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COVID-19 HIGHLIGHTS | MHA asks states to ensure free movement of oxygen carrying vehicles

Some states are reportedly mandating manufacturers and suppliers located in the state to restrict their oxygen supplies to the hospitals of the state.
Representational Image. (File| PTI)
Representational Image. (File| PTI)
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India's COVID-19 tally raced past 52 lakh with 96,424 people testing positive in a day, while the number of people who have recuperated from the disease rose to 41,12,551 on Friday, according to the Union Health Ministry data.

The total coronavirus cases mounted to 52,14,677, while the death toll climbed to 84,372 with the virus claiming 1,174 lives in a span of 24 hours, the data updated at 8 am showed.

There are 10,17,754 active cases of COVID-19 in the country which comprises 19.52 per cent of the total caseload, the data stated.

59 new cases in Ladakh

New health guidelines issued by Haryana health department for home isolation patients

In order to strengthen the home isolation care of COVID-19 patients across the state, Haryana Health Department has issued new guidelines, wherein emphasis has been laid on in-person visits by ‘District Home Isolation Monitoring Team’ on every alternate day: State Government.

Rajasthan government allows kin to meet virus patients at hospitals

  • Rajasthan Health Minister Raghu Sharma on Friday directed officials to allow family members of coronavirus patients to meet them after wearing PPE kit and other protective gear, according to a statement.

  • Later, Health Department Principal Secretary Akhil Arora issued directions, citing "loneliness" of coronavirus patients and the stress caused due to it.

  • According to the instructions, family members of patients can meet them by adopting all protective measures such as PPE kit, mask, gloves and maintaining required distance during visiting hours decided by the hospital.

  • Besides, family members of patients can also give them home cooked food according to the prescribed protocol. Directions have been given to ensure sufficient quantities of wheel chairs/stretchers and a small oxygen cylinder at the help desk.

    • Western Railway to increase Mumbai local services to 500

  • A total of 500 suburban train services will be run in Mumbai from September 21, an increase from the 350 currently on the tracks amid the coronavirus outbreak, said a Western Railway official on Friday.

  • The suburban trains in operation now are only for frontline staff and essential service workers as laid down by the state government, and a QR code-empowered ticketing mechanism is in place for those who need to board.

  • "In order to maintain social distancing and avoid overcrowding, Western Railway has taken the decision to increase the number of daily special suburban services from 350 to 500 from Monday," said Sumit Thakur, WR chief public relations officer.

  • "Of the increased services, 30 will be operated during morning peak hours, and 29 services during evening peak hours," Thakur informed.

    • Nearly 1500 new cases in Jharkhand

    Over 2500 new cases in Assam

    27 new cases in Andaman

    Numbers of suburban trains to increase in Mumbai

    In order to maintain social distancing and avoid overcrowding, Western Railway has taken the decision to increase the number of daily special suburban services from 350 to 500 from Monday, 21st September: Western Railway.

    COVID-19: MHA asks states to ensure free movement of oxygen carrying vehicles

    In a communication to chief secretaries of all states and union territories, Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla said it has come to the notice that some states are trying to curb inter-state movement of oxygen supplies from manufacturing units situated in their respective areas. (READ FULL STORY HERE)

    178 new cases in Himachal

    Over 1800 new cases in Rajasthan

    Nearly 3200 new cases in Bengal

    Karnataka tally crosses 5 lakh

    News from Rajasthan

    Rajasthan Health Department permits family members of COVID-19 patients to meet with them in hospitals; wearing of face masks, PPE kits and hand gloves mandatory.

    Nagaland schools to partially reopen from September 21

  • The Nagaland government on Friday decided to partially reopen schools from September 21 for students of Class 9 to 12, on a "voluntary basis", to seek academic guidance.

  • In an order Chief Secretary Temjen Toy said that up to 50 per cent of teaching and non-teaching staff, residing outside containment zones, may be permitted to be called to the schools at a time for online teaching, tele-counselling and related work.

  • "Students of classes 9 to 12 may be permitted to visit their schools, in areas outside the containment zones only, on voluntary basis, for taking guidance from their teachers subject to written consent of their parents or guardians, subject to strict adherence to all the provisions in the Standard Operating Procedures (SOP)," the order said.

  • The MHAs Unlock 4 guidelines allow students of classes 9 to 12 to visit schools on a "voluntary basis" from September 21 for academic help. Schools across the country have been closed since March due to COVID-19 pandemic.

  • Classes are conducted online, and links to online study material are sent via WhatsApp, emails and SMS.

  • The partial reopening will also be allowed for skill or entrepreneurship training institutions, it said.

  • The chief secretary said, skill or entrepreneurship training will be permitted in National Skill Training Institutes, Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs), short term training centres registered with National Skill Development Corporation or State Skill Development Missions, subject to strict adherence to SOP.

    • 596 new cases in Goa

    Tamil Nadu BJP General Secretary tests positive

    No restrictions on Oxygen supply

    Over 21,000 new cases in Maharashtra

    COVID-19: Number of affected ministers in Uddhav Cabinet reaches 11 after two test positive

    Nitin Raut (63), who is the Energy Minister and the working president of the state Congress, tweeted, "I have tested positive for COVID-19. I would request all those who had come in contact with me to get themselves tested as a precautionary measure." Hasan Mushrif, the Rural Development Minister and NCP leader, said on the micro-blogging site, "I have tested positive for COVID-19 and those who came in my contact should get themselves tested. I will soon be at your service defeating coronavirus. My health is fine." (READ FULL STORY HERE)

    Schools in Himachal from Classes 9-12 to reopen from Monday

  • The Himachal Pradesh government has decided to reopen schools from Classes 9 to 12 from Monday, almost six months after remaining shut due to the coronavirus pandemic.

  • The decision in this regard was taken in a Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur on Friday evening, an official spokesperson said. Educational institutions in the state were closed in March after the outbreak of the deadly virus.

  • The Cabinet gave its nod to open educational institutions outside the containment zones in the state from September 21 as per the standard operating procedure (SOP) of the Union Ministry of Home Affairs and the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the spokesperson said.

  • These schools will be opened with 50 per cent teaching and non-teaching staff in attendance for students from Class 9 to Class 12, provided the students are willing to take guidance from the teachers, he said.

  • For this, a written consent of the parents or guardians of students is mandatory, the spokesperson added.

    • More than 2800 new cases in Punjab

    Over 1300 new cases in J&K

    Karnataka to restart inter-state bus operations

    Jharkhand Assembly gears up for monsoon session under COVID shadow

    260 new cases in Chandigarh

    177 new cases in Manipur

    868 new cases in Uttarakhand

    Update from Air India Express

    All Air India Express flights from/to Dubai will operate as per original schedule starting tomorrow: Air India Express.

    Tamil Nadu reports 5488 new cases and 67 deaths

    Delhi governor chairs DDMA meeting to review COVID-19 situation in national capital

    Chaired Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) meeting to review Covid-19 situation in Delhi with CM Arvind Kejriwal, Dr VK Paul, Member NITI Aayog, Dr Randeep Guleria, Director AIIMS, Dr Balram Bhargava, DG ICMR, other experts & senior officers. Advised officials to jointly prepare blue print for re-strategizing containment zone policy to reduce positivity & mortality rate. Emphasised on aggressive IEC campaign in vernacular languages to engage stakeholders for ensuring COVID appropriate behaviour: Lieutenant Governor of Delhi

    COVID warriors in pink

    Dharavi adds 18 more cases to its COVID tally

    COVID-19 tally in Mumbai's Dharavi slum rises to 2,993 with the addition of 18 cases: BMC

    Odisha JEE announces exam schedule

    J&K COVID tally

    Jammu and Kashmir reported 1,330 new COVID-19 cases, 784 recoveries and 15 deaths today, taking total cases to 61,041 including 39,305 recoveries and 966 deaths

    Kerala introduces new initiative to fight COVID-19

    5601 coaches converted into COVID centres: Railways ministry

    5,601 coaches have been converted into Covid Care Centers by Indian Railways in March, April, May and June to combat Coronavirus pandemic: Ministry of Railways

    Kerala reports over 4000 new infections for 2nd consecutive day

    Uttar Pradesh COVID tally

    Uttar Pradesh reports 98 more COVID19 fatalities, 6,494 new cases. Infection tally rises to 3,42,788, death toll reaches 4,869. Number of active cases stands at 67,825.

    Tripura records 273 new cases and 6 deaths

    273 new COVID19 cases, six more deaths reported in Tripura. Infection tally rises to 20,972, death toll now 228. Number of active cases stands at 7,162: Health dept official

    Working out through COVID times

    AP registers over 8000 new cases of COVID

    Andhra Pradesh reports 8,096 new COVID-19 cases, 11,803 recoveries and 67 deaths, taking total cases to 6,09,558 including 5,19,891 recoveries, 5,244 deaths and 84,423 active cases: State Health Department

    Delhi schools to remain shut till October 5

    All schools will remain closed for students in Delhi till October 5, 2020. Online classes & teaching-learning activities will continue as usual: Directorate of Education, Delhi

    FULL REPORT HERE

    KSRTC to restart inter-state ops

    Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation had stopped inter-state bus services due to COVID & lockdown. As lockdown has been relaxed, KSRTC will restart operations to Maharashtra. Services to be operated from Bengaluru, Davangere, Mangaluru & other places of Karnataka: KSRTC

    Phase 2 clinical trial of COVID vaccine underway

  • Phase 2 clinical trial for COVID19 vaccine is underway in India with a good sample size of more than 600 motivated volunteers. Any vaccine will come by mid-next year, anywhere in the world, if everything goes as planned: Dr Sanjay Rai, Head-Community Medicine Department, AIIMS

  • ICMR serosurvey conducted in April-May found 6.4 mn adults above the age of 18 yrs as infected. Sero-survey only shows the direction of infection while testing shows the actual number of infections

  • By mid-next year, there's a possibility of normalcy even if vaccine comes or not. Till the time there is no effective vaccine available, COVID19 preventive measures like wearing masks, hand hygiene etc. should be followed

  • Testing should rational & should focus more on symptomatic patients. The strategy should be changed in case of community spread. We should now focus on reducing mortality rather than patient isolation.

    • Karnataka House preps for assembly session

    High-level central team rushed to Jammu

    Union Health Ministry has decided to depute a high-level Central team to Jammu. The district has reported a rise in the number of new COVID-19 cases in recent days. The team will support efforts towards strengthening containment, surveillance, testing & efficient clinical management of the positive cases. The Central team shall also guide in effectively managing the challenges related to timely diagnosis & follow up: Ministry of Health & Family Welfare

    As cases soar, Kerala's capital may soon run out of beds

    In the last two days, over 1,300 new cases were reported in the district. According to sources, bed availability at the first-line treatment centres is dwindling fast. As on Wednesday, 2,480 out of the total 3,496 beds at Covid First Line Treatment Centres (CFLTCs) in the district have been occupied.

    FULL REPORT HERE

    West Bengal to reopen zoos from Oct 2

    Congress leader Manish Tewari rakes up PM CARES fund in Lok Sabha

    Since the PM CARES Fund has the name of the institution of the Prime Minister attached to it, wouldn't it have been more appropriate if this fund would have been created through legislation rather than as a public trust: Congress leader Manish Tewari in Lok Sabha

    Himachal records 100 new cases

    Civil aviation ministry data on passenger footfall

    Over 1.16 lakh passengers took to the skies, 1.17 passenger arrivals, 1376 flight arrivals and 2759 flight movements took place across the country on 17th September. Over 2.33 lakh footfalls were recorded at airports across the country yesterday: Ministry of Civil Aviation

    63 doctors from Tamil Nadu including 12 from Chennai died due to COVID-19: IMA data

    The association has published a list of 382 doctors who died of COVID-19 and the majority of them are general practitioners. In a press release issued on Wednesday, the association said, "We demand they be acknowledged and treated as martyrs. Their families and children deserve solace and solatium from the national government."

    READ FULL REPORT HERE

    Schools in Meghalaya to partially reopen from September 21, says state education minister

    "Schools will be partially opened up from September 21 for students to come and meet their teachers and clarify doubts on subjects they find it difficult. There will be no regular classes and no classroom sessions," Education minister Lahkmen Rymbui said.

    RTC staff sanitise Metro buses in Vijayawada

    Preparations underway for Jharkhand Assembly monsoon session

    All arrangements made at the Jharkhand legislative assembly in the wake of COVID19 pandemic, as the monsoon session begins here today. Jharkhand Assembly monsoon session is being held from September 18-22.

    Ayushman Bharat CEO tests positive for COVID

    Registration of BS-IV diesel vehicles purchased before April 1 allowed by SC

    Supreme Court allows registration of BS-IV diesel vehicles purchased before April 1 that are to be used in essential public services and public utility services by Municipal Corporations and Delhi Police. Supreme Court orders that such diesel vehicles purchased before April 1, 2020 and are to be used for essential public utility services will be registered as per BS-IV norms and vehicles purchased after April 1, 2020 will be registered as per BS-VI norms.

    Provide gadgets, internet pack to poor students: Delhi HC

    The Delhi HC directed all schools to provide gadgets and an internet package to poor students for online classes, saying the absence of such facilities prevent children from pursuing elementary education. The court said the committee shall frame standard operating procedures (SOPs) for identifying the standard of the equipment and internet package to be supplied to the poor and disadvantaged students.

    Thane records 1,903 new cases

    At least 1,903 new cases of COVID-19 were detected, while 44 more patients died of the infection in Maharashtra's Thane district, an official said on Friday. With the addition of the latest infections and deaths on Thursday, the tally in the district reached 1,53,139 and the toll rose to 4,053, the official said.

    Air India Express receives Notice of Suspension

    More cases in Maharashtra police

    Maharashtra minister Nitin Raut tests positive

    Maharashtra Energy Minister Nitin Raut on Friday said he has tested positive for COVID-19, becoming the ninth member of the state cabinet to contract the infection. Raut (63), who is also the working president of the state Congress, tweeted about his diagnosis.

    Pondy sees 490 new cases

    Puducherry on Friday clocked 490 new COVID-19 cases and six more fatalities, pushing the overall tally of those infected by the virus to 21,913 in the union territory. Health Minister Malladi Krishna Rao told a virtual press conference that six people.

    Koyembedu wholesale food-grain market re-opens

    Odisha tally

    Stroke scans could reveal infection: Study

    New research from King's College London has found that COVID-19 may be diagnosed on the same emergency scans intended to diagnose stroke. (READ HERE)

    159 new cases in Arunachal

    Arunachal Pradesh's COVID-19 tally rose to 6,851 on Friday as 159 more people, including 15 security personnel, tested positive for the infection, a senior health official said. The Capital Complex region reported the highest number of new cases at 88, followed by West Kameng (11) and Lower Subansiri (11), he said.

    Rajasthan tally

    Goa to prepare SOP on providing oxygen

    The Goa government will prepare a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) to ensure that all COVID-19 patients, whether with mild, moderate or severe symptoms, get oxygen on time in state-run facilities, Health Minister Vishwajit Rane has said.

    11 deaths in Telangana

  • Telangana recorded 2,043 fresh coronavirus cases and 11 fatalities, taking the tally of infections in the state to 1.67 lakh.

  • Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) accounted for the most number of cases with 314, followed by Rangareddy 174 and Medchal Malkajgiri 144, a government bulletin said on Friday, providing data as of 8 PM on September 17.

  • The cumulative recovered cases stood at 1.35 lakh while 30,673 are under treatment.

    • 28 new cases in Mizoram

  • Mizoram's COVID-19 tally rose to 1,534 on Friday as 28 more people, including 24 security personnel, tested positive for the infection, a health official said.

  • Twenty-seven new patients have travel history, while one infection was detected during contact tracing, he said.

  • Nineteen cases were reported in Aizawl district, six in Lunglei, two in Sercchip and one in Kolasib, the official said.

  • Eighteen Assam Rifles personnel and six BSF jawans are among the new patients.

    • All operation of Air India Express to Dubai Airports suspended

    National tally crosses 52 lakh-mark

    1,026 new cases in Jharkhand

    The fresh infections have taken the number of active cases in the state to 13,703, while 52,807 people have been cured of the disease so far, he said.

    LNJP Hospital opens child-friendly ward

    The children's ward with a theme of ‘From Suffering to Happiness’ can hold up to 40 patients. It has got seven large-screen television sets where cartoons are played to divert their minds. (READ HERE)

    Lose weight to beat Covid, say experts

    Citing global studies that being obese doubles the risk of hospitalisation and increases the risk of dying due to Covid-19, the Kerala health department has stressed the need for adhering to a healthy lifestyle. (READ HERE)

    60% cases in 5 most-hit states

    6,15,72,343 samples tested

    CBSE ordered to limit online sessions to 30 minutes

    The Kerala State Commission for Protection of Child Rights on Wednesday ordered CBSE schools in the state to ensure that each session of the ongoing online classes did not exceed 30 minutes. (READ HERE)

    IFFK to be held in February

    The Festival will follow the guidelines of the Government of Kerala prevailing at that time.

    BJP MP Vinay Sahasrabuddhe tests positive

  • BJP national vice-president and Rajya Sabha MP Vinay Sahasrabuddhe said that he tested positive for COVID-19.

  • Sahasrabuddhe had tested negative for the virus last Friday, following which he attended the monsoon session of Parliament.

  • "Last Friday, I had got examined and was tested negative hence attended Parliament. But last night, I had a headache and mild fever, got examined and have tested positive for COVID-19," Sahasrabuddhe said in a tweet.

    • Wearing glasses may offer some protection

  • Daily wearers of eyeglasses might be less likely to be infected with the novel coronavirus, say scientists who call for further, large-scale studies to assess the relationship between eye protection and the risk of contracting COVID-19.

  • The single-centre study, published in the journal JAMA Ophthalmology, assessed 276 hospitalised COVID-19 patients at Suizhou Zengdu Hospital in China, and observed that those who wore eyeglasses for an extended period of time were relatively uncommon among the study participants.

  • Based on this observation, the researchers, including those from The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University in China, speculated that wearing eyeglasses for more than eight hours per day may be protective against the novel coronavirus infection.

  • They hypothesised that this may be due to eyeglasses acting as a barrier that reduces the frequency with which people touch their eyes.

    • T cells play bigger role in reducing severeity: Study

  • Vaccine candidates for COVID-19 should elicit a broad immune response that includes antibodies, and the body's helper and killer T cells, according to a study which says weak or uncoordinated immunity may lead to a poor disease outcome.

  • The research, published in the journal Cell, confirms that a multi-layered, virus-specific immune response is important for controlling the novel coronavirus during the acute phase of the infection and reducing COVID-19 disease severity.

  • "Our observations could also explain why older COVID-19 patients are much more vulnerable to the disease," said study senior author Shane Crotty from the La Jolla Institute for Immunology in the US.

  • "With increasing age, the reservoir of T cells that can be activated against a specific virus declines and the body's immune response becomes less coordinated, which looks to be one factor making older people drastically more susceptible to severe or fatal COVID-19," Crotty said.

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