The total confirmed COVID-19 positive cases in India crossed the one-million mark, nearly 170 days after the first case was registered on January 30 in Kerala . India now has the third highest number of confirmed cases, behind the U.S.’s close to 3.5 million and Brazil’s 1.97 million cases.
Despite the recovery rate being nearly 63.4%, India’s cumulative test positivity rate has now reached nearly 8% and is rising steadily, indicating that higher testing will continue to reveal more infections.
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:
Shramik trains to run once fresh lockdown ends in Karnataka
The State government has decided to continue running the mustering centre for migrant workers at Tripuravasini on Palace Grounds in Bengaluru and will operate ‘Shramik’ trains after the lockdown ends next week. Until then, migrant workers will be accommodated at the centre and will be provided food and other facilities. A circular in this regard was issued on Wednesday, after a high-level meeting headed by the Chief Secretary.
Rahul Gandhi warns of 20 lakh COVID-19 cases by August 10
Former Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Friday said that the number of coronavirus or COVID-19 infections in the country will breach the 20 lakh mark by August 10 if the Union government does not take concrete steps to prevent the spread of the pandemic.
“10,00,000-mark has been crossed. If COVID-19 spreads at this pace, by August 10, more than 20,00,000 will be infected in the country,” Mr. Gandhi said in a tweet in Hindi.
The former Congress chief has been very critical of Centre’s handling of the pandemic and retweeted his earlier tweet where he had predicted about India breaching 10-lakh cases this week.
Gujarat reports nearly 950 new cases
Gujarat recorded 949 COVID-19 cases and 17 deaths on Friday, increasing its numbers to 2108 fatalities and 46,516 infections. The State’s active cases rise to 11,464 while so far 32,944 patients have been discharged.
- Mahesh Langa
Shift Varavara Rao to COVID-19 hospital, NHRC tells Maharashtra
Following a complaint from the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative (CHRI) regarding lack of facilities and treatment being provided to Varavara Rao , the 81-year-old poet who is being held in the Taloja Jail in connection with the Bhima Korega
on case, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) said on Friday that the Chief Secretary of the Maharashtra is expected to look into the matter personally to ensure that he is shifted to the best possible COVID-19 hospital today.Stating that Mr. Rao is an under trial prisoner presently in the custody of the State, the Commission said the government must ensure that all the expenditure of the medical treatment is borne by the State, being his lawful custodian.
Maharashtra reports over 8,300 new cases, 258 deaths
Maharashtra reported another massive surge of 8,308 new Covid-19 cases on Friday, making it the second-highest single-day jump recorded till date in the State. The total case tally has now soared to 2,92,589 of whom 1,20,480 cases are active.
An equally high fatality surge of 258 deaths has taken the total death toll to 11,452. This is the third time in a week that the State has reported a single-day spike of more than 8,000 cases. With 2,217 patients discharged today, the cumulative recoveries has gone up to 1,60,357.
With 1,214 new cases reported today, Mumbai's total case tally reached has 99,164 of whom only 23,948 are active though.
With 62 new deaths reported today, the city's death toll has risen to 5,585. Pune district saw a big fatality surge, reporting 45 new deaths, while a number of deaths were reported from the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) as well. Thane district reported 11 deaths, while Navi Mumbai and Kalyan-Dombivli reported 14 fatalities each.
- Shoumojit Banerjee
Karnataka reports 3,693 new cases, 115 deaths
Karnataka on Friday reported 115 deaths apart from six non-COVID deaths and 3,693 new cases. With this the death toll rose to 1,147 and the total number of cases have now touched 55,115.
With 1,028 discharges, the total number of recoveries is 20,757. Of the 33,205 active cases, 568 are being monitored in ICUs.
Bengaluru Urban reported 2,208 cases and 75 deaths.
- Afshan Yasmeen
Recovery rate improves to 63.33%; of 3.42 lakh active cases less than 1.94% in ICU, says Health Ministry
The Union Health Ministry said on Friday that less than 1.94% of the 3.42 lakh active coronavirus ( COVID-19 ) cases in India are in ICU, 0.35% on ventilator support and 2.81% are being given oxygen, while the recovery rate has improved to 63.33%.
It said the actual caseload of COVID-19 cases in the country as on date is 3,42,756, while more than 6.35 lakh patients have recuperated from the disease.
India, the second-most populous country in the world with 1.35 billion people, has 727.4 cases per million population, which is four to eight times lower than some European nations, the Ministry said.
- PTI
Delhi reports 462 new cases, 1608 recoveries
New Delhi reported 462 new COVID 19 cases, taking the total number to 1,20,107. 26 deaths raised the total deaths to 3571. 1608 people recovered, taking total recoveries to 99301. There are 17235 active cases in the city.
4538 new cases in T.N.
4538 persons tested positive for COVID-19 in Tamil Nadu on Friday, taking the total to 1,60,907. 3391 persons were discharged today, taking the total discharged to 110807. 79 more deaths took the death toll to 2315.
- TN Bureau
Use drones to monitor containment zones in U.P., says CM Adityanath
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Friday directed officials to set up integrated command centres in the State and the district headquarters for medical screening, ambulance services and surveillance activities.
In a meeting with senior officials, the Chief Minister said drone cameras should be used for monitoring containment zones as well as works done in special cleanliness and sanitisation campaigns on Saturdays and Sundays, an official statement issued here said.
He said door-to-door medical screening should be undertaken in the urban areas, adding surveillance teams should be kept active, and survey work should be done on mission mode.
- PTI
31.6 lakh people in quarantine across India, highest number in U.P.
A whopping 31.6 lakh people are currently in quarantine across the country as authorities made concerted efforts to check the spread of the novel coronavirus which has infected over 10 lakh people so far, officials said on Friday.
Uttar Pradesh has the highest number of people in quarantine among States, followed by Maharashtra, they said.
According to the latest available official estimate, more than 11 lakh people are in quarantine in Uttar Pradesh, 7.27 lakh in Maharashtra, 3.25 lakh in Gujarat and 2.4 lakh in Odisha.
- PTI
Karnataka CM gives two-hour deadline for ensuring bed availability, arrival of ambulance in Bengaluru
Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa on Friday directed the authorities concerned in Bengaluru to ensure bed allocation and arrival of ambulance to the doorsteps of COVID-19 infected persons within two hours of being tested positive.
He gave the instructions at a meeting of all the eight zonal in-charge Ministers for reviewing the COVID-19 situation in the city.
According to an official communiqué from the Chief Minister’s Secretariat, Mr. Yediyurappa told the authorities to decentralise the bed allocation system to the zonal level. He told the zonal in-charge Ministers to remove all obstacles with respect to admission of infected persons to hospitals. He directed them to ensure availability of treatment for COVID as well as non-COVID patients in private hospitals according to government guidelines.
He asked the authorities to give priority for the admission of symptomatic people above 65 years of age.
COVID-19 recovery rate of 67% in Tamil Nadu is highest in the country: Chief Minister
The State has reported a total of 1.56 lakh COVID-19 cases so far, and early identification and effective treatment has put the recovery rate at 67%, which is the highest in the country, Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami said in Erode on Friday.
Addressing the media, Mr. Palaniswami said that the virus had affected 210 countries causing the death of over 1 lakh people. “Right action and intensified testing helped in reducing deaths in the State,” he said, and added that case count will drop step-by-step.
Mr. Palaniswami said that industries were allowed to function fully, and loans were announced by the Central government to enable industries to return to normalcy during the COVID-19 pandemic. He also said that the State had received more investments during the lockdown period.
No proposal to extend lockdown in Bengaluru: Yediyurappa
Karnataka Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa on Friday said lockdown is not the solution for controlling COVID-19 and made it clear that there was no proposal before the government to extend it in Bengaluru.
Bengaluru urban and rural areas are currently under “complete lockdown” since 8 pm of July 14 and it will be effective till 5 am on July 22.
With the spike in cases, speculations were rife that the current lockdown is likely to be extended for 15 days, as that much time is required to break the chain.
“Lockdown is not the solution to control COVID. There is no proposal before the government to extend the lockdown,” Mr. Yediyurappa was quoted as saying by his office in a release.
The Chief Minister today chaired a meeting with Ministers who have been made in-charge of eight zones in the city and officials regarding the COVID-19 situation in Bengaluru.
However, earlier today city Mayor M Goutham Kumar and commissioner of the civic body Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike B H Anil Kumar had favoured its extension.
- PTI
35 more areas added to list of containment zones in Bengal
The West Bengal government has added 35 more areas to the list of ‘broad-based’ containment zones in the state, increasing the count to 676, amid the strict lockdown clamped in all such places to stem the spread of COVID-19.
The number of such zones in Kolkata, however, has reduced from 28 to 24. Currently, North 24 Parganas district has the highest number of containment zones at 95, followed by Howrah at 85, East Burdwan at 71, North Dinajpur at 70 and Nadia at 54.
Sellur Raju recovers
Tamil Nadu Minister Sellur Raju who was admitted in a private hospital in Chennai for COVID-19, was discharged today. He has made complete recovery, the hospital bulletin said.
The Minister for Co-operation became the third minister to contract the virus and was admitted on July 10.
Bidding adieu to COVID-19 victims with a bouquet
A municipal worker placing a bouquet of flowers as a mark of respect on the body of a COVID-19 victim
At a time when there are complaints across the country about the undignified burial or cremation of COVID-19 victims, a bouquet is adding a touch of dignity in bidding farewell of the dead in Puducherry.
The Local Administration Department here is placing a bouquet of flowers on the mortal remains of persons who have lost their lives to the virus before the body is disposed of in a respectful manner.
Partial lockdown imposed in Mysuru
A partial lockdown for one week was enforced in Mysuru city with areas coming under four police station limits in Narasimharaja Assembly constituency identified as ‘restricted’ zones from 6 a.m. of Friday (July 17) to 6 a.m. of July 24.
The curbs are in force in Narasimharaja, Mandi Mohalla, Udayagiri and Lashkar Mohalla Police Station limits.
All commercial activities and services in the lockdown areas had been prohibited barring essential services such as milk, groceries, medical shops, fruits and vegetables, banking services and government offices. Meat shops will open only on Tuesdays and Saturdays.
No public gatherings are allowed inside places of worship. There is no curb on already-planned weddings with the participation of guests restricted to less than 50 persons and strict enforcement of the SOPs.
Madhya Pradesh Assembly's monsoon session deferred
The Madhya Pradesh Assembly’s Monsoon session, which was scheduled to begin from July 20, has been postponed in light of the coronavirus pandemic.
The decision to defer the session was taken unanimously at an all-party meeting on Friday chaired by pro- tem speaker Rameshwar Sharma.
The meeting was attended by Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Leader of Opposition Kamal Nath and Home and Legislative Affairs Minister Narottam Mishra, among others.
Uttarakhand considering weekend lockdown
The Uttarakhand government is considering the option of sealing the state’s borders with neighbouring states and imposing complete lockdown in the state on weekends in view of the surging cases of COVID-19.
The chief minister has asked Chief Secretary Utpal Kumar Singh and Health Secretary Amit Negi to seriously consider taking all steps to contain the spread of the virus including sealing the state’s borders with neighbouring states and imposing a complete lockdown on Saturdays and Sundays if necessary, an official spokesman said.
Human trial for COVAXIN begins
Human trial with COVAXIN, a vaccine against COVID-19 developed by Bharat Biotech started at PGI Rohtak on Friday.
Three subjects were enrolled today. All have tolerated the vaccine very well. There were no adverse efforts, said Haryana Health Minister Anil Vij. - Ashok Kumar
Central team visits Surat to take stock of COVID-19 situation
A four-member team from the Central government visited Surat on Friday to review the coronavirus situation in the city, which has emerged as the new hotspot in Gujarat, and to provide necessary guidance to the local authorities.
Surat district in south Gujarat has seen a sharp rise in infections in recent days and recorded 9,451 COVID-19 cases and 395 deaths so far, second only to Ahmedabad.
The team also visited containment zones in the city.
Bengaluru mayor & civic body Commissioner favour extension
Even as Bengaluru is under a week long lockdown till July 22, the city Mayor and commissioner of the civic body have favoured its extension, aimed at controlling the spread of COVID-19.
“We are seeing that people are still coming out despite the lockdown. The awareness has not come among the people and even those who have an understanding about the virus are not maintaining social distancing,” Mayor M Goutham Kumar said.
Week-long complete lockdown in border areas from today
The Tripura government has enforced stringent measures to prevent the spread of the virus. About 59 containment zones have been declared and the period of night curfew has been extended.
A week-long complete lockdown will be enforced in border areas from 7 a.m. on Friday. One kilometre from border in rural areas and a half a kilometre from the border in municipal localities have been demarcated.
Tripura shares 856 km boundary with Bangladesh on its three sides and the lockdown will affect a large number of residents.
Punjab caps COVID-19 treatment rates
In an attempt to check profiteering by private hospitals during the pandemic, the Punjab government has decided to fix their COVID-19 treatment rates. The decision was announced on Thursday after a review meeting chaired by Chief Minister Amarinder Singh. The rates, finalised for private hospitals and medical colleges, cover isolation beds, ICU treatment and hospitalisation charges, per day of admission, said an official statement.
Districts in MP, Bihar, Telangana most vulnerable to COVID-19 pandemic
Districts in Madhya Pradesh may be the most vulnerable to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, followed by those in Bihar and Telangana, according to a study in The Lancet journal which assessed several key indicators like housing, hygiene, and the health system in these states.
According to scientists, including Rajib Acharya from the Population Council, New Delhi, vulnerability in the research means the risk of consequences of infection, including spread, morbidity, mortality, and social and economic effects of the pandemic.
The study noted that nine of 30 large states -- Madhya Pradesh, Bihar and Telangana, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, West Bengal, Odisha, and Gujarat -- have high vulnerability to be impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Yet another TN Minister tests positive for coronavirus
Nilofer Kafeel
Tamil Nadu Labour Minister Nilofer Kafeel has tested positive for coronavirus, becoming the fourth minister in the state to get affected.
Ms. Kafeel holds the portfolios, including labour, urban and rural employment and the Wakf Board.
Higher Education Minister K P Anbalagan, was the first Minister to test positive and has recovered. Electricity Minister P Thangamani and Minister for Cooperation Sellur K Raju are being treated for the virus.
Heavy police deployment in Goa as three-day lockdown begins
As the three-day lockdown began in Goa amid the COVID-19 outbreak, heavy police deployment was seen on the roads to restrict unnecessary movement of people.
While essential services, including industries, have been exempt from the lockdown, unnecessary movement of people has been banned for three days.
The state government has also imposed a janata curfew in the state between 8 pm to 6 am till August 10.
IndiGo allows reservation of two seats for single passenger
IndiGo airlines has taken social distancing to a new level. It now allows a single passenger to reserve two seats.
“The charges for the extra seat will be effectively up to 25% of the original booking cost. This offer is effective travel starting July 24, 2020,” the airline said in a statement.
English cricketer Jofra Archer to face disciplinary proceedings
Restarting sporting events during the coronavirus pandemic has not been without challenges. In the news now is England's star pacer Jofra Archer who is set to face disciplinary proceedings after he reportedly breached COVID-19 protocol.
File photo of England fast bowler Jofra Archer during the first Test.
Archer broke the team protocol to visit his home in Brighton after the first Test match against West Indies. He will now undergo two COVID-19 tests during a five-day isolation period. The 25-year-old Barbados-born player has apologised for the lapse and acknowledged the enormity of his indiscretion at a sensitive time.
The England and Wales Cricket Board, which had put up a lot of effort to convince the West Indies and Pakistan to tour the country amid the pandemic, is in no mood to relent. Director Ashley Giles said that Archer's move could have been a “disaster” and cost the England Cricket Board “tens of millions of pounds”.
Record single-day surge of nearly 35,000 COVID cases in India
With a record single day surge of 34,956 cases, India’s COVID-19 tally zoomed past ten lakh on Friday, just three days after it crossed the nine-lakh mark, according to the Union Health Ministry data.
The total coronavirus caseload in the country surged to 10,03,832, while death toll mounted to 25,602 with the highest number of 687 fatalities recorded in a day, the data updated at 8 a.m. on Friday showed.
A total of 22,942 people have recuperated in the past 24 hours, the highest number of recoveries in a day, taking the total number of recovered cases to 6,35,756, while there are 3,42,473 active COVID-19 cases presently.
“Thus, around 63.33% of patients have recovered so far,” an official said. - PTI
70% of new Kerala cases due to local spread
Kerala crossed the 10,000 cases milestone in the coronavirus ( COVID-19 ) pandemic with a cumulative case burden of 10,275 on Thursday. The State reported 722 fresh cases, 501 of them from local transmission, or almost 70%. Active cases stood at 5,372 and recoveries at 4,864.
A big chunk of new cases were from the community clusters along the coastal belt and 34 cases with no epidemiological link were reported.
Telangana sees over 10,000 cases in 7 days
A little over 10,000 COVID-19 cases were recorded in Telangana in the past seven days. The total number of cases in the State crossed 40,000 on Thursday. The total now stands at 41,018. When compared with other States, Telangana stands in seventh position in terms of number of cases.
The first case in the State was detected on March 2. While it took 115 days (March 2-June 24) to record 10,444 cases, 10,018 more cases were recorded in nine days (June 25-July 3), six days (July 4-9) to record 10,484 more cases. And it took seven days (July 10-16) to record further 10,072 cases which indicates that rapid increase in COVID cases continues.
The past one week witnessed significant incidents, decisions related to COVID cases and its management. It is from July 10 that number of tests to detect coronavirus increased dramatically. The State Health department started to use Rapid Antigen Tests (RAT) to detect coronavirus. This, in addition to RT-PCR tests, led to spike in tests.
In Assam, 100 patients break out of COVID care centre, block highway over food, water
Around hundred patients broke out of a COVID Care Centre in Assam’s Kamrup district and blocked National Highway 31 on Thursday, alleging that they were not provided with proper food and water, officials said.
Kamrup Deputy Commissioner Kailash Kartik along with police rushed to the facility in Changsari and asked the patients to clear the highway and return to the centre so that the matter can be resolved through discussions, they said.
Tension prevailed in the area, however, after assurances the patients returned to the centre, an officer said.
After U.S., India has done most COVID-19 tests: White House
After the U.S., which has carried out 42 million COVID-19 tests, India has done the second largest number of 12 million coronavirus tests, the White House said.
With regard to (the coronavirus) testing, we’ve done more than 42 million tests. The second-highest number is 12 million from India. We’re leading the world in testing, White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany told reporters at a news conference in Washington on July 16.
The White House was responding to questions related to the coronavirus pandemic in the U.S.
