Coronavirus India Updates: Manipur imposes stringent night curfew during 15-day lockdown; Over 1.2 lakh Covid patients treated for free under MJPJAY

Despite the rising caseload, the recovery rate of patients is fast approaching 60 per cent , the Health Ministry said. As on date, there are 1,19,696 more recovered patients than Covid-19 active cases. Meanwhile, according to ICMR, a cumulative total of 86,08,654 samples have been tested up to June 29 with 2,10,292 samples tested on Monday.

Here are the top COVID-19 developments from across the country

Assam: Highest single day spike with 613 cases

613 cases were reported in Assam on Tuesday — and with it, the total number of cases in the state reaches 8407, out of which 2745 are active. “Today, 380 cases were reported in Guwahati City alone, and need for caution can’t be overemphasized” tweeted State Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma. The city is currently under a stringent 14 day lockdown. So far the Health Department has done 412,214 tests.The state has reported 12 deaths so far.

Karnataka’s new guidelines: Complete lockdown on 5 Sundays

There will be complete lockdown on five Sundays in Karnataka, starting from July 5 to August 2, the state government’s latest guidelines on Unlock-2 said. However, essential activities and marriages already fixed on these days shall be permitted. Number of guests should not exceed 50 in marriage-related gatherings. The lockdown will be in force until July 31.

• Nigh curfew: Movement of people will be strictly prohibited between 8.00 pm to 5.00 am throughout the state, except for essential activities.
• Training institutions of the central and state government will be allowed to function from July 15, for which Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) will be issued by the Department of Personnel & Training (DOPT) and Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms.
• Schools, colleges, educational and coaching institutions will continue to remain closed till July 31.
• International air travel of passengers, Metro Rail,cinema halls, gymnasiums,swimming pools,entertainment parks, theatres, bars, auditoriums, assembly halls and similar places, social, political, sports, entertainment, academic, cultural,religious functions and other large congregations continue to remain prohibited.

Source: Twitter/K’taka Health Dept)

Bengal sees highest single-day spike of Covid-19 cases

West Bengal Tuesday recorded its highest single-day spike of 652 COVID-19 cases, which pushed the total tally in the state to 18,559, the health department said. In the last 24 hours, 15 Covid patients died taking the toll to 668, the department said in its daily bulletin.

Of the 15 people, 14 succumbed to comorbidities, where COVID-19 was “incidental”, the bulletin said. Seven of those that died were from the metropolis, two each from neighbouring North 24 Parganas and Howrah districts, and one each from Hooghly, Bankura, Birbhum and Darjeeling districts, it added.

Since Monday evening, 411 people have recovered from the disease, improving the discharge rate to 65.35 per cent. (Source: wbhealth.gov.in)

Stringent night curfew in Manipur during 15-day lockdown

After extending the lockdown for another 15 days, July 1 to 15, Manipur decided to enforce night curfew in the state from 6 pm to 5 am. In its latest guidelines, issued on Tuesday, the northeastern state has decided to keep all containment zones put under complete lockdown. However, agricultural sector, essential services, health-related activities, construction of roads and railway projects, online teaching, movement of cargo will have permission to operate.

Under lockdown 6.0, all public transport, including interstate bus services except those permitted by the state will be prohibited. Religious places and congregations, educational institutes, malls among others will remain closed. (Inputs by Debraj Deb)

Under lockdown 6.0, all public transport, including interstate bus services except those permitted by the state will be prohibited.

‘Negligence’ by people after Unlock-1 a cause of worry: PM

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday lamented that people are becoming increasingly negligent in personal and social behaviour since the coronavirus-induced curbs were eased under ‘Unlock-1’ from June 1, and said everyone needs to follow the rules, be it a village pradhan or the head of the government. “But we have also seen that since ‘Unlock-1’, there is increasing negligence in personal and social behaviour. Earlier, we were very careful with respect to wearing of masks, social distancing and washing of hands for 20 seconds. But today, when we need to be more careful, increasing negligence is a cause of worry,” he said.

In his address to the nation, Modi said “As the country enters Unlock-2, we are also entering the season of increasing cases of cough, cold and fever. I, therefore, request all of you to take special care of yourselves.”

Addressing the nation. https://t.co/7urZ7A7nPu

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) June 30, 2020

Tamil Nadu infections cross 90,000-mark

With nearly 4,000 new Covid-19 cases for the third consecutive day reported on Tuesday, Tamil Nadu’s tally stood at 90,167, according to PTI. Deaths increased by 60 to 1,201. State’s capital Chennai recorded the highest single-day increase of 2,393 cases, taking the cumulative share to 58,327 cases, and the remainder was spread across the state, a health department bulletin said.

While 2,325 patients were discharged, in total, 50,074 people have recovered and active cases stood at 38,889. A total of 30,242 samples were tested today and cumulatively 11,70,683 specimens have been examined.

As many as 50,074 people have recovered and active cases stood at 38,889 (PTI)

ASHA workers played critical role in COVID-19 management in UP: Health Ministry

About 1.6 lakh accredited social health activists have tracked in two phases over 30.43 lakh migrants who returned to Uttar Pradesh during the COVID-19 lockdown and assisted the state government in contact tracing and community surveillance, the Union Health Ministry said. The ASHAs tracked 11.24 lakh migrant returnees in the first phase and 19.19 lakh in the second, the ministry said, adding that they not only identified 7,965 persons with symptoms but also regularly followed up on their health status, PTI stated.

“ASHAs have played a critical role in sensitising the communities about the preventive measures to be adopted such as regular hand washing with soap and water, importance of wearing masks when out in public spaces, and maintaining adequate physical distancing,” the ministry said.

The National Health Mission supports nearly 10 lakh ASHAs in rural and urban areas of most parts of the country. (Source: Twitter/MoHFW)

9,000 foreigners left in 43 flights from Goa during lockdown

As many as 43 special flights carrying nearly 9,000 foreigners have so far left from Goa various international destinations during the coronavirus-induced lockdown, officials said, PTI reported. The latest flight, of the Russian airliner Rossiya, carrying 318 adults and eight children, left from the Goa International Airport on Tuesday, airport director Gagan Malik said.

Besides, nearly 1,000 foreigners, mostly from Britain and Russia, are still in the state, including those stranded due to coronavirus-induced restrictions and the ones vacationing here, Superintendent of Police (FRRO) Bosco George said. There are many Russians whose visas have expired and they are waiting to complete the formalities to go back to their country, said Vikram Varma, legal counsel of the Russian Consulate in Mumbai.

Goa Airport has sent 43 Relief flights covering ISRAEL,RUSSIA, FINLAND, GERMANY,FRANCE,POLAND,UK,USAITALY,ARMENIA,BELARUS,UKRAINE,MONGOLIA,SWITZERLAND.
In all 9040 adults/105 infants sent homes safely.
A matter of pride for TEAM GOA @AAI_Official @MoCA_GoI @MEAIndia @aairedwr

— Goa Airport (@aaigoaairport) June 30, 2020

Over 100 contract infection after attending wedding ceremony in Bihar

A wedding ceremony in Patna appears to have set off the biggest infection chain in Bihar so far, state health department said, as per PTI. The officials said the groom was running a high fever and two days after his wedding, he died and his body was cremated without conducting a Covid-19 test. In the last few days, more than 100 people have tested positive in Paliganj sub-division of Patna district, about 55 km from the state capital, out of over 350 who have been tested upon contact tracing, they said. Fifteen of his relatives who attended the wedding on June 15 tested positive for the contagion and apparently infected others.

The officials said the groom was a software engineer based in Gurugram and had returned home for his marriage in the last week of May. A few days after the ’tilak‘ ceremony, he started showing symptoms of the disease. As a measure to contain the spread of the disease, a special camp was set up at the village where the marriage took place on June 24-26 during which samples of 364 people were collected. Of them, 86 tested positive, the officials added. Patna has reported 699 Covid-19 cases till date and five deaths, PTI cited figures provided by the administration.

#BiharFightsCorona
1st update of the day.
➡️127 more #COVIDー19 +ve cases in Bihar taking the total to 9745. The details are as follows. We are ascertaining their trail of infection. These are results of late last night received in the morning. #BiharHealthDept pic.twitter.com/LymWtQ66g0

— Bihar Health Dept (@BiharHealthDept) June 30, 2020

India’s first COVID-19 vaccine candidate approved for human trials

The Drug Controller General of India has approved Bharat Biotech’s COVID-19 vaccine for human trials, making it India’s first domestic candidate to get the green light from the government’s drug regulator as cases surge in a country with more than 1.3 billion people, Reuters reported. The company in a statement said that they received approval to conduct a Phase I and II clinical trial of Covaxin, which was developed along with the Indian Council of Medical Research’s National Institute of Virology.

Human clinical trials are scheduled to start across the country in July for the vaccine, which was developed and manufactured in Bharat Biotech’s facility at Genome Valley in Hyderabad, India.

94 new coronavirus cases in Rajasthan

Rajasthan reported 94 new cases on Tuesday, with the total number of infections rising to 17,754, PTI reported. Four more deaths were recorded in the last 24 hours, taking the death toll to 409. The state now has 3,397 active cases and as many as 13,640 patients have recovered.

Sikar reported 33 cases, Barmer had 22, Jaipur and Kota reported 12 and 7 new cases respectively, the report stated.

Madhya Pradesh Covid-19 cases cross 13,000

The total count of positive cases in Madhya Pradesh rose to 13,420 on Monday. With seven new deaths, the death toll climbed to 564. The number of active cases is 2,607.

A three-day curfew was imposed in Madhya Pradesh’s Morena with immediate effect on Monday evening as the town witnessed a sudden surge in COVID-19 cases. The decision to impose curfew within the Morena municipal corporation limits came in the wake of 57 new cases on Monday, taking to the total case count to 406, with as many as 192 cases being reported in the last six days.

Morena SP Anurag Sujania told The Indian Express that the curfew has been imposed in municipal limits to contain the spread of the infection as most cases have been reported from those areas. He said the entire population within the municipal limits will be screened. The municipal area is densely populated and shops are located in close vicinity.

Maharashtra lockdown extended till July 31 

Healthcare staff collect throat samples for Covid-19 test at New Police Colony, Bhoiwada on Monday. (Express Photo by Nirmal Harindran)

Maharashtra, which has the maximum number of coronavirus cases in the country, has extended the lockdown till July 31. According to the latest guidelines issued on Monday, shopping, outdoor exercise and movement for all other non-essential activities have to be limited to neighbourhood areas. No such curbs were announced when such activities were first permitted from June 5 as part of the ‘Mission Begin Again’ initiative.

Non-essential markets, market areas and shops can stay open only until 5 pm in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) and other hotspots. Malls and market complexes will remain shut. Since June 5, when the first phase of the Unlock began, a spike of 92,090 infections has been reported across the state, with Mumbai’s satellite cities and a few other tier-2 cities accounting for bulk of the increased case load. Follow Maharashtra Coronavirus Live Updates

Maharashtra recorded 5,257 Covid-19 cases on Monday, taking its tally to 1,69,883.

Meanwhile, a 139 per cent increase in Covid-19 cases since lockdown rules were eased in the state has led to the authorities planning to impose several restrictions on Thane city for a 10-day period from July 2. The nature of the restrictions, which would be effective in areas that come under the Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC), will be clarified by civic body on Tuesday.

On June 3, when lockdown rules were eased in the state, TMC had reported 4,019 cases and 84 deaths. Since then, the number of patients has increased by 139 per cent to 9,644 while fatalities have increased by 275 per cent to 315.

The Thane city police tweeted on Monday, “A complete lockdown will be announced in Thane for the next 10 days from July 2. A notification in this regard will be issued soon.”

Positivity rate in Delhi dips, Jama Masjid to reopen on July 4

A health worker is seen at a Covid-19 testing center in New Delhi on Monday. (Express Photo by Praveen Khanna)

As the number of daily coronavirus tests conducted in the capital increases — from 6,070 on June 1 to 16,157 on Monday June 29 — the positivity rate has dipped.

According to data shared by the Delhi government, the city’s average weekly positivity rate has gone from its highest point of 31% in the second week of June to 18% in the previous week, June 22 to 28. The city has managed to ramp up testing over the past two weeks, especially after antigen testing kits, which give results within half an hour, were made available, particularly for containment zones.

Jama Masjid, which had closed earlier this month due to a rise in Covid-19 cases, will reopen for congregational prayers (namaz) from July 4, Shahi Imam of the mosque Syed Ahmed Bukhari said on Tuesday, PTI reported.

The mosque had opened on June 8 but was closed on June 11 in view of the “critical” conditions in the city due to a rise in coronavirus cases, till June 30.

Bukhari said the decision to open the mosque was taken after consulting people and experts. “Under Unlock 1.0, almost everything has opened and normal activities have resumed. We took this decision to open the mosque for people to offer namaz as the scare of the virus has lessened and awareness about safeguards against it has increased,” he said, adding that safety precautions like maintaining social distancing, wearing protective gear and sanitisation will be followed.

A total of 2,084 new cases and 57 deaths were reported Monday. Delhi’s total caseload is 85,161, of which 56,235 people have recovered and 26,246 are active cases. So far, 2,680 people have died — the city’s Covid mortality rate is 3.1%.

According to Delhi government data, the daily average new bed occupancy was 238 in the first week of June. While for the week ending June 28, an average of 27 more people were discharged per day as compared to those who were admitted.

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal Monday said that his government will start a plasma bank within the next two days at the Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences (ILBS). Describing the decision as “a first-of-its-kind initiative”, Kejriwal appealed to those who have recovered from Covid-19 to donate plasma at the Institute. So far, 56,235 patients have been listed in Delhi under the “recovered/discharged/migrated” category.

Extensive testing in CM’s constituency in Goa to contain virus spread

Goa chief minister Pramod Sawant said extensive testing is being undertaken in his Sankhalim assembly constituency, which has reported 24 Covid-19 cases so far, PTI reported. “”Extensive testing has begun in Sankhalim to contain the spread of the virus,” the chief minister said.

Sawant also told reporters that a former Sankhalim MLA was undergoing treatment at ESI Hospital and his health was stable.

The Margao assembly constituency has also reported a number of coronavirus cases and Moti Dongor, a slum in the constituency was declared a containment zone on Monday by the South Goa district administration.

Goa has reported a total of 1,251 cases of coronavirus so far and three deaths.

Day of record recovery offsets daily cases surge in Uttar Pradesh

Even as Monday recorded a high of 695 new coronavirus cases, taking the state’s count to 22,841, a record number of recoveries in the last 24 hours offset the surge and brought down the active number of Covid-19 patients in the state to 6,650 from Sunday’s 6,679.

A total of 698 patients recovered in the last 24 hours, taking the total number of recoveries in the state to 15,506 with a recovery rate of close to 68 per cent. Follow Delhi Coronavirus Live Updates

While Gautam Buddh Nagar (Noida) contributed 53 new cases, at least 211 people recovered in the district. Among those who tested positive in Noida is a deputy collector. The district administration said that Deputy Collector (Jewar) Gunja Singh will remain in isolation for treatment and her office has been sanitised and staffers were being tested. Neighbouring Ghaziabad reported the highest number of cases (70) with 39 recoveries and one death.

Bengaluru continues to witness spike in cases

Bengaluru continued to report a spike in Covid- 19 cases as 738 people tested positive on Monday, taking the total tally to 4,052.

Karnataka reported 1,105 new cases, bringing the total number of coronavirus cases in the state to 14,295, with around 6,382 active cases. 19 more deaths were reported on Monday, taking the overall death toll to 230. According to the health department, the number of people in intensive care units (ICU) in Karnataka is 268.

Meanwhile, the Karnataka government on Monday held meetings with private hospitals to increase the number of beds in the hospitals to treat the Covid- 19 patients.