India on Thursday recorded 55,838 fresh cases of virus infection and 702 deaths.
Total case tally in the country stands at 77,06,946 including 7,15,812 active cases, 68,74,518 recovered and 1,16,616 deaths, according to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
As the country proceeds towards the winter season, experts said that cooler weather is likely to worsen the coronavirus spread as it happens with most viruses that attack the respiratory tract and may lead to possibly a second, even a bigger wave of cases and deaths in the country.
The Subject Expert Committee (SEC) under Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) has given the nod to Hyderabad-based firm Bharat Biotech to conduct Phase-III trials of Covaxin, the vaccine for Covid-19. The permission was accorded at the SEC meeting held in New Delhi on Tuesday. (READ FULL REPORT HERE)
Stressing the importance of preventive measures including wearing masks and consumption of imunity-boosting food products, Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) Director Dr Rakesh Mishra said it might take a couple of years for a successful vaccine candidate to prove its efficacy among people of all ages and more importantly reach the length and breadth of the country.
The cyber attack comes within a week of the announcement that Dr Reddy's in collaboration with Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) has received approval from the Drug Control General of India (DCGI) to conduct an adaptive phase-2/3 human clinical trial for the Sputnik V vaccine against COVID-19 in India. This announcement was made on October 17.
125 more people test positive for COVID-19 in Tripura, tally rises to 29,925; death toll reaches 331 with two more people succumbing to the disease: Official
Rajasthan reports 1,822 new COVID19 infections out of which 349 are from Jaipur. The state has 1,80,755 total cases out of which 18,341 are active patients.1800 deaths have been reported.
Jammu And Kashmir reports 584 new cases COVID-19 cases (192 from Jammu and 392 from Kashmir) and 10 deaths. Total cases stand at 90,166 out of which active patients are 7,952.
Devarajan, 63, from Pathanapuram died on October 2. He was hospitalised due to breathing difficulties on September 18. Once he tested positive for COVID-19, his wife Pushpa went back home. Later, she also tested positive for the virus. On October 2, the hospital authorities informed the family about his death.
The mushroom, Cordyceps militaris, is known for its immune boosting and anti-oxidant components. The novel nutraceutical developed by the startup Clone Deals has been named 'CoronAid'. The startup has obtained FSSAI approval for marketing and submitted a request to the central government for conducting clinical trials to establish the safety of their formulation with three All India Institutes of Medical Sciences -- Nagpur, Navi Mumbai and Bhopal. If the clinical trials are successful, the product is expected to be available in the market by December this year.
"Presently the active cases comprise merely 9.29 per cent of the total positive cases of the country standing at 7,15,812. The daily positivity rate has also been maintained at less than 5 per cent over the past three days indicating that the spread of infection is being effectively contained through focussed strategies and actions of the Centre and the states/UTs. Today, the daily positivity rate is reported to be 3.8 per cent," the official statement said.
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Uttar Pradesh reports 2402 new COVID19 cases, 2581 new discharges and 35 deaths in the last 24 hours, as per state's health department. Active cases in the state stand at 29,131. A total of 4,27,937 discharges and 6790 deaths reported in the state so far.
Seventy new COVID-19 cases detected in Maharashtra Police over last 24 hours. Total cases in the force stand at 25,988 out of which 1,771 are active patients. 23,945 personnel have recovered while 272 deaths have been recorded.
Vaccines are being hailed as the solution to the Covid-19 pandemic, but the trials currently underway are not designed to tell us if they will save lives, according to a drug development expert from the prestigious British Medical Journal. (READ MORE)
Odisha on Thursday recorded 1913 cases of virus infection and 15 deaths.
(Photo| EPS/ Shekhar Yadav)
At least 134 more people have tested positive for COVID-19 in Arunachal Pradesh, pushing the tally to 13,912, a health department official said on Thursday.
The Indian Institute of Technology-Kharagpur has developed a low-cost portable COVID-19 testing device that can deliver results within an hour and it has also received certification from the Indian Council of Medical Research. (READ MORE)
Bombay High Court on Wednesday allowed Jain temples to reopen dining halls during 9-day fasting festival Ayambil Oli Tap from October 23. Temples will have to follow SOP issued by the state govt for restaurants and will not be opened for devotees to offer prayers. (READ MORE)
India on Thursday recorded 55,838 fresh cases of virus infection and 702 deaths.
World Junior Badminton Championships 2020, slated to be held in New Zealand, have been cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Badminton World Federation (BWF) announced on Thursday.
With the festival season well underway and expected to last until December at least, the choice before the people is quite straightforward. To celebrate religious festivals as overtly and ostentatiously as in the previous years and risk a surge in Covid-19 cases, or to religiously follow health guidelines to keep the disease at bay.
Police personnel stand guard near the barricades set up at a Durga Puja pandal in Kolkata. (Photo| PTI)
Over 5,180 passengers of Delhi Metro were penalised for Rs200 each for creating nuisance inside the metro premises after being pointed out for not covering face with mask or wearing it incorrectly, officials said on Wednesday. (READ MORE)
Former Home Minister of Telangana, Nayini Narsimha Reddy passed away in the early hours of Thursday, October 22 due to post COVID-19 complications. The 76-year-old was admitted to Apollo Hospitals in a very critical condition for a week. (READ MORE)
A volunteer participating in clinical trials of the Covid-19 vaccine developed by Oxford University has died in Brazil, officials announced Wednesday, though media reports said he had received a placebo, not the test vaccine. (READ MORE)
On a global scale, India continues to report one of the lowest cases/million population. With consistently falling case fatality rate (1.51% presently), it also has one of the lowest COVID-19 mortality: Ministry of Health
31 new COVID-19 cases reported in Mizoram, taking the total number of cases to 2,341. The number of active cases is at 167 while 2,174 people have been discharged so far.
Karnataka has seen a drastic jump in the number of Covid-19 cases in the past few days, with a big surge in Bengaluru. Though these medicines were being given free of cost over the past few months, the rush has increased multifold in the past couple of days, in keeping with Covid cases. (READ MORE)
Perturbed over rising post Covid complications leading to death of recovered
persons, Odisha Government on Wednesday issued an advisory for management and care of Covid-19 patients.
Collectors, municipal commissioners, Chief District Medical and Public Health Officers and superintendent of medical colleges have been directed to monitor the follow up care and wellbeing of all novel coronavirus affected patients after they are discharged. (READ FULL REPORT HERE)
Over 5,180 passengers of Delhi Metro were penalised for Rs 200 each through September 11-30 for creating nuisance inside the premises of the network after being pointed out for not covering face with mask or wearing it improperly, officials said on Wednesday. (READ MORE)
Kochi-based TCM Ltd, a chemicals manufacturer till recently, which was originally founded by Nobel laureate C V Raman back in 1943, on Wednesday said it has rolled out COVID-19 test kits based on technology developed by IIT Delhi.
TCM Ltd is among the six companies chosen by IIT Delhi nationwide to manufacture the much-awaited COVID test kits. (READ MORE)
Assistant commissioner (enforcement) has been asked to deploy teams to check compliance of SOPs at bars in hotels, clubs and restaurants.
An official said the department was taking action against those not following COVID-appropriate behaviour such as wearing masks and maintaining social distancing.
In an advisory issued to presidents and general secretaries of all recognised national and state parties, the poll panel said chief electoral officers and the district machinery would be expected to invoke appropriate and relevant penal provisions against candidates concerned as well as organisers responsible for such violations.
"ICRA continues to maintain its expectation of 16-18 per cent year on year contraction in two-wheeler volumes in FY2021, amid an evolving COVID-19 situation and economic uncertainties," the rating agency said in a statement. (READ MORE)
In the last 24 hours, 2,351 new cases were reported in the state, said the Health Department.
The active Covid cases have come down to 30,416 due to a greater number of persons recovering from the infection as compared to the newly infected cases. Nearly 4.59 lakh persons were affected out of which 4.22 lakh have recovered.
The Kolkata Police has arrested over 3,000 people in the last 10 days for flouting COVID-19 protocol and not wearing masks, a senior officer said on Wednesday.
Police were arresting people from places in and around the market and shopping malls which have been witnessing people gathering in large numbers for Durga Puja shopping.
At least 112 people tested positive for COVID-19 in Tripura on Wednesday, pushing the tally to 29,800, a health department official said.
The death toll rose to 329 with one more patient succumbing to the infection, he said. Tripura currently has 2,458 active coronavirus cases, while 26,990 people have recovered from the disease.
The UN health agency said in its latest global report on the coronavirus that the continent saw a 25 per cent spike in confirmed cases last week and was responsible for 38 per cent of all new cases reported worldwide. (READ MORE)
There are 7,40,090 active cases of coronavirus infection in the country which comprises 9.67 per cent of the total caseload, the data stated.
With a high number of COVID-19 patients recovering every day, India's steady trend of posting high levels of daily recoveries also continues. (READ MORE)
Considering the forthcoming festival days, the need for redeeming the economy and prevailing status of Corona infection, the state government allows all shops and commercial establishments to function till 10 pm from tomorrow (October 22)," said Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami in a statement here. (READ MORE)
The study, published in the journal of Fertility and Sterility, claims that the studied men had a reduction of around 50 percent on average of the number of sperm per milliliter. (READ MORE)
CEO Chhattisgarh Reena Babasaheb Kangale said that the facilities have been given in view of the Covid pandemic and as per the directives of the Election Commission of India (ECI).
"Postal ballot distribution, postal ballot voting and collection will be done from 22 to 24 October," said an official release of CEO Chhattisgarh. (READ MORE)
113 police personnel tested positive for #COVID19 in the last 24 hours, taking total cases to 25,918 in the force, including 1,809 active cases, 23,839 recoveries, and 270 deaths till date: Maharashtra Police
Europe's governing football body says the cancellation in Northern Ireland is “due to the current unresolved epidemiological situation in Europe and resulting travelling difficulties.” (READ MORE)
Nobel laureate economist Abhijit Vinayak Banerjee has backed the West Bengal governments decision to support Durga puja committees of the state with Rs 50,000 each, saying that organisers need the additional amount to adopt COVID-19 safety protocols. (READ MORE)
Besides Delhi, Frankfurt Airport and Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport have also secured the second position with 4.6 ratings. (READ MORE)
The Jawaharlal Nehru University students’ call to open campus for PhD scholars has finally been heard by the varsity administration. The JNU administration is planning to open the campus for PhD scholars in a phased manner after Durga Puja i.e, by next week. (READ MORE)
The Calcutta High Court on Wednesday revised it's "no-entry zone" order for Durga Puja pandals in Bengal allowing 45 persons to enter at a time,
In big pandals, 60 persons (including committee members) will be allowed inside where a list of has to made public by 8 am. In smaller ones, 15 persons (including committee members) will be allowed.
National recovery rate (88.81%) is fast approaching 89%. 77% of new recovered cases observed to be concentrated in 10 States/UTs. Karnataka outnumbered Maharashtra in new recovered cases with more than 8,500 new recoveries: Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
Describing the order as "historic", doctors said that if clubs and puja committees adhere to the directive the COVID-19 transmission would definitely be restricted to a certain level. (READ MORE)
Odisha reports 1,931 new COVID-19 infections taking the total cases to 2,74,181 out of which 20,750 are active patients.
A comprehensive analysis of air pollution’s global impact on newborns finds that outdoor and household particulate matter pollution contributed to the deaths of more than 116,000 Indian infants in their first month of life in 2019, according to a new global study, State of Global Air 2020 (SoGA). (READ MORE)
Border Security Force personnel help each other wear masks at the Police Memorial parade ground. (Photo| PTI)
The number of COVID-19 recoveries in Arunachal Pradesh surpassed fresh cases on Wednesday, with 255 people recuperating from the disease, even as 135 more people tested positive for the virus, pushing the tally to 13,778, a senior health official said.
In view of the pandemic, the district administration has decided not to hold the ceremony which marks the end of the 10-day festival and directed temple management committees to hold the puja inside the Bhagabati temple. Bhagabati is the presiding deity of Jeypore. (READ MORE)
Jharkhand's COVID-19 tally rose to 97,414 as 542 more people tested positive for the infection, a health department official said on Wednesday.
An estimated one in six children "or 356 million globally" were living in extreme poverty before the COVID-19 pandemic began, and this is set to worsen significantly, according to a new World Bank Group and UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) analysis. (READ MORE)
The Calcutta High Court today will hear the review plea filed by 'Forum for Durgotsav' on order making all Durga puja pandals in the state a no-entry zone.
The neurological condition of legendary actor Soumitra Chatterjee has deteriorated a little in the last 24 hours though his other health parameters are good, one of the attending doctors said in a statement on behalf of the hospital on Tuesday night.
India on Wednesday recorded 54,044 new virus infections and 717 deaths.
The Delhi High Court observed that its blanket order extending interim bails and paroles granted to prisoners in view of the Covid-19 pandemic should come to an end as number of infected persons in jails is currently only three. (READ MORE)
Total 9,72,00,379 samples tested for #COVID19 up to 20th October. Of these, 10,83,608 samples were tested yesterday: Indian Council of Medical Research
The Delhi government has written to hospitals a set of guidelines on treatment of diseases which mimic the symptoms of the coronavirus such as dengue, malaria and H1N1. (READ MORE)
One may get reinfected with the coronavirus if the antibodies against the infection diminish in the body in five months' time after recovery, a top ICMR official said on Tuesday, urging people to continue wearing face masks and follow COVID-appropriate behaviour. (READ MORE)
"Right now, our biggest concern is festivals. We are running campaigns to sensitize people on the importance of social distancing. We are also concentrating on workplaces and containment zones which are likely to throw up cases," the Health Secretary said. (READ FULL REPORT HERE)
If you want to enjoy a drink at a bar, then be prepared for a COVID-19 test. The Puducherry health department has started testing in bars as part of COVID control measures in the Union territory. The testing began at Dhanalakshmi bar on Ranga Pillai Street at around 6 pm on Tuesday catching tipplers by surprise. (READ FULL REPORT HERE)
The number of insurance claims related to treatment for COVID-19 rose to 40 per cent of the total health insurance claims in September, according to an analysis. Based on its analysis of industry data, insurance aggregator Policybazaar.
(READ FULL REPORT HERE)
There has been no scarcity in oxygen supply in the last 10 months with the daily production capacity enhanced to 6,862 metric tonnes by September and projected to further increase to 7,191 metric tonnes by the end of October, the Health Ministry said on Tuesday.
(READ FULL REPORT HERE)
Plasma therapy for Covid-19 patients may soon be discontinued, the Centre on Tuesday said officially for the first time. Plasma therapy was earlier permitted as an investigational treatment in the national clinical management protocol for coronavirus.
(READ FULL REPORT HERE)
Senior CPM leader Maruti Manpade, who was a key voice of farmers and labourers in Karnataka, especially in Kalaburagi district, died of COVID-19 and pneumonia in a private hospital in Solapur in Maharashtra on Tuesday morning. He was 67.
(READ FULL REPORT HERE)
A Mumbai court has aquitted 20 foreign attendees of a Tablighi Jamaat event who were booked by the city police for allegedly violating prohibitory orders during the coronavirus-enforced lockdown.
(READ FULL REPORT HERE)
The first pair of trains during the pandemic was proposed to be operated last month between Chennai and Mysuru (September 26/27) but was cancelled at the last minute. This followed a request from the Tamil Nadu government to defer its run due to the pandemic situation.
(READ FULL REPORT HERE)
Researchers in Singapore have developed a breath test to detect COVID-19 within a minute as authorities are working on a roadmap for the phase three of easing of safety measures in the country. A person would simply have to blow into a disposable mouthpiece connected to a "high-precision breath sampler", according to the National University of Singapore (NUS) researchers.
(READ FULL REPORT HERE)
The human trial of Israel's COVID-19 vaccine candidate 'Brilife' will begin by the end of this month, with the Defence Minister terming it a "very significant moment" and "source of national pride" that could bring great news for the country and the world.
(READ FULL REPORT HERE)
Students attend a class after schools re-opened for classes 9-12 with certain restrictions, in Bathinda (Photo | PTI)
(Inputs from PTI)
The Tiger Woods-hosted Hero World Challenge golf tournament has been cancelled due to travel restrictions imposed amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The 18-player event, hosted by Woods, was scheduled to take place from December 3 to 6 at Albany, Bahamas.
(READ FULL REPORT HERE)
C R Park’s B-Block puja committee has reduced the annual five-day affair to a single day celebration with a ‘ghot pujo’ on October 24 from 7 am onwards. Only the priest and two helpers will be allowed to participate in the rituals.
(READ FULL REPORT HERE)
The approach, called a challenge study, is risky but proponents say it may produce results faster than standard research, which waits to see if volunteers who have been given an experimental treatment get sick.
(READ FULL REPORT HERE)
Leading Malayalam film actor Prithiviraj Sukumaran on Tuesday said he has tested positive for COVID-19. The actor was shooting for Dijo Jose Antony's movie 'Jana Gana Mana' in Kochi. Dijo Jose, who directed the hit movie 'Queen', has also tested positive for the virus.
(READ FULL REPORT HERE)
"Will be sharing a message with my fellow citizens at 6 PM this evening," the Prime Minister wrote on Twitter.
COVID-19 patients who are sick enough to be hospitalised are likely to have high levels of antibodies that can protect against the disease and maybe the best donors for convalescent plasma therapy, according to a study. (READ MORE)
China's super-wealthy have earned a record $1.5 trillion in 2020, more than the past five years combined, as e-commerce and gaming boomed during pandemic lockdowns, an annual rich list said Tuesday. (READ MORE)
78% of the new recovered cases are observed to be concentrated in 10 states/UTs and 75% of the new confirmed cases are from 10 states and UTs. Maharashtra, Karnataka and Kerala contribute more than 5,000 to the new confirmed cases: Ministry of Health
The new confirmed cases in the last 24 hours have fallen below 50,000 (46,790) for the first time in nearly three months. The new cases were 47,703 on 28th July: Ministry of Health
Devotees standing in a queue to offer prayers during the Navratri festival. (Photo| ANI)
'Forum for Durgotsav' files a review petition on Calcutta High Court's order making all Durga puja pandals in the state a no-entry zone.
Matter to be heard tomorrow.
The COVID-19 tally in Thane rose to 2,01,734 with the addition of 1,264 new cases, while seven civic limits of the Maharashtra district reported a recovery rate of over 90 per cent, an official said on Tuesday.
Total 9,61,16,771 samples tested for COVID-19 up to 19th October. Of these, 10,32,795 samples were tested yesterday: Indian Council of Medical Research.
The UNICEF said it will stockpile 520 million syringes in its warehouses, as part of a larger plan of one billion hypodermic needles by 2021, to guarantee initial supply and help ensure that syringes are available in countries before the COVID-19 vaccines arrive. (READ MORE)
India reports 46,791 new COVID-19 cases and 587deaths in last 24 hours.
The antibody levels in the blood of COVID-19 patients drop rapidly during the weeks after their bodies have cleared the virus and symptoms have subsided, suggest the findings of a new study. (READ MORE)
Telangana recorded 1,486 COVID-19 cases, 1,891 recoveries and 7 deaths yesterday, taking total cases to 2,24,545 including 2,02,577 recoveries, 1,282 deaths and 20,686 active cases: State Health Department
Despite enormous strides in equipping developing countries to maintain the vaccine "cold chain," nearly 3 billion of the world's 7.8 billion people live where temperature-controlled storage is insufficient for an immunization campaign to bring COVID-19 under control. (READ MORE)
As per a report by the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) led by Dr VK Paul the next three months are going to be crucial in the city’s battle against Covid-19. (READ MORE)
The overall number of global coronavirus cases has increased to 40.3 million, while the deaths have soared to 1,117,430, according to the Johns Hopkins University.
A purported audio clip of a senior nursing staff narrating alleged negligence in connecting the ventilator 'leading' to the death of a COVID-19 patient at a state-run hospital here triggered an outrage, prompting the Kerala government to order a probe on Monday. (READ MORE)
Community Durga Puja organisers in Kolkata said on Monday that they are staring at huge financial losses after the Calcutta High Court ordered that the pandals will be no-entry zones for visitors in wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. (READ MORE)
The Covid-19 health pandemic has cast a shadow on the festive market. Every year before Dussehra, Bhubaneswar markets get overcrowded with people buying clothes, automobiles, household goods and jewellery. This year, though, is different with people facing pay cuts and salary delays. The numbers of buyers and their purchasing capacity is at an all time low.
All symptomatic people with even minor colds across the state have been urged by Health Minister Eatala Rajender to get tested for COVID-19 and other diseases. (READ FULL REPORT HERE)