
“My Corona# Covid19 report has returned positive. As per the advice of doctors, other tests are being conducted,” Mr. Deepender tweeted.
Mr. Deepender, who is the son of former Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, in his tweet added that “with the prayers of all of you, I will recover soon.
Chhattisgarh fixes cost for COVID-19 treatment in private hospitals
The Chhattisgarh government has fixed the cost of COVID-19 treatment in private hospitals in the wake of a rise in the number of coronavirus cases in the state, an official said on Sunday.
Patients will have to bear the cost of treatment in the private hospitals, which have been classified in A, B and C categories in various districts, based on the medical facilities available there, he said.
The order was issued on Saturday under the Epidemic Disease Act, 1897, the Chhattisgarh Public Health Act, 1949, and the Chhattisgarh Epidemic Diseases COVID-19 Regulations, 2020, the public relations department official said.
Five States, one UT with high COVID-19 caseload asked to scale up testing
The Centre has asked 5 states and one UT from where 35 districts have been reporting high active COVID-19 caseload and fatality rate to strengthen containment measures and scale up testing to bring down positivity rate below 5%.
These 35 districts comprise all 11 districts in Delhi, Kolkata, Howrah, North 24 Parganas and 24 South Parganas in West Bengal; Pune, Nagpur, Thane, Mumbai, Mumbai Suburban, Kolhapur, Sangli, Nashik, Ahmednagar, Raigad, Jalgaon, Solapur, Satara, Palghar, Aurangabad, Dhule and Nanded in Maharashtra; Surat in Gujarat; Pondicherry in Puducherry and East Singhbhum in Jharkhand.
In a review meeting held on Saturday, they were asked to ensure strict perimeter control, strengthen the active case search focusing on comorbids and elderly population, early identification by ramping up testing and optional utilization of RT-PCR testing capacity to break the chain of transmission of the disease, the Health ministry said on Sunday.
Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan held the review meeting through video conference (VC) with health secretaries of five states and one UT on the containment and management of COVID-19 in 35 districts under their jurisdiction.
- PTI
Deepak Punia discharged from hospital, advised home isolation
World championship silver-medallist wrestler Deepak Punia, who tested positive for COVID-19 upon his arrival at the national camp, has been discharged from hospital and advised home isolation.
Besides the Olympic-bound Punia (86kg), the other two wrestlers who tested positive for the virus were Navin (65kg) and Krishan (125kg).
All three are part of a national camp at the SAI Centre in Sonepat ahead of which the wrestlers are in quarantine.
Police constable ends life in Moradabad hospital
A police head constable who had tested positive for COVID-19 ended his life at a hospital in Moradabad on Saturday evening, police said. The deceased has been identified as Diwakar Sharma, 52, and was posted at police complaint’s desk.
Notably, this is the third death by suicide in the Teerthankar Medical College & Research Centre in the last one month. It is a designated COVID-19 facility meant to treat patients from across the Moradabad divison.
On August 19, a 28-year-old COVID-19 positive girl ended her life and on August 28, a 42-year-old bank manager took a similar step. The local police had termed them both as suicide cases.
Karnataka Labour Minister Shivaram Hebbar tests positive
Karnataka Labour Minister A. Shivaram Hebbar on Sunday said he and his wife have tested positive for the coronavirus and would be under treatment in their home itself being asymptomatic.
Chief Minister B. S. Yediyurappa wished the 63-year old leader a speedy recovery and prayed that he continued with his good works.
“Me and my wife underwent COVID-19 test and have been found positive for the virus. Since there are no symptoms of coronavirus, we decided to remain in home quarantine on doctors’ advice and are getting treatment at home,” Mr.Hebbar tweeted.
Erode PMK leader dies of COVID-19
Senior PMK leader and Deputy Chairman of the Erode District Panchayat Council Velusamy died of coronavirus in Erode, the Health department said on Sunday.
The 48-year old leader from Anandam Palayam village in Bhavani was admitted to the Perundurai IRT Government Medical College Hospital recently after testing positive for the virus and his end came on Saturday, officials said.
Velusamy was also a former state Deputy General Secretary of PMK.
Party founder leader S. Ramadoss condoled the death of Velusamy, recalling that he had joined the party at a very young age and rose to hold various positions through hard work.
Meanwhile, the Inspector of Modakurichi Police station tested positive on Saturday and had been admitted to the PerunduraiIRT Government Medical College Hospital, officials said.
In view of this, the station was disinfected on Sunday.
-PTI
Companies in India responded well to increased cyberattacks after ‘total chaos’ during lockdown: EY
Companies in India have adapted well to respond to increased cyberattacks after witnessing “total chaos” in the first three months of coronavirus-induced lockdown, although it will take time for these firms to upgrade their networks, according to a senior official of consultancy firm EY.
EY in its Global Integrity Report 2020 had found that cybercriminals, trying to exploit the fears and uncertainties around the virus, have stepped up phishing and ransomware attacks, increasing the risks for organisations already struggling to operate during a pandemic.
The rapid shift to employees working remotely also made cybersecurity an even bigger challenge — one that organisations had little time to prepare for and such attacks have happened in various sectors, including healthcare organisations.
- PTI
M.P. allows water tourism to resume with 50% capacity
The Madhya Pradesh government on Sunday allowed resumption of water tourism in the State with 50% capacity and asked boat and cruise operators to strictly follow COVID-19 prevention guidelines.
Water tourism activities in the State were shut since March when the lockdown was enforced to curb the spread of the infection.
“Boats and cruises used for tourism and water sports at various locations in Madhya Pradesh can now be run with 50 per cent of the total capacity of tourists,” State tourism department’s Principal Secretary Shivshekhar Shukla said in a statement.
- PTI
Telangana legislature session to begin from Monday amid COVID-19 preventive measures
The monsoon session of Telangana Legislature commencing on Monday with preventive measures for COVID-19 will debate various issues, including measures taken to contain the spread of the pandemic, GST compensation and recent fire accident at Srisailam Hydel project.
All members, including ministers, Telangana legislature employees and mediapersonnel will have to undergo COVID-19 test and only those found negative would be allowed to enter the assembly or the Legislative Council premises, a senior state government official said on Sunday.
- PTI
Delhi airport’s COVID testing facility can be ramped up to 15,000 samples per day: Genestrings
The COVID-19 testing facility at the Delhi international airport will initially handle up to 2,500 samples per day in mid-September and if required, the capacity can later be ramped up to 15,000 samples per day, a top official of Genestrings Diagnostic Center stated.
The Delhi Airport International Limited (DIAL) on Friday said it has set up a COVID-19 testing facility at the multi-level car parking area of Terminal 3, in collaboration with Genestrings Diagnostic Center, for arriving international passengers who have to take connecting domestic flights.
The test will cost a passenger ₹2,400, as mandated by the Delhi government, the centre said.
- PTI
54 jail inmates test positive in U.P.’s Banda
Fifty-four inmates of the district jail here have tested positive for COVID-19, officials said on Sunday. Banda’s Chief Medical Officer Dr. N.D. Sharma said, so far, 500 COVID-19 tests were conducted in the jail.
On Saturday, 41 new COVID-19 cases were reported from the district.
There are 436 active COVID-19 cases in Banda, and so far, 10 people have succumbed to the disease in the district, the officials added.
- PTI
PVR defers capex plans to control costs amid COVID-19 disruptions
Multiplex major PVR has deferred its capital expenditure plans in a bid to control costs as the company braces for a significant impact on its profitability in the current fiscal due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Cinema halls in India have remained shut since March this year, after the government imposed nationwide lockdown to check the spread of COVID-19.
“We have temporarily deferred a substantial portion of our planned capital expenditures that we were undertaking, prior to the shutdown. All major capital expenditures will now be re-assessed once the shutdown is over,” PVR Ltd. Chief Operating Officer (CFO) Nitin Sood said in the company’s Annual Report for 2019-20.
- PTI
Assam cop’s medical degree comes handy in running COVID care centre
A young IPS officer is winning hearts in Assam by treating people during the coronavirus pandemic while simultaneously donning the khaki uniform.
Barpeta Superintendent of Police Robin Kumar is performing the dual duties of a corona warrior - a police officer and a doctor - as the district is witnessing a spike in COVID-19 cases.
Mr. Kumar, a 2013 batch IPS officer, is a specialist in medicine (MBBS, MD), which has helped him respond to the call of duty and provide treatment to the needy during the ongoing medical emergency.
Besides heading the district’s police department, he is currently running a 50-bed COVID-19 care centre with four ICUs in Barpeta Police Reserve for police personnel and their families.
- PTI
Peak power demand in Delhi surges
The peak power demand of Delhi has increased by over 50% with resumption of normal activities due to easing of COVID-19-related lockdown restrictions, distribution companies (discom) officials said.
Peak power demand in the city has been muted this year as compared to the last year due to lockdown and weather conditions.
“However, since easing of restrictions on May 18, 2020, Delhi’s peak power demand has increased by over 5%. If we compare the peak power demand since April 2020, it has already increased by over 87%,” officials said.
- PTI
Door-to-door swab collection launched in Puducherry
As part of the government’s effort to scale up testing to 3,000 per day, the Health Department on Saturday launched door-to-door swab collection of people to test for COVID-19.
Chief Minister V. Narayanasamy and Health Minister Malladi Krishna Rao launched the programme at Krishna Nagar and Kurinji Nagar in the town on Saturday.
In an audio message to reporters, the Chief Minister said the government would carry out the door-to-door swab collection in the town and conduct camps in public health centres in rural areas to do testing.
Rise in smuggling in Northeast due to economic distress caused by COVID- 19: FICCI
The Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) on Sunday said the recent rise in smuggling in the northeast can be attributed to economic distress caused by COVID-19 pandemic.
The FICCI’s Committee Against Smuggling and Counterfeiting Activities Destroying the Economy (CASCADE) lauded the efforts of paramilitary force Assam Rifles and congratulated its Director General along with other officers for their anti-smuggling operations.
Reports suggest that smugglers and insurgents are using people from the local tribal areas to transport smuggled goods by taking advantage of their financial vulnerability caused due to COVID-19, it added.
Patient molested on board ambulance
In a shocking incident, a COVID-19 patient from Pathanamthitta was subjected to sexual assault while being shifted to a COVID care centre in the wee hours of Sunday. The police have arrested the ambulance driver, Noufal of Kayamkulam, in connection with the incident.
The case came to light when the victim revealed the incident to the health authorities. The victim, a 20-year-old woman, was being shifted to a COVID care centre at Kozhencherry from Pathanamthitta Town when the molestation took place.
Women participation in equity market grows during the pandemic
Participation of women in equity markets has surged during COVID-19 pandemic and experts believe the growing need to share household expenses with rampant pay cuts and lay-offs has brought them to trading.
Additionally, women are looking for alternatives to the decreasing bank’s fixed deposit (FD) rates, they added.
Interestingly, most of such women are first time investors and a large number of them are homemakers.
Maharashtra sees fastest growth in COVID-19 cases in August
Maharashtra reported the fastest growth is coronavirus infection in August, registering over 3.70 lakh cases, a senior State Health official said.
According to data of the Maharashtra Health department, the State reported 3,76,587 COVID-19 cases last month; 2,41,820 cases in July and 1,04,748 cases in June.
“On August 1, the total number of COVID-19 cases in the State was 4,31,719, which jumped to 8,08,306 on September 1. This is probably the fastest growth of cases in the State since January,” the Health official said.
One of the reasons for the growth in number of positive cases is the increased number of tests, he said, adding that last month, the state carried out 20,16,809 tests.
- PTI
Melbourne lockdown to stay; 8 charged for protest rally
Australia’s Victoria state announced a slight easing of restrictions in Melbourne but the country’s second-largest city will remain in lockdown until at least October 26.
State police charged a protester with assault after an officer suffered cuts to the head during an anti-lockdown rally in Melbourne on Saturday. Police said that seven others have been charged with breaching COVID-19 directions after about 200 gathered at the Shrine of Remembrance and Albert Park.
Scuffles between protesters and police resulted in more than 160 fines for contravening lockdown measures or not wearing a mask.
- AP
Over 90,000 COVID-19 cases recorded in India in single day
India’s COVID-19 cases tally went past 41 lakh with a record 90,632 people reported infected in a day, while 31,80,865 people have recuperated so far pushing the national recovery rate to 77.32% on Sunday, according to the Union Health Ministry data.
The total coronavirus cases mounted to 41,13,811, while the death toll climbed to 70,626 with the novel coronavirus virus claiming 1,065 lives in a span of 24 hours in the country, the data updated at 8 a.m. showed.
The COVID-19 case fatality rate has further declined to 1.72%.There are 8,62,320 active cases of coronavirus infection in the country which comprises 20.96% of the total caseload, the data stated.
Pune COVID-19 hospital to get more doctors, nurses: official
The Pune Municipal Corporation has decided to deploy additional doctors and nurses at a newly-created COVID-19 jumbo facility following complaints of shortage of manpower there, a senior civic official said.
Last week, a news channel journalist died at the facility, set up in the premises of the College of Engineering here in Maharashtra. His family members alleged that he did not get a cardiac ambulance in time.
Following his death, there were allegations about mismanagement at the hospital. Pune Municipal Commissioner Vikram Kumar had also sought issuance of show-cause notice to the agency operating the facility.
- PTI
Bengaluru reports ‘first’ case of COVID-19 reinfection
In what doctors claim to be a first case of COVID-19 reinfection in south India, a 27-year-old woman from Bengaluru has tested positive again nearly a month after she was treated and discharged from hospital.
Doctors at Fortis Hospital’s Bannerghatta Road unit, who confirmed that the hospital had reported the first reinfection case, said the woman had no history of any comorbidities.
Taking note of the case, the State Health Department now wants to get the recurrence studied in detail by doctors.
Central teams to assist Punjab, Chandigarh in reducing COVID-19 deaths
The Union Health Ministry has decided to deploy central teams in Punjab and Chandigarh to assist them in strengthening public health measures for containment, surveillance, testing and efficient clinical management of COVID patients with an aim to reduce the mortality rate.
The two-member teams will comprise a community medicine expert from PGIMER, Chandigarh and an epidemiologist from the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC).
These teams shall be stationed in Punjab and Chandigarh for 10 days to provide extended guidance in managing coronavirus infection.
Lockdown impeded care for children at high risk of mortality
At a time when the country is in the grips of widespread hunger leading to fears of rising levels of malnutrition, government data shows that children with increased risk of mortality could not receive urgent in-patient care at special wards known as nutrition rehabilitation centres following the nationwide lockdown on March 25. These were either shut due to the lockdown or turned into quarantine facilities for COVID-19 patients.
The latest National Health Mission (NHM) data shows that the number of children admitted in Nutrition Rehabilitation Centres (NRC) from April to June were only a fraction of the same period last year.
There were only 1,315 children admitted across nearly 966 NRCs in the country in April 2020, which is a mere 9% of those admitted in April 2019 (15,792).
RGIDS study criticises Kerala’s COVID handling
The measures implemented by the State government for tackling the COVID-19 pandemic lacked perspective and a sense of direction, according to a study by the Rajiv Gandhi Institute for Development Studies (RGIDS).
The study calls for well-thought-out projects with short and long-term objectives for overcoming the crises faced by various sectors. The study report containing a set of recommendations covering multiple sectors was released here by Leader of the Opposition Ramesh Chennithala by handing over a copy to KPCC president Mullappally Ramachandran.
Delhi records 70-day high in new cases
On the day when Delhi conducted a record number of COVID-19 tests, the city witnessed the highest number of new cases in over 70 days.
On Saturday, the city reported 2,973 cases in the past 24 hours, according to a Delhi government health bulletin. The tally now stands at 1,88,193.
On June 26, the city had reported 3,460 new cases.
Delhi’s iconic Indian Coffee House battles massive slump in business, unable to pay salaries for months
Due to COVID-19 and staggered lifting of curbs, business at the iconic Indian Coffee House in different cities have been hit badly and salaries of employees of at least eight branches in five cities of north India under The Indian Coffee House Workers’ Co-operative Society Ltd., Delhi, (Delhi Society) have not been paid for the past five months.
The deputy general manager (DGM) of Delhi Society said sales of all their eight branches were down by about 60% and Delhi by 70%.
Israelis protest against PM as infections spike
Thousands of Israelis protested outside the official residence of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday night, pressing ahead with a monthslong campaign demanding the embattled Israeli leader resign.
The protest came as Israel is coping with record levels of coronavirus infections. Demonstrators have been protesting Netanyahu’s handling of the coronavirus crisis, which has led to soaring unemployment, and they say he should step down while on trial for corruption charges.
Centre directs action on ‘unauthorised’ COVID centre in Eluru
The Union Home Ministry has responded to the grievance on an “unauthorised private COVID care centre” and directed the officials to act on the complaint.
BJP Yuva Morcha State RTI Cell convenor Adidam Vamshi Krishna had filed a complaint with the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances, alleging that the centre in Eluru was sealed but no criminal action taken against the management.
The complainant said the centre started operating 45 days ago in a private residential complex and was providing treatment “without obtaining any permission”. Officials raided the hospital on August 23 and seized injections, rapid test kits and other material worth lakhs of rupees, he alleged. During inquiry, it was revealed that the centre management had collected fees in lakhs of rupees from each patient. “More than 10 patients died due to the poor treatment facilities, but no action has been taken,” he alleged.
M.P. Board of Secondary Education to begin online session despite constraints
The Madhya Pradesh Board of Secondary Education has decided to begin the academic session from Monday for classes 9 to 12 through the online mode despite merely 30% of students having reached through online modules after schools shut and just 9.7% of households in rural areas having an Internet connection.
The Board will broadcast audio-visual lessons on Doordarshan from 7 to 10 a.m., after students and teachers first register themselves on a mobile application called ‘MASHIM’’, said an order issued to principals of schools on Thursday.
