Coronavirus LIVE: Maharashtra tally crosses 1.09 mn; deaths go past 30,000

Coronavirus latest update: Worldwide there are 29,433,091 cases of coronavirus. India's total number of corona cases has surged to 4,837,952. Stay tuned for coronavirus India LIVE updates

3:30 AM

China suspends poultry imports from second US plant over Covid-19

China has suspended imports from an OK Foods poultry plant in Fort Smith, Arkansas, because of coronavirus cases among workers, the USA Poultry & Egg Export Council said on Tuesday.
 

China, the world's top meat importer, has blocked products from some plants in foreign countries as part of an all-out effort to control the spread of Covid-19.

The OK Foods plant is the second US poultry facility to be blocked because of an outbreak among employees, after Beijing suspended imports from a Tyson Foods Inc plant in June.
 

"We don't think that either one of these two are justified, especially considering the fact that the virus cannot be transmitted in poultry meat," said Jim Sumner, president of the USA Poultry & Egg Export Council.
 

Chinese customs authority GACC suspended imports from the OK Foods facility, he said.
 

OK Foods, owned by Mexico's Industrias Bachoco , did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
 

The Arkansas plant became ineligible to ship products to China on Sept. 13, according to the US Department of Agriculture.
 

Since the start of the pandemic, 234 plant workers had tested positive for Covid-19 as of Aug. 31, the Arkansas Department of Health said. The facility no longer has more than five active cases, according to the department, which publishes outbreak data on its website.
 

3:26 AM

Covid-19 crisis: Port cargo picking up, but still lower than last year's

Almost all major ports witnessed a sharp drop in cargo traffic during April-August 2020 compared to the same period last year. However, the fall has started narrowing down every month.

 

The fall in cargo at 12 major ports — administered by the central government — was 10 per cent in August compared to the same month in 2019. Read more

3:25 AM

Covid-19: '76 Days' revisits Wuhan to tell the story from ground zero

It’s clear from the first shot that the cameras of 76 Days were going where few had gone before. The documentary film, which had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival, or TIFF, opens with a hospital worker in Wuhan, China, who is distraught at being unable to say a final goodbye to her father even as her colleagues hold her back. Similar moments of raw grief, compassion and courage are captured in beautifully framed, intimate close-ups, providing a window into the chaos that prevailed in the hospitals of Wuhan, considered Ground Zero of the Covid-19 pandemic, early this year. Read more

9:52 PM

Manipur's Covid-19 tally mounts to 8,210 with 239 fresh cases

Manipur reported 239 fresh cases of Covid-19 on Tuesday, pushing the tally to 8,210, including 1,845 personnel of the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF), officials said.
 

Of the new cases, 15 are CAPF personnel, while the rest are locals who have no significant travel history, they said.
 

Imphal West District accounted for the highest number of 148 cases, followed by Imphal East (43).
 

The coronavirus death toll in the state rose to 47 after a 69-year-old male died at Regional Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS), the officials said.
 

Manipur now has 1,745 active cases, while 6,418 people have so far recovered from the disease. The recovery rate stands at 78.71 per cent.
 

9:48 PM

Mumbai daily count below 2,000 after 6 days

Mumbai's Covid-19 tally rose to 1,73,534 on Tuesday with the addition of 1,585 new cases - the lowest in a week - while the toll increased to 8,227 with 49 more patients succumbing to the infection, the city civic body said.
 

The daily count in the financial capital recorded a significant drop on Tuesday after registering over 2,000 cases for six consecutive days. However, the death toll rose sharply to 49 from 31 on Monday.
 

According to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), the number of recovered patients increased to 1,34,066 with 1,717 more patients discharged from hospitals in the last 24 hours.
 

Mumbai has a recovery rate of 77 per cent, it said.
 

The civic body informed that at present, the city has 30,879 active cases and it has conducted 9.36 lakh Covid-19 tests across Mumbai so far.
 

According to the civic body,the city's average growth rate of Covid-19 cases is 1.24 per cent, while the doubling rate is 54 days.

9:38 PM

Covid-19: 'Distributed curve' due to 'very effective' lockdown, says govt

Amid a spurt in Covid-19 cases, the government on Tuesday said India learnt from the experience of nations that suffered high mortality and was able to "distribute the curve" of the coronavirus infection due to a "very effective" lockdown and avoid the "huge peak" those countries had in terms of deaths.

At a press briefing, Director General of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), Dr Balram Bhargava, also said reinfection was "very, very rare" with Covid-19, but it can happen.
 

Bhargava, however, said it was not a matter of serious concern.
 

The government also asserted that there is absolutely "no shortage" of medical oxygen, vital in the treatment of coronavirus patients, at the national level, while urging states to ensure a proper inventory management at hospital-level and advance planning for timely replenishment so that there is no stockout.
 

Asserting that India has one of the largest number of Covid-19 recoveries, Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan said there are 14 states and union territories (UTs) in the country where the number of active cases are less than 5,000.
 

Bhushan said there are 18 states and UTs in the country where the total number of active cases are between 5,000 and 50,000, while there are only four states with more than 50,000 active cases.
 

9:30 PM

Maharashtra Covid-19 tally crosses 1. 09 million; deaths go past 30,000

Maharashtra's Covid-19 tally rose to 10,97,856 on Tuesday with addition of 20,482 new cases, state health department said.
 

With 515 deaths, the total toll in the state went up to 30,409, it said.
 

Of the total 515 fatalities, 302 had occurred in the last 48 hours. 116 deaths had taken place in the last one week, while 97 deaths had occurred before it, a health official said.
 

A total of 19,423 patients were discharged after treatment during the day, taking the number of recoveries in the state to 775,273, it said, adding that the state now has 291,797 active cases.
 

The state has so far conducted 54,09,060 tests, the official said.

9:20 PM

Insurance scheme for frontline health workers fighting Covid-19 extended for 6 months

The Rs 50-lakh insurance cover to frontline health workers fighting Covid-19 has been extended for six months and till date, 61 claims have been processed and payments made, the Union Health Ministry said on Tuesday.
 

As many as 156 claims are under examination by the New India Assurance (NIA) Company Limited, and in 67 cases claims forms are yet to be submitted by the states, it said.
 

The 'Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Package Insurance Scheme for Health Workers Fighting Covid-19' was announced on March 30 for 90 days. It was extended further for a period of 90 days i.e. up to September 25. The scheme has now been extended for another 180 days i.e. six months," the health ministry said in a statement.
 

This central scheme provides an insurance cover of Rs 50 lakh to healthcare providers, including community health workers, who may have to be in direct contact and care of Covid-19 patients and therefore at risk of being infected.
 

It also includes accidental loss of life on account of contracting Covid-19, the ministry said.
 

The scheme also provides cover to private hospital staff, retired, volunteer, local urban bodies, contract, daily wage, ad hoc, outsourced staff requisitioned by states, central hospitals, autonomous hospitals of centre, states, Inion Territories, AIIMS and INIs, hospitals of central ministries drafted for coronavirus-related responsibilities.
 

The insurance provided under this scheme is over and above any other insurance cover being availed of by the beneficiary. There is no age limit for this scheme and individual enrolment is not required, the ministry said.
 

The entire amount of premium for this scheme is being borne by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. The benefit and claim under this policy is in addition to the amount payable under any other policies.
 

9:04 PM

Maharashtra govt launches public campaign to curb Covid-19 spread

Maharashtra governments My Family, My Responsibility campaign will help combat Covid-19 and sarpanches in the state should implement it effectively in villages, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray said on Tuesday as he launched the initiative amid a spike in cases.

 

Earlier, interacting with corporators of civic bodies in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR), except the BMC, Thackeray said the movement will prove to be a key weapon in making people understand the importance of self-protection in the battle against Covid-19.

 

According to an official statement, Thackeray asked the public representatives to ensure social distancing norms are followed by people in their respective areas to curb the spread of Covid-19.

 

The statement said around 28,000 sarpanches (village heads) from the state took part in the online meeting.

8:54 PM

Maharashtra adds 20,482 Covid-19 cases; 515 deaths in 24 hrs

Maharashtra's Covid-19 tally rose to 10,97,856 on Tuesday with addition of 20,482 new cases, state health department said. With 515 deaths in the last 24 hours, the total toll in the state went up to 30,409, it said.

 

A total of 19,423 patients were discharged after treatment during the day, taking the number of recoveries in the state to 7,75,273, it said, adding that the state now has 2,91,797 active cases.

 

Mumbai city reported 1,586 cases in the day, taking its count to 1,73,596 while the cumulative death toll rose to 8,230. Pune city added 1,889 new cases, raising its tally to 1,31,983 while 35 deaths took toll to 3,016. The state has so far conducted 54,09,060 tests.

8:43 PM

Karnataka reported 7,576 new Covid-19 cases, tally at 4,75,265

8:33 PM

Meghalaya's Covid-19 tally rises to 4,037; death toll increases to 29

Meghalaya's Covid-19 caseload rose to 4,037 on Tuesday as 172 more people tested positive for the infection while one fatality pushed the state's coronavirus death toll to 29, a senior health official said.

 

Of the 172 new cases, 74 were reported from East Khasi Hills, 61 from East Jaintia Hills, 23 from Ri-Bhoi, nine from West Garo Hills, two from South West Garo Hills and one each from North Garo Hills, South Garo Hills and West Jaintia Hills districts, Health Services Director Aman War said.

 

 

8:28 PM

2,323 new coronavirus cases in MP, 29 deaths, 1,902 recover

Madhya Pradesh on Tuesday witnessed 2,323 fresh coronavirus cases, taking the case count in the state to 93,053, health officials said. With 29 fatalities, the Covid-19 death toll in the state went up to 1,820, they said. 1,902 patients were discharged after treatment during the day, taking the count of recoveries in the state to 69,613.

8:20 PM

Goa records 613 new Covid-19 cases; state's total caseload crosses 25,000

Goa's Covid-19 tally crossed the 25,000 mark after 613 persons tested positive for the deadly infection on Tuesday, an official from the health department said.

 

The latest cases have taken the count of infections in the coastal state to 25,511, of which 20,094 persons have been discharged from hospitals so far, the official said. While 446 patients recovered from the infection on Tuesday, 11 died of it, he said. With the latest fatalities, the toll in the coastal state now stands at 315, the official said.

 

Goa's COVID-19 figures are as follows: Positive cases 25,511, new cases 613, deaths 315, discharged 20,094, active cases 5,102, samples tested till date 2,27,810.

8:17 PM

17 people including staff, family members residing inside Delhi BJP office test Covid-19 positive

Seventeen people, including staff and their family members living inside the Delhi BJP office, have tested positive for Covid-19 following which the premises will remain closed for sanitisation on Wednesday, party leaders said.

 

Delhi BJP media cell head Ashok Goel said no party leader or office has tested positive for Covid-19.

 

"All the staff members and their families who live on the Delhi BJP office premises were tested through rapid antigen test on Tuesday. Seventeen of them including a guard, a driver and two peons have tested positive," Goel said.