- India
- International
Coronavirus India Updates: The number of coronavirus infections in the country zoomed past 34 lakh with a single-day spike of 76,472 cases, with the number of cases settling at 34,63,972. With 1,021 fresh deaths in the last 24 hours, the death toll climbed to 62,550. According to the Health Ministry, the number of recoveries surged to 26,48,998, pushing the recovery rate to 76.47 per cent.
The country’s Covid-19 tally had crossed the 20-lakh mark on August 7 and the 30-lakh mark on August 23. According to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), a total of 4,04,066,09 samples were tested for Covid-19 up to August 28, including 9,28,761 on Friday.
Here are the top developments in India:
Asymptomatic international passengers who have compelling reasons, including pregnancy and death in family, may be exempted from institutional quarantine as per the latest guidelines issued by the Telangana government.
Those passengers who produce negative RT-PCR test report on arrival with the test conducted within 96 hours prior to departure may also be exempted from institutional quarantine,according to the guidelines.
According to the SOP, guidelines on health protocols and quarantine for international arrivals, as issued by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW), from time to time will be observed, it said.
After being closed since March 22 in view of the COVID-19 pandemic, Delhi Metro has received the nod from authorities to resume services from September 7 in a “calibrated manner”, officials said on Saturday. Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal tweeted that he was “glad” the mertro services will resume operations in a phased manner.
“As per the latest guidelines issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs under Unlock-4, the Delhi Metro will be resuming its services for public from September 7 onwards in a calibrated manner,” the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) said in a statement.
Six people were arrested across Noida and Greater Noida on Saturday for alleged violation of the curbs imposed due to the COVID-19 outbreak, Gautam Buddh Nagar police said. Also, owners of more than 1,900 vehicles were issued challans, while another 16 were impounded for similar violations in the district, which has so far recorded over 7,700 COVID-19 cases, including 45 deaths, according to official figures.
A mental health study done on over 8,000 individuals found that college students were the most affected by the novel coronavirus pandemic and the lockdown. Conducted by YourDost, an online mental health platform, the study found that the second worst-affected segment of people was working professionals. They were not affected at the beginning of lockdown, but were severely hit with a drastic deterioration in feelings of anxiety, anger and loneliness.
The study compiled and analysed data from a survey done at the beginning of the coronavirus lockdown and another in June at the beginning of ‘Unlock 1.0’. It also included data from individual sessions with experts on the YourDost platform.
India’s COVID-19 recoveries have crossed 26 lakh pushing the recovery rate to 76.47 per cent, which the Centre said has been made possible due to the strategic policy of “testing aggressively, tracking comprehensively and treating efficiently” in supervised home-isolation, facility-isolation and hospitals.
A significant feature of India’s management of COVID-19 cases is the growing rate of recovered patients. A higher number of patients are recovering and being discharged from hospitals and home isolation, it highlighted. These recoveries are being achieved because of adherence to the ‘National Standard Treatment Protocol’ by all health facilities across the country, and due to daily monitoring of positive cases under home-isolation, the ministry said.
Uttarakhand BJP president Bansidhar Bhagat on Saturday said he has tested positive for COVID-19. Taking to Twitter, Bhagat himself announced his test result and asked all those who came in contact with him last week to undergo COVID-19 testing.
Uttarakhand BJP vice-president Devendra Bhasin said Bhagat’s treatment has begun. He also wished the state party chief a speedy recovery. “I was tested for corona on Friday and my test report has come positive. I request everyone who came in contact with me last week to undergo a corona test, ” Bhagat said in a tweet.
“I hope I will be back soon with your blessings and good wishes,” he said.
Home Minister Amit Shah, who was admitted to Delhi’s AIIMS last week, has recovered from post-Covid care and is likely to be discharged shortly, the hospital said in a statement. “He has recovered and is likely to be discharged in a short time,” the statement read.
Shah was admitted to AIIMS on August 20 after complaining of “fatigue and body aches”. As per the premier hospital, he was hospitalised for post-Covid-19 care. “He has been admitted to AIIMS for post-COVID care. He is comfortable and is continuing his work from hospital,” the hospital statement had said.
With more than nine lakh samples tested for the third consecutive day, the number of tests for detection of Covid-19 has crossed the four-crore mark in India, while the number of such tests per 10 lakh people has also increased to 29,280, the health ministry said on Saturday.
With the focused, consistent and coordinated efforts led by the Centre and implemented by the states and Union territories, the country has set a new landmark of testing 4,04,06,609 people for Covid-19 so far, the ministry said. The number of daily tests has also seen an upsurge. Already having achieved the testing capacity of 10 lakh per day, 9,28,761 Covid-19 tests were conducted on Friday.
Odisha on Saturday registered the highest single-day spike of 14 COVID-19 fatalities, which pushed the death toll in the state to 470, a health department official said. At least 3,252 fresh cases were recorded in all the 30 districts of the state, raising the coronavirus tally to 97,920, he said.
Of the new fatalities, two each were reported from Balasore, Khurda, Cuttack, Jagatsinghpur and Malkangiri and one each from Bargah, Jajpur, Puri and Sundargarh districts, the official said. “Regret to inform the demise of fourteen #COVID-19 positive patients while under treatment in hospitals,” the Health and Family Welfare Department said on Twitter.
More than 20 Samajwadi Party activists have been booked for allegedly violating coronavirus guidelines and gathering for a protest here, police said on Saturday. The SP members, including former Muzaffarnagar district president Rashid Malik and youth leader Shamsher Malik, have burnt the effigy of the Uttar Pradesh government in protest against the baton charge on activists in Lucknow. A case has been registered against 20 activists, Kotwali police station incharge Anil Kaparwan said.
Uttar Pradesh cabinet minister Satish Mahana said on Saturday that he had tested positive for the novel coronavirus and isolated himself at home. Mahana requested those who have come in contact with him in the past few days to get their coronavirus tests done. “After initial symptoms of COVID, I got myself tested yesterday (Friday) and the report came positive,” the infrastructure and industrial development minister tweeted. “I have isolated myself at home on the advice of doctors.”
Former Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy on Saturday hit out at the Centre for calling the COVID-19 pandemic an ‘Act of God’ resulting in contraction of the country’s economy. He was referring to Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s comment during the 41st GST Council meeting where she had said the country faced an extraordinary situation and termed the coronavirus pandemic as “an act of God”.
In a series of tweets, the JD(S) leader alleged that the Centre has ruined the economy of the states. “The irresponsible attitude of the Centre in shirking its commitment towards GST shortfall of the states is condemnable. It has dealt a blow to the federal structure of the country by describing the crisis arising out of COVID-19 pandemic as an unforeseen “Act of God,” he said. He accused the Centre of ruining the economy of states by asking them to resort to borrowings to make up for GST shortfall and also repay them.
Of the total number of people tested in Indore under the sero survey earlier this month, 7.72 per cent were found to have developed antibodies to COVID-19, an official said. Indore is the worst-hit district in Madhya Pradesh in terms of the number of coronavirus positive cases and fatalities.
“Blood samples of 7,103 people aged above one year were taken under the survey that was carried out from August 11 to 23 with the help of the National Centre for Disease Control,” Indore Divisional Commissioner Pawan Kumar Sharma said.