Coronavirus India Update, Sept 22: Active Covid-19 cases less than one-fifth of total cases, says Health Ministry

With India recording the highest number of COVID-19 recoveries in the world, the government on Tuesday said that for the past four consecutive days the number of daily recovered cases surpassed the new infections reported per day. Addressing a press briefing, Union Health Ministry Secretary Rajesh Bhushan said India has the highest number of recovered cases in the world at 44,97,867.

Bhushan said that the number of active COVID-19 cases were less than one-fifth of the total 55,62,663 infections in India.
“We get swayed by the narrative that India has over 50 lakh cases, but we forget that nearly 45 lakh people have already recovered,” the health secretary said.

Here is India’s top Covid-19 news on September 22:

Gujarat reports 1,402 COVID-19 cases, 16 deaths

Gujarat’s COVID-19 tally rose to 1,26,169 with the addition of 1,402 new cases on Tuesday, while fatalities grew to 3,355 with 16 more deaths, the state health department said. At the same time 1,321 patients were discharged from hospitals, taking the number of recovered cases in the state to 1,06,412, a department release said. The recovery rate has now climbed to 84.34 per cent in the state, it said. Of the 1,402 new cases of coronavirus detected in the last 24 hours, the highest 298 was recorded in Surat, while Ahmedabad reported 185 cases, Rajkot 150, Vadodara 136 and Jamnagar 123, the release said.

Another HP MLA tests COVID positive

Currently, there are 4,458 active COVID-19 cases in the state.

Himachal Pradesh MLA Vinod Kumar Chauhan tested COVID positive on Tuesday. He is the seventh legislator in the state who has contracted the infection.  The BJP MLA represents Nachan assembly segment in Mandi district.

Chauhan in a Facebook post said he has isolated himself after his report came out positive and requested all those who came in his contact in the last two days to isolate themselves and get tested.  He recently attended several programmes in Nachan with agriculture minister Virender Kanwar.

Chauhan is among the seven Himachal Pradesh MLAs in the 68-member assembly who have tested positive for the virus.
Sundernagar BJP MLA Rakesh Jamwal tested positive on Sunday, two days after the assembly adjourned sine die. On the first day of the monsoon session of the assembly, BJP MLA from Indora Reeta Devi had tested positive for coronavirus infection. She had attended the assembly session before her COVID-19 test was conducted.

Uttar Pradesh reports 77 more COVID-19 deaths, 5,722 fresh cases

The COVID-19 death toll in Uttar Pradesh reached 5,212 after 77 more people succumbed to the disease, while 5,722 fresh cases pushed the tally to 3,64,543, an official said on Tuesday. There are 63,148 active cases in the state, while 2,96,183 COVID-19 patients have recovered from the infection so far, Additional Chief Secretary (Medical and Health) Amit Mohan Prasad said. The recovery rate in Uttar Pradesh stands at 81.25 per cent, he said. On Monday, 1.50 lakh samples were tested for COVID-19, taking the total number of samples tested in the state to over 88 lakh.

MP: Jewellery shops in Indore to observe partial lockdown

People queue up outside a Covid19 testing van. (Express photo/Praveen Khanna)

Jewellery traders and shopkeepers in Madhya Pradesh’s Indore city have decided to observe a partial lockdown in order to prevent crowding in markets amid the rise in COVID-19 cases, an official said on Tuesday. The decision was taken by bullion traders following discussions with the local administration, said Basant Soni, the vice-president of the Indore Silver-Gold Gems Merchants Association.

“We have decided to keep our shops open from Monday to Friday from 12 pm to 7 pm and shut them completely in weekends,” he said.

Ladakh’s death toll now 50, total cases 3,832

The coronavirus death toll has risen to 50 in Ladakh as one more patient succumbed to the disease, while 79 new infections took the caseload to 3,832, officials said on Tuesday.

There are 1,047 active coronavirus cases in the Union Territory now, of which 591 are in Leh and 456 in Kargil district, the officials said.

A total of 2,735 patients, 71 per cent of the total caseload, have recovered till Monday evening, they said.

Delhi: HC stays govt order to hospitals to reserve beds for Covid-19 patients

The Delhi High Court Tuesday stayed the Arvind Kejriwal-led government’s September 13 order making it mandatory for 33 private hospitals in the city to reserve 80 per cent of their Intensive Care Unit (ICU) beds for patients suffering from Covid-19. The HC observed that prima facie the order was arbitrary, unreasonable and in violation of fundamental rights, reported news agency PTI.

The court was hearing a petition filed by Association of Healthcare Providers. It sought responses from the Delhi government and Centre.

At the Covid-19 designated Khaswadi crematorium in Vadodara on September 21, 2020. (Express Photo: Bhupendra Rana)

Four MNS leaders arrested for defying Covid-19 norms

The railway police arrested four leaders of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), including party general secretary Sandeep Deshpande, for defying Covid-19 orders. They had held a savinay kaydebhang (civil disobedience) protest on Monday, during which they boarded local trains demanding services be made available to ordinary people. Services are currently only available for people involved in essential services and government employees.

A case has been registered against the four leaders under IPC Sections 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) and 269 (negligent act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life), and the Disaster Management Act, the Indian Railways Act and other Covid-19 prevention measures of Maharashtra.

Pune: Mental health institute helps over 200 patients, staff recover from Covid-19

The Chaitanya Institute of Mental Health has opened after being closed for several months due to Covid-19. More than 200 patients, including staff, had tested Covid-19 positive at the institute. “At least 70 patients with dementia and Alzheimer’s disease were infected with Covid-19 and Dr Imran Shaikh and his wife, Sapna Shaikh, a psychiatrist with the team, took up the challenge to look after them,” Ronny George, founder of the institute working in the field of psychosocial rehabilitation, told The Indian Express.

“It was a devastating experience as about 50 per cent patients in the dementia care unit were affected by Covid-19,” he added.

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