Close to 200 doctors , the majority of them general practitioners, have lost their lives to COVID-19 till August 7 according to information compiled and released by the Indian Medical Association (IMA), which has now written to the Prime Minister Narendra Modi asking him to urgently ensure that these “at risk healthcare workers and their families at least get assured treatment when infected”.
You can track coronavirus cases, deaths and testing rates at the national and State levels here . A list of State Helpline numbers is available as well.
Here are the latest updates:
M.P. CM to give plasma for treatment of COVID-19 patients
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said he would donate his blood plasma for treatment of COVID-19 patients.
Mr. Chouhan had tested positive for coronavirus on July 25 and remained hospitalised for 11 days before he was discharged on August 5.
“I was tested positive for COVID-19 earlier and I am perfectly healthy now after treatment. Antibodies to fight coronavirus must have been developed in my body and so I will soon donate plasma for therapy,” an official release quoted the Chief Minister as saying while reviewing the COVID-19 situation in the State via video conferencing.
- PTI
One more M.P. Minister tests COVID-19 positive, fourth so far
Madhya Pradesh Medical Education Minister Vishvas Sarang said he has tested COVID-19 positive.
He shared the information on his Twitter handle.
Mr. Sarang is the fourth member of Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan’s Council of Ministers to test positive.
“My second COVID-19 test report came out positive today. I have been in home isolation since I had tested negative in my first report. I request all those who came in my contact to undergo COVID-19 test,” he said in his tweet.
- PTI
IMA to help Goa govt to take care of asymptomatic patients
The Indian Medical Association will take care of asymptomatic patients in home isolation under a public-private partnership model with the Goa government, its State unit chief S Samuel said.
A network of doctors will attend to such patients, he said, adding all seven IMA branches in Margao, Mormugao, Bardez, Tiswadi, Bicholim, Ponda and CQS (Curchorem, Quepem, Sanguem) will be part of the project.
“Around 150 doctors have consented to give voluntary telephonic consultations to these home-isolated patients. IMA Goa will also produce a video to help patients take care of themselves. They will be shown how to use pulse oxymeter, how to prepare hypochlorite solution, and take care of the waste,” he added.
- PTI
Kerala logs 1,211 fresh COVID-19 cases; aggregate reaches 34,331
Kerala on Sunday recorded 1,211 fresh COVID-19 cases and two more fatalities, taking the total infection count in the State to 34,331.
Health Minister K.K. Shailaja said the new cases were through local transmission.
“At least 1,026 cases are of local transmission and the contact source of 103 is not traceable. 76 cases are returnees from foreign countries while 78 from other states,” she said in a release.
With two more deaths being reported in the State, the toll climbed to 108.
Meanwhile, 970 people were cured on Sunday.
- PTI
Delhi sees marginal rise in COVID-19 cases; Kejriwal says situation under control
With Delhi recording marginal rise in coronavirus cases in recent days, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said the COVID-19 situation is under control and asserted that in case it takes a turn for the worse, the AAP government is prepared to deal with any crisis.
The number of active COVID-19 cases rose to 10,729 on Sunday from 10,667 on the previous day. The positivity rate in the city stands at 5.46%.
Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain attributed the rise in cases to “patients from outside getting tested here“.
- PTI
Principal secretary to Punjab governor tests COVID-19 positive
The principal secretary to Punjab Governor V.P. Singh Badnore has tested positive for COVID-19, an official spokesperson said on Sunday.
J.M. Balamurugan has been home quarantined, the spokesperson said.
However, Mr. Badnore, who is also the administrator of the Union Territory of Chandigarh, has tested negative for the infection.
A two-day COVID-19 testing exercise with rapid-antigen kits was carried out at the Raj Bhawan in which 336 people, including security personnel, officers and staff members, were tested for the disease, the spokesperson said.
- PTI
56 detained for violating weekend lockdown in J&K’s Udhampur
A mini-truck driver and 55 people travelling in it were detained in Udhampur district of Jammu and Kashmir on Sunday for violating the weekend lockdown aimed at preventing the spread of Coronavirus infection, said police.
All 56 were found travelling in the mini-truck during the checking by a police party at Motorshed Chenani along Jammu-Srinagar national highway, a police official said.
During the search of the vehicle, 55 passengers, including 12 women and 14 children, were inside the vehicle.
- PTI
Fadnavis bats for RT-PCR tests over antigen tests
Maharashtra BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis said the State should use its full capacity for RT-PCR testing to detect coronavirus positive cases, and opposed the dominance of antigen tests in the total number of tests conducted.
He said the State’s COVID-19 prevention strategy must be scientific and not be based on “mere data management or data suppression“.
The former Chief Minister tweeted, “Out of total 78,711 COVID19 tests done on August six, 50,421 were antigen tests (64%) & only 27,440 were RT-PCR (34%) 850 tests using other methods. This ratio has to be 1:1 & not 1:2.”
“Due to 65 percent failure rate of Antigen testing, RT-PCR is only considered as golden method for testing,” he said further in the tweet.
- PTI
West Bengal govt puts cap on advance deposit for private hospitals
Private hospitals in West Bengal cannot charge patients more than 20% of the estimated cost of treatment or a maximum of Rs 50,000 at the time of admission, as per a new directive of the state government, a senior official said.
The West Bengal Clinical Establishment Regulatory Commission (WBCERC), in a notification, also said private hospitals should not refuse admission or treatment if payment was not made immediately.
“After due deliberation and careful consideration, it is decided that clinical establishments would not be entitled to demand more than 20 per cent of the estimated cost of treatment or a maximum amount of Rs 50,000 whichever is less, at the time of admission,” it said.
- PTI
Record jump of 506 COVID-19 cases in Goa on Aug. 9: Minister
Goa on Sunday witnessed its highest single-day spike with 506 COVID-19 cases being detected, said State Health Minister Vishwajit Rane.
He chaired meetings with health officials and medical experts through the morning.
“The increase in the number of cases by 506 on Sunday is the highest spike in a single day in the state. We are discussing the issue with the chief minister, who has already announced that Goa will get a second COVID-19 hospital,” Mr. Rane said.
- PTI
Record 7 lakh tests conducted in a day; recovery rate rises to 68.78%, says Health Ministry
Scaling up testing capacity, over seven lakh samples have been examined for COVID-19 in a day taking the cumulative tests conducted so far to 2,41,06,535, the Union Health Ministry said on Sunday.
The number of recoveries too has surged to 14,80,884 with 53,879 coronavirus patients having recuperated and discharged in 24-hours, the highest in a day so far, pushing the recovery rate to 68.78%. The fatality rate has further dropped to 2.01 per cent, it said.
Karnataka Health Minister B. Sriramulu tests positive for COVID-19
In a tweet, Karnataka's Health Minsiter B. Sriramulu confirmed that he has been diagnosed with coronavirus. " Since the beginning of the outbreak, I have had the opportunity to visit the 30 districts and work towards fulfilling the government's wish to ensure good treatment to people," he said in one of his tweets on Sunday. He also urged people who had come in close contact with him recently, to take adequate measures to counter the spread of the virus.
Punjab Health Minister says Delhi's COVID-19 model aimed at diverting attention from its failures
Punjab Healh Minister Balbir Singh Sidhu on Sunday said Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) was making a laughing stock of itself with its absurd claims on Covid management in the national capital and termed the so-called ‘Delhi model’ as nothing more than a desperate bid by the Delhi government to divert attention from its own failures.
The Minister in a statement described Punjab Leader of Opposition Harpal Singh Cheema’s statement expressing “dissatisfaction” over the Punjab government’s measures to tackle the pandemic as ridiculous and said the AAP MLA was clearly oblivious to the fact that Punjab continues to fare much better than many other states in the fight against Covid, which in fact had totally exposed the inadequate Delhi healthcare infrastructure.
— PTI
Uttar Pradesh reports 4,571 new COVID-19 cases, 41 more fatalities
Uttar Pradesh reported 4,571 new COVID-19 cases on Sunday, taking the total in the state to 1,22,609 as 41 more fatalities pushed the the death toll due to the disease to 2,069.
The count of active COVID-19 cases in the state stands at 47,890, and 72,650 patients have been discharged after recovering from the disease, Additional Chief Secretary, Medical and Health, Amit Mohan Prasad said.
— PTI
Quickly process claims under insurance scheme for COVID-19 health workers: Centre to states
The Centre has asked states and Union Territories to quickly process claims under the ₹50-lakh insurance scheme for frontline healthcare workers engaged in COVID-19 duties as the cover is available till September.
In a letter to the states and Union Territories, Union Health Ministry Secretary Rajesh Bhushan asked them to accord top priority to the security and well-being of healthcare providers, medical staff and frontline workers.
— PTI
Kashmir-based doctor treating COVID-19 patients for over 4 months dies after contracting disease
A senior doctor in Kashmir who was on the forefront of the battle against COVID-19 died at a hospital here on Sunday after contracting the disease, officials said.
Dr Mohammad Ashraf Mir, a resident of Pampore area of south Kashmir’s Pulwama district, passed away in the morning at the SKIMS hospital in Soura here, they said.
— PTI
People’s representatives must follow COVID-19 norms: Kiran Bedi
Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry, Kiran Bedi on Sunday said political leaders and people’s representatives should follow norms for safety from COVID-19 and set an example to the public.
She said there were photographs and reports in the media that some of the people’s representatives were seen violating the guidelines introduced to fight the pandemic.
— PTI
Odisha govt’s ex-gratia for COVID-19 warriors eludes teachers: Association
Though the Odisha government accorded state funeral to COVID-19 warriors who died during novel coronavirus-related duies, and announced ex-gratia for the bereaved families, a teachers’ association has said that the government is yet to provide financial assistance to the families of teachers, who died during the course of their work.
— PTI
COVID-19: Jharkhand to get its second plasma therapy centre in Dhanbad
The second plasma therapy centre in Jharkhand will be set up at the state-run Patliputra Medical College and Hospital (PMCH) in Dhanbad, an official said on Sunday.
Chief Minister Hemant Soren had inaugurated the state’s first plasma therapy facility at the Rajendra Institute of Medical Science (RIMS) in Ranchi on July 28.
— PTI
Actor Natasha Suri tests positive for COVID-19
Actor and former Miss India World Natasha Suri on Sunday said she has tested positive for COVID-19 and is currently quarantining at her home. Suri, 31, said she had gone to Pune earlier this month and fell sick on her return to Mumbai.
“I had gone to Pune taking all the necessary precautions. When I came back, on August 3, I fell sick. I had fever, sore throat so I got myself tested and it turned out COVID-19 positive,” the actor told PTI .
— PTI
Delhi records 1300 new coronavirus cases, taking State's tally to 1,45,427
According to the Health Bulletin by the Delhi government, Delhi recorded 1300 new Covid-19 cases on Sunday taking the total number of cases to 1,45,427. In the past 24 hours 13 deaths were reported taking the total fatalities to 4111. After 1225 people recovered, the total recoveries now stands at 130587. There are 10729 active cases in the city.
— Delhi Bureau
Chennai’s COVID-19 test positivity rate may fall to 6%: Municipal Corporation Commissioner
The positivity rate, gradually has dipped to about 8.50% to 9.50% now from 14-15% last month, he said.
The COVID-19 test positivity rate in Chennai may drop to about six per cent by the end of this month and concerted efforts were on to accomplish it, Greater Chennai Corporation Commissioner G Prakash has said.
The positivity rate, gradually has dipped to about 8.50% to 9.50% now from 14-15% last month, he said.
— PTI
Goa to get second COVID-19 facility in Ponda, tweets CM Sawant
The sub-district hospital in Ponda in north Goa will be converted into a COVID-19 facility, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant tweeted on Sunday.
The state’s only COVID-19 treatment facility is the 200-bed ESI Hospital in Margao and the one at Ponda will be the second one to fight the outbreak, Mr. Sawant added.
— PTI
Elderly Nagaland couple with comorbities beat COVID-19
The recovery of an elderly Nagaland couple with comorbidities has given a fillip to the State government’s fight against the stigma surrounding the novel coronavirus infection.
Unlike some parts of Nagaland where the infected have been shunned even after recovery, the people of Lasumi village in Phek district bordering Myanmar stood by 93-year-old Tsulo Therie and his 79-year-old wife Zunyi-ii.
The couple’s 10 children, members of their extended family and neighbours welcomed them back home after their discharge from the District (COVID-19) Hospital in district headquarters Phek.
— Special Correspondent
17 BSF personnel among 43 fresh COVID-19 cases in Mizoram
Forty-three people, including 17 Border Security Force (BSF) personnel, have tested positive for COVID-19 in Mizoram, taking the northeastern state’s caseload to 608 on Sunday, a health official said.
The new patients also include a doctor engaged in sample collection, two policemen and 18 truck drivers and their helpers, he said.
— PTI
Barracks of Muzaffarnagar jail sealed as inmates contract coronavirus
All barracks of the district jail here were sealed as over 90 inmates have contracted coronavirus in the past some days, an official said on Sunday.
According to Jail Superintendent A.K. Saxena, all 25 barracks have been sanitised and the inmates are not being allowed to come to the jail compound to prevent the spread of the disease.
— PTI
743 TTD staff test positive for COVID-19, 3 have succumbed: Official
As many as 743 staff of the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) including including some priests of the Lord Venkateswara shrine at Tirumala have tested positive for COVID-19 and three have succumbed to the virus since June 11, a top TTD official said on Sunday.
Of the 743 infected, three employees succumbed to the dreaded contagion and about 402 personnel have recovered so far from infection while 338 people were undergoing treatment at different COVID care facilities here, TTD Executive Officer Anil Kumar Singhal told reporters here.
— PTI
Patients from outside Delhi getting tested here, hence the rise in COVID-19 cases: Satyendar Jain
Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain on Sunday attributed the recent rise in COVID-19 cases in the national capital to “patients from outside getting tested here“.
On Saturday, 1,404 new COVID-19 cases and 16 deaths were reported in Delhi, taking the tally of cases to 1,44,127.
— PTI
Saudi Aramco half-year profits plunge 50% from virus impact
Saudi Aramco’s net income plunged by 50% in the first half of the year, according to figures published on Sunday, offering a revealing glimpse into the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on one of the world’s biggest oil producers.
Profits for the first six months of the year plunged to $23.2 billion, half of last year’s $46.9 billion for the same time period.
— PTI
Tripura: Two BSF personnel among four die of COVID-19, 147 fresh cases reported
Four more persons, including two BSF personnel, have succumbed to COVID-19 in Tripura, taking the death toll due to the disease to 41, while 147 fresh cases pushed the infection tally to 6,164, an official said on Sunday.
Of the four fatalities, three were reported from Khowai district and one from West Tripura, he said.
— PTI
Early-stage coronavirus vaccine trial begins in Singapore
The early-stage clinical trial for a COVID-19 vaccine has started in Singapore, with the first vaccinations expected to be given to volunteers next week, a media report has said, as the country’s coronavirus tally crossed over 55,000 on Sunday.
Called Lunar-Cov19, the vaccine is developed by Duke-NUS Medical School and United States pharmaceutical company Arcturus Therapeutics, The Straits Times reported.
— PTI
COVID-19 count in CRPF’s group centre in Gwalior reaches 245
The number of COVID-19 cases in Central Reserve Police Force’s Group Centre in Gwalior in Madhya Pradesh increased by 60 to reach 245, said a district administration official on Sunday.
The new cases were detected in Saturday evening while the earlier ones were detected at the centre in Panihar, some 14 kilometres from the district headquarters, over the past two weeks, Additional District Magistrate (ADM) Kishore Kanyal told PTI .
— PTI
Satish Shah reveals COVID-19 diagnosis, thanks hospital after testing negative
Veteran actor Satish Shah on Sunday revealed that he had tested positive for COVID-19 last month and thanked the medical staff for “restoring” his health back to normal. The 69-year-old actor, best known for his work on shows like “Sarabhai vs Sarabhai” and “Yeh Jo Hai Zindagi”, was admitted to Lilavati Hospital on July 20 after he contracted the novel coronavirus. He was discharged on July 28.
— PTI
Six more people die due to COVID-19 in Rajasthan
Rajasthan on Sunday recorded six more fatalities due to COVID-19, taking the death toll to 784, while the virus tally mounted to 51,924 with detection of 596 new cases, officials said.
The number of active COVID-19 cases in the state stands at 13,847, they said.
— PTI
U.S. response to the virus is met with incredulity abroad
The United States’ failure to contain the spread of the coronavirus has been met with astonishment and alarm in Europe, as the world’s most powerful country edges closer to a global record of 5 million confirmed infections.
Perhaps nowhere outside the U.S. is America’s bungled virus response viewed with more consternation than in Italy, which was ground zero of Europe’s epidemic. Italians were unprepared when the outbreak exploded in February and the country still has one of the world’s highest official death tolls at 35,000.
— AP
Seven more succumb to COVID-19 in Puducherry; 264 fresh cases
264 fresh cases take overall tally to 5,382 Puducherry, Aug 9 (PTI) Seven more people including four women succumbed to coronavirus in Puducherry taking the toll to 87 while 264 fresh cases were detected, a top Health department official said on Sunday.
Most of the patients died of severe Covid pneumonia, Director of Health and Family Welfare S Mohan Kumar said, adding the deceased were in the range between 38 and 80 years.
— PTI
Singapore PM says COVID-19 crisis ‘far from over’ as country celebrates National Day
Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on Sunday said that the COVID-19 crisis is far from over and it will take a year or two before a vaccine is widely available as the country is celebrating the 55 years of independence.
Singapore’s National Day is celebrated on August 9 every year in commemoration of the country’s independence from Malaysia in 1965.
— PTI
Drive-in concept to combat COVID-19 crisis this Durga puja
With little more than two months to go for Durga puja, festival committees in the city are brainstorming ways to ensure the safety of pandal-hoppers amid the COVID-19 crisis, while offering them a glimpse of the goddess.
Three Durga puja committees in the city, all crowd- pullers and located within one-km stretch in south Kolkata, have joined hands to introduce a drive-in ‘darshan’ concept - an arrangement which would allow people to slow down their car to take a look at the pandal and the Durga idol without having to alight from their cars.
— PTI
COVID-19 situation under control in Delhi: Arvind Kejriwal
Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday said the COVID-19 situation in Delhi is under control and the recovery rate is improving.
Speaking at the inauguration of a hospital in Ambedkar Nagar, he said in case the situation takes a turn for the worse, the government is fully prepared to deal with it.
— PTI
Record 13 fatalities push COVID-19 death toll in Odisha to 272, 1734 new cases reported
Odisha recorded the highest single-day spike of 13 COVID-19 fatalities, which pushed the death toll in the coastal state to 272 on Sunday, a health department official said.
At least 1,734 fresh cases were registered in 29 districts of the state, raising the coronavirus tally to 45,927, he said.
— PTI
Toll in fire mishap in Andhra Pradesh's private COVID-19 care centre rises to 10
The toll in fire mishap in a private COVID care centre in the city rose to 10, and the details of two patients undergoing treatment in the hotel-turned-quarantine centre, is not known immediately.
“According to information, 30 patients and ten hospital staff are in the hotel. Police, NDRF and Fire personnel rescued 28 persons from the spot, ten bodies were shifted to the Government General Hospital (COVID Hospital) mortuary and the particulars of two patients is known immediately,” said Police Commissioner Bathina Srinivasulu, who was monitoring the rescue operations.
— Rajulapudi Srinivas
Telangana reports 1,982 new COVID-19 cases; 12 deaths push toll to 627
Telangana reported 1,982 new COVID-19 cases, taking the overall infection tally to 79,495, while the death toll mounted to 627 with 12 more fatalities.
The declining trend in new positive cases (observed during the last several days) continued in the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) with 463 fresh cases being reported.
— PTI
Congress leader Adiraju dies of COVID-19
APCC vice-president and former DCC president Yedla Adiraju (53) died of COVID-19 on Saturday. He is survived by wife, daughter and son. Mr. Adiraju tested positive for the virus five days ago and had been in home quarantine since then.
Committee to study high mortality rate at ESI Hospital in Rajajinagar
BBMP has now starting to seal down house only, instead of the whole road, A photo from Girinagar in Bengaluru on August 08, 2020.
A committee will be formed to study the reasons for the high mortality of COVID-19 patients at the ESI Hospital in Rajajinagar, Bengaluru.
Medical Education Minister K.Sudhakar, who made a surprise visit to the hospital on Saturday, announced this after an interaction programme with patients through videoconferencing. Till now, 421 patients have been admitted to the hospital, and 54 have died, which makes the mortality rate as high as 12.8%.
Madurai MLA tests positive for COVID-19
Sholavandan MLA, K. Manickam, has been admitted to a private hospital in Madurai for COVID-19 treatment. The ruling party MLA said that after he developed symptoms of tiredness, he went for a health check at the private hospital on Saturday. A CT scan report suggested he had chest congestion and was advised to get admitted for COVID-19 treatment.
Cases in GHMC to dip by month-end: Senior officials
The ongoing COVID-19 crisis has evoked a range of emotions in people, from helplessness and confusion to frustration and rage. At their wits’ end, many of them rhetorically ask, ‘when will the pandemic end?’. Senior officials in the Health department claim that COVID is now beyond its peak and cases are set to decline by month-end.
In case of other districts, officials estimated that the cases will decline will start by end of September. However, this relief might not last for long as experts have predicted a second wave of COVID-19 pandemic.
Schools will reopen only when conditions are safe: CM
Schools in Tamil Nadu will reopen only when the conditions are safe, Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami said on Saturday.
The spread of COVID-19 in the State is yet to reduce and medical experts have advised that more care should be given to children, he said, emphasising that schools would reopen only once the conditions are safe.
Gendered impact of COVID-19
Soumya Swaminathan. File
The pandemic and its gendered impact took centre stage at a virtual discussion organised by the M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation on Saturday, as experts deconstructed the effect COVID-19 has had on women’s work, nutrition security, reproductive health and education, and gender-based violence.
400-bed government COVID-19 hospital inaugurated in Noida
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister on Saturday inaugurated a dedicated 400-bed government COVID-19 hospital in Noida.
Spread across eight floors with its own diagnostic facility, dialysis unit, and blood bank, the Chief Minister also reviewed the facilities at the hospital that has come up in collaboration with the Tata Trusts and Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
Published - August 09, 2020 09:00 am IST
