As parts of the economy opens up, a question mark remains over the future of India's education system . India has almost 25 crore school students from Classes 1 to 12, all of whom have been affected by the shutdown of educational institutions for the past two-and-a-half months due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
India went past Italy to become the sixth worst-hit nation by COVID-19, with the country registering a record single-day spike of 9,887 cases which pushed the nationwide tally to 2,36,657.
India’s death toll due to COVID-19 rose to 6,642, with a record increase of 294 deaths in the 24 hours that ended at 8 a.m. on Saturday.
The country has registered over 9,000 cases for the third day in a row.
India is now the sixth worst-affected nation in terms of coronavirus infection cases after the U.S., Brazil, Russia, Spain and the U.K., according to Johns Hopkins University data.
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 update:
Madhya Pradesh records 232 new cases, death toll climbs to 399
Madhya Pradesh recorded 232 new COVID-19 cases on June 6, taking the tally to 9,228. The number of active cases stands at 2,721.
As many as 15 deaths owing to the illness were reported on the day. Four patients died in Indore, three in Ujjain, two in Ratlam and Rajgarh each, while Burhanpur, Khargone, Dhar and Sheopur reported one death each.
The State-wide death toll climbed to 399.
As for recoveries, 230 patients were discharged from hospitals on the day. So far, 6,108 persons have been cured of the illness, says the State Directorate of Health Services.
- Sidharth Yadav
U.P. reports 382 new cases
With 11 new deaths and 382 fresh cases, the toll in UP goes up to 268 and total cases to 10103. Active cases stand at 3927. Recoveries are 5908, said the state health department. The new cases include 32 in Kanpur, 28 in Bhadohi, 19 in Ghaziabad, 18 in Varanasi and 15 in Jaunpur.
Death toll rises to 231 in Rajasthan
Thirteen deaths - 4 in Jaipur and 1 each in Bharatpur, Bhilwara, Dholpur, Jodhpur, Kota, Nagaur, Sawai Madhopur and two of the patients from out of State - take the COVID-19 related mortality figure in Rajasthan to 231. A total of 253 new COVID-19 positive cases were detected in the State today, taking the tally to 10,337. Of the 7,501 patients who have recovered so far, 6,942 have been discharged. The number of active cases in Rajasthan, as of now, is 2,605, says the Medical & Health Department.
Delhi reports 1,320 new cases
As many as 1,320 new COVID-19 cases were reported in Delhi in the past 24 hours, taking the total number of cases to 27,654, according to a health bulletin released by the Delhi government on Saturday.
Also, 53 more deaths have been reported taking the total number of deaths to 761. But all the deaths did not happen in the past 24 hours.
Of the total cases, 10,664 people have recovered and there are 16,229 active cases.
Maharashtra sees 2,739 new COVID-19 cases; death toll nears 3,000
Maharashtra on Saturday reported spike of 2,739 new COVID-19 cases, taking the overall case count to 82,968 while the death toll rose by 120 to 2,969, state Health department said.
A total of 2,234 patients were discharged in the day, pushing the tally of the recovered cases to 37,390 so far, a statement said.
The state now has 42,609 active cases, it said, adding that a total of 5,37,124 samples have been tested so far
Goa reports 71 new COVID-19 cases in single day, tally 267
Goa on Saturday reported 71 new COVID-19 cases, the highest rise in a single-day, taking the total case count to 267, a Health department official said.
Many of the fresh cases have been reported from Mangor Hill area in Vasco town of south Goa which was declared a containment zone on Wednesday.
Of the 71 new cases, a significant 62 were linked to Mangor Hill, he said.
Of the rest 9 cases, three had come from Delhi in a flight while as many others had travelled in a train from neighbouring Maharashtra, he said, adding that remaining three had travelled from Maharashtra and Karnataka to Goa.
COVID-19 pandemic may be over in India around mid-Sept, claims mathematical model-based analysis
The COVID-19 pandemic may be over in India around mid-September, claim two public health experts from the health ministry who used a mathematical model-based analysis to draw this projection.
The analysis shows that when the number of infected becomes equal to those removed from circulation by recovery and death, the coefficient will reach the 100 per cent threshold and the epidemic will be “extinguished“.
The analysis, published in the online journal Epidemiology International, has been done by Dr Anil Kumar, Deputy director General (Public Health) in the DGHS, and Rupali Roy, Deputy Assistant Director (Leprosy) DGHS in the health ministry.
FIR against Ganga Ram hospital for ‘violating’ COVID-19 norms
An FIR has been lodged against the Sir Ganga Ram Hospital (SGRH) for allegedly violating COVID-19 regulation norms, after Delhi government registered a compliant in this connection.
According to the FIR, the complainant is a senior official of the Delhi health department.
There was no immediate reaction from the authorities of the SGRH, a leading private hospital with 675 beds. It was on June 3 declared a COVID-19 facility by the city government, and told to dedicate 80 per cent beds for COVID-19 patients.
The FIR has been filed against the medical superintendent of SGRH under the section 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) of the IPC for allegedly violating directions issued under Epidemic Disease COVID-19, Regulation 2020.
5 BSF men, 2 Kandla Port workers test positive in Kutch
Five Border Security Force (BSF) jawans on Saturday tested positive for novel coronavirus in Bhuj in Gujarat’s Kutch district, an official said.
The five jawans of the BSF’s 79th battalion stationed at Bhuj were detected with the infection after they resumed duty post a holiday in their native states, the Kutch district official said.
“They were quarantined on their return and have now tested positive for coronavirus,” he said.
19 more die of COVID-19 in Tamil Nadu
Nineteen more people succumbed to the coronavirus in Chennai which reported a spike of 1,458 fresh cases on Saturday taking the infection count to 30,152 and death toll to 251, the health department said.
This is the seventh consecutive day the state is witnessing more than 1000 plus cases.
The number of people who got cured stood at 633 on Saturday, totalling 16,395 till date, a department bulletin said.
Maharashtra govt to procure 10,000 vials of Remdesivir: Tope
The Maharashtra government will procure 10,000 vials of the drug Remdesivir for treating coronavirus patients, Public Health Minister Rajesh Tope said on Saturday.
The expensive medicine is being made available for the poor and needy patients in the state, he said.
Researchers at IIT-Hyderabad develop low-cost test kit that can detect virus within 20 minutes
A team of researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Hyderabad claims to have developed a first-of-its kind COVID-19 test kit that can deliver results within 20 minutes.
The researchers claimed that the alternative test method is not based on the Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) — the method currently being used for COVID-19 testing.
The test kit has been developed at a cost of ₹550 and it can be reduced to up to Rs 350 when taken to mass production, they said.
While a patent has been filed for the test kit, the team has conducted clinical trials at ESIC Medical College and Hospital in Hyderabad and sought an approval from the Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR).
NDRF man tests COVID positive after return from cyclone-hit Bengal, 173 being tested
An NDRF personnel has tested positive for COVID-19 after his return to Odisha from cyclone Amphan-hit West Bengal following restoration work, official sources said on Saturday.
With detection of the case, the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) authorities have ordered testing of all 173 men who were deployed in the neighbouring state on post-cyclone duty, they said.
Six personnel showed coronavirus-like symptoms after returning from West Bengal on June 3, and they were rushed to the SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack for examination, a senior officer of the NDRF’s 3rd Battalion told PTI.
Rush to ease lockdown curbs, migrants’ return led to spike in cases in Bengal, say doctors
Bengal registered as many as 1,802 COVID-19 cases in last five days, with the tally rising to 7,303 in the State in an alarming spike in 5,501 infections recorded in two months up to May 31, when the government called for easing lockdown curbs .
Senior doctors at State-run hospitals said “unplanned relaxation of lockdown norms” and return of migrants in hordes were to blame for the surge in numbers.
Some of the doctors also said the lockdown did not yield the expected results, as migrant movement was allowed amid the spike in cases, and curbs were eased abruptly.
India now sixth worst-hit nation by COVID-19
India went past Italy to become the sixth worst-hit nation by COVID-19, with the country registering a record single-day spike of 9,887 cases.
The country has registered over 9,000 cases for the third day in a row.
India is now the sixth worst-affected nation in terms of coronavirus infection cases after the U.S., Brazil, Russia, Spain and the U.K., according to Johns Hopkins University data.
-PTI
Former footballer dies of COVID-19
Former Santosh Trophy National Football Championship player, E Hamsakoya, who had tested positive for COVID-19, succumbed to the virus early Saturday at a hospital in Kerala, taking the toll due to the infection in the state to 15.
ITBP opens its countrywide health centres for veterans
The Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), that guards the LAC with China, has thrown open the gates of its countrywide health centres and hospitals for its veterans suffering from the novel coronavirus, the chief of the paramilitary force said on Saturday.
ITBP Director General (DG) S S Deswal has issued an official message to all his troops and formations saying the decision has been taken after the force came across media reports of people facing problems in getting admission or treatment at COVID-19 designated hospitals.
Delhi health infrastructure should be used for its residents only: AAP govt. panel
A five-member committee formed by the Delhi government in its report submitted to the government said that Delhi’s health infrastructure should be used only for its residents, according to Delhi government sources.
“The report said that if people from outside are allowed to use hospitals, then we will reach 100 percent bed capacity in three days,” a source said.
The Delhi government had earlier this week formed the committee to guide the government on overall COVID-19 preparedness of hospitals in the city, augmentation of health infrastructure, and any other area where strengthening of infrastructure of health facilities is required for the better management of COVID-19.
Mangor Hill causing spike in Goa COVID-19 cases: Minister
The spike in COVID-19 cases in Goa is due to the situation in Vasco’s Mangor Hill area, which has been declared a containment zone, and there is no threat of community transmission, State Health Minister Vishwajit Rane said.
"The spike in cases in Goa is due to cases from Mangor Hill, which are a result of local transmission and not community transmission. The Goa government is ready to face any situation to ensure the safety of its people," Mr. Rane said.
The State currently has 196 COVID-19 cases.
- PTI
Denied court closure, Mathura Bar Association calls for one-week work boycott
The Mathura Bar Association urged its members to not take up any work for a week after their requests to the District Judge for temporarily closure of the court was declined, an office bearer said.
After a former Mathura Bar Association president tested positive for COVID-19 on June 5, a delegation of office bearers led by the current president of the Bar, met District Judge Sadhana Rani Thakur requesting her to close the court for a week, said Vishal Singh, association secretary.
"The court should be closed for a week to find out the health status of other members of Mathura Bar Association,” he said.
The judge, though, declined the request citing her “inability” to do so, Mr. Singh said.
- PTI
Punjab government issues guidelines for reopening malls, places of worship
No trial of clothing shall be allowed in shopping malls, while places of worship will be barred from distributing prasad or serving langar when they reopen from June 8, according to the guidelines issued by the Punjab government.
The fresh guidelines also provide for a token-based entry to malls. Mall visitors are required to have COVA app on their mobile phones. “The maximum capacity of persons allowed in each shop in the mall shall be fixed on the basis of maintenance of six-feet distance,” it added.
Restaurants or food courts shall not operate in any of the malls except take away or home delivery, it said. In case of hotels and other hospitality units, hotel restaurants shall remain closed and food shall be served only in the rooms of guests.
- PTI
Uttarakhand reports 31 more; tally rises to 1,245
Uttarakhand reported 31 fresh COVID-19 cases, taking the tally to 1,245, according to the State Health department bulletin.
The fresh cases were reported from Pithoragarh (8), Dehradun (6), Chamoli (6), Almora (4), Nainital (3), Tehri (3) and Uttarkashi (1), it said. Most of the new cases have a travel history to Mumbai, Delhi and NCR, the bulletin said.
Out of a total of 1,245 patients, 422 have recovered, five have migrated out of the State and 11 have died.
- PTI
MP’s Mahakal temple to reopen from June 8
Nearly eleven weeks after the famous Mahakaleshwar temple in Ujjain city of Madhya Pradesh was shut due to the coronavirus outbreak, its doors will be reopened for devotees from Monday, its office-bearer said.
However, those who wish to visit the temple will have to register their names first, he said.
The Mahakaleshwar temple in Ujjain, located around 175 kms from Bhopal, is one of the 12 “jyotirlingas” in the country and attracts lakhs of devotees every year.
- PTI
Plea in Delhi HC for resumption of normal judicial work via videoconferencing
A plea has been moved before the Delhi High Court seeking resumption of normal judicial work in all courts in the national capital via videoconferencing and e-filing.
In an administrative order issued on May 29, the high court had said it would only hear urgent matters via videoconferencing till June 14 in view of the COVID-19 pandemic. The order also applies to all district courts in the city.
- PTI
Special buses for teachers involved in exam work from June 8 in Chennai
For teachers and officials involved in preparatory work ahead of the class 10 public exams, special buses will ply at 9 a.m. and at 4 p.m. from June 8 onwards in Chennai.
As many as 41 MTC bus routes have been identified for this .
DMK moves HC to bring back Tamils stranded in foreign countries
Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) has filed a public interest litigation petition in the Madras High Court seeking a direction to the State government to accord necessary clearances for landing of aircraft, so that Indians stranded in foreign countries due to the COVID-19 pandemic, could be brought back and sent to their native towns after quarantine.
The petition is expected to be listed for hearing before a Division Bench of Justices Vineet Kothari and R. Suresh Kumar. Filing an affidavit on behalf of the party, its Press Relations secretary T.K.S. Elangovan said , hundreds of Indian nationals had lost their jobs in foreign countries and were stranded over there due to the lockdown to fight COVID-19.
Highest single-day spike of 210 new cases in Andhra Pradesh
The State witnessed the highest single-day spike in the number of fresh COVID-19 cases during the past 24-hours.
210 fresh cases, including 161 cases of locals - which is also the highest single-day spike so far, were detected after 12, 771 samples were tested.
The tally went up to 4,460 and the number of active cases are at 1,786. The number of patients discharged so far is 2,601; death toll at 73, with no new deaths reported in the past day.
- Tharun Boda
Russia reports 8,855 new cases
Russia reported 8,855 new cases of the novel coronavirus on Saturday, pushing the total number of infections to 4,58,689.
Officials said 197 people had died in the last 24 hours, bringing the official nationwide death toll to 5,725.
- Reuters
CM urges industries to employ Tamil Nadu workers in place of migrant workers
In view of migrant workers leaving for their home States following the COVID-19 pandemic, Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami called upon industries in Tamil Nadu to employ native workers to avoid any dip in industrial production. The State government was “closely monitoring the changing times and it would announce more relaxations [from the lockdown] depending on the circumstances,” he said.
Nagaland COVID-19 count crosses 100
Nagaland has become the fourth north-eastern State after Assam, Tripura and Manipur to have more than 100 COVID-19 positive cases.
Nagaland’s Health Minister S. Pangnyu Phom on June 6 said the number of infected persons in the State reached 107 with the addition of 13 fresh cases out of 252 swab samples tested in the last 24 hours.
“All the 13 who tested positive are returnees from Chennai,” he said.
At the last count, Assam led the table among the eight north-eastern States with 2,244 positive cases followed by Tripura with 694 and Manipur with 143.
While all of Nagaland’s cases are active, the number of those undergoing treatment in Assam, Tripura and Manipur are 1,727, 521 and 93 respectively.
Assam and Meghalaya are the only States where people succumbed to the novel coronavirus.
Four died in Assam and one in Meghalaya. — Rahul Karmakar
143 confirmed cases in Manipur so far
The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Manipur increased to 143 today morning. Dr. Khoirom Sashikumar Mangang, Additional Director of Health department and spokesperson said 50 persons had shown improvement.
There are now 93 active cases in the State. He further said the recovery rate in the State was 34.96%.
Meanwhile Chief Minister N. Biren appealed to the people to use face masks while venturing out of houses. "It will help in protecting against the spread of COVID-19," he said.
- Iboyaima Laithangbam
Chikkamagalur district is now COVID-19-free
The Chikkamagaluru district has become free from confirmed cases of COVID-19 . All 16 persons, who were tested positive to the infection, were discharged on Saturday after they were treated and tested negative.
Of the 18 cases of COVID-19 in the district, two turned out to be false negative. The remaining 16 who were treated at district hospitals were discharged after the follow-up tests showed negative.
Govt fixes tariff for private hospitals treating COVID-19
The Tamil Nadu State Health department has determined maximum applicable rates for per day treatment of COVID-19 patients in private hospitals.
The hospitals have been classified under two categories - Grade A1/ A2 and Grade A3 / A4. An official release said, in the general ward, Grade A1 and A2 hospitals may levy a maximum of Rs. 7,500 per day; whereas Grade A3 and A4 hospitals may levy up to Rs. 5,000 per day of admission.
However, in case of admission to intensive care unit, all hospitals, irrespective of the grades they fall under, have been instructed that the charges may not exceed Rs. 15,000 per day.
Some private hospitals engaging in black marketing of beds: Kejriwal
"There are a few private hospitals which are engaging in the black marketing of beds in Delhi even in the midst of this pandemic," Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said.
He said to such hospitals, "There will be no negotiation; you will have to reserve beds and treat coronavirus patients."
"We will take very strict action against hospitals engaging in this black marketing of beds; we will also issue an order today that even suspected Coronavirus patients will need to be admitted by hospitals if approached and cannot be turned away under any circumstances," he said.
The government is meeting representatives of private hospitals on a daily basis to get to the bottom of the problem and to resolve their issues, Mr. Kejriwal said.
Admitting that there were some issues with the app launched to track the availability of beds and ventilators, the CM said they were working to resolve the problems.
- Jatin Anand
Now, petitioners can video call Tiruvallur SP
After setting up kiosks to collect petitions and complaints, the Tiruvallur district police have gone a step ahead and introduced a video call facility for petitioners to directly interact with the district Superintendent of Police (SP).
In the first phase, the video call facility has been introduced at the district police head-quarters alone.
“We are trying various initiatives to ensure that there is no physical contact between policemen and the petitioners,” said a police officer.
In Tiruvallur district, 10 policemen have tested positive for COVID-19.
Stranded 74-member crew of Malayalam film return to State from Djibouti
The 74-member crew of Malayalam film Djibouti reached Cochin International Airport early morning on June 6 after being stranded in Djibouti, an East African nation for over 45 days following the COVID-19 outbreak. They reached the airport in a special chartered flight and were shifted to paid, institutional quarantine facilities to undergo the mandatory quarantine.
The film crew included actors Dileesh Pothan, Amit Chakkalakkal, Anjali Nair, Gregory, a one-year-old child — who plays a key role in the movie — and his parents.
5 ED officials test positive, headquarters sealed
Five Enforcement Directorate (ED) employees, including a special director rank officer, have tested positive for COVID-19, following which the headquarters of the central probe agency have been sealed for 48 hours till Monday , officials said.
Out of the five, two are contract employees. The employees were found infected after the agency carried out section-wise testing at its headquarters in the wake of some COVID-19 cases being reported from other floors of the Lok Nayak Bhawan in Khan Market, where the ED office is located, the officials said.
Former footballer dies of COVID-19 in Malappuram
A 63-year-old former Santhosh Trophy football player from Parappanangadi in Malappuram district died of COVID-19, raising the total number of coronavirus deaths in Kerala to 15. He was under treatment at Government Medical College Hospital, Manjeri.
He tested positive for coronavirus and was admitted to hospital after he returned from Mumbai in the last week of May. He acquired pneumonia while under treatment and died at 6.30 a.m. today.
Five members of his family, including his wife and son, were also shifted to Government Medical College Hospital, Manjeri, the only COVID-19 designated hospital in Malappuram district.
- Abdul Latheef Naha
Pakistan registers record 97 COVID-19 deaths in one day, total number of infections approaches 94,000
Pakistan has reported a record 97 COVID-19 deaths in a single day, taking the total number of fatalities to 1,935, while the number of confirmed cases in the country approached 94,000 after over 4,700 infections were detected, the health ministry said on Saturday.
Punjab registered 35,308 COVID-19 cases, Sindh 34,889, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa 12,459, Balochistan 5,776 Islamabad 4,323, Gilgit-Baltistan 897 and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir 331 cases, the Ministry of National Health Services said.
The total number of COVID-19 cases reached 93,983 after 4,734 new infections were detected across the country, it said.
COVID-19 could be opportunity for India to speed up Ayushman Bharat: WHO chief
The COVID-19 pandemic, which has presented challenges for several nations, could be an opportunity for India to speed up the health insurance scheme Ayushman Bharat, especially with a focus on primary healthcare, WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has said.
WHO Director-General Ghebreyesus was responding to a question on the COVID-19 situation in India, where the number of coronavirus cases are increasing rapidly. India went past Italy on Friday to become the sixth worst-hit nation by the COVID-19 pandemic.
March 24 to May 30, 2020 will be a time that won't be easy for Indians to forget. The intense lockdown triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic tested the resilience of the nation, its systems and its people.
Uthenge Hum is a video by Virtual Bharat in collaboration with The Hindu, that captures India in the midst of this unprecedented lockdown.
Most of 51 new South Korea cases linked to door sales
South Korea on Saturday reported 51 new cases of COVID-19, mostly in the densely populated capital region, as authorities scramble to stem transmissions among low-income workers who can’t afford to stay home.
The figures announced by South Korea’s Centers for Disease Control and Prevention brought national totals to 11,719 workers and 273 deaths.
At least 34 of the new cases were linked to door-to-door sellers hired by Richway, a Seoul-based health product provider.
China orders pangolin protection amid pandemic
China is ordering its highest level of protection for the armadillo-like pangolin as part of its crackdown on the wildlife trade following the global coronavirus pandemic.
While the virus is believed to have originated in the central Chinese city of Wuhan, most scientists say it was most likely transmitted from bats to humans via an intermediary animal such as the pangolin.
The order Friday from the National Forestry and Grassland Administration does not explicitly mention the virus outbreak as a reason for the measure, but the timing appears to indicate that was a consideration.
Pangolin meat is considered a delicacy by some Chinese and its scales are used in traditional Chinese medicine. - AP
India now sixth worst-hit nation by COVID-19, surpasses Italy with an infection tally of 2,36,657
COVID-19 pandemic with the country registering a record single-day spike of 9,887 cases which pushed the nationwide tally to 2,36,657.
India’s death toll due to COVID-19 rose to 6,642 with a record increase of 294 deaths in the 24 hours till Saturday 8 a.m.
The number of active COVID-19 cases stood at 1,15,942, while 1,14,072 people have recovered and one patient has migrated, the Union Health Ministry said.
“Thus, around 48.20% patients have recovered so far,” a senior health ministry official said. - PTI
Trump says India, China will have more COVID-19 cases with more tests
US President Donald Trump has said that countries like India and China would have much more coronavirus cases than America if they conduct more tests.
Mr. Trump, in his remarks at Puritan Medical Products in Maine, said that the U.S. has carried out 20 million tests. India has so far conducted over 4 million coronavirus tests, according to the health ministry.
Commenting on the COVID-19 tests in the U.S., Mr. Trump said: We will be well over 20 million tests. Remember this, when you test more, you have more cases.
Jair Bolsonaro threatens to pull Brazil from WHO
President Jair Bolsonaro threatened to withdraw Brazil from the World Health Organization, following in the footsteps of his U.S. counterpart, Donald Trump, accusing it of “ideological bias.”
“I'm telling you right now, the United States left the WHO, and we're studying that, in the future. Either the WHO works without ideological bias, or we leave, too,” the far-right leader told journalists outside the presidential palace. - AFP
China reports 3 new COVID-19 cases, 2 asymptomatic cases
China recorded three new confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus as of the end of Friday, down from five the day before, the national health authority reported.
All of the cases were imported, involving travellers arriving from abroad, the National Health Commission (NHC) said on its website.
Maharashtra government, BMC may use private ambulances
The Maharashtra government and the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Friday told the Bombay High Court it was considering requisitioning privately-operated ambulances in the state during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Advocate General Ashutosh Kumbhakoni, appearing for the State, and BMC counsel Anil Sakhare told the court the authorities are exploring other options to ensure privately-operated ambulances start plying on the roads.
