Wednesday, 12 August 2020

India

Coronavirus News and Vaccine Updates: Puducherry to be under lockdown every Tuesday, announces CM

23:51 (IST)

Coronavirus News and Vaccine LATEST Update

Bihar's toll mounts to 474

The COVID-19 death toll in Bihar  mounted to 474 after nine patients succumbed to the disease, while 3,741 fresh cases of infection pushed state's coronavirus caseload to 90,553, a health department bulletin said. The state tested 92,414 samples in the past 24 hours and the department is aiming to achieve the target of one lakh tests per day very soon, Health Secretary Lokesh Kumar Singh said. He said that the state has 30,010 active cases.
 
PTI

23:33 (IST)

Coronavirus News and Vaccine LATEST Update

Assam reports 4,593 new cases

Assam reports 4,593 fresh infections out of 1,43,109 tests conducted today. Total cases stand at 68,999 including 45,073 recovered cases, 23,762 active cases and 161 deaths, reports ANI quoting  state health minister Himanta Biswa Sarma

23:03 (IST)

Coronavirus News and Vaccine LATEST Update

Puducherry to enforce lockdown every Tuesday

 
Amid rising COVID-19 cases in Puducherry, a total lockdown would be enforced every Tuesday in UT to contain the spread of the virus, PTI quotes  CM V Narayanasamy as saying. Shops will be open from 6 am to 8 pm, starting 14t August. There will be a strict night curfew between 8 pm and 6 am.
 

22:47 (IST)

Coronavirus News and Vaccine LATEST Update

Punjab puts on hold leaves, transfers of health dept employees with immediate effect

Punjab Health Minister Balbir Singh Sidhu on Wednesday put a complete ban with immediate effect on leaves and transfers of Health Department employees in the state till 30 September. The decision was taken in the wake of the rising number of coronavirus cases in the state. All officials, including medical and para-medical staffers, have to remain present at their stations, the minister said in a statement. No leave will be given to any officer or employee during this period, he said. He said only maternity and child care leaves, however, would be allowed. Sidhu said apart from the regular employees, this order would be applicable to all those who are working on contract in various wings of the Health Department.

22:11 (IST)

Coronavirus News and Vaccine LATEST Update

West Bengal again changes lockdown dates

 
The West Bengal government on pared down the number of state-wide complete lockdown by one day, making it the fifth change to the shutdown schedule this month. The lockdown on 28 August (Friday) has been done away with keeping in mind the interest of banking and business operations, a state government order said.
 
The decision drew the ire of the Opposition parties, which alleged that it was taken to facilitate a function marking the foundation day programme of Trinamool Chatra Parishad, the student wing of the ruling TMC. TMC denied the charge as "completely baseless".
 
PTI

21:57 (IST)

Coronavirus News and Vaccine LATEST Update

Nagaland reports 87 new cases, 129 recoveries

 
Nagaland on Wednesday reported 87 new COVID-19 cases while 129 people recovered from the virus in the state, an official of the Heath department said. With the 87 fresh cases, the state's COVID-19 tally has increased to 3,118 of which 1,991 are active cases as1,113 people have recovered from the disease, eight have died and six have migrated to other states, the official said.
 
PTI

21:35 (IST)

Coronavirus News and Vaccine LATEST Update

Mizoram to purchase 10,000 rapid antigen kits

 
The Mizoram government will purchase 10,000 more rapid antigen kits to boost the states COVID-19 testing capacity, Chief minister Zoramthanga said on
Wednesday. The chief minister made the announcement at a meeting with officials of the state government, NGOs, churches and doctors, according to an official. Every citizen should take precautionary measures as community transmission can take place at any time. The preventive measures are for our safety against the pandemic. Testing should be done in a massive way and more rapid antigen kits will be purchased, Zoramthanga was quoted as saying by
the official.  
 
PTI

21:03 (IST)

Coronavirus News and Vaccine LATEST Update

Telangana govt orders pvt hospitals to display COVID-19 treatment charges

 
Following complaints on exorbitant fee charged by private hospitals for COVID-19 treatment, the Telangana government has ordered the healthcare facilities to display the rates.  According to an order by the Director of Public Health and Family Welfare on Monday, high-end drugs and PPE (personal protection equipment) kits excluded from the package prices have to be charged at MRP only. While discharging the patients, the bills have to be given to them as certain complaints have been received stating that detailed invoices have not been given.   "Any deviations from these instructions will be viewed seriously and action will be initiated," the order said.
 
PTI

20:46 (IST)

Coronavirus News and Vaccine LATEST Update

Mumbai reports 1,132 new cases, 50 deaths

Mumbai reports 1,132 more coronavirus patients and 50 deaths today. The total number of cases climbs to 1,26,371 including 1,00,070 recovered/discharged cases, 19,064 active cases and 6,940 deaths, reports ANI quoting the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).

20:17 (IST)

Coronavirus News and Vaccine LATEST Update

Maharashtra reports 12,712 new cases

Maharashtra registered a spike of 12,712 new cases, taking the total number of infections to 5,48,313 The toll has risen to 18,650. The state currently has 1,47,513 active cases  as a total of 3,81,843 persons have been discharged till date, reports ANI quoting the state health department.

20:04 (IST)

Coronavirus News and Vaccine LATEST Update

Tamil Nadu reports 5,871 new cases, 119 fatalities

 
Tamil Nadu on Wednesday reported 5,871 fresh COVID-19 cases taking the case count to 3,14,520 while 119 fatalities pushed the toll to 5,278. Active cases stood at 52,929 with 5,633 discharges from various health care facilities and in total 2,56,313 have recovered, a health department bulletin said. A total number of 71,575 samples were tested cumulatively taking the tally to 34,32,025 till date.
 
 Of the new infections, Chennai reported 993 cases while neighbouring Kancheepuram, Tiruvallur and Chengalpet collectively contributed to 1,217 new cases.
 
PTI

19:45 (IST)

Coronavirus News and Vaccine LATEST Update

Maharashtra slashes COVID-19 testing rates by Rs 300

 
The Maharashtra government has reduced by Rs 300 the rates of COVID-19 tests conducted by laboratories, bringing them in the range of Rs 1,900 to Rs 2,500, said State Health Minister Rajesh Tope ."The maximum charges for testing now stand at Rs1,900, Rs 2,200 and Rs 2,500. No laboratory can charge above these prescribed rates," he said. "This decision was taken by the state-appointed committee to regulate the COVID-19 testing charges so that patients do not face any financial burden," the minister said.
 
PTI

19:27 (IST)

Coronavirus News and Vaccine LATEST Update

Karnataka reports 7,883 new cases, 113 deaths

Karnataka reported 7,883 new COVID-19 cases, 7,034 recoveries and 113 deaths, taking the total number of cases to 1,96,494 and toll to 3,510.  As many as 1,12,633 persons have recovered from the disease and the state now has 80,343 active cases, reports ANI quoting the state health department.

19:02 (IST)

Coronavirus News and Vaccine LATEST Update

Union minister Shripad Naik tests positive

Union minister for State in the AYUSH ministry Shripad Naik said he has tested positive for the coronavirus but would remain in home isolation as he is asymptomatic."My vitals are within normal limits and I have opted for home isolation," he said and requested those who have come into contact with him to get themselves tested and exercise adequate precaution. 

Oil minister Dharemndra Pradhan, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and ministers Arjun Ram Meghwal and Kailash Chaudhary had earlier tested positive for the viral infection.

18:53 (IST)

Coronavirus News and Vaccine LATEST Update

Andhra Pradesh reports  9,597 new cases, 93 deaths

Andhra Pradesh reports 9,597 new  cases, 6,676 recoveries and 93 deaths, taking the total number of cases to 2,54,146. This number includes 90,425 active cases, 1,61,425 recoveries and 2,296 , reports ANI quoting the state health department.

18:14 (IST)

Coronavirus News and Vaccine LATEST Update

National Expert Group holds first meeting

 
The National Expert Group on Vaccine Administration for COVID-19 met for the first time today and deliberated on a strategy to ensure COVID-19 vaccines’ availability and its delivery mechanism. The meeting was chaired by Dr VK Paul, Member Niti Aayog, said the health ministry in a statement. "The expert group deliberated on conceptualization and implementation mechanisms for creation of a digital infrastructure for inventory management and delivery mechanism of the vaccine including tracking of vaccination process with particular focus on last mile delivery. They discussed on broad parameters guiding the selection of COVID-19 vaccine candidates for the country and sought inputs from Standing Technical Sub-Committee of National Technical Advisory Group on Immunization (NTAGI). The group delved on the procurement mechanisms for COVID-19 vaccine, including both indigenous and international manufacturing along with guiding principles for prioritization of population groups for vaccination," the statement said.

17:57 (IST)

Coronavirus News and Vaccine LATEST Update

Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine candidate induces immune response in early-phase clinical trial: Study

A COVID-19 vaccine candidate co-developed by the pharmaceutical giant Pfizer and the German biotech company BioNTech induces a "robust" immune response in healthy adults aged 18-55 years, according to an interim report of an early phase clinical trial, published in the journal Nature on Wednesday. The researchers noted that BNT162b1 is an RNA vaccine that elicits an immune response by mimicking the mRNA molecule used by the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 to build its infectious proteins.

According to the study the vaccine candidate is delivered intramuscularly, and enables human cells to produce proteins part of the SARS-CoV-2 receptor-binding domain, against which the immune system is trained to produce antibodies. In the ongoing phase 1/2 trial, the scientists assessed the safety, side effects, and safe dose of the vaccine candidate in 45 healthy adults (23 men and 22 non-pregnant women) aged 18-55 years.  Based on the study, the researchers said BNT162b1 was generally well-tolerated, although some participants experienced mild to moderate side effects, which increased with dose level, in the seven days following vaccination, including pain at the injection site, fatigue, headache, fever and sleep disturbance.
 
PTI
 

17:38 (IST)

Coronavirus News and Vaccine LATEST Update

Former Chhattisgarh CM Raman Singh's wife tests positive

Former Chhattisgarh chief minister Raman Singh in a Twitter post said his wife has tested positive for COVID-19 and he, along with his family, will go into self-isolation and take COVID-19 tests. He also requested those who came in contact with him to remain isolated and get themselves tested.

17:16 (IST)

Coronavirus News and Vaccine LATEST Update

Former Puducherry minister A Elumalai succumbs to COVID-19

Former Local Administration  Minister of Puducherry A Elumalai succumbed to COVID-19 in centrally administered JIPMER on Wednesday. Elumalai (53) had tested positive for the infection and was admitted to JIPMER on Tuesday, Director of Health and Family Welfare S Mohan Kumar told PTI. Elumalai is survived by wife and three sons.

17:07 (IST)

Coronavirus News and Vaccine LATEST Update

23, including 18 BSF personnel, test positive in Meghalaya

 
Twenty-three more people, including 18 BSF personnel, tested positive for COVID-19 in Meghalaya, raising the state's case count to 1,165, reports PTI. Of the fresh cases, 11 were reported from East Khasi Hills, 10 from West Garo and one each from North and South Garo hills districts, said Health Services Director Aman War. "Eighteen Border Security Force personnel - eight from East Khasi Hills and 10 from West Garo Hills - are among the new patients. An employee of the Indian Air Force also tested positive for the disease,"  he said.
 
Meghalaya now has 642 active cases, while 517 people have recovered from the disease and six died of it. East Khasi Hills district, of which state capital
Shillong is a part, has the maximum number of active cases at 433 (of which 166 are security personnel), followed by Ri Bhoi at 92 and West Garo Hills at 82, he said.
 

16:49 (IST)

Coronavirus News and Vaccine LATEST Update

UP reports 4,475 new cases, 54 fresh deaths

Uttar Pradesh reported  4,475 new COVID-19 cases in 24 hours, while 54 more people succumbed to the infection, reports PTI. Additional Chief Secretary (Medical and Health) Amit Mohan Prasad said the total number of cases in the state now stands at 1,36,238 and fatalities at 2,230. He put the number of fresh cases in the past 24 hours at 4,583. On Tuesday, the state's COVID-19 tally was 1,31,763.
 
"So far, 84,661 people have been treated and discharged. There are now 49,347 active COVID-19 cases in the state, of which 21,758 are in home isolation," Prasad said. The total number of COVID-19 tests done so far in the state is over 34 lakh, of which 97,000 were conducted on Tuesday. The officer said the COVID-19 positivity rate was 4.8 percent in August so far.

16:27 (IST)

Coronavirus News and Vaccine LATEST Updates

Paris Marathon cancelled

 

The Paris Marathon has been cancelled because of the coronavirus after repeated attempts to find a new date, reports The Associated Press quoting its organisers. The race was originally slated to take place in April but was then moved to October. Organisers said they had recently tried to reschedule the race in November but continuing travel restrictions made that unrealistic. "Faced with the difficulty that many runners, especially those coming from abroad, had in making themselves available for the 14/15 November, it was decided that it would be better and simpler for those concerned if we organised the Schneider Electric Marathon de Paris in 2021," the organisers said in a statement. They will now focus on the 2021 edition of the race. Runners who were registered for this year's race will be automatically signed up for next year.

16:06 (IST)

Coronavirus News and Vaccine LATEST Updates

Delhi reports 1,113 fresh cases, 14 deaths

Delhi reports 1,113 new COVID19- cases, 1,021 recovered/discharged/migrated cases and 14 deaths today, reports ANI quoting a state govt bulletin. The total coronavirus cases in the National Capital now stand at 1,48,504 including 1,33,405 recovered/discharged/migrated cases and 4,153 deaths. Delhi has a total of 10, 946 active cases at present, it said.

15:50 (IST)

Coronavirus News and Vaccine LATEST Updates

Singapore reports lowest daily cases in four months

Singapore on Wednesday reported 42 new coronavirus cases, the lowest daily infection count in over four months, taking the total number of COVID-19 cases in the country to 55,395. Among the new cases, 11 are imported infections who were placed on stay-home notice, said the Ministry of Health (MOH). The majority of the new cases are work permit holders currently under quarantine. The sole community infection on Wednesday is a Singapore national, the MOH said, in its preliminary daily update. The last time when the daily infection count was below 40 in Singapore was on March 22 when 23 virus cases were reported.
 
PTI

15:23 (IST)

Coronavirus News and Vaccine LATEST Updates

India's COVID-19 recovery rate now at 70.38%

The total coronavirus cases in India have mounted to 23,29,638, while the toll climbed to 46,091 with 834 new fatalities being reported in a span of 24 hours, the data updated at 8 am showed. The case fatality rate has declined to 1.98 percent.

There are 6,43,948 active cases of coronavirus in the country at present which comprise 27.64 percent of the total caseload, while the recovery rate to 70.38 percent, according to data by the Union Health Ministry.

15:13 (IST)

Coronavirus News and Vaccine LATEST Updates

Plea in SC seeks commission for inquiry into mismanagement of COVID-19 pandemic

The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear on Friday a plea which has sought a direction to the Centre to appoint a commission, headed by a retired apex court judge, for inquiry into the alleged mismanagement of the COVID-19 pandemic in the country.

The petition has alleged that the Centre failed to undertake timely and effective measures for containing transmission of the virus and an independent inquiry by a commission, appointed under the Commissions of Inquiry Act 1952, was essential to inquire into the "lapses".

14:54 (IST)

Coronavirus News and Vaccine LATEST Updates

Yogi Adityanath visits BRD Medical College to review hospital arrangements 

14:47 (IST)

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Fire at COVID-19 hospital in Gujarat, patients shifted to safety

A fire broke out in the COVID-19 ward of a two-storey hospital in Bodeli town of Gujarat's Chhotaudepur district on Wednesday morning, an official said.

There was no casualty in the blaze that erupted on the second floor of Bodeli Dhokalia Public Hospital, the official said, adding that 10 COVID-19 patients undergoing treatment at the facility were shifted to its lower floor and some of them were later admitted to other hospitals.

14:31 (IST)

Coronavirus News and Vaccine LATEST Updates

21 people succumb to COVID-19 in Australia, toll reaches 352

Australia's death toll due to COVID-19 crossed 350 today after it recorded its highest single day spike of 21 new fatalities, while the number of coronavirus cases jumped to 22,127 with 428 fresh infections detected in the country.

All the new deaths were reported in Victoria. A total 410 new cases were recorded from the second most populous State and 18 new cases were reported from New South Wales yesterday.

Of the total 21 deaths, 16 have come from the Victoria's aged care homes, State Premier Daniel Andrews confirmed while giving out COVID-19 updates

14:01 (IST)

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61 security personnel among 96 fresh COVID-19 cases in Arunachal

Ninety-six more people, including 61 security personnel, have tested positive for COVID-19 in Arunachal Pradesh, taking the northeastern state's caseload to 2,327 on Wednesday, reports PTI.

The northeastern state has reported 845 fresh COVID-19 cases in August so far. Arunachal Pradesh now has 690 active cases, while three people have succumbed to the infection so far.

13:58 (IST)

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Ex-President’s condition remains critical, daughter says ‘may God do whatever is best for him’

In a fresh statement on the condition of former President Pranab Mukherjee, the Army’s Research and Referral (R&R) Hospital in New Delhi said that his health condition continues to remain critical. Mukherjee is presently haemodynamically stable and on the ventilator, the hospital added. 

The former president had tested positive for coronavirus prior to brain surgery. Mukherjee's daughter Sharmistha Mukherjee took to Twitter on Wednesday to pray for her father saying may God do whatever is best for him.

13:49 (IST)

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264 Maharashtra cops test positive; total rises to 11,392 in force

264 more Maharashtra police personnel tested positive for Covid-19 while 3 died in the last 24 hours, taking the death toll to 121 in the force. The total number of police personnel infected in the state at 11,392, out of which 9,187 have recovered & 2,084 are active cases, reports ANI quoting Maharashtra Police

13:42 (IST)

Coronavirus News and Vaccine LATEST Updates

Odisha's COVID-19 total crosses 50,000-mark with record 1,876 new cases

Odisha's COVID-19 tally on Wednesday crossed the 50,000-mark with the highest single-day spike of 1,876 fresh cases, while the death toll rose to 305 as nine more patients succumbed to the disease, a health department official said. The total number of coronavirus cases in the state now stands at 50,672, he said.

13:29 (IST)

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Puducherry reports over 400 new cases, 5 deaths today

Puducherry records 481 coronavirus cases and five deaths on Wednesday. The Union Territory’s tally rises to 6,381 and the toll reaches 96.

12:46 (IST)

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IPL player DIshant Yagnik tests COVID-19 positive

Indian Premier League team Rajasthan Royals’ fielding coach Dishant Yagnik tests positive for the coronavirus.

12:25 (IST)

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Sans proper data Russian COVID-19 vaccine's efficacy, safety unknown: CCMB Chief

The efficacy and safety levels of the vaccine developed by Russia for treating COVID-19 patients is not predictable in the absence of data, a top official of theCSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology said on Wednesday, reports PTI.

His remarks come in the backdrop of Russian President Vladimir Putin's announcement that his country has developed the world's first vaccine against coronavirus. Director of CCMB, Rakesh K Mishra said if people are "lucky" then the Russian vaccine will work.

12:14 (IST)

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139 new cases push total of Andamans to 1,764;  toll mounts to 21

The COVID-19 caseload of Andaman and Nicobar Islands rose to 1,764 on Wednesday as 139 more people tested positive for the infection, while one more fatality pushed its coronavirus death toll to 21, a health official said. All the new cases were detected during contact tracing, he said.

The fresh infections have pushed the number of active cases in the Union territory to 994, the official said. Forty more people have been cured of the disease, taking the total number of recoveries in the islands to 749, he said.

12:06 (IST)

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UK in record recession after economy shrinks 20% in second quarter

Britain's economy contracted by a record 20.4 percent in the second quarter with the country in lockdown over the coronavirus pandemic, official data showed Wednesday, reports AFP.​ "It is clear that the UK is in the largest recession on record," the Office for National Statistics said.

11:34 (IST)

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WHO in close contact with Russian health ministry for 'rigorous review' of safety of vaccine

The World Health Organization has responded to Russia's claim of having developed and registered the first vaccine against the novel coronavirus by saying that a rigorous review of the vaccine's safety data needs to be submitted if the country wants the WHO's stamp of approval.

Russian President Vladimir Putin announced Tuesday that the country was the first to approve a vaccine that offers "immunity" against the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus.

"Pre-qualification of any vaccine includes the rigorous review and assessment of all the required safety and efficacy data," Tarik Jasarevic, spokesperson for WHO, said during an online press briefing.

Read full report here

11:22 (IST)

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Siddaramaiah tests negative for COVID-19

Former Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who is undergoing treatment for COVID-19 infection at a private hospital in Bengaluru, has tested negative and will be discharged tomorrow, his office said today, reports PTI.

The Leader of Opposition in the state assembly has "completely recovered", a statement said. It said, "according to doctors the throat swab and blood test conducted for the second time, have come negative." The 71-year-old leader was admitted to Manipal Hospital hospital on 4 August.

11:11 (IST)

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After Mandeep, five other COVID positive hockey players shifted to hospital as precaution

Five COVID-19 positive hockey players have been shifted to a hospital in Bengaluru as a precautionary measure after striker Mandeep Singh was transferred to the facility following a dip in his blood oxygen level, the Sports Authority of India (SAI) said, reports PTI.

Mandeep is asymptomatic but was hospitalised at the SS Sparsh Multispeciality Hospital in Bengaluru on Monday night after his blood oxygen level dipped. Five of his teammates were also admitted to the same hospital on Tuesday.

11:05 (IST)

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Rajasthan reports close to 600 new cases, 10 deaths till 10:30 am today

Rajasthan reports 595 new COVID-19 cases and 10 deaths till 10.30 am today. The total number of cases now at 55,482 including 14,103 active cases, 37,917 discharged cases and 821 deaths, according to the state Health Department.

10:00 (IST)

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India reports over 60,000 new cases, takes total to 23.2 lakh

India on Wednesday reports 60,963 cases in 24 hours, taking the overall toll of the country to 23,29,639. The toll rises by 834 to 46,091.

 As many as 16,39,599 COVID-19 patients have been cured and discharged so far and the reported active COVID-19 cases stand at 6,43,948, according to the Union Health Ministry.

09:47 (IST)

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Centre asks states not to get 'overawed' by rise in daily COVD-19 cases

Amid a spurt in COVID-19 cases, the Union Health Ministry on Tuesday asked states to not get "overawed" by the rise in the number of infections but focus on aggressive testing, comprehensive tracing and tracking and efficient treatment of patients.

At a press briefing, Health Ministry Secretary Rajesh Bhushan said active cases, which comprised 88.83 per cent of the total caseload on 31 March, have dropped to 28.21 percent.

09:34 (IST)

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Rahat Indori's last rites performed as per COVID-19 norms

The last rites of Urdu poet Rahat Indori, were performed as per the Covid-19 norms at the Chhoti Khajrani graveyard in Indore, Madhya Pradesh on Tuesday night, reports ANI. Indori, who died of a cardiac arrested, had tested positive for the coronavirus on Sunday.

09:28 (IST)

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Goa tops in number of COVID-19 tests per million, says minister

Goa Health Minister Vishwajit Rane has said the state topped in the country in terms of the number of COVID-19 tests conducted per million people, reports PTI.

Till Tuesday evening, 1,53,792 tests were conducted in Goa. So far, 9,444 COVID-19 cases have been reported in the coastal state, as per official figures.

09:12 (IST)

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Railways suspends all passenger trains indefinitely, special trains to continue

The Indian Railways suspends all passenger train services until further notice, PTI reports. However, it says that 230 special trains will continue to remain operational. Local trains in Mumbai, which are presently being run on limited basis only on the requisition of state government, will also continue to run.

08:51 (IST)

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Trump announces sixth vaccine contract, for 100 mn doses

President Donald Trump on Tuesday announced a $1.5 billion contract with US biotech company Moderna for 100 million doses of an eventual coronavirus vaccine, the sixth such deal reached since May, reports AFP.

"I'm pleased to announce that we have reached an agreement with Moderna to manufacture and deliver 100 million doses of their coronavirus vaccine candidate," Trump said at a White House news conference. "The federal government will own these vaccine doses, we're buying them."

"We're on track to rapidly produce 100 million doses as soon as the vaccine is approved, and up to 500 million shortly thereafter, so we'll have 600 million doses," he added.

Read full report here

08:46 (IST)

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Committee on COVID-19 vaccine administration to meet today

The Expert Committee on vaccine administration under the chairmanship of NITI Aayog member Dr VK Paul will meet on Wednesday to consider the logistics and ethical aspects of procurement and administration of COVID-19 vaccine, said the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

The Committee will engage with all the stakeholders including state governments and vaccine manufacturers.

Read full report here

08:27 (IST)

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Confirmed coronavirus cases reach 20 million

It took six months for the world to reach 10 million confirmed cases of the coronavirus. It took just over six weeks for that number to double, reports AP.

The worldwide count of known COVID-19 infections climbed past 20 million on Monday, with more than half of them from just three countries: the US, India and Brazil, according to the tally kept by Johns Hopkins University.

The average number of new cases per day in the US has declined in recent weeks but is still running high at over 54,000, versus almost 59,000 in India and nearly 44,000 in Brazil.

Coronavirus News and Vaccine LATEST Updates:  The Maharashtra government has reduced by Rs 300 the rates of COVID-19 tests conducted by laboratories, bringing them in the range of Rs 1,900 to Rs 2,500, said State Health Minister Rajesh Tope. "This decision was taken by the state-appointed committee to regulate the COVID-19 testing charges so that patients do not face any financial burden," the minister said.

 

Union minister of state in the AYUSH ministry Shripad Naik said he has tested positive for the coronavirus but would remain in home isolation as he is asymptomatic.

Former Chhattisgarh chief minister Raman Singh in a Twitter post said his wife has tested positive for COVID-19 and he, along with his family, will go into self-isolation and take COVID-19 tests.

Delhi recorded 1,113 fresh coronavirus cases taking the caseload to over 1.48 lakh, while the toll rose to 4,153.

COVID-19 cases in India dipped below 55,000 in a single day on Tuesday after the country recorded over 60,000 cases daily for four days on the trot, according to the Union Health Ministry data.

With the fresh cases, India's COVID-19 tally rose to 22.68 lakh, while the recoveries have surged to 15,83,489, pushing the recovery rate to 69.80 per cent.

The total coronavirus cases in the country have increased to 22,68,675 with 53,601 infections being reported in a day, while the death toll climbed to 45,257 with 871 new fatalities being reported in a span of 24 hours, the data updated at 8 am showed.

The national recovery rate has risen to 69.80 percent due to effective and prompt clinical management of COVID-19 cases, Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan said.

"The case fatality rate has fallen below 2 percent for the first time since the first lockdown. It presently stands at 1.99 percent. It is continuously declining," Bhushan said.

On Tuesday, Urdu poet Rahat Indori, whose simple and lucid couplets attracted a huge fan folliwing in India and abroad, died while being treated for COVID-19.

Former president Pranab Mukherjee continues to remain critical and is on ventilator support, the Army's Research and Referral (R&R) Hospital said, a day after he underwent a brain surgery.

The 84-year-old was admitted to the military hospital around noon on Monday, and had also tested positive for COVID-19 prior to the surgery.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in a video conference with chief ministers of ten states, noted that these states account for over 80 percent of active COVID-19 cases. He asserted if the virus is defeated in these states, then the country will also emerge victorious in its fight against the pandemic.

Poet Rahat Indori dies during COVID-19 treatment

Indori, who was being treated for COVID-19, died of a heart attack at a hospital in Indore, said his son Satlaj Indori, also a poet.

Indori, who recited couplets in very expressive style, was admitted to the hospital on Tuesday morning after he tested positive for the disease.

"He was admitted for coronavirus treatment but died after suffering a heart attack," Satlaj Indori told PTI.

Indore District Collector Manish Singh said he was undergoing treatment at Sri Aurobindo Institute of Medical Sciences.

In the morning, the lyricist-poet tweeted about his confirmed COVID-19 report and said he will keep everyone updated through social media.

"After initial symptoms of COVID-19, my coronavirus test was done yesterday which came out positive. Pray that I defeat this disease as soon as possible," Indori said in his last post.

Pranab Mukherjee on ventilator support

"Former President of India Shri Pranab Mukherjee was admitted to Army Hospital (R&R) in Delhi Cantonment at 1207 hours on 10 August, 2020 in a critical condition. Workup at the hospital revealed a large brain clot for which he underwent emergency life saving surgery. Post surgery he continues to remain critical on ventilatory support," the hospital said in a medical bulletin.

A multidisciplinary team of doctors is constantly monitoring the health of the former president.

Mukherjee tweeted on Monday that he had tested positive for COVID-19 and urged people who had come in contact with him in the last week to isolate themselves and get tested for the novel coronavirus.

Soon after the news of his hospitalisation, wishes poured in from various quarters for his early recovery and a number of leaders sent their wishes on Twitter.

President Ram Nath Kovind also spoke to Mukherjee's daughter Sharmistha Mukherjee and inquired about his health on Monday evening.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh visited the R&R Hospital on Monday and inquired about the former president's health. Singh was at the hospital for around 20 minutes.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi also sent in his best wishes to the former president and wished him early recovery.

Modi stresses on early detection of  cases

At a video conference with chief ministers of ten states, including Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu, Modi said the recovery rate has gone up which, he added, meant that government efforts have proved to be effective.

The Centre and states have been able to work as a team in the fight against COVID-19, he said.

"Our experience so far is that containment, contact tracing and surveillance are the most effective weapons against the pandemic with experts of the view that if positive cases are identified within 72 hours of onset, then infection slows down to great extent," the prime minister said.

Modi said it was a matter of satisfaction that the average fatality rate in India has been going down and noted that it has been very low compared to the world average.

Chief ministers of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Maharashtra, Punjab, Bihar, Gujarat, Telangana and Uttar Pradesh were invited for the virtual meet.

Railways suspends all regular passenger services indefinitely

The Railways has stated that all regular passenger train services will remain suspended till further notice, but 230 special trains will continue to be in service.

“This is to bring to the notice of all concerned that as decided and informed earlier as well, regular passenger and suburban train services will continue to remain suspended till further notice," a statement from the Railways said.

“It may be noted that 230 Special Trains, which are running at present, will continue to operate. Local trains in Mumbai, which are presently being run on limited basis only on the requisition of state government, will also continue to run,” it said.

The occupancy of special trains is being monitored on a regular basis and additional special trains may be run based on the requirement, the national carrier said.

However, all other regular trains and suburban trains run before the lockdown will remain suspended for the time being, it said.

All special trains — 12 pairs running on the Rajdhani routes since 12 May and 100 pairs operating since 1 June — will continue.

The limited special suburban services which began recently in Mumbai to ferry essential services personnel identified by the local authorities will also continue to run, officials said.

Earlier, the national transporter had suspended all services till 12 August.

Russia has developed world's first vaccine, says Putin

President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday announced that Russia has developed the world's first vaccine against COVID-19 that works "quite effectively" and forms a "stable immunity" against the disease as he disclosed that one of his daughters has already been vaccinated.

"A vaccine against coronavirus has been registered for the first time in the world this morning," Putin said during a meeting with members of his government.

"I know that it works quite effectively, it forms a stable immunity," the official Tass news agency quoted Putin as saying.

Putin's claim has come amidst concerns raised by experts about the speed of Russia's work, suggesting that researchers might be cutting corners.

Amid fears that safety could have been compromised, the World Health Organization (WHO) urged Russia last week to follow international guidelines for producing a vaccine against COVID-19, the BBC reported.

The Russian vaccine is not among the WHO's list of six vaccines that have reached phase three clinical trials, which involve more widespread testing in humans, the report noted.

State-wise cases and deaths

According to the ICMR, a cumulative total of 2,45,83,558 samples have been tested up to August 9, with 4,77,023 samples being tested on Monday.

Of the 871 fresh deaths reported, 293 are from Maharashtra, 114 each from Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, 80 from Andhra Pradesh, 51 from Uttar Pradesh, 41 from West Bengal, 20 each from Delhi and Gujarat, 19 from Madhya Pradesh, 18 from Punjab, 14 from Odisha, 11 each from Jharkhand and Rajasthan.

Ten fatalities have been reported from Bihar, nine from Uttarakhand, eight from Telangana, seven from Kerala, six each from Assam, Haryana and Jammu and Kashmir, five from Goa, three from Chhattisgarh, two each from Himachal Pradesh and Puducherry while Tripura has registered one fatality.

Of the total 45,257 deaths, Maharashtra has reported the maximum at 18,050 followed by 5,041 in Tamil Nadu, 4,131 in Delhi, 3,312 in Karnataka, 2,672 in Gujarat, 2,120 in Uttar Pradesh, 2,116 in Andhra Pradesh, 2,100 in West Bengal and 1,015 in Madhya Pradesh.

So far, 800 people have died of COVID-19 in Rajasthan, 645 in Telangana, 604 in Punjab, 489 in Haryana, 478 in Jammu and Kashmir, 397 in Bihar, 286 in Odisha, 188 in Jharkhand, 151 in Assam, 134 in Uttarakhand and 115 in Kerala.

Chhattisgarh has registered 99 deaths, Puducherry 89, Goa 80, Tripura 43, Chandigarh 25, Andaman and Nicobar Islands 20, Himachal Pradesh 17, Manipur 11, Ladakh nine, Nagaland eight, Meghalaya six, Arunachal Pradesh three, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu two and Sikkim one.



source https://www.firstpost.com/health/oronavirus-vaccine-launch-news-latest-updates-today-russia-worlds-first-covid-19-vaccine-human-trials-indian-administration-meeting-8696671.html
Satish Kumar at
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