Coronavirus LIVE: 10,794 new Covid-19 cases in Andhra Pradesh in a day

Coronavirus latest news: Around 50,000 people in a number of countries are participating in phase 3 clinical trials of a coronavirus vaccine developed by the China National Biotec Group

11:48 PM

Trump admin pumped in $3 trn into US economy after Covid-19: Mnuchin

The Trump Administration has injected $3 trillion into the American economy after the nation was adversely impacted due to the coronavirus pandemic, US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said on Sunday.
 

“The president and I couldn't be more pleased with the way the economic plan is working. We've injected $3 trillion into the economy. People thought we'd get 25 per cent on unemployment. Fortunately, it never came close to that. We're now down to 8.4,” Mnuchin said in an interview to the Fox channel.
 

However, Mnuchin said the Trump administration is working on helping small businesses and getting back employment for people.
 

“But the president and I believe we should do more stimulus. We have about seven and a half million jobs that we need to get back until we're back to where we were up. And we want to help small businesses, we want to help businesses that are particularly impacted by this, and we'll continue to work on proposed new legislation,” he said.
 

US is the world worst hit economy due to the coronavirus pandemic, which till now has infected 6,256,359 people and killed 188,634 others.

Steven Mnuchin US Treasury Secretary

 

10:48 PM

Delhi records 3,256 fresh Covid-19 cases; tally stands at 1,91,499

Delhi recorded 3,256 fresh Covid-19 cases on Sunday, the highest single-day spike in 72 days, taking the tally to over 1.91 lakh, while the death toll mounted to 4,567.
 

This is the first time since June 26 that the cases have crossed the 3,000-mark. Also, it is the fifth successive day in September when over 2,000 new cases have been reported in a day.
 

Nearly 36,046 tests were conducted in the last 24 hours - 9,217 RT PCR/CBNAAT/TrueNat tests and 26,829 rapid antigen tests, according to the latest bulletin issued by the Delhi health department.
 

Twenty-nine fatalities have been recorded in the last 24 hours, taking the death toll to 4,567, it said.
 

On June 26, the city had recorded 3,460 coronavirus cases, the highest single-day spike before September 5.
 

On Saturday, 25 deaths due to the disease were reported and the daily case count was 2,973. On Friday, 13 deaths were recorded and the daily case count was 2,914. On September 1, 2 and 3, the fresh cases count stood at 2,312, 2,509 and 2,737, respectively.
 

The number of active cases on Sunday rose to 20,909 from 19,870 on the previous day.
 

On June 23, the national capital had reported the highest single-day spike of 3,947 cases.
 

The Delhi government has significantly ramped up testing in the past few days. Barring August 31 when over 14,000 tests were conducted and 1,358 fresh cases reported, since August 30, daily cases count has been recorded in excess of 2,000.
 

10:48 PM

Covid-19: 1,593 fresh cases in Rajasthan; tally rises to 90,956

Rajasthan on Sunday reported 1,593 Covid-19 cases, which pushed the state's infection tally to 90,956, according to an official statement.
 

The state also reported 15 fatalities from the coronavirus and the death toll now stands at 1,137, it said.
 

Three deaths each were reported from Bikaner and Jodhpur, two each from Jaipur and Jhalawar, and one each from Ajmer, Alwar, Kota, Dausa and Chittorgarh, the statement said.
 

The highest number of fresh cases was reported from Jaipur where 310 persons tested Covid-19 positive.
 

Jodhpur reported 254 fresh cases, Kota (195), Ajmer (108), Alwar (104), Bikaner (94), Jhalawar (70), Pali (45), Baran (38), Bundi (37), Chittorgarh (36), Bhilwara (36), Nagaur (35), Banswara (22), Bharatpur (21), Barmer (19), Rajsamand (27), Dholpur (25), Udaipur (18), Sirohi (17), Jhunjhunu (15), Churu (14), Ganganagar (14) and Sawai Madhopur (12), the statement said Six fresh cases were reported from Tonk, five each from Dungarpur and Jaisalmer, three from Karauli and two each from Dausa, Hanumangarh, Pratapgarh and Sikar, it said.
 

The statement said a total of 74,861 Covid-19 patients have recovered and of them, 73,715 have been discharged.
 

It said that 14,958 cases are active in the state.

9:30 PM

Ahmedabad's Covid-19 cases up by 173 to 32,524

The Covid-19 tally in Ahmedabad district rose to 32,524 on Sunday with addition of 173 new cases, the Gujarat health department said.
 

With three people succumbing to the infection in the day, the toll in the district went up to 1,750, it said.
 

A total of 77 patients were discharged from hospitals, which pushed the tally of recoveries to 26,848, the department said in a statement.
 

Of the 173 new cases, 152 patients were from Ahmedabad city while 21 cases were detected in rural parts.
 

All three deaths were reported in the areas located within the Ahmebadad Municipal Corporation limits, it said.
 

In rural Ahmedabad, the Covid-19 tally rose to 1,914 with addition of 21 new cases, while the count of recoveries went up to 1,758, officials said.

9:28 PM

Kamala Harris says she would not trust Trump on Covid-19 vaccine

Democratic party's vice-presidential candidate Kamala Harris on Sunday said that she would not trust President Donald Trump on a Covid-19 vaccine unless there is a credible source of information that talks about its efficacy and reliability.
 

Indian-American Harris, 55, is a Senator from California. She is the first ever black, African American and a person of Indian descent to be nominated as a vice presidential nominee by a major political party in the United States.
 

The US presidential election is scheduled for November 3, wherein Democratic party's presidential candidate and former vice president Joe Biden along with Harris are challenging Trump and Vice President Mike Pence from the Republican Party. Coronavirus pandemic that has killed more than 191,000 Americans and infected 6.3 million others is a major election issue.
 

Trump has speeded up the process to come out with a vaccine and therapeutic for Covid-19 amidst a global race by major countries like Russia, China and India. He has said a vaccine might come up in October and is already working on a national plan to have it vaccinated at a mass scale.

9:00 PM

Coronavirus pandemic LIVE: Oxford Covid-19 vaccine trials delayed over safety approvals

The clinical trials for the Covid-19 vaccine candidate developed by the University of Oxford, which was expected to start at The Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) in Chandigarh, have been delayed by at least a week.

 

The trials that were expected to commence in the first week of September have been delayed due to the safety approval pending from the Data Safety and Monitoring Board (DSMB) for the first 100 candidates selected to undergo the trials, the institute told IANS.

 

In result, the further recruitment of the candidates for the trials has been put on hold.

8:56 PM

80% rise in home isolation cases; over 65% jump in containment zones in Delhi

There has been a rise of 80 per cent in the number of home isolation cases of COVID-19 in the national capital in the last 16 days, and parallely the containment zones count too has spiralled up to 976 over the same period, according to official data. Amid steady rise in fresh and active coronavirus cases in the last several days, the number of people in home isolation here on Saturday reached the five-figure mark again after over a month's time.

 

The number of home isolation cases of COVID-19 on September 5 stood at 10,514. The corresponding figure a day before was 9,822, according to the Delhi health department.

 

On August 21, the home isolation cases count was 5,818, so from that date, the rise is of 80 per cent in 16 days. Parallely, the number of containment zones too have multiplied from 589 on August 21 to 976 on September 5, according to a PTI report.

8:53 PM

Delhi's Covid-19 tally reaches 191,449 with 3,256 new cases and 29 deaths today

8:49 PM

Highest single-day spike of 1,335 new coronavirus cases in Gujarat

Gujarat on Sunday reported the highest single-day spike of 1,335 new coronavirus cases, taking the total count of infections in the state to 1,04,341, health department said. With 14 more deaths, the cumulative toll went up to 3,108, it said.

 

A total of 1,212 patients were discharged in the day, taking the number of recoveries to 84,758, the department said in a release. With this, the state's recovery rate now stands at 81. 23 per cent. A total of 72,561 samples were tested in the last 24 hours, which comes at the rate of 1,116.32 tests per day per million population.

8:45 PM

Coronavirus LIVE: Tamil Nadu's Covid-19 active count reaches 51,458

Tamil Nadu reported 5,783 new COVID-19 cases, taking the count for active cases in the state to 51,458.

 

According to the State Health Department, as many as 5,820 people were discharged today after being recovered from COVID-19, while 88 patients have succumbed to the infection in the last 24 hours.

 

With this, the discharged cases have risen to 4,04,186 and the death toll to 7,836, it added.

8:42 PM

Covid-19 LIVE: Kerala Finance Minister Thomas Issac has tested positive for coronavirus

8:40 PM

Covid-19 LIVE: 1,316 more test coronavirus positive in Jammu and Kashmir

As many as 1,316 more persons tested coronavirus positive in Jammu and Kashmir on Sunday, taking its total tally to 43,557. A statement by the Information and Public Relations Department said that of the new cases, 668 were reported from Jammu division and 648 from Kashmir division.

 

Fourteen more patients succumbed on Sunday -- 7 in Jammu division and 7 in Kashmir division. In all, 403 patients were discharged from hospitals. So far, 32,327 corona patients have recovered in the Union Territory. The active cases in J&K now total 10,446, including 4,549 in Jammu division and 5,897 in Kashmir division.

8:33 PM

1,946 new Covid-19 cases and 54 deaths reported in Punjab today

8:25 PM

Tamil Nadu Covid-19 recoveries breach 400,000-mark; 5,783 new cases recorded

Tamil Nadu on Sunday witnessed a significant milestone as the number of COVID-19 recoveries crossed the 4 lakh mark with 5,820 more patients getting discharged in the state, the health department said.

 

The day also saw 5,783 new infections being reported, taking the aggregate to 4.63 lakh, while 88 deaths pushed the toll to 7,836, a bulletin issued by the health department said. With 5,820 people getting cured, total recoveries in the state was 4.04 lakh till date.

 

The active coronavirus cases in the state stood at 51,458, the bulletin said.

8:18 PM

IIIM devises novel Covid-19 test kit for rapid diagnosis of infection; seeks ICMR nod

Jammu-based CSIR-IIIM has devised a novel, simpler and cost-effective diagnostic kit for rapid testing of large numbers of suspected Coronavirus-infected people and has approached ICMR for its evaluation and approval, IIIM director said on Sunday.

 

The new Reverse Transcriptase-Loop Mediated Isothermal Amplification (RT-LAMP) assay-based COVID-19 diagnostic kit has been developed as an alternative to the standard quantitative PCR (qPCR) after reverse transcription (RT) method, which is very sensitive but requires expensive instrumentation, IIIM Director, Dr D Srinivasa Reddy told PTI.

 

The new RT-LAMP assay-based kit has been developed by CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine in partnership with the Reliance Industries, "We have developed an RT-LAMP assay-based diagnostic kit. Our lab and Reliance Industries Limited have together developed this kit," he said.

8:08 PM

Identification key in treating kids with Covid-19 anxiety: Study

Researchers have revealed that early identification and treatment is vital to avoid long-term mental health consequences from Covid-19 among children and young people, according to an IANS report.

 

The study, published in the journal Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy, highlights how health anxieties can be triggered by changes like returning to school and argue that young people need time to readjust to routine and to deal with emotions after such a prolonged period at home.

 

For some, ongoing concerns about health, triggered by the invisible threat posed by Covid-19, could interfere with life and parents and teachers need to be aware of signs such as excessive hand washing, and reassurance-seeking about health-related worries.

 

"Children are not immune to worries about their health, or the health of those around them. It is essential that we are able to recognise when normal concerns around Covid become more problematic," said study author Jo Daniels from the University of Bath in the UK.

8:00 PM

Covid-19 impact: Abu Dhabi's Etihad extends wage cuts until end of 2020

Abu Dhabi’s Etihad Airways has extended the period of reduced pay for their staff until the end of the year, a spokeswoman for the carrier said on Sunday.

 

Employees will have their salaries reduced by 10% from September until the end of December, she said, compared to an earlier cut of between 25% and 50% which ended last month.

 

The aviation industry has been hit hard by the outbreak which has shattered demand for air travel and forced airlines to preserve cash. Etihad and rival Emirates have laid off staff and asked employees to take months of voluntary unpaid leave. Emirates has cut wages until the end of September.

 

7:52 PM

Coronavirus LIVE: Over 3,800 Punjab policemen Covid-19 infected so far

Over 3,800 Punjab policemen have tested positive for COVID-19 since the pandemic began, an official statement said on Sunday.

 

It said senior police officials are calling up COVID-19 infected personnel to motivate them to fight the disease. The Punjab Police is also providing free health kits with a pulse oximeter, sanitisers and medicines to the infected policemen, it said.

 

According to the statement, 3,803 policemen in the state have tested positive for the disease so far. Twenty of them have died, while 2,186 cops have fully recovered. At present, 1,597 policemen are COVID-19 positive, it said.

7:42 PM

In a first, UV tech to sanitise tokens as Lucknow Metro restarts from tomorrow

With Lucknow Metro set to resume operations from Monday, it will become the first metro service in India to use ultraviolet (UV) technology for token sanitisation for passenger safety, the organisation said in a statement. Kumar Keshav, Managing Director of Uttar Pradesh Metro Rail Corporation (UPMRC), on Sunday conducted an inspection and checked an overview of operational preparedness from Hazratganj to Munshipulia stations, according to a PTI report.

 

A special interactive session was also conducted at CCS Airport metro station for media persons showcasing the safety measures adopted and other arrangements done by Lucknow Metro catering for the safety of commuters.

 

In a statement issued here, the Lucknow Metro said it has laid special emphasis on contactless travel, sanitisation, social distancing, hygiene and cleanliness. Various rigorous steps have been undertaken to ensure a safe and convenient commuting experience for passengers.

7:34 PM

Coronavirus LIVE: Highest single-day spike of 1,316 Covid-19 cases in Jammu and Kashmir

Jammu and Kashmir on Sunday recorded the highest single-day spike of 1,316 fresh COVID-19 cases, raising the tally to 43,557, while 14 more fatalities pushed the death toll to 784, officials said.

 

"There were 1,316 new cases of coronavirus in the past 24 hours. This is for the fourth time in as many days that the number of fresh cases has crossed 1,000 in a 24-hour period, while it is also the highest single-day spike in the union territory so far," they said.

 

Among the new cases, 668 were from the Jammu region and 648 from the Kashmir Valley, the officials said. Jammu district reported the highest number of 451 new cases, followed by 185 in Srinagar district, they said. Jammu on Saturday had became the first district in the union territory to have recorded more than 500 positive cases in a single day.

7:27 PM

Police in Guwahati imposing fines on people who are found not wearing masks

7:19 PM

Lucknow Metro set to resume operations tomorrow; all Covid-19 protocols in place

Metro services will resume in Lucknow on September 7 after a gap of over five months following the COVID-19 outbreak. The Metro, which had suspended its services in March due to outbreak of COVID is looking to reopen with caution putting into place a series of measures such as closed token counters, limited entry and exit points, thermal scanners and sanitisers among others to enable commuters to adhere to COVID social distancing protocols.

 

Kumar Keshav, Managing Director of Uttar Pradesh Metro Rail Corporation, said that Metro will resume operations from September 7 by abiding all the instructions issued by the Central government in the Unlock 4 guidelines.

 

"We have drafted the standard operating procedure (SoP) under which all instructions given by the Centre for the operation of Metro services across the country are being followed," he said.

7:13 PM

Coronavirus LIVE: Woman Covid-19 patient raped by ambulance driver in Kerala

A 19-year-old woman COVID-19 patient was allegedly raped by an ambulance driver while shifting her to a first line treatment centre near here, police said on Sunday. Taking note of it, the State Women's Commission registered a case on its own into the incident, which drew wide condemnation from the opposition Congress and BJP, even as health minister K K Shailaja said strict instructions had been given to take strong action against the culprit.

 

"This is an unfortunate incident. We have given strict directions to take strong action against the culprit," she said in Thiruvananthapuram. The ambulance driver Noufal (29) was taken into custody on Sunday based on a complaint by the victim's mother to the hospital authorities and the police. He was dismissed from service, the Kanivu 108 Ambulance Services said in a release.

7:03 PM

1,316 new Covid-19 cases reported in Jammu and Kashmir today

6:53 PM

Andhra Pradesh records 10,794 fresh Covid-19 cases; tally inches closer to 500,000-mark

The coronavirus positives increased by the new normal 10,000-plus but the number of active cases dropped below the one-lakh mark in Andhra Pradesh on Sunday. With the addition of 10,794 in 24 hours ending 9 am on Sunday, the aggregate Covid-19 cases now reached 4.98 lakh just short of the five-lakh mark. The latest bulletin said 11,915 patients had recovered from the infection and walked home but another 70 succumbed in 24 hours.

 

A total of 3.94 lakh coronavirus patients had so far been cured while 4,417 died. The number of active cases now stood at 99,689, the bulletin said

6:52 PM

Coronavirus LIVE: 10,794 new Covid-19 cases in Andhra Pradesh in a day

6:36 PM

Tamil Nadu reported 5,783 new Covid-19 cases and 88 deaths in the last 24 hours

6:21 PM

First case of coronavirus reinfection reported in Karnataka's Bengaluru

A 27-year-old woman who had recovered from COVID-19 in July, has tested positive again for the infection in Karnataka's Bengaluru. According to Fortis Hospital, Bengaluru, the woman had tested positive for coronavirus in July and was discharged after testing negative. However, she developed mild symptoms in a month and confirmed to have transmitted COVID again.

 

Dr Pratik Patil, Consultant, Infectious Diseases, Fortis Hospital, Bannerghatta Road, said, "In the first week of July, the patient was symptomatic (fever, cough and sore throat) and was tested positive. She was admitted to the hospital and recovered well."

 

"A repeat test was conducted on her, which turned out to be negative, post which she was discharged on July 24. However, nearly after one month, in the last week of August, she developed mild symptoms again and has been tested positive again. Both times she did not have severe disease," he told ANI.

6:14 PM

Nepal's coronavirus infection tally rises to 46,257

Nepal reported 980 new coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours, pushing the nationwide infection tally to 46,257, the health ministry said on Sunday.

 

Nine more people died due to COVID-19 related complications on Sunday, taking the death toll to 289, it said. Of the 980 new cases, 290 are females and 690 males, health ministry spokesperson Jageshwar Gautam said. As many as 354 new cases were reported from Kathmandu Valley in a single day.

6:02 PM

Coronavirus LIVE: Health Secretary reviews Covid-19 situation in five states, Union Territories

As the country saw a new high in Covid-19 cases with over 90,000 new infections in 24 hours, Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan on Sunday reviewed measures for containment and management of the disease in 35 districts spanning five states and a Union Territory with the Health Secretaries concerned, according to a PTI report.

 

These districts comprise Kolkata, Howrah, North 24 Parganas and 24 South Parganas in West Bengal; Pune, Nagpur, Thane, Mumbai, Mumbai Suburban, Kolhapur, Sangli, Nashik, Ahmednagar, Raigad, Jalgaon, Solapur, Satara, Palghar, Aurangabad, Dhule and Nanded in Maharashtra; Surat in Gujarat; Puducherry; East Singhbhum in Jharkhand; and all 11 districts in Delhi.

 

In the meeting, held through video conference, Bhushan underscored the need to suppress, curb and eventually break the chain of transmission of the disease by strengthening the active case search focusing on the co-morbid and elderly population; revisiting and strengthening the containment measures in the affected areas; and scaling up the testing to lower the positivity rates below 5 per cent.