09:06 (IST)
Coronavirus in India LATEST Updates
Russia seeks collaboration with India for manufacturing COVID-19 vaccine Sputnik V
The Russian government has reached out to India seeking a collaboration for manufacturing its COVID-19 vaccine ‘Sputnik V’ and conducting its phase 3 clinical trial here, sources told PTI.
According to government sources, the matter was discussed by the national expert group on vaccine administration for COVID-19 in its last meeting held on 22 August.
Sputnik V has been developed by the Gamaleya Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology along with Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF). The vaccine has not been tested in phase 3 or larger clinical trials.
09:03 (IST)
Coronavirus in Uttarakhand LATEST Updates
Uttarakhand CM isolates himself, tests COVID negative
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat has isolated himself for three days as a precautionary measure despite his novel coronavirus test report coming negative.
Sharing this information on the social media on Tuesday, Rawat said he and his family underwent a COVID-19 test along with the staff and the security personnel at the CMO as a precautionary measure.
08:09 (IST)
Coronavirus in India LATEST Updates
India has scaled up testing from 1 lakh in Jan to 10 lakh per day now, says Centre
India has exponentially scaled its testing from one in January to 10 lakh/day in August 2020, said Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Twitter. With the positivity rate progressively falling, testing has worked as an effective tool to limit the spread of COVID-19 infection.
#IndiaFightsCorona
— Ministry of Health (@MoHFW_INDIA) August 26, 2020
India has exponentially scaled its TESTING from one in January to 10 lakh/day in August 2020.@PMOIndia@drharshvardhan @AshwiniKChoubey @PIB_India @COVIDNewsByMIB @CovidIndiaSeva @DDNewslive @airnewsalerts @ICMRDELHI @mygovindia @PTI_News @ANI pic.twitter.com/LvmyFbPjZD
07:52 (IST)
Coronavirus in Uttar Pradesh LATEST Updates
Yogi Adityanath asks officials to take necessary precautionary measures for upcoming festivals
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath Tuesday directed police and administration officials to take all necessary security measures for upcoming festivals such as Ganesh Utsav, Anant Chaturdashi and Muharram.
He said that religious and cultural events and programs are not allowed in public places in view of the COVID-19.
"If anyone is found violating protocol, strict action should be taken against them," the CM said, emphasising on strict adherence to COVID-19 protocol.
07:51 (IST)
Coronavirus in Brazil LATEST Updates
Jair Bolsonaro's son Flavio tests positive for virus in Brazil
Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro's eldest son, Senator Flavio Bolsonaro, said Tuesday he has tested positive for the new coronavirus but was asymptomatic, reports AFP.
The 39-year-old senator's office said in a statement he was "feeling fine," isolating at home and taking the anti-malaria drug chloroquine, which his father has aggressively pushed as a treatment for COVID-19 despite studies finding it is ineffective against the virus.
07:48 (IST)
Coronavirus in US LATEST Updates
New virus cases decline in the US as experts credit masks
The number of Americans newly diagnosed with the coronavirus is falling – a development experts say most likely reflects more mask-wearing but also insufficient testing – even as the disease continues to claim nearly 1,000 lives in the US each day.
About 43,000 new cases are being reported daily across the country, down 21% from early August, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.
While the US, India and Brazil still have the highest numbers of new cases in the world, the downward trend is encouraging.
07:40 (IST)
Coronavirus in US LATEST Updates
American Airlines plans 19,000 furloughs, layoffs in October
American Airlines said Tuesday it will cut more than 40,000 jobs, including 19,000 through furloughs and layoffs, in October as it struggles with a sharp downturn in travel because of the pandemic.
American executives said the furloughs can only be avoided if the federal government gives airlines another 25 billion to help them cover labor costs for six more months.
The airline said 23,500 employees have accepted buyouts, retired early or taken long-term leaves of absence, but that was not enough to avoid involuntary cuts. The furloughs of union workers and layoffs of management staff announced Tuesday will fall heaviest on flight attendants, with 8,100 being terminated in October.
07:37 (IST)
Coronavirus in India LATEST Updates
JEE, NEET to be held in September as scheduled, say officials
The Joint Entrance Examination (Main) and the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET-UG) will be conducted in September as scheduled, officials said on Tuesday, amid a growing chorus for postponing the crucial tests in view of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The National Testing Agency said it has planned several steps to conduct the papers safely which include increasing the number of examination centers, alternate seating plan, fewer candidates per room and staggered entry and exit.
"These steps have been introduced to ensure adherence to social distancing norms at the centres in view of the COVID-19 pandemic", it said.
Coronavirus LATEST Updates: The Union health ministry on Tuesday said that the COVID-19 positivity rate in the country has been steadily falling even though the testing has increased exponentially.
The testing for the coronavirus infection has gone up from 363 tests per 10 lakh per day on 1 August to more than 600 tests per 10 lakh per day at present, the ministry claimed. However, the positivity rate of COVID-19— calculated on the basis of a seven-day rolling average, has come down from 11 percent during the first week of August to 8 percent at present, Union Health Ministry Secretary Rajesh Bhushan said during a press briefing.
India registered 60,975 new cases of the novel coronavirus infection, taking the overall case count to 31,67,323, while the toll climbed to 58,390 with 848 fatalities being reported in a span of 24-hours, the health ministry said in its morning update.
Over half of India's dead include people aged 60 and above, it added.
Recoveries also surged to 24,04,585, pushing the recovery rate to 75.92 percent, it said.
According to the health ministry national recoveries, are now 3.4 times the number of active cases. Currently, there are 7,04,348 active cases in the country, which comprises 22.24 percent of the total caseload, the data updates at 8 am showed.
However, many states continued to reported rising tallies on Tuesday with Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh reporting their biggest spike in COVID-19 cases in a single day, while Maharashtra crossed seven lakh in total confirmed cases.
On Tuesday, Karnataka Congress chief DK Shivakumar, Punjab Industries and Commerce Minister Sunder Sham Arora and Manipur's social welfare minister Nemcha Kipgen tested positive for the virus.
Active cases drop by 6,423 in 24 hrs, says health ministry
In a press briefing, the Union health ministry said that the active coronavirus cases in the country have reduced by 6,423 to 7,04,348 in the past 24 hours.
Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan said that 2.70 percent of the patients undergoing treatment are on oxygen support while 1.92 percent are in Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and 0.29 percent are on ventilators.
Stressing that the fatality rate has dropped to 1.84 percent, Bhushan added that 69 percent of COVID-19 deaths have been reported in men and 31 percent in women.
"Thirty-six percent of the deaths were reported among patients in the age group between 45-60 years and 51 percent among people aged 60 and above. Eleven percent deaths were reported in the age group of 26-44 years and one percent each among people aged 18-25 and those below 17," he said.
The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) said that the testing capacity has gradually increased to reach a landmark of 10 lakh samples in a day on 21 August.
"COVID-19 testing capacity has increased significantly, from 10 tests per day on 30 January to touching 10 lakhs tests per day on 21 Augus," said ICMR director general Balram Bhargava.
"We have 1,524 COVID testing laboratories in India and as on 24 August, 3,68,27,520 tests have been done," he further said.
Responding to question, the ICMR DG said that "irresponsible, less cautious" people are driving the pandemic in India.
Bhargava said, "I would not say young or old, I would say irresponsible, less cautious people who are not wearing masks and not maintaining social distancing are driving the pandemic in India."
Minors in 5-17 age group most exposed to virus, shows Delhi sero-survey
Meanwhile, data from a serological survey conducted in Delhi this month showed that minors between the ages of 5 and 17 are most exposed to the novel coronavirus Conducted between 1 and 7 August, the survey, second in the city, showed that 29.1 percent of the population in the National Capital has now developed antibodies against the SARS CoV-2 virus.
As many as 15,000 people from different age groups participated in the survey — around 25 percent of them below the age of 18, 50 percent were between the age of 18 and 50, and the rest aged above 50.
A prevalence rate of 34.7 percent was found among the participants aged between 5 and 17, the survey results show.
As many as 31.2 percent of the people aged above 50 have recovered from COVID-19, it shows. Among those in the 18-50 age group, 28.5 percent people have developed antibodies against the virus.
ICMR data suggests that people aged between 21 and 50 account for 61.31 percent of the COVID-19 cases recorded in India till 21 August.
Congress leader DK Shivakumar tests positive
Karnataka Congress president DK Shivakumar on Tuesday said he has tested positive for coronavirus and has been hospitalised.
I had fever and have tested positive for the Corona Virus. I am doing well, but as a precaution have been hospitalized and am under the good care of doctors.
With your wishes and blessings, I will soon be back. I appeal to all those who came in contact with me to be cautious.
— DK Shivakumar (@DKShivakumar) August 25, 2020
Congress sources told news agency PTI that the 58-year-old leader got admitted to a private hospital in the Bengaluru's Rajajinagar last night.
".... he (Shivakumar) had symptoms since Monday morning like cough and fever, and had back pain for two days. On getting tested the reports came out positive," the sources said.
In Punjab, Industries and Commerce Minister Sunder Sham Arora said he contracted the infection.
"I have been tested positive for COVID-19 and have quarantined myself at my Chandigarh residence. I request all those persons who came in contact with me during last few days please get tested for coronavirus infection. Otherwise, I am at present not having any physical problem," Arora wrote on his Facebook page.
Arora, who is a legislator from Hoshiarpur seat, is the fourth minister of Amarinder Singh-led Congress government to have contracted the virus.
Congress MLA from Rajpura Hardial Kamboj and Akali MLA from Sanaur Harinderpal Singh Chandumajra also tested positive for COVID-19.
In Manipur, social welfare minister Nemcha Kipgen said she has tested positive for COVID-19.
After getting symptoms of coronavirus, I got myself tested and the report came back positive. I sincerely request all of you who came in contact with me in the past few days to kindly isolate yourselves and get yourselves tested.
— Nemcha Kipgen (@KipgenNemcha) August 25, 2020
Kipgen (57) is the first minister in the state cabinet to have contracted the disease. A spokesperson of the COVID-19 control centre told news agency PTI that she has been asked to undergo home isolation.
Meanwhile Jharkahnd Mukti Morach (JMM) chief Shibu Soren, who was diagnosed with COVID-19 last week, was shifted to a private hospital late on Monday night as a precautionary measure.
Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh report record increase in cases
Several states including Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh reported, an increase in daily cases and deaths. Chhattisgarh witnessed the biggest spike in COVID-19 cases in a single day with 1,145 people testing positive, taking the state's case count to 23,199, while 12 more deaths pushed the toll to 218.
Madhya Pradesh too recorded its highest single-day spike of 1,374 coronavirus cases, taking the case count to 55,695, health officials told PTI. The toll due to COVID-19 rose to 1,263 after 19 patients succumbed since Monday evening, they said.
The coronavirus infection positivity rate jumped past 11 percent in Andhra Pradesh as nearly 10,000 fresh cases were reported, taking the overall tally to 3,71,639 on Tuesday. While 9,419 patients got cured and discharged from hospitals, 92 succumbed to coronavirus in 24 hours ending 9 am on Tuesday, according to a bulletin.
Maharashtra reported 10,425 fresh cases of coronavirus infection, taking the state's tally to 7,03,823. With this, cases in Maharashtra crossed the seven lakh-mark. The state had crossed the six lakh-mark on 17 August. The toll due to the pandemic in the state rose to 22,794 with 329 fatalities being reported during the day.
With inputs from PTI
source https://www.firstpost.com/health/coronavirus-vaccine-tracker-news-india-live-updates-unlock-4-covid19-pandemic-bus-service-flight-train-shop-lockdown-latest-updates-maharashtra-8752731.html
