India Coronavirus Latest Update: Aviation regulator DGCA Friday decided to extend the suspension of scheduled international passenger flights in the country till July 15. However, it stated that some international scheduled services on selected routes may be permitted on a case to case basis.
“The competent authority has decided that scheduled international commercial passenger services to or from India shall remain suspended till 2359 hrs IST of July 15, 2020,” said the DGCA circular. “However, international scheduled flights may be allowed on selected routes by the competent authority on a case to case basis.”
— DGCA (@DGCAIndia) June 26, 2020
Scheduled international passenger flights remain suspended in India since March 23 due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Under the Centre’s Vande Bharat Mission, Air India and other private domestic airlines have been operating unscheduled international repatriation flights since May 6. India, on the other hand, resumed scheduled domestic passenger flights on May 25, after a gap of two months. Follow coronavirus news LIVE updates here
The Covid tally in India rose to 4,90,401 this morning after over 17,000 fresh cases were reported, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said. With 407 more fatalities, the death toll climbed to 15,301. According to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), a cumulative total of 77,76,228 samples have been tested up to June 25 with 2,15,446 samples being tested on Thursday.
India and Germany on Friday vowed to boost cooperation in dealing with the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, including supply of medicines, equipment and technology, PTI reported. Harsh Vardhan Shringla and his German coutnerpart Miguel Berger held virtual Foreign Secretary level consultations discussing bilateral cooperation in various areas.
“The two sides took stock of the extensive cooperation in addressing the challenges of COVID-19, including supply of medicines, equipment and technology,” the MEA said. They agreed to advance the various areas of bilateral cooperation and initiate consultations in the context of India’s upcoming membership of the UN Security Council (2021-22) and G20 Presidency (2022), and Germany’s present membership of the UN Security Council and forthcoming Presidency of the European Union, it said.
Following ICMR guidelines on rapid testing, the Rajasthan government will soon begin rapid antigen tests on a trial basis for screening coronavirus cases in the state, an official statement said. Additional Chief Secretary, Medical and Health, Rohit Kumar Singh said the ICMR is sending 200 test kits to Rajasthan for the trial. Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, during a video conference with medical experts, said this will help ramp up coronavirus investigation infrastructure and get quick reports.
“Due to our coordinated efforts, the Rajasthan model is discussed all over the country. Detailed assessment of the deaths of COVID-19 patients is also being conducted and the study can be used to prevent coronavirus,” Gehlot said.
As lockdown 5.0 approaches to a close, Jharkhand Friday decided to extend its lockdown till July 31. “With the cooperation of all of you in the struggle with Corona, we have got the expected success so far, but the struggle is still going on. Considering the seriousness of the situation, the state government has decided to extend the lockdown till 31 July. The concessions in lockdown will continue from time to time,” Chief Minister Hemant Soren said.
कोरोना से संघर्ष में हमें आप सबके सहयोग से अब तक हमें अपेक्षित सफलता मिली है, पर संघर्ष अभी जारी है।
स्थिति की गम्भीरता को देखते हुए राज्य सरकार ने लॉकडाउन 31 जुलाई तक बढ़ाने का फ़ैसला लिया है।
पीछे, समय समय पर लॉकडाउन में दी गयी रियायतें जारी रहेंगी। pic.twitter.com/TJQOoIsvP4
— Hemant Soren (घर में रहें – सुरक्षित रहें) (@HemantSorenJMM) June 26, 2020
Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Friday said community transmission of the novel coronavirus had begun as COVID-19 cases were coming from all parts of the state, PTI reported. “We will have to admit that community transmission has begun in the state. But the infection has been traced to some common sources,” Sawant told reporters. He said the state government had enforced a stringent standard operating procedure under which all those entering the state had to either get themselves tested or be home quarantined for 14 days. Mangor Hill in Vasco and Morlem village in Sattari taluka are containment zones while a few areas have been designated mini-containment zones in the state.
Fresh 44 infections were detected in Goa on Friday, taking the count to 1,039, of which 667 are active cases. So far, about 60,305 samples have been tested in Goa.
The number of coronavirus cases in the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) and the two other federal forces of NSG and NDRF have shot up to 3,300 with 100 fresh infections being reported on Friday, an official data accessed by PTI. So far, 23 deaths have occured in these forces, as per the data. The highest of 1,000 cases have been reported in the CRPF, followed by 868 in the BSF, 733 in the CISF, 306 in the ITBP and 139 in the SSB. The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has 184 cases, while the SSB has 139. Meanwhile, test reports of over 590 troops are awaited.
On Friday, 32 in the CISF, followed by 31 in the CRPF, 12 each in the BSF and the NDRF and 10 in the ITBP among others were infected.
Delhi’s Education Minister Manish Sisodia announced on Friday that schools in the city will continue to remain closed till July 31. “Reopening schools is not merely a technical work, rather, it is a creative work that would give schools a new and bigger role. Schools will continue to be closed in Delhi till July 31,” he said. Sisodia made the announcement after a meeting with officials of the Directorate of Education (DoE) on how to reopen schools.
Mumbai’s biggest slum, Dharavi Friday reported only eight new coronavirus cases taking the total tally to 2,218, a senior official of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) said, PTI reported. The official also said the doubling rate of Covid-19 cases in Dharavi has now improved to 140 days and the current growth rate of the pandemic is at 0.47 per cent. Dharavi is the largest slum in Asia with a population of 6.5 lakh
The fatality count of the area remained unchanged at 81 as no new death was reported from Dharavi in the last 24 hours. According to the official, Dharavi now has 1,019 active cases and the number of patients discharged so far is 1,118.
No Covid-19 death has been reported from Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland and Sikkim so far, the Health Ministry said Friday, adding the number of cases in the northeastern region was comparatively lower than the rest of the country. As on date, the number of recoveries at 5,715 exceed the active cases which stand at 3,731. The death toll in the entire region is 12, the ministry said. “The central government has supported the eight states in stepping up the number of ICU beds, isolation beds, oxygen-supported beds and ventilators. This has played a critical role in effective clinical management of COVID-19 cases,” the health ministry said.
After days of speculation, Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain tested negative for the coronavirus and is expected to be discharged from hospital on Friday, PTI reported. The 55-year-old minister was administered plasma therapy, tested positive for COVID-19 on June 17, a day after he was admitted to the Rajiv Gandhi Super Speciality Hospital (RGSSH) with high-grade fever and a sudden drop in oxygen levels. Jain was shifted to the ICU of Max Hospital, Saket, on June 19 after his condition worsened.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee Friday announced night curfew hours will be relaxed and said the state wants to resume metro services from July, PTI reported. The night curfew would now be from 10 pm to 5 am during the extended Covid-induced lockdown till July 31. The current spell of the lockdown was to end on June 30. “We are discussing with the Metro authorities about resuming the services from 1st July, will be allowing passengers only up to the seating capacity, Banerjee said as per news agency ANI.
Shopping malls, restaurants and other similar establishments had resumed services in Bengal on June 8 after a gap of over two months, with the state government allowing relaxations as part of Unlock-1.
Assam Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced that a 12-hour nigh curfew would be imposed in the state from 7 pm Friday and a 14-day complete lockdown will be enforced in Kamrup (Metro) district, of which Guwahati city is a part, from Sunday midnight, following a surge in Covid-19 cases. “We are now left with no choice but to impose a complete lockdown for 14 days from June 28 midnight, and this time it will be very strict as no grocery shops will be allowed to open or supply of vegetables and other essentials will be permitted for the first seven days,” he said.
The government will enforce a complete lockdown in other towns and municipal areas on weekends from June 27 every week till the spread of the virus is under control. There will be a total lockdown in Kamrup (Metro) and only emergency services will be allowed, he added. Guwahati has reported 762 infections since June 15 and of the total, 677 had no travel history, though many had come in contact with those returned to the state from outside, the minister told reporters. The state has reported 6,646 COVID-19 cases so far.
The Centre has told the Delhi High Court that it has provided personal protective equipment (PPE) kits and N 95 masks to states and union territories as per their requirement and it is upto them to “optimally utilize” the protective gear, PTI reported. “The central government is making available PPE kits, N-95 masks etc to states/UTs as per requirements. It is the responsibility of the states/UTs to optimally utilise the kits,” the Union Health Ministry in its affidavit, said.
The ministry responded to a PIL by an NGO alleging that nurses in private hospitals were not being provided proper protection equipment to guard against COVID-19 infection. The NGO, in its plea, alleged that nurses in private hospitals and clinics were being given used PPE kits.
Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa today ruled out the possibility of any fresh lockdown in Bengaluru, saying it is equally important to rebuilt the economic situation of the state.
“There is no question of imposing lockdown for any reason. In some areas (with high case load) we have already implemented lockdown, other than those places there is no question of it being implemented in other places,” he told reporters in the capital city.
Though the state capital was considered a model for the entire country in COVID management and has seen a spike in cases during the last few days, the pandemic can be controlled if everyone cooperated, he added.
Hyderabad’s largest wholesale market at Begum Bazar has decided to remain shut for eight days from Sunday, keeping in mind the surge in the number of virus cases in recent days and some merchants testing positive, the city Kirana Merchants’ Association said Friday.
The precautionary measure came after at least 400 coronavirus cases came to light in the Goshamahal division of the city corporation where the market area is located.
“Some of our member merchants also tested positive of coronavirus. Keeping in view of the safety of our merchants, their family members and customers, we took the decision,” association president Laxminarayan Rathi told news agency PTI.
The Delhi High Court today refused to entertain a PIL seeking direction to the Delhi government to take necessary steps for providing coronavirus testing facilities for advocates, judicial officers, court staff and their family members in all court premises in the national capital.
A bench of Chief Justice D N Patel and Justice Prateek Jalan asked the government to decide “as expeditiously as possible and practicable” the representation moved by the petitioner lawyer, on the same issue, on June 8.
The Maha Vikas Aghadi in Maharashtra is working together in the battle against virus pandemic and the Congress and NCP are fully supportive of Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray’s leadership, NCP patriarch Sharad Pawar has said.
“About this coronavirus situation, this government of three political parties is working together. There is not an iota of difference (among them). All these parties are working under the leadership of Mr Uddhav Thackeray,” he told a TV channel.
Besides this, he also exuded confidence that the government formed by the Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress – in November last year – will complete its five-year run.
Earlier in the day, Delhi Congress president Anil Kumar and his party colleagues were detained by the police after they gathered near India Gate without permission, to pay tribute to the Indian soldiers killed in a border clash with Chinese troops, officials said.
Five Delhi Congressmen were sitting near Amar Jawan Jyoti to pay homage to the soldiers killed in Galwan Valley in Ladakh on June 15, the Delhi Congress chief was quoted as saying by PTI.
“The policemen came and without listening to us shoved us into a vehicle and took us to Tilak Marg police station,” he said.
A senior police officer said a few people had gathered near National Stadium without any permission. “They were told to disperse immediately in view of the directives of the Central and Delhi government. When they refused, they were detained,” he said.