With Bengaluru reporting 1,525 out of 2,627 cases and 45 of 71 deaths in Karnataka on Sunday, members of the State’s COVID-19 expert and technical advisory committees recommended a minimum three-week lockdown.
Read more:Panel suggests 21-day lockdown for Bengaluru
The Hindu Explains | Is airborne transmission of COVID-19 a risk?
Here is a list of State Helpline numbers . You can track coronavirus cases, deaths and testing rates at the national and State levels here .
Here are the latest updates:
Telangana reports 1550 cases, 9 deaths
Telangana reported 1550 new COVID-19 cases and 9 deaths today taking the total case tally to 36,221 and death toll to 365. With 23,679 so far, the active cases remaining at the State stands at 12,178 with a 13.44% daily test positivity rate.
11,525 tests were conducted today, taking the cumulative tests conducted so far to 1,81,849.
The cumulative positivity rate for all the cases stands at 20.13%.
Pandemic could push tens of millions into chronic hunger, United Nation says
The United Nations says the ranks of the world’s hungry grew by 10 million last year and warns that the coronavirus pandemic could push as many as 130 million more people into chronic hunger this year.
The grim assessment was contained in the latest edition of the State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World, an annual report released Monday by the five U.N. agencies that produced it.
Preliminary projections based on available global economic outlooks suggest the pandemic may add an additional 83 (million) to 132 million people to the ranks of the undernourished in 2020, the report said.
Also compounding the situation is what the report’s authors described as unprecedented Desert Locust outbreaks” in Eastern Africa.
The U.N. agencies estimated that nearly 690 million people, or nearly 9% of the world’s population, went hungry last year, an increase of 10 million since 2018 and of nearly 60 million since 2014.
The report noted that after steadily declining for decades, chronic hunger slowly began to rise in 2014 and continues to do so.
In terms of sheer numbers, Asia is home to the greatest number of undernourished people, an estimated 381 million, the report said. Africa has the most as a percentage of the population, U.N. researchers found, with nearly 20% of the continent’s people undernourished.
- AP
WHO warns that pandemic is worsening globally
The head of the World Health Organization has warned that the COVID-19 pandemic is worsening globally and things won’t return to the old normal for some time.
At a press briefing Monday, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that there will be no return to the old normal for the foreseeable future.
Mr. Tedros said that while numerous countries, especially in Europe and Asia, have brought outbreaks under control, too many others are seeing virus trends move in the wrong direction.
Mr. Tedros also chastised political leaders for mixed messages about outbreaks that damage trust, without referring to any politicians by name.
Mr. Tedros called for countries to adopt a comprehensive strategy to curb the soaring caseloads in many countries, noting that about half of all the new cases are now coming from the Americas.
Still, Mr. Tedros said there was a roadmap out of the pandemic and that it’s never too late to control its spread even in places with explosive transmission.
- AP
Doctor with Indian boxing team tests positive for COVID-19
A doctor attached with the Indian boxing team on Monday tested positive for COVID-19 even as all the pugilists who have assembled for training in Patiala came out negative but stared at a possible suspension of the proposed camp due to the development.
The 11 boxers, including Asian Games champion and world silver-medallist Amit Panghal, will be retested as they were at the same quarantine facility with the doctor.
“Dr. Amol (Patil) was in quarantine in a centre outside the main campus of national Institute of Sports (NIS) Patiala. As per protocol, before he is allowed to enter main hostel and sports arena, he was given the COVID test on the 7th day (of quarantine) and tested positive,” the Sports Authority of India said in a statement to PTI when asked about the development.
“He has been shifted to the state-run COVID centre. Those who are identified as primary contact will be tested tomorrow. The quarantine period for all persons staying in the same quarantine facility has been extended by one week. The centre has been sterilised as per protocol,” it added.
The boxers have, however, tested negative but will undergo a second round of testing on Tuesday.
- PTI
Antibody immunity to COVID-19 may be short-lived: U.K. study
Patients who recover from the novel coronavirus may have an antibody response that makes them immune to the deadly virus only for a few months, a new study in the U.K. has found.
A paper titled ‘Longitudinal evaluation and decline of antibody responses in SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) infection’, by King’s College London researchers, analysed the immune response of more than 90 patients and healthcare workers at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, the London hospital which had treated Prime Minister Boris Johnson after he tested positive for coronavirus in March.
Research, led by Dr. Katie Doores of King’s College London, found levels of antibodies that can destroy the virus peaked about three weeks after the onset of symptoms then started declining.
People are producing a reasonable antibody response to the virus, but it’s waning over a short period of time and depending on how high your peak is, that determines how long the antibodies are staying around, Ms. Doores told The Guardian .
Infection tends to give you the best-case scenario for an antibody response, so if your infection is giving you antibody levels that wane in two to three months, the vaccine will potentially do the same thing. People may need boosting and one shot might not be sufficient, she explains.
- PTI
19 states have COVID-19 recovery rate higher than national average of 63.02%: Centre
Nineteen states and Union Territories have a COVID-19 recovery rate higher than the national average of 63.02%, the Centre said on Monday, asserting that coordinated steps taken by it along with state governments have contributed to a “gradual surge” in the recovery of patients.
It also said that there are 30 states and Union Territories (U.T.s) that have a fatality rate lower than the national average of 2.64 per cent.
The norms and standards for home isolation care along with use of oximeters have also helped to keep a check on asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic patients without burdening the hospital infrastructure, the Union Health Ministry said in a statement.
“The series of pro-active, pre-emptive and coordinated steps taken by the Centre and the state governments for containment and prevention of COVID-19 has contributed to a gradual surge in COVID-19 recovery,” the Ministry said.
Aggressive testing coupled with timely diagnosis has led to identifying COVID-affected patients before they progress into an advanced stage of the disease, it said.
Effective implementation of containment zones and surveillance activities ensured that the rate of infection stays under control, the Ministry said.
A graded policy and holistic approach has led to the recovery of 18,850 people in the last 24 hours, taking the total cumulative number of recovered cases among COVID-19 patients to 5,53,470, it said.
Karnataka reports over 70 deaths, toll up to 757
With 73 deaths reported on Tuesday, Karnataka continued to report over 70 deaths for the fourth consecutive day. The total death toll now stands at 757.
With 2738 new cases, the total number of cases have now touched 41,581.
Bengauru Urban has reported 1,315 cases and 47 deaths.
With 838 recoveries, a total of 16,248 persons have been discharged so far. Of the 24,572 active cases, 545 are being monitored in the ICU and the condition of remaining patients is said to be stable.
- Afshan Yasmeen
UNICEF, FICCI join hands for action plan to support vulnerable populations
UNICEF on Monday announced its partnership with FICCI to jointly develop a campaign to support the most vulnerable populations and children during the ongoing COVID-19 response and its aftermath in India.
FICCI and UNICEF will work on an action plan based on the document that is being developed jointly by the International Chamber of Commerce and UNICEF for governments and businesses on the actions they can take to support the post-pandemic recovery.
Ogilvy is offering pro bono support in developing the creative narrative for the campaign, according to a statement by UNICEF.
The Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry’s (FICCI)-Socio Economic Development Foundation (SEDF) will reach out to its membership base to garner support for the campaign and leverage its resources like cash and core assets to mobilise funds that can be utilised to help generate support for the most vulnerable populations affected due to the COVID disruption.
“The partnership will also help avoid potential long-term damage to business operations and employment pipelines, and their most important resource, their personnel, their children and their families,” it said.
While children are not the face of this pandemic, they are its hidden victims and remain the most vulnerable to the broader impact of the pandemic, the statement noted.
- PTI
Maharashtra reports spike in cases as total breaches 2.60 lakh
Maharashtra reporting another big spike of 6,497 new COVID-19 cases on Monday as its total case tally breached the 2.60 lakh mark to reach 2,60,924.
As many as 193 new deaths pushed the total death toll to 10,482.
Of the total case tally, only 1,05,637 are active ones, said State Health Department officials.
With 4,182 patients being discharged today, the cumulative recoveries till date has gone up to 1,44,507.
With 1,158 new cases reported today, Mumbai's total case tally has now reached 94,146. However, only 22,900 of these are active cases. With 47 new deaths reported today, the city's death toll has risen to 5,335.
Pune district reported 30 deaths while Nashik reported ten. Areas in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) saw a number of fatalities as well, with Thane reporting 28 deaths, Kalyan-Dombivli 18, and Navi Mumbai reporting seven fatalities.
- Shoumojit Banerjee
A.P. govt. postpones all Common Entrance Tests in view of COVID- 19 situation
The Andhra Pradesh government on Monday decided to put off all Common Entrance Tests (CET) for admission into various professional and higher education courses in view of the prevailing Covid-19 pandemic situation,
“After a review of the situation, Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy directed that the CETs be postponed and, accordingly, we have decided to hold them in the third week of September.
Fresh dates for these entrance examinations will be announced later,” Education Minister A Suresh told reporters.
He pointed out that similar entrance examinations at the national level too were deferred because of the coronavirus pandemic.
The AP government, through the State Council of Higher Education, conducts EAMCET, ICET, PGCET, LawCET, EdCET and other entrance examinations for admission into courses like engineering, medicine, agriculture, business administration, law and also various post-graduate degrees.
These CETs are normally conducted in the month of May, but because of COVID-19 the schedule got disturbed this year.
Meanwhile, SRM University, AP also announced on Monday that its Joint Engineering Entrance Exam for admission into B.
Tech programmes has been cancelled.
- PTI
Dharavi adds 6 new patients; active cases below 100
Six new cases of coronavirus were reported from Mumbai’s slum colony of Dharavi, taking the tally to 2,381 on Monday, the city civic body said.
A senior Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) official said the half-a-dozen fresh infections took the tally to 2,381, but Dharavi has only 96 active COVID-19 cases.
As many as 2,039 patients have already recovered and discharged from COVID-19 facilities, he said.
The civic body has, however, stopped disclosing COVID-19 deaths, if any, in the slum-dominated area since the last month.
Notably, the number of active COVID-19 cases from Dharavi has dipped below the 100-mark after a long time.
- PTI
Singapore deports 10 Indians, bars their re-entry for violating circuit breaker rules
Singapore has deported 10 Indian nationals, including students, and barred them from re-entering the country for violating the “circuit breaker” rules enforced to curb the spread of the coronavirus, officials announced on Monday, warning that the government would not hesitate to take “strong action” against those blatantly disregarding the laws.
The “circuit breaker” period in Singapore began on April 7 as part of which all non-essential work places were closed and residents were barred from leaving their houses except to buy food and groceries or to exercise alone in the neighbourhood. The period ended on June 2.
- PTI
CCRS to soon begin research on Siddha as stand alone treatment for COVID-19 patients
The Central Council for Research in Siddha (CCRS) here will soon commence a study on Siddha as ’stand alone’ treatment to cure COVID-19 patients.
CCRS is the apex body pertaining to research in Siddha system of medicine.
At present Siddha treatment is being provided as ‘add-on’ therapy to the allopathy treatment at Stanley government medical college hospital and other state-run institutions in the metro and various districts in Tamil Nadu.
In the absence of a drug of choice to treat COVID-19 patients, the state government saw a glimmer of hope in Siddha treatment as add-on therapy.
Subsequently, it established an exclusive Siddha Covid Care Centre at Dr. Ambedkar Government Arts College in Vyasarpadi and Jawahar College in the city for treating mild and moderate symptomatic patients.
“We will focus upon Siddha as stand alone treatment in the management of Coronavirus positive patients by providing Kabasura kudineer, Brahmananda Bairavam tablets, Adathodai Manapagu and a combination of two more medicines,” Dr. K Kanakavalli, Director General, CCRS, said.
The Brahmananda Bairavam, a Siddha medicine in tablet form, is a classical herbo-mineral used in treatment of fevers, while Adathodai Manapagu is used for treating cough, various types fevers and stomach disorders.
- PTI
Nepal reports 144 new coronavirus cases: Health Ministry
Nepal has reported 144 new cases of coronavirus, taking the total infections to 16,945 in the country, the health ministry said on Monday.
The new cases were detected as Nepal continues to see a surge in the number of patients recovering from the contagious coronavirus.
Nepal has reported 144 new cases of coronavirus, the Ministry of Health and Population said in a statement.
The health ministry said the total number of active cases have declined to 6,613 as Nepal today achieved single day recovery of 1,705 corona patients.
Till date a total of 10,294 corona patients have been discharged from different hospitals after their successful treatment, the statement said.
- PTI
ILS takes major step towards helping in drug formulations for COVID-19
In a major development capable of helping in drug formulations for COVID-19, the Institute of Life Sciences here has successfully established in vitro cultures of the novel coronavirus from the patient samples using vero cells, a top ILS official said on Monday.
In vitro culture refers to studies of biological properties in test tubes instead of humans or animals. They are often contrasted to in vivo (in life) studies done inside organisms.
Seventeen virus cultures have been established from swab samples originating from different locations of the country with varying virus loads by the ILS, an autonomous institute of the Department of Biotechnology, officials said. — PTI
Tamil Nadu registers 4,328 cases, 3,035 discharged
With 4,328 COVID-19 cases, 3,035 discharged & 66 deaths reported in Tamil Nadu today, the total number of cases in the State is now at 1,42,798, including 92,567 discharged, 48,196 active cases & 2,032 deaths: State Health Department
- Serena Josephine
Ramp up virus testing capacity: Adityanath to officials
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday asked officials to ramp up coronavirus testing capacity to 50,000 tests a day amid a spike in the number of infections in the state.
At a meeting with senior officials, the chief minister said the scope of RT-PRC tests should be increased to 30,000 tests per day while that of rapid antigen to 18,000 to 20,000 a day, an official release said.
— PTI
Andhra Pradesh reports record single day high of COVID-19 deaths
Andhra Pradesh reports record single day high of 37 COVID-19 deaths, taking the toll to 365. Coronavirus tally touches 31,103 with the addition of 1,935 more cases, also a new high, says State government.
— PTI
COVID-19: Vedanta launches phase 2 of ‘meal for all’ programme
Mining giant Vedanta Ltd on Monday said it has launched the second phase of its ‘meal for all’ programme under which it would provide meals to 38,000 daily wage earners and their families across Delhi, Mumbai and Ahmedabad.
The programme will be a week-long initiative with a target of reaching 38,000 daily wage earners and their families in the three cities, the company said in a statement.
— PTI
Scientists identify two antibodies from llamas that can neutralise coronavirus
Scientists have demonstrated that two small, stable antibody variants derived from the South American mammals llamas can neutralise the novel coronavirus in lab-cultured cells, an advance which may lead to the development of new therapeutics against COVID-19. The study, published in the journal Nature Structural & Molecular Biology, noted that the ‘nanobodies’ can prevent infection with the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 by blocking its interaction with the protein ACE2, which it uses as a gateway to enter and infect cells.
— PTI
Karnataka makes home isolation of those who have gone for COVID-19 tests mandatory
The State Government has made home isolation and quarantining of those who have given their samples for COVID-19 tests mandatory as they can spread the infection to several others, if they are positive, by the time their test results are ready.
In a circular issued by Jawaid Akhtar, Additional Chief Secretary (Health and Family Welfare) here on Tuesday, the government has said this decision has been taken as a matter of abundant caution.
— Karnataka Bureau
Tamil Nadu government extends ban on public transport till July 31
Tamil Nadu government extends the ban on public transport by government and private operators across the State till July 31, in its attempt to contain the spread of COVID-19.
— Dennis S. Jesudasan
No blanket lockdown in Mysuru, says Deputy Commissioner
Even as the COVID-19 cases are increasing rapidly, Mysuru is not enforcing a blanket lockdown like Bengaluru but the clampdown will be confined to a few pockets where the infection and death rates were high, particularly in Narasimharaja assembly constituency, in the city limits.
Here, the ‘Dharavi model’ will be replicated with intensive screening of the population with door-to-door surveillance for a period of one week possibly from Wednesday onwards.
— Special Correspondent
Biocon to launch drug for COVID-19 patients; priced at ₹8,000 per vial
Biotechnology major Biocon on Monday said it will launch biologic drug Itolizumab for the treatment of moderate to severe COVID-19 patients at a price of around 8,000 per vial.
The company has received approval from the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) to market Itolizumab injection 25mg/5mL solution for emergency use in India for the treatment of cytokine release syndrome in moderate to severe acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) due to COVID-19.
— PTI
Deputy Magistrate in West Bengal dies of COVID-19
A deputy magistrate in West Bengal died due to COVID-19 on Monday, the first senior government officer to have succumbed to the infection in the state, a health department official said.
Debdutta Ray, who was posted in Hooghly district, died at a private hospital in Serampore.
— PTI
Punjab bans public gatherings, tightens restrictions on marriage functions
The Punjab government issued revised guidelines on Monday, completely disallowing public gatherings and restricting social gatherings to five attendees and marriages and other functions to 30 instead of the current 50.
It asked police to register FIRs against those violating the curb on public gatherings.
— PTI
First patient discharged from Delhi’s largest COVID care centre
A 39-year-old man was discharged from the newly set up Sardar Patel COVID care centre on Monday, becoming the first patient to be completely cured of the disease at the facility here, officials said.
The patient, a resident of South Delhi, was admitted to the COVID care centre on July 5, they said.
— PTI
COVID-19: After Bengaluru, Dharwad and Dakshina Kannada districts announce lockdown
After Bengaluru urban and rural, lockdown has been announced in Dharwad and Dakshina Kannada districts by the administrations there on Monday, aimed at controlling the spread of COVID-19.
While Dharwad will be under lockdown for nine days from July 15, in Dakshina Kannada it will be for a week from Wednesday night.
— PTI
Calcutta HC to remain closed till July 19
The Calcutta High Court will continue to remain closed till July 19 in view of a rapid increase in the number of COVID-19 patients in the city and a new phase of lockdown in containment zones here, Chief Justice T B N Radhakrishnan said in an administrative order on Monday.
The high court was closed till Monday from Friday last owing to the newly imposed lockdown in the city and for sanitisation of the court buildings in view of the coronavirus pandemic.
— PTI
April 2 COVID-19 deaths revealed now by Indore authorities
Health authorities in Indore in Madhya Pradesh have disclosed two COVID-19 deaths more than three months after they occurred.
A 36-year-old man and a 70-year-old man, detected with the infection, died on April 7 and 10 respectively in two private hospitals, and the official information on these casualties was shared by health department authorities in a COVID-19 bulletin released on Sunday.
— PTI
Fine for not wearing mask raised to ₹ 500 in Ahmedabad
In a bid to curb the spread of coronavirus in Ahmedabad, the city authorities on Monday raised the penalty for not wearing face mask in a public place to ₹500 from ₹200 announced earlier.
A fine of ₹10,000 will also be imposed on paan shop owners if their customers are found spitting in the open near their shops, said Additional Chief Secretary Rajiv Gupta, who was appointed to oversee works related to the COVID-19 pandemic in Gujarat’s Ahmedabad city.
— PTI
No patient should be denied treatment over COVID-19 scare, Odisha govt tells hospitals
Amid reports that patients were being denied treatment in some non-COVID hospitals of Odisha over fears of virus transmission, the state on Monday issued an order, asking all healthcare facilities to ensure necessary medical services are provided to those in need.
The health department directive also stated that emergency procedure should not be delayed or deferred over COVID-19 scare.
— PTI
Kerala’s first plasma bank set up at Manjeri
Kerala’s first Plasma Bank has been set up at the Government Medical College Hospital at nearby Manjeri, where two critically-ill COVID-19 patients have recovered after undergoing plasma therapy.
Two more people, who undertook the therapy, are now out of danger and would be discharged soon.
— PTI
No one has understood U.P. govt’s logic of weekend lockdown ‘baby pack’: Priyanka gandhi Vadra
Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Monday attacked the Yogi Adityanath government over the rising coronavirus cases in Uttar Pradesh, saying no one has understood the logic of the weekend lockdown “baby pack” and efforts are on to hide failures.
Her attack came after the Uttar Pradesh government decided to impose a stricter lockdown across the state on weekends to stop the coronavirus spread.
— PTI
Coronavirus | SC refuses to entertain a plea seeking restriction on Amarnath Yatra 2020
The Supreme Court Monday refused to entertain a plea which sought directions for restriction on this year’s Shri Amarnath Yatra due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
A bench headed by Justice D Y Chandrachud said that the decision on permitting pilgrims and imposing conditions for their safeguard falls within the domain of executive and the administration would take a call on it.
— PTI
CA’s May examination cancelled, to be merged with Nov cycle: ICAI tells SC
The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) Monday informed the Supreme Court that the May cycle of CA examination, scheduled between July 29 and August 16, has been cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The counsel appearing for ICAI told a bench headed by Justice A.M. Khanwilkar that now the May cycle examination will be merged with the November 2020 cycle of the CA exam.
— PTI
Amit Shah reviews COVID-19 situation in his constituency
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday held a meeting to review the COVID-19 situation in his Lok Sabha constituency Gandhinagar in Gujarat.
The meeting, held via video conference, was attended by Gandhinagar Collector Kuldeep Arya, District Development Officer (DDO) Shalini Duhan and Gandhinagar Municipal Commissioner Ratankanvar Gadhvicharan.
— PTI
COVID-19: 3 deaths in Goa on Mon, official tests positive
A senior health official assisting in a COVID-19 facility in Goa has tested positive for novel coronavirus on Monday morning.
It is the first instance of a Sate government functionary being detected with the infection since the outbreak began in Goa, an official claimed.
— PTI
COVID-19: FIR registered against conductor, drivers for forcing girl and mother off bus in Mathura
Nearly a month after a 19-year-old girl from Delhi died after she was allegedly forced off a Uttar Pradesh State Roadways Transport Corporation (UPSRTC) bus on the Yamuna Expressway by the conductor as he suspected her to be infected with COVID-19 , an FIR has been registered against the conductor and the two drivers by the Mathura police.
The incident happened on June 15 when the girl was travelling with her mother from Delhi to Shikohabad in Firozabad district. The conductor allegedly forced the girl and her mother off the bus near Maant in Mathura.
— Anuj Kumar
Singapore deports 10 Indians, bars their re-entry for violating circuit breaker rules
The Singapore government has deported 10 Indian nationals, including students, and barred them from re-entering the country for violating the “circuit breaker” rules enforced to curb the spread of the coronavirus, officials said on Monday.
The “circuit breaker” period in Singapore began on April 7 as part of which all non-essential work places were closed and residents were barred from leaving their houses except to buy food and groceries or to exercise alone in the neighbourhood. The period ended on June 2.
— PTI
Top cop welcomes police personnel back to duty after COVID treatment
City police commissioner Mahesh Kumar Aggarwal on Monday welcomed 72 police personnel back to duty here after their recovery from COVID-19.
The top official interacted with 72 personnel who joined duty today after recovery from the coronavirus infection and enquired about their wellness in the premises of the office of city police commissioner.
—PTI
Data | With COVID-19 cases rising steadily, no bend in sight for India's 'new infections' curve
With COVID-19 cases continuing to rise steadily in India, there seems to be no infection peak in sight yet. The curve of new cases for countries will eventually bend, but the area under the curve is an indication of the effectiveness of the COVID-19 response. India’s high case rate and spread suggest that the response has so far been ineffective.
— The Hindu Data team
Amitabh, Abhishek Bachchan stable, don’t require aggressive treatment: hospital sources
Megastar Amitabh Bachchan and his son, actor Abhishek Bachchan, who were admitted to a hospital here after testing positive for coronavirus, are “clinically stable”, hospital sources said on Monday.
Amitabh, 77, and Abhishek, 44, revealed their diagnosis on Twitter on July 11, saying they were in the isolation ward of Nanavati Hospital.
— PTI
More than 18,000 people fined in Mizoram for violating lockdown norms
The Mizoram Police has fined more than 18,000 people in the state for violating lockdown norms since May 4, according to an official statement.
A total of ₹36.76 lakh has been collected as fine from 18,247 people for violating the Containment and Prevention of COVID-19 Ordinance, 2020 - since it came into effect from May 4, a police statement said on Sunday.
— PTI
Puducherry reports 50 new COVID-19 cases, overall tally rises
Puducherry on Monday reported 50 new COVID-19 cases, taking the overall tally of infections to 1,468.
Health Minister Malladi Krishna Rao told reporters here that the 50 cases were identified at the end of testing of 384 samples showing 13 per cent positivity rate while the fatality rate was 1.2 per cent.
— PTI
Bengaluru: two days before lockdown, hundreds leave city
The state government’s decision to impose lockdown from July 14 evening to 22 and a surging number of COVID-19 positive cases in Bengaluru has forced people to go back to their native places. On Monday morning, a large number of vehicles piled up at Nelamangala toll gate. To ease the traffic, police allowed motorists to cross the toll plaza without paying toll fee for some time.
Maharashtra: 38-year-old policeman dies of COVID-19 in Palghar
A 38-year-oldpoliceman died of COVID-19 in Maharashtra’s Palghar district on Monday, a police official said. The deceased, a police naik, was a resident of Murbad taluka in neighbouring Thane district. He was attached to the Valiv police station at Vasai in Palghar.
— PTI
Two days before lockdown, hundreds leave Bengaluru
Karnataka government’s decision to impose lockdown from July 14 evening to 22 and a surging number of COVID-19 positive cases in Bengaluru has forced people to go back to their native places.
On Monday morning, a large number of vehicles piled up at Nelamangala toll gate. To ease the traffic, police allowed motorists to cross the toll plaza without paying toll fee for some time. People were seen travelling in tempos carrying their household goods and two-wheelers. People are also hiring taxis to reach their hometown.
Inter district services of Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) too received higher ridership.
Glenmark Pharma cuts price of COVID-19 drug to ₹75/tablet
Drug firm Glenmark Pharmaceuticals on Monday said it has cut price of its antiviral drug Favipiravir, under the brand name FabiFlu, for the treatment of patients with mild to moderate COVID-19, by 27% to ₹75 per tablet.
Glenmark Pharmaceuticals had launched FabiFlu last month at a price of ₹103 per tablet.
“The price reduction has been made possible through benefits gained from higher yields and better scale, as both the active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) and formulations are made at Glenmark’s facilities in India, the benefits of which are being passed on to patients in the country,” the filing said. - PTI
First COVID-19 related death reported in Kottayam
Kottayam on Monday recorded its first COVID-19 related death as a 72-year-old Parathodu native died at the district Government Medical College. The person, who had contracted the virus from unknown source, was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at the GMC with severe fever and viral pneumonia on July 6 and was tested positive three days later. His condition remained critical since the admission and the hospital authorities declared his death on Monday morning.
Strict lockdown restrictions reimposed in parts of Kashmir after spike in COVID-19 cases
Strict lockdown restrictions were reimposed in most parts of Kashmir, including in the city here, on Monday after a sudden surge in COVID-19 cases in the valley over the past one week, officials said. They said strict restrictions have been imposed in Srinagar and other parts of the valley and no movement of people, except for essential services and medical emergencies, was being allowed.
The authorities sealed most of the roads and market places, including the business hub of Lal Chowk here, and sought cooperation of the public to make the lockdown a success. - PTI
Rahul Gandhi questions govt’s claims on battling COVID-19
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday questioned the government’s claims on battling COVID-19, asking is India at a “good position” in the battle against the virus.
His remarks came a day after Union Home Minister Amit Shah said India is in a “good position” in the battle against the coronavirus pandemic and the country will fight the disease with determination and enthusiasm.
In a tweet tagging a graph from The Hindu 's data point, Mr. Gandhi asked, “India at good position in COVID19 battle?”
Karnataka Tourism Minister tests positive for COVID-19
Karnataka Minister for Tourism, Kannada and Culture C.T. Ravi has tested positive for coronavirus. His wife and daughter have however, tested negative for the virus. He went into home quarantine on July 11 after he came in contact with a coronavirus infected person.
Earlier, his two separate tests had given two different reports including negative. The minister had to wait for a final report, which arrived on Monday confirming that he has tested positive for COVID-19.
- PTI
Update on latest COVID-19 numbers:
The spike in infections continue as India registers another record single-day spike of 28,701 COVID-19 cases. With this, the country's total tally is 8,78,254.
India saw 500 more fatalities in the past 24 hours, taking the total death toll to 23,174, according to Union Health Ministry data.
China's CanSino in talks for COVID-19 vaccine Phase III trial overseas
Chinese vaccine developer CanSino Biologics is in talks with Russia, Brazil, Chile and Saudi Arabia to launch a Phase III trial of its experimental COVID-19 vaccine , its co-founder said on Saturday.
Its Phase III trial was likely to start “pretty soon,” and the company plans to recruit 40,000 participants for the test, the co-founder of CanSino said in Suzhou, in eastern China.
He said its new factory under construction in China will allow it to produce 100-200 million doses of coronavirus vaccines per year by early 2021.
Plan to convert stadiums into COVID centres put on hold: Delhi authorities
Authorities in Delhi have put on hold their plan to use stadiums as makeshift COVID care centres for now in view of the city witnessing a good recovery rate, officials said on Sunday. Seeing the current situation, there is no need to convert stadiums into COVID-19 care facilities, an official in the east Delhi district administration said.
However, he said, the stadiums can be converted into COVID facilities in the coming days if the need arises.
Markets, establishments to remain shut on weekends
All markets and establishments in Uttar Pradesh will remain closed on weekends as part of the State’s efforts to check the spread of COVID-19.
The markets will be cleaned and sanitised on Saturdays and Sundays, a government spokesperson said on Sunday.
1% of civic workers of the Chennai Corporation test positive
The Greater Chennai Corporation has found that 1% of conservancy workers, who were visiting residential neighbourhoods, have tested positive for COVID-19.
Now, it has launched initiatives to contain the spread of the virus from Corporation workers to residents. In addition to the 220 conservancy workers among the 22,000 in the city, the civic body also identified 375 civic staff, including assistant health officers, assistant engineers, revenue officers and others among those who tested positive.
Maharashtra tally surges past 2.5 lakh
With another massive surge of 7,827 COVID-19 cases on Sunday, Maharashtra’s tally breached the 2.50 lakh mark and touched 2,54,427. The State also recorded 173 more fatalities, pushing its death toll to 10,289.
Since July 1, the State has reported single-day spikes of over 7,000 cases at least four times, with the highest single-day surge of 8,139 cases being reported on Saturday.
COVID-19 is not a serious epidemic: Deputy CM Lakshman Savadi
Deputy Chief Minister Lakshman Savadi on Sunday asked people not to panic over the spread of coronavirus in Athani. “COVID-19 is not a serious epidemic. We have to learn to live with it. We should not worry too much about it. We should go on with our lives in a routine fashion,” he told a meeting of traders and officers.
